Flora growth appoints industry leading cultivator derek pedro as genetics and cultivation advisor
MIAMI, FLORIDA AND TORONTO, ONTARIO – January 24, 2022 — Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC) (“Flora” or the “Company”), a leading all-outdoor cultivator and manufacturer of global cannabis products and brands, announced today the appointment of world-renowned cannabis genetics and cultivation expert Derek Pedro as an advisor to its Cosechemos cultivation facility. Mr. Pedro brings extensive experience as a cannabis industry pioneer, having consulted on cannabis genetics and cultivation in Canada, the US, Latin America, Europe and China. Mr. Pedro will build upon Flora’s existing register of high-THC and high-CBD strains to bring to market uniquely Colombian cannabis flower to both domestic and international markets.
The establishment of the genetics and cultivation advisor role comes as Flora ramps up cannabis production, including its recently completed EU-GMP compliant extraction lab. The appointment of Mr. Pedro supports Flora’s continued adaptation of proven genetics to the unique Colombian climate, at one of the lowest cost bases in the world.
Mr. Pedro has worked with cannabis over three decades and developed and cultivated hundreds of strains, commercializing over 50 within the legal Canadian market, with many of his genetics still in circulation today. His high-THC strain “Pedro’s Sweet Sativa” was named top sativa flower in Canada by King Magazine.
“As an internationally recognized industry expert and innovative cultivator, the appointment of Derek Pedro aligns perfectly with our goals to optimize our expanding Cosechemos facility operations and increase our varietal offering of cannabis flowers,” said Luis Merchan, President and CEO of Flora Growth Corp. “Mr. Pedro has a well-earned reputation as one of the world’s leading experts on cannabis cultivation, and we are thrilled to have him join us as we develop our growing portfolio of brands and expand our global distribution.”
Mr. Pedro maintains his interests in cannabis businesses around the world and houses one of the largest libraries of cannabis genetics through Cannabio Inc., a leading specialty genetics breeder. He previously oversaw WeedMD’s Canadian cultivation development and design as Chief Cannabis Officer, installing one of Canada’s first successful legal outdoor grows.
“The Flora team has become a leader in the cannabis sector since their successful IPO in 2021 and continues to focus on growth and world class production into 2022,” Pedro said. “I am excited to join this talented team, contributing to the management of Cosechemos’ large-scale grow in Colombia, one of the most beautiful and well-designed EU-GMP built processing facilities I have visited across the world. We look to match both EU-GMP export capabilities with some of the most successful and sought-after genetics that were designed to be grown in equatorial Colombia.”
Prior Press Release Correction
In a press release issued on January 11th, 2022, it was incorrectly stated that Cosechemos is a wholly owned subsidiary, when in fact Flora Growth owns 90% of Cosechemos.
About Flora Growth Corp.
Flora is building a connected, design-led collective, of plant-based wellness and lifestyle brands, that delivers the most compelling customer experiences in the world, one community at a time. As the operator of one of the largest outdoor cannabis cultivation facilities, Flora leverages natural, cost-effective cultivation practices to supply cannabis derivatives to its diverse business divisions of cosmetics, hemp textiles, and food and beverage. Visit www.floragrowth.ca or follow @floragrowthcorp on social for more information.
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