Cannabis Mover & Shakers: USDA, TILT, Neptune, GrowLife

Here comes another Tuesday, with the latest updates in the cannabis industry.

Hemp Market Advisor Kevin Latner To Guide Federal Policy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative appointed Kevin Latner to a federal advisory committee on trade issues.

Latner is vice president of marketing at the National Industrial Hemp Council.

The USDA and USTR said Latner would serve as a member of a panel centered on trade in processed foods.

In the statement to Marijuana Moment, Latner pointed out that the panel is “an important avenue to support export marketing by providing input into government policies on trade agreements and foreign import standards.”

NIHC Board Chairman Patrick Atagi said Friday that the company is “honored" to have been chosen to represent the interests of the hemp industry.

TILT Welcomes Columbia Care’s Gary Santo 

TILT Holdings Inc. TILT TLLTF, a technology and infrastructure platform for the cannabis industry, tapped Gary Santo to be senior vice president, head of capital markets and investor relations.

Santo has over 24 years of experience in several fields, including consumer credit, financial services, gaming, and technology.

His career spans The First Marblehead Corporation, Fitch Ratings, International Game Technology and Lantheus Medical Imaging.

He also held senior-level positions at Columbia Care Inc.

“His prior experience in the cannabis industry, together with his affinity for public companies undergoing significant transformation, make him the ideal candidate to lead our capital markets and investor relations efforts,” said TILT CEO Mark Scatterday in a Monday press release.

Neptune Nominates Jane Pemberton and Frank Rochon To Board

Canadian cannabinoid extraction company Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. NEPT NEPT confirmed Tuesday the nomination of Jane Pemberton and Frank Rochon for election to the company's Board of Directors.

Pemberton has been building and investing in highly profitable businesses for over 25 years.

She held several leadership roles in The Mommy & Me Company, Fox Filmed Entertainment and The Walt Disney Co. DIS. 

Pemberton is the operating advisor at North Castle Partners, a private equity firm investing in consumer businesses that promote health and wellness.

In addition, she also serves on ProSupps USA's and The Escape Game's board of directors.

Rochon brings over 30 years of leadership experience.

He spent 20 years serving at Deloitte Canada at several positions, including the position of Vice Chairman and Managing Partner of Clients and Industries, which are the most recent.

"We are very proud to have named two talented and seasoned individuals for election to our Board of Directors," stated Neptune CEO Michael Cammarata.

Board chair John Moretz called Pemberton and Rochon "great additions to the very diverse set of minds around our Board table as we work towards our collective goals and lead the Company into its next phase of growth."

A month ago, the Laval, Quebec-based company launched Neptune Halo to respond to the ongoing health crisis. It's an electronic device that monitors the patients' oxygen saturation levels and pulse rate, the company explained.

Lewis Swarts and Daniel Harder Join GrowLife Advisory Board

GrowLife Inc. PHOT has also deepened its bench by adding Lewis Swarts and Daniel Harder to its advisory board, which is centered on improving its CBD-rich hemp cloning business.

Swarts, who has been holding executive positions in the past, is “honored and excited by the opportunity to join GrowLife.”

Harder is a plant scientist and multi-published author, who has held several legislative, professional and board positions at plant science foundations, academic organizations, and gardens.

Harder said Tuesday that he is “eager to help GrowLife’s team further their genetics expertise on plant cultivation.

GrowLife CEO Marco Hegyi praised Swarts and Harder for their "world-class experience in hemp cultivation operations.”

In September, the Kirkland, Washington-based provider of farming soil, hydroponics equipment, and organic plant nutrients secured $2.5 million in financing to boost its service offering with CBD-rich hemp clones sales.