For more than 30 years, the world's best marijuana growers have been recognized at their local Cannabis Cup events. And as more states and countries legalize weed, the title of Cannabis Cup winner becomes even more coveted. But Cups are not just about voting for the best bud in town. Recently, Cannabis Cups have become more like mini-festivals where pot enthusiasts can gather, connect with local companies, get educated, and enjoy live music, good food, and great weed. This episode, host Brit Smith goes to the Massachusetts Cultivator's Cup in Somerset, Mass., put on by Solar Therapeutics and The Farmacist, to find out how organizers are putting on Cups post-pandemic, how the competitions are judged, and who event-goers can see as entertainment (hint: it's a lot of old skool hip hop!) Then Brit visits the Cup-winning growers at Bountiful Farms in Lakeville, Mass., where cultivation manager Zack Taylor explains what makes their flower win so many awards.Follow Different Leaf on social media @differentleaf and @different_leaf and follow host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish -- Buy all issues of Different Leaf the magazine at DifferentLeaf.com and select Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Barnes & Noble bookstores.

What is the difference between indica and sativa? What is a terpene? When we get to the dispensary, should we look at THC, CBD, or CBG content? This episode is all about how you can pick your best bud, as we revisit our interview with CEO and head horticulturist of Justin Credible Cultivation, Reginald Stanfield III.Find out more about Reggie at jccultivation.com, and read about him in the fall 2020 issue of Different Leaf the magazine, available at differentleaf.com, Barnes and Noble bookstores, Whole Foods, and around 1500 newsstands across North America. Find your nearest physical location at differentleaf.comFollow us on social media @differentleaf and @different_leaf, and follow host Brit Smith @britthebritish.

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.

In a 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.clubHosted and produced by Brit Smith @BritTheBritish. Music by Home Body.

We may have high hopes for our New Years Resolutions, but it can be tough to stick to a new exercise routine. This episode, host Brit Smith talks to Colorado-based journalist Josiah Hesse about just how many marathon runners like him have discovered that both THC and CBD can enhance physical activity, and help people find more joy in regular exercise.In his latest book, 'Runner’s High; How a Movement of Cannabis-Fueled Athletes Is Changing the Science of Sports,' Josiah delves into just how prevalent cannabis consumption is in the world of athletes. As he tells Brit, Josiah learned to incorporate marijuana into his training and wellness routine so he could actually enjoy his runs, and he explains how even the least-sporty among us can benefit from the high humans get from both weed and working out.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, music by Homebody.

There were a lot of major changes this year when it comes to legal weed in Massachusetts. We saw a huge increase in licensed cannabis businesses, including the first recreational delivery licenses, a groundbreaking lawsuit that could shape the way the state’s marijuana industry functions, and the reemergence of the conversation around cannabis in sports. Joining Brit to break down all this year's top pot stories is Boston Globe cannabis reporter Dan Adams. From his weekly newsletter “This Week In Weed" to his most recent overview of what has happened since Mass. legalized pot five years ago, Dan has continued to give detailed coverage of all the biggest moves in Massachusetts cannabis.Different Leaf will be back in the New Year with more great podcast episodes and some brand new issues of Different Leaf the Magazine, which you can buy at DifferentLeaf.com, or at Barnes and Noble Bookstores. Follow us on social media @Different Leaf and @Different_Leaf, and follow host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish.Produced by Andrea Muraskin and Brit Smith, music by Homebody.

Guest Brooke Burgstahler is an actress, cannabis advocate, and reporter for Snoop Dogg's digital media company Merry Jane. You may have seen Brooke in the movie Arizona Summer, or on TV shows like General Hospital, Mad Men, or Blackish. Aside from creating cannabis content for Merry Jane, Brooke also hosts the daily digital show World of Weed news, writes for her cannabis blog Budding Mind, and hosts the Budding Mind podcast. Brit and Brooke discuss what it's like being cannabis reporters in California and Massachusetts, how to be an advocate for social justice in cannabis, and how to integrate marijuana into your yoga practice. Flip to page 83 In the fall 2021 issue of Different Leaf Magazine to learn more about Brooke's journey from child actress to social media influencer and cannabis talking head.Follow Brooke Burgstahler on Instagram @brookestellar.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.

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.

Grab your apron and an eighth, it's time to learn how to bake THC-infused brownies so good they belong at your next dinner party. Cannabis-infused dinners may be gaining in popularity, but they are by no means easy to pull off. Aside from making sure every course tastes great, infused dinners call for preparing your cannabis through a process called decarboxylation, and figuring out how to dose each course, which can take a lot of time and math.This episode, learn the ins and outs of hosting a pot-infused dinner with canna-cuisine creators Colin Hanner and Laura Scherb, who guide host Brit Smith through baking their amazing "Not Your Roommates Weed Brownies" recipe.Find this recipe and more in Colin and Laura's article; "An Informal Guide to Hosting Your Own Cannabis Dinner," in the 3rd edibles issue of Different Leaf the magazine, out now at DifferentLeaf.com or at Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million bookstores. Follow Different Leaf on social media at @differentleaf and @different_leaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish - Produced by Andrea Muraskin and Brit Smith, music by Homebody.