Cannabis Science Podcast

In this episode, we dive into one of the most fascinating aspects of cannabis that I had never heard of. I sit down with Dr. Alex Guenther and Dr. William Vizuete, environmental engineers that have travelled the world studying the amazing ways plants regulate the air we breathe. Plants do this in part by releasing unique blends of chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOC's). These molecules communicate the health and well-being of all plants, including Cannabis sativa. Yet, Cannabis sativa is unique within the plant kingdom due to the amount and types of VOC's it can release. With this knowledge, they now lead Byers Emissions Analysis (formerly Pacific Environmental Analytics). A company using precise emissions measurements together with powerful mathematical models to improve cannabis cultivation, processing, and employee workspaces.

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Without sounding too cliche I'm sure I can say with confidence that 2020 has been a challenging year for most. For us here at Cannabis Science Podcast it has been no exemption. Between closures, hacks, and even a few career changes, Kimit and Ricardo will be letting everyone know what we've been up to during this long and socially distanced year. Ready to face 2021 head on with a bunch of new episodes and brand new site coming soon!

Cannabis Science Podcast is deeply influenced by radio and music. What better way to blend these two things together than to have some Bonus music from our very own DJ Paperwave and Brentwoods with one of their new tracks calle Lo-Fi Juke. Enjoy!

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Music by Brentwoods x Paperwave

For many people throughout the cannabis industry, the words hydrocarbon extraction often elicits very “polarizing” opinions. For some, it’s the ideal method for creating the best cannabis concentrates currently available. For others, it provokes images of toxic by-products and explosive outcomes. The reality of course, is somewhere in between. If done correctly hydrocarbon extraction can definitely produce some incredible products, but when performed incorrectly the results can often be disastrous both for the operators and consumers. Today we go more in-depth on the dangers associated with hydrocarbon extraction and why it gets such a bad image.

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As humans, we need certain temperatures and humidity levels in our environment for our bodies to be at their best, and Cannabis Sativa is no different. When conditions drift outside these ranges, bad things usually start happening. For today’s episode we wanted to invite an engineer and expert in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and dehumidification to help us better understand all this. Roberto Battiston, Chief Technology Officer for Inspire Transpiration Solutions, explains how ideal temperature, moisture, and technology interact to help plants stay healthy and thrive. Tune in to learn more one of the industry’s best kept secrets for happy and healthy plants!

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For many people throughout the cannabis industry, the words hydrocarbon extraction often elicits very “polarizing” opinions. For some, it’s the ideal method for creating the best cannabis concentrates currently available. For others, it provokes images of toxic by-products and explosive outcomes. The reality of course, is somewhere in between. If done correctly hydrocarbon extraction can definitely produce some incredible products, but when performed incorrectly the results can often be disastrous both for the operators and consumers. Despite being able to use a wide range of compounds to perform this technique, most people focus on just a few molecules, namely butane, propane, pentane, and every so often hexane. Besides discussing the underlying chemistry for hydrocarbon extraction, we’ll compare the benefits and disadvantages between these molecules, the other extraction techniques, as well as tips and tricks to get the best possible products. We bet that you’ll be very surprised with our conclusions at the end of this episode. So, join us for the final section of the primary cannabis extraction suite focusing on the science of hydrocarbon extraction.

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Throughout North America’s heartland, farmers are once again turning to hemp cultivation as a cash crop. To improve overall crop quality and yields, farmers have begun relying on enterprising start-ups like Dewey Scientific to help them achieve the best results. With state-of-the-art genomic analysis, Dr. Jordan Zager and Dr. Mark Lange, can peer much deeper into the inner workings of cannabis plants than ever before. This work has also led to fascinating discoveries within the field of cannabis physiology, biochemistry, and genomics that are invaluable to the future of this industry. So, for this episode I decided to sit down with both of them to discuss their ground-breaking research on the inner workings of cannabis trichomes, how this affects cannabinoid and terpene synthesis, and how their new company aims to use all this in overcoming current industry challenges. Get ready to put your science helmet on for this one because it’s going to get intense.

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As COVID-19 cases continue to surge worldwide, there’s been a lot of interest in exploring natural alternatives that could help us manage this and many other infections. One of the alternatives that some people have suggested are cannabis and cannabis-derived products, such as CBD. To do this topic justice, I invited Curt Robbins to join me and share his knowledge. Together, we make sense of all the data compiled from in vitro, pre-clinical, and clinical studies in order to answer an important question. What are the facts about cannabis and the immune system?

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From coast to coast and all across the world there are two things that consumers have been focusing on extensively during this crisis, toilet paper and cannabis. As COVID-19 cases soar worldwide, so are cannabis sales in places where this is legal. Today we’re going to cover one of the bright spots in our current economy that hasn’t slowed down due to the virus.

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As the saying goes “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Dr. Debra Kimless, renowned physician and Chief Medical Officer for Pure Green gives us her take on the best ways to live a long and healthy life. Dr. Kimless is the person whom colleagues trust to help heal the patients with the direst of prognoses. In the process, she’s transformed the lives of countless people helping them to not only survive but thrive. In this episode I sit down with Dr. Kimless to discuss some of her secrets. We talk about the role cannabis and the endocannabinoid system play in managing complex diseases. As well as examine how certain specific lifestyle changes can greatly improve our health into old age and our ability to combat diseases. I found Dr. Kimless’s trailblazing work incredibly illuminating and I think you will too!

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