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 soothing
• How motherhood, overwhelm and loneliness influence cannabis use
• What it’s like to quit after more than a decade of nightly THC
• The emotional and physical symptoms of a tolerance break
• Appetite, metabolism, cortisol spikes, and night waking during withdrawal
• Using CBD, magnesium, adaptogens and supplements to support the nervous system
• Breaking the ritual: shifting from smoking to tinctures
• The spiritual and relational experience of cannabis as a “holder”
• How to know when you’re ready to take a break — and why readiness matters
• Creating new rituals, boundaries, and habits during a cannabis reset

About 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 THC
• Dr Jeffrey Hergenrather’s work on cannabis use in pregnancy
• Research from Jamaica on cannabis, pregnancy and maternal outcomes

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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.

In this episode, we get real about something most parents are quietly struggling with: how to talk to kids and teens about cannabis in a world where edibles, vapes and oils are everywhere and often invisible.

Kids today are exposed earlier, more frequently, and in more confusing ways than ever before. Gummies look like lollies. Wellness-style bottles sit on shelves. TikTok jokes about edibles have millions of views. Whether you use cannabis, avoid it entirely, or sit somewhere in between, the conversation is coming and avoidance doesn’t keep kids safe.

This week, Kyla breaks down how to approach these conversations with calm, honesty and connection, instead of the outdated “drugs are bad” scripts many of us grew up with.

We explore:

• The rise in paediatric cannabis poisonings — including the NSW study showing nearly 3,800 cases in a decade, with toddlers and teens most affected.

• Why edibles have changed the landscape

• The gap between modern cannabis use and the conversations parents are not having.

• How today’s cannabis (concentrates, vapes, gummies) is completely different from the 90s weed many parents remember.

• Why kids are not staying innocent by staying uninformed they’re just staying unprepared.

• Harm reduction basics for families, from dosing to green-outs to mixing substances.

• How to frame your own cannabis use with responsibility, nuance and clarity.

• Exactly what to say to younger kids vs. teens, including simple scripts you can start using today.

• How to respond if your teen admits they’ve already tried cannabis — without shame or panic.

• Why warmth + honesty + boundaries remains the most protective parenting combination we have.

This episode is your toolkit for building trust instead of fear, clarity instead of shame, and ongoing conversations instead of one big dreaded “talk.”

Curiosity is not dangerous; it’s developmental. What matters is that they learn with us, not away from us.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with another parent or caregiver - and leave a review to help this work reach more curious households.

Resources

Cannabis poisonings in Australia following the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, 2014-24: analysis of NSW Poisons Information Centre data

Cannabis poisonings among children increasing

How to talk to your kids about cannabis (PDF Downloadable resource)

"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.

In this episode of Canna Curious, Kyla sits down with Alli Bannister, a mother, nurse practitioner, and survivor of an exceptionally rare form of appendix cancer. One so uncommon it affects only one in a million people.

What began as unexplained pain, bloating and digestive changes quickly escalated into emergency surgery, a Christmas Day hospitalisation, and the devastating discovery that cancer had spread across nearly all of Alli’s abdominal organs. Within days, she was facing a radical treatment plan involving organ removal, aggressive surgery and hot chemotherapy. But Alli made a courageous choice to pause.

This conversation explores what happens when someone refuses to rush their healing, chooses to listen to their body, and claims agency in a system driven by urgency and fear. Alli shares her decision to seek integrative treatment in Thailand, her experience with medical cannabis for pain and anxiety, the role of meditation and trauma healing, and how mindset became just as critical as medicine.

In this episode, we explore:

• The early signs of Alli’s rare appendix cancer and why her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed
• The moment she received her diagnosis and how it reshaped her identity
• The emotional and physical impact of emergency surgery and radical organ removal
• Why Alli chose to pause instead of rushing into life-altering treatment
• The role of integrative and alternative therapies in her healing journey
• How CBD and THC supported her pain management, anxiety and sense of calm
• The mind-body connection and the importance of meditation during trauma
• Financial realities of alternative cancer treatment and systemic limitations
• Reclaiming agency within the medical system
• How healing trauma and emotional release became part of survival
• Alli’s mission to support others walking a similar path

If you want to know more about Alli or the power of hydrogen water you can find Alli here IG @alli.healingontheroad

Email: alli@allihealingontheroad.com

Radical Remission by Kelly A Turner

Quantam Healing by Deepak Chopra

"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.