Getting Personal with Plant Medicine

Red for Bed, White for Flight? Decoding Kratom Leaf Colors and Effects

Hosts Diana Krach and Christopher Deaney (of Christopher's Organic Botanicals) discuss the complexities of kratom leaf colors, clarifying the effects beyond the simple adage "red for bed, white for flight, green for in between". The conversation explains that red strains are generally more relaxing due to lower mitragynine, while green and white offer more energy, but the final effect is highly dependent on individual physiology and dosage (less for energy, more for relaxation).
They reveal that strain colors are often determined by the drying and curing processes, blending, and supplier naming (e.g., Maeng Da) rather than the original leaf vein color. Christopher Deaney stresses the importance of high-quality, mature, wild-harvested kratom and offers advice for new users, including starting with red, mixing different colors for balance, and rotating strains weekly to prevent dependency. The episode concludes with a call to action for users to speak up and share their stories to fight local kratom bans.
Important links:
Christopher's Organic Botanicals
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Cannabis, Culinary Wellness, and Crushing Stereotypes

This episode of Getting Personal with Plant Medicine features Q (Kasia, a.k.a. Queenie) of the Mary Jane N Munchies podcast. Q discusses her journey with plant medicine, which began after developing Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and photosensitive epilepsy in her late teens, leading to seizures, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. She found that cannabis helped reduce her symptoms by 70-80% and is essential for her functionality as a chef and content creator.
Q integrates wellness through food, incorporating anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric and rosemary, as well as dandelion and citrus for system support, into her diet. She and her co-host created Mary Jane N Munchies after meeting at a culinary program, combining their passion for cannabis and food, reflecting their shared identities as chronically disabled chefs.
Q also addresses the stereotype of cannabis users as lazy, demonstrating her ability through 15 hour work days, and highlights the challenges Black content creators face in the industry regarding professional support and censorship. She directs listeners to support the self-funded podcast via all streaming platforms, their $1.99 Spotify subscription, and merchandise on their website.
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Tea Blends for Mental Well-Being

Mayakia (Maya) Anderson of Rooted Vines joins Diana to talk about tea blends that benefit mental well-being. She also talks about the creation of The Tea House community on the Skool platform.
Important links:
Christopher's Organic Botanicals
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Valerian Root: From Nervous Stomach to Dreamwork

Diana is joined by Tashiana Reaves, clinical herbalist, to discuss the many applications of valerian root. They also talk about the personal side of the plant, as Tashiana goes into her story and how it helped her. The discussion is followed by a Christopher's Corner, where he also highlights the valerian products offered by Christopher's Organic Botanicals. 
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Melody Woolf's Fight for Kratom and Mobility

Melody Woolf joins Diana to talk about her remarkable journey with kratom. Because of the transformation that gave her a real quality of life, Melody became a tireless activist, regularly contributing to legislative reform. In this episode, Melody unpacks the complexities of activism and highlights the need for more advocates. 
Important links:
Christopher's Organic Botanicals
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Understanding Kava's Subtle Effects and Global Culture

Diana is joined by Douglas La Rose, executive director of Kava Coalition, to talk about how kava and the culture of kava bars are changing the ways people socialize. Having visited 50 kava bars all around the world, he has a deep understanding of the social culture. He also talks about how the Kava Coalition works to educate and advocate in every way possible, and why that is so important for plant medicine users. 
Important links:
Christopher's Organic Botanicals 
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The Personal Side of Psilocybin

Diana is joined by Mallory O'Connor to discuss how micro-dosing intentionally can lead to a lot of positive lifestyle changes. Mallory explains the importance of set and setting when using psychedelics, and how to safely approach sourcing psilocybin online. She also unpacks what it means to be a psychedelic facilitator and talks about what lead her to the position. 
Important links:
Christopher's Organic Botanicals
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Stopping the Ohio Ban

In this episode, Diana is joined by co-host Christopher Deeney of Christopher’s Organic Botanicals and special guest Matthew Stewart of Spirit Apotheosis in Ohio for an in-depth and timely conversation about kratom, plant medicine, and government regulation.
The discussion centers on the Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s rapid move from an emergency ban on synthetic kratom derivatives (such as 7-OH) toward a potential outright ban on all natural kratom products. Matthew shares his personal and professional journey with kratom, explaining how he has responsibly sold whole-leaf kratom since 2009 and personally relies on it for chronic pain management—without pharmaceuticals. The trio also highlights Ohio’s history as ground zero of the opioid epidemic and frames kratom as a harm-reduction tool that has helped many people avoid or step down from dangerous narcotics.
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Kratom and Addiction Recovery: Jordan Richard on Advocacy, Science, and the Truth

In this episode, Diana talks to Jordan Richard of New Hope Botanicals—a leading kratom advocate, educator, and content creator known for speaking truth in a highly censored space.
Jordan shares his deeply personal journey from severe opioid addiction to long-term recovery, and how discovering kratom over 13 years ago became a turning point that helped him reclaim his life. Together, they explore the critical distinction between addiction vs. physical dependence, the role kratom can play in harm reduction, and why nuanced conversations around plant medicine matter now more than ever.
And then, in Christopher’s Corner, Christopher Deaney talks about product highlights and explains the extraction process of purified kratom capsules. He also talks about the importance of community involvement in kratom advocacy and offers resources like Christopher’s Kratom Education Skool Community.
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Kratom for Animals

While not widely discussed, kratom has the potential to benefit dogs and other mammals. With the guidance of a veterinarian, plant medicine can be a powerful tool in the wellness toolbelt. Christopher Deaney joins Diana to talk about his own personal experiences giving his dogs and rabbits kratom and unpacks how beneficial it was. 
Important links:
Christopher's Organic Botanicals
Christopher's Kratom Education
Botanical Advocacy and Education
 
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