Episodes

Hey everybody! Welcome back to the Curious About Cannabis series on Isn’t Life Curious? On this episode we connect with Alex Eckman, a scientist and curious mind that inadvertently discovered that disposable vape pens may be leaching substantial amount...

In this episode we are joined once again by extraction technologist Murphy Murri – but this time we focus on mushroom extraction and the diversity of extracts that can be obtained from functional mushrooms like Reishi, Cordyceps, Oyster, Shiitake,

Here’s what I have been up to lately and why you may have a hard time finding me on social media these days. Recently CAC in collaboration with Train with Mary Jane released a first of its kind multi-accredited endocannabinoid science course for sports...

Accredited cannabis education for athletic trainers and sports clinicians is here! In this episode we drop in with our friends Drs. Elizabeth Thompson and Patrick Neary to get updates on the million dollar NFL-funded cannabinoid research project that they have been working on as well as share an exciting announcement about a collaboration between Curious About Cannabis and Train with Mary Jane to provide accredited cannabis and cannabinoid education to sports clinicians and athletic trainers th...

In this episode you’ll get to hear two extended excerpts from a long conversation that myself and several of my Cannabis science colleagues had about Cannabis quality, chemistry, and beyond at the end of the American Chemical Society Spring Conference on March 27th, 2025. The conversation was recorded at Abstrax Headquarters in Irvine, CA with Evan Friedmann, Kyle Boyar, TJ Martin, and Iain Oswald. Catch the rest of the conversation on The Noid Knowledge podcast with Evan Friedman and be on th...

How closely have you examined your deeply held beliefs? How confident are you that your beliefs are true? What are the reasons you have that give you your level of confidence in your belief? In this throwback episode we take a critical look at beliefs. Beliefs of all kinds. Belief in God, karma, the law of attraction, ghosts, spirits – anything. In this episode of Isn’t Life Curious? I had the chance to sit down for a conversation with Anthony Magnabosco – a leader in a movement that seeks to c...

In this throw back episode from the very beginning of the Isn’t Life Curious? series we join farmer and permaculturist Mark Shepard to discuss practical solutions to surviving and thriving on planet Earth. Mark is the CEO of Forest Agriculture Enterpri...

Is life really all that special? Or is it just a happy accident that we are here? Neil Manson, PhD is a philosopher and professor of philosophy specialized in tackling these very questions. An expert on philosophy of science and philosophy of religion, Dr. Manson and I dive down a metaphysical wormhole to explore the ways humans have tried to wrestle with our place in the universe. If there is a multiverse, what does that mean for our traditional concepts of God? If we live in a simulation, the...

Do we even test for the right things? Now that medical and adult-use cannabis programs have been around for some time, and with them mandated lab testing of products – we have a lot of data that we can begin to review in order to assess how well we are managing the quality of cannabis in the market. In this episode we are joined by microbiologist and analytical technologist Kyle Boyar to confront the idea that there may be some things that regulators require testing for that will almost never ...

Continuing our series on the issues facing the Cannabis testing industry, we sit down with Josh Swider of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs to discuss the ways that he and his lab have felt the effects of potency inflation and lab shopping over the past several years. One by one Josh has watched clients disappear after complaints that his THC potency numbers were not high enough compared to his competitors. This is a story all too familiar to most labs that have ever operated in the space. Eventua...

In this extended 2+ hour episode, Josh Smith of Therapeutic Health Choice, an analytical lab based out of Michigan, takes us on a deep dive into his experiences of Cannabis testing fraud as we explore some potential ways to fix issues like lab shopping and bring scientific integrity back to the cannabis industry. About Josh: Josh Smith is a seasoned biotech executive with a graduate degree in Clinical Microbiology and over 24 years of experience in biotechnology, molecular biology, and pharmac...

This is the first of a series of conversations with lab owners and industry experts revolving around the topic of fraud, mismanagement, and poor regulations facing Cannabis testing labs. With issues ranging from THC potency inflation, under-reporting of contaminants, perverse incentive structures promoted by regulations, market manipulation, and more – this series dives deep into a very controversial issue to try to understand the problem at its foundation and find meaningful and practical solut...

There is no doubt that when it comes to aroma, the Cannabis plant is LOUD. Depending on the variety, a host of smells can be found in Cannabis ranging from the sweet and floral to the funky, gassy, savory, and beyond. Chemist Twinkle Paryani has been trying to understand the chemistry behind the spectrum of aromas found in Cannabis and recently unearthed some interesting findings. Abstrax Tech: https://abstraxtech.com/ Twinkle’s publication “Nonterpenoid Chemical Diversity of Cannabis Phenotyp...

In this episode of Isn’t Life Curious? we join comedian and social media sensation Rodney Norman to talk about the meaning of life and what exactly he finds so funny about it all. Throughout the conversation we are joined by some of Rodney’s friends including Leonard, the World’s Worst Motivational Speaker, to unpack some of their most profound insights about what it means to be alive. Get ready to discover all the answers you have ever sought about life and the universe! It’s all packaged up f...

Session Time Stamps 2:17 – Extraction Basics, Hydrocarbon Safety (2019) 1:35:18 – Remediation, CRC, Chromatography (2021) 3:17:16 – State of Industry in 2022, Medusa Stones, Gas Quality 5:40:33 – Lecture: Extraction Fundamentals (2021) 7:38:06 – Lectur...

​To kick off the new show, I wanted to re-release my conversation with Dr. Steven Novella, most famously known as the producer and host of The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Podcast and author of The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe book. Dr. Novella is a neurologist and professor at Yale School of Medicine and an advocate of the skepticism movement. In our conversation we talk about the concept of reality vs perception and how to evaluate whether we are in touch with reality or are lost in our ...

The Curious About Cannabis Podcast is now a show on the Isn’t Life Curious? network. Isn’t Life Curious? continues the curious quest of biologist and science educator Jason Wilson, MS as he delves into the complexities and wonders of life on Earth thro...

How does CBD affect the CB1 receptor, really? Rob Laprairie is a cannabinoid researcher out of the University of Saskatchewan who was involved in the discovery of CBD’s allosteric binding activity on the CB1 receptor – leading to a host of speculative theories about how CBD influences the activity of THC. In this conversation, continuing our Train with Mary Jane series, we sit down with Rob and discuss his work studying the CB1 receptor to better understand how CBD and “minor” cannabinoids from...

In this episode we sit down with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) specialist Matthew Gates to delve into the often-overlooked world of cannabis viruses and viroids. In this episode, Matthew brings his extensive expertise to the table, shedding light on the insidious pathogens that can silently wreak havoc on cannabis crops. As the cannabis industry continues to grow and evolve, understanding the hidden threats posed by viruses and viroids becomes paramount. Matthew explains the various types of...

Dive into a journey of discovery with our latest episode of the ‘Train With Mary Jane’ mini-series, where we delve deep into the pioneering research funded by the NFL on Cannabis and its potential to revolutionize the treatment of traumatic brain injur...

After our initial episode concluded with Liz Thompson, we decided we had more to talk about so we hit record! Enjoy this bonus conversation where we explore how Canada handles insurance coverage for Cannabis expenses and what the future of health insurance coverage for Cannabis could look like in Canada and the US.

Elizabeth Thompson is a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan currently working on a project that has started to get international attention – the National Football League’s (NFL) million dollar research project to understand how cannabinoids could impact the health and safety of athletes. In this behind-the-scenes conversation we hear Liz’s story about her personal connection to professional sports, her journey to understand molecular mechanisms of the body, links between the endocannabi...

You may have noticed that your local gas station has started selling products marketed like Cannabis products with promises that they are legal ways to get you high without THC. No, we haven’t gone back in time. This isn’t 1999 and no, you’re not reading one of those “legal bud” ads in the back of the High Times magazine. This is 2024 and we are seeing a re-emergence of synthetic cannabinoids, particularly THC analogues, now presumably legal under the guise of the 2018 Farm Bill. Colorado Chrom...

We kick off 2024 catching up with Dr. Jeff Raber of The Werc Shop to talk about Cannabis quality, Cannabis potency testing fraud, THC inflation, acetone showing up in Cannabis extracts, preparing young scientists for working in the Cannabis industry, the launch of The Werc Shop’s ENTOUR brand and more! How do we fix the lab testing fraud issue in the Cannabis industry? Why is acetone showing up in terpene-rich Cannabis samples? How can young scientists prepare for the brutal realities of work...