What were you doing during the start of the pandemic lock down?  Did you build a puzzle for the first time in year?  Did you get reacquainted with how stupid and long and frustrating monopoly is?  How about sour dough bread?  Did you make your first sour dough?  Dr. Igor Kovalchuk and his wife, Dr. Olga Kovalchuk from the University of Lethbridge were locked out of their labs too.  Their lock down side project was a little more ambitious.  They had been researching hundreds of cannabis extracts to see if these extracts reduced inflammation and might help treat conditions like multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis.  During this forced pause in their research, they wondered in CBD rich cannabis extracts might be useful against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.  You want to hear what they found out.

The fact marijuana heightens the musical experience is no secret. We know both listeners and players have enhanced their musical experiences through the use of this plant for over 100 years. This episode links cannabis to music through the stories told by acclaimed musicologist John Einarson. We follow a path of early jazz players influencing Canadian singer-song-writer Ian Tyson, who in turn influenced Bob Dylan, who in turn influenced The Beatles, to produce their iconic cannabis inspired album Rubber Soul. Einarson, author of 14 biographies of various musicians, tells stories with weed-inspired songs weaving through his deep narrative, as we learn how musicians created some of our most iconic songs under the influence of cannabis. Some very important pot smoking entertainers are discussed, such as Barbara Streisand sharing reefer with Peter Sellers and Neil Young testifying for his brother during a marijuana trial. Although cannabis is a very popular mind-altering substance used by musicians, Einarson believes it may actually pale compared to other psychedelic substances used in the industry. But that is another story for another episode. For now, this is a highly-entertaining episode produced, unlike any other from the ReeferMEDness team.

Rather than measure the wing span of mosquitoes, Dr. Lynda Balneaves RN became a nurse. Her story begins with recognizing a love for people and for travel. Her academic journey, of supporting people and health care providers with engaging in shared decision-making related to complementary and integrative health care, includes some of Canada’s earliest cannabis research. The scholastic chronicles, of this Doctor Nurse, speaks to how we can never truly plan our life path, but we do have the power to be properly prepared for opportunity. This episode will guide care givers in their practice responsibilities with cannabis, while increasing the expectations of those who receive care through it.

“David Crosby, I read your chart man” is how Kirk starts his long-awaited chat with one of pop-culture’s most notorious Cannabis influencers. In 50-years, David Crosby has had a very public relationship with cannabis, addictions, incarceration, and relationships, which he willingly discusses. With thoughtful understanding that these past behaviours are well reported elsewhere, Kirk digs into current events asking his guest to speak to his new relationship with legal and medicinal cannabis. They discuss his involvement with NORML, his “Mighty Croz” branding, focusing mostly on his medical uses of cannabis; they even exchange their wives’ cookie recipe and how cannabis has become a very calculated element of David Crosby’s day-to-day creative life-style.

Kirk goes for a snowmobile ride and ends up in Gilbert Plains.  He drops in on Hemp Sense and Lyall Bates graciously gives him an interview.  Learn how Hemp Sense technology is on the cutting edge of getting CBD's out of industrial hemp.  And this isn't from a well controlled green house.  This is industrial hemp from an open field.  And it is harder than you'd think.  If you don't immediately get the hemp buds off the field and start drying and curing them in a couple hours, all the CBD is destroyed by composting.  Hemp Derived CBD is all the rage.  Come listen to an expert on how to get it off the field.