Inside Australia’s Cannabis Shift With Paul O’Donoghue

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What happens when a Vancouver budtender returns to Australia with a new language for cannabis and a mission to make it make sense? We sit down with Paul O’Donoghue, host of the Give and Toke podcast, to unpack the real-world tradeoffs between Canada’s fast-track legalization and Australia’s guarded medical model. From legacy growers and craft quality to overpackaging, dry flower, and clunky distribution, Paul shares how early missteps in Canada created friction and how direct delivery, farm-gate models, and patient-centered thinking can rebuild trust.

Paul’s story moves from experimental use to intentional, doctor-guided consumption. He tracks effects, speaks in terpenes, and treats cannabis like a tool, not a trend. Along the way, he spotlights a stubborn barrier holding Australia back: roadside drug testing that punishes presence instead of impairment. It’s the kind of policy that keeps people choosing alcohol over a measured gummy, even when they want a healthier option. We also talk stigma, why humility beats hot takes, and how corporate and craft can coexist if we protect room for small producers to innovate while larger operators stabilize access.

There’s humor too. Paul’s go-to line for turning down drinks (“It makes me sad”) is both disarming and honest. Beyond the laughs, the throughline is clear: better laws, better access, and better conversations. We explore how smart accessories make home use calmer and more discreet, why patient rights matter, and what it takes to bring policymakers, clinicians, and community into the same room.

If you’re curious about how legalization really lands in people’s lives and what needs to change next, press play, share this with a friend, and tell us your take. Subscribe for more candid talks that bridge food, culture, and cannabis, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Find Paul on Instagram @giveandtoke and Give and Toke on all podcast platforms.

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