CannMed Coffee Talk

Dr. Dedi Meiri is an Associate Professor at the Technion Institute where he heads the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Cannabinoid Research.

The lab investigates the vast therapeutic potential of secondary metabolites from cannabis and other herbs, algae, and psychedelic mushrooms; and reveals how these naturally occurring metabolites affect various types of cancer, inflammatory diseases, and disorders of the nervous system

Dr. Meiri is also highly involved in governmental regulations and is a residing member in several Israeli Ministry of Health committees that seek to advance the fundamental understanding of optimal cannabis and other psychedelic plant usage and curtailing adverse effects.

At CannMed 25, Dedi will present "Cannabis as a Therapy Across Diverse Cancer Types: Milestones and Insights from a Decade of Research", which will discuss his lab’s work investigating whether Cannabis can serve as a primary pharmaceutical treatment for cancer.

We discuss:

The wide range of clinical applications for cannabis medicine, including cancer, epilepsy, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s, and women’s health issues like endometriosis.

How cannabis’ entourage effect challenges the traditional one-drug-one-target model.

How many powerful cannabinoids are overlooked by standard lab testing methods—even though they exist in significant quantities and show therapeutic potential.

Israel’s Medical Cannabis Model, which treats cannabis like a pharmaceutical, with prescriptions, clinical oversight, and growing physician acceptance.

The goal is to provide evidence-based, accurate treatments that tailor cannabis therapies to specific health conditions and individual needs.

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: Trusted Canna Nurse

Trusted Canna Nurse was founded by Megan Mbengue and Ariane Williams, two nurses who are dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional medicine and the world of cannabis and psychedelics. They specialize in creating evidence-based treatment plans for all ages that address chronic illnesses, treatment-resistant conditions, mental health, autism, and more.

Learn more at trustedcannanurse.com

Additional Resources

Dedi Meiri Publications on Google Scholar

Dedi Meiri on Linkedin

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Michael Petersen has over 38 years of experience as a researcher and mentor in both the private and public plant biotech space. He has over 50 issued patents and his work in plant transformation and gene expression is a passion. Mike has worked on many genetic engineering/editing contracts with entities across the globe, and he now focuses on innovative hemp research.

At CannMed 25, Mike will share his team’s latest efforts to transform cannabis and hemp plants using gene editing and genetic engineering in a presentation titled, “Creation of Novel Traits Through Genetic Engineering and Editing of Cannabinoid, Terpene, and Flavonoid Pathways in Cannabis sativa”

During the conversation, we discussed:

The difference between gene editing and genetic engineering

How gene editing and genetic engineering methods have changed over the years

Potential applications of gene editing and genetic engineering in cannabis and hemp

Benefits and challenges versus traditional breeding

The Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center’s gene editing service, which is available to researchers and cultivators

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: Kannapedia.net

Kanapedia.net is the world’s most comprehensive cannabis genomic library, featuring more than 2,200 genomic reports on cannabis and hemp varieties from around the globe. Kannapedia.net reports are easily searchable and contain Visualizations and Variant Tables that highlight high-impact variants in genes of interest. For example, you can see a report for the Badger G variety that Mike Petersen’s team edited to break the CBDA synthase gene. In fact, you can see the drop out in the CBDA coverage chart on that report. .

Visit Kannapedia.net to learn more.

Additional Resources

Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center

Email Mike

Michael Petersen on Linkedin

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Israel Gasperin is a visionary entrepreneur, engineering scientist and the founder of Zentrela, a company dedicated to transforming cannabis research through advanced neurotechnology and AI. Under Israel’s leadership, Zentrela developed the Psychoactive Effect Level (PEL) metric, an innovative EEG-based measure capable of objectively assessing cannabis products' psychoactive potency. By combining wearable EEG technology with AI-driven EEG analysis, the PEL metric provides cannabis producers, researchers, and regulators with a non-invasive and cost-effective way to quantify product effects and maintain quality control. 

At CannMed 25, Israel will share results from over 10,000 EEG scans of consumers using a wide range of cannabis products in his oral presentation titled “Cannabis Effect Research Driven by EEG Technology and Machine Learning”.

During our conversation, we discuss: 

How Zentrela’s wearable EEG technology got its start measuring drowsiness in truck drivers  

The unreliability of consumer feedback with regards to cannabis product effects 

How the PEL metric was created to measure the unique psychoactive effects of cannabis

How producers can use PEL to objectively measure the quality and effectiveness of cannabis products beyond cannabinoid percentages 

Research findings that show THC% and PEL% are not directly correlated 

and more 

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: The DENT Institute

With more than 300,000 patient visits per year, the DENT Neurologic Institute ranks among the largest neuroscience centers in North America. Its 24 subspecialty clinics often treat the most challenging neurologic conditions including but not limited to Migraine, Chronic pain, ALS, MS, Parkinson’s, Dementia, and Neuro-Oncology. With their mission of advancing neuroscience, the Dent Institute established a cannabis clinic in 2016 to aid in the treatment of these chronic conditions seen throughout the institute.

Learn more at dentinstitute.com

Additional Resources

Zentrela Website

Israel Gasperin on LinkedIn

Use of a Novel EEG-Based Objective Test, the Cognalyzer®, in Quantifying the Strength and Determining the Action Time of Cannabis Psychoactive Effects and Factors that May Influence Them Within an Observational Study Framework

Sensitivity, Specificity and Accuracy of a Novel EEG-Based Objective Test, the Cognalyzer®, in Detecting Cannabis Psychoactive Effects

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Shawna Vreeke, PhD is Head of Research at True Terpenes, where she is instrumental in developing and maintaining the rigorous safety and quality protocols the brand is known for. Shawna is an active advocate for science-based safety parameters to protect consumer health and has worked with policymakers to implement sensible regulations to protect public health and maintain access to regulated cannabis products. She has multiple peer-reviewed papers on vape safety, and most recently, her work has been adopted into two ASTM global standards.

At CannMed 25 Shawna will present Toxicological Risk in Cannabis Vapes: Exogenous Additives and Their Implications for Consumer Safety. It will highlight specific higher-risk ingredients and identify how prevalent they are in vaporization products currently in the cannabis market. 

During our conversation we discussed: 

The main components of cannabis vape products 

How and why exogenous ingredients are added to vape products

How toxicological risks are evaluated based on hazard and exposure level 

Why one can’t assume that safe food ingredients are also safe for inhalation 

Why risk-assessment based regulations are a better approach to outright bans on flavors

and more 

Additional Resources

True Terpenes website

Connect with Shawna

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CannMed Archive

Dr. Staci Gruber is the Director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core at McLean Hospital’s Brain Imaging Center and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Gruber launched Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) in 2014, the first ever program of its kind designed to clarify the long-term impact of medical cannabis use. MIND supports numerous projects that aim to address the impact of medical cannabis on a number of important variables including cognition, brain structure and function, clinical state, quality of life, pain, sleep, and other health-related measures. As director of MIND, Dr. Gruber has generated major contributions to the field as the first to assess medical cannabis patients longitudinally, first to acquire neuroimaging data in medical cannabis patients, and as Principal Investigator of the first clinical trial of a full-spectrum, high-cannabidiol (CBD) product, which she specifically formulated to treat anxiety. Additional, novel clinical trials have been approved and are pending or currently underway.

At CannMed 25 Staci will share findings from those clinical trials as an oral presenter. https://cannmedevents.com/staci-gruber-phd/

Topics Discussed:

Key findings from the MIND Program’s longitudinal studies on medical cannabis use (improved cognitive performance and reductions in pain, anxiety, and sleep disturbances)

Ongoing clinical trials the MIND Program is conducting on anxiety, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer’s

The Women’s Health Initiative at MIND (WHIM) investigating cannabis for gynecologic pain, menopause, and endometriosis

Concerns about mislabeled cannabis products and unregulated hemp-derived products

and more!

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: Healer

Healer is a trusted, physician-developed medicinal cannabis brand founded to address the challenges of helping people and health providers get the best results with safe, reliably dosable products and education on how to best use them. Healer Hemp products are available nationwide and include a step-by-step usage guide and response tracker. Healer’s distinctive product formulations and education are based on the latest research and work of leading cannabis clinician, Dr. Dustin Sulak, D.O.

Visit Healer.com or HealerCbd.com

Additional Resources

https://www.drstacigruber.com

Social Media: @DrStaciGruber on X and Instagram

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Dr. Punya Nachappa is an Associate professor at Colorado State University in the Department of Agricultural Biology. Her research program focuses on understanding the interactions between plants and insect vectors to manage plant pests and diseases in hemp.

At CannMed 25, Punya will present "Biology and Management of Hop Latent Viroid", which will describe the impact of HLVd on hemp yield and cannabinoids, explain how thrips and aphids transmit the viroid, and evaluate the efficacy of using chemical elicitors to control HLVd infections.

During our conversation, we discussed:

How Hop Latent Viroid has been reported in every hemp-growing state in the US and Canada

How HLVd spreads through infected clones, mechanical contact, seeds, and insect vectors like aphids and thrips.

Possible reasons why hemp varieties appear more resistant than cannabis varieties (i.e., genetic diversity and environmental factors)

The tradeoffs associated with using chemical elicitors on infected plants: increased yield, but reduced cannabinoids.

Strategies for preventing HLVD spread, including strict sanitation, insect monitoring, frequent testing, and breeding for genetic resistance.

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: Advanced Nutrients.

Founded in 1999, Advanced Nutrients was the first to develop a complete nutrient system that unlocks the true genetic potential of the cannabis plant. Since its inception, the brand has introduced more than 50 innovations to the cultivation community and continues to revolutionize the space through proprietary scientific discoveries. 

Learn more at AdvancedNutrients.com

Additional Resources

- Nachappa Lab Website (https://www.nachappalab.com/)

- Register for CannMed 25 (https://cvent.me/emBPno)

- Meet the CannMed 25 Speakers (https://cannmedevents.com/speakers/)

- Review the Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cannmed-coffee-talk/id1504218804)

- CannMed Archive (https://cannmedevents.com/cannmed-video-archives/)

Dr. Michelle Peace is an internationally recognized forensic toxicologist and a Full Professor in the Department of Forensic Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. The National Institute of Justice has funded her team to study the proliferation of semi-synthetic THC analogs in the unregulated market and define their relevant biomarkers. Her work impacts public health and public safety policies and initiatives.

At CannMed 25 Michelle will present “Why Some People “Green Out”? The Analysis of Unregulated “Hemp-derived” Cannabis Products”. Her team used a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to analyze unregulated hemp products. All the products they analyzed were mislabeled in some way, either misrepresenting the cannabinoids contained therein or their concentrations. 

During our conversation we discuss

What has caused the rise of semi-synthetic cannabinoids in the market? 

How Michelle got involved testing unregulated hemp and cannabis products 

Some of the adverse events that have occured from consuming semi-synthetic cannabinoids 

How the LS-MS/MS method allows Michelle’s team to see compounds other labs can’t  

How consumers can protect themselves from mislabeled products

Whether federal legalization of cannabis would eliminate the semi-synthetic market 

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: PRICH Biotech

PRICH Biotech, Corp. is a vertically integrated company dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture and dispensing of medicinal Cannabis in Puerto Rico. 

With over 500,000 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities, Prich uses the highest standards of agricultural and manufacturing practices to guarantee the highest standard of medicinal cannabis. Their mission is to offer a natural and unique experience through medicinal cannabis that raises the patient's well-being and quality of life.

Learn more at prichbiotech.com. 

Additional Resources

Register for CannMed 25

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CannMed Archive

Dr. Nicole Gauthier is a Professor and Extension specialist at the University of Kentucky.  Her program focuses on disease management of specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, and hemp.  In her Extension role, she develops educational and outreach programs to help growers manage disease through identification, understanding of pathosystems, and integration of management strategies. Her research program focuses on a range of hemp diseases, including Fusarium head blight, as well as stand establishment and seedborne transmission. 

Dr. Gauthier’s resources can be found at plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/extension/publications, on Facebook and Twitter at @KYPlantDisease, and on YouTube at @NicoleGauthier. 

Nicole’s team at the University of Kentucky recently published a fact sheet about Fusarium head blight in hemp plants, which caught my eye considering many of the cultivators we work with at Medicinal Genomics struggle with that pathogen.

During our conversation, we discuss:

The financial impact of fusarium on Hemp and cannabis crops

The public health concerns due to Fusarium’s production of harmful mycotoxins

How growers often misidentify Fusarium head blight as Botrytis due to similar symptoms, leading to ineffective management strategies.

Environmental conditions that increase the likelihood of a Fusarium infection

Challenges for prevention and management, including a lack of effective fungicides and resistant cultivars

Future Research to understand Fusarium spread, genetic resistance, and management techniques

Thanks to this episode’s Sponsor: Rare Earth Genomics.

Rare Earth Genomics is a dynamic partnership formed with Texas A&M AgriLife, one of the world’s leading research institutions, to accelerate hemp research and create tools for farmers. Their mission is to increase the likelihood of a successful harvest for farmers through genetic analysis and rigorous environmental testing of vigorous cultivars. Learn more at rareearchgenomics.com

Additional Resources

UK Plant Pathology resources and publications

USDA hemp multistate group (S1084) resources page

UK hemp website

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Ed Leclere and David McKillop have teamed up to create High Science, a new TV series premiering on YouTube TODAY November 27th featuring Medicinal Genomics and CannMed. David is an Emmy-award-winning producer with an impressive background in creating hit shows like Duck Dynasty and Pawn Stars. He brings his storytelling expertise to the cannabis space, teaming up with Ed Leclere to launch a show that’s as entertaining as it is informative. High Science promises to take viewers on a journey through the world of cannabis, focusing on its therapeutic potential, the people who grow it, and the science that drives it forward.

During our conversation, we discuss:

Ed’s personal health journey and how it inspired the show's creation

The show’s goal to make the medical science of cannabis more accessible to the public and reduce cannabis stigma.

The challenges that cannabis entrepreneurs face in the form of strict regulations, financial challenges, and a thriving black market.

How the series uses personal storytelling to balance education and entertainment.

Why YouTube was chosen for its global reach and creative freedom compared to traditional networks.

A glimpse into future seasons which may explore other plant medicines, such as mushrooms.

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: High Science TV

High Science TV shares the lively exploits of colorful characters around the world, trailblazing all things cannabis in pursuit of the modern-day gold rush. Father/son show hosts Rich Batenburg Jr. and Richard “Rick” Batenburg III explore legendary seed gurus, relentless cultivators, expansive growers, pioneering product makers and imaginative dispensary owners as they break the barriers of this new frontier. The storytelling unmasks the mystical powers of the ancient cannabis plant and its innumerable uses through dynamic entertainment.

High Science premieres on YouTube November 27th at YouTube.com/@HighScienceTV.

Additional Resources

Watch High Science

HighScience.com

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Kevelin Barbosa-Xavier is a PhD student in Plant Biotechnology at Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) where she conducts research under the supervision of Thiago Motta Venancio. She is a computational biologist, investigating the genes and gene networks involved in plant secondary metabolic pathways and fiber production, specifically in the Cannabis sativa species.

Kevelin and her team recently published a study titled Cannabis Expression Atlas: a comprehensive resource for integrative analysis of Cannabis sativa L. gene expression, along with a free online tool to help researchers analyze genomic sequence data.

We discussed:

The team’s main objectives in creating the Cannabis Expression Atlas

How our understanding of cannabis genomics compares to other commercial crops

How gene expression data can advance plant breeding and genetic engineering

Potential applications of the Cannabis Expression Atlas in commercial cannabis cultivation

and more

Thanks to This Episode's Sponsor: Medicinal Genomics

Medicinal Genomics (MGC) uses its unmatched knowledge of the cannabis genome and the microbes affecting cannabis plants to create diverse testing solutions that improve crop yield, accelerate breeding programs, and ensure product safety. Growers and breeders use MGC’s cannabis genome sequencing services to identify novel traits, stabilize genetics, and protect intellectual property. Additionally, Kannapedia.net provides bioinformatics and blockchain certification for cultivar authenticity.

Learn more at medicinalgenomics.com

Additional Resources

Cannabis Expression Atlas: a comprehensive resource for integrative analysis of Cannabis sativa L. gene expression

Cannabis Expression Atlas

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Meet the CannMed 25 Advisory Board

Submit Your Abstract for CannMed 25

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CannMed Archive