CEO Monthly Issue 11 2018

18 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 11 2018 , ColumbiaCare LLC is theU.S.’s largest andmost experiencedprovider ofmedical cannabis and medical cannabis-derivedproducts and related services. InOctober, thefirm’s co-founder and CEO, NicholasVita, was namedCEOMonthlyMagazine’s 2018CEOof theYear for bringing innovationand leadership to the industry and for introducingmainstreamcorporate best practices to this young, burgeoning sector. Following thiswell-deservedwin, we spokewith Nicholas tofindout howhehas spearheaded the growthof this important emergingmedical cannabismarket. Leading the Way in Medical Cannabis Few emerging markets hold as much potential as the global cannabis industry. As one of the global leaders operating in the sector, Columbia Care has forged a promising future for itself, a future defined by seemingly limitless growth and new opportunities at every corner. Despite obvious challenges, the industry has gone from basement to mainstream over the last five years due to increasing support from policymakers, positive independent validation and organizations working with a small class of corporate leaders to bring legitimacy, financial capital, talent and operating expertise where none existed. Indeed, the opportunities created by the normalization of cannabis is spawning a new breed of company, from specialized investment funds to the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and beverage industries – unthinkable only a few years ago. Columbia Care operates in 13 of the most populous states in the U.S., giving it the ability to reach more than half of the U.S. population with its transformative pharmaceutical- quality medicines, novel wellness Oct18015 products and supplements, proprietary branded consumer products and patented delivery technologies. The Company provides the highest-quality and most consistent cannabis-based medicines that are continuously being improved and validated based on new medical research and real patient reported outcomes. Today, Columbia Care has licenses to operate in New York, Florida, Ohio, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, California, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and Puerto Rico and expects to expand quickly both inside and outside of the U.S. in the coming months. Throughout my conversation with Nicholas it quickly became clear that Columbia Care’s concerns are not, by any means, purely financial. The patients and the communities that the company serves remain utterly at the heart of their organizational mission and business. Columbia Care was launched with the goal of tackling many of the world’s unmet medical needs using the unique chemicals inherent in the cannabis plant. Nicholas took a moment to explain: “We are developing cannabis-based medicines to treat side-effects associated with many terminal and chronic conditions, such as HIV/AIDs, glaucoma, epilepsy, and chronic pain.” Many of these conditions have often proven difficult, if not impossible, to treat through ‘conventional’ means, but recent research, including studies sponsored by or involving Columbia Care products, has shown that medical cannabis can be an effective therapy with a better side effect profile and fewer risks than traditional therapies. This plays intrinsically into the Company’s fundamental values, which are focused on the patient experience. “Our efforts center around patient satisfaction, product consistency and safety, and advancing research, education and innovation,” said Nicholas. At the heart of its operations and innovation engine, Columbia Care maintains and continually adds to the world’s largest registry of voluntary patient feedback and product analysis. This enables the Company to apply real patient outcomes as it works to create new, innovative products. Nicholas believes patient focus is a real driver for Columbia Care’s success, explaining, “This commitment to our patients and the work we do to constantly improve their lives makes us a leader in the industry. We are dedicated to using rigorous scientific techniques and data analytics to drive product innovation for our patients. We currently offer over 15 delivery options that contain proprietary formulations encompassing precisely measured amounts of the top 12 cannabinoids, including full spectrum terpene and flavonoid profiles. Using this combination of data, chemistry and experience enables us to continue to work on finding additional novel formulations and methods of delivery so as to always provide patients with a positive experience and an improved quality of life.” “We are deeply committed to advancing medical cannabis innovation and research through collaborations with world renowned academic institutions. The human and financial resources we have dedicated to this effort help us to actively and continually study and validate the benefits and risks associated with using our products, which are precisely manufactured to replicate the consistency and quality of a traditional pharmaceutical product.”