An Interview with Eddie Abravanel
I sat down with global cannabis consultant Eddie, a true pioneer who started in 1996. He shares his incredible journey, from running one of Michigan’s first “caregiver” dispensaries to facing police raids despite being legal. Eddie makes a powerful case for why truly medical cannabis must be contaminant-free and why patient safety should always come before commercial shortcuts. This is an essential conversation for anyone interested in the industry’s past, present, and future.
The first 2 minutes was small-talk and getting the setup working, before the interview started for real…..
[2:20] I am very happy today to be joined by Eddie, who is a global cannabis consultant.
[2:25] He’s going to be talking to us about, guess what?
[2:29] Cannabis.
[2:30] Uh, so Eddie, how did you get to become a global cannabis consultant?
[2:35] Hi, uh, yes.
[2:37] Um, in 1996 when California passed proposition 420, was my first working with cannabis in the medicinal cannabis space.
[2:48] Uh, that was in California.
[2:51] Uh, they were actually the first state to pass medical marijuana and um, I had a lot of friends in the Emerald triangle that were, you know, catering to the black market that were transitioning into this medical market that we have today.
[3:06] Um, I worked as a harvester and a processor and and kind of got my my fingers wet in in the space.
[3:17] Uh, in 2008, when Michigan passed, I opened Ed’s Meds, which was Michigan’s first dispensary.
[3:23] That was under the caregiver patient law structure at the time.
[3:27] I was a caregiver.
[3:29] I had um, 12 patients, six plants per patient, 72 plant operations, each caregiver had back in the day.
[3:38] Um, so then I, you know, was you had to be very strict in being compliant with the law.
[3:45] Uh, I took nine other caregivers and we we went to a central location.
[3:51] We had 10 grow rooms with 72 plants each for our patients.
[4:01] You have to explain what a caregiver?
[4:02] So as a caregiver, you were allowed or entitled to grow a certain number of plants.
[4:10] Exactly.
[4:11] Michigan structured this Never heard of that.
[4:13] Yes, it’s a caregiver patient law structure and it was based on 12 plants per patient and it was obviously a bit muddled because you were allowed to have 15 ounces per patient as well.
[4:28] And you know, odd number because 16 16 as well, right, 15 ounces each.
[4:34] Wow.
[4:36] and, you know, 16 ounces is a pound.
[4:39] So it was weird.
[4:40] We’d called the 15 ounces the Michigan medical pound at the time.
[4:45] But, um, yeah, so we were responsible for growing the cannabis for our patients.
[4:52] Uh, the whatever deal you had set up between you and your patient was on an individual basis.
[4:58] The law didn’t address that.
[5:02] And, um, I took it a step further by joining with nine other caregivers and we we went to a central location.
[5:11] We had 10 grow rooms with 72 plants each for our patients.
[5:16] The problem was you, of course, with that many plants, you produce far more than 15 ounces.
[5:25] No, never.
[5:27] Yeah.
[5:28] So under the law, you were supposed to just provide for your patient.
[5:33] However, um, you could technically sell to a licensed patient, um, who was, you know, when we say licensed, it means somebody that was approved by the state to have, uh, medical cannabis.
[5:48] So, um, you know, started growing cannabis.
[5:53] Um,
[5:54] So you were in effect became like a a self-sufficient little mini clinic, little mini clinic and pharmacy where you could grow it and then you can sell it to uh registered, recognized patient.
[6:10] So you were you were a little industry there.
[6:13] Yes, yes, exactly.
[6:14] When you compare it to the that’s amazing.
[6:16] When you compare it to the UK structure, it is very much like that.
[6:20] And I personally, so when I set that up, I worked directly with the Hemp and cannabis Foundation.
[6:26] The Hemp and cannabis Foundation was an organization out of Oregon that went state to state as states became legal and they would set up an office with a doctor who would help facilitate medical licenses.
[6:42] So that was great and they, so, um, they helped educate people and, you know, so many people were new to medicating with cannabis.
[6:53] Some people had never used cannabis before and the last thing you want is somebody to have a terrible experience, uh, to possibly overmedicate and, you know, just not really receive the benefits.
[7:06] So, uh, working with that organization, I started uh, educating patients.
[7:12] I personally set up a um, free meds program for anyone that was terminally ill or suffering from central nervous system disorders like Parkinson’s and MS.
[7:24] Yeah.
[7:25] Yeah.
[7:26] Yeah, and anyone who was undergoing chemo also was eligible for free meds from Ed’s meds.
[7:32] So, that that was really helpful.
[7:35] People really appreciated that.
[7:38] And then as you know,
[7:40] And what year was this roughly, sorry?
[7:42] 2008, 2009.
[7:44] Right.
[7:45] And yeah, yeah.
[7:46] And really, it it didn’t become legal in California even until 2014, 16, right?
[7:52] So this this was this was quite a while before it became, let’s say mainstream.
[7:58] I mean this this 10 years before.
[8:01] Absolutely.
[8:02] No, we were pioneers for the industry.
[8:05] Um, not always a great thing.
[8:08] Uh, it was very difficult.
[8:09] As people, you know, here are experiencing now, you couldn’t, you know, even though it was legal and we were allowed to possess it, uh, the police still were rating our homes.
[8:19] I personally had my home rated by the police because a neighbor could smell the cannabis and you know, the police first stole my trash and then found some piece of paper saying flower, but cycle started on a certain date and that was enough for a judge to get a no knock warrant.
[8:37] Next thing you know, my house is, the front door is being kicked in, a circus of police are barreling into my house, hog tied me.
[8:47] Um and then.
[8:48] And this this was for providing cannabis to patients.
[8:52] To medical patients and I had all, I was meticulous about being compliant with the law.
[8:57] I actually had the laws stapled to the grow room door.
[9:04] Do not do do not do that.
[9:06] Yeah, yeah.
[9:06] And and they still they still.
[9:08] So when they when they came in and they took down everything and they took the cannabis and they took my grow equipment.
[9:16] I said, I’m totally compliant.
[9:19] Um, they said, no, you have way too much cannabis here.
[9:22] I said, that cannabis is curing and it was marked as such.
[9:25] So you could have, you could have cannabis that was curing and not finished and this kind of interim state that didn’t count against your, you know, you think you want your 15 yeah.
[9:37] Exactly.
[9:38] And I offered the police at the time to, I said, I have a scale here, let’s weigh it so I can sign off on what you’re taking, so we both agree.
[9:47] And the police said to me, don’t worry, we’re not going to add any to it.
[9:52] And I said, I wasn’t worried until you said that.
[9:57] Um, long story short, fought it for a year.
[10:03] Uh, they, basically it is the MO of, uh, prosecutorial offices to put people through this financial stress and and terrible scenario.
[10:15] And then they tossed it out.
[10:17] It was, uh, it was dismissed because they finally waited and I was, you know, compliant.
[10:24] And you were within within what you could and so all that hassle, all that stress for, you know.
[10:31] And financial loss, mostly financial.
[10:34] And yeah, uh, I had to start, I had to replace the equipment, I had to replace the cannabis they stole, I had to engage an attorney.
[10:42] Um, it was, you know, thousands of dollars.
[10:46] Uh, it was a terrible scenario.
[10:48] And then I was like, oh, you know, am I gonna continue to do this?
[10:53] My motivation for doing it was my father had, uh, cancer.
[10:57] He passed away in 2001.
[10:58] Uh, the only thing that made him feel better with a table full of medicine was cannabis.
[11:03] Um, so I was like, no, I’m gonna continue to do this no matter, you know, how stressful and terrible it is at times.
[11:13] Um,
[11:14] So, so you’ve, I think we’ve established over over 20 years, you you have gone from growing through medical, setting up your own little mini clinic, understanding the laws of Michigan better than the police did.
[11:31] Uh, and now you’re into the the business development.
[11:33] I know you work with a lot of companies.
[11:36] But what we what we were originally talking about, um, was the the fact that medical cannabis is being sold or or touted as being cleaner than clean.
[11:49] It’s it’s far better for you than street weed.
[11:53] And I say, I I emphasize that because the home office in the UK at the moment lumped together grow your own with street weed.
[12:02] They they see the two things as being the same.
[12:06] Uh, the danger of contaminants is high.
[12:08] Now, maybe there are people who are growing their own who don’t realize.
[12:13] So, maybe, you know, it’s maybe a fair point for a small number of people.
[12:18] But where we think of medical cannabis is being clean, we know that the majority of of of medical cannabis in the UK right now is derived from the same commercial growers that supply a lot of the rec market in Canada and the US.
[12:37] And some of those might be using, uh, fertilizers, PKRs, they might be using chemicals to boost the growth because that’s the commercial pressure they’re under.
[12:52] So how, what’s your take on the whole, how clean should cannabis, medical cannabis be?
[12:58] How, how much does it overlap with the commercial side?
[13:02] Yes, yes, no, absolutely.
[13:03] And I’m a patient as well as a professional.
[13:06] And, you know, since the beginning, people have always asked me, what is the difference between medical cannabis and recreational cannabis?
[13:17] And clearly, just like you’ve stated, there’s none.
[13:20] There’s no difference.
[13:21] There, there’s there’s no guidelines as far as medical cannabis has no pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, no contaminants.
[13:31] It’s not a pure clean product.
[13:33] In my opinion, especially as a patient, I feel that it should be.
[13:37] Um,
[13:38] Well, what what yeah, what’s the what’s the point, I suppose you could say.
[13:41] What is the point?
[13:42] And why does a doctor need to prescribe it?
[13:45] And, you know, it’s, what makes it medical versus recreational?
[13:50] How do you separate the two?
[13:51] And if there is no separation, then, you know, it’s kind of ridiculous.
[13:57] To me, medical cannabis should be grown contaminant free.
[14:02] I’ve, you know, we have discussed this in the past.
[14:04] I personally believe that if it’s medicine, there should be no contaminants whatsoever.
[14:11] And is it commercially viable?
[14:13] Yes, yes, it is.
[14:15] Uh, pharmaceutical manufacturers might say no, no, it’s not.
[14:17] We’re growing, you know, huge rooms of cannabis and and it is challenging, especially, you know, old school growers like myself that went from a room of 72 plants to, you know, 700 plants or more.
[14:31] those were the challenges that someone like myself wasn’t prepared to deal with and immediately the industry started going down the same road as.
[14:40] But did you do it?
[14:41] I mean, you’ve you had 720 plants, were you able to say hand on heart that I was able to grow these without Absolutely organically, I suppose.
[14:51] Absolutely, we, we did.
[14:53] So it can’t be done.
[14:54] Yes, yes, it can be done.
[14:56] 100%.
[14:57] Is it more costly, more challenging?
[14:59] Absolutely.
[15:01] Are there times that you might have to destroy the crop and start over?
[15:04] Yes.
[15:05] Um, however, you’re creating medicine for people who are sick.
[15:09] So, in my opinion, if you’re going to prescribe it, you’re going to charge a premium, they have to go to a GP, they have to go through a pharmacy, they have to go through a clinic to get it, it should meet a higher standard than, you know, it’s certainly not street cannabis.
[15:27] But let me, let me counter that, not because I disagree, but just to put a counter argument, that there’s obviously price pressures, uh, not least on from the patients themselves, you know, that not everyone can afford, I don’t know, name, name a high number, everyone wants a a lower number.
[15:46] Absolutely.
[15:47] So there there are commercial pressures on the medical side as well.
[15:51] So, how would you balance one against the other?
[15:54] Is how how low in price can a medical cannabis grow go and still maintain that quality.
[16:03] And I’m I’m just putting you on the spot.
[16:07] Well, the current market, the there are growers that are, you know, their cannabis is down to two and three euros per gram.
[16:16] Yeah.
[16:17] So that’s that’s that’s profitable, especially when I as a patient, I know that I pay anywhere from £8.50 to £10 a gram.
[16:27] There’s a margin.
[16:28] The margins are there.
[16:30] Um, you know, is is it is it as, as I said, it’s definitely more costly, more challenging to grow without pesticides, fungicides, herbicides.
[16:41] Uh, if all the preventative maintenance, all the equipment, all the protocols are in place, you’re starting from tissue culture with clean product, you can produce a contaminant-free end product.
[16:53] Um, and and, you know, this is a plant that people are vaporizing in the UK, that is a a unique thing about the UK that the UK requires their cannabis patients to vaporize cannabis rather than smoke it.
[17:08] That’s right.
[17:08] So the doctor can’t prescribe it for combusting, right?
[17:13] So, officially, all the flower in the UK that’s prescribed should be vaped.
[17:19] Exactly.
[17:20] And I say should in.
[17:22] Right, because they can’t enforce it.
[17:23] They have no idea how the end user is actually consuming it.
[17:27] And where’s the evidence that vaping is better than, you know, smoking or um, eating edibles or consuming concentrates, you know, the evidence isn’t there.
[17:43] Um, vaping, you know, the lack of combustion is why people lean towards it and say that it’s better, which makes sense.
[17:50] I’m not I’m not saying that it is or it isn’t.
[17:52] I know personally when I vaporize cannabis versus smoking it, it’s has a different effect.
[18:00] So you’re not getting Can you say what those effects are?
[18:02] Can you what for you personally?
[18:04] For me for me personally when I um vaporize flour specifically, it’s um, it’s more, it’s it’s lighter.
[18:17] Uh, the the effects are lighter and I feel that I I personally because I’ve consumed cannabis and all the way that I’ve wasted the cannabis because I don’t get the same effects that I would have had I smoked it.
[18:31] So why do I?
[18:32] Sophie’s nodding away here.
[18:33] I think I think a lot of people are going, yeah.
[18:37] Yeah.
[18:37] Yeah, because, you know, then you’re got to smoke them flowers, baby.
[18:42] That’s right, 100%.
[18:43] So the um, the the vaporized cannabis when you look at it afterwards, it it’s like toasted flowers.
[18:52] And and for me that was always very sad to look at it and you’re like, oh man, I waste, I wasted it.
[18:58] That’s a true cannabis lover when you’re like, oh, I’m sad.
[19:02] I’m sad because I’ve ruined these beautiful buds.
[19:04] And that’s that’s real though, because 100, 110% the entourage effect of all the cannabinoids, all the flavonoids, all the turpenoids.
[19:15] That’s what makes cannabis so amazing.
[19:18] Each strain has its own unique recipe.
[19:21] And that’s why all of us, we have our own chemical makeup.
[19:24] That’s why one strain affects me differently than it affects you and maybe more conducive to my chemical makeup than it is yours.
[19:32] So, um, and going going back to the contaminants as well, yes, sorry, one of the things I learned about the the cannabis plant from a a very experienced grower was the that that hemp and cannabis just suck up everything in the soil.
[19:50] So, heavy metals, uh, chemical compound, fertilizers, whatever it is, that plant will just suck it up out of the ground and if you eat it, smoke, what do whatever, those compounds are in there somewhere.
[20:06] 100% including heavy metals.
[20:08] My friend, um, he he he’s the director of cultivation for Gikana.
[20:15] When he set up their outdoor grow in Jamaica, hemp was used.
[20:22] They they they look at the land, they they plant hemp to remediate the soil, to get all that nastiness out of there.
[20:30] And and you’re 100% correct and heavy metals is one of the major issues.
[20:36] Um, for me, as I started to say earlier, medical cannabis should be grown indoors under the strictest protocols with all the preventative maintenance equipment in place so there’s no any contaminants used in the process.
[20:51] That is going to give a pure end product of flour.
[20:55] If you extract it, that is going to be pure.
[20:58] Should we allow cannabis to be grown with contaminants as far as pesticides, fungicides, herbicides for the commercial growers to be viable.
[21:08] That’s going down the exact same road as big tobacco and look how many years it took people to realize, oh, all these chemicals we’re putting in tobacco are now killing us.
[21:18] So why would we do that especially with a medicine?
[21:20] And I feel like why would we do that recreational as well because, you know, the bottom line is it’s it’s going to catch up with you.
[21:28] Um, are you going to be able to grow cannabis in a greenhouse without that stuff?
[21:33] Absolutely not.
[21:34] That’s why I say medical cannabis needs to be grown indoors.
[21:38] It’s a controlled laboratory environment.
[21:41] You’re treating the air with things like photocatalytic oxidation, which is the same technology that’s used in a surgical room when they open up your body to make sure no microbes or spores or anything gets in your body.
[21:53] So it’s it’s spending the money on those things and it’s it’s having a horticulturalist that understands what the plant needs without addressing it with pesticides, fungicides, or whatever, even predatory other, uh, insects that I’ve seen people introduce into a garden.
[22:12] I worked in North Macedonia, I won’t say the pharmaceutical manufacturer’s name, but this was the most amazing $27 million facility that I’ve ever seen.
[22:23] And I thought, wow, these guys took all the steps, everything to make an amazing, you know, indoor uh facility that they won’t have to use any pesticides, anything.
[22:35] And they said they weren’t.
[22:36] And when I went there, I saw that they had and they were spraying the plant and they were discussing uh what predators to bring in to treat it.
[22:46] And I thought, wow, they really missed the mark.
[22:49] They they didn’t start out with tissue culture, they brought in clones that were dirty to begin with, which is nine out of 10 times the case.
[22:58] Um, and
[23:00] And the clone the clone, so, if I mean, the the clue is in the name, isn’t it?
[23:05] The clone.
[23:06] If the clone is dirty or or, or, The mother plants dirty.
[23:11] I don’t say dirty, contaminated, contaminated, yes.
[23:14] then the clone, then everything else is 100%.
[23:17] 100%.
[23:18] Exactly.
[23:19] The only way you’re going to and you still, you could still start from seeds uh from seed and still end up with, you know, some issues.
[23:28] That’s why I was saying it’s the protocols, it’s it’s how you go, you know, through the entire process, uh, to do it contaminant free.
[23:37] Is it easy?
[23:38] Absolutely not.
[23:39] Um, but where do you stand on the irradiation debate?
[23:45] My, my understanding is irradiated is is very important for people with immune deficiencies, um, but for the rest of us, we, we could probably do with with non-radiated.
[24:03] Absolutely.
[24:04] But from what you’re saying, I I don’t know now.
[24:07] So what, what’s your stance?
[24:09] I agree and as a patient myself, I always would look, I go into Med Bud Wiki, I look to see where was my cannabis cultivated because I want it grown indoors, so I look to see I I typically go for a Canadian producer and not all of them are growing indoors, which is amazing because of, you know, Canada’s weather.
[24:32] Exactly, exactly.
[24:35] However, um, so you start there and then it’s it tells you if it’s irradiated or non-irradiated.
[24:42] I always chose non-irradiated because I was like, I don’t I don’t want my cannabis to be microwave.
[24:46] And we have this idea of what irradiation does.
[24:51] And then um, you know, because I’m obsessed with everything cannabis, I looked into it and I found out that in the UK, a doctor is actually required to prescribe irradiated cannabis to someone with a a uh immune deficiency, an autoimmune deficiency.
[25:11] So when you think about it in those terms, that’s a cleaner product for that patient who who’s not going to be able to deal with uh, you know, catching something through consuming a cannabis.
[25:27] So and in a sense, if it’s medical cannabis, even if it was grown in a in a completely laboratory environment without any pesticides or fungicides because it’s a plant, what the irradiation process does is it it kills any microbes and and those are going to occur in a plant.
[25:47] So, even if it was grown contaminant free, it would still need to be irradiated for that patient.
[25:55] So I I had to go, maybe maybe it’s a better product, maybe it’s a better product for me to consume.
[26:02] I suffer from uh, you know, arthritis in my neck and in my ankle and a foot and knee, I’ve had surgeries.
[26:11] Um, it’s I don’t have an immune deficiency.
[26:14] However, I do want to consume the cleanest, you know, plant possible.
[26:19] And I and I never thought about it in those terms.
[26:21] So I think when you think about it in those terms and you realize, you know, what it’s for, then maybe it’s just that final cleaning step of providing a patient with the best end product possible.
[26:38] Yeah, that’s a it’s it’s a that’s a different and I I think a really interesting positive way of looking at it.
[26:45] Um, so we’re we’re nearly done for time.
[26:49] So, last question, just what are you up to?
[26:51] What are the plans for 25?
[26:55] Um, hoping to work with a pharmaceutical manufacturer that does it right, that is patient-centric, you know, that it’s it’s not about the cash, it’s about getting cannabis to the people, especially the people that need it.
[27:12] One of the highlights of my career was in 2019 working with the Chief Minister of Utrakhan, uh, we didn’t get cannabis legalized, we got hemp legalized, but that provided a new crop for those uh, farmers in in that area.
[27:27] Um hoping to do something that’s going to top that and uh,
[27:32] Where did you say that was?
[27:33] In Utrakhand India, uh, right along the Pakistan state.
[27:37] Right, right.
[27:38] I see I see that.
[27:39] I I’ve never heard of that.
[27:41] I uh, I worked for um, Green Agro Holdings that had operations in India and Sri Lanka and I was very fortunate to travel the world, you know, as an advocate for cannabis, uh, you know, we basically educate the government officials to realize that this is something that doesn’t need to be illegal.
[28:02] Um, and you know, beyond
[28:05] Did you write to the UK house please?
[28:06] Can you uh can you give them a call?
[28:08] You know, that’s really what needs to happen.
[28:10] I see on LinkedIn all the time people say, you know, why can’t we do this?
[28:13] Why can’t we do that?
[28:15] It’s until the masses realize that, you know, it’s medicinally beneficial, that it’s palliative, that that not only that but the social and economic benefits uh are amazing and that it actually reduces crime because now you’ve taken something that was illegal and made it accessible and legal so the crime that was attached to it before, criminals selling it no longer exist.
[28:43] So, in my opinion, maybe all drugs should be legal.
[28:49] That’s that’s a Well, Eddie, I I think on that I think that’s probably the best way that we can wrap this up because you’ve just sort of sum don’t hang up, but I’m going to stop the recording.
[29:00] Um, and that was absolutely amazing.
[29:04] So, thank you.
[29:05] My pleasure.
[29:06] Thank you.
[29:07]
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From Pioneer to Patient Advocate: A Conversation with Global Cannabis Consultant Eddie
With over two decades of experience spanning the very origins of legal medical cannabis to the complex international markets of today, Global Cannabis Consultant Eddie offers a unique and powerful perspective. I sat down with him to discuss his journey, the critical importance of clean medicine, the nuances of the “caregiver” model, and the ongoing debate between commercial pressures and patient-centric standards.
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Neil: Eddie, you have a rich history in the cannabis space. Can you tell us how you first got started in the industry?
Eddie: My career began in 1996 when California passed Proposition 420, the first medical marijuana law in the US. I started working in Northern California’s Emerald Triangle, helping friends who had moved from Michigan to cultivate medicinal cannabis. My initial roles were as a harvester and hash processor.
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Later, in 2008, Michigan legalized medical cannabis, and I moved back to open “Ed’s Meds,” which was the state’s first dispensary under the new “patient-caregiver” laws. This model was unique; as a caregiver, I was permitted to have up to 12 patients and grow six plants for each, totaling a 72-plant operation.
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Neil: The “caregiver” model is a fascinating concept. Could you break down how that worked in practice?
Eddie: The structure was very specific. Each caregiver was responsible for their 12 patients. Along with the plant count, we were allowed to possess 15 ounces of cannabis per patient. To operate at a dispensary level, I organized a collective of ten caregivers, bringing our total to a 720-plant operation, with each caregiver’s crop kept separate to remain compliant.
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While we were primarily supposed to provide for our designated patients, the law allowed us to sell to any other licensed patient. This created a self-sufficient system—a mini clinic and pharmacy where we could cultivate the medicine and then provide it directly to registered patients who needed it.
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Neil: Being a pioneer in a newly legal industry must have come with significant challenges. What was that experience like?
Eddie: It was incredibly difficult. Despite being fully compliant with the law, we faced immense pressure. I personally had my home raided by police after a neighbour reported a smell. They used a piece of paper from my trash to obtain a no-knock warrant, kicked in my door, and hog-tied me. They confiscated my cannabis and equipment, even though I had all my legal paperwork, including the laws themselves, stapled to my grow room door.
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I fought it for a year. It was a process of immense financial and emotional stress, which is often the strategy—to wear people down. Eventually, the case was dismissed because when they finally weighed everything, they found I was within my legal limits. The experience highlighted the risks we took, but my motivation was always driven by seeing how cannabis helped my father with his cancer. It made me determined to continue, no matter how stressful it became.
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Neil: A central debate in the industry is the distinction between ‘medical’ and ‘recreational’ cannabis. What is the difference to you?
Eddie: In terms of the product itself, there is no difference. People have asked me this since the beginning, and the reality is that there are no separate guidelines. It’s not as though medical-grade cannabis is guaranteed to be free of pesticides, fungicides, and other contaminants.
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In my opinion, that’s where the distinction should be. If a product is being prescribed by a doctor and dispensed as medicine, it should be held to the highest standard of purity. It should be grown in a controlled, indoor laboratory environment, free from any contaminants.
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Neil: You’ve mentioned contaminants. We know the cannabis plant is a bio-accumulator, meaning it absorbs everything from its growing medium, including heavy metals. How critical is this issue?
Eddie: It’s absolutely critical. The plant will suck up everything in the soil. I’ve worked on projects in places like Jamaica where the first step before planting a commercial crop was to plant hemp to remediate the soil—to pull all the contaminants and heavy metals out of the ground first.
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When a patient, particularly one with a compromised immune system, vaporizes a flower, you want to be certain they aren’t inhaling harmful microbes or chemicals. True medical cannabis must be verifiably clean.
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Neil: Given the commercial pressures to keep prices low, is it realistic to expect growers to produce contaminant-free cannabis at scale without raising costs significantly?
Eddie: Yes, it can be done. 100%. I operated a 720-plant grow organically. It is more challenging and more costly, and there are times you might have to destroy a crop and start over, but we are creating medicine for sick people. The growers I see succeeding are selling their product for as low as two to three euros a gram, while patients are often paying £10 or more. The margin is there.
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The key is starting with clean genetics from tissue culture, not contaminated clones, and investing in preventative systems like photocatalytic oxidation—the same air purification technology used in surgical rooms. When the goal is medicine, purity has to be the priority.
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Neil: Where do you stand on the practice of irradiating cannabis flower, which is common for medical products in the UK?
Eddie: I used to avoid irradiated products, thinking of it as “microwaving” my cannabis. However, after researching it, I learned that in the UK, doctors are required to prescribe irradiated cannabis for patients with autoimmune deficiencies. The irradiation process is the final step to kill any remaining microbes that naturally occur on a plant, even one grown in perfect conditions.
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For that specific patient population, it creates the safest possible product. It made me reconsider my stance. If the goal of medicine is to provide the cleanest, safest product, then for vulnerable patients, irradiation is a necessary final step in that process.
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Neil: Finally, what does the future hold for you? What are you focused on for 2025?
Eddie: I hope to work with a pharmaceutical manufacturer that truly does it right—one that is patient-centric and not just focused on profit. I want to continue my global advocacy. A highlight for me was working with officials in Uttarakhand, India, to help legalize hemp. It provided a new, viable crop for local farmers. My goal is to top that achievement and continue educating governments and companies on the social, economic, and health benefits of a well-regulated, high-quality cannabis industry. It’s about taking this plant out of the illegal market and making its benefits safely accessible to all.
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