Cannabis and Real World Data with Dr. Miyabe Shields
Dr. Riley Kirk welcomes Dr. Miyabe Shields for a deep dive into cannabis real-world data, cannabis consumption patterns, dosing, neurodivergent cannabis use, and the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). As co-founders of the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP), Riley and Miyabe discuss the newly accessible Real Data Project, including what large-scale consumer data can reveal about how people actually use cannabis in their everyday lives.
They explore why terms like “heavy cannabis consumption” are difficult to define, how consumption can vary by dose and frequency, and what the data shows across different populations and consumption methods. They also discuss the importance of making real-world cannabis data accessible to consumers, researchers, patients, and healthcare professionals rather than keeping it behind academic paywalls or within highly controlled research settings.
The conversation also covers cannabis and neurodivergence, cannabis and mental health, the challenges of interpreting cannabis research, product chemistry and consumer experiences, terpene levels, cannabis aging, and how chemical data can eventually be connected with the way individual consumers actually feel after using a product.
Finally, Riley and Miyabe discuss their ECS-focused e-book, created to make information about the Endocannabinoid System more accessible to both new and experienced cannabis consumers, including practical information about dosing, lifestyle, sleep, exercise, diet, and understanding your own ECS.
Chapters
00:00 Giveaway!
00:53 Welcome to another NAP Time episode
01:27 What is the Real Data Project?
03:00 Why “heavy cannabis consumption” is difficult to define
04:25 Dose, frequency, and different types of cannabis consumers
06:05 What the consumption data is beginning to reveal
09:20 Real-world data on cannabis-infused beverages
11:39 Cannabis use and neurodivergent populations
14:27 What the data can and cannot tell us
17:45 Cannabis research, stigma, and risk factors
19:13 Barriers to cannabis as medicine
23:09 Real-world data vs. clinical trials and meta-analyses
29:45 Why cannabis chemistry alone doesn't tell the whole story
34:41 Making cannabis data accessible to everyone
39:00 How cannabis aroma preferences change over time
41:26 Terpenes, harshness, and the importance of mouthfeel
47:49 Connecting product chemistry with real-world effects
49:15 What happens to cannabis as it ages?
51:46 Explore the Real Data Project
52:26 A new Endocannabinoid System e-book
58:14 Building research with community feedback
59:06 What Miyabe and Riley are consuming right now
01:02:14 Final thoughts
Resources
Explore the Real Data Project / RWD Exchange:
https://rwdexchange.com/
Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP):
https://www.appliedpharmacognosy.org/
ECS E-Book:
An accessible deep dive into the Endocannabinoid System, cannabis dosing, lifestyle, sleep, exercise, diet, and understanding your own ECS. The episode says the e-book is being released alongside the Real Data Project.
Enter the Storz & Bickel VZ Giveaway:
https://forms.gle/gBLCEem9BwherVdYA
Connect With Dr. Miyabe Shields on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miyabeshields
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https://www.appliedpharmacognosy.org/
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