CannMed Coffee Talk

Kevin McKernan is Chief Scientific Officer at Medicinal Genomics. Kevin is back to talk about Psilocybin and the mushrooms that create it. Kevin and the team at MGC have published a highly contiguous reference genome for Psilocybe cubensis, which some listeners may know is the species of mushroom often referred to as the magic mushroom.

Kevin and the team have also sequenced several different mushroom strains to try and better understand genes of interest and pathways responsible for Psilocybin. 

If you are new to Psilocybin and mushrooms, don’t worry we cover the basics as well as new findings in our conversation, including: 

Potential therapeutic applications for PsilocybinWhat is fueling the rapidly growing interest Psilocybin Psilocybin’s path towards legalization  Other psychoactive compounds found in mushrooms How mushrooms are cultivated and bred and what that means for applying genomics The discovery that there is more than one way mushrooms synthesize Psilocybinand more

Thanks to this Episode's Sponsor The Future of Psychedelic Medicine

The Future of Psychedelic Medicine campaign highlights the R&D and innovations currently taking place within the psychedelic space to raise awareness of how psychedelic medicine could transform mental health treatment. The campaign also aims to highlight the potential psychedelic medicine has to help with a range of mental health conditions including depression, addiction, anxiety, PTSD, abuse disorders, OCD and address the stigma surrounding this type of treatment.

Read it on July 22nd in New Scientist magazine and on healthawareness.co.uk.

Additional Resources

A draft reference assembly of the Psilocybe cubensis genomeA whole genome atlas of 81 Psilocybe genomes as a resource for psilocybin production.Fungi video

William Vizuete, PhD is Chief Scientific Officer for Byers Scientific where he analyzes cannabis and hemp plant emissions and helps to develop state-of-the-art odor and emission mitigation solutions and equipment.

For the past six years, Dr. Vizuete has led a team of cannabis industry experts focused on site-specific research to increase overall knowledge of cannabis industry emissions, educate local communities, and improve the tools and methods that cultivators and policymakers use to evaluate the environmental impacts of cannabis cultivation and processing. Dr. Vizuete is perhaps best known for his ground-breaking research into cannabis emissions and air quality in Denver, Colorado. During that study, supported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, as well as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Dr. Vizuete began creating a first-of-its-kind cannabis terpene library. More recently, Dr. Vizuete designed and oversaw a pioneering cannabis emissions research project in Santa Barbara County, California. 

Dr. Vizuete will participate in the expert panel "The Hidden Cost of Cannabis: Environmental Impact" at CannMed 2021.

Topics we discuss in the conversation include:

How emissions from cannabis and hemp plants affect air quality and ozone The difference between BVOCs and AVOSs How the type and concentration of emissions from cannabis plants can vary widely from strain to strain  Why cannabis cultivators should be concerned with controlling odors from their facilities Whether terpenes emitted from cannabis plants can taint neighboring wine grapes Strategies cultivators can use to mitigate odors and emissions from their facilities 

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: 10Buds

A site dedicated to all things cannabis, with a special focus on growing and cultivation, 10Buds is packed with fascinating and informative articles, resources, and reviews. Cannabis growers, enthusiasts, and industry professionals alike can explore in-depth looks at everything from considerations for cannabis business owners to the evolution of marijuana’s place in society, its health benefits, and so much more.

Visit 10Buds.com to learn more

Additional Resources

Potential regional air quality impacts of cannabis cultivation facilities in Denver, ColoradoByers Scientific, Iowa State University and Odor Experts Identify Volatile Chemical Compound Responsible for Cannabis Odor ComplaintsByers Scientific websiteJazz Incognito Radio Show (hosted by William Vizuete)

Dr. Michelle Shuffett is an accomplished healthcare executive, marketing strategist, speaker, and wellness enthusiast with 20+ years of experience encompassing a unique blend of clinical medicine, communications, and leadership. Much of her recent work has been in the cannabis industry, highlighting the potential health benefits of cannabis and CBD. 

She recently joined Radicle Science as a founding team member and Chief Growth Officer. At its core, Radicle is a Rebellion against the status quo of healthcare and research and a movement towards democratized, personalized medicines that have the potential to deliver well-being for all future generations.

As you can expect, with a description like that, we talk a lot about what Radicle is doing to achieve those goals. We also discuss: 

Michelle’s journey from practicing physician to cannabis researcher Challenges with traditional clinical research Lack of reliable data on the effectiveness of natural products How Radicle Science recruits participants and collects data Ongoing and upcoming studies Radicle Sciences is conducting 

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: Cannabis Patient Care Magazine

Cannabis Patient Care magazine is an educational resource for patients, medical professionals, caregivers, and advocates on the latest research, benefits, and treatment options medical cannabis provides for a variety of illnesses.

Visit cannapatientcare.com to learn more. 

Additional Resources

Radiclescience.com Radicle Science LinkedIn Page CannMed Community Board (Facebook Group)Healthcare Provider Medical Cannabis Research Study

Greg Gerdeman, PhD is a neuroscientist and educator with expertise in the physiological actions of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system. Recently, Greg has gotten involved in the conversation around Delta-8 THC. He comes at the topic from a neuroscientist's perspective questioning how much we know about how Delta-8 THC affects the body and the brain. He also raises important questions about how the compound is created and what that means for consumer safety and the legality of Delta-8 THC products.

We discuss:

What Delta-8 THC is and how it differs from other THC isomers Why there is a sudden influx of Delta-8 THC products How the 2018 Farm Bill opened the door for Delta-8 THC production The process for creating Delta-8 THC from CBD isolate and the risks associated with it Whether Delta-8 THC is produced in the plant, and at what levels What research has been done to understand how Delta-8 THC affects users and more

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: Project CBD

Project CBD is a California-based nonprofit dedicated to providing up-to-date news and information on the science, movement, and industry around CBD, medical cannabis, and plant-based medicine. Since its founding in 2010, Project CBD has been a trusted resource for patients, medical professionals, scientists, and like-minded advocates.

Learn more about Project CBD at projectcbd.org

Related Links

The Delta-8 THC Controversy DrGerdeman.comGreg’s Instagram Greg’s Facebook Weir Wellness Tennessee Farmaceuticals CannMed Community Board (Facebook Group) Healthcare Provider Medical Cannabis Research Study

Alice Moon is a PR and marketing professional who has worked in the cannabis space since 2011. In 2018, Alice was diagnosed with Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, a condition that leads to repeated and severe bouts of vomiting when she consumes cannabinoids. Since being diagnosed with CHS, Alice has ceased cannabis use completely and become an advocate for safe and mindful cannabis consumption, awareness, and research. Her passion for educating on the subject has garnered the attention of RXLeaf, Leafly, Business Insider, and Forbes. In early 2020, Yahoo released a documentary featuring Alice

During our conversation we discussed: 

Alice’s experience with CHS What little we know about what causes CHSWhat treatments provide relief from CHS Strategies cannabis users can use to reduce their risk of developing CHS  How awareness for CHS has grown since she developed the condition Whether patients who recover from CHS can go back to using cannabis The three stages of CHS and more

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: American Cannabis Nurses Association. 

ACNA is a national nursing organization who’s mission is advance excellence in cannabis nursing practice through advocacy, collaboration, education, research, and policy development. Founded in 2010, ACNA is now in its 11th year with almost 1700 members in the United States. We continue to work on providing our members with up to date cannabis information and resources to care for patients who use cannabis. Join them today at www.cannabisnurses.org and be a part of the change.

Additional Resources

Unraveling the Mystery of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome - CannMed 2019 Medical Panel cannabinoid-hyperemesis.com@[email protected] alicemoon.la

Dr. Debra Kimless is the CMO of Pure Green Pharmaceuticals, where she oversees clinical medical testing, patient and physician educational programs, and medical product development. Deb and her team recently published an open-label clinical trial for treating diabetic neuropathic pain with a water-soluble CBD tablet. 

In our conversation we discuss:

Results from her clinical trial for treating diabetic neuropathic pain with CBDWhat makes diabetic neuropathic pain a good candidate for cannabinoid therapies Comparing the adverse effects of standard DNP treatments to CBD The advantages of delivering cannabinoids via a water-soluble tablet Why there are not more clinical studies into cannabinoid therapies Tools consumers can use to identify proper clinical trials 

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: Pure Green Pharmaceuticals

Pure Green Pharmaceuticals manufactures the finest medical products, using selected cannabinoid molecules as primary ingredients. Their goal is to relieve human and animal suffering through the use of purified cannabis.

Learn more at pgpharma.co

Additional Resources

The Effects of Cannabidiol-Based Sublingual Tablets on Diabetic Neuropathic PainAnalgesic Alternative: How Non-intoxicating Cannabinoids Can Relieve Pain - Debra Kimless, MD CannMed 2018Case Presentations of Cancer Patients Treated with Cannabis Oil - Debra Kimless, MD CannMed 2017

Dr. Peter Grinspoon is a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  He is a Contributing Editor to Harvard Health Publications and the Harvard Health Blog, where he frequently writes about cannabis medicine issues. Dr. Grinspoon also writes about addiction, both from the perspective of a clinician treating the disorder and as someone who is in recovery from opioid addiction. We spoke a lot about how cannabis can be used to treat addiction in our conversation, as well as:  

Why Dr. Grinspoon believes all primary care providers should be knowledgeable about medical cannabisHow medical cannabis offers a safer alternative to medications used to treat chronic pain and insomnia  How years of anti-cannabis propaganda has tainted the medical cannabis conversationWhy both sides of the cannabis issue need to behave better when discussing the benefits and risks The five ways cannabis can help with the opioid crisis How prescription drug usage tends to drop in legal cannabis statesWhether cannabis itself is addictiveand more

Thanks to our Sponsor: Mace Media Group

MACE Media Group is hosting The Original CBD Expo Midwest 2021, an in-person event will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 9-10. 

The event will feature exhibits from end-product producers, equipment manufacturers, and ancillary businesses including financial and legal service providers. In addition, the expo will offer unique cannabinoid education seminars from leading cannabis and cannabinoid PhDs, physicians, scientists, researchers, and industry pioneers. 

The expo is open to anyone who may be interested, from entrepreneurs and professionals to curious consumers. Join CBD Expo Tour and explore the latest and most innovative advancements in CBD. 

To attend this year’s event or learn more, visit us online at cbdexpo.net.

Additional Resources

Peter Grinspoon, MD on Twitterpetergrinspoon.com Peter Grinspoon, MD, Author at Harvard Health Blog

We discuss dosing medical cannabis with Dr. Dustin Sulak. Dustin is an osteopathic general practitioner who focuses on treating patients with refractory conditions using an individualized, health-centered approach. Dr. Sulak is a founder of Integr8 Health, a medical practice in Maine that follows over 8,000 patients using medical cannabis, and cofounder of Healer.com, a medical cannabis education resource. Dustin has also participated in every CannMed Event since our first event in 2016. He serves on our CannMed Advisory Board, evaluating abstracts and helping select presenters, and he is an instructor on our full-day CannMed Medical Practicum. 

Topics discussed include: 

Why dosing medical cannabis is different from other therapeutics The fact that cannabinoids can have biphasic and even triphasic effects How a patient's optimal dose can change over time, commonly going downHow patients commonly build a tolerance to the adverse effects of cannabis but not the benefits The benefits of working with a trained medical provider to determine one's optimal dose, but also strategies for how patients can find it on their ownHow can cannabis be used for health promotion and disease prevention How using a variety of cannabis cultivars and not sticking to just one strain can be beneficial for patients

Thanks to our Sponsor: Cannabis Patient Care magazine

Cannabis Patient Care magazine is an educational resource for patients, medical professionals, caregivers, and advocates on the latest research, benefits, and treatment options medical cannabis provides for a variety of illnesses. They are excited to announce that their March issue will be coming out next week with a focus on chronic pain. The issue features content from industry thought-leaders in medical cannabis, including Brendan McKernan, CEO of Medicinal Genomics, Eloise Theisen, board-certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, and a medical leader of this year's CannMed Medical Practicum, and many others.

Visit cannapatientcare.com to learn more.  

Additional Resources

Handbook of Cannabis Clinicians Society of Cannabis Clinicians Healer.com Dosage ProgramCannMed 2019 Presentation - The Role of Cannabis in Integrative Medicine, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention - Dustin Sulak, DO

We discuss dosing medical cannabis with Dr. Dustin Sulak. Dustin is an osteopathic general practitioner who focuses on treating patients with refractory conditions using an individualized, health-centered approach. Dr. Sulak is a founder of Integr8 Health, a medical practice in Maine that follows over 8,000 patients using medical cannabis, and cofounder of Healer.com, a medical cannabis education resource. Dustin has also participated in every CannMed Event since our first event in 2016. He serves on our CannMed Advisory Board, evaluating abstracts and helping select presenters, and he is an instructor on our full-day CannMed Medical Practicum. 

Topics discussed include: 

Why dosing medical cannabis is different from other therapeutics The fact that cannabinoids can have biphasic and even triphasic effects How a patient's optimal dose can change over time, commonly going downHow patients commonly build a tolerance to the adverse effects of cannabis but not the benefits The benefits of working with a trained medical provider to determine one's optimal dose, but also strategies for how patients can find it on their ownHow can cannabis be used for health promotion and disease prevention How using a variety of cannabis cultivars and not sticking to just one strain can be beneficial for patients

Thanks to our Sponsor: Cannabis Patient Care magazine

Cannabis Patient Care magazine is an educational resource for patients, medical professionals, caregivers, and advocates on the latest research, benefits, and treatment options medical cannabis provides for a variety of illnesses. They are excited to announce that their March issue will be coming out next week with a focus on chronic pain. The issue features content from industry thought-leaders in medical cannabis, including Brendan McKernan, CEO of Medicinal Genomics, Eloise Theisen, board-certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, and a medical leader of this year's CannMed Medical Practicum, and many others.

Visit cannapatientcare.com to learn more.  

Additional Resources

Handbook of Cannabis Clinicians Society of Cannabis Clinicians Healer.com Dosage ProgramCannMed 2019 Presentation - The Role of Cannabis in Integrative Medicine, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention - Dustin Sulak, DO

We discuss the chemistry of cannabis with Markus Roggen, PhD. In his various roles and positions, Dr. Roggen oversaw multiple teams that are focused on the whole processing flow of cannabis production, from harvest and drying, through processing and extraction, all the way to the formulation and quality control/analytics. In addition to cannabinoids, Dr. Roggen's company, Complex Biotech Discovery Ventures (CBDV), is also investigating psilocybin.

Topics discussed include: 

The number of compounds that have been identified in the cannabis plant, and whether there are more to be foundThe complexity of cannabis compared to other plants and herbsThe challenges with the entourage effect. Could there be an invisible compound that is responsible for certain therapeutic effects?How different storage conditions and extraction techniques will yield different chemical compounds Why the term "whole-plant extract" is a misnomer The potential uses for psilocybin, and how it compares to cannabis

Thanks to Our Sponsor: CANN

Since 2015, CANN has been building a strong network of scientists in the cannabis space to promote scientific innovation, safety, and development through education, research, and the empowerment of the scientific community. To learn more about what CANN has to offer please visit their website at www.cann-acs.org.

Additional Resources

Complex Biotech Discovery Ventures (CBDV) website Collaborative Research into Cannabis Delivery Techniques and Fundamental Product Makeup | CannMed 2019 presentation