THC doesn’t just show up in blood, breath, or saliva. Research has found that THC can be highly concentrated in tears, raising fascinating questions about what our eyes could reveal about cannabis use and impairment. Could tears become part of the future of cannabis testing? And what could this mean…
If THC is in your system, does that automatically mean you’re too impaired to drive? With alcohol, we have a relatively straightforward roadside tool: blow into a breathalyzer, get a number, and that number can help indicate impairment. Cannabis doesn’t work that neatly. So if THC levels alone can’t reliably…
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…
Nausea and vomiting may involve more than just the stomach. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and magnesium are two nutrients worth understanding, particularly when looking at conditions involving recurrent nausea and vomiting. But there’s another layer: the form of vitamin B1 matters. Benfotiamine and allithiamine are fat-soluble forms of thiamine that may…
Nausea isn't always just a serotonin problem. Both nausea and vomiting can have multiple pathways — from slowed gut motility to the dopaminergic system involved in cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. And when it comes to GLP-1 medications? The answer may be a little bit of each, depending on the person. Different…
Bloating. Pain. Nausea. Vomiting. Diarrhea. You go to the doctor, the labs are normal, the scans are normal but you still don't feel normal. So what happens when the problem isn't something a standard test can easily see? Dr. Rick Pescatore explains how the gut-brain axis, gut function, neuronal signaling,…
GLP-1 medications are changing lives but are we talking enough about the potential downsides? Dr. Rick Pescatore brings a unique perspective as both a gut-brain physician and emergency physician, seeing the benefits of GLP-1s in clinical practice while also seeing the consequences of inappropriate use in the ER. So are…
The gut and the brain are far more connected than we’ve given them credit for. In this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, we unpack the gut-brain axis and what emerging research is revealing about the relationship between our digestive system and central nervous system. From bacterial invasion and the gut’s…
Gut-brain axis, cannabis, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), the microbiome, GLP-1 medications, and personalized health — what if many of the symptoms medicine treats separately are actually connected? 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…
Imagine being a patient looking for guidance on how much cannabis to take, which products to use, or how to consume them safely... That points to a much bigger problem: education and harm reduction within the medical system. From surgeons and nurses to other healthcare professionals, there needs to be…
A walk through the DEA Museum raises a pretty interesting question... Cannabis is listed on Schedule I, alongside substances like heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and methaqualone. Meanwhile, Schedule IV includes drugs like Xanax, Ambien, and Valium, which are classified as having a lower potential for abuse and dependence. So when you…
We hear a lot about the negative outcomes associated with cannabis, especially when it comes to emergency-room data. But what happens when we look at the full picture of real-world cannabis use? There is also published real-world data from different groups using cannabis for things like anxiety and PTSD, as…
“Save the children” was one of the biggest themes at the cannabis rescheduling hearing. But what did that actually look like? Max Jackson was there in person and heard arguments about youth access, cannabis vapes, edibles, school incidents, and emergency-room cases involving kids. So how much of the conversation was…
The lack of research is constantly cited as a reason for caution around cannabis. But this raises an important question: who created the conditions that made that research so scarce? In the latest episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Max Jackson and I unpack this tension and ask what happens when…
What happened at the DEA cannabis rescheduling hearing? In this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with Max Jackson to break down the cannabis rescheduling hearing, Schedule III, the DEA’s marijuana rescheduling process, and the future of cannabis policy in the United States. Max Jackson offers…
A single THC percentage doesn't tell the whole story. What if cannabis labels showed a THC range instead? It may seem less precise—but it's actually more accurate and gives consumers a better understanding of what they're buying. On the latest Bioactive Podcast, we discuss how better labeling and better education…
What if cannabis products were labeled by chemical diversity instead of just THC percentage? Imagine knowing whether a product contains a broad spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes—or is mostly just THC. That simple change could help consumers find products that actually work better for them. On the latest Bioactive Podcast,…
What if cannabis labels showed a THC range instead of a single number? That one change could help consumers make better decisions, ask better questions, and look beyond THC alone. 🌿 On the latest Bioactive Podcast, we explore how new research could reshape the way we shop for cannabis and…
One of the biggest challenges in cannabis today is that consumers are told not to shop based on THC... yet that's often the only meaningful information on the label. On the latest episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Ben Cleary and I discuss why THC percentages can be misleading, what the…
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…
