Episode 73 - A History of Autoflower Breeding with guest Dan Jimmie

Episode 73 - A History of Autoflower Breeding with guest Dan Jimmie

Autoflowering cannabis cultivars have come a long way in the last decade. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with autoflower breeder and co-founder of Autoflower.net Dan Jimmie aka Mandalorian Genetics about the early days of autoflowers, the genetic breakthroughs since 2008, the establishment of a forum dedicated to the autoflower community and the basics of why breeding autoflowers is trickier than photosensitive varieties.

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Episode 72 - Detangling Cannabis and Schizophrenia with guest Greg Gerdeman PhD

Episode 72 - Detangling Cannabis and Schizophrenia with guest Greg Gerdeman PhD

Prohibitionists often argue that cannabis causes psychotic breaks and schizophrenia. And while the science does not support that position, schizophrenia is not entirely unrelated to cannabis use either. In this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with neuroscientist Greg Gerdeman about what exactly schizophrenia is, the science looking at the relationship between psychosis and cannabis, and the systemic prejudice against cannabis in mental health care.

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Episode 71 - Cannabis Pollen Collection and Preservation with guest Daniel Morford

Episode 71 - Cannabis Pollen Collection and Preservation with guest Daniel Morford

Cannabis pollen is both feared and sacred. It can ruin a crop of sinsemilla, while at the same time create a new cultivar than can bring health and joy to many, and fame to the breeder. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Daniel Morford of Heartrock Mountain Farm in Mendocino County about his best practices for the collection and preservation of pollen.

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Episode 70 - Cannabis, Mushrooms and Terpenes for Optimum Health with guests Dr. Ethan Russo, Tony Verzura, Jeff Chilton and Berner

Episode 70 - Cannabis, Mushrooms and Terpenes for Optimum Health with guests Dr. Ethan Russo, Tony Verzura, Jeff Chilton and Berner

Today's episode is different. Shaping Fire host Shango Los was invited to moderate a private webcast entitled, "Cannabis, Mushrooms and Terpenes for Optimum Health." Shango didn't choose the topic or speakers but the quality of answers by this experienced panel are so good that we want to share them with you. Dr. Ethan Russo, Tony Verzura, Jeff Chilton, and Berner discuss how best to blend a variety of alternative medicine to reach healing goals often unattainable by pharmaceuticals.

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Episode 69 - Integrating Cannabis into End-of-Life Care with guest Dr. Sunil Aggarwal

Episode 69 - Integrating Cannabis into End-of-Life Care with guest Dr. Sunil Aggarwal

None of the stylish cannabis advertising is directed at folks soon to die. And yet, humans at the end of their days often wish for the relief and perspective that comes from cannabis. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los welcomes back Dr. Sunil Aggarwal to talk about integrating cannabis into end-of-life care, dosing protocols, and how to address objections from family and institutions.

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Episode 68 - Using Korean Natural Farming Foliar and Drench Preps with guest Chris Trump

Episode 68 - Using Korean Natural Farming Foliar and Drench Preps with guest Chris Trump

Age-old natural farming fermentations and preparations have made a huge resurgence in the cultivation scene. However, there is a great deal of misunderstanding regarding how to blend them, if at all. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Certified Master Natural Farmer Chris Trump about how best to use Korean Natural Farming preparations, how to blend them, and how small amounts can have such substantial impacts on plants.

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Episode 67 - Migraine Therapy using Cannabis and Mushrooms with guest Dr. Ethan Russo

Episode 67 - Migraine Therapy using Cannabis and Mushrooms with guest Dr. Ethan Russo

One of the greatest challenges in life is to suffer from an ailment that people have chosen to take for granted. Fifteen percent of all humans suffer with migraines and yet still little is known about them. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los interviews world-renowned neurologist and cannabis researcher Dr. Ethan Russo about the state of the science on migraines and how to incorporate cannabis and psilocybin mushroom as therapies.

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Episode 66 - Cannabis Triploid Genetics: Sterile and Thriving with guest Seth Crawford

Episode 66 - Cannabis Triploid Genetics: Sterile and Thriving with guest Seth Crawford

Female cannabis plants are often threatened by male pollen coming from a neighbor's garden. Now though, regular breeding has created the first cannabis triploid plants. This naturally occurring plant type not only is impervious to unexpected pollen, but the third chromosome these plants have makes them larger, more resistant to pests and molds, and with bigger yields. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with socio-ecologist Seth Crawford about these new plants and their extraordinary characteristics.

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Episode 65 - Ice Hash Best Practices for Home Hashmakers with guest Ganja Gil

Episode 65 - Ice Hash Best Practices for Home Hashmakers with guest Ganja Gil

More and more people are growing cannabis and making ice water hash at home. It is an incredibly simple yet satisfying hobby that takes a short time to learn but years to master. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los discusses home hashmaking best practices with lifelong hashmaker Ganja Gil - The Ice Wook. Their discussion spans the entire process including choosing starting material, ice, hash bags, temperature, screens, washers, agitation, drying and storage.

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Episode 64 - Feminized Seeds and Female-Only Breeding with guest Ryan Lee

Episode 64 - Feminized Seeds and Female-Only Breeding with guest Ryan Lee

Feminized seeds have a reputation based on devotion, hyperbole, and myth. Cultivators have strong feelings about these particular seeds, no matter if they love or hate them. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with biologist and cannabis geneticist Ryan Lee about the science behind feminized seeds, how to make them, and why they used to have a bad reputation. The third set is dedicated to understanding "female-only" breeding.

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Episode 63 - The Difficult Reality of Banker and Trap Plants with guest Suzanne Wainwright-Evans

Episode 63 - The Difficult Reality of Banker and Trap Plants with guest Suzanne Wainwright-Evans

Natural gardeners like the idea of planting companion plants that will distract cannabis pests and harbor the insects that prey on these same pests. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, The Buglady, about the complexities and challenges of using banker and trap plants in a cannabis garden, why the plants suggested so often online don't actually work in real life and some strategies for making banker and trap plants work for you if you are willing to put in the effort.

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Episode 62 - Satisfying Sex for Chronic Pain and Disease Patients

Episode 62 - Satisfying Sex for Chronic Pain and Disease Patients

Pain and chronic illness are so dynamic that they can injure us on multiple levels. Too often, not only does our body suffer, but our sexuality suffers as well. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with sex educator Chris Maxwell Rose of Pleasure Mechanics about the mental and emotional challenges of having sex while experiencing chronic pain, communication between partners and positions, toys and other strategies for sexualizing your life, even with a chronic malady.

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Episode 61 - Plants, Humans, and the Cultivation Light Spectrum with guest Robert Soler

Episode 61 - Plants, Humans, and the Cultivation Light Spectrum with guest Robert Soler

The application of light to plants, whether it be sunshine or from electricity, is an important part of the overall skillset a cultivator needs to perfect their craft. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with former NASA lighting scientist Robert Soler about some of the key threshold points in the relationship between the light spectrum and cannabis plants that impact all cultivators, clearing up some botanical myths that persist in cannabis cultivation, and a bit about how working under artificial lights impacts the lives of professional indoor cultivators.

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Episode 60 - Transitioning from Opioids to Cannabis for Pain Relief with guest Adie Rae PhD

Episode 60 - Transitioning from Opioids to Cannabis for Pain Relief with guest Adie Rae PhD

One of the most common reasons people become interested in cannabis is for pain relief. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Adie Rae, PhD about the physiological underpinnings of pain, how cannabis offers pain relief by interacting with several body systems, and how patients can transition from highly addictive opioid pain relievers to using cannabis instead.

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Episode 59 - Water and Watering with guest Leighton Morrison

Episode 59 - Water and Watering with guest Leighton Morrison

Water is essential for all of our cannabis gardens and yet so few of us have an intimate understanding of its role in the rhizosphere. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los welcomes back soil biologist Leighton Morrison to explore the origin of water, water harvesting, water's role in the soil and some best practices for watering your garden.

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Episode 58 - Supplemental Insights for Successful Korean Natural Farming

Episode 58 - Supplemental Insights for Successful Korean Natural Farming

Korean Natural Farming is very detailed and very adaptable. On today's episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los leads certified KNF educator Drake down some uncommon paths to discuss how to adapt KNF for atypical implementations like growing and wildcrafting in the city, collecting IMO in desert environments and using preparations for human health and biosecurity.

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Episode 57 - Using Cannabis for Parkinson's Disease Relief with guest Zoe Sigman

Episode 57 - Using Cannabis for Parkinson's Disease Relief with guest Zoe Sigman

Most discussions of using cannabis to help relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease are woefully incomplete and don't offer much actionable information for the actual patient or their family. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with cannabinopathic researcher and health educator Zoe Sigman about what Parkinson's is at the cellular level, what role the endocannabinoid system plays and how to use cannabis to relieve symptoms, in fine detail.

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Episode 56 - Cultivating Cannabis in Tents with Jeremy Silva

Episode 56 - Cultivating Cannabis in Tents with Jeremy Silva

For many, the most effective way to be self-sufficient with cannabis is to grow indoors using a small, dedicated cultivation tent with a light. Tents are a whole lot of fun to grow in and for many provide their first opportunity to get really close to the cannabis plant. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with cultivation educator Jeremy Silva of BuildASoil about cultivation tent best practices, where to start, and how to address some common challenges.

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Episode 55 - Breeding Cannabis for Faster Flowers with guest Nat Pennington

Episode 55 - Breeding Cannabis for Faster Flowers with guest Nat Pennington

Most cannabis growers live in parts of the country with summers too short and cool to grow common cannabis varieties to full maturity. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los speaks with Nat Pennington of Humboldt Seed Company about breeding for faster, early-finishing cannabis flowers, the importance of knowing the cannabis plant intimately, and a little bit on tissue culture and genetic marker assisted breeding too.

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Episode 54 - Geology and Biomimicry in Living Soil Cultivation

Episode 54 - Geology and Biomimicry in Living Soil Cultivation

Much of the cannabis growing during prohibition involved forcing the plant to do our bidding. Now though, cultivators everywhere are spending more time listening to the cannabis plant and learning how to provide what she needs. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with soil biologist Leighton Morrison about the geological source for today's soil, how we can replicate natural systems in our growing containers, and why it is important to let nature lead us towards thriving cannabis plants.

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