Cannabis vs Marijuana - Branding Bud Live Episode 40
THE SUMMARY
Join Branding Bud Live co-hosts, David Paleschuck and Adriana Hemans for an exciting episode titled "Cannabis vs Marijuana", as they delve into the nuanced and evolving terminology surrounding cannabis, shedding light on how context and intent are crucial in understanding these terms. As cannabis professionals, it’s imperative to understand the impact of these words and how they can help us foster informed discussions, dispelling outdated stigmas and paving the way for a more inclusive and progressive cannabis landscape.
THE CO-HOSTS
David Paleschuck, Adriana Hemans
THE TRANSCRIPT
DAVID PALESCHUCK
Welcome to Branding Bud Live, the live stream that’s 100% THC and 0% WTF. Every week we speak with business people about the business of cannabis. I’m David Paleschuck, founder of Branding Bud Consulting Group and author of the first book on cannabis branding. I’m joined by my co-host Adriana Hemans, Director of Marketing at Green Meadows and my BCF (Best Cannabis Friend). Hi Adriana!
ADRIANA HEMANS
Hi David. Thank you for that intro. I’m so excited to co-host the show with you. We’re bringing amazing guests from across the cannabis ecosystem to share their perspectives. My favorite thing about Branding Bud Live is that we focus on building community - and we encourage audience participation. It’s not just about us talking, it’s about all of us building something together. So feel free to drop your questions and/or opinions in the chat, and we’ll share them too.
DAVID PALESCHUCK
We’re here to build community, educate and entertain … so let’s jump into today’s show, "Cannabis vs Marijuana". Today, we’ll be chatting about the words we misuse in the industry and why as cannabis professionals, it’s imperative to understand the impact of these words and how they can help us foster informed discussions, dispelling outdated stigmas and paving the way for a more inclusive and progressive cannabis landscape. Some of the topics we’ll cover are:
Cannabis vs Marijuana
Adult-use vs Recreational cannabis
Strain vs Cultivar
De-schedule vs Reschedule
And while we’ll only touch upon these topics today at a high-level, there’s so many more that deserve attention which I give them in my book by the same title, due out for Holiday 2023.
ADRIANA HEMANS
I’m excited to chat about this! As long as I’ve known you, and especially on our show, you’ve always been a stickler for words. So, it doesn’t surprise me you’d write a book about this. Acknowledges the audience.
DAVID PALESCHUCK
Acknowledges the audience.
Let’s do it!
ADRIANA HEMANS
OK … let’s jump into it. What’s the purpose of the book? And why the title, “Cannabis vs Marijuana”.
DAVID PALESCHUCK
The purpose of the book is to get the industry on the same page and to use a lexicon that’s meaningful – not only to industry insiders, but to others outside of the industry. If we seek to bridge the gap and hope for legalization, we must use a language that is understood and respected by those outside of the industry. The title is thought-provoking and implies a gap between the two. I look at Marijuana as a word of the past and at Cannabis as a word of the future.
ADRIANA HEMANS
So let’s get into the topics. What’s up first? Let’s do “Cannabis vs Marijuana”. Tell us about the conflict between the two.
DAVID PALESCHUCK
I’ll keep this at a high-level. Marijuana has a long history of denigrating people not only for their consumption, but for their skin color. It’s safe to say that marijuana is a racist term – at least in the US. Whereas, cannabis is a scientific/botanical term that specifically relates to the plant genus. To use the word marijuana is to foster it’s history and wrongful intent. There’s no reason for us to continue to use the word marijuana.
ADRIANA HEMANS
Let’s jump into “Adult-use vs Recreational” – what’s the issue here?
DAVID PALESCHUCK
For starters, it’s more therapeutic than anything else. To call it recreational implies something different. The definition of Recreational is Recreational means relating to things people do in their spare time to relax. Recreation can imply children’s activities as well. The opposite of recreational is professional, job-related, or occupational. The more appropriate term is adult-use, implies there’s an age limit and that it is being used responsibly. Many patients consume cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic reasons – not for recreation. Further, when seeking to convince opponents of cannabis, you can understand why the word, “recreational” can be less than convincing.
ADRIANA HEMANS
Interesting.
As we do every week, let’s jump into our first audience participation. Here we go …
How many Schedules are there under the DEA’s Controlled Substance Act (CSA)?
A. 1
B. 3
C. 5
D. None Of The Above
Audience. It's your chance to shine! That's right.
ADRIANA HEMANS
The answer is: C. 5
DAVID PALESCHUCK
That’s right, there are 5 Schedules. Let’s go over them briefly to get a sense of what we’re talking about – and where cannabis fits in.
Schedule I
Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Some examples include heroin, LSD, marijuana (cannabis), ecstasy, and peyote.
Schedule II
Schedule II drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. Some examples include cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, fentanyl, Adderall®, and Ritalin®.
Schedule III
Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Some examples include Tylenol® with codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone.
Schedule IV
Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence. Some examples include Xanax®, Valium®, Ativan®, Talwin®, Ambien®, Tramadol®.
Schedule V
Schedule V drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with lower potential for abuse. Some examples include Robitussin AC®, Lyrica®, and Lomotil®.
Source: https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling
ADRIANA HEMANS
Cool. OK, on to the next topic … “Strain vs Cultivar” … hit me.
DAVID PALESCHUCK
The debate surrounding the use of the word “Strain” is fairly straightforward. Within the realm of science, the term 'strain' finds its application solely with microscopic entities such as bacteria and viruses, for example. Employing this term for cannabis is a linguistic misalignment. Cultivar comes from the words cultivation and variety – implying man’s manipulation of the plant.
ADRIANA HEMANS
So why is this important?
DAVID PALESCHUCK
It’s important because we’re using words incorrectly. That will only confuse people – including consumers, scientists, and researchers. As the industry progresses, globalizes, and connects with other industries, it’s important to use the same lexicon so that people understand each other.
ADRIANA HEMANS
Entourage Effect vs Ensemble Effect is next. I’ve heard the Entourage Effect used so many times by many people, what’s wrong with it?
DAVID PALESCHUCK
The problem with using “Entourage Effect” is that it focuses on one main character – namely THC. And the truth is that there are approximately 150 identified cannabinoids and about 200 terpenes present in cannabis. So to only focus on THC is misleading. Experts such as Dr. Ethan Russo and Dr. Lester Greenspoon have both revised the way they describe the effect to the “Ensemble Effect”. Others like Swami Chaitanya now call it the “Symphony Effect”.
ADRIANA HEMANS
Let’s segue into Audience Participation #2
DAVID PALESCHUCK
Let’s do it!
ADRIANA HEMANS
Here we go …
What state recently changed its labeling requirements from calling it “marijuana” to calling it “cannabis”?
A. Washington
B. Colorado
C. California
D. None Of The Above
DAVID PALESCHUCK
Audience: It’s your turn to shine!
ADRIANA HEMANS
The answer is: A. Washington
DAVID PALESCHUCK
After being pressed by the state industry, the Washington State LCB (Liquor & Cannabis Board) moved to substitute the words “marijuana” and “cannabis”.
ADRIANA HEMANS
So after all the issues we just went through, what’s the big takeaway from this conversation?
DAVID PALESCHUCK
Language is important and evolving. The words we use, especially when trying to get people on the same page – BOTH the industry and those against it – is critical. Together, we can build bridges, and create a lexicon that is positive and meaningful to everyone.
ADRIANA HEMANS
Amazing! When will the book be available?
DAVID PALESCHUCK
The manuscript is complete and now I’m waiting for a few industry people to share their quotes which will be peppered throughout the book. They include Swami Chaitanya from Swami Select, Jeff & Bill Levers aka The Beard Bros and a few others. I also say that I’m thrilled and lucky to have Dale Sky Jones, Chancellor of Oaksterdam University and longtime activist writing the Foreword to the book. It’s pretty exciting.
ADRIANA HEMANS
That was awesome. Thank you!
DAVID PALESCHUCK
Thank you! And a big thanks to our listeners as well. And as I always say, “that was the fastest 45 minutes of my week!”
DAVID PALESCHUCK
That’s our show for today. We’ll be taking the next two weeks off to prepare a number of online courses that should be available by year-end. They include, “Creating A Meaningful Cannabis Brand” and “Cannabis Marketing 101”. We’ll return Thursday, September 7th, with two of my favorite people in the industry, Swami Chaitanya and Nikki Lastreto, co-founders of Swami Select.
ADRIANA HEMANS
If you miss us in the meantime, you can re-watch today’s episode, or any of our previous episodes, on our LinkedIn page, Branding Bud Live, or on our YouTube channel. Please give us a follow on LinkedIn to stay on top of everything Branding Bud Live. Please check us out there if you've missed any of our previous episodes.
DAVID PALESCHUCK
You can find our podcast on most podcast platforms including Apple, Google, Amazon, and Spotify. And of course, don’t forget to check out cannabis’s best-kept secret at www.brandingbud.com. Thank you everybody!
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DAVID PALESCHUCK
And don’t forget to check out cannabis’s best-kept secret at www.brandingbud.com
Thank you everybody!
ADRIANA HEMANS
Thanks for joining everyone. Please follow us!
DAVID PALESCHUCK
Thank you everybody. We'll see you next week. And don't forget to check out cannabis is best kept secret at www.brandingbud.com. Until then!
ADRIANA HEMANS
Bye
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