Since 2018, I’ve seen the rise of some pretty shady products. Recently, there’s been a crazy boom of “alternative cannabinoids.” Hemp-derived Delta 8, Delta 9, HHC, THC-O have been popping up everywhere, especially in grey area and illicit markets.

I’ve started to see adds for “weed online” and people with large platforms promoting gummies, vapes, flower, joints and more. I couldn’t help but wonder — wtf even was ANY of this?? What are we inhaling? Putting into our bodies?

I got to sit down with Alex Harris, an **actual** scientist to talk about trustworthiness, what she’s seen in the lab and how people can navigate this wave of synthetic cannabinoids.

She’s also a fellow University of Maryland alumni which makes this episode all the more special!

Alex is the Cannabis Science Advisor for Tikun Olam, the President of the Medical Cannabis Student Association at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the Deputy Director of Education at LA NORML.

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Connect with Alex and follow her work below for more incredible canna education!

https://www.instagram.com/cannasci.hi/

https://www.instagram.com/losangelesnorml/

https://www.instagram.com/tikunolamusa/

https://www.instagram.com/umb.mcsa/

Time Stamps

Intro 0:00-2:03

Sending Flowers 2:03-3:50

Being an Early (unofficial) Medical Patient” 3:50-5:10

Almost Going to Jail 5:10-8:23

University of Maryland Cannabis Program 8:23-11:31

Who Would this Program Be a Good Fit For? 11:31-14:30

Consumer Education in Cannabis, Farm Bill and Hemp Derived Cannabinoids 15:20-18:00

Can We Trust Synthetic or Alternative Cannabinoids? 18:00-22:00

What is a COA? 22:00-23:30

Safety Testing in Cannabis 23:00-26:00

Do You Trust Any Current Synthetic Cannabinoid Products? 26:00-27:00

What’s a Chromatigram and why is knowing how to read one important ? 27:00-30:45

Is Testing Legit? What is Lab Shopping? 30:45-32:50

Consumer Don’t Always Come First 33:00-36:00

Education is the Solution 36:00-37:00

Gas Station Gummies 37:00-38:00

Sustainability, Cosmetic Chemistry Testing and FDA Standards 38:00-41:00

Drug Testing and Alternative Cannabinoids 41:00-43:40

FDA Policies on Hemp 43:40-44:00

How Can We Close the Gap? 44:00-45:00

Trustworthy Labs to Watch? 45:00-47:28

What Products Do You Trust to Put in Your Bag 47:28-50:00

Adult Use vs Recreational vs Medical Markets 50:00-

54:00

Loopholes with Edibles, Beverages and Tinctures 54:00-56:00

Caffeine and Cannabis 56:00-58:30

What’s in Store? 58:30-

Synthetic vs Alternative Cannabinoids 58:30-59:00

Cannabis Media Literacy 59:00-1:04

Wendy Zeng and I get pretty baked from some top tier dabs. She shares what it was like to celebrate her Chopped 420 win with her family, building spaces for AAPI community and chosen family in cannabis, her “why” in building Mogu Magu, brought the most magical tea, shares Sichuan food inspiration, creating her signature Chili Party, the dinners and pairings she's doing through Drizzle Catering, how we can diversify the way we talk about flavor descriptions and so much more!

Connect with Wendy Zeng

https://www.instagram.com/wenyerhungry/?hl=en

https://wenyerhungry.myshopify.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drizzle.catering/?hl=en

Wendy Episode

Intro 0:00-:59

Sending Flowers 1:00-4:00

Sharing Her Chopped 420 Win + Stigma 4:00-10:00

Chosen Family and the AAPI Weed Community 10:00-13:44

Most Magical Tea EVER 13:44-15:00

Sichuan Palette + Culinary Experience 15:00-17:35

In Her Bag - Wendy’s Chili Party 17:35-21:00

In Her Bag Fly By Jing + Exotic Candies 20:55-22:50

Perfect Dose of Edibles 23:18-26:15

Favorite Munchies 26:15-27:20

Creating Your Own Food Product 27:20-28:30

Thoughts On Making Her Own Edibles? 28:30-30:20

Drizzle Catering Pop Up Dinners 30:20-31:20

Indica vs Sativa - is that real? 31:20-33:40

How To Look for Edibles + Flower at a Dispo 33:40-35:26

Pairings at Wendy’s Dinners and Dosing 35:26-37:45

Dab Pairings 37:45-40:40

Flame Throwers 40:40-41:09

Preferred Temp 41:09-42:00

Tasting Different Flavors In Different Parts of Your Mouth 42:00-42:53

Why Does Wendy Prefer Dabs? 42:53-44:00

Tolerance Differences Smoking vs. Edibles 43:44-46:40

Protecting Energy After Pandemmy 46:40-48:00

Packaging Accessibility 48:00-49:30

AAPI Food + Cannabis Collective 49:30-51:00

Diverse Flavor Descriptions 51:00-52:31

Immersed and Present in Food and the Plant 52:31-55:10

What’s Next? 55:10 -57:11

Bloopers 57:07

Would you have used Chat GPT for a paper in college? Get ready for one of my favorite seshes yet! Mary Jane Gibson and I talk everything from her latest piece in Vox on Federal legalization to her thoughts on Chat GPT and so much more. 

She is a true tastemaker and constantly has an ear to the ground in weed, music, food, comedy and more. She always knows what’s new and best before anyone else. But she is no gatekeeper! MJ truly curates incredible experiences for her guests on her podcast Weed + Grub with Mike Glazer and brings a taste of it to Send Us Flowers! See what's in her bag and join us on a journey of discovery - it will totally inspire your sense of exploration and wonder! 

Connect with Mary Jane Gibson and read her latest work below.

https://www.instagram.com/thisismaryjane_

https://twitter.com/thisismaryjane_

http://thisismaryjane.com/

https://weedandgrub.com/

https://twitter.com/weedandgrub

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/23509642/marijuana-cannabis-legalization-prohibition-biden

https://www.playboy.com/read/fast-acting-edibles-are-perfect-for-a-quickie

Time Stamps 

The *other* Mary Jane Gibson :50

Sending Flowers 2:45 - 5:20

Upcoming Piece with Vox 5:20 - 7:30

Legalizing on a Federal Level? 7:30 - 8:40

MJ’s Early Career + Creative Writing 8:40 - 12:00

What’s in MJ’s Bag? 12:00 - 13:00

THC Design RS11 13:00 - 14:00

Are You Passing Your Joint? 14:00

Journey of Discovery, Taste Making and Curation 18:00 - 19:20

Understanding the Grateful Dead 19:20 - 23:00

Limited Drops Cultural Intersections 23:00 - 24:00

Perfect Gifts for the Stoner Who’s Smoked Everything 24:00 - 27:20

Who Has the Best Papers? 27:20 - 32:00

First Time Being Stoned 32:00 - 34:50

Fast-Acting Edibles 34:50 - 36:50

Trading Alcohol for Cannabis Beverages 36:50 - 42:05

Weed and Grub Podcast’s Incredible Guests + Proudest Moments 42:05 - 49:30

Power of Good Writing, AI and Chat GPT 49:30 - 55:50

Work to Stay Tuned For 55:50 - 57:30

Most Fun Piece MJ Has Written 57:30 - 1:00

Mushroom and Ketamine Therapy 1:00 - 1:08

Lyss Parra puts femininity and softness first when it comes to creating plant content. 

This Scorpio stoner talks about her and her wifey's business and creative power couple goals, her move from Minnesota to LA, what's in her bag, identity as a woman in weed, biggest sesh pet peeves, is a hemp wrap a blunt and so much more. 

Perfect sesh for while you're doing your makeup or skincare routine! Get cozy! This one is so warm and such a fun conversation.   

Time Stamps   

Three drink minimum 1:14

Sending flowers 2:00

First smoke 6:00

Checking in with Yourself 8:06

Moving to LA - 10:12

Family and weed 12:16

Identity as a woman in weed 15:00

What’s In Your Bag 17:06

What do you look for in weed 22:00

Sativa/Hybrid - what’s up with that? 23:20

Are some strains “real?” 25:00

Meant to be a CA girl 29:30

Access Granted: First Seeing CBD Flower 32:00

Weed snobs, we gotta chill lol 35:30

Smoke Tricks 37:54

Biggest Sesh Pet Peeve 41:10

Perfume for Covering Weed Smells 45:20

Is a Hemp Wrap a Blunt? 47:30

What’s next? 52:00

Erin Wolfkiel is an all around badass. She skateboards, is in commercials and has been a formidable force as a woman in weed.

We have a no-shame moment of learning how to use a b*ng, how she carved her own space in two very male-dominated worlds, her first time taking edibles, what’s in Snoop Dogg’s bag, what’s in Erin’s bag and we even attempt to play Tech Deck super faded at the end! It’s pretty freaking funny!

Connect with Erin Wolfkiel!

https://instagram.com/erinwolfkilla?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://www.tiktok.com/@erinwolfkilla?_t=8YBF4FBJFDG&_r=1

Timestamps 

How to Use a B*ng 0:00-5:37

Sending Flowers 5:37-6:29

Erin’s First Skateboard 6:29-7:11

How She Started Skateboarding 7:11-9:09

Building Skills and Confidence 9:09-10:39

Finding Moments of Weightlessness 10:39-12:09

Carving Space in a Male Dominated Sport 12:09-16:09

Craziest Tricks Landed 16:09-18:33

Skate Park Etiquette 18:33-21:45

Growth of Reels + Sponsorships BIG ANNOUNCEMENT - 21:45-24:48

Most Amazing Skate Spot 24:48-27:25

Dreaming of Tricks 27:29-28:47

Kids These Days 28:47-30:35

Tech Deck Back Disaster 30:35-32:56

Nail Tangent 32:56-33:43

First Time Getting High 33:43-37:51

Do Your Parents Know? 37:51-39:09

First Job in Weed 39:09-44:35

Wildest Experiences 44:35-46:09

What’s In Snoop Dogg’s Bag? 46:09-51:26

What’s in Erin’s Bag? 51:26-1:00

Attempting Tech Deck (poorly) 1:00-

You thought putting canna content on Instagram was hard? Tik Tok has become a whole new monster to plant-friendly creators. But not impossible! Liz Udell has they keys to winning at Tik Tok as a creator and brand!

We break down her own viral videos, how she has grown into her current role, balancing life as a creator and marketer and more!

Liz always also has the most insane products and tools in her bag, even before they hit the market. We also go over the current dispensary experience and how it could be better, especially in the current legal markets.

Connect with Liz Udell!

https://www.instagram.com/lizoodell/

https://www.tiktok.com/@lizoodell

https://twitter.com/lizoodell

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-udell/

Time Stamps

Intro 0:00-1:18

Sending Flowers 1:18-4:15

Queen of Tik Tok 4:15-6:00

How to get 10m views on Tik Tok 6:00-7:20

Always be testing and open minded 7:20-8:40

Best Examples on Tik Tok 8:40-9:30

The Kylie Jenner Effect and Authenticity 9:30-11:31

Tik Tok Never Forgets 11:31-12:26

Winning Tik Tok 12:26-14:11

YouTube and Tik Tok - The New TV 14:11-15:00

What Canna Brands to Watch on Tik Tok 15:00-18:32

Smoke Break 18:32-18:54

Algo Speak 18:54-21:40

Film EVERYTHING 21:40-22:10

Same message, different tools 22:10-22:32

Best Social Media Manager Can Work Any Industry 22:32

Experience Coming Full Circle 23:45-24:50

What’s in Your Bag 24:50-25:43

Is LinkedIn Cool Now? 25:43-26:40

Optimal Dab Temp + Tools 26:40-29:48

Bag Necessities 29:48-32:00

Who Hurt the Budtenders? 32:00-34:28

Gordon Ramsey of Dispos 34:28-36:10

Taking Talents Cross Country 36:10-39:20

Final remarks 39:20-

Add a little magic to your sesh with Matthew Noah, The Cannabis Conjuror! He incorporates cannabis into his magic acts and performs at weed-friendly events. We talked about how he started his journey in magic and weed and learn how he brings the two together. Matthew also shows us what's in his bag, how weed has helped him manage Crohns, his early start to Tik Tok, his ultimate weed event, what he looks for in plants and more. There may even be a few tricks up his sleeve! (LITERALLY!) 

Connect with The Cannabis Conjuror! 

https://www.tiktok.com/@matthewnoah

https://www.instagram.com/thecannabisconjuror/

https://www.instagram.com/matthewnoah/

Time Stamps 

Intro 0:00-1:28

Sending Flowers 1:28-2:20

Does your family know? 2:20-3:05

How did you get into magic? 3:05-4:05

First magic trick 4:05-5:15

Bringing Magic and Plants Together 5:15-7:10

Stigma of Weed and Work and MAGIC! 7:10-8:09

Always Check the Hat! 8:09-8:40

Working a K9 Unit Event 8:40-11:00

Law Enforcement Working In Plants 11:00- 11:49

Operators, Informed Decisions and Education 11:49-14:40

Crohns and Plant Medicine 14:40-16:36

What’s In Your Bag? 16:36-19:20

Message From Plant Spirits 19:20-

What’s In Your Bag?

Evolution of Concentrates 20:38-22:22

New Kind of Grind 22:22-26:20

Miscellaneous Goodies 26:20-28:30

Plant Events 28:30-30:25

Flower or Concentrates 30:25-31:20

Plants Are Magical 31:20-31:52

PuffCon 31:52-33:33

Your Perfect Plant Event 33:33-37:00

What Are Great Plants To You? 37:00-41:00

Why We Grow Indoors 41:00-42:00

Being Loud + Proud 42:00-42:55

Tik Tok 42:55-

Imagine a sneaker drop but for your favorite, uh ... herbal products. 

I finally got on The List from 710 Labs and placed an order - for science, of course. 

Find out what The List is, how you can join and if it's worth it.

I'm breaking it all down so you can see if this is the right kind of experience for you.   

Follow Send Us Flowers   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sendusflowers

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sendusflowers/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sendusflowers

Website: sendusflowers.com

Celebrate Halloween with super spooky special with Send Us Flowers! We stopped by Sixty Four and Hope Melrose for some magic from The Cannabis Conjuror, to find out if people like candy corn and who's seen a ghost. Somehow, we also convinced a few visitors to enter a Pumpkin Peeps challenge to see how many they could fit in their mouth - no chewing or swallowing! Special thanks to all our guests who participated! 

What are you going to be for Halloween?! Do you believe in ghosts or have an epic story of your own sighting?! 

Follow Send Us Flowers 

Twitter 

Instagram 

YouTube 

Tik Tok

Website

Shades of Syd stopped by the studio and it was straight VIBES! We sent some flowers, talked about family acceptance, being a reverend’s daughter in weed, creating your own canna biz, investing in yourself and not quitting!

We also talked about what strain has *got* to be in Syd’s bag, her perfect roll, ranked pre-rolls and shared what we loved and why.

If you’re looking to start your own cannabiz, looking for advice on family + weed, want to learn what makes a perfect pre-roll or just spark one, sesh and chill with us - this is the episode for you.

Connect with Syd!

https://www.instagram.com/_shadesofsyd/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/medicatedmelanin/?hl=en

https://medicatedmelanin.com/

Time Stamps 

:00-2:30 Intro

2:30-4:00 Do you smoke blunts?

4:00-5:00 Is a hemp wrap a “blunt?”

5:00-7:14 Sending Flowers

7:14-9:50 Family Support + Being a Reverend’s Daughter

9:50-12:37 Creating Medicated Melanin

12:37-13:30 New Products

13:30-14:37 Learning the Business of Running Your Own Business

14:37-18:03 Overcoming Wanting to Quit

18:03-20:42 Favorite Nothing Things

20:42-22:00 In Syd’s Bag

22:00 Ranking Pre-Rolls

25:00-28:00 Weed Snobbery

28:00- Medicine vs Recreational

29:27-31:00 Periods + Weed

31:00-33:00 Perfect Joint Rolling Process

33:00-35:49 What We Don’t Like in a Pre-Roll + Updating Rankings

35:49-38:00 How You Grind + Roll Filters

38:00 Final Ranking