The Canna Curious Podcast: Conversations on Cannabis, Wellness & Women’s Health

Kyla De Clifford
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ALTERNATIVE HEALTH

A podcast exploring medicinal cannabis, plant-based healing, and women’s health. Host Kyla de Clifford shares real stories, expert insights, and conscious conversations about chronic pain, nervous system support, advocacy, and natural medicine. For curious minds redefining healing. Note: Canna Curious is an independent educational podcast. Content is for general information only and does not promote or advertise any therapeutic goods. Always talk to a qualified health professional about your individual circumstances.

  1. 12H AGO

    39 - Alethea Wallace: When The System Takes Someone You Love.

    In this episode of Canna Curious, Kyla is joined by her close friend Sandrine for a deeply personal and emotional conversation about their friend Alethea (Leath) — who has been incarcerated for cannabis-related charges for just over a year. This is not a legal analysis or a political debate. It’s a human conversation about friendship, shock, grief, love, anger, and the quiet resilience required when someone you love is caught in a system most of us never expect to encounter. Leath cannot speak freely on the podcast right now, but when she is released later this year, she will be invited on to the podcast to share her story in her own words. Until then, this episode holds space for her, and for all the people left on the outside trying to make sense of the inside. In this episode, we talk about: Who Alethea is beyond her sentence — her heart, warmth, and devotion to communityThe shock of finding out a close friend is in prisonHow little most of us understand the justice system until we’re inside itWhat contact with someone in prison actually looks like (calls, visits, letters, costs)The emotional toll of limited access and constant uncertaintyThe strange mix of powerlessness, guilt, and love felt by friends on the outsideSelf-censorship, stigma, and why people struggle to talk about incarcerationThe realities of prison healthcare, communication, and overcrowdingLearning to live inside constraints you didn’t chooseHolding hope for release, parole, and life on the other sideA note to listeners This conversation may be emotional to listen to. We speak candidly about incarceration, systemic injustice, and the personal impact of these systems on real people. Listener discretion is advised. We’ve been careful not to share details that could compromise Alethea or anyone else. This episode is shared with love, respect, and care. Want to support Alethea? If you feel called, Alethea loves receiving letters - they bring her enormous joy and help her feel connected to the outside world. 📬 Mailing details: Alethea’s public mailing address and prisoner number are listed below  Alethea Wallace Numimbah Correctional Centre Private Mail Bag 1  Nerang QLD 4211 (Please keep letters simple: no stickers, metallic ink, or extras - plain paper and pen are best.) If you’d like to send a message of support but aren’t sure where to start, reach out to Kyla via socials and she’ll help guide you. You can find Sandrine @marquisedesark "Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    1h 4m

  2. JAN 27

    38 - I’m Not Interested in Being “Responsible” Anymore with Kyla de Clifford.

    In this episode, ’m unpacking why I’ve started to push back on the idea of “responsible use” — at least the way it’s so often applied to women. Because when we really look at it, “responsible” rarely means neutral or supportive.It usually means self-monitoring, self-correcting, and self-blaming — layered on top of bodies that are already expected to manage pain, emotion, cycles, stress, and capacity without much support. This conversation isn’t about encouraging recklessness.  It’s about questioning why women are so often asked to carry extra moral weight when it comes to their bodies and why cannabis has become another place where we’re expected to prove we’re doing it properly. In this episode, I explore: How “responsibility” has become a gendered expectationWhy women are taught caution while men are given permission to experimentThe emotional cost of constant self-surveillanceHow self-monitoring disconnects us from pleasure, rest, and trustWhere this messaging comes from — medicine, regulation, and wellness cultureThe difference between compliance and agencyWhy I’m more interested in discernment than rulesThis is a quieter but firmer episode.  Less about advice.  More about power, agency, and what it means to be in relationship with your body without supervision. If this episode feels uncomfortable, that’s okay. And if it feels relieving — you’re not alone. "Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    19 min

  3. JAN 21

    37 - Tolerance, Breaks & the Nervous System with Kyla de Clifford.

    Do I Need a T-Break? Tolerance breaks are usually framed like a punishment. Like you’ve done something wrong. Like you need to reset, detox, or start again. But for many women, that framing doesn’t fit real life - or real bodies. In this episode, Kyla takes a slower, more body-led look at tolerance breaks and what they’re actually for. This isn’t about abstinence or discipline. It’s about understanding when a break is helpful, when it’s not, and how to approach it without destabilising your nervous system — especially if you’re navigating perimenopause, pain, sleep disruption, anxiety, or chronic stress. In this episode, we cover: What cannabis tolerance actually is (and what it isn’t)Why tolerance isn’t failure — it’s feedback from the bodySigns your system may be asking for spaceHow pain, trauma, and nervous system load change the T-break conversationWhy stopping THC suddenly can feel awful for some peopleDifferent ways to take a tolerance break — from full breaks to gentler resetsWhether CBD has a place during a T-break (and when it helps vs. when it doesn’t)What a successful T-break actually looks like — beyond white-knucklingThis episode draws on both clinical research and lived experience to offer a more compassionate, realistic approach to tolerance one that prioritises regulation, safety, and relationship over rigid rules. A gentle resource  If this episode sparked the thought “I know I need a break, but I don’t know how to do it without falling apart”, Kyla has created a 21-day tolerance break guide you can download it here Support the show If you’d like to support the podcast, you can buy Kyla a coffee here No pressure - it simply helps keep these conversations going. "Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    27 min

  4. JAN 13

    36 - Nobody Told Us Cannabis Would Feel Different in Perimenopause with Kyla de Clifford.

    Women, Hormones & Cannabis: Why Your Body Changes How the Plant Feels. In this episode, we explore why so many women notice that cannabis feels different depending on where they are in their cycle, throughout perimenopause, or during periods of stress and hormonal change. We unpack what’s actually happening in the body, why this experience is common (and normal), and how women can work with their changing physiology instead of blaming themselves or assuming something has gone wrong. This episode builds on last week’s conversation about the endocannabinoid system and brings the focus specifically to women, hormones, and lived experience. In this episode, we cover: Why cannabis can work beautifully one month and feel overwhelming the nextHow the endocannabinoid system interacts with estrogen and progesteroneWhy midlife women notice these changes more clearlyThe difference between microdosing as restriction versus microdosing as body literacyWhy timing and nervous system state matter more than strain namesPractical ways women can adjust their approach during hormonally sensitive timesKey ideas discussed The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in regulating mood, pain, sleep, inflammation, and stressEstrogen has been shown to influence cannabinoid receptor sensitivity, particularly CB1 receptorsHormonal fluctuation, rather than hormone loss, is a major factor in why experiences change during perimenopauseWomen often experience stronger subjective effects from THC at lower doses compared to menCannabis tends to amplify the existing state of the nervous system rather than override itLearning to work with context, timing, and subtle dosing can make cannabis feel more supportive and less destabilisingSupport the show Canna Curious is produced independently. If you’d like to support the podcast, you can Buy me a coffee Share this episode If this conversation might help someone you love — a friend, a partner, a patient  feel free to pass it on. Thank you for listening, and for being part of this community. Research and further reading Cannabis, estrogen, and the endocannabinoid system The Endocannabinoid System and Sex Steroid Hormone Signalling  A comprehensive review exploring how estrogen and progesterone interact with endocannabinoid signalling pathways.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3863507/ Sex Differences and the Endocannabinoid System  A review outlining biological sex differences in cannabinoid metabolism, receptor expression, and subjective effects.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8216879/ Estradiol Regulati "Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    17 min

  5. JAN 6

    35 - What’s Actually Happening in Your Body When You Take Cannabis with Kyla de Clifford.

    In this episode of the Canna Curious Podcast, Kyla slows things right down and returns to the foundations. Before conversations about strain names, dosing, or delivery methods  before stigma, shame, or opinion  this episode asks a simpler question: What is actually happening inside your body when you take cannabis? This episode is for patients. For women who turn to this plant not to escape their lives - but to cope with pain, stress, hormonal change, burnout, grief, or nervous system overload. At the centre of this conversation is the endocannabinoid system (ECS)  a regulatory system that exists in all of us, whether we ever take cannabis or not. In this episode, Kyla explores: What the endocannabinoid system is - and why it’s not a “weed system,” but a core biological regulatorHow the ECS was identified in the 1990s through cannabinoid research by scientists including Ally Howlett and Raphael MechoulamThe three key components of the ECS: receptors, endocannabinoids, and enzymesThe roles of CB1 and CB2 receptors, and how THC and CBD interact with them differentlyWhy your body makes its own cannabinoids — and even passes them through breast milkWhy relief from cannabis looks different for everyone, and why variability is expected - not failureHow hormones, stress, nervous system state, and life stage (including perimenopause) influence responseThe difference between regulation and escape, and why many women use cannabis to stay present  not numbWhy dosing can feel unpredictable, and why curiosity works better than rigid rulesHow one-size-fits-all advice often creates shame and what a body-literate approach offers insteadSupport the show Canna Curious is produced independently. If you’d like to support the podcast, you can Buy me a coffee Resources & Further Reading Understanding the Endocannabinoid System These sources support the explanation of the endocannabinoid system as a regulatory system involved in balance, pain, mood, sleep, inflammation, and stress: Di Marzo V, Piscitelli F. (2015). The endocannabinoid system and its modulation by phytocannabinoids.Neurotherapeutics, 12(4), 692–698. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13311-015-0376-6Lu HC, Mackie K. (2016). An introduction to the endogenous cannabinoid system. Biological Psychiatry, 79(7), 516–525. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322315002127Pertwee RG. (2015). Endocannabinoids and their pharmacological actions. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, 231, 1–37. "Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    24 min

  6. 12/23/2025

    34 - When Women Stop Whispering with Kyla de Clifford.

    As the year draws to a close, Kyla pauses - not to summarise, but to sit inside what this season of listening has actually revealed. Recorded from Melbourne, in a softer and more honest state than usual, this solo episode reflects on thirty-three conversations about women’s health, relief, regulation, and the quiet ways women learn to manage their bodies inside imperfect systems. At the centre of the episode is a question Kyla has been carrying since the very beginning of the podcast: What actually happens when women stop whispering about medicine? This is not an episode about trends, tips, or solutions. It’s about: why women whisper in the first placehow shame still shapes the way relief is accessed and talked aboutwhat Kyla has noticed listening to women across diagnoses, ages, and livesThroughout the episode, Kyla speaks candidly about: whispering as a learned survival strategyand the steadiness she witnessed when women were given language, curiosity, and trustRather than positioning the plant as a fix, this episode explores what cannabis use revealed:  the gaps in care, the lack of education, and the unmet needs women have been navigating for years. This conversation is for anyone who has: softened their language to be taken seriouslyquestioned whether their relief was “allowed”carried shame alongside something that helpedor felt like they had to work it out on their own"Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    10 min

  7. 12/16/2025

    33 - How to Choose a Good Medicinal Cannabis Clinic (and Avoid the Red Flags) with Kyla de Clifford and Jess Peros.

    What does a good medicinal cannabis clinic actually look like in Australia - and how do you spot the ones that should make you pause? This episode was sparked by a moment many of us have had lately: seeing cannabis clinic advertising out in the wild that feels… off.  Kyla shares a story about walking down the street with her 11-year-old when they spotted a very obvious (and very questionable) clinic poster - which opened a bigger conversation about regulation, ethics, patient care, and how clinics should actually be operating. Together, Kyla and Jess unpack what’s going wrong in the current clinic landscape, why patients are feeling frustrated and disempowered, and what you are absolutely allowed to ask for as a patient. In this episode, we cover: Why medicinal cannabis clinics are not allowed to advertise the way many currently are - and why that matters for stigma, regulation, and long-term accessThe biggest red flags to watch for when choosing a clinicWhat patient-centred care actually looks like (and what it doesn’t)Vertical integration, profit margins, and why some clinics push certain productsYour legal right to access your own scripts and choose your pharmacyWhy informed patients should be welcomed — not shut down — for doing their researchThe growing frustration around discontinued products and limited prescribingWhy minor cannabinoids like CBG and THCV deserve more attention (especially for women)How the system is heading toward a collision — and what needs to change nextClinics Kyla trusts and recommends: PlantMed with Dr John Teh - a genuinely integrative, whole-person approach https://plantmed.net.au/ Mode Health with Dr Matty Moore - collaborative care, tele-health, and strong clinical ethics https://www.modehealthcare.com.au/ Kyla recommends these clinics based on her personal experience as a patient. There is no paid partnership or financial incentive involved. Key takeaways: You are allowed to ask questions - and a good clinic expects you toYou should never feel rushed, dismissed, or funnelled into one product pathwayIf something feels off, it probably isThe future of cannabis care isn’t stronger  it’s smarter, more nuanced, and more patient-ledThis episode is for patients, parents, clinicians, and anyone trying to navigate medicinal cannabis in Australia without getting burned along the way. Resources mentioned: TGA advertising guidelines for medicinal cannabis APRA regulations around prescribing and promotion You can find jess "Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    43 min

  8. 12/09/2025

    32 - Dependence, Insomnia & Letting Go: Shaye’s Story of Rebuilding Her Relationship With Cannabis.

    In this deeply honest conversation, Kyla sits down with Shaye Topaz a mum, insomniac, and long-time cannabis consumer  to explore what happens when the plant that helped you cope becomes something you rely on. Shay shares her 12-year relationship with THC, from rolling joints at 18 for sleep, to mothering through stress, heartbreak, and survival… all the way to the moment she realised she was dependent, not addicted, and decided it was time for a reset. This episode moves through insomnia, nervous system overwhelm, motherhood, emotional regulation, and the spiritual side of cannabis including the comfort, companionship, and “being held” feeling so many women relate to. In this episode, we explore: Why cannabis is such a powerful tool for sleep, stress, and emotional soothingHow motherhood, overwhelm and loneliness influence cannabis useWhat it’s like to quit after more than a decade of nightly THCThe emotional and physical symptoms of a tolerance breakAppetite, metabolism, cortisol spikes, and night waking during withdrawalUsing CBD, magnesium, adaptogens and supplements to support the nervous systemBreaking the ritual: shifting from smoking to tincturesThe spiritual and relational experience of cannabis as a “holder”How to know when you’re ready to take a break — and why readiness mattersCreating new rituals, boundaries, and habits during a cannabis resetAbout Shaye Shaye is a mother of two navigating single parenthood, chronic insomnia, emotional healing, and a long-term relationship with cannabis. Her story reflects the reality for many women who use THC for sleep, coping, and nervous system support. Her honesty and introspection make this a powerful conversation for anyone reconsidering their relationship with the plant.  You can find Shaye @shayetopaz Resources & Links Kyla’s 21-Day T-Break Guide — a step-by-step journal for anyone wanting to explore their relationship with THCDr Jeffrey Hergenrather’s work on cannabis use in pregnancyResearch from Jamaica on cannabis, pregnancy and maternal outcomes"Send us a message" Support the show Connect with Kyla de Clifford Instagram: @cannacuriousaus TikTok: @cannacuriousau YouTube: @cannacurious If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, share, and leave a review - it helps the podcast reach more curious minds just like you. Disclaimer: We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.

    25 min
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About

A podcast exploring medicinal cannabis, plant-based healing, and women’s health. Host Kyla de Clifford shares real stories, expert insights, and conscious conversations about chronic pain, nervous system support, advocacy, and natural medicine. For curious minds redefining healing. Note: Canna Curious is an independent educational podcast. Content is for general information only and does not promote or advertise any therapeutic goods. Always talk to a qualified health professional about your individual circumstances.

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