Cannabis Movers & Shakers: BioHarvest Sciences, Green Hygienics, Realm of Caring, Media Central Corp, Al Harrington's Viola

BioHarvest Sciences Appoints Two Law Firms To Pursue Regulatory Approvals of Its Upcoming Cannabis and Hemp Products

BioHarvest Sciences Inc. BHSC recently announced it has tapped DLA Piper and GOWLING WLG law firms to assist in the company’s efforts to obtain all required compliance mandates and regulatory approvals to manufacture and commercialize cannabis and hemp products in both the US and Canada.

The selection process was led by Dr. Rhona Applebaum, Ph.D., who joined BioHarvest in November 2020 as a senior consultant. In addition, Applebaum opted to expand her role by agreeing to oversee all the cannabis regulatory affairs in North America.

Lewis Retik, a partner at GOWLING WLG, said he is thrilled to team up with BioHarvest calling it a "major disruptor in the global nutraceutical and Cannabis sectors."

“Cannabis and cannabinoids represent an important vertical for BioHarvest," Ilan Sobel, CEO of BHSC, disclosed. "With our technology, we believe we can help meet the demand for high quality, consistent and sustainable medicinal and wellbeing products."

Green Hygienics Taps David Racz As Senior VP Of Global Sales And Business Development

Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. GRYN has hired David Racz to serve as vice president of global sales and business development.

During his career, Racz held several senior-level positions at companies such as Pfizer PFE, GlaxoSmithKline plc GSK and Novartis AG NVS.

He also worked for SmithKline Beecham, where he managed more than 4,000 employees in 20 countries throughout Asia, Latin America, Australia, and South Africa in sales, marketing, and research and development. He brings over a decade of experience in cannabis.

Realm of Caring Hires Nicolas Schlienz, Ph.D. As Research Director

Realm of Caring, a cannabinoid-focused nonprofit, appointed Nicolas Schlienz, Ph.D., to serve at its newly created research director position.

In his new role, he will co-author a study on epilepsy utilizing data obtained from RoC’s innovative Observational Research Registry.

Schlienz, a clinical psychologist, led the development of the ORR - a web-based research platform with a focus on adults and adult caregivers of dependents who are or are considering

using cannabis or hemp products for therapeutic purposes - as a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University.

"There are numerous obstacles to exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabis due to its classification as a Schedule I controlled substance," Schlienz said Tuesday. "Research opportunities such as the ORR expand the existing scientific knowledge base to better inform clinical decision making, and also dispels the stigma surrounding medicinal cannabis use."

Media Central Forms Advisory Board & Taps Jack Harding As Inaugural Member

Media Central Corporation Inc. FLYY 3AT, a media company behind CannCentral, a publication on cannabis innovation, announced it is forming an advisory board on Wednesday.

Based in Toronto, the company appointed Jack Harding as the inaugural member. Harding currently serves as the managing partner and co-founder of Diner Agency as well as an advisor on several boards.

We are thrilled to welcome Jack to our advisory board," Manos Pavlakis, chairman of the board for Media Central Corporation, said. "We are confident that his track record of leading the rebranding and restructuring of companies across multiple sectors will assist us in reaching our targets much faster."

The company expects to announce the additional board members in the weeks to come.

NBA Legend Allen Iverson Joins Al Harrington's Viola Cannabis Co.

Viola, the cannabis company founded and led by NBA veteran Al Harrington has welcomed NBA star Allen Iverson to its team.

The Philadelphia 76ers legend and Hall of Famer opted to serve as the official talent partner for the Los Angeles cannabis brand.

The collaboration with Iverson and Viola is expected to result in a variety of cannabis and non-cannabis products, including the launch of the first strain of Viola's The Iverson Collection, which is scheduled to hit the shelves at Elevate and Jade Room in California this October. 

"I've had a lot of people approach me with business opportunities, but this one with Al was different," said Iverson, who visited Viola's 18,000 sq ft Detroit grow in March. "After seeing how devoted he is to this business and him educating me on how beneficial the plant is, it just felt right. I'm excited to be a part of it."

Photo: Courtesy of David Gabrić on Unsplash