Cannabis Movers & Shakers: Kathleen Sebelius Joins NCR, BDSA Names New Chair, Next Frontier Has A New CEO

National Cannabis Roundtable Welcomes Former Obama Official Kathleen Sebelius

National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) has welcomed yet another politician in its ranks.

Kathleen Sebelius, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary under former President Barack Obama, has joined the group to serve as an honorary co-chair, Marijuana Business Daily reported.

Sebelius, a Democrat and Kansas’ former governor, joins other politicians such as Republican John Boehner, who has been tapped to the cannabis-reform advocacy group in 2019.

“I’m excited to work with the Roundtable and Speaker Boehner to help shape the important debates to come,” Sebelius said. “Together, I am confident we can make significant progress in the 117th Congress and beyond.”

Blueberries Hires Former Clever Leaves Head Of B2B

Blueberries Medical Corp. BBM BBRRF has tapped the former Global Head of B2B of Clever Leaves Holdings Inc. CLVR, José María Forero, to serve as the new President of Latin American Operations.

Forero brings over 17 years of experience in sales on both regional and global levels.

“We are confident that with the addition of Mr. Forero, our Latin American operations are well equipped for global growth and success,” chairman and Interim CEO of the Latin American manufacturer of medicinal cannabis and cannabis-derived products, Facundo Garreton, said.

The move comes on the heels of securing some CA$1 million ($788,495) in financing through a non-brokered private placement sale at CA$0.065 per share.

The company said it intends to use proceeds to fund the production and marketing, as well as improvements at its facility.

Garreton disclosed that its “state of the art extraction facility and commercial cultivation capacity” puts the company in a position to “ramp up production and meet local and international demand.”

BDSA Names New Chairman After Roy Bingham Resigns

BDSA has named Pete Karabas, a founding partner of KEY Investment Partners, board chairman.

Karabas replaces Roy Bingham, who stepped down from the position he held for six years.

“Founding and leading BDSA was a terrific experience and challenge as the company grew with the cannabis industry,” said Bingham, who co-founded the company with Elisabeth Stahura.

The Boulder, Colorado-based company confirmed Wednesday that Bingham will remain in the company, as a director, overseeing the company’s expansion.

BDSA helps businesses to improve revenues, as well as reduce innovation risk, and prioritize market expansion.

Expansion plans for the current year include leveraging opportunities in Michigan, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The company also said it plans to boost its footprint in Canada.

Bright Minds Biosciences Enlists 3 Experts For Scientific Advisory Team

Bright Minds Biosciences revealed Wednesday it has deepened its bench by welcoming three experts, John M. McCall, Ph.D., Mark A. Geyer, Ph.D., and Uros Laban, to its ranks.

The Vancouver-based psychedelic-focused biosciences company expanded its scientific advisory team by appointing both McCall and Geyer as Senior Advisors and Laban as Senior Chemist.

McCall is a co-founder, chairman, and VP of Chemistry at ReveraGen BioPharma. He is an expert in medicinal biochemistry, steroidal chemistry, risk minimization, and strategic planning.

Geyer is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences Emeritus at the University of California San Diego, who runs for the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit of the VISN 22 Veterans Administration Mental Illness Research, Clinical, and Education Center.

Laban is a medicinal chemist with knowledge in drug development, synthetic chemistry, scale-up, and life sciences.

CEO Ian McDonald is “delighted” to welcome the seasoned experts as its continues to design and deliver “psychedelic therapeutics with improved safety and predictability that can address the many unmet medical needs in the mental health and pain management areas.”

Next Frontier Brands Taps Beverage Expert As CEO

Next Frontier Brands hired beverage industry expert Seymour Ferreira to serve as CEO of its Global Beverage Group.

Ferreira has over thirty years of experience in building liquor, wine, and spirits brands.

Previously, he was CEO of Amber Beverage Group, supervising the manufacture and distribution of more than 200 spirits and sparkling liqueurs as well as ready to drink and specialty beverage brands.

"As CEO of the company's Global Beverage Group, my mission is to deliver exceptional experiences for our customers and consumers by creating new standards for beverage innovation and distribution networks," Ferreira disclosed Wednesday.

Next Frontier Brands is a consumer goods company that focuses on the manufacture of beverages and wellness products.

Treehouse Biosciences, a subsidiary, owns a suite of patents related to the extraction of cannabinoids. In addition, it also anticipates getting UK Food Standards Agency's approval for its hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) products.

Nevertheless, it seems that businesses within the cannabis industry continue to follow the last year's trend of strengthening their teams with beverage experts.