Different Leaf: the Podcast

Growing up, athlete Rachael Rapinoe thrived off the "built-in rivalry" at home with her twin sister Megan. The Rapinoe twins played collegiate-level soccer for the Portland Pilots, where Rachael sustained a career-changing knee injury. After years of surgeries and overuse of prescription painkillers, Rachael learned just how many elite athletes were tapping into the vast health benefits of CBD, and she tried it for herself.
With a Master's degree in Health and Exercise Science behind her and the lived experience of how cannabinoids can help athletes like herself, Rachael co-founded Mendi, a sports-focused CBD brand whose mission is to "improve athletes lives using nature’s best recovery tools." Mendi offers CBD-infused gummies, capsules, tinctures, salves, and oils, all designed to help keep athletes like the Rapinoe twins at the top of their game. In this episode, Brit and Rachael discuss her experience with opioids and pot, how cannabinoids help athletes recover, whether weed should be considered a performance-enhancing drug, the current state of CBD, and THC rules in major sports, and more.
Learn more about Mendi at themendico.com.
Find issues of Different Leaf the Magazine at DifferenLeaf.com or at Barnes and Noble and Books-a-Million bookstores, follow us on social media @differentleaf and @different_leaf, and follow host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish. Produced by Andrea Muraskin and Brit Smith, music by Homebody.

In this first special episode, Brit talks to the leaders of 3 queer-owned cannabis companies who, along with Different Leaf, have formed The Queer Cannabis Club; a consortium of LGBTQ-owned-and-operated businesses in the cannabis industry.
Hear from Alexander Farnsworth, owner of Farnsworth Fine Cannabis in Massachusetts, Jake Bullock, co-founder of California-based marijuana-infused drink company CANN, and Jim Freeland, Chief of Retail Development at 1906 cannabis in Colorado, about the mission of the QCC to highlight queer-owned marijuana companies, and to create spaces for cannabis enthusiasts of a certain feather.
The Queer Cannabis Club is holding its first-ever in-person event from January 20th through the 22nd at the W Hotel during Aspen Gay Ski Week. Learn more and book a 15-minute appointment for up to four people at www.queercannabis.club
Hosted and produced by Brit Smith @BritTheBritish. Music by Home Body.

This episode, host Brit Smith talks to Ellen Holland, author and Editor-in-Chief of High Times magazine, about her new book 'Weed; A Connoisseur's Guide To Cannabis.' Ellen's latest book is a must-have for those interested in the history and culture of marijuana, and for appreciators of great cannabis photography.
Brit and Ellen talk about her research for the book, which covers everything from cannabis lineages and aromas, to indoor and outdoor growing, to how pot pairs with different foods. Ellen also discusses her experience working with California marijuana legalization leaders like Dennis Peron and Ed Rosenthal, and where she sees the conversation around cannabis going in the future.
Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @Different_Leaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish. Buy any issue of Different Leaf the magazine at DifferentLeaf.com and at select bookstores and dispensaries across the U.S. and Canada. Find your nearest in-person location that sells our quarterly magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

Host Brit Smith talks to award-winning Executive Chef Matthew Stockard about how we can incorporate marijuana-infused ingredients into our everyday diet. Chef Matt first experimented with cannabis-infused food as a teenager at a barbecue in Long Beach, California in the early 90s. He went on to study culinary arts internationally, he opened his first solo restaurant in Oklahoma, and he ran several 5-star eateries for the Hyatt Regency, including Japanese, Italian, and Vegas-style buffets.
More recently, Chef Matt has been creating infused dinners for pot-loving celebrities like Julian Marley and Snoop Dogg. He's also developed a line of chef-quality THC-and-CBD-infused cooking products, including honeys, butters, and oils, and he holds live events and teaches virtual cooking classes for anyone who wants to learn how to add cannabis to their meals at home. Learn more about Chef Matt Stockard, his products and classes at ChefMattCooks.com.
Find every issue of Different Leaf the magazine at DifferentLeaf.com, and where to get the latest issue near you at one of 1400+ locations around the United States and Canada. Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @Different_Leaf and follow host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

Entrepreneurs face high hurdles before they can enter the legal cannabis industry. Especially in Massachusetts, where potential business owners have to get Host Community Agreements with their cities or towns, which include the controversial 'Community Impact Fee.' Lately, more and more company owners say their towns are charging small canna-businesses the maximum amount allowed by law, not because they are impacting the community, but simply because they can.
This episode, Brit talks to Caroline Pineau, owner of Stem adult-use cannabis dispensary. Caroline is the first cannabis business owner in the state to sue her host city over the legitimacy of the Community Impact Fee. Her lawsuit alleges that the City of Haverhill is requiring the maximum impact fee from her business without providing any itemized documentation of how it incurred the costs, or how those costs are reasonably related to the pot shop. It's considered a landmark case, which has the potential to change the way the entire cannabis industry operates in the state of Massachusetts.
Find all the issues of Different Leaf the Magazine at DifferentLeaf.com, or on the shelves at Barnes and Noble Bookstores. Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @Different_Leaf, and follow host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish.
Produced by Brit Smith and Andrea Muraskin, music by Homebody.