Marijuana Business Magazine February 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | February 2019 106 Aurora Hires Chief Scientist Aurora Cannabis appointed Jonathan Page as chief scientific officer. Page co-founded and served as CEO of Anandia Labs, which specializes in cannabis genetics, metabolite profil- ing, plant breeding, disease characteri- zation, cultivar certification and testing services, and was recently acquired by Aurora. Anandia will continue to operate independently of Alberta, Canada-based Aurora. John Coleman is taking over as president at Anandia. Alcohol Exec Joins Board of B.C. Cannabis Company Sproutly, a Vancouver, British Colum- bia, business that aims to provide water-soluble cannabis for infused beverages, added alcohol industry vet- eran Constantine Constandis to its advisory board. Constandis is a former senior executive with Pernod Ricard, a publicly traded producer of wine and spirts that include Absolut Vodka, Jameson, The Glenlivet and Beefeater. He most recently served as president of Pernod Ricard China and Pernod Ricard Asia Travel Retail. Before joining Pernod Ricard, Constandis was the CEO of Corby Spirit andWine, a Toronto Stock Exchange-listed alco- hol manufacturing and distribution company whose portfolio includes well-known Canadian brands such as J.P. Wiser’s whisky and Lamb’s rum. Cannabis Investment Firm Grows Team Australis Capital, the Las Vegas- based Aurora Cannabis spinoff investment firm, hired Cleve Tzung as senior vice president for M&A and Daniel Norr as senior vice president and general counsel. Tzung was most recently head of corporate development at toy manufacturer Mattel, where his team accounted for more than $1 billion in brand and product acquisitions. Norr was the first general counsel for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas and the Marshall Retail Group, which operates more than 170 stores across the United States and Canada. Grocery Industry Vet to Advise Edibles Company Gabriella’s Kitchen, a cannabis edibles company that also has 25 non-cannabis products in more than 3,400 retail stores in the United States and Canada, hired grocery industry veteran Maureen Putnam as a special adviser. Putnam is a former president of the grocery and snacks division of Hain Celestial Group. Young CBD Firm Gets New CEO The board of Bespoke Extracts, a Sunny Isles, Florida-based company that makes CBD balms, lotions, capsules and other products, appointed Niquana Noel as president and CEO. Noel, formerly Bespoke’s operations manager, replaces Marc Yahr, who stepped down to pursue other career opportunities. Heaven Goes to Cultivation Automation Firm Argus Control, a horticulture automation company in Surrey, British Columbia, hired Michael Heaven as vice president and general manager. Heaven has held executive positions with Aurora Solar Technologies, Whitewater West Industries, Papertech and Norsat International, and served as executive vice president of Honeywell’s Measurex subsidiary in Cupertino, California. Cannabis Biotech Firm Expands Seattle-based Pascal Biosciences hired Kevin Egan as vice president of business development, Thomas Deckwerth as vice president of therapeutic development and Larry Tjoelker as vice president of research. Egan has worked at ICOS Corp., a Washington state biotech firm. Previously, Deckwerth was vice president of both cancer drug development and product development at Presage Biosciences, a Seattle biotech company. Before joining Pascal, Tjoelker was at ICOS, where he cloned genes for inflammatory mediators that entered late-stage clinical trials. Ex-Fighter Gets in CBD Ring Art “One Glove” Jimmerson , a former boxer and mixed martial arts fighter who helped pioneer the United Fighting Championship, is the new brand ambassador for Los Angeles-based Fitamins, a subsidiary of Cannabis Strategic Ventures that makes CBD-infused vitamins. Pediatrician Joins Chain of Canadian Clinics Dr. Jane Hailey , a consultant pedia- trician and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, joined the Global Health Clinics network that connects medi- cal marijuana patients with licensed producers. Hailey will be responsible for pediatric medical cannabis patients, including those suffering from seizure disorders, autism and ADD/ADHD. Board Member Resigns from B.C. Cannabis Company GTEC, a British Columbia company that holds 100% interests in GreenTec Bio-Pharmaceuticals, Alberta Craft Cannabis, Grey Bruce Farms, Tumbleweed Farms, Zenalytic Laboratories and Spectre Labs, announced that founding director and board member Kam Thindal resigned to pursue other interests. Hired or promoted someone for a senior-level position? Send a news release or general information to omars@mjbizdaily.com. Industry Players | New Hires & Promotions Dr. Jane Hailey Courtesy Photo