Different Leaf: the Podcast

It's here! Our final podcast episode before we go on hiatus! In case you missed the big announcement in the fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf Magazine; "We're saying goodbye -- for now."

This week, host Brit Smith sits down with Different Leaf CEO/Publisher Michael Kusek to talk about
what his Editor's Note on page 11 announcing the hiatus means for the future of Different Leaf.

They talk about the changes Michael has seen in the cannabis industry and the publishing industry over the past five years, what the hiatus means for our magazine and podcast, and what readers and listeners can expect when we return in mid-2024.

Brit also has our annual "high holiday gift guide" with Different Leaf magazine’s merch and more writer John Arvanitis. You can read more about all John's chosen products and experiences in the fall 2023 issues of Different Leaf Magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com

Sign up for our newsletter and get any back-issues of Different Leaf Magazine at DifferentLeaf.com
Get your DL merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com
Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Thanks to everyone who has worked on this iteration of DL the Podcast, including:

Editor-in-Chief; Michael Kusek
Production Manager; Jen Hayes
Audio Producer; Aleksandra van der Westhuizen
Head of Audio Production; Gretchen Kuhsel
Musicial Duo; HomeBody

See you all in 2024!

If you've ever walked into a cannabis dispensary and felt overwhelmed with options, you are not alone. Around 2/3 of cannabis consumers consider THC potency the leading factor when purchasing pot.

While that doesn't tell us much about the experience we might have, there are plenty of things beyond THC and price that we can consider when picking products at our local pot shop.

This week, host Brit Smith talks to the staff at Boston's Rooted In dispensary, to learn how professional cannabis purchasers make their selections for the shelves, how cannabis consumers can hone in on their most enjoyable experiences, and how we can try new products without breaking the bank.

The Rooted In team discusses the range of prices we often see in cannabis flower, the questions curious consumers might want to ask when they get to a dispensary register, and the best ways to test your local cannabis options for cheap or free. Then Brit goes to Botera dispensary in Franklin to try out what she learned about picking the perfect product.

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine now at DifferentLeaf.com

Between socializing, cooking, traveling, and spending, the holiday season can be a tough time to chill out. And then, of course, some of us have kids to watch, and those kids are also watching us.

Thankfully, cannabis is a great tool to help adults enjoy the holiday season, even if we’re in charge of children. And this generation of parents is becoming much more open about discussing cannabis with their kids. They use electronic dab-rigs. They wear smoking jackets. They tell their children why they can't touch their medicine.

In this episode, host Brit Smith sits down with three moms who use marijuana, to talk about the best ways to consume pot during the holidays when there are little ones around.

Brit hears from cannabis consultant Cara Crabb-Burnham, Bountiful Farms sales manager Amy Fintonis, and massage therapist Kristi about their preferred ways to consume around their kiddos and their advice for parents and guardians who want to take the edge off while staying focused on the family.

The moms discuss the benefits of concentrates and vaping over smoke, how to talk to young people about why adults might smoke cannabis, use weed during postpartum, and give advice for overcoming the stigma associated with being a parent who uses pot.

Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine now at DifferentLeaf.com

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

Get your Different Leaf hoodie, hat, shirt, and other merch at xDifferentLeaf.com

It's the end of the year, the perfect time to indulge in some much-deserved rest and relaxation. And with so many spas now offering CBD-infused facials and massages, we can truly relax to the max this holiday season.

So does topical CBD actually help our bodies more fully relax?
Can a cannabis-infused facial benefit skin more than a regular facial does?
And how else are spas incorporating cannabis to help their guests truly chill?

To kick off the holidays, host Brit Smith and production manager Jen Hayes hit the road for the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, to try the nation's first seed-to-spa experience; The Windham Spa (thewindhamspa.com).

First, Brit and Jen talk with spa owners Antonia and Chris Schreiber about their decision to grow and produce their own CBD-infused massage oil for clients in Windham, NY. They also discuss the long-term benefits of using cannabis-infused skincare and wellness products, and the crossover between spa culture and cannabis culture.

Then, Brit and Jen experience The Windham Spa's Entourage Package, which includes a selection of infused edibles, a CBD foot soak, a massage with oil made from their hemp plants, and hemp-focused facials made with local products by MASK.

Get your fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Stock up on some dope DL merch for the holidays at xDifferentLeaf.com

Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that covers a diverse group of conditions. Since it's a spectrum, what it means to be diagnosed with autism varies widely. So do the experiences of autistic people and those who try cannabis and CBD for their health issues.

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to two autistic people about their experiences trying cannabis and CBD for common problems for those on the spectrum, like anxiety, focus, masking, sensory processing, and physical discomfort.

First, Brit speaks with California-based writer Ian Donley, who penned the essay in the back of the fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine, entitled; "I'm Autistic, This is What It's Like Getting High."

Then, Brit chats with her younger brother, musician Spud Smith, about how cannabis extracts have impacted his ASD-related issues like anxiety and sensory overload, and his symptoms of Tourette's.

Get the fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your nearest seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

Get your DL merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com

CBN, CBG, THCV, THCA... beyond the famed cannabinoids THC and CBD, we're seeing a surge of offerings known as minor cannabinoids. More and more people are swearing by these plant's so-called minor molecules to help with issues like sleep, appetite, and energy.

So what’s the science behind all of it? Why does the plant make these chemicals? How do we extract and use them? And what does the research say about how minor cannabinoids could help better our health?

In this episode, host Brit Smith speaks with Natalia Lopez, director of cultivation at Thai Stick in Bangkok, one of Thailand’s first cannabis producers. Natalia explains the science behind plant cannabinoid production, how growers get plants to produce specific minor cannabinoids, and what research says about their effects on our bodies to date.

Brit also talks to John Nathan, CEO of Bay State Extracts, Massachusetts' premier company specializing in minor and rare cannabinoids. John discusses his experience finding minor cannabinoids helpful alongside THC and CBD, how his company sources and manufactures all kinds of rare and minor cannabinoids from CBC to CBN, and what kinds of effects his consumers are reporting.

Get your fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf the magazine now at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

Check out our dope new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

One of the staple fall activities of the northeast is to head to an orchard, pick your own apples, and enjoy some apple cider on the farm. Since cannabis has become more popular in drinks, one of the northeast’s best-known apple cider makers, Beak and Skiff, has started incorporating hemp and cannabis into their drink offerings, and it's already helping to change the way people see the plant.

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Eddie Brennan, President of Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards and ayrloom cannabis in Lafayette, NY, about the famed cider company's new cannabis-infused drinks.

Eddie talks about the century-old fruit farm's history, how the two families have continued to innovate the brand's offerings since the early 1900s, and where cannabis fits into their line now.

They also discuss the farming angle of adding cannabis plants to the ground, the changes cannabis drinks are bringing to agro-tourism, and how family-run companies like Beak and Skiff adding alcohol alternatives can help reduce the stigma of their new cannabis crop.

Read more about Beak and Skiff in the new fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or on thousands of newsstands; find your local seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

And check out our merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

We’re getting into the spirit of Halloween by discussing how cannabis can guide us through spiritual journeys with our guest Shelley Johnson, better known as social media icon @AGoodWitchOfficial

A retired occupational therapist in California, Shelley started doing Instagram Live sessions in her purple witches hat during the pandemic to help others feel grounded. She'd spark up, read tarot cards for her followers, and give what she calls her 'old crone advice' about how to live a more intentional, self-directed life. Now in her 70s, Shelley has nearly 2 million followers on Instagram alone, and she reaches them with her witchy wisdom through her daily 4:20 pm smoke and tarot sessions.

Host Brit Smith talks to Shelley about how cannabis can help in therapeutic and spiritual ways, by allowing us to focus on meditation, think about our thoughts, manifest gratitude, and create art.

Shelley also discusses how she uses cannabis daily to connect with herself and others, and how we can all more consciously use the plant to access our deeper spiritual selves. She gives us a daily witch-tip for smokers, we learn what tarot is, and we get a stoned tarot reading just for listeners.

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

Read our profile of Shelley 'A Good Witch' Johnson on page 32 in the fall issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com

Ready for an Exclusive?! Soon, you'll be able to wear vintage Tommy Hilfiger tennis apparel with our favorite leaf on the lapel, while smoking a matching branded red and white vape.

American fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger has partnered with Coachella-based cannabis company Green Horizons to revitalize his classic 1970s tennis fashion brand BOAST.

In 2024, they're launching a BOAST clothing line, including polo shirts, shorts, jerseys, and hats -- all with its famed maple leaf logo, alongside a line of infused pre-rolls, vapes, and gummies made with Green Horizons’ flower. (Readers can get an exclusive first look at the new BOAST cannabis and clothing line in the fall '23 issue of Different Leaf the magazine available at DifferentLeaf.com).

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Los Arias, CEO of Green Horizons, about how his company first connected with Tommy Hilfiger, and what they hope to bring to the world with their upcoming line of classic wearables and weed.

Los tells Brit how he met his business partner Michael Meade while they were both using cannabis on their cancer journeys and how he connected with Hilfiger's daughter during her own healing journey with Lyme disease.

They also cover the history of the BOAST apparel brand from 1973 until 2017 when it was acquired by Hilfiger, how Los' friendship with Hilfiger inspired them both to launch BOAST's return with a cannabis and clothing line, and when and where we can expect BOAST products to be available.

Get your new fall issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

Get your Different Leaf merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com

Just a decade into legalization, the science behind cannabis-infused edibles has already come a long way.

We’ve now got fast-acting edibles, cutting effect times from hours to minutes, made possible by nano-emulsification technology.

We've got heightened experiences and flavors, thanks to Live resin and rosin-infused foods, which contain extracts from flash-frozen freshly-cut cannabis flower.

And we now have targeted effects edibles, which specifically help us chill, focus, find energy, or sleep.

So how do edibles work, and how are they getting faster? How do food scientists maintain taste and texture while adding milligrams of THC? And how are companies using new technologies to give us a range of edible experiences like deeper highs and desirable cannabis flavors?

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Kristi Palmer, co-founder of Kiva Confections, about how companies like hers innovate the edibles in our market. Kristi discusses the kinds of new experiences edible consumers are looking for, the hurdles edible companies typically face in the kitchen when innovating their product lines, and how Kiva's team works across state lines to meet those consumer desires.

Brit also talks to Breanna Neff, Chief Food Scientist and founder of Brelixi, about how food scientists like her get cannabis edibles to give us those different kinds of highs and faster onsets, all while maintaining the taste and texture. Breanna explains how edibles work in our bodies, the science behind nano-emulsification for fast-onset edibles like her Brelixi drink powder mix, and how targeted effects edibles work to give us certain experiences.

Read more on the science of infused food in the fall 2023 Edibles issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com, or find your local retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Get your Different Leaf merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com