Kevin McKernan Returns to talk cannabis genomics, COVID 19 research and masks

About this episode

Cannabis geneticist Kevin McKernan returns to lay out a detailed, contrarian case against COVID-19 lockdowns and mask mandates, drawing on cruise-ship and prison outbreak data, vitamin D deficiency correlations, and pre-existing T-cell cross-immunity research to argue the virus's spread was self-limiting and that models like Neil Ferguson's (whose code proved non-reproducible, and who broke his own quarantine) drove policy far beyond what the data warranted. He and Vance discuss the political economy of pandemic fear, the risk of "flatten the curve" permanently expanding government power, and parallels to wartime economics where centralized control undermines resilience. The conversation broadens into free-speech and platform-deplatforming concerns (Twitter fact-checks, Cambridge Analytica, decentralization), then shifts into McKernan's core expertise: cannabis genomics, terpene/cannabinoid biology, epigenetics under plant stress, the plant's likely status as humanity's first domesticated crop, and his current work building biologic (non-chemical) fungicides and SARS-detection assays to protect the cannabis supply chain from a shutdown.

Key moments

• [7/10] McKernan explains why his lab is building SARS-detection tests for cannabis as an "insurance policy" against a supply-chain shutdown, despite skepticism the plant itself is a vector.
• McKernan and Vance dissect the mask debate as an "all or nothing" cultural failure of nuance, with McKernan noting masks often collect microbes on their exterior via hand contact rather than filtering airborne particles.
• [8/10] McKernan cites cruise-ship (Diamond Princess, USS Roosevelt) and prison outbreak data showing over 80% of tightly-packed, fully-exposed populations never got sick, and links this to a landmark T-cell cross-reactivity paper. Timestamp ~00:07:19–00:17:43.
• [8/10] Vance and McKernan detail how Neil Ferguson's Imperial College model — non-reproducible code, quarantine violation included — drove global lockdown policy despite lacking peer review. Timestamp ~00:26:24–00:28:10.
• [7/10] McKernan argues wartime economics research shows centralized "one guy in charge" control tends to lose wars compared to free-market coordination, applying the analogy to pandemic response.
• McKernan describes engineering biologic (enzyme-based) fungicides from the cannabis genome itself as a non-chemical alternative to compounds that can convert to hydrogen cyanide when heated.
• McKernan explains epigenetic terpene/cannabinoid shifts under plant stress, paralleling capsaicin increases in stressed jalapeño breeding, and cannabis's likely status as humanity's first domesticated plant.
• closing ~96%: McKernan closes with a call to get outside, garden, and "lead by example" rather than "keyboard worrying everybody into opening up lockdown."

Notable quotes

“We detected SARS cov2-reactive CD4-positive T cells in 40 to 60% of unexposed individuals... this is really the smoking gun on why this thing never went exponential.”

“His code wasn't public very recently. His code became public and it's a complete shambles. It's not reproducible in that if you put the same number in twice, you get different numbers.”

“I think keyboard worrying everybody into opening up lockdown isn't gonna work. I think we should just lead with our actions and start supporting small businesses, start supporting some farmers.”

Predictions made in this episode

• COVID-19 vaccines in development will become largely unnecessary because the virus will fade out before they are ready, due to pre-existing cross-reactive immunity.
• Political and media classes will be slow to admit lockdowns were an overreaction, delaying reversal of pandemic restrictions well beyond what the data supports.