Psychedelic Science for the People

Dr. Potter shares his experience learning about psychotropic plants from indigenous shamans in Brazil and Mexico. We discuss the cross-cultural transfer of psychoactive plants (e.g. psychedelic mushrooms and ayahuasca) and how we can learn from indigenous tribes and use plant-based medicines to treat mental illness, like addiction and OCD. Dr. Potter also reveals his latest research at Leef Labs, where he is creating major and minor cannabinoid formulations for insomnia and pain relief.

Dr. Mark Braunstein, MD shares his experience using medicinal cannabis to treat patients with trauma or mental health disorders, like depression, addiction, and anxiety. He reveals the benefits of using cannabis over pharmaceutical drugs and gives tips on how to incorporate cannabis into your mental wellness routine. We also dive into the latest research on ketamine and discuss what to expect if you book a psychedelic therapy session at his practice. 

The old paradigm for medicine has been very black and white. Certain molecules are “good” and “medicinal,” while other molecules are “bad” and “criminal.” We saw this paradigm did not serve us with cannabis. It prevents scientific research and keeps potential medicine away from patients. In this upcoming season, we will continue to talk to scientists about cannabis as a plant and how it can be used as medicine, while expanding our conversational scope and covering a wider range of psychedelics.

Suffering from chronic pain? Should you try cannabis? Dr. Paola Cubillos, MD, shares her insight from working with patients using cannabis to alleviate pain. She dispels some myths around THC and discusses this molecule’s effects on the body and brain. Hint: it’s not just the psychoactive sister of CBD. She recommends the best ways to consume cannabis and important factors to consider to determine if medical cannabis is right for you. We also talk about what conditions are best treated by cannabis and why some patients may be better suited to other remedies.

Curious about biotech innovation in cannabis and hemp production? Jon Vaught, CEO of Front Range Biosciences, reveals how applying modern biotech practices to hemp/cannabis cultivation can create stronger, healthier plants and better medicine. We talk about Front Range’s clean stock program (which can prevent pathogens and contaminants from being introduced to hemp/cannabis) and how marker assisted breeding can produce plants designed to withstand climate conditions or ward off pests.

If you’ve ever suffered from anxiety or stress and want to know how CBD can help, this is the episode for you. Neuroscientist Dr. Monika Fleshner reveals the results of her study testing the effects of cannabidiol on laboratory rats. We talk about how CBD can reduce the negative health consequences of stress and what we can learn from the animal research model that we can’t learn from observing humans.

Have you ever tried two cannabis strains with the same name but completely different effects? Or wondered what differentiates an Indica and Sativa? In this episode, Dr. Daniela Vergara, an evolutionary biologist researching Cannabis genomics, reveals how biology and understanding the cannabis genome could be beneficial to breeding efforts and to creating cannabis medicine that is more consistent and effective for patients. If you don’t know what a genome is, keep listening. We'll break it down. 

How does cannabis affect our cognitive functioning? How soon can we drive safely after consuming? Does cannabis affect men and women differently? Dr. Cinnamon Bidwell, a psychologist and co-founder of the CU change mobile lab, reveals her findings from a number of research studies that she has done in a mobile pharmacology/psychology lab. 

Dr. Catherine Jacobson, a neuroscientist, shares her journey to find quality CBD medicine for her son, Ben, who was born with epilepsy. From processing black market cannabis in her garage to launching an initial access trial for Epidiolex (pharmaceutical-grade CBD), Dr. Jacobson speaks candidly about her efforts to make cannabis medicine accessible. We talk about how cannabis affects the brain, the social stigma around CBD and THC, and the future of cannabinoid-based medicine. 

Can cannabis treat epilepsy? How does it work differently from traditional pharmaceutical drugs? In this episode, we talk to psychologist Dr. Barbara Brett-Green, who recently conducted a study testing the effects of medicinal cannabis on adults with medical refractory epilepsy. Dr. Green reveals how high-CBD oils made from the cannabis plant affected the seizure frequency and quality for life for adults with MRE.