An exciting discussion about AI in drug discovery from a highly cross disciplinary group of experts covering natural products chemistry, biotechnology, computer science, intellectual property, and standards.   The episode was recorded live in the beautiful surroundings of the Mendocino County coast in northern California.  The scenery provided inspiration for the game segment “guess that native plant” and the pop lit segment about ocean based drug discovery.  Both excellent warm ups for our more in depth discussion on practical applications of AI in drug discovery and where gaps still exist.   

This episode covers the July 27th House Oversight Committee within the Health Care and Financial Services Subcommittee titled “Hemp in the Modern World: The Yearslong Wait for FDA Action”. The group also discusses new data from analyzing Delta-8-THC products on the market. 

We switch things up with our resident GMP and standards expert, David Vaillencourt, moderating this episode.  We’re also joined by special guest Gillian Schauer, PhD, who testified before the House Oversight Committee.  Dr. Schauer is the Executive Director of the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA), a non-partisan association of government agencies that regulate cannabis and hemp across 45 states and US territories.  Prior to her leadership at CANNRA, she spent more than a decade working with federal agencies - including the CDC and NIH on cannabis related policy, research, and public health. 

As usual, HLI co-hosts Jahan Marcu, PhD and Nigam B. Arora, PhD round out the group discussion. If you are a new listener, Dr. Arora advises multistate and multinational cannabis companies as well as psychedelic manufacturers and venture capital firms on translating science into business decisions as the Co-Founder of Marcu & Arora.  Dr. Jahan Marcu, the other half of the Marcu & Arora leadership team, has been applying his knowledge on the endocannabinoid system for over 20 years - advising regulatory bodies, providing expert witness services in complex cannabinoid related cases, and has published dozens of articles on cannabinoids and psychedelics. 

The third and final episode of our Live from Psychedelic Science series focuses on culture.  Our team interviewed eight speakers and exhibitors from the conference hailing from various walks of life.  The episode kicks off with a psychedelics comedian and rolls into discussion with an experienced energy worker.  Next we hear from two non-profit leaders whose organizations champion indigenous reciprocity and fund research to combat the opioid epidemic respectively.  From there we engage with two students pursuing advanced science degrees while simultaneously working in the space.  Winding down the episode, we hear from a psychedelics attorney focused on the non-profit sector.  To close it out, we have HLI day one David Vaillencourt interviewing Co-Host of the show Dr. Nigam B. Arora. 

The second episode of our three part series, Live from Psychedelic Science, focuses on business.  We interview seven founders and initiative leaders operating across marketing, legal, standards, drug development, insurance, and ESG.  Listeners get the inside scoop from these industry leaders sharing their experience, both personally and professionally, from attending the largest psychedelic conference in modern history.  We also hear about challenges they’ve faced and if changes in the industry are making those issues better or worse.  

The first episode of our three part series, Live from Psychedelic Science, focuses on research.  We interview five leaders in the field whose work runs the gamut from generating novel molecules to patient care.  We kick off the episode with back to back chemist entrepreneurs who work at the cutting edge of psychedelic drug development.  From there we hear from the psychedelics program manager at one of the world’s largest medical research institutions.  Next, we get an international perspective by engaging with Brazil’s leading clinical researcher of ayahuasca, pure DMT, and ketamine.  We close out the episode with an experienced integrative medicine doctor and patient advocate. 

This episode features two special guests, David Bronner and Angela Carter, ND, discussing hot topics in drug policy with co-hosts Jahan Marcu, PhD, and Nigam B. Arora, PhD.  David Bronner is the CEO of Dr. Bronner’s, the highest scoring B Corp in the world among companies dedicated to positive social and environmental impact over profit motive.  Additionally David has been dedicated to the responsible integration of cannabis and psychedelics into global culture since 1995, and on the board of MAPS since 2015.  Angela Carter, ND is an Oregon based naturopathic doctor, genderless being of universal light, and social & health justice advocate who works actively with psychedelic medicines.  The group warms up with a game examining old idioms and new headlines.  Next, the group discusses a story from VICE Magazine about a Canadian drug store testing the limits of decriminalization laws.  The final segment focuses on a recent publication about health equity in psychedelics and mental health. 

We bring you six interviews with leaders in the psychedelics industry who will be presenting at the Psychedelic Therapeutics & Drug Development Conference taking place in San Francisco on May 15 & 16, 2023.  The episode spans a variety of topics, each crucial to the development of psychedelic medicines.  We begin with government funded drug discovery research, followed by a look at the clinical research landscape both in academia and industry settings.  Next our interviewees discuss legal considerations in the field of psychedelic drug development, from both regulatory and intellectual property lenses.  To close the episode out we discuss trends in the current investment landscape.  Be sure to check out the full conference agenda at psychedelics-conference.com and join us in person at the event as we continue these discussions! 

We welcome a true pioneer of psychedelics science, Dr. David Nichols, to the show.  The episode begins with panelists matching quotes about psychedelics to the famous person who gave the quote, and the substance they were referring to.  The pop literature segment explores a timeline of psychedelic events from 1990 - present.  Dr. Nichols provides a fascinating look into multiple landmark studies that were enabled by his lab’s willingness to synthesize the required psychedelic compounds.  For the peer reviewed segment the group assesses a recent publication about cutting edge methods for measuring the acute brain action of psychedelics.  This inspires a conversation about the practical utility of such tools in specific research areas and for driving the field forward.

We get together for this episode to discuss everything from the legacy of the late Raphael Mechoulam, PhD, to the economics of THC and regulated cannabis. This episode features Joshua Hartsel, PhD and the show begins with a fun look at Dr. Mechoulam’s massive impact on cannabis research. For the second segment, we discuss the issues regarding “THC inflation” - over estimations of potency and lab shopping that are plaguing the industry. This topic inspired the episode cover art which, in a first for HLI, was created using a generative AI tool (DALL·E 2). We end by discussing our interpretation of a recent publication about the economics of the 420 “holiday” and the impact of adult use regulations on medical cannabis operations.

We host Super Bowl XLVII (2013) winner Kelechi Osemele for a sports focused episode!  HLI cast member Anna Symonds weighs in heavily having won both the USA Rugby Division I National Championship and Sydney Premiership Championship.  The episode begins with a game reviewing shifting cannabis and psychedelics regulations around the world.  Next the group discusses the relationship between elite athleticism and psychedelics, spurred by news that NFL quarterback Aarron Rodgers will speak on his personal experiences at Psychedelic Science 2023.  The episode wraps up with analysis of a literature review about the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids through a sports medicine lens. 

Join us as we blend perspectives on modern medical research with valuable lessons learned through other ways of knowing.  Dr. Bia Labate, executive director of Chacruna Institute, and Dr. Harry McIlroy, clinical director at BioReset Medical, help us dissect the many challenges of placebo controls when researching psychoactives.  We further discuss educational offerings from Chacruna Institute specifically focused on methods of knowledge production in the psychedelics field.  We close the episode by relating an attention grabbing article published in Nature, about a reduction in disruptive research, to psychedelics.

We wrap up 2022 with a psychedelics focused episode. Listeners are invited to join the conversation with experts working in legal, standards, research funding, and science aspects of the burgeoning industry.  The episode kicks off with a game about infrastructure and the required picks and shovels for building it.  We then discuss the importance of standards for psychedelics assisted psychotherapy and the launch of a non-profit organization providing leadership in that area.  The episode wraps up with a discussion around indigenous views on the “psychedelics renaissance”, inspired by a recent article published in the journal  Anthropology of Consciousness. 

Experts discuss the science of taking the trip out of psychedelics while maintaining the therapeutic benefits, a conversation inspired by a recent article published in Nature. Psychedelics policy is also addressed with a game that tests our guests' knowledge about opposition and support for proposition 122 in Colorado. The show wraps up with a discussion of best practices for performing research on how cannabis may affect the endocannabinoid system.

Join us for a fun, engaging session where we discuss important issues in cannabis testing, alcohol use, and the psychedelic receptorome. This episode was our first recorded in person, and from the beautiful surroundings of the Mendocino County coast in California.  The group welcomes first time guests, epidemiologist Teresa Simon, MPH and integrative medicine doctor Harry McIlroy, MD.  

Join us for a psychedelics-focused conversation! Listeners of this podcast episode will enjoy discussions about the basics of serotonin and dopamine, mechanisms of action for psychedelics and antidepressants, different types of patents and their implications, and a dissection of clinical data on the subjective effects of LSD and psilocybin. 

Join us for a cannabis-focused episode. Our discussion covers some of the politics around federal legalization in the United States, DEA licensed cultivation operators, and research into the potential for cannabis markets in Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe. The episode includes discussion about recent trends regarding cannabis and hemp policy in Eastern Europe, a knowledge and attitude surveys of Ukrainians regarding cannabis, and how new hemp and cannabis regulations in the Ukraine could help meet the increasing demand for pediatric epilepsy treatments and alternative pain medications. This episode features Jahan Maruc, PhD, Nigam B. Arora, PhD, and David Vallencourt, MSc.

This episode features Jackie von Salm, PhD, Anna Symmonds, MA, Jahan Marcu, PhD and Nigam B. Arora, PhD. The podcast starts with a game about cannabis mergers, testing our guest’s knowledge of the recent merger between Cresco Labs and Columbia Care. Then the group buckles up for a discussion about risks related to cannabis-based vape products, and new research investigations on user experiences with various psychedelic substances.