Cannabis Movers & Shakers: Greenlight Distribution, Petalfast, Tinley Beverage, Shryne Group, Ehave, NY Cannabis Control Board

Greenlight Distribution Hires Erik Elder As New Director Of Sales

Greenlight Distribution, a leading seller of products and a direct lender to U.S. commercial cannabis cultivators, reported Wednesday that the company has hired Erik Elder as its new director of sales.

Elder is a cannabis industry veteran with 18 years of experience.

In his new position, he will lead the company's sales team in serving cultivators with more than 6,000 products, financing, and expert consultation, and also oversee the launch of Greenlight DIRECT, a new monthly consumable subscription service.

"At Greenlight, we are cannabis people for cannabis people," CEO Dennis O'Carroll, commented." Erik's extensive experience and reputation in the industry will help Greenlight grow by helping our cultivators grow."

Jennifer Dooley Joins Petalfast As Its First Independent Director

Cannabis-focused full spectrum sales and marketing Petalfast Inc. announced Tuesday the appointment of Jennifer Dooley to its board of directors as its first independent director.

Dooley, who agreed to provide strategic guidance regarding potential new markets and overall brand strategy, brings over a decade of experience building and positioning people-first brands in both the cannabis and confection industries.

Prior to this, Dooley served as Green Thumb Industries Inc.'s GTBIF chief strategy officer.

"Jennifer is highly regarded in the cannabis industry with a proven track record of team building and execution," Jason Vegotsky, Petalfast's CEO said. "We know Jennifer will be an amazing asset to our company, and we are thrilled to have her join our Board as we continue to execute our growth strategy to attract new brands and market opportunities."

Tinley Beverage Company Announces Series Of Appointments

The Tinley Beverage Company Inc. TNY TNYBF, a producer of Beckett's Classics and Beckett's 27 lines of non-alcoholic, terpene-infused spirits and cocktails, as well as cannabis-infused versions of these products, announced a series of appointments on Monday.

The Toronto and Los Angeles-based company tapped beverage industry veteran and former president of Tinley Western USA, Richard Gillis, to serve as president and chief operating officer of Tinley USA.

In addition, Jeff Maser, the company's founder, and CEO opted to step down as CEO and director and join Tinley's advisory board.

Rick Gillis, who previously served as general manager of Coca-Cola Enterprises  CCE for the Southwest U.S., together with directors Ted Zittell and Douglas Fulton, formed an Office of the CEO to manage all corporate activities with company management on an interim basis while a search for a CEO is underway.

"Bringing Tinley from my initial vision to its current phase of growth has been an extremely challenging and rewarding journey," Maser disclosed. "As founder, I built a team of exceptionally experienced beverage executives, knowing that in-depth expertise in manufacturing, logistics, branding, and sales would be needed to truly make Tinley's a market-leading beverage infrastructure and marketing company."

Shryne Group Names New CEO and President

The Los Angeles-based cannabis holding company Shryne Group, Inc. has named Jon Avidor as CEO, replacing Brian Mitchell, who stepped down for personal reasons.

Prior to this, Avidor served as the company's executive chairman and most recently as its president and interim CFO.

Avidor has over a decade of combined experience in cannabis, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law and venture capital.

In addition, Tak Sato agreed to take over Avidor's role as president of Shryne, having previously served as a chief development officer.

Dr. Rahul Dixit Joins Ehave's Medical Advisory Board

Ehave, Inc. EHVVF, a provider of digital therapeutics for the psychedelic and mental health sectors, announced Tuesday that Dr. Rahul Dixit would be joining the company's medical advisory board.

In his new role, he will be responsible for assisting and advising the company on human trials for its cognitive and psychedelic opportunities, as well as on mental health analytical platforms.

Dixit is a gastroenterology specialist who has more than 17 years of experience in the medical field.

"Ehave is very fortunate to include such an esteemed medical professional as Dr. Dixit as a member of our Medical Advisory Board," Ben Kaplan, CEO of Ehave, said. "His credentials and experience make him a perfect fit for Ehave. We look forward to Dr. Dixit's expert as we expand our mental health analytical platform and enter clinical trials."

New York's Cannabis Control Board Completed As Gov. Hochul Appoints Two New Regulators

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced her final two appointees to regulate the state's adult-use marijuana market on Wednesday. 

The governor named Reuben McDaniel III, president and CEO of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, and Jessica García of the Retail, Wholesale Department Store Union, UFCW, which represents food supply chain workers and non-food retail and healthcare workers. 

"New York's cannabis industry has stalled for far too long – I am making important appointments to set the Office of Cannabis Management up for success so they can hit the ground running," Gov. Hochul said on Wednesday in a statement. "I am confident Mr. McDaniel and Ms. Garcia will serve the board with professionalism and experience as we lead our state forward in this new industry."

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