Cannabis Movers & Shakers: Creo, Harvest Health & Recreation, Glass House, Flora Growth, Anebulo, Cannformatics, Republic Brands

Creo Taps Graeme Kenny To Serve As New CRO

Cannabinoid ingredient company Creo has appointed Graeme Kenny as its new chief revenue officer.

With over two decades of experience working for Croda International Plc, Kenny will lead commercial rollout in the category of cannabinoid ingredients.

Kenny recently served as head of Croda’s personal care business in North America, supervising all sales, marketing and technical teams in the region.

“Graeme has decades of experience in category creation and commercial development in the cosmetics, personal care, and wellness industry," Roy Lipski, CEO and co-founder of CREO, said Wednesday. "He is the ideal person to support Creo at this exciting juncture of our development.”

Harvest Health & Recreation’s Shareholders Elect Directors & Approve Merger With Tilray

Vertically integrated cannabis company Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. HARV HRVSF elected each of the nominees to serve as its directors on the board on its annual and special meeting of shareholders held on Wednesday, August 11.

The shareholders elected the six following nominees, including Steve White, Elroy Sailor, Mark Neal Barnard, Eula Adams, Scott Atkison and Ana Dutra, in addition to appointing Haynie & Company as the auditors of the Phoenix-based company for the coming year and approving the anticipated merger with Trulieve Cannabis Corporation TCNNF.

Glass House Brands Names Joe Aulenta Director Of Retail Construction

Vertically integrated cannabis and hemp company Glass House Brands Inc. GLAS GLAS GLASF GHBWF hired Joe Aulenta as director of retail construction.

Aulenta, who brings almost 15 years of construction and store design management experience and over 20 years of visual merchandising experience, agreed to oversee and manage the build-out of 19 new stores by the end of the second quarter of 2022.

Prior to this, Aulenta served as senior project manager of real estate construction for Foot Locker FL.

"Over the next 18 months, Glass House Group plans to build out what we expect to be California's largest retail chain," Kyle Kazan, the company's chairman and CEO said. "Our ambitious growth plans require amazing talent, and we are excited to have someone experienced like Joe on the team to assist us in meeting our goals."

Flora Growth Appoints Lead Scientific Advisor, Dr. Annabelle Manalo-Morgan, Ph.D. To Board Of Directors

Cannabis producer Flora Growth Corp. FLGC has appointed its lead scientific advisor, Dr. Annabelle Manalo-Morgan, Ph.D., to the board of directors, as part of its transition plans to become compliant with the recently approved Nasdaq board diversity initiatives.

In addition, the company's co-founder, Stan Bharti, has stepped down from his role as a director to serve as an advisor to the board of directors.

The company also said it intends to form a special committee of the board of directors.

"The need to be global stewards of diversity, inclusion, and equality in the cannabis industry has never been greater as the industry continues its exponential growth and acceptance around the world," Manalo-Morgan said. "Our mission is to deliver value for our shareholders through the manufacturing and sale of premium cannabis brands and products, and we believe that the best way to achieve that goal is to operate responsibly and sustainably."

Anebulo Pharmaceuticals Forms Scientific Advisory Board

Biopharmaceutical company Anebulo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ANEB announced the formation of a scientific advisory board on Thursday.

The board's founding co-chairs are Andrew Monte, M.D., Ph.D., and Arjun Chanmugam, M.D., both experts in emergency medicine and medical toxicology.

Daniel Schneeberger, M.D., CEO of Anebulo, said he looks forward to Chanmugam's and Monte's contributions, as well as "additional SAB members as we progress ANEB-001, our lead candidate for the treatment of acute cannabis intoxication, into a single-site Phase 2 proof-of-concept study," Schneeberger said. "This study is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2021 with results in the first half of next year." 

Medical Cannabis Expert Bonni Goldstein Joins Cannformatics Advisory Board

Cannabis-focused biotechnology startup Cannformatics announced Thursday that Dr. Bonni Goldstein has joined its advisory board.

Goldstein agreed to serve as a clinical advisor as the San Francisco-based company conducts clinical studies and develops its pharmacometabolomic services platform.

Goldstein is a medical cannabis physician with vast experience. She is the owner and medical director of Canna-Centers Wellness & Education. She is also a board member of the International Association of Cannabinoid Medicines and a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the Society of Cannabis Clinicians.

"What's exciting about the Cannformatics platform is that for the first time, physicians and patients will be able to see scientific data, similar to traditional lab reports, that will show if a treatment is working to bring a patient into the physiological range for their condition," Goldstein explained.

Republic Brands Names Paul Marobella As President And CMO

Republic Brands, one of the leading producers of rolling papers, the roll-your-own (RYO) and make-your-own (MYO) markets, has tapped Paul Marobella to serve as president and CMO.

Marobella, who has over 25 years of experience in marketing, brand and leadership, developed strategies for renowned brands such as Jim Beam, Adidas and Dos Equis, to name a few.

Prior to this, Marobella served as chairman and CEO of North America, Republic's largest global region.

"Paul's world-class expertise in transforming global brands, increasing cultural relevancy, and propelling enterprise growth brings a valuable opportunity to our multinational company as we enter the next era of the roll-your-own category," Don Levin, chairman and founder of Republic Brands, said Thursday.

Photo: Courtesy of Kym MacKinnon on Unsplash