The Canadian Potcast
Pattison Media
The Canadian Potcast is the preeminent source for information about and for the cannabis industry. Every episode will analyze the business of cannabis with interviews and news from inside the industry. This show is the tool you'll need to educate yourself about cannabis, cannabis regulations and culture.
Tune in every month for new shows or visit our audio library on The Western Buzz where you can find even more information about everything cannabis related in western Canada.
The Canadian Potcast is produced by Everything Podcasts, a division of Pattison Media.
S2E6: Meet our new host: Ross Rebagliati
The Canadian Potcast has a new host. In 1998 Ross Rebagliati became the first Olympic snowboarding gold medalist, but it was what happened next that made his name synonymous with cannabis: his medal was revoked for a positive drug test, then reinstated on appeal when it turned out that cannabis wasn’t actually banned. In the 25 years since then he has reinvented himself as a campaigner, entrepreneur and advocate… so we’re really excited to welcome him to the Canadian Potcast as our new host. Don
S2Preview: Meet our new host: Ross Rebagliati
The Canadian Potcast has a new host. In 1998 Ross Rebagliati became the first Olympic snowboarding gold medalist, but it was what happened next that made his name synonymous with cannabis: his medal was revoked for a positive drug test, then reinstated on appeal when it turned out that cannabis wasn’t actually banned. In the 25 years since then he has reinvented himself as a campaigner, entrepreneur and advocate… so we’re really excited to welcome him to the Canadian Potcast as our new host. Don
S2E5: Beneath the Buzz
In this episode of Potcast titled, "Beneath the Buzz" we explore our health and the planet. First, we’re talking to the doctor who has been working with cannabis for sixteen years about how the body works with cannabis, and why it does what it does in our brains. Dr. Bonni Goldstein says that even doctors don’t often know about the body’s endocannabinoid system and that makes it hard to find or administer treatments. Then we’re going to delve into pot’s problem with plastic: from Ziploc baggies
S1Preview of: Beneath the Buzz: The Biology of Cannabis and Its Healing Powers
In this episode of Potcast titled, "Beneath the Buzz" we explore our health and the planet. First, we’re talking to the doctor who has been working with cannabis for sixteen years about how the body works with cannabis, and why it does what it does in our brains. Dr. Bonni Goldstein says that even doctors don’t often know about the body’s endocannabinoid system and that makes it hard to find or administer treatments. Then we’re going to delve into pot’s problem with plastic: from Ziploc baggies
High Desire: Exploring Cannabis in Intimacy
Some people study cannabis, and some people study sex. There are not many people who study both, but we’ve found one of the few: Amanda Moser is a sexologist who studies cannabis and intimacy and she is on the show to run us through the science of sex with cannabis and how to incorporate the plant into the bedroom. Plus we have cannabis content creator and influencer Wu Russell on the show to talk about how she has journeyed into using cannabis in her own sex life as a self-described “canna-mom”
S2Preview: High Desire: Exploring Cannabis in Intimacy
Some people study cannabis, and some people study sex. There are not many people who study both, but we’ve found one of the few: Amanda Moser is a sexologist who studies cannabis and intimacy and she is on the show to run us through the science of sex with cannabis and how to incorporate the plant into the bedroom. Plus we have cannabis content creator and influencer Wu Russell on the show to talk about how she has journeyed into using cannabis in her own sex life as a self-described “canna-mom”
S2E3: Green Light in the Grey Zone: Navigating Cannabis Marketing Without the Smoke
In this episode of The Canadian Potcast, Green Light in the Grey Zone: Navigating Cannabis Marketing Without the Smoke, delves into the unique challenges cannabis producers face in navigating the stringent marketing regulations set by the Cannabis Act, which severely limits advertising and mandates plain packaging. We explore producers' innovative strategies to inform consumers about their products. Featuring Kaya Arai, a renowned cannabis marketing specialist from Nine Points Agency and a canna
S2Preview of Green Light in the Grey Zone: Navigating Cannabis Marketing Without the Smoke
In the next episode of The Canadian Potcast: Green Light in the Grey Zone: Navigating Cannabis Marketing Without the Smoke, delves into the unique challenges cannabis producers face in navigating the stringent marketing regulations set by the Cannabis Act, which severely limits advertising and mandates plain packaging. We explore producers' innovative strategies to inform consumers about their products. Featuring Kaya Arai, a renowned cannabis marketing specialist from Nine Points Agency and a c
S2E2: Edible Alchemy: A Savvy Guide to Cannabis Cuisine
Hundreds of products are available in the legal market, so we’ve brought in two chefs to help us be more savvy about what we eat. Alexandre Poulin has travelled the world cooking with cannabis, and now he’s launched a range of edibles where every ingredient has a specific purpose, not just cannabis. Then we have Chef Romain Avril, a molecular chef who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants. He’s appeared on Food Network, CBC, and he creates custom cannabis infused menus in clients’ homes thr
S2E2: Preview: Edible Alchemy: A Savvy Guide to Cannabis Cuisine
Edibles aren’t your homemade brownies with way too much THC anymore. In our next episode of The Canadian Potcast: Edible Alchemy: A Savvy Guide to Cannabis Cuisine, hundreds of products are available in the legal market, so we’ve brought in two chefs to help us be more savvy about what we eat. Alexandre Poulin has travelled the world cooking with cannabis, and now he’s launched a range of edibles where every ingredient has a specific purpose, not just cannabis. Then we have Chef Romain Avril, a
S2E1: A life up in smoke, with Tommy Chong
Not many names are as closely associated with cannabis as Tommy Chong. He’s a legendary comedian, musician and actor who has shaped the way we view the plant and its place in culture for over half a century. Tommy joins the show for this special episode dedicated to him and his life. We learn how his time growing up as a racialized kid in 1940s Alberta set the stage for his career. Tommy talks about being signed to Motown Records and sharing a prison cell with the real Wolf of Wall Street. We’re
S2E1: Preview: A life up in smoke, with Tommy Chong
On the first episode of season 2, not many names are as closely associated with cannabis as Tommy Chong. He’s a legendary comedian, musician and actor who has shaped the way we view the plant and its place in culture for over half a century. Tommy joins the show for this special episode dedicated to him and his life. We learn how his time growing up as a racialized kid in 1940s Alberta set the stage for his career. Tommy talks about being signed to Motown Records and sharing a prison cell with t
S1E12: Bongs and Bylines
On this episode of Canadian Potcast: Bongs and Bylines. Rachelle Gordon is one of the world’s leading cannabis journalists. She’s the editor of GreenState and she’s travelled the globe covering cannabis. She joins us to talk about her life in cannabis media and the changing landscape of weed journalism. Plus – we’ve made it to 12 episodes! Let’s celebrate by revisiting our favourite stories from a year of The Canadian Potcast. Guest: Rachelle Gordon, cannabis and psychedelics writer and editor o
S1Preview: Bongs and Bylines
On the next Canadian Potcast: Bongs and Bylines. Rachelle Gordon is one of the world’s leading cannabis journalists. She’s the editor of GreenState and she’s travelled the globe covering cannabis. She joins us to talk about her life in cannabis media and the changing landscape of weed journalism. Plus – we’ve made it to 12 episodes! Let’s celebrate by revisiting our favourite stories from a year of The Canadian Potcast. Guest: Rachelle Gordon, cannabis and psychedelics writer and editor of Green
S1E11: Ross Rebagliati’s Olympic Gold pot saga
Ross Rebagliati won the first-ever Olympic Gold Medal for snowboarding, then swiftly lost it when he tested positive for cannabis. The medal was reinstated on appeal, but he’d already become a sort of stoner anti-hero. That infamy led to the end of his snowboarding career. Ross joins us to help tell the story of that whole saga, and everything that came after it. Plus we speak to a medicinal cannabis user and paralympian Tyler Mosher about using cannabis as an athlete. About the show Potcast is
S1Preview: Ross Rebagliati’s Olympic Gold pot saga
On the next episode of The Canadian Potcast, Ross Rebagliati won the first-ever Olympic Gold Medal for snowboarding, then swiftly lost it when he tested positive for cannabis. The medal was reinstated on appeal, but he’d already become a sort of stoner anti-hero. That infamy led to the end of his snowboarding career. Ross joins us to help tell the story of that whole saga, and everything that came after it. Plus we speak to a medicinal cannabis user and paralympian Tyler Mosher about using canna
S1E10: How five kids and a Chevy Impala invented 420
On this episode, of The Canadian Potcast you'll discover how five kids and a Chevy Impala invented 420. You'll meet Thomas O’Neill, “The Butter Baron”. A former black market dealer in Toronto who went legit around legalization… or tried to. His business was immediately shut down for violating cannabis regulations at the time. Now he’s founded the CCTA, The Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance, a non-profit that advocates for better policy to allow for cannabis tourism businesses to flourish. Plus
S4Preview: How five kids and a Chevy Impala invented 420
On our next episode of the Canadian Potcast you'll discover how five kids and a Chevy Impala invented 420. You'll meet Thomas O’Neill, “The Butter Baron”. A former black market dealer in Toronto who went legit around legalization… or tried to. His business was immediately shut down for violating cannabis regulations at the time. Now he’s founded the CCTA, The Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance, a non-profit that advocates for better policy to allow for cannabis tourism businesses to flourish. Pl
S1E9: Raided Part 2: The first recreational cannabis store
Da Kine Smoke and Beverage was the first recreational cannabis storefront in North America, and it created a media storm when it opened in 2004. The pot shop became internationally famous, with tourists traveling from around the world to visit during its short tenure on Vancouver’s commercial drive. Don Briere, who ran the store, tells the second part of this story. We also speak to Jaclynn Pehota about diverse representation in the cannabis industry, and ask who gets to sit at the table when po
S1Preview: Raided Part 2
Da Kine Smoke and Beverage was the first recreational cannabis storefront in North America, and it created a media storm when it opened in 2004. The pot shop became internationally famous, with tourists traveling from around the world to visit during its short tenure on Vancouver’s commercial drive. Don Briere, who ran the store, tells the second part of this story. We also speak to Jaclynn Pehota about diverse representation in the cannabis industry, and ask who gets to sit at the table when po
S1E8: Raided Part 1: The story of one of Canada's biggest cannabis producers
Legalizing cannabis didn’t create the cannabis industry. Don Briere was one of BC’s biggest cannabis producers until the police shut him down in 1999 before he went on to open the first recreational cannabis storefront in North America: Da Kine Smoke and Beverage. In the first part of this two-part series, we tell the story of his life as an illegal grower. Plus we talk to Ted Smith, founder of a Victoria medicinal cannabis club, about how he got medical edibles legalized in Canada. About the sh
S1Preview: Raided; the story of one of Canada's biggest cannabis producers
On the next episode of The Canadian Potcast: Legalizing cannabis didn’t create the cannabis industry. Don Briere was one of BC’s biggest cannabis producers until the police shut him down in 1999 before he went on to open the first recreational cannabis storefront in North America: Da Kine Smoke and Beverage. In the first part of this two-part series, we tell the story of his life as an illegal grower. Plus we talk to Ted Smith, founder of a Victoria medicinal cannabis club, about how he got medi
S1E7: Taking the High Road
Cannabis tourism is more than just coffee shops in Amsterdam. It’s an emerging world of experiences, retreats, adventures, and pot-friendly accommodations… but how to find them? We talk to Elizabeth Becker of HiBnB about how she’s helping cannabis consumers navigate this new world. Then we go to Thailand, where cannabis has gone from a 5-year prison sentence to a big tourist draw in under a year. Interview: Elizabeth Becker, CEO and founder of HiBnB About the show Potcast is the preeminent sourc
S1Preview: Taking the High Road
A preview of Taking the High Road. Cannabis tourism is more than just coffee shops in Amsterdam. It’s an emerging world of experiences, retreats, adventures, and pot-friendly accommodations… but how to find them? We talk to Elizabeth Becker of HiBnB about how she’s helping cannabis consumers navigate this new world. Then we go to Thailand, where cannabis has gone from a 5-year prison sentence to a big tourist draw in under a year. Interview: Elizabeth Becker, CEO and founder of HiBnB About the s
S1E6: Under the influencer: Cannabis marketing on social
Cannabis may be legal in Canada, but in the US it’s patchy, and even here the regulations around marketing can be a little murky. So how do you market a product online, where your marketing could be seen in a state where weed isn’t legal? We talk to one cannabis marketer about how to navigate that world, and then we tell the story of Magu, the chinese hemp goddess, and of one woman’s quest to revive the goddess and rediscover her culture through cannabis/ Guests: Interview: Brittany Parker, fou
S1Preview: Under the influencer: Cannabis marketing on social
Cannabis may be legal in Canada, but in the US it’s patchy, and even here the regulations around marketing can be a little murky. So how do you market a product online, where your marketing could be seen in a state where weed isn’t legal? We talk to one cannabis marketer about how to navigate that world, and then we tell the story of Magu, the chinese hemp goddess, and of one woman’s quest to revive the goddess and rediscover her culture through cannabis/ Guests: Interview: Brittany Parker, f
S1E5: The Racist Origins of America’s Cannabis Ban
In the USA cannabis is classified as medically useless, and as dangerous as heroin since 1971, on the federal level at least. Cannabis was first banned in the U.S. in 1937. In this episode of Potcast, we tell the story of Harry J Anslinger, the man whose political ambition and racism led to that ban. Also, while cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, businesses that operate in legal states have to jump through all kinds of hoops to do their banking. We talk to a cannabis banker about how
S1Preview of episode 5, The Racist Origins of America’s Cannabis Ban
In the USA cannabis is classified as medically useless, and as dangerous as heroin since 1971, on the federal level at least. Cannabis was first banned in the U.S. in 1937. In this episode of Potcast, we tell the story of Harry J Anslinger, the man whose political ambition and racism led to that ban. Also, while cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, businesses that operate in legal states have to jump through all kinds of hoops to do their banking. We talk to a cannabis banker about how
S1E4: The Emperor’s clothes are made from cannabis
Cannabis used to be the second most-grown plant in Japan, after rice. Today most Japanese people don’t know that the plant is a key part of Shinto rituals. We tell the secret history of how the USA led Japan to have some of the strictest weed laws on earth, with the help of Japanese activist Naoko Miki. Plus, if cannabis is illegal but sacred in Japan. in Canada, it’s legal and big business. Our producer Karen Habashi goes to the Vancouver Lift Expo to explore the bleeding edge of the pot market
S1Preview: The Emperor’s clothes are made from cannabis
In our next episode: Cannabis used to be the second most-grown plant in Japan, after rice. Today most Japanese people don’t know that the plant is a key part of Shinto rituals. We tell the secret history of how the USA led Japan to have some of the strictest weed laws on earth, with the help of Japanese activist Naoko Miki. Plus, if cannabis is illegal but sacred in Japan… in Canada, it’s legal and big business. Our producer Karen Habashi goes to the Vancouver Lift Expo to explore the bleeding e
S1E2: The Hashashin : The Clash between Truth and Fiction
“The word assassin comes from hashish” is a myth that you may well have heard. It’s been in popular culture for literal centuries. So what truth is there in this myth? We explore the legends of Hassan-i-Sabbah and figure out what this myth tells us about the people who perpetuated it to begin with. Also: Samuel Gerges, Founder of Mary Jane’s Cannabis, one of Toronto’s most successful cannabis entrepreneurs talks to us about the state of the Ontario cannabis market and what he’d like to see from
S1E1: Marijuana - a new menace: Prohibition and legalization in Canada
When cannabis was made illegal in Canada most Canadians had barely heard of it, let alone tried it. The legislation was made off the back of a wave of anti-Asian racism… So how did a race riot in Vancouver lead to the prohibition of cannabis? That story, plus activist and dispensary owner Dana Larsen on the state of legalization. Dana shares his views on how Canada could do better. About the show Potcast is the preeminent source for information about and for the cannabis industry. Every episode
S1Preview of The Canadian Potcast
The Canadian Potcast is the preeminent source for information about and for the cannabis industry. Every episode will analyze the business of cannabis with interviews and news from inside the industry. This show is the tool you'll need to educate yourself about cannabis and cannabis regulations. Tune in every month for new shows or visit our audio library on The Western Buzz where you can find even more information about everything cannabis related in western Canada. The Canadian Potcast is pro
S1E3: The court case that led to legal cannabis
In 2000, the Ontario Court of Appeal struck down all cannabis laws in Canada because of one man and his lawyer. Terry Parker has serious epilepsy and the only thing he claimed would stop his life-threatening seizures was cannabis. In this episode of The Canadian Potcast, we speak to his lawyer, Aaron Harnett, about how he took the case through the courts and proved that outright cannabis prohibition violated Terry’s Charter rights. Plus, we speak to Dr. Stephanie Lunn, director of medical affair