Episodes

Can your nose change your cannabis high? Our conversation with cannabis researcher and patient advocate Gil Luxemburg continues in Part 2. Gil's journey involves helping people all over the world get access to medicinal cannabis, but in a surprising turn, he also challenges what we think we know about terpenes, THC, and the entourage effect. Could smell, memory, and expectations explain some perceived cannabis effects? Gil also shares his remarkable experiences influencing medical cannabis pol...

How did Israel’s medical cannabis Patient 7 become an advocate and educator? Gil Luxenbourg developed severe Crohn’s disease during his Israeli military service. After conventional treatments failed, he received the extraordinary suggestion from a military gastroenterologist: try cannabis. In Part 1, Gil explains his journey to becoming one of Israel’s first licensed medical cannabis patients, helping establish the Israel Medical Cannabis Association, and educating patients and healthcare prof...

Can cannabis help pets? In Part 2 of our conversation with veterinary technician and Inspired Pet Wellness founder Sandi Krusik van Bommel, we explore the sometimes confusing world of cannabis, CBD, THC, and pet wellness. Sandi explains what responsible cannabinoid use can look like for pets, why accidental ingestion is different from therapeutic use, and why pet owners need to consider more than THC alone when a dog gets into an edible. We dig into THC toxicity in dogs. Sandi makes the import...

Can CBD and cannabis have a place in pet wellness? Trevor and Kirk talk with Sandi Krusik-van Bommel of Inspired Pet Wellness, a registered veterinary technician, canine rehabilitation therapist and certified veterinary cannabis consultant. Sandi's cannabis origin story involves caring for her injured senior dog. After many false starts, Sandi's quest to help her fur baby led her into the world of veterinary cannabis. She tells us all of our pets have an endocannabinoid system, why not all CBD...

Can cannabinoids really work through the skin? In Part 2 of our conversation with Ripley and Jill of Blunt Botanicals, Trevor and Kirk dig into CBD, CBG, terpenes, and cannabinoid skincare. What is the science, formulation, and business potential behind cannabis topicals?. The conversation gets practical with Blunt Botanicals’ cooling topical formulated with CBD and CBG. Rapid Cryo uses menthol, wintergreen, terpenes, and other ingredients designed to create a layered cooling sensation. Jill e...

What happens when a personal mission becomes a cannabis skincare company? Trevor and Kirk meet Jill Provencal and returning guest Ripley Halfyard of Alberta-based Blunt Botanicals. Jill shares how helping a close friend dealing with breast cancer, pain and radiation-related skin problems helped inspire her journey into formulation and cannabis topicals. Ripley brings years of experience in cannabis licensing, compliance and business development. They explore Blunt Botanicals, Cosmic Cannabis a...

In this episode, Kirk and Trevor review “The Cannabis Cancer Connection” by Dr. Joe D. Goldstrich. Dr. Joe is a cardiologist who, in his retirement, became a self-descripted “cannabis oncologist”. He now applies pre-clinical cannabis research and his years of expertise and patient experience to his clinical cannabis practice. In his book, Dr. Joe discusses the “Art” of practicing medicine within an evidence-based system. He discusses the limitations of the available science behind medicinal cann...

Where can we find cannabis without stigma? Kirk cold-calls two very different budtenders whose stories share an atypical cannabis cultural approach to retail. He stops in to visit a First Nations cannabis shop on a southern British Columbia highway and then a community-focused dispensary in downtown Winnipeg. These two settings could not be more different, yet Kirk finds an unexpected thread connecting these dispensaries. At the Green Mountain High Road Dispensary and Smoke Shop, Sheena Dadson...

What happens when cannabis education, government regulation, product shortages, and real-world retail experience collide? Kirk’s Western Canada road trip continues through Alberta and British Columbia. At Spiritleaf in Sherwood Park, AB, Kamryn explains how working as a budtender turned her curiosity about cannabis into a passion for learning. Her self-directed learning includes researching terpenes, cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, the entourage effect, cannabis products, and cultiva...

What does 4/20 mean now that cannabis is legal? Kirk hits the road through Saskatchewan and Alberta, gathering candid stories about cannabis culture, legalization, medical cannabis, recreational retail and the changing meaning of 4/20. Hear from a longtime Moose Jaw 4/20 organizer, a medical cannabis user buying through recreational stores, and cannabis retail professionals discussing low-THC products, stigma and the challenge of helping customers seeking cannabis for health reasons. Listen no...

Can a small craft cannabis producer survive when government gatekeepers control which products reach consumers? Kirk visits Edmonton’s New Life Canna to speak with co-founder Robert Raposo. A former firefighter-paramedic and entrepreneur, Robert explains how a casual idea about growing cannabis became a 6,000-square-foot micro-cultivation and processing operation. Robert takes us inside the difficult economics of Canada’s legal cannabis industry—from rotating SKUs to provincial product listing...

What happens when the medical cannabis system veterans depend on becomes more expensive, less accessible and increasingly disconnected from their needs? In Part 2 of this candid conversation, veterans Rob Sipes and Natalie Forcier—joined by cannabis nurse Kala Knudslien—explore how education, professional guidance and intentional cannabis use can help veterans manage PTSD-related sleep disturbances, chronic pain and inflammation. Rob shares how he incorporates CBD, THC edibles and topical cann...

What happens when veterans turn to medical cannabis after conventional treatments leave them exhausted, foggy or still unable to sleep? Former Canadian Armed Forces medics Natalie Forcier and Rob Sipes share how PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, nightmares and service-related injuries shaped their journeys with medicinal cannabis. Together with cannabis nurse Kala Knudslien, Natalie and Rob discuss administration routes like cannabis gummies, oils, creams and other non-inhaled products. Then they g...

Could cannabinoids eventually help protect athletes’ brains from the repeated impacts of contact sports? In Part 2 of Kirk’s conversation with University of Regina researcher Dr. Patrick Neary, the focus shifts from proving that athletes can safely tolerate high doses of CBD to investigating whether cannabinoids may provide neuroprotection against concussions in contact sports. A double-blind crossover design compares a THC-free, broad-spectrum cannabinoid formulation with a placebo. Researche...

Can cannabinoids change the future of concussion care in contact sports? Kirk follows up with Dr. Patrick Neary, PhD, from the University of Regina, to see how his NFL-funded research into CBD, concussions, pain management, and athlete health is going now that the study has moved from planning to execution. Recorded on 4/20, let's dive in: can CBD help reduce concussion risk, support brain recovery, and offer athletes an alternative to opioids? Dr. Neary explains the first phase of his researc...

What happens when medical cannabis is legal—but medical patients are still left without meaningful guidance? Part 2 of Kirk’s conversation with Ted Smith of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club explores the widening gap between legalization, Health Canada’s medical cannabis framework, and the real-world needs of patients. It seems many Canadians using cannabis for medical reasons are now being pushed toward recreational stores, where staff are not equipped to discuss drug interactions, dosing, hig...

What happens when a cannabis compassion club gets raided again despite previous Supreme Court decisions on their side, fervent public support, and years after cannabis legalization? Kirk visits Ted Smith at the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club (VCBC) just days after its latest raid. Ted discusses ongoing legal challenges, compassionate access, Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), cannabis harm reduction, pharmacist-led patient screening, CBD drug interactions, and the future of medical cannabis in Canada. Thi...

Why is cannabis research so much harder than researching other medicines? Dr. Lauren Kelly—Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba, Cannabis researcher and Trialist, CCIC President, and CMCN Co-Lead—joins Reefer MEDness to explain why cannabis clinical trials face unique barriers in Canada. Learn how Health Canada regulations, GMP vs GPP standards, product consistency challenges, and gaps in the Cannabis Act affect research, patient care, and evidence generation. Discover why researc...

Can medical cannabis help children—and what does the evidence actually show? Pediatric pharmacologist, Dr. Lauren Kelly, joins Trevor and Kirk to discuss medical cannabis in children. This wide ranging conversation includes discussion about epilepsy, autism, pediatric oncology, and the unique challenges of studying cannabinoids during development. Learn what researchers know about CBD, THC & kids, why evidence remains relatively limited, and how stigma, policy, and education continue to affect ...

Could CBD help your dog with seizures, chronic pain, or relentless itching—and is THC really as dangerous for pets as we've been told? Trevor and Kirk sit down with Dr. Kevin Toman, a California-based veterinarian specializing in pet longevity and preventive care. Drawing on more than 40 years of veterinary experience, Dr. Kevin explains why CBD has become an important tool in his practice, particularly for managing seizures, joint pain, inflammation, and skin conditions in dogs. The conversat...

Can full-spectrum cannabis work better than isolates — even if it tastes worse? In Part 2 with Seann Poli of JAN Rx, Trevor explores CBG, CBC, acidic cannabinoids, the entourage effect, veteran cannabis care, and why cannabis companies are increasingly filling healthcare roles traditionally held by pharmacists and nurses. Plus: a new “rocket fuel” cannabinoid blend, hormone-focused cannabis products, and the future of medical cannabis guidance in Canada. Listen now. Seann Poli - LinkedIn JANr...

Can medical cannabis care become more personalized and patient-focused? Trevor and Kirk talk with Seann Poli of JANrx about raising capital during the early LP boom to building a 100% Canadian, independent medical cannabis company. Seann tells us about veteran cannabis care, challenges dealing with insurance companies, CBD/CBN products, medical cannabis education, and the future of holistic cannabinoid wellness in Canada. Learn how personalized cannabis support is helping veterans manage PTSD,...

Tightened Spotify / Apple Podcasts Description Can medical cannabis help patients reduce opioids, sleep better, and reclaim quality of life? In Part 2 of Trevor and Kirk’s conversation with German physician Dr. Vlad Gavril, they continue to explore cannabinoid medicine in Germany. Dr. Vlad discusses chronic pain, insomnia, cannabis smoking vs vaping, opioid reduction, and the evolving German cannabis system. He shares powerful patient stories while emphasizing an honest message: cannabis can he...

A German cannabis physician, a nurse and a pharmacist walk into a bar...I mean a podcast. In this fascinating episode of Reefer MEDness, Trevor (pharmacist) and Kirk (registered nurse) sit down with Dr. Vlad Gavril, a German GP specializing in cannabinoid therapy, to explore how medical cannabis is transforming patient care in Germany. Dr. Vlad explains how Germany’s partial cannabis legalization in April 2024 dramatically changed access to medical cannabis. But with this rapid expansion comes ...