Shaping Fire

The market for CBD is volatile and complex. As demand for Cannabidiol increases, the lack of a functioning nationwide market for CBD results in a morass of producers, product designers and patients all trying to cobble together some sort of reliable system. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los talks with cannabis economy analyst Seth Crawford, Phd about the rising demand in the splintered CBD market and what the future may hold for investors, pharmaceutical companies and patients.

Breeding cannabis plants takes planning, intuition and loads of patience. While there are many who claim to be breeders nowadays, there are precious few who have done the work to earn the title. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los talks with Mean Gene, the legendary cannabis breeder from Mendocino California. Gene's company, Freeborn Selections has been breeding for the country's most elite growers since 1997. Their conversation spans best practices for breeding, using intuition when choosing plants, chemovar naming conventions and limited edition seed releases.

The cannabis trademark process is confusing because most of what everyone says is based on conjecture and rumor. The fact of the matter is that even though Federal trademarks are not technically obtainable yet, cannabis businesses are positioning themselves and securing related trademarks that will help them in the future. During this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los speaks with cannabis trademark attorney Neil Juneja about the actions that entrepreneurs need to take now to secure their business identity and defend their intellectual property from both scoundrels and the ignorant.

There is a new way to treat traumatic brain injuries that some neuroscientists believe will help patients recover more fully. Microdosing cannabis to support the endocannabinoid system while also microdosing psilocybin, the active molecule in hallucinogenic mushrooms, promises to help in the recovery of brain injury by giving the brain what it needs to heal, rebuild and reorient itself. During this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los welcomes back Dr. Ethan Russo to talk about this revolutionary approach, the scientific support for it, and some suggestions for those considering self-medicating.

There is a wave of resistance to the further use of synthetic nutrients and chemical pesticides when growing cannabis. Cannabis producers are now building living microbe and fungal communities in their soil to produce thriving and healthy cannabis plants with large yields that can protect themselves from pests. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los talks with legendary living soil advocate and author Jeff Lowenfels about some of the ways to nurture your soil to maximize the terpene profile, yield and marketability.of your cannabis plants.

Continuing normalization means a new wave of cannabis consumers are discovering the health and happiness benefits of the plant. These newcomers are getting turned on in such numbers that they are now influencing cannabis laws, product design and social mores. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los talks with Jane West, founder of Jane West and Women Grow about the motivations and expectations of this new segment of consumers, how they will impact the market, and why savvy cannabis companies will consider their desires.

Using carbon dioxide to extract oils from the cannabis plant has become exceptionally popular around the entire world. The technology has come a long way in both its efficiencies and the quality of its output. During today's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los sits down with AC Braddock, CEO of Eden Labs, to discuss CO2 technology's place in the market, how it compares to other extraction options, defending engineering intellectual property and the importance of a well-trained lab extraction team. The episode finishes with a short discussion of the importance of the kindness culture historically present in the cannabis scene and why it is so relevant to cannabis business going forward.

Terpenes are an essential part of the healing and playful aspects of cannabis. As normalization stretches across the country, more products are being developed and more consumers are experimenting with terpenes in an array of applications. On this week’s episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los chats with Ben Cassiday, co-founder of True Terpenes about the origins of terpenes used in cannabis products, their desirable traits and how to enjoy terpenes without cannabis at all.

Everybody knows cannabis they like when it is presented to them, but few have the experience to delineate in detail its many attributes. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los speaks with Max Montrose, founder of The Trichome Institute about judging cannabis quality for oneself, for cannabis cup competitions and the sommelier-like Interpening certification for cannabis.

Until now, any health and beauty aid products that contained THC had to be regulated and sold in a medical or recreational cannabis store. With the passing of the first Cannabis Health And Beauty Aid (CHABA) law in the country, topical products containing THC can now be sold at any retail store in Washington State. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los chats with Ah Warner, founder of Cannabis Basics, about the state's new CHABA law, how it has been implemented since the legislation was passed, and how the model used in Washington should inspire other activists and health and beauty aid pioneers to lobby for similar laws in their own state.

Working in cooperation with nature's delicate systems instead of forcing her to do our bidding makes for thriving cannabis plants. Probiotic growing was muscled out of cannabis for awhile by prohibition, bottled nutrients and a misunderstanding of our relationship to biological systems. Now, living soils, wildcrafted nutrient teas and other probiotic growing techniques are making a huge comeback. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los speaks with Alan Adkisson, co-founder of the Probiotic Farmers Alliance and founder of Gro-Kashi about the return of the probiotic craft, why it is winning cannabis cups and its healing roots in ancient Rome.

Many have heard of the street drug sold at gas stations and party stores under many names like Spice and K2. It is often on local news. They usually call it "fake marijuana." It wasn't until one reporter referred to it as "synthetic cannabinoids" that it caught our attention. On this week's Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los talks with cannabinoid researcher Greg Gerdeman PhD about what the hell synthetic cannabinoids even are and where they came from. Listen to this week's show for the engaging story of how synthetic cannabinoids escaped the laboratory to become popular with schlock journalists and misdirected thrill seekers who can't get their hands on authentic cannabis.

Light Deprivation can fool your cannabis plants into thinking that fall is coming and the time to flower is now. Using this approach can give your greenhouse several growing cycles per year instead of only one outdoor season. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los talks with Eric Brandstad of Forever Flowering Greenhouses about the history of light dep, the strategy behind it and how modern light dep is taking over the commercial cannabis industry.

Cultivars of cannabis testing high in cannabidiol have awakened many people to the healing power of cannabis. These plants are exceptionally valuable and are still so rare that for some patients they are priceless. During today's episode of Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los chats with Kevin Jodrey, founder of Wonderland Nursery in Humboldt County, California, about the discovery of the very first high-CBD strains, where they came from and how they were bred and shared with medical cannabis growers across the country. This is an essential oral history of American cannabis.

Taming THC: Potential Cannabis Synergy and Phytocannabinoid-Terpenoid Entourage Effects is one of the most important research papers in cannabis medicine. For many, it was the first time they had read an explanation of the interaction between THC, CBD, terpenoids and minor cannabinoids explained in terms that a layperson could understand. On today's episode of Shaping Fire, Dr. Ethan Russo sits down with podcast host Shango Los to discuss the paper in detail and further explain and illustrate his research. This is a must-hear show for anyone serious about cannabis medicine. You can read the paper in full here: http://bit.ly/2lrsB3z

Trimming cannabis has been a popular way for cannabis enthusiasts to make some extra money for decades. With increasing normalization of cannabis at the state level, licensed producers and medical patients are looking for reliable and consistent solutions for processing their flowers. On this week's Shaping Fire, podcast host Shango Los speaks with Kristen Baldwin of Colorado's Green Mountain Harvest. They discuss the professional trimming business model, best practices for managing a trim shop and what brand of trimming shears they prefer.

After coming across some exceptional veganically grown cannabis in Southern California, Shaping Fire podcast host Shango Los goes on a search to understand what veganics is and whether it is really preferable to grow cannabis with zero animal inputs. The special guest for this episode, Nebu, is a long time probiotic grower and writer for High Times magazine.