the lobsterpot< podcast

The latest news out of the US is that cannabis could be downgraded from a ‘harmful’ Schedule I substance to a ‘medically-beneficial’ Schedule III one.  But what does this actually mean? Does it bring America closer to federal legalization? Will it make the cannabis industry an easier place to do business? Chris Day from the GCNC gives us his take on what it all means.

Living with a condition like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a battle for 1 in 500 people in the UK. However, like cannabis, there’s a lack of education, understanding, and awareness of the illness and how to treat it. Coupled with the fact that many sufferers can have an adverse reaction to different medications, many are turning to medical cannabis – often as a last resort. We speak to Sarah Hamilton, Advice and Information Manager at Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, to find out more.

Big Tobacco is clearly making a play for cannabis. British American Tobacco’s recent £75M investment into cannabis firm Organigram is a strong indication of that. However, while the subject may be uncomfortable for many, we can’t deny that tobacco’s involvement in cannabis could benefit the cannabis industry in a number of ways – not least economically. We speak to Nick Kenny, a strategic advisor to large companies diversifying into highly regulated sectors, to better understand the challenges and opportunities.

While its neighbour to the south gets a lot of attention for its shifting stance on cannabis, Zimbabwe is a nation to keep a close eye on – given its climate, huge farmland areas, and huge economic potential. However, while export potential is lauded as the primary path to financial growth, getting the domestic market right first is essential – says TJ Chifokoyo, managing director of Charlie Bravo Delta, based in Harare. 

Ahead of Drug Science’s UK Patient Conference on 3rd November we catch up with Sarah Sinclair, editor of Cannabis Health, and medical cannabis patient, Berta Kaguako. Both will be speaking at the conference, focusing on the topics of improving access to medical cannabis more broadly and increasing the number of NHS prescriptions. Let’s get a flavour of what’s to come.

While Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium continue to make all of the right noises around legalising recreational cannabis, they may yet be beaten to the punch by the Central European neighbour – the Czech Republic. We speak to Sean Carney, founder and executive director at Herbology Ventures, based in Prague about the moves being made.

Though her career kickstarted in Canadian cannabis labs and grow ops, Atiyyah Ferouz – founder and CEO of AgCann – has now turned her attention to Thailand; perhaps the cannabis world’s most exciting emerging market, but one that’s ultimately misunderstood from a compliance and regulatory perspective. We compare notes and find out more about the opportunity she sees here. 

Hirsh Jain, CEO and Founder of Ananda Strategy, is used to delving deep into the regulatory maelstrom. Formerly Global Policy Lead at Airbnb, over the last few years he’s switched the short term rental market for the curious world of cannabis. We chat with him about what’s coming next.

If you’ve worked in cannabis for more than a few minutes, you’ll have realised it’s really tough (often illegal) to state what effects your product has. That’s a pain for brains, but it sucks for consumers too, particularly the canna-cautious who want more certainty around mind-altering experiences.

To help us understand what’s really going on and get a look at where the industry is headed, we spoke to someone with some answers – Israel Gasperin, the founder and CEO of Zentrela.