Cannabis Cultivation and Science Podcast

What we cover in this episode:
The Fallacy of THC Percentage: Why consumer purchasing metrics fail to predict actual experience and how aroma offers a more reliable sensory guide.
The Six Aroma Categorizations: How MariMed and Dr. Kirk broke down complex strain chemistry into six practical sensory buckets—from Jacks & Haze to OG, Gas & Chem.
Analytical COA Limitations: Why standard terpene panels miss low-abundance, high-potency molecules like volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) and flavorant esters that dominate a strain's scent profile.
Cultivation & Post-Harvest Precision: Kris Roy breaks down how drying and curing environments, water activity target thresholds, and operational SOPs preserve volatile monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.
Combustion vs. Volatilization Chemistry: What happens to monoterpenes versus sesquiterpenes when flower is lit at high heat, and why joint dynamics shift from head-heavy to body-heavy notes as you smoke.
Industry Nuance & MSOs: A candid discussion on craft cultivation, scale, consumer safety, and the role of large-scale operators in funding plant science research.

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How do you maintain a high-fertility organic living soil program in states with near-zero tolerance for heavy metals?
In this episode, Tad Hussey (KISS Organics) sits down with Greg Larson, a commercial cannabis consultant specializing in organic soil systems and heavy metal mitigation. Together, they break down the science and practical management of heavy metals in commercial cannabis cultivation, drawing on real-world data from facilities operating under tight compliance limits in South Dakota and Minnesota.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Root Cause Testing: How to use ICP-MS lab testing to audit every facility input—from soil amendments and fertilizers down to irrigation lines and trim gloves.
Input Selection Dynamics: Why ocean-based inputs (like fishbone meal) carry significantly higher heavy metal risks compared to land-based options (like bovine bone meal, feather meal, and soybean meal).
Soil Chemistry & Plant Pathways: How maintaining optimal phosphorus levels and neutral pH prevents plants from absorbing arsenic through shared uptake mechanisms.
Biomass Removal Strategies: Why pulling root balls instead of "chopping and dropping" removes accumulated heavy metals and systematically lowers soil contamination cycle after cycle.
Beds vs. Containers: How larger soil volumes act as a buffer against heavy metal spikes while lowering labor costs and nitrogen requirements.
Irrigation Fail Points: Managing reverse osmosis (RO) systems, preventing metal stripping from plumbing, and avoiding anaerobic soil pockets that increase arsenic bioavailability.

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Key Takeaways & Highlights

Mammoth P Relaunch & Product Updates

The Return: After stepping away in late 2022 and spending three years working with the Microbial Mass Pro team, Colin bought back and officially relaunched the Mammoth brand.

~70% Price Reduction: Streamlined, scalable manufacturing allowed Colin to drop the price by roughly 70% compared to legacy pricing, making it significantly more accessible for all growers.

3-Year Shelf Life: A subtle reformulation extends the active, non-spore liquid shelf life out to three full years.

Application Rate: Continuous weekly applications at 0.6 mL per gallon throughout veg and bloom yield the best results across all substrates (living soil, hydro, coco, and rockwool).

Mammoth P vs. Microbial Mass Pro

Mammoth P: Uses active (motile), non-spore-forming bacteria selected directly from natural soil samples to liberate phosphorus and trace metals like iron. It is carried in an organic, alfalfa-derived liquid medium.

Microbial Mass Pro: Uses dormant Bacillus endospores suspended in a clean, synthetic-like solution. While Bacillus spores require 24–48 hours to germinate once applied, active motile strains start functioning immediately upon contact with the root zone.

The Power of Consortia

Microbes in nature do not work in isolation. Multi-species consortia offer synergistic functionality (1+1+1+1 = 5, 6, or 7) and greater ecological adaptability across changing pH, moisture levels, and soil micro-pores than single-species products.

Addressing Common Grower Myths

Brewing into Compost Tea: Discouraged. Tank brewing introduces unpredictable competitive dynamics, risks losing the intended consortia balance, and isn't necessary given the product's concentration and price point.

The Triacontanol Myth: Alfalfa meal is used strictly as a carbon and nitrogen source to feed the bacteria, undergoing heavy boiling and filtration to sterilize the media. Independent testing confirmed triacontanol levels were untraceable or present in negligible parts-per-billion amounts—it is not the driver of performance.

Pathogen Concerns: Colin debunked rumors regarding human pathogens, explaining strain specificity (the same way safe E. coli strains differ from harmful ones) and highlighting full regulatory approval across international agricultural departments.

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This episode covers the key scientific drivers behind lab result variability, from instrument calibration down to field sampling practices.

Understanding Reference Standards: How analytical instruments use commercially available reference standards to construct calibration curves for testing unknown samples.

The Potency Variability Study: Insights from Cannabis ChemLab’s study overlaying 35 different THCA standards, demonstrating how variance between standard manufacturers and product lots leads to drastic differences in reported THC percentages.

The Mechanism of Potency Inflation: How calibration curves at the high end of concentration explain "impossible" lab results exceeding 100% cannabinoids in concentrates and diamonds.

Neutral vs. Acidic Cannabinoids: Why acidic forms like THCA and CBDA present significantly more analytical variability in the lab compared to decarboxylated neutral forms found in edibles.

Heavy Metals and Fertilizer Inputs: An in-depth discussion on ICP-MS heavy metal testing, identifying soil amendments like fishbone meal as a primary source of arsenic accumulation in living soil.

Dispelling Marketing Claims: Why ocean-based inputs are not inherently cleaner than other fertilizers, and why growers must screen raw materials rather than relying on marketing claims.

Agronomic Mitigation Strategies: How plant biology and strategic tissue management, such as utilizing older lower leaves as heavy metal sinks, can help keep heavy metals out of the final flower.

Navigating Unexpected Results: Practical steps for cultivators when faced with surprising lab data, including when a flower batch warrants resampling versus when a process error has occurred.

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The Reality of CHS and the 1,100+ Patient Study

Dr. Peterson highlights the scope of his landmark survey, which gathered data from 1,134 CHS sufferers. The study reveals that CHS is not an acute reaction to a single session, but rather a chronic, low-level dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) that predominantly impacts heavy, long-term consumers.

Frequency of Use: 96.5% of study participants consumed cannabis daily, and 45% consumed more than six times per day.

The "Buoy" Metaphor: Dr. Peterson explains the ECS as a master regulatory buoy. While occasional cannabis use gently nudges the buoy, chronic high-dose THC overstimulation completely knocks it over, triggering the cyclical vomiting state.

Vapes vs. Flower: The Onset Timeline

One of the most significant findings of the paper is how the method of inhalation changes how quickly CHS develops.

Vaporizing: Exclusive vapers reported symptoms starting within 1 to 2 years of beginning use.

Smoking Flower: Flower smokers took significantly longer to develop CHS, with the most common timeline being 10 years or more.

Debunking the Pesticide and Neem Oil Myths

A popular theory in the cannabis community is that CHS is actually pesticide or neem oil poisoning. Dr. Peterson challenges this theory using clinical toxicology:

The Sourcing Data: Sufferers in the study reported identical CHS symptoms regardless of whether they got their weed from licensed dispensaries, illicit sources, or their own pesticide-free home grows.

Neem Oil Toxicity: Ingesting neem oil causes immediate nausea, alongside severe clinical signs like liver damage, seizures, and brain swelling—none of which are observed in CHS patients.

Pesticide Toxidromes: Known pesticide exposures (like organophosphates) present with highly specific chemical "toxidromes" that look nothing like cyclical vomiting.

Gender Differences in Symptom Severity

The study revealed a stark contrast in how CHS manifests between sexes:

Men: Frequently reported shorter hyperemetic episodes, often lasting only 1 day.

Women: Suffered statistically longer and more severe episodes, with the most common duration being 3 to 5 days, and over 10% suffering for 10 or more days of continuous vomiting.

Recognizing the Prodrome and Navigating Recovery

The Prodrome Phase: This early warning phase involves morning nausea, abdominal pain, heartburn, and hot/cold flashes. It can linger in the background for years before a full vomiting episode occurs.

The Path to Healing: While the clinical textbook demands absolute abstinence, Dr. Peterson shares real-world data showing how patients actually navigate recovery, the limitations of hot baths as temporary relief, and the potential future role of minor cannabinoids like CBG for harm reduction.

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