Cannabis Voices

This episode is to honour and celebrate the legacy of previous guest Michelle Kendall who died last year from ovarian cancer.

In her words:

"I think the universe gave me lemons. And I didn't just make lemonade. I feel like I've made lemon meringue pie."

Michelle is referring to her unwavering determination to use a scientific approach to finding a cure for her cancer using cannabis.

As well as making her Schedule 1 documentary highlighting the blockade on research into cannabinoids caused by the completely unjustified schedule 1 classification of the cannabis plant, Michelle and her husband Bruce ploughed their savings into funding research through the Israeli lab of Professor Hinanit Koltai from the Volcani Institute with the view to finding a cure for her cancer.

Sadly Michelle passed away in September 2021, too soon to see the publication of the peer reviewed paper based on her initial studies and curiosity which found that combining THC, CBG and CBC showed anticancer properties against ovarian cancer cell lines.

Bruce and Hinanit hope this is just the start, and are looking for funding to eventually translate these findings to clinical trials.

For anyone interested in finding out more about this work, please contact Bruce through the company he set up with Michelle before her death.

https://www.CannaOncResearch.com

[email protected]

+1 (805) 708-7353

You can hear Michelle's previous interview on Cannabis Voices here.

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Many of us have heard about how the anti-tumoral effects of cannabis and anecdotal accounts abound of patients who've successfully treated their cancer with cannabis oil.

But combining cannabis and psilocybin is a potentially exciting combination using a two pronged approach: targeting the cancer cells with cannabis while healing the emotional trauma and discord with psilocybin (although psilocybin may have its own anticancer effects).

This is the courageous route Nicole DiMonda took when she discovered she had breast cancer: up-titrating to high doses of a full spectrum cannabis extract, abundant in not only THC and CBD but also the acidic cannabinoids, alongside heroic doses and microdosing psilocybin. This until now, has been alongside standard cancer treatments.

So far, Nicole's results have far exceeded her physician's expectations, and her case history has been highlighted in a recent paper published in collaboration with Drug Science and Imperial College London.

Sadly, Nicole's cancer is terminal but the couple hope they can continue to beat the odds using their cannabis/psilocybin protocol. In the meantime, they continue to spread the word about this unique approach to healing not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well. 

If you want to follow Nicole's journey, she can be followed on Instagram or contacted through the CBD brand Grace Health and Wellness she runs with Jaime. 

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Today sees the return of Rebekah Shaman and in what might feel like a rather off topic episode for a Cannabis podcast, we will be talking about the benefits of cacao to our mind, body and spirit.

I've been enjoying ceremonial grade cacao every morning as a hot chocolate drink for the  last three months, and have experienced some unexpected health benefits: namely improved mood and some pretty impressive metrics for my heart health. 

There's some very interesting research looking at how certain flavonoids in cacao and theobromine help to protect our hearts, lower blood pressure and even stave off dementia, plus it helps to buffer us against stress by lowering cortisol. All of which I hope to be sharing in some articles soon. 

Many of you know Rebekah through the UK's hemp industry and the British Hemp Alliance, but she has also been importing cacao and holding cacao ceremonies since  2012 when she was told by the spirit of ayahuasca to bring back cacao to the UK and start offering it ceremonially.

Head here for more information about Rebekah's Ritual Cacao and for information about her 21 day "Coffee to Cacao Challenge." 

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Jane Hinchliffe has a complex collection of illnesses which include complex regional pain syndrome, anxiety, ASD and functional neurological disorder which has meant since being a teen she has been prescribed a host of prescribed medications including strong opiates.

For many years Jane sourced cannabis from the legacy market to control her pain and also grew her own, which led her to spending a short spell in prison. So eventually, she decided to go the legal route and is now a medical cannabis patient through a UK clinic.

Thanks to cannabis Jane has gone from a zombie like state and in a wheelchair to be a gym enthusiast and fitness fanatic.

She is also very active on social media, with many of her posts highlighting the stigma she and most other patients face when medicating, even if they have a prescription.

This is a lively interview with some entertaining moments thanks to Jane's colourful and down-to-earth character and funny storytelling.   

 

Resources:
Jane's Twitter
Jane's YouTube Channel
Seed Our Future Guidance for Medical Cannabis Users

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In 2018 Rebecca was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine cancer which resulted in a sudden removal of her left lung. At that time, she was Director of Business Development with a prominent laboratory equipment supplier serving the cannabis industry in North America.

From chronic fatigue or menstrual cramps to cancer-related pain and anxiety she was able to find relief from cannabis. This led to a passionate quest to understand the science and production process more deeply behind cannabis products and medicines.

Her strong background in cannabis led to her relocation from the US to the UK to join the AGI International team as Business Development Manager. She has been using her voice to spread awareness through education about the potential benefits of cannabis use for therapeutic purposes. 

As a member of PLEA’s advisory board, she also attends UK Cannabis Industry Council meetings and participates in Drug Science’s Medical Cannabis Working Group. As cannabis continues to grow into a global conversation Rebecca will be at the forefront of the movement championing for education and drug policy reform.

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There's no romantic  origin story of how Alvaro Torres, CEO and Co-founder of Khiron Life Sciences,  a Colombian medical cannabis company, got into the sector.

And for this reason, it would be tempting to assume the company was started to make the most of the worldwide cannabis green rush with little concern for patients.

It would seem though that at Khiron, Torres and his team strive towards making patients the centre of the business model, whether it's their established clinics in Colombia or their more recent concerns in the UK and Germany.

This is a great interview for cannabis industry professionals and patients alike, as it shows how humanity does not have to be lost when creating a successful medical cannabis company. In fact, it might just work in its favour.

Useful links:
https://khiron.ca/
https://khironmed.co.uk/
https://zereniaclinic.co.uk/

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Nikki Lawley is a patient advocate, speaker, and founder of Nikki and the Plant. She personally discovered cannabis as medicine after suffering a life-changing injury while working as a pediatric nurse.
 
In October of 2016, Nikki was a 46-year-old woman whose life changed in literally a second.  Going from being a medical professional to becoming a patient was a major adjustment and almost cost this vibrant mother, wife, and career professional to contemplating taking her own life after becoming a victim of the traditional medical system, seeing over 50 doctors, and was on cocktails of drugs that each had more and more side effects. Four months after her injury, Nikki found plant medicine.
 
Nikki and the Plant is a pillar of medical cannabis advocacy and a champion for the importance of sharing patient stories.  She is planning on creating the first product line focusing on cannabis and the science behind why cannabis helps support for her chronic pain, cognitive function, anxiety, and depression. 
 
Nikki is on the Patient Advisory Board for NY State Americans for Safe Access and for Cannabis BPO. Nikki is considered a leading voice in the community, chronicling her journey from being a healthcare provider to a patient to an advocate. She hopes to bring worldwide awareness to invisible illness and disability. She has been a guest on multiple podcasts and shows including “Let’s Be Blunt with Montel Williams.”
 

Contact and social media links
 
All Links to podcasts, videos and articles  https://linktr.ee/Nikkilawley
Website   www.nikkiandtheplant.org
Linked In  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-lawley-aa281517/?trk=people-guest_people_search-card
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nikki.lawley
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/nikkiandtheplant
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nikkiandtheplant/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8gIjFp_5cCEiwbTHBQXfrw


Email [email protected]

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Eloise Theisen is a board certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and nurse for over twenty years, who since 2014 has been specialising in treating patients with medical cannabis. 

Eloise is current President of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, CEO of Radicle Health, which offers patient care focussing on cannabinoids, as well as cannabis education for clinicians and industry training and is also Chief Nursing Officer and Board President for Leaf 411, a nonprofit operating a  cannabis-trained nurse  guidance line.

A fierce advocate for increasing the involvement of nurses in patient care with medical cannabis and improving health inequalities in cannabis and more generally, Eloise's expertise and passion makes this an episode not to miss.  

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Dr. Gordon is double board certified in family medicine and integrative medicine and author of 'The CBD Bible'. Having started her medical career practising in Canada, she is now located in the United Kingdom. 

As an integrative medicine practitioner in Canada, cannabis was just one treatment option amongst many she called upon to return patients to optimal health. 

Alongside Professor Mike Barnes, Dani helped set up the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, of which she is Vice Chair, and her extensive knowledge has been integral in the training of many new medicinal cannabis prescribers in the UK.

She has also just opened up her own integrative practice Feel Clinics specialising in women’s health and mental wellbeing where she offers her own particular blend of cannabinoids, other botanicals, functional medicine testing, and evidence based mind/body practices. 

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