Our spring 2022 season drops Friday April 15th with weekly episodes! Subscribe so you don’t miss any of our incredible guests, including; legendary cannabis grower Greg 'Chemdog' Krzanowski, author and editor-in-chief of High Times Ellen Holland, founders of Seaweed Naturals Phillipe and Ashlan Cousteau, host of The Broccoli Report Lauren Yoshiko, grandson of General George Patton and Chairman of Green Meadows Farm Bob Patton, the Morehouse entrepreneurs behind Atlanta’s new hemp and Delta-8 delivery app CannaGo, plus amazing conversations with the Desi Cannabis Collective, Happy Cabbage Farms, Boundless Robotics, and many more. 

Find the full list of this season's guests at DifferentLeaf.com and inside the spring 2022 issue of Different Leaf the magazine, on shelves now at select bookstores and dispensaries nationwide. Buy any and all issues or find your nearest retailer at DifferentLeaf.com, and follow us on social media @differentleaf and @different_leaf

Spring Season '22 Trailer

This episode, host Brit Smith talks to Ellen Holland, author and Editor-in-Chief of High Times magazine, about her new book 'Weed; A Connoisseur's Guide To Cannabis.' Ellen's latest book is a must-have for those interested in the history and culture of marijuana, and for appreciators of great cannabis photography. 

Brit and Ellen talk about her research for the book, which covers everything from cannabis lineages and aromas, to indoor and outdoor growing, to how pot pairs with different foods. Ellen also discusses her experience working with California marijuana legalization leaders like Dennis Peron and Ed Rosenthal, and where she sees the conversation around cannabis going in the future.

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @Different_Leaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish. Buy any issue of Different Leaf the magazine at DifferentLeaf.com and at select bookstores and dispensaries across the U.S. and Canada. Find your nearest in-person location that sells our quarterly magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

Spr22 E3: Ellen Holland

Welcome to spring 2023, and our 100th episode! We're excited to welcome our first guest host, former Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commissioner and social equity champion, and the CEO of the Parabola Law &amp; Policy Center, Shaleen Title.

This episode, Shaleen finds out what small cannabis companies can learn from her dream guest, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben &amp; Jerry's Ice Cream and founder of the new cannabis non-profit Ben's Best Blnz.

Ben &amp; Jerry’s Ice Cream has long been famous for supporting causes its founders care about, including cannabis legalization that specifically focuses on equity and justice for communities of color. Last year, Ben continued that mission by starting the Vemont-based nonprofit Ben’s Best Blnz, which specializes in growing cannabis with moderate levels of THC, and gives all profits to the state’s Black cannabis community and groups advocating for criminal justice reform.

Shaleen and Ben discuss how Ben &amp; Jerry's Ice Cream Company started, and how it stayed value-driven and community-focused despite going international. Ben opens up about his and Jerry's experience fighting off the wealthy Pilsbury Doughboy back in the 1980's, and he talks about what small cannabis companies today can learn from their success going up against big wealthy corporations.

Ben and Shaleen also discuss how, as massive cannabis companies start to act like they're locally owned, small cannabis companies can stay in business and remain focused on quality and community. They also talk about karma in business, building customer loyalty through aligned values, and their shared vision for the future of the cannabis industry.

Get you sping 2023 issue of Different Leaf the magazine at DifferentLeaf.com and flip to page 36 to read more on Ben and Shaleen’s conversation, and to enjoy a rare early-day photo of Ben and Jerry from back in the 70s!

Find out more about our guests; Shaleen Title at parabolacenter.com and Ben Cohen at bensbest.com

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Got to DifferentLeaf.com to get your copy of our latest magazine issue.

Sp23 E1: From Ice Cream to Cannabis with Shaleen Title + Ben Cohen

Each summer, indulgent new cannabis, and dining-centric travel experience pop up all over the world. So what's a good place to start if you love to travel, appreciate really good food, and want cannabis to be at the center of your vacation experience? 

In this episode, host Brit Smith delves into the so-called 'Bougiest 4/20 Experience in the US' with Different Leaf magazine's food and cannabis writer Chala June. Chala discusses their latest article for Different Leaf; "Bud and Breakfast," all about the experience of attending Cannescape's overnight dining event in California's Napa Valley, led by Chopped 420 champion Chef Solomon Johnson.

Chala talks about what it was like to be a part of Chef Johnson’s fine-infused dinner and breakfast, staying overnight at Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort and Mineral Spring in the heart of wine country, connecting with other like-minded stoners, and taking in the views, the pool, and the spa, all while the cannabis set in.

They also cover how Chef Solomon involves cannabis when creating and plating foods, how the energy of a dining experience changes when it includes an overnight stay, and what Chala sees as the future for high-end infused dining and travel experiences.

Get your summer 2023 Travel + Cannabis issue of Different Leaf magazine at differentleaf.com or find your nearest in-person retailer at differentleaf.com/on-the-newsstand -- and read up on Chala's experience with Cannescape and Chef Solomon Johnson on page 46.

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

Check out our new merch line at xdifferentleaf.com

Bougie Bud + Breakfast with Writer Chala June

Indigenous American tribes have used cannabis and hemp for rope, fabric, medicine, and spiritual use since the mid-1500s. But by the 1800s, they were forcibly separated from the plant by the US federal government, which illegally raided reservation grows, burned crops, and imprisoned growers.

It wasn't until 2013 when Washington and Colorado legalized medical marijuana that Native American leaders reopened the discussion on tribal sovereignty regarding cannabis legalization. Soon, hundreds of tribal nations voted to allow the resurgence of hemp and cannabis on their reservations. But even a decade later, indigenous people in cannabis still face issues like illegal federal raids, state pushback, and a lack of access to capital. 

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to leading Native American cannabis advocate Mary Jane Oatman, founder of the National Indigenous Cannabis Coalition and Tribal Hemp and Cannabis (THC) magazine. Mary Jane discusses her family's history with the plant, her community's experience working towards tribal sovereignty, and what she's doing to ensure the soon-to-be nationwide cannabis industry isn’t totally colonized as well.

Then, Brit talks to Different Leaf writer Santiago Rodiguez-Tarditi about his latest article on the importance of Mary Jane's work for indigenous communities worldwide.

You can read Santiago's profile on Mary Jane Oatman and her work in the new summer issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or find your nearest in-person retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

Indigenous Cannabis Rights with Mary Jane Oatman + Santiago Rodriguez-Tarditi

Before states started legalizing weed shops, most of the legacy growers, transporters, and dealers who got arrested for running the underground cannabis economy were Black and brown entrepreneurial-minded men trying to make a better life for themselves. In states that have adopted cannabis social equity laws, people formerly incarcerated for selling weed before it was cool are now able to get assistance to enter the legal market first.

So what’s life like now for legacy dealers who can bring legal cannabis shops to their neighborhoods? And what did they have to build and go through to get us cannabis before there was a legal market?

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Coss Marte, a formerly incarcerated New York City drug kingpin who is now the CEO of CONBUD; NYC’s first cannabis dispensaries that will soon be staffed entirely by formerly incarcerated individuals.

Coss discusses his upbringing in NYC’s lower east side, and how he ran a multi-million dollar drug delivery network that led to his 7-year-stint in New York’s notorious Rikers Island Prison where he continued dealing and endured solitary confinement.

Coss talks about why he set up CONBODY; a fitness regime that got New Yorkers into shape like they do in prison, what he's done to get back into the cannabis industry now it's legal in his city, and which legacy strains he's bringing back to his neighborhood with his two CONBUD cannabis stores, which are set to open at the end of the summer in the Bronx and the Lower East Side.

Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

Drug Kingpin to Dispensary CEO with Coss Marte

Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; and Portland, OR: Three tourist hotspots known for their cannabis culture. With so many themed dispensaries, cool experiences, and amazing food in each state, where should canna-curious travelers start when picking what to smoke, see and do in these big cities?

This episode, host Brit Smith talks to Different Leaf magazine's cannabis travel writers about the coolest pot shops, lounges, sights, and the truly hidden gems in The Bay, The Windy City, and Portlandia.

First, writer Hannah Vyosky tells us about Chicago's must-see dispensaries, like Ivy Hall with its Great-Gatsby vibe. She covers where visitors can consume weed without getting in trouble, and offers up some lesser-known stoner experiences like picnics with the Dorothy and Toto statues in Oz Park, indulging your munchies at the global McDonald’s, and exploring the city's famed Roman bathhouses.

Then, writer Meena Thiruvengadum takes us on a tour of the essential stoner spots in the thriving hippie city of Portland, Oregon. She discusses the most worthwhile dispensaries like the Electric Lettuce, what to expect on the Portlandia bus tour, how to find the best beaches and hikes around the city, and where to get amazing wake-and-bake food like Gravy's french toast the size of your head.

Finally, writer Carly Fisher delves into the best stops on the dispensary crawl through San Francisco's Castro District, where the legalization movement first began. She names some favorite consumption lounges, like the Barbary Coast draped in plush dark reds in a nod to the old Victorian-era of San Fran. And she highlights the Bay's best outdoor experiences like the Oakland Cannabis Trail to the east and the Redwood forests to the north.

Read our city guide by Hannah, Meena and Carly starting on page 36 in the summer 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or at thousands of in-person retailers. Find your local seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

A Stoner City Guide to Chicago, Portland + San Francisco

Cannabis, comic books, and loud music are all a means of escape. Plus, certain strains really amplify how we experience art, stories, and songs. So it's no surprise that if you’re into comics, fantasy novels, or rock music, research suggests you’re also probably into smoking pot. 

Of course, getting lost in comics and jumping in a mosh pit each require a different kind of buzz. To help their fans have the ideal experience no matter what they're doing, the iconic fantasy/sci-fi brand Heavy Metal has started pairing its adult comics, graphic novels, and collectable cards with experience-focused cannabis strains, grown by Berkshire Roots in western Massachusetts. 

This episode, host Brit Smith sits down with Tommy Coriale, President and Head of Studio at Heavy Metal, to chat about the history of Heavy Metal magazine and its super-stoner 80s movie, how they figured out that so many HM fans also love pot, and how cannabis enhances our connection with mind-bending, experimental art like we see in their books.

They also discuss smoking to enjoy live concerts, how pairing movies and marijuana can help us get lost in a story, and Tommy explains what kinds of futuristic stoner-experiences Heavy Metal has in store with Augmented Reality for fans who smoke their top-notch weed.

Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BrittheBritish

Comics + Cannabis with Tommy Coriale of Heavy Metal

TW: Suicide -- For Veterans in crisis, call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1

The staff at Veterans Affairs Hospital do the hard work of treating our war veterans. But staff shortages and long wait times mean many vets still don’t get the care they need for the physical and mental issues associated with military life.

As medical marijuana laws expand, more veterans are seeing MMJ doctors patch the gap in their healthcare needs. A growing number of vets report finding cannabis helps with PTSD, pain, anxiety, depression, and other service-related ailments. But cannabis is still federally illegal, and we're a long way off seeing it prescribed by VA doctors. 

In this episode, host (and veteran spouse) Brit Smith welcomes former Army Staff Sergeant Philip Lafountaine, the head of Retail and Security at 6Bricks dispensary in Springfield, Mass., to talk about how cannabis can help military veterans.

SSG Lafountaine is a husband and father of three. Just a few years ago, he was a Team Sergeant in the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Special Operations: Airborne), with the 1st Special Forces Command in Fort Bragg, N.C. But none of that seemed to shake him. It wasn't until he was leaving the military that he started dealing with severe panic attacks, crippling anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Like millions of other veterans, Philip found cannabis was the only thing that helped him adjust to civilian life.

Brit and Philip discuss his military experience, his transition into life after the Army, the medicines and therapies that did and didn't work for him at the VA, and how he found cannabis to be the perfect medicine and community to help him survive suicidal thoughts and deep depression. Now, as part of the leadership team at 6Bricks dispensary in Springfield, he helps to individually guide fellow veterans and other adult cannabis consumers so they can also find the perfect cannabis products to help better their own lives.

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BrittheBritish


Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com


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Pot for PTSD with Army Special Ops Veteran Philip Lafountaine

In honor of National Women's Equality Day on August 26th, we're exploring what it takes to make it as one of the very few female CEOs in the legal cannabis and CBD industry.

Across all US industries, women hold around 30 percent of CEO and C-suite positions. But in the cannabis industry, women only hold 22 percent of C-suite roles and just 8 percent of CEO titles. So how can more women successfully lead in a young, semi-legal industry like cannabis and CBD?

This episode, host Brit Smith sits down with the so-called 'Dolly Part of hemp,' Franny Tacy, the founder and CEO of Franny’s Farmacy, to find out what it takes to be part of the 8 percent.

After studying forestry and working in pharmaceuticals, Franny left what she calls the 'unhealthcare industry' and moved into agricultural education and activism, eventually becoming the first female farmer to plant hemp in North Carolina in 75 years. She's since grown from farming her own hemp and running a single CBD store in Asheville, N.C. to developing a high-end hemp product line and seeing Franny's Farmacy franchises in six states. She's continued to innovate with products like her hemp honey and pasta. And she's built meaningful partnerships with everyone from local farmers to celebrities, including fashion designer Christian Siriano, who's about to start selling Franny’s products in his own stores.

Get your summer issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com and find your nearest in-person retailer at Differentleaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Find us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

How To Be a Female Canna-CEO with Franny Tacy

This week, hear the inspiring story of how cannabis played a role in the life of the ultimate survivor, Ethan Zohn.

Ethan grew up in Massachusetts and played pro-soccer in Hawaii, Cape Cod and Zimbabwe. In 2003, he won the third season of the reality TV show "Survivor." Ethan took his million-dollar prize and launched a nonprofit to raise money and awareness in the fight against the AIDS epidemic in Africa. He started appearing on a long list of reality competition TV shows, he was hosting a NatGeo travel show, and commentating on soccer on ESPN. Ethan was thriving. Then, in early 2009 at age 35, he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.

With the help of underground dealers, Ethan used cannabis to help him deal with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. After twice beating cancer, he turned to CBD to help with his mental health and anxiety while in remission. Now a lifelong athlete and cannabis advocate, Ethan uses the plant to prepare, perform and recover from marathons, he's rounding up fellow cancer patients and survivors for a University-backed cannabis study, and he's helping medical marijuana patients find better guidance from doctors online.

Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

Find us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

The Ultimate Survivor's Story with Ethan Zohn

Yoga and cannabis have a lot in common. Both originated in India thousands of years ago, and both help us focus on our spiritual, philosophical, and physical selves. Whether you're a newbie or a longtime yogi, mixing meditation, stretching and marijuana is not for the faint of heart. Especially since both the cannabis plant and popular yoga practices have developed in intensity over the past few thousand years.

So how can we safely take part in the historic spiritual practice of stoned yoga without passing out or getting too high? And how can cannabis and yoga enhance our connection with ourselves and the world around us?

This episode, host Brit Smith chats with Lynsey Tamposi, founder of Maine Ganja Yoga and owner of the Nomad Retreat Center in South Paris, Maine. Lynsey and Brit discuss their histories with cannabis as a tool against substance use disorder, and how yoga alongside cannabis helps with their continued mental and physical health in recovery. Then Lynsey tells us about the history of ganja and yoga, the best postures for beginner yoga-stoners, and the kinds of events she holds at the Nomad Retreat Center.

Get your Travel &amp; Cannabis issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

Check out our merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

Maine's Ganja Yoga Retreat with Lynsey Tamposi

Since the pandemic, more than 70,000 restaurants, diners, and cafes in the US have closed. And many places that did manage to reopen didn’t make it long. Another thing that happened during the COVID lockdown; CBD and THC skyrocketed in popularity. Now, cannabis appears to be giving a new lease on life to some formerly-shuttered eateries.

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Chef Andrew LeSturgeon and Will Fleming of Milkweed Cannabis Confections in Burlington, VT about how their infused confectionary line is revitalizing their culinary brand post-pandemic.

As Chef Andrew explains, their famed fine diner 'Monarch and the Milkweed' closed its doors in 2020, but they were able to keep their line of CBD confectionary 'Milkweed Cannabis Confections' going. Eventually, after months of closure, Andrew and Will saw a silver lining and decided to rethink their mission with their popular cannabis candies at the forefront. Now, they're making their post-pandemic comeback by focusing solely on their CBD and THC line of treats.

Andrew and Will discuss the experience of closing their restaurant, and how it forced them to pivot and incubate their existing CBD chocolate line. They also talk about the importance of staying true to their roots by continuing to use high-end local ingredients, while infusing it with local organic full-spectrum cannabis for Vermont and Massachusetts consumers.

Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Look dope with some Different Leaf merch from xDifferentLeaf.com

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritThe British

We'll be back in mid-October with our fall podcast season!

Pot: Reviving Eateries Post-Pandemic with Milkweed Cannabis Confections

Just a decade into legalization, the science behind cannabis-infused edibles has already come a long way.

We’ve now got fast-acting edibles, cutting effect times from hours to minutes, made possible by nano-emulsification technology.

We've got heightened experiences and flavors, thanks to Live resin and rosin-infused foods, which contain extracts from flash-frozen freshly-cut cannabis flower. 

And we now have targeted effects edibles, which specifically help us chill, focus, find energy, or sleep.

So how do edibles work, and how are they getting faster? How do food scientists maintain taste and texture while adding milligrams of THC? And how are companies using new technologies to give us a range of edible experiences like deeper highs and desirable cannabis flavors?

This episode, host Brit Smith talks to Kristi Palmer, co-founder of Kiva Confections, about how companies like hers innovate the edibles in our market. Kristi discusses the kinds of new experiences edible consumers are looking for, the hurdles edible companies typically face in the kitchen when innovating their product lines, and how Kiva's team works across state lines to meet those consumer desires.

Brit also talks to Breanna Neff, Chief Food Scientist and founder of Brelixi, about how food scientists like her get cannabis edibles to give us those different kinds of highs and faster onsets, all while maintaining the taste and texture. Breanna explains how edibles work in our bodies, the science behind nano-emulsification for fast-onset edibles like her Brelixi drink powder mix, and how targeted effects edibles work to give us certain experiences.

Read more on the science of infused food in the fall 2023 Edibles issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Get your Different Leaf merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com

New Edible Science; Targeted Effects, Nano, and Resin Explained

In this episode, host Brit Smith is joined by Niambe Tosh - activist, former Boston public school teacher, and daughter of famed reggae musician Peter Tosh. As Niambe knows first hand, a lot of black people had to endure harsh and unfair treatment by police to get us to this point where cannabis is semi-legal. Niambe and Brit discuss how law enforcement has been disproportionately focused on communities of color, how it has been brutal, and how it has torn black families apart - focusing on a policy called the War on Drugs.

The War on Drugs and the Black Community with Niambe McIntosh

Every season host Brit Smith brings you the audio edition of our magazine, speaking with the people who are making the products, opening dispensaries, doing medical research, and are active in the politics of cannabis.

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