Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Cannabis is a plant medicine that can do so much for one’s health when it’s grown properly and used very wisely.
Expert and educator Ryan Sprague explores the chemistry behind what makes cannabis work and explains why judging its quality solely on how much THC it contains is a very bad idea this week on Spirit Gym.
Learn more about Ryan and his work on his Highly Optimized website at highlyoptimized.com/my-story and on social media via Instagram at instagram.com/therealryansprague and instagram.com/highly.optimized/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D and YouTube at youtube.com/@Therealryansprague . Listen to Ryan’s Highly Optimized podcast on Apple Podcasts at podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/highly-optimized/id1498263212 or wherever you listen to them.
For Spirit Gym listeners: The Sacred Smoke Collective is a private membership association where you can shop for its organic tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) offerings. Save 10 percent on any purchase at this website and a mystery gift by using the promo code paulchek at sacredsmokecollective.com/ally/paulchek . Also, sign up for the Sacred Smoke Collective’s affiliate program at sacredsmokecollective.com/affiliate-registration/ally/paulchek . (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)
0:00 Intro
4:44 How a highly optimized human uses cannabis wisely and as one of many tools.
10:00 Do Drugs Have Religious Import? by Huston Smith from The Journal of Philosophy.
21:28 Practice the Daoist not too much, not too little philosophy.
32:34 Psychedelics are meant to be challenging by design.
51:09 Why Ryan believes cannabis and hemp are the people’s plants.
1:05:26 “Cannabis is a medicine that works on one regulatory system that happens to deal with 80-plus different conditions and purposes.”
1:13:22 Could cannabis treat epilepsy?
1:27:42 How much THC do you realiy need in your cannabis?
1:34:18 Foods that help with endocannabinoid production besides cannabis.
1:43:45 The Sacred Smoke Collective.
1:49:02 The Emerald Triangle in California.
2:02:37 Dr. Daniel Amen’s movement against cannabis calls it a weapon of mass destruction.
Listen to Paul's conversation with Ryan Sprague and check out the show notes page on our Spirit Gym website at paulchek.com/blog/podcast-episodes/387-what-makes-cannabis-medicine-versus-just-getting-high-with-ryan-sprague
Thanks to our awesome sponsors!
• Paleovalley paleovalley.com/chek15 (save 15% on your first purchase)
• Pique Life piquelife.com/paulchek (save up to 20% for life and get a FREE starter kit when you subscribe to one or more of Pique’s amazing beverages!)
• Organifi organifi.com/chek20 (save 20% on your purchase by using the code CHEK20 at checkout)
• BIOptimizers bioptimizers.com/spiritgym (save an extra 15% on your purchase by using the code PAUL15 at checkout)
• Wild Pastures wildpastures.com/paulchek (save 20% and free shipping for life plus $15 on your first order)
• Korrect korrectlife.com/spiritgym (save 15% on the newest drink supplement by Aubrey Marcus by using the code SPIRITGYM at checkout)
• CHEK Institute/CHEK Academy https://chek.group/chekacademy (sign up for the CHEK Academy’s Fall class today)
We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music
Cannabis is a plant medicine that can do so much for one’s health when it’s grown properly and used very wisely.
Expert and educator Ryan Sprague explores the chemistry behind what makes cannabis work and explains why judging its quality solely on how much THC it contains is a very bad idea this week on Spirit Gym.
Learn more about Ryan and his work on his Highly Optimized website at highlyoptimized.com/my-story and on social media via Instagram at instagram.com/therealryansprague and instagram.com/highly.optimized/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D and YouTube at youtube.com/@Therealryansprague . Listen to Ryan’s Highly Optimized podcast on Apple Podcasts at podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/highly-optimized/id1498263212 or wherever you listen to them.
For Spirit Gym listeners: The Sacred Smoke Collective is a private membership association where you can shop for its organic tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) offerings. Save 10 percent on any purchase at this website and a mystery gift by using the promo code paulchek at sacredsmokecollective.com/ally/paulchek . Also, sign up for the Sacred Smoke Collective’s affiliate program at sacredsmokecollective.com/affiliate-registration/ally/paulchek . (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)
0:00 Intro
4:44 How a highly optimized human uses cannabis wisely and as one of many tools.
10:00 Do Drugs Have Religious Import? by Huston Smith from The Journal of Philosophy.
21:28 Practice the Daoist not too much, not too little philosophy.
32:34 Psychedelics are meant to be challenging by design.
51:09 Why Ryan believes cannabis and hemp are the people’s plants.
1:05:26 “Cannabis is a medicine that works on one regulatory system that happens to deal with 80-plus different conditions and purposes.”
1:13:22 Could cannabis treat epilepsy?
1:27:42 How much THC do you realiy need in your cannabis?
1:34:18 Foods that help with endocannabinoid production besides cannabis.
1:43:45 The Sacred Smoke Collective.
1:49:02 The Emerald Triangle in California.
2:02:37 Dr. Daniel Amen’s movement against cannabis calls it a weapon of mass destruction.
Listen to Paul's conversation with Ryan Sprague and check out the show notes page on our Spirit Gym website at paulchek.com/blog/podcast-episodes/387-what-makes-cannabis-medicine-versus-just-getting-high-with-ryan-sprague
Thanks to our awesome sponsors!
• Paleovalley paleovalley.com/chek15 (save 15% on your first purchase)
• Pique Life piquelife.com/paulchek (save up to 20% for life and get a FREE starter kit when you subscribe to one or more of Pique’s amazing beverages!)
• Organifi organifi.com/chek20 (save 20% on your purchase by using the code CHEK20 at checkout)
• BIOptimizers bioptimizers.com/spiritgym (save an extra 15% on your purchase by using the code PAUL15 at checkout)
• Wild Pastures wildpastures.com/paulchek (save 20% and free shipping for life plus $15 on your first order)
• Korrect korrectlife.com/spiritgym (save 15% on the newest drink supplement by Aubrey Marcus by using the code SPIRITGYM at checkout)
• CHEK Institute/CHEK Academy https://chek.group/chekacademy (sign up for the CHEK Academy’s Fall class today)
We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music
