Bernardo the owner, and founder of 8000 Kicks believes hemp is the past and future of textile manufacturing. His business goal is to leave a legacy. In this legacy, hemp becomes mainstream and the most ubiquitous fiber available in the textile industry. This small European company creates shoes using the strongest canvas fiber available, with soles made of algal blooms. While continuously monitoring international sustainable manufacturing processes, 8000 Kicks produces shoes that are both waterproof and breathable guaranteeing no toxic substances are used. His business, started with his 77-year-old grandmother, builds running shoes, casual shoes, Chelsea Boots, back packs, belts, socks, and accessaries. In this episode, Kirk and Trevor learn how a small business created a durable Chelsea Boot Kirk now wears as his casual winter shoe.

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Living without alcohol contamination may be an oxymoronic assertion for a licensed producer, specializing in cannabinoids extraction, to make. Typically, alcohol is a common solvent used to extract cannabinoids from cannabis plants. Trevor and Kirk are introduced to a new business in Dauphin. It partners with local hemp farmers to create a cannabis oil. Master Extractor Richard Spatola shares his origin story while sharing a meal in a restaurant. Afterwards, he takes the listeners into his processing plant to explain how he pulls out individual cannabinoids from hemp and cannabis plants to make alcohol-free oils. He and his team believe their process is the future of medical cannabis oils. This episode goes deep into how time, pressure, and temperature are the key components to producing solventless cannabis oils for those consumers preferring products without residual solvents in their medicine.

In this episode, Kirk and Trevor review “The Cannabis Cancer Connection” by Dr. Joe D. Goldstrich. Dr. Joe is a cardiologist who, in his retirement, became a self-descripted “cannabis oncologist”. He now applies pre-clinical cannabis research and his years of expertise and patient experience to his clinical cannabis practice. In his book, Dr. Joe discusses the “Art” of practicing medicine within an evidence-based system. He discusses the limitations of the available science behind medicinal cannabis, while at the same time challenging the medical system to recognize the plant’s potential. He has had successes and failures using cannabis as a therapeutic in cancer care and offers a balanced view of both. This book offers a good introduction to both cannabis and cancer, and will help individuals and families to better understand how cannabis can help those suffering from the disease. Dr. Joe also takes the reader deeper by applying the available knowledge and connecting it to his clinical practice making this a valuable resource to those practicing in the field of oncology.

With a film credits in Dr. Strangelove, Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams and The Hunt for Red October and off-screen credits in many Shakespearean stage roles, two Tony awards, military service, Ranger School and his Ranger Tab, there would be so many conversations to have with James Earl Jones. But over and over, fans just clamored for the catch phrase, “Luke. I am your Father.” Peter Su’s “catch phrase” is writing for Rolling Stone. He loves the gig. But as a banker with over 24 years experience, who can paper a wall with his credentials, he is occasionally annoyed that is all people want to talk to him is the Rolling Stone. So, of course, we ask him about writing for Rolling Stone. Also listen for why Trevor’s fictitious New York State licensed, legal cannabis dispensary could be laundering money, how your Mandarin speaking parents have a literal language barrier to understanding why you want to start that cannabis business and the Asian Cannabis Roundtable.

While traveling the Saskatchewan highways, Kirk sees a sign in the ditch directing him to a unique recreational cannabis shop. He takes a hard left to visit a First Nations Reserve looking for a simple short Road Story. Instead, he finds Montana, a caring individual who manages his reserve's recreational cannabis store with a harm reductionists approach.  This simple short Road Story became an entire episode.  Listen to how one individual can help a community with cannabis.

Kirk brings Trevor another batch of Summer Road Stories. Kirk spent time traveling through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba learning from Bud Tenders. We hear how CBG, the Cannabinoid of the summer, is “a bubble bath for the brain”. Kirk and guests discuss the strategies Bud Tenders use to help people buy their medical cannabis. While sitting in one small town, a long boarder stopped to talk about the cool van Kirk is travelling in and leaves a cannabis story behind that teases the Manitoba Government. Summers are short in Canada but the stories about cannabis are never ending. Tune in to this episode for some grass roots My Cannabis Stories from Prairie people

It is safe to say, Mr. Clayton Moore is a growing concern within the hemp industry of Southwestern United States.  As an undergraduate within the Texas A&M Agricultural Soil and Crop Science Department, he has his fingers, hands, and mind buried deeply in growing a better understanding of hemp and cannabis.  He is: a leader within a student lead initiative called CHIL, an advocate for decriminalization of cannabis convictions, the lead researcher within the university Hemp Conversion Program, plus he writes for the local industry focused newspaper.  He is a busy young fellow following the passions of generations within his family of agronomists.  The future of Hemp is in good hands with this student of hemp. 

We first met Spencer Payson in Episode 75 - Road Stories. When he opened a new store in our hometown of Dauphin Manitoba, Kirk went to say hello. Talking to an owner of a Recreation Cannabis store provides practical insights to how society is changing it perception on cannabis. Sitting in the staff room of his new store, Spencer shares personal and professional stories about his cannabis experiences. We also learn how he trains his staff to assist those customers looking to buy their medical cannabis from his recreational store.

David Traylor has 2 undergrad degrees in Bio-Chemistry and Molecular Biology. He is a former pro lacrosse player. He got involved in BioTech in the 1990's and dealt with the difficulties of getting molecules like erythropoietin to market at scale. From there he got into investment banking. Obviously, with that background, the next step is to do cannabis deals on 6 of the 7 continents! Golden Eagle Partners was the first investment banking firm to jump into cannabis, which they did in 2013. In addition to doing international cannabis deals, David's experience has led him to be involved with financial and cannabis related conferences around the world. In fact, David is the reason our co-host Trevor was at CannMed 23 in Florida. Listen as Trevor and David discuss: What is THC+ and THC-? Where is the cannabis industry going in the next three years? Did Canada blow it on the business side of cannabis when all that money poured in post national legalization in 2018? Why is it so hard to scale a biological product like cannabinoids? David wraps up with talking about the importance of humility when dealing with cannabis. Whether that is dealing with patients, growing the plant or navigating the cannabis business world, we think a reminder to be humble is a wonderful mantra!

Ryan Kocot was the in-house legal counsel and director of compliance for a multinational cannabis company. He now has his own practice in California, Massachusetts and New York. He helps operators scale into multiple States, do joint ventures, trademark, and other intellectual property license agreements.  Listen as Trevor and Ryan discuss the weird and counter-intuitive land of multi-states operations, trade marks when cannabis products aren't federally legal, and how Trevor's pipe dream of being a cannabis gummy mogul is way more complicated than he thought.