If you’re curious to learn more about the latest cannabinoid darling, Delta 8 THC, you’re in the right place. I reached out to Dr. V back in the spring about recording this potcast and the stars finally aligned for us to catch up for a few days in August.

On this potcast, we chat about the science of creating Delta-8 out of both Delta-9 THC and hemp-based CBD. And the qualities of the Delta-8 cannabinoid that we love so much. Dr. V pulls back the curtain on cannabis product formulation, testing, and what’s on the horizon in this ever-evolving industry.

If you feel empowered by today’s conversation, I hope you’ll share this potcast with a friend. And if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind cannabis-infused getaway, I invite you to join me in the beautiful wine and weed country of Sonoma County, California. As a cannabis lifestyle guide, I’ve cultivated a one-of-a-kind farm stay experience where you can enjoy the casually baked lifestyle and the magic of sun-grown cannabis farms and vineyards. If you’re into wine, weed, or both, get ready to have a high time customized just for you. Click the link to learn more.

Kumbaya and cannabis, -Jo 💚

This Potcast Is Covered By MJ Relief

‘After the Show’ Notes

Dr. Monica Vialpando is a pharmaceutically trained product development scientist with expertise in the formulation of water-insoluble compounds. As founder and CEO of Via Innovations, she leverages this uniquely specialized background to advance plant-based medicines by integrating formulation technologies.

She currently serves active scientific advisory roles to The Plant Labs, MAZAKALI, and Gofire. And is an adjunct professor at Loyalist College, Ontario. Dr. Vialpando is a frequently invited industry speaker, recipient of the El Sohly Award for ‘Excellence in Cannabis Chemistry’, listed as ‘Top 100 Healthcare Leaders’ by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare and included in the Cannabis Scientist’s Power List for 2021.

Delta-8 Big Picture

The 2018 Farm Bill defines hemp and its byproducts as “all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent.” Based on that language, Delta-8 is legal by virtue of its not containing any delta-9 THC. 

Producers are currently enjoying a brief period of limited regulation, high prices, and strong consumer demand. However, once fully regulated, opportunities will likely be limited if not prohibitive, with significantly higher barriers to entry.

As of the end of July, 34 states and the District of Columbia were reportedly allowing production, sale, possession, or consumption of delta-8 THC, while 16 states had restricted or banned it (with legislative reviews pending in five states).

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According to the USDA, the value of  U.S. agricultural exports to China rose almost 109%  to $28.8 billion  between 2019 and 2020. That  accounted for  one-quarter of all farm shipments,  or 55.5 million tons. 

In 2018, China purchased 302 million bushels of soybeans; last year, China increased those to 1.27 billion bushels.  In 2012, China’s purchase of U.S. corn peaked  at 171 million bushels; last year, China bought a record 272 million bushels.  The People’s Republic  is now buying more American-grown farm goods than it did before  the trade war, and  U.S. agricultural officials expect the demand to continue growing.  New Frontier  Data  estimates that the value of U.S.  agricultural  exports to China  will rise to  $31.5 billion  in 2022.

If that doesn’t make you nervous then you aren’t paying attention.

As of March 1,  agricultural exports to  China  had reached  $6.1 billion,  the second-fastest purchase pace  since 2014. Subsequently, meat and crops exports are approaching record volumes to China.  While surging agricultural exports  to China  have  invigorated  the U.S. farm economy, some lawmakers view China’s influence on America’s  food supply as a national security risk, leading to the introduction of  policy aimed at  curbing  the volume of  agricultural commodities  crossing the Pacific.

Chinese firms have expanded their presence in American agriculture over the last decade by snapping up farmland and purchasing major agribusinesses, like Pork processing giant Smithfield Foods. By the start of 2020, Chinese owners controlled about 192,000 agricultural acres in the U.S., worth $1.9 billion, including land used for farming, ranching, and forestry, according to the Agriculture Department.

While lawmakers remain laser-focused on Chinese buyers, other nationals own even more agricultural property in the United States.

Foreign investors by the end of 2019 held an interest in more than 35 million acres — an area bigger than New York State. The total has grown by an average 2.3 million acres per year since 2015, according to USDA data. 

Yeah, yeah, Johanna. Why does this matter to me and you as consumers? 

I’m confident there are more reasons than I can articulate - but a few highlights for me include:

1. It’s already been established that big ag is terrible for the environment and for the health of the farmworkers who tend the fields and touch those crops and their families who are affected by the residual pesticides brought home on their clothes and it’s terrible for the factory workers who process those crops into fibers for clothes or to make compostable products. I want evidence of foreign investors honoring the land and feeding the soil using sustainable farming practices. Find one and send them my way. If you live near a big ag operation, I encourage you to find out who owns that land. And check into their farming practices and their involvement in the community. Of course, be warned that “It’s a massive undertaking to verify who really owns [the land],” according to Joe Maxwell, president of the progressive advocacy group Family Farm Action. “These foreign interests are pretty smart. They use different business structures to further conceal it. For example, foreign investors can set up limited liability companies in the U.S. and designate an American owner to circumvent the reporting requirements while still controlling the operation behind the scenes.”

2. If you know someone who works at a feedlot or on a giant farm - ask them what it’s like. How do they treat the animals? How do they protect and nurture the soil and care for sick plants? Is it Monsanto-style or are they working with nature to close the loop to create a healthy ecosystem? Ask questions and stay curious! One of the best things I ever did for my health was to start paying attention to the source of what I was feeding myself both physically and mentally.

3. Another reason I think who owns America’s farmland matters - is that whoever controls the food controls the population. I don’t really think I need to say more than that.

4. The majority of US farms are experiencing either severe drought or flooding. Water is being restricted or cut off to many small farms - including the one where I live in California - jeopardizing harvests and people’s livelihoods. Since water is at a premium. I prefer local, American families and businesses tending our farmland and feeding our local communities. Rather than big ag companies notorious for poisoning our soil and shipping GMO corn and soy across the ocean to China so they can make shit for cheap and sell it back to us. Much of it is under the guise of being green. Never mind that those compostable straws you feel better about using made two trips across the Pacific Ocean to get to your lips. 😑

Of course, it’s not just foreign investors buying up America’s farmland.

Bill Gates and other billionaires have been buying up huge amounts of farmland. Gates is now the biggest owner of farmland in America, according to a Forbes report. “After years of reports that he was purchasing agricultural land in places like Florida and Washington, The Land Report revealed that Gates, who has a net worth of nearly $121 billion according to Forbes, has built up a massive farmland portfolio spanning 18 states. His largest holdings are in Louisiana (69,071 acres), Arkansas (47,927 acres), and Nebraska (20,588 acres). Additionally, he has a stake in 25,750 acres of transitional land on the west side of Phoenix, Arizona, which is being developed as a new suburb.” Gates now owns 242,000 acres of farmland across the U.S., mostly “through third-party entities by Cascade Investments, Gates’ personal investment vehicle.” 

According to Forbes, it is not known what Gates is doing with the land and Cascade Investments refused to comment on the issue. In terms of individual landowners, Gates is still far behind media mogul John C. Malone, who is in the top spot with 2.2 million acres of ranches and forests, and CNN founder Ted Turner, who owns 2 million acres of ranch land.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is also “investing in land on a large scale,” according to the report. While billionaire “philanthropists” and technocrats are acquiring land at an accelerating speed, the future of owning private property will virtually cease to exist for the average American family.

The money flowing into agricultural real estate from other countries, billionaire “philanthropists” and technocrats make it difficult for new farmers in the U.S. to afford land as these ass hats bid up prices. I’m personally witnessing third and fourth-generation farmers reluctantly set to exit the industry because they simply can’t afford to stay operational under these dire circumstances.

According to Maxwell, “When this land changes hands, they’re going to gobble it up,” he said of foreign buyers. “These investments artificially increase the value of that land, which then denies young and beginning farmers opportunities to farm.”

Alright, so what are the small actions you can take right now to make a positive impact in your community?

• Seek out, meet, and support your local farmers.

• If you live in a metro area, make a habit of shopping at the weekly farmers’ market rather than the major grocery chain you frequent.

• And keep in mind that the majority of local farmers are farming organically but aren’t "certified" organic because it costs thousands of dollars to get that certification and most family farms don’t have the extra cash flow to make it official. When in doubt, ASK!

• And if you’re a meat-eater, support local, sustainable meat producers who treat animals humanely throughout the process. Our bodies know the difference so you’ll feel healthier while also strengthening your community relationships and the local economy.

• Remember grocery shelves during the panic of 2020? By shopping locally or directly through community-supported agriculture programs, you’ll be less affected by nationwide interruptions in the food supply chain.

There’s some heavy shit happening in the world right now but you don’t have to be controlled by the chaos.

It has been proven in experiments that laughter unleashes your killer T-cells which eliminate cancer and other diseases. Fear collars them. And Fear’s friends, Worry and Stress, also increase cortisol which leads to weight gain and lowered immune response. So, rather than worrying, freaking out, and fighting - turn off the TV, spark up your favorite flower and keep your spirits lifted.

Happiness is a choice. Gratitude is a choice. And so is choosing the right OCB rolling papers to suit your mood. 😎

OCB offers a full line of rolling papers made with sustainable fibers inc. Flax, Wood, Organic Hemp, Bamboo, and virgin wood. All come in a full line of sizes in both booklets and cones. Right now I’m in a single-wide organic hemp phase. The smaller papers are perfect for a solo sesh. No matter which OCB rolling paper you choose, you can be assured all are vegan, GMO-free, chlorine-free, and dye-free. Plus OCB only uses natural acacia gum for an always sticks experience sourced from African fields that OCB has been re-foresting for decades.

Of course, you must be 21 and older to buy OCB rolling papers and to follow the natural wonders of OCB on social @ocb_usa.

Roll With Me, a new video series launched on the Casually Baked YouTube channel in April 2021, is a collaboration with OCB Rolling Papers. Get lessons and insights on the craft of rolling while chatting about all things hemp and cannabis culture.

Complete This Form to Roll With Me On An Upcoming Episode

We all know practice makes perfectly smokeable joints so I’m engaging my cannabis industry friends to coach me. And if you’ve got some rolling tricks up your sleeve, perhaps you, too, can school me on an episode of Roll With Me.

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Get 4 booklets of OCB and a rolling tray for only $4.99! This bundle is worth 20 bucks and is around for a limited time. But the rolling skills and street cred we’re going to earn together, my friend, makes this bundle priceless as far as I’m concerned. ✌️💚

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