The AusCannaPodcast

What if a cannabis business could do more than grow a plant? What if it could help bring a family back onto their land, create jobs and change the opportunities available to future generations?In this episode of AusCannaPodcast, I’m joined by Longo Reo Te Kooro, founder of Aho Farms, a Māori-owned medicinal cannabis company based on Māori land in Hawke’s Bay, Aotearoa New Zealand.Longo’s journey took him from studying law in New Zealand to playing American football in California. After a serious shoulder injury introduced him to cannabis as a way to manage pain, he found himself drawn into the commercial cannabis industry, learning cultivation and building the experience he would eventually bring home.But coming home was about much more than starting a cannabis company.We talk about reconnecting with whenua, the meaning behind the name Aho Farms, and the vision of creating a commercially viable business that can benefit Māori whānau. Longo shares how the business has created employment opportunities for his own family, and why he sees Aho as a vehicle for something much bigger than profit.We also get personal about cannabis stigma, including the family experience that changed how his relatives viewed the plant and its potential role in supporting quality of life.For the industry watchers, we get into the practical realities of New Zealand’s medicinal cannabis market, from patient affordability and access to the regulatory costs facing cultivators. We discuss why Longo believes the current system has room to change, and how better pathways could benefit both producers and patients.This is a conversation about cannabis, culture, business and the responsibility that comes with building something on the land your ancestors walked. Because sometimes success isn’t just about what you build. It’s about who gets to come home, who gets an opportunity, and what the next generation inherits.In this episode:• Longo’s journey from American football to commercial cannabis• Discovering cannabis after a serious shoulder injury• Bringing California experience back to Hawke’s Bay• Māori land, whenua and the meaning behind Aho Farms• Cannabis stigma and changing family perspectives• Creating jobs and opportunities for whānau• Patient affordability and access in New Zealand• Regulatory barriers facing medicinal cannabis cultivators• Building a business without sacrificing your values• Longo’s vision for the next ten years🎧 Listen, subscribe and join the AusCannaFamily.💚 Support the podcast: buymeacoffee.com/auscannapodcast📩 Have a question for a future guest? Email [email protected]:* Not So Rapid Fire (2:24)* From Law School to American Football (17:23)* The Injury That Changed His Relationship with Cannabis (21:56)* Learning the Cannabis Business from the Ground Up (23:16)* Bringing California Knowledge Back to Aotearoa (25:45)* Coming Home and Building with Family (26:54)* Breaking Down Cannabis Stigma (29:41)* Cannabis, Pain and Quality of Life (34:32)* The Meaning Behind the Name Aho Farms (35:44)* Commercial Growth Without Compromising Values (36:42)* Medicinal Cannabis, Māori Opportunity and Patient Access (39:35)* The Cost of Accessing Medicinal Cannabis in New Zealand (40:41)* The Regulatory Barriers Facing Cultivators (43:35)* Different Countries, Different Standards (45:27)* Changing the Family Tree: Longo’s Ten-Year Vision (48:35)* Wrap Up (50:40)Show Notes:* San Francisco 49ersWhere to Find Longo Reo Te Kooro:* Aho Farms on Instagram* Longo on LinkedIn* Aho Farms WebsiteWhere to Find Christina:* @AusCannaReviews on SubStack* @AusCannaReviews on Instagram* @AusCannaReviews on Twitter/X This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit auscannareviews.substack.com

🌿 What happens to cannabis between harvest and the moment a patient opens the tub?Christina visits Matthew Dent, Operations Manager at Wangara Cultivation Co.'s Queensland facility, to talk about the part of the process patients rarely see: what happens after harvest, and how much can change before a tub reaches your hands.Matt challenges the idea that big buds and high THC numbers equal quality, and asks what “craft” means if the flower isn’t fresh by the time it reaches a patient.💸 They break down a hypothetical $150 tub, discuss whether Australian-grown cannabis can compete with imports, and make the case for shorter, more local supply chains.🚗 The conversation also turns to Queensland’s medicinal cannabis driving laws and whether the industry is doing enough to stand up for patients.Recorded on the road, on the farm, and eventually on the move… thanks to an impeccably timed molasses delivery!Chapters:* Rapid Fire (2:25)* What Does “Craft” Actually Mean? (12:55)* Can Cannabis Actually Be Too Old? (15:44)* Can You Scale Craft and Stay Fresh? (22:25)* Australian Grown vs Imported Cannabis (27:09)* Should Australian Cannabis Cost More? (33:23)* Where Does the Money From Your $150 Jar Actually Go? (38:01)* What Does Quality Look Like From a Patient’s Side? (48:00)* What Are Patients Actually Getting From Medicinal Cannabis? (56:08)* Is the Australian Cannabis Market Too Crowded? (1:03:00)* What Does Australian Cannabis Look Like in Five Years? (1:07:18)* Is THC Actually a Quality Marker? (1:13:24)* Freshness, Price and the Cannabis Supply Chain (1:15:44)* What Is Wangara Trying to Prove? (1:18:00)* Final Thoughts (1:20:00)Show Notes:* Queensland parliament passes harsher drug and drink driving penaltiesWhere to Find Matthew:* Wangara on Instagram* Matthew on LinkedIn* Wangara WebsiteWhere to Find Christina:* @AusCannaReviews on SubStack* @AusCannaReviews on Instagram* @AusCannaReviews on Twitter/X* 👉 Got a Rapid Fire question? Email [email protected]* 💚 Want to support the podcast? Buy Me A Coffee/AusCannaPodcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit auscannareviews.substack.com

🌱 Lenny and Kevin Jack from Wildwood Weed have been growing cannabis since the 1980s.Back then, there was no legal industry, no rulebook and certainly no one handing them a cultivation manual. They learned by doing, made plenty of mistakes, lost genetics, and kept going.Decades later, they’ve made the jump into the legal market, but they’ve deliberately stayed small and hands-on. Because for them, growing better cannabis means paying attention to the plant, not just chasing bigger numbers.🌿 We talk legacy growing, legalisation, genetics, pheno hunting, terpenes and why THC isn’t the whole story and yes, we find out how Skuncle got its name.Chapters:* Rapid Fire (2:25)* From Outlaws to Pioneers (10:01)* Making the Jump to Legal Cannabis (13:21)* Why Stay Small? (17:52)* Genetics, Pheno Hunting & Finding the One (21:36)* Beyond THC (27:11)* Has Cannabis Become Too Complicated? (32:10)* Staying Hands On (34:41)* What Would You Tell Your Younger Self? (34:41)* The Future of Cannabis (38:59)* Wrap up (45:10)Show Notes:* Oasis - Champagne Supernova* Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own WayWhere to Find Lenny & Kevin:* Wildwood Weed on Instagram* Wildwood Weed WebsiteWhere to Find Christina:* @AusCannaReviews on SubStack* @AusCannaReviews on Instagram* @AusCannaReviews on Twitter/X* 👉 Got a Rapid Fire question? Email [email protected]* 💚 Want to support the podcast? Buy Me A Coffee/AusCannaPodcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit auscannareviews.substack.com

Bill grew up with the message that cannabis was bad news. For years, he accepted it without really questioning it. Then curiosity got the better of him.What followed became the story behind his book, Drenched in Wonder.In this episode of the AusCannaPodcast, Bill joins Christina for a wide-ranging conversation about cannabis, creativity, stigma, vulnerability and what happens when you finally start questioning what you’ve been told.He shares how cannabis became intertwined with his creative process, why he believes it can help him connect seemingly unrelated ideas, and how holding onto a sense of childlike wonder has shaped the way he experiences the world.But this isn’t a story without difficult chapters.Bill opens up about one of his most challenging experiences with cannabis, what he learned from getting too high, and how a lack of meaningful education contributed to what happened. That experience ultimately became part of the reason he decided to share his story publicly.From there, the conversation expands into the wider cannabis community, stigma, advocacy and Bill’s first real deep dive into the Australian cannabis industry.And yes, somewhere along the way, we compared the cannabis industry to high school.At its heart, this is a conversation about curiosity, education and the power of honest stories. About being willing to question what we’ve been taught, stay open to new ideas and, perhaps most importantly, hold onto a little bit of wonder along the way.Chapters:* Rapid Fire (2:45)* Creativity, Curiosity and the Inner Child (16:36)* Stop and Smell the Flowers (20:28)* Why We Need to Talk About Cannabis Honestly (22:09)* From “Bad News” to Curiosity (27:42)* When “Too High” Becomes a Reality (32:00)* What We Weren't Taught About Cannabis (35:35)* The Problem With “Just Say No” (39:11)* Where Is the Cannabis Industry When Change Is Happening? (41:25)* Is There Stigma Inside the Cannabis Industry? (50:49)* What Comes Next for Bill? (54:09)* Be the Change You Want to See (56:38)* You're Not Alone (58:03)* Respect the Plant (59:04)* Wrap Up (1:03:30)Show Notes:* Bill’s Drenched In Wonder Spotify Playlist* Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey* World Domination Summit* The Midnight Gospel* This is your brain on drugs commercial Where to Find Bill Simpson:* @tapdancingbill on Instagram* Bill on Facebook* Drench In Wonder WebsiteWhere to Find Christina:* @AusCannaReviews on SubStack* @AusCannaReviews on Instagram* @AusCannaReviews on Twitter/X* 👉 Got a Rapid Fire question? Email [email protected]* 💚 Want to support the podcast? Buy Me A Coffee/AusCannaPodcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit auscannareviews.substack.com

In this episode of the AusCannaPodcast, I sit down with Jenny Hillam, one of the people who was willing to stand up and fight for cannabis patients long before doing so was easy, accepted, or particularly safe.Jenny shares the story of how cannabis became part of her own life, how that led her into advocacy, and what happened when helping other people turned into something much bigger than she ever expected.We talk about the early days of cannabis advocacy in Australia, making medicine when there was very little information available, the patients who came looking for help, and the moment the police came knocking.Jenny also opens up about the legal battle that followed, facing the possibility of 18 years in prison, the decision to plead guilty, and the part of that experience she still struggles with today.But this conversation goes well beyond Jenny’s story.We talk about where Australian cannabis advocacy has come from, where it has fallen short, the importance of evidence, the role of patients, and what Jenny thinks needs to happen if we actually want to see meaningful change.There are some stories you hear and move on from.And some that stay with you.I think Jenny’s is one of them.Chapters:* Rapid Fire (2:00)* If You Don’t Try, You’ll Never Know (15:34)* From Patient to Advocate (15:51)* Figuring It Out When Nobody Would Tell Her How (18:16)* “I Was Playing God” (26:27)* When Helping People Came at a Cost (27:09)* “If You Haven’t Got Haters, You’re Not Doing It Right” (31:49)* The Raid (31:54)* Eighteen Years, $300,000 and No Way Out (38:51)* The Hardest Day of Her Life (41:51)* Criminal, Pariah, Legend (43:34)* Free the Fucking Plant (48:28)* Stop Watching. Start Fighting (51:05)* We Need to Support Each Other (54:20)* What Jenny Wishes People Understood (55:01)* Still Fighting (56:52)* The Next Fight Is the Evidence (58:18)* Get Mad. Get Involved. (61:25)* Wrap Up (62:12)Show Notes:* Cannabis oil advocate Jenny Hallam spared conviction for supplying medicinal cannabis* Norman Rockwell Where to Find Guest:* Jenny on InstagramWhere to Find Christina:* @AusCannaReviews on SubStack* @AusCannaReviews on Instagram* @AusCannaReviews on Twitter/X* 👉 Got a Rapid Fire question? Email [email protected]* 💚 Want to support the podcast? Buy Me A Coffee/AusCannaPodcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit auscannareviews.substack.com