Does irradiated cannabis still contain mold spores?

In this deep-dive episode, Trevor and Kirk explore the science behind cannabis irradiation, fungal contamination, and the hidden risks of mycotoxins. Dr. Saji George and Mamta Rani from McGill University break down how gamma irradiation is used to sterilize cannabis—and why even this industry-standard sterilization may not eliminate all harmful fungal spores or toxins. They reveal that while irradiation significantly reduces fungal contamination, advanced testing still detected viable spores and residual mycotoxins in some cannabis legal products.

For immunocompromised patients, even minimal exposure to spores or toxins can matter. We explore testing gaps, regulatory limits, workplace risks, and new biocontrol solutions to prevent contamination at the source.

Listen now to understand how cannabis irradiation works — and where the cracks in the system may be.

Detection of Mycotoxigenic Fungi and Residual Mycotoxins in Cannabis Buds Following Gamma Irradiation - Paper

Saji George - LinkedIn

Mamta Rani - LinkedIn

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 hundreds of tons of biomass annually.

Discover how Morocco’s ancient Beldia landrace strain—grown for centuries—is now facing threats from modernization, imported genetics, and pharmaceutical regulation. Learn how CBD and limited THC legalization is reshaping cannabis exports, farmer livelihoods, and global supply chains.

From secrecy and stigma to pharmaceutical extraction and international markets, this episode reveals the real human and scientific story behind cannabis legalization in Morocco.

Listen now to understand how one of the world’s oldest cannabis traditions is adapting to the future of medicine.

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 global cannabis regulation.

Jan shares his strategy to build a pharmaceutical cannabis brand now — and pivot into recreational markets later — while navigating European standards, extract distribution, and international licensing.

Listen now to explore the birth of Morocco’s legal cannabis industry and what it means for Europe and beyond.

Jan van Ween - LinkedIn

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

Why doesn’t Morocco’s historic cannabis dominance automatically translate into global pharmaceutical success?

Jan van Weenen's decade and a half in cannabis starts in the Netherlands, tours through Switzerland and lands in Morocco’s legal cannabis experiment. He has spent four years working with farmers, government, and doctors attempting to move the ancient Moroccan cannabis industry toward pharmaceutical grade production. Jan explains the challenges, particularly with naturally occurring heavy metals in the soil accumulating in Moroccan cannabis.

Jan describes the complex supply chain in Morocco including the challenges of aligning farmers, cooperatives, processors, and regulators. The lack of coordination in the supply chain leads to quality control issues and other frictions which shave cash off the bottom line of companies trying to enter the legal market. In this episode Kirk and Trevor continue the discussion of the growing pains for the Moroccan cannabis industry, the gap between government ambition and on-the-ground reality, and the joy of learning the rules of a world’s regulated cannabis market on the fly.

Listen now to this first of three stories from Morocco to understand how science, regulation, and culture collide in global cannabis markets.

Jan van Ween - LinkedIn

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 therapy. In this episode, Kirk and Trevor discuss the real-world application of cannabis medicine found to reduce pain, positively modulates the A1C, and decreases the pharmaceutical costs for people with diabetes. This is a must listen for those who are affected by diabetes.

Dr. Robinson - LinkedIn

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 cannabis insider Dr. Redouane Rabii about Morocco’s push into medical cannabis. From GACP standards and farmer training to cancer pain management and international exports, we explore how medicine, policy, and culture collide in one of the world’s most famous cannabis regions.

Dr. Rabii, a professor, an MD PhD, and a practicing Uro-Andrologist shares frontline clinical experience using cannabis for pain and cancer care—and why Morocco’s medical system should follow Israel to succeed. Dr. Rabii has traveled the world and lends the King his expertise to help farmers, pharmaceutical companies, and laboratories fulfill the King's medical cannabis ambitions.

Listen now to explore the future of medical cannabis in Morocco.

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 cancer, conversations with the legendary Professor Raphael Mechoulam and his extensive plant knowledge from his less than legal days. Now his extracts help people with Tourette's Syndrome, Parkinson’s, epilepsy and many other conditions.

Peter explains why cannabinoid acids matter, how legality shapes innovation, and why inconsistency with Spanish regulations is driving him to relocate to Suriname to build his dream cannabis-based medical clinic.

Listen now to discover why the real power of cannabis may lie in what extraction usually destroys.

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 proprietary strains are used throughout the world as medicine by more than just family. In this episode we start to tell the story of how this marijuana gardener becomes a cannabis chemist and how he learned to put the essence of a plant into the bottle.

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 consumer education can seem to be in conflict. Everyone, except governments, hat taxes, but Daniel believes smarter tax policies could stabilize the market without compromising safety. 

Daniel also unveils an exciting new 'project: HERBy, the Helpful Education for Responsible Benefit-maximization tool. AI can be your therapist, or your research assistant, so why not a mindful cannabis consumption chatbot. This tool is built on groundbreaking research from his recent peer-reviewed study, "Harm reduction isn't enough: Introducing the concept of Mindful Consumption and Benefit Maximization (MCBM)," published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. 

Listen now to learn whether Canada is still on the right path—and what industry, government, and consumers must do next to ensure legalization succeeds for everyone.

HERBy Chatbot - website

Daniel Bear PhD - LinkedIn

-responsum.ca

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 products, and how balanced cannabinoids may offer safer, more enjoyable experiences. The conversation also dives into Canada’s legal cannabis market—from retail oversaturation to the tension between public health and commercialization—plus what other countries are doing differently.

Listen now to learn how mindful cannabis consumption could reshape education, policy, and personal use.

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca

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 effects; he warns this is very dangerous. Trevor argues full legalization of Cannabis would eliminate the need for these dangerous synthetic products, while Kirk expresses concern about the commercialization of cannabis and the potential for profit-driven motives to undermine the industry. Kirk also shares a personal anecdote about growing cannabis in his backyard, highlighting the differences in regulations between recreational and medical cannabis.

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca