US And Swiss Cannabis Companies Merge, Creating New Industry Behemoth

Alpen Group Inc., one of the largest vertically integrated Multi-Country Operators (MCO) in the cannabis industry, has completed the merger of leading cannabis companies Plain Jane Wholesale, Alpex Pharma and Wegrow to create Alpen Group.

The company has appointed Todd Boren, former co-CEO of Form Factory and Plain Jane Wholesale, and founder of the MacArthur Fund, as its CEO. Other members of the executive management team include senior leaders from Alpex Pharma, The Cronos Group (formerly PharmaCan Capital), Apotex, Abalone Group, and CannaGen.

What's Next

The combined companies will leverage complementary brand portfolios, operational footprints, manufacturing facilities, and distribution capabilities to build a global end-to-end cannabis MCO.

Switzerland-based Alpex Pharma and Wegrow will generate significant processing and distribution synergies via established production infrastructure, including GACP cultivation facilities that ensure EU GMP of all finished goods, flower and extracts.

Medford, Oregon-based Plain Jane Wholesale maintains a robust portfolio of trusted, highly scalable cannabis and CBD products and a strong innovation pipeline. In connection with the merger, Alpen Group has signed an exclusive agreement to cultivate, manufacture, and distribute Plain Jane-branded products across several key European markets.

"The regulatory and commercial environment surrounding the European cannabis sector, the largest and most progressive emerging cannabis market in the world, has never been more promising,” said Alpen Group CEO Todd Boren. “The synergies of this partnership will create an agile new industry leader on the continent and advance our shared mission to develop best-in-class, trusted medical and recreational cannabis products that uphold the highest standards of quality from soil to consumption. Drawing on the diverse expertise of the Alpen Group leadership team, our combined MCO is poised for broader international expansion in pace with the legalization of cannabis across the globe.”

About Boren

Boren joined Alpen Group from Plain Jane, where he served as co-CEO. He currently serves as a Managing Partner and founder of The MacArthur Fund, a prominent venture capital fund specializing in cannabis investments. During his tenure, Boren assisted in the acquisition of drug delivery company Chemistry Holdings, Inc., by Cure Pharmaceuticals.

Previously, as co-CEO of commercial cannabis consumables manufacturer Form Factory, he structured and led the acquisition of the company to Acreage Holdings for $160 million, one of the largest exits in the U.S. cannabis industry at that time. Having spent nearly three decades managing international securities and venture capital acquisitions, he also oversaw the full investment lifecycle of two FINRA broker-dealers from creation to exit.