Top Talent To Lead Two New US Marijuana Markets And Latest Key Hires In Cannabis Industry

As Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference returns to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition, gathering top CEOs, investors and leaders in the cannabis industry, let's scroll through the latest leadership changes in the space.

Government Cannabis Regulatory Coalition Names New Leadership And Membership

The government marijuana regulatory coalition Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) unveiled fresh leadership within its ranks last month, reported Marijuana Moment. The coalition also expanded membership, now encompassing regions throughout the United States and stretching beyond national borders for the very first time.

CANNRA's new board includes:

• President: Will Tilburg, director of Maryland Cannabis Administration
• President-Elect: Dominique Mendiola, senior director at Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division
• Past-President: Tyler Klimas, executive director at Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board
• Board Member At Large: Adria Berry, executive director at Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority
• Board Member At Large: Nicole Elliott, director at California Department of Cannabis Control
• Board Member At Large: Chris Tholkes, director at Minnesota Office of Medical Cannabis
• Board Member At Large: Andrew Turnage, executive director at Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission

Maryland Governor Makes Key Appointments for Cannabis Agencies

On Monday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced a number of appointments to two new cannabis-related agencies, some two weeks after the Old Line State became the 25th state in the nation to legalize marijuana, reported Maryland Matters.

The governor named Audrey L. Johnson, who comes to the agency from Johns Hopkins University and Health System, acting executive director of the Office of Social Equity and Courtney Davis, previously executive director of DC-based Marijuana Matters, its deputy director. Johnson and Davis are expecting Senate confirmation in the 2024 session.

Additionally, Moore appointed members of the Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council, including:

• Dorothy Lennig, incoming director, Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.
• Madhumi Mitra, Ph.D., a professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
• Mathew Swinburne, associate director at The Network for Public Health Eastern Region, University of Maryland Francis Carey King School of Law.
• Dr. Deondra D. Asike, clinical associate in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• Dr. Leigh Vinocur, chief medical officer and founder of Ananda Medical Practice.
• Leah Sera, PharmD and associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
• Dr. David A. Gorelick, professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
• Jocelyn Bratton-Payne, a social worker and director of substance use disorder programs at New Hope Treatment Center.

Minnesota Prepares for New Era Of Cannabis With Inaugural Director Appointment

In Minnesota, statewide marijuana legalization is getting enacted on August 1. Gov. Tim Walz (D) is expected to appoint a director to oversee the state's new marijuana regulatory agency, the newly established cannabis entity.

"The inaugural Director of the Office of Cannabis Management will have responsibility for building a new state agency from the ground up and play a key leadership role in establishing and regulating an emerging new cannabis market in Minnesota," the job description says.

New Member Joins Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission got a new member after the state House Speaker Matthew Shepherd appointed Amber Pool of Lonoke to serve a four-year term replacing Jessica Mobley.

Pool is the co-owner of Pool Fisheries Specialty Fish in Lonoke. Previously, she served as director of operations and executive administrator to the Arkansas House of Representatives Speaker.

Recent Board Shake-Ups

Meanwhile, shareholders at three cannabis enterprises held their respective annual general meetings over the past few weeks.

• Decibel Cannabis Company Inc.'s DB DBCCF shareholders fixed the number of directors of the company to be elected at five, electing Shawn Dym (Chairman), Manjit Minhas, Nadia Vattovaz, Jakob Ripshtein and Paul Wilson.
• Canadian retailer High Tide Inc. HITI HITI 2LYA elected Harkirat ("Raj") Grover, Nitin Kaushal, Arthur Kwan, Christian Sinclair and Andrea Elliott to serve as directors of the company.
• Cresco Labs's CL CRLBF shareholders fixed the number of board members at ten, electing Charles Bachtell, Robert M. Sampson, John R. Walter, Gerald F. Corcoran, Thomas J. Manning, Randy D. Podolsky, Marc Lustig, Michele Roberts, Carol Vallone and Tarik Brooks.

Glass House Brands Inc.'s GLAS GLAS GLASF GHBWF Hector De La Torre stepped down from the company's board last week, due to the time requirements of his recent appointment as executive director of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments.

Craftport Cannabis Corp. CFT announced earlier this month that Wenjie Zhang has been reappointed as a member of the company's board of directors to enhance the company's ability to meet Health Canada's requirements.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Company SMG tapped Mark D. Kingdon, who has held senior executive positions ranging from president and CEO to founder of companies in the consumer, technology and digital spaces previously, to serve on its board of directors.

Other Industry Appointments

• Unrivaled Brands, Inc. UNRV has appointed its CEO, Sabas Carrillo, who has served as a director of its board of directors since December 2022, as the board's chairman. The California-based cannabis producer also announced the appointment of its chief operating officer, James Miller, as a director on the board.
• iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. IAN ITHUF has appointed Richard Proud as CEO and the board's director on Monday. He previously served as executive vice president of revenue for Curaleaf, vice president of merchandise planning, allocation and product strategy for Groupe Dynamite, and senior director of merchandise planning for both American Signatures, Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
• PharmaCielo Ltd. PCLO PCLOF the Canadian parent of Colombia's premier cultivator and producer of dried flower and medicinal-grade cannabis extracts, PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S. named Marc Lustig chairman and CEO of the company earlier this month.
• Lastly, MedMen Enterprises Inc. MMEN MMNFF kicked off July by appointing Ellen Deutsch as CEO and Amit Pandey as CFO. Deutsch replaces interim CEO Edward Record, who agreed to continue as a non-executive member of the company's board of directors. Deutsch has also been appointed to the company's board of directors, increasing the size of the board to six.

Related News

• Latest Executive Changes In Marijuana Industry, New Appointments & Resignations
• Key Marijuana Executive Changes You Should Know About: New Appointments And Promotions

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the place where deals get done, is returning to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. Get your tickets today before prices increase and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment and branding.

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