Riley Kirk

Cannabis Researcher and Educator

Riley Kirk is a cannabis research scientist, natural product chemist, and social media educator based in New Hampshire. Riley is passionate about cannabis education, sharing her research and insights on social media @cannabichem to a community of nearly 500k. She authored the book Reefer Wellness (2025), which provides informative and accessible information about all things cannabis, including how it affects the body, guidance on consuming cannabis, and tips for minimizing common side effects of consumption. Riley is also the host of the bi-weekly podcast, Bioactive, where she shares current news and research surrounding cannabis, psychedelics, toxins, pharmaceuticals, and other bioactive substances, and hosts special guests.

Education

Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences (Specialization in Natural Product Chemistry), University of Rhode Island

Certifications & Organizations

Author, "Reefer Wellness"
Adjunct Professor, University of Rhode Island
Co-founder, Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP)
Member, American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP)
Member, International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS)
Member, New Hampshire Cannabis Advisory Board
Certified Cannabis Educator (via Green Flower Academy)
Certificate in Botanical Medicine Research
Certificate in Cannabis Science and Medicine
Peer-reviewed Author in scientific journals covering natural products, cannabis pharmacology, and microbiology
Science Communication Specialist, focusing on public education in cannabis, plant pharmacology, and natural products

Favorite Piece of Advice

Listen to patients. Cannabis medical card patients are experts in understanding even the most complex science of what consumption methods, product types and formulations work best for each condition. Medical patients will also transform your thoughts on the endless potential of this plant. Lastly, if anyone ever doubts the boundless potential of cannabis, have them research the endocannabinoid system to change their perspective.

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Forum Comments (1)

How to get rid of weed smell from a room?

It is a difficult smell to get rid of, for sure. At it's core, weed is a plant, and if you smoke any plant, it's going to smell. After airing out your space as much as possible, I'd recommend lighting incense and other scented products that can try to counteract the smell. Full disclosure, though – I don't know of a specific product that fully can eliminate the smell of cannabis smoke.

If you're going to smoke in the meantime before their visit, I would recommend going outside if you're going to smoke. You should also look into other consumption methods if you don't want your space to smell in future. Smoking flower will be the most stinky of the methods, so I'd recommend a vaporizer, dabbing or, of course, edibles, which don't smell at all. Alternatively, people sometimes use what we call the "sploof". Essentially, a sploof is where you take some sort of cylindrical object (even something like a toilet paper roll would work) and you stuff it with detergent sheets, laundry detergent sheets, and you'd blow the smoke through it so that it doesn't make your room smelly. There are modern versions of this that are small and portable, so that's one thing you can look into as a preventative thing.

Co-authored Articles (14)

How to

Decarboxylate Cannabis

If you going to cook with cannabis, you will need to decarboxylate it to activate the THC and achieve the desired result. Decarboxylation is essentially a process of heating the cannabis to the point that the naturally o...

How to

Get Pot Out of Your System

If you have a pre-employment drug test coming up or your company is known to conduct random testing, you may find yourself trying to clean up your system and make it test-ready. Of course, the only way to have a pot-fre...

A Beginner's Guide to Making Weed Edibles at Home

Ingredients plus a tutorial for making edibles with weedDo you want to make weed edibles but are worried you’ll mess it up? Don’t let fear stand in your way—keep reading to learn everything you need to know to make...

How to

Tell the Difference Between Indica and Sativa

If marijuana is legal where you live and you've ever stepped inside a dispensary, you might've been overwhelmed by the sheer number of different strains available. All these strains can be split into 2 main types: ''indi...

How to Smoke Wax: 5 Ways to Dab

A beginner’s guide to dabbing THCWhether you’re a seasoned smoker looking to expand your horizons or you’re new to marijuana and want to know what that fancy stuff is behind the glass cabinet at the dispensary, you...

How to Smoke Shatter Properly

A beginner’s guide to one of the most popular marijuana concentrates on the market Whether you’re expanding your marijuana repertoire or you’re simply curious about what that thick glassy stuff is behind the counte...

How to

Sober Up from Weed

It is virtually impossible to instantly sober up after a marijuana high. The chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the part of weed that makes you high, and it can vary greatly from plant to plant, often dependi...

What's a Zip of Weed? Pricing & Amount

A beginner’s guide to slang for weed measurementsWith marijuana becoming increasingly mainstream and more states legalizing it for recreational use, you’re likely to hear some new slang if you aren’t a regular smok...

How to Tell If Weed Is Moldy (And Whether You Should Smoke It)

Plus, storage tips to prevent mold on weed and keep it freshIf your weed has been sitting in a container for a long time, it's possible that it's grown some mold. A musty smell and fuzzy white and green spots are a dead ...

How to Pack and Smoke a Bowl of Marijuana

A complete guide to prepping a pipe or bong Perhaps the most popular way to smoke cannabis is with a pipe or bong, both of which utilize “bowls” to hold the cannabis. But it’s not as simple as stuffing a hefty bud ...

How to

Grow Medical Marijuana

More and more countries are allowing the use and cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes. If you have a prescription for medical marijuana but cannot find a source, or if you simply want to save money, you may wa...

How to Use CBD Oil

A complete guide to using CBD oil to soothe pain, anxiety, and other ailments center If you’re dealing with issues like pain, anxiety, insomnia, or seizures, you might be interested in using cannabidiol (CBD) oil to fi...

How Does Being High Affect Your Sleep?

Exploring how weed impacts your sleep quality Many claim that marijuana helps them fall asleep and stay asleep. But research into the effects of cannabis on sleep patterns and sleep quality is still ongoing, and there’...

What Is THCA: Is It the Same as THC?

All you need to know about THCA’s benefits and potential risks THCA is a chemical compound in cannabis that doesn’t actually get you high. It can eventually get you high, though, if you apply worth of heat to it. We...

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Riley Kirk

Forum Comments (1)

Co-authored Articles (14)

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