PT569 – Is Cannabis a Psychedelic? Exploring the Science of Indoles, Interprening, and Intention, with Max Montrose

In this episode, Victoria interviews Max Montrose: Founder of the Trichome Institute, a company offering online courses and certifications on cannabis. Montrose explores the scientific and sensory aspects of cannabis, diving into the role of the aromatic compound, indole, and how the fresher and more aromatic (usually pungent) the flower is, the higher chance for having a more psychedelic experience. He dives into ways to maximize the psychedelic nature of cannabis, largely through "interprening," which is his method for learning about a plant's effects from smelling buds, measuring your sense of sensation and where you feel the smell is hitting you. And he talks a lot about intention and how the power of a cannabis experience can be determined by the reverence you have for the plant and the intention you put behind each inhale: It is a "total reflection of how much you care." He also discusses: The range of cannabis effects: how it can be just weed – something mindlessly smoked all day with a slight numbing effect – or an incredibly powerful, life-changing experience The importance of skillset being added to the concept of set and setting: the skills you have (and can practice) for helping you create your own setting to get through a tough time Issues with the legal cannabis industry about accuracy of strains, shelf life, and the ability to smell the product The lack of money in cannabis research: Why is no one funding research into indole chemistry? Why indica and sativa are not accurate terms, and how aroma is more of a factor than we realize and more! For links, head to the show notes page.