Extracting the Extracted: Valens Launches NEW Podcast

On , In Extracted Podcast

We’re all about sharing cannabis knowledge. We thought what better way then through a podcast? We’re excited to announce an ongoing podcast series in partnership with Leafly called, EXTRACTED. EXTRACTED takes a real and raw look at the cannabis space in Canada. Featuring Valens’ very own hosts Kayla and Chris, the podcast features unfiltered conversations with cannabis experts and enthusiasts. Join us as we explore the science and lifestyle of this naturally exceptional plant. We’ll be releasing a new episode with a new guest every second Monday. Find EXTRACTED on our website, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Legalization: The story so far.

For our very first episode, we were thrilled to have writer and renowned activist, Jamie Shaw as our guest. Jamie was the Director of the BC Compassion Club and is now a partner at Groundwork Consulting. She’s also the cofounder of the Vancouver chapter of Women Grow. Needless to say, Jamie is extremely passionate about cannabis and understands firsthand the realities of what legalization means.

While legalization represents progress in many ways, cannabis in this country still has a long way to go. In our interview, Jamie highlights several of the challenges and points to gaining a deeper understanding of all that cannabis can do as the way forward.

“One of the problems with legalization is that it’s going to be enforced the same way as prohibition was: unequally.”

Roll-out across the country.

Jamie shed light on the scene for the first week in each province and specifically, some of our country’s major cities. “(The raids are) really not very smart” She says. “For Toronto police to be raiding dispensaries right now when there’s no other legal option, I think you’re seeing a much more pragmatic approach from Vancouver and Victoria who have said yeah they will enforce, but probably not until there’s legal ways to access.”

Education is everything.

One of the major issues Jamie sees with the current legislation is that retailers aren’t allowed to tell you very much. They provide THC and CBD percentages but this doesn’t give an accurate indication of what effects different strains may have. Is it energetic or relaxing? Unfortunately, Jamie says, this will lead to confusion for consumers. “That’s a real concern considering that with legalization we’re going to see a lot more inexperienced users who aren’t necessarily educated on cannabis.” Jamie’s best advice is to start slow, track everything, and get informed.

“We’re so afraid of people talking about cannabis the wrong way, we’re forcing them to not talk about it at all.”

It’s personal.

Cannabis means something different to everyone. To Jamie Shaw, it’s about social justice and helping people who are needlessly suffering. Studying cannabis has opened her eyes to a world of other things and put her on a path where she’s more likely to question how and why things are done. For Jamie Shaw, cannabis is definitely personal.

To hear all of Jamie’s invaluable insights, be sure to listen to the full podcast, and look out for a brand new episode in a couple of weeks!