- Cannabis investments have already exceeded $2 billion in 2018
- Liberty Leaf bolstering scientific, legal and accounting strength with experienced leadership additions
- Development projects include in-house, GMP-compliant manufacturing
Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) is accelerating the potential of companies supplying the cannabis industry as it builds its vision of a ‘trellis of commerce’ that connects players in the legal markets for marijuana and related consumables. During the past year, the Canadian company has fostered research and development into the potential of using pet-friendly cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of beloved animals that suffer from arthritic pain, and it has strengthened its corporate investment in the cannabis production pipeline as the recreational-use industry nears its launch later this year.
That vision is being driven by a team of expert executives coalescing as Liberty Leaf, along with its subsidiaries, gains momentum in forming its vertically integrated network of investments in proven, revenue-generating cannabis businesses. As the company has taken up a position on the CSE Composite Index and the Solactive Junior Marijuana Growers Index in Canada and listed on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States during the past year, it has welcomed new personnel to help direct its efforts.
The appointment of Doug Macdonell to its board of directors in November gave Liberty Leaf the benefit of experience that only a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, recognized as a professional in law enforcement training and an expert in court testimony, can provide. In addition to his connections in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Canada’s Department of Justice, Macdonell has political experience from two terms as a city councillor in the metropolitan suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia, and he has sat on the boards of several civic organizations.
Robert W.E. Laurie and Barinder Rasode joined Liberty Leaf’s advisory board, with Laurie — the board’s new chairman — bringing his international law expertise to bear on the company’s efforts to work through regulatory challenges while Rasode draws on her experience as a two-term City of Surrey councillor and, now, as CEO of independent, not-for-profit educational organization NICHE in providing insight on evidence-based research about cannabis production.
Boosting the company’s product marketing efforts, food scientist Robert Jackman was named scientific project manager in February to spearhead projects for Liberty Leaf, its subsidiaries North Road Ventures and Just Kush, and other Liberty Leaf enterprises as they continue working through licensing requirements, as well as the identification and assessment of new science-based projects.
In June, Jamie Robinson was named Liberty Leaf’s chief financial officer, providing the company with specialized accounting experience as it grows within the still-developing marketplace. Before joining the company, Robinson worked at Deloitte as a manager focusing on publicly listed and private company audits, as well as business reviews, performance enhancement engagements and formal restructuring proceedings. He has since provided in-depth analysis in support of investment and hedge fund trading for other companies.
Rounding out the senior administration team, President William Rascan and board of directors member Steven Feldman both have more than a quarter century’s experience in the investment brokerage industry and the capital markets. Advisory board member Mary C. Fitzpatrick is providing her experience in veterinary services in an effort help guide Liberty Leaf’s cannabis product development for household pets, and corporate secretary Kelly Pladson’s experience in corporate governance services assists in the management of the day-to-day records, filings and other operations of the company.
Together, the team is building a diversified portfolio of companies. Through this portfolio, it is helping to market high quality, medicinal-grade cannabis products with great promise for both human and veterinary use as Canada nears openness to all aspects of marijuana use later this year. Liberty Leaf continues seeking out productive, revenue-generating cannabis ventures in which to invest while simultaneously building its own working capital base. Its North Road Ventures subsidiary has stated plans to double its cannabis product lines and boost its storage capacity by 500 percent.
The Canadian cannabis industry enjoyed positive growth in 2017, according to researchers at Seeking Alpha (
http://ibn.fm/v1G38), and many analysts are expecting further maturity from the marketplace in 2018.
“As the industry matures, consolidation is likely to occur and the type of competitors and adjacent industries will also shift,” research firm EY stated in a recent report (
http://ibn.fm/TWEPO) concluding that 87 percent of cannabis executives see consolidation as way forward with the competition amongst cannabis companies in the next three years. “The potential reach of the cannabis industry has grown so much in the last year alone that – realistically speaking – experts are starting to agree that joining forces may be the only way to continue the expansive nature of this business,” Investing News added in its coverage of the report.
Liberty Leaf’s expanding portfolio and efforts to boost production help position it in line with the industry forecasts as investors continue to express interest in cannabis companies, as shown by the more than $2.1 billion injected during the first five weeks of 2018, according to the Viridian Cannabis Deal Tracker, which tracks capital raises and M&A activity in the cannabis industry (
http://ibn.fm/YSItM).
About QualityStocks
QualityStocks is committed to connecting subscribers with companies that have huge potential to succeed in the short and long-term future. It is part of our mission statement to help the investment community discover emerging companies that offer excellent growth potential. We offer several ways for investors to learn more about investing in these companies as well as find and evaluate them.
