The Origin Story

Life Happens at the Edge.

A blog about complexity, consciousness, and what it means to be alive in the age of AI.

Justin Hartfield

The Journey

2008

Weedmaps Founded

2010

Meeting Dr. Bob

2021

European Expansion

2024

Far From Equilibrium

My Story

The Journey

I came to these ideas through an unlikely path.

In 2008, I co-founded Weedmaps—a platform that would become the leading cannabis technology company, helping millions of patients find safe, legal access to medicine. I built a billion-dollar business in an industry that existed in the gray zone between legal and illegal, between accepted and taboo.

Building at that edge taught me something: the most valuable opportunities exist where others are afraid to go. The edge of legality. The edge of social acceptance. The edge of what's possible.

But the real education came later, when I met Dr. Bob.

His teachings reframed everything I'd experienced. The cannabis industry wasn't just about a plant—it was about the endocannabinoid system, the master regulator of human homeostasis. My success wasn't just luck—it was the result of operating far from equilibrium, in that creative space where new patterns emerge.

Now I'm applying these principles to the biggest disruption of our lifetime: artificial intelligence.

AI isn't a threat—it's a mirror. It's forcing us to confront fundamental questions about consciousness, creativity, and what makes us human. The same thermodynamic principles that govern life also govern artificial intelligence. Understanding one helps you understand the other.

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The Philosophy

What Does "Far From Equilibrium" Mean?

Equilibrium = Death

In thermodynamics, equilibrium is the end. It's the state where nothing happens. No energy flows. No patterns form. No life exists.

Far From Equilibrium = Life

When energy flows through a system, something remarkable occurs. Order emerges from chaos. Patterns self-organize. Complexity arises spontaneously.

This isn't magic—it's physics. Ilya Prigogine won the Nobel Prize for proving it.

"Life itself is a far-from-equilibrium phenomenon. You exist because energy flows through you, creating the improbable structures that think, feel, and read these words."

This isn't just science—it's a philosophy for living. The most interesting things in the universe happen at the edge of chaos. Growth, creativity, evolution, consciousness—all of it emerges in that turbulent space between order and disorder.

Life happens at the edge. And if you want to be fully alive, that's where you need to be.

The Teacher

Dr. Bob Melamede

Dr. Bob Melamede

I didn't discover these ideas on my own. I learned them from Dr. Robert Melamede—a molecular biologist, cannabis researcher, and one of the most original thinkers I've ever encountered.

Dr. Bob spent his career connecting dots that others couldn't see. He showed how far-from-equilibrium thermodynamics explains not just physics, but biology, consciousness, and human behavior. He revealed how the endocannabinoid system—the most important regulatory system in your body—is evolution's master tool for adaptation.

His ideas were provocative, often controversial, and decades ahead of their time. He divided humanity into Forward-Looking People (FLPs) and Backward-Looking People (BLPs)—those who embrace change and create the future, versus those who cling to the past and resist evolution.

"Dr. Bob passed away in 2024, but his teachings live on. Far From Equilibrium is my attempt to carry that torch."

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The Mission

What This Blog Is About

Far From Equilibrium is where I share what I've learned—and what I'm still figuring out. This isn't surface-level content. It's the deep science of living systems, applied to the questions that matter:

  • → How do you thrive in a world changing faster than ever?
  • → What does consciousness mean in the age of AI?
  • → Why do some people adapt while others get left behind?
  • → What can thermodynamics teach us about creativity and human potential?

The Audience

Who This Is For

This blog is for curious minds who aren't satisfied with simple answers. It's for entrepreneurs who sense that the old playbooks don't work anymore. For scientists who want to see the bigger picture.

It's for Forward-Looking People.

If you're a Backward-Looking Person—if you resist change, if you want someone to tell you everything will be fine—this isn't for you.

Building at the Edge

Current Ventures

Building at the intersection of cannabis, technology, health, and culinary innovation.

7

Cannabis & Medical

1

Health & Fitness

3

Food & Culinary

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13

High Protein Recipes

View All 24 Projects

The Philosophy

Everything I've learned—from building Weedmaps to studying with Dr. Bob—has crystallized into a framework for understanding life, consciousness, and the future. It's called Far From Equilibrium, and it might change how you see everything.

Explore the Philosophy Far From Equilibrium

Frequently Asked Questions

Justin Hartfield is the founder of Weedmaps, a student of Dr. Bob Melamede, and an explorer of complexity science. He connects thermodynamics, consciousness, and human potential through the lens of far-from-equilibrium systems.

Dr. Robert Melamede was a biology professor and cannabis researcher who connected thermodynamics to human health. He showed how the endocannabinoid system helps us maintain our far-from-equilibrium state and why cannabis has therapeutic potential.

Far From Equilibrium explores the intersection of physics, biology, and consciousness. It's about understanding yourself as a thermodynamic system and using that knowledge to optimize your health, mindset, and potential.