TerrAscend Corp. has announced Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer and former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi has been appointed to the company’s board of directors.
TerrAscend is a North American cannabis operator with vertically-integrated operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California as well as licensed cultivation and processing operations in Maryland and licensed production facilities in Canada.
In her new role, DioGuardi expects to bring a different perspective to address key industry issues including compliant marketing, community outreach and creating more opportunities in the industry for minorities and women. DioGuardi mentioned she has seen the effects of cannabis firsthand with other people in the music industry although she said it hasn’t played a role in her songwriting process. She also said she believes cannabis can have a positive effect on society.
“I personally believe that cannabis has broad applications in addressing physical and mental health conditions. We’ve also only scratched the surface in terms of how cannabis can revolutionize pain management, and this plant has the potential to help millions of Americans,” DioGuardi told Forbes.
As celebrities continue to work with cannabis and CBD brand ad companies, most work as ambassadors and traditionally do not join the boards of companies. Former NBA player Jamal Mashburn joined the board of Revolution Global as an advisor and works with the company on projects related to marketing and business expansion.
“I am thrilled to add Kara to our board and look forward to leveraging the knowledge and insights she gained as a trailblazer in the music publishing industry,” said Jason Wild, executive chairman of TerrAscend. “In particular, her deep brand building expertise and eye for talent and product appeal will be beneficial as we integrate our business with Gage Cannabis and focus on increasing brand equity across our core markets.”
DioGuardi said joining TerrAscend allows her to help the company build appealing brands that resonate with new audiences. The company recently completed its acquisition of Gage Growth Corp., a Michigan-based cannabis brand and operator that expanded TerrAscend’s footprint in California, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Canada.
TerrAscend has plans to continue its expansion with eyes on the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic by the end of the year. The company currently operate 25 dispensaries in five states and owns several synergistic businesses and brands including The Apothecarium, Ilera Healthcare, Kind Tree, Prism, State Flower, Valhalla Confections and Arise Bioscience Inc.
“From a merger and acquisition perspective, we’re looking to go deeper into states where we are, and we want to add one to two additional states over the next six to 12 months,” Wild said. “We’re looking at Michigan east toward the East Coast, and up and down the East Coast from Massachusetts to Georgia.”
TerrAscend recently launched a mobile retail app on the Apple App Store for customers in New Jersey and California that allows customers to place delivery and pickup orders from The Apothecarium dispensaries in New Jersey and The Apothecarium Capitola in California. Users in California are also able to use features such as digital payment as well.
“TerrAscend is a leader in leveraging technology to meet the needs of our customers. Our proprietary app allows customers to instantly connect with our Apothecarium dispensaries while providing more choice and convenience in a personalized, digital environment,” said Wild. “This launch rounds out our omnichannel offering, with the app seamlessly integrated into our existing retail and web-based e-commerce experiences.”
DioGuardi co-founded Inspired Nation, a non-profit that aims to give young artists a platform to tell their stories, in 2016. All proceeds from Inspired Nation singing competitors benefit charities.
