Cannabis April 16, 2024 2:15:04 pm

Wana CEO stepping aside to focus on philanthropy

By BizWest Staff

BOULDER — Wana Brands CEO Nancy Whiteman is leaving her leadership role with the cannabis gummies company she co-founded but will remain active with the Wana Brands Foundation, a philanthropic group she launched in 2022.

“This transition has been in the works for a while, and after almost 14 years since co-founding Wana in 2010, I’m stepping down from my day-to-day role as Wana’s CEO,” Whiteman said in a prepared statement. “… I am looking forward to being able to devote more time to the Wana Brands Foundation. While we have already made almost $5 million in donations to more than 150 organizations, I’m excited to learn more about the issues that the foundation supports so we can increase our impact and be more effective in making the world a better place.”

Whiteman will also continue her work in the marijuana industry through her position on the board of directors at Canopy USA, a subsidiary of Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp. (Nasdaq: CGC). Canopy acquired each of Wana’s three entities — Mountain High Products LLC, Wana Wellness LLC and The Cima Group LLC — in 2021 for nearly $300 million.

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Joe Hodas, Wana’s chief marketing officer for the past four years, will take over as the gummies company CEO.

“To say it is equal parts exciting and intimidating to fill some of the largest shoes in cannabis would be a gross understatement. I am so honored and privileged to have been part of Wana’s history, learning from Nancy and being inculcated in her vision, and to now be tapped to take that vision into the future,” Hodas said in a prepared statement. “I also greatly appreciate the leadership team she assembled, with whom I’ve been working for several years, as I know them to be the most talented, hard-working and visionary leaders in cannabis or any industry. My commitment to Nancy and to the entire Wana team is that I will always honor the legacy and integrity of our mission to enhance lives and communities with our products and our actions.”

Wana Brands CEO Nancy Whiteman is leaving her leadership role with the cannabis gummies company she co-founded but will remain active with the Wana Brands Foundation, a philanthropic group she launched in 2022.