Reefer MEDness

Can a centuries-old cannabis culture survive legalization?

In this exclusive episode, Reefer MEDness shares a rare anonymous interview with a SOMACAN quality manager inside Morocco’s emerging legal cannabis industry. Kirk and Mr. Anonymous share a car ride through the Rif Mountains and Mr. Anonymous reveals how local farmers are transitioning from black-market hash production into regulated medical cannabis cooperatives producing hu...

Can Morocco’s famous hash industry survive pharmaceutical regulation?

In Part 2 of Episode 166, Trevor and Kirk continue their conversation with Jan van Weenen, a European cannabis veteran helping transform Morocco’s ancient hash market into a GMP-compliant pharmaceutical industry. From heavy metals in Rif Mountain soil to pricing battles between farmers, co-ops, and manufacturers, this episode reveals the real-world challenges of g...

Dr. Dror Robinson’s five-year longitudinal Israeli study goal was to evaluate inhaled cannabis use for diabetic neuropathy. He found it works and he now believes all diabetics should be inhaling cannabis flower. The study can be faulted for the lack of diversity with the 52 individuals sampled, however the study presents a 97% sample retention, and the evidence suggests every participant benefitted from the in-haled cannabis therap...

What does medical cannabis look like when a King gets involved?

Morocco, a country historically known for exporting outstanding Hashish, must import medicinal cannabis from aboard because its local crop doesn't meet the quality standards of Europe.

The King of Morocco wants to bring Moroccan cannabis up to Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) so it can be used locally and be exported.

Trevor and Kirk speak with Moroccan c...

What if most cannabis extracts are missing the point?

In our last episode from Spain, Kirk visits with hemp innovator Peter Vermeul to explore stabilized, full-spectrum extracts that preserve cannabinoids like CBDA, THCA, terpenes, cannflavins and flavonoids—without heat or harsh solvents. Peter's road from developing hemp strains and his proprietary extraction technique for cannabis medicine was inspired by a family member with can...

In the past century, a gardener named Peter Vermeul became known for growing top shelf cannabis in Holland. He grew organic black market weed from clones supplying Britain for premium prices. In the early 2000s, Peter's perspective on cannabis changed due to family illness. About this time, he acquired seeds for the Charlotte's Web strain from the Stanley Brothers which started his journey of creating CBD rich cultivars. Today, his...

What if cannabis education focused on benefits, not fear?

Daniel Bear, PhD returns to break down the cannabis industry THC obsession, Canada’s cannabis tax imbalance, and why mindful consumption—not prohibition—is the future of cannabis policy. 

Daniel tackles falling prices, rising taxes, disappearing profit margins, and the ongoing threat of the illicit market. He explores how high-THC marketing pressures, youth protection, and con...

What if cannabis education focused on benefits, not fear?

Cannabis researcher Daniel Bear, PhD returns to Reefer Medness to introduce Mindful Consumption & Benefit Maximization (MCBM). MCDM is a framework that helps people understand why they use cannabis, what they want from the experience, and how to reduce risks while improving outcomes.

We explore why prohibition-era messaging failed, the problems with today’s ultra-high-THC ...

In this episode, Trevor and Kirk review the latest road stories from Spain which starts a broader discussion about global cannabis legalization and regulation. To better understand Cannabis in Spain, they speak with Peter Vermeul, a future guest, who works within the European hemp industry. Peter provides insights into a common practice of spraying CBD flowers with synthetic cannabinoids like THCP and THCO to create intoxicating ef...

Kirk continues his road stories from Spain. In the previous series, we learned how Cannabis cultivation is legal, public consumption is illegal, and personal use is decriminalized. In this series, Kirk and Trevor discuss the hemp products sold in resale Cannabis Shops found throughout Spain. The nuanced laws of Spain has allowed a proliferation of stores, found in many tourist areas, to sell various cannabis-derived products that c...

As part of a series of episodes, Kirk and Trevor continue to explore the legal status of Cannabis in Spain. As a decriminalized substance, Cannabis is pretty much accepted by the Spanish public and authorities with some caveats about how and where Cannabis is consumed and purchased. However, the laws regarding hemp cultivation, hemp processing, homegrown marijuana, consuming and processing marijuana are complex and nuanced. In Part...

In a series of episodes, Kirk and Trevor explore the legal status of Cannabis in Spain. As a decriminalized substance, Cannabis is pretty much accepted. However, the laws regarding hemp cultivation, hemp processing, homegrown marijuana, consuming and processing marijuana are complex and nuanced.

In Part One of this series, Kirk visits Cannabis clubs in Barcelona. He discovers how these organizations operate within a legal gray zone...

With a film credits in Dr. Strangelove, Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams and The Hunt for Red October and off-screen credits in many Shakespearean stage roles, two Tony awards, military service, Ranger School and his Ranger Tab, there would be so many conversations to have with James Earl Jones. But over and over, fans just clamored for the catch phrase, “Luke. I am your Father.” Peter Su’s “catch phrase” is ...

Imagine you are a 75 years old male and you have a few medical conditions like well controlled prostate cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol and your knees hurt from arthritis. Your friend says you should try cannabis for your sore knees. You also live in a small rural Manitoba town that leans religious and conservative. Where do you go to find out if cannabis for your knees is a good idea?

In Ste Anne's, Manitoba, retail cannabis sto...

One sunny evening in the summer of 2020, Kirk and Trevor had a meeting on Kirk's driveway. Even though all indoor meetings were taboo, they met someone bursting with excitement. Eric Greening's face lit up as he described the cannabis growing facility he envisioned building north east of Dauphin.

Four years, a pandemic, spiraling inflation and all the other unknown unknowns of building a facility and starting a business are now behi...

Recreational cannabis legalization means tons more teenagers will start using the drug right? That prevailing myth and other interesting trends were examined by Luis Segura, Silva Martins and their team from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

In the USA, cannabis legalization happens state by state, and not all at the same time. That provided the perfect environment for the researchers to see what happened afte...

David Traylor has 2 undergrad degrees in Bio-Chemistry and Molecular Biology. He is a former pro lacrosse player. He got involved in BioTech in the 1990's and dealt with the difficulties of getting molecules like erythropoietin to market at scale. From there he got into investment banking. Obviously, with that background, the next step is to do cannabis deals on 6 of the 7 continents!

Golden Eagle Partners was the first investment b...