Ep18 - Cannabis Can Treat Your Illness & Fix The NYC Subway System

A 2-part episode featuring Michael Backes, who has collected all of the evidence about what MMJ does and does not do, plus a pro-cannabis candidate for governor. The times, they are a changin' -- at last.Part I - Last week, Joel Giambra, 66, announced he was running as republican governor of New York in 2018. That’s not surprising. What was surprising was his proposal to legalize cannabis in the Empire State and use the taxes from sales to help repair the failing NYC subway system. Though the estimates haven’t yet been calculated it’s clear that taxes from legal weed won’t yield anywhere near the $9billion estimated cost of the repair but every little cent counts. It’s also smart because, as we know from Colorado and Washington, it creates jobs, while wiping out the black-market economy. This is, by all measures, intelligent thinking that more of our elected representatives should be considering. Part 1 of this episode features a chat with Joel, whose personal story with cannabis played an important role in his thinking.Part II - Our main guest this week is Michael Backes, author, entrepreneur, strain hunter, founder of the first evidence-based medical cannabis dispensary in LA, and one of the most prescient sages in the cannabis industry. I met Mike when reporting Brave New Weed. He was the first to talk to me about terpenes and how the various components of the plant could be combined to achieve different health effects and highs. He introduced me to the concept of designing highs and the importance of microdoses in medical cannabis—all fascinating and all next level cannabis inquiries based on research and science. Late in 2017, he published Volume 2 of Cannabis Pharmacy, the medical cannabis bible for anyone who wants to understand the science behind using the plant to treat their illnesses. It’s a practical reference book that every patient should have on a shelf nearby.In our podcast, we tackle subjects such as:Is medical cannabis overrated and overhyped?The biggest misconceptions about medical cannabisWhat it treats and what it doesn’tHow he learned to use tiny doses to achieve big relief from what ails him.If there is anyone you’d like to invite to listen to this podcast please share it with them and please email us with your suggested name. We’ll reach out with an invitation.