BIOACTIVE

What is living soil cannabis cultivation, and how do soil microbes, mineral balancing, and growing environments influence cannabis plants? On this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with Luna Whitcomb, an organic cannabis cultivator, consultant, writer, and breeder, to explore the science of living soil, soil food web ecology, plant nutrition, and terpene expression. With more than 18 years of cultivation experience across indoor, outdoor, greenhouse, and large-scale hemp

What are cannabis terpenes, how do they influence aroma and consumer experiences, and what do we know about their safety? On this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with Dr. Shawna Vreeke, PhD, DABT, Head of Toxicology at True Terpenes, to explore the science of cannabis terpenes, terpene chemistry, cannabinoid interactions, and consumer safety. With a PhD in Chemistry focused on toxin formation in vape device aerosols and expertise in toxicology risk assessment, Shawna s

Dr. Riley Kirk welcomes Dr. Miyabe Shields for a deep dive into cannabis real-world data, cannabis consumption patterns, dosing, neurodivergent cannabis use, and the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). As co-founders of the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP), Riley and Miyabe discuss the newly accessible Real Data Project, including what large-scale consumer data can reveal about how people actually use cannabis in their everyday lives. They explore why terms like “heavy cannabis consumption” are

What if carbon is one of the most overlooked inputs in plant nutrition? In this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with Nik Nikolayev, CEO of Rooted Leaf Agritech, to explore the science of carbon-based fertilizers, plant nutrition, biostimulants, organic acids, and the chemistry behind plant growth, yield, and quality. Nik breaks down how plants use carbon beyond simply taking up CO₂ from the atmosphere, and why forms of carbon such as acetate and citrate may provide im

Dr. Riley Kirk has Dr. Denise Valenti on the podcast to discuss cannabis and driving, cannabis impairment, THC testing, and the challenges of determining whether someone is actually too impaired to drive. They explore why THC levels in the body do not necessarily correspond to impairment and how cannabis can affect vision, peripheral vision, contrast sensitivity, eye movement, balance, and pupil response. They also discuss the limitations of current roadside cannabis testing compared with alcoh

In this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with Dr. Rick Pescatore, board-certified emergency physician, Editor-in-Chief of Emergency Medicine News, and founder of BellyMD, for a fascinating deep dive into the gut-brain connection and what it means for cannabis users and patients dealing with unexplained digestive symptoms. Dr. Pescatore explains how the gut and brain communicate through the vagus nerve, why the gut has been called the “second brain,” and how genetics, d

What actually happened inside the DEA’s cannabis rescheduling hearing? In this timely episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with Max Jackson, former commercial cannabis cultivator and founder of Cannabis Wise Guys, to unpack what he witnessed firsthand at the DEA hearing on moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. Max spent most of the hearing inside the room, taking handwritten notes because recording and livestreaming were not permitted. As someone who previously

In this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with cannabis research scientist Ben Cleary to unpack groundbreaking research published in Scientific Reports examining THC variability in cannabis flower and what it means for consumers, cultivators, laboratories, and regulators. If you've ever wondered why the same strain can feel different from batch to batch—or why chasing the highest THC percentage often leads to disappointment—this conversation explains the science behind