Dr. Brigitte Simons is a quality and regulatory compliance professional in support of science study-backed cannabis product development, laboratory services, and data management tools for the development of safe cannabis.  Bridging expertise within chemistry, pharma drug development, and environmental testing – Brigitte has demonstrated a professional track record for cannabis industry knowledge towards building quality supply chain sustainability.  Taken from lessons of laboratory quality control instrument mass spec services, analytical service contracting excellence for the Canadian federal agencies, and global sales experience in high value trade of laboratory services – cannabis is characteristic complex   The toxicological implications and medical merits are studied at a molecular level by regulatory policy consulting labs and contract service findings.

Dr. Simons participated in early cannabis and hemp contracts within the agency settings Canadian Food Inspection, Health Canada, Agriculture Canada, and Pest Management Regulatory Agency.  Following-on with field mass spec work with Molecular Science Corp, Brigitte established a craft cannabis quality assurance remote teams while companies navigate cultivator and processor partnerships with BC Craft Supply Co.and other early micro-licence holder applicants. Presently, Dr. Brigitte Simons is the VP of Compliance Operations at Safari Flower Co, a craft-at-scale licence cultivator. A life-long drive to the right to choose personalized medicine.  Brigitte received her Ph.D. in Chemical Biology at the University of Ottawa and a Kellogg-Schulich M.B.A. in operational business strategy. 

Nina Ackah joined Freedom Cannabis as the QA Manager/QAP in November 2021 with a wealth of knowledge and experience in Quality Management Systems, Analytical testing, Risk Analysis, Research and Data Analysis for both the food and the cannabis industry. Nina worked with Viridis Natural Health Products Ltd. as the QA Manager / QA Person from December 2018 to November 2021, before becoming a member of the Freedom Cannabis team. She assisted Viridis to get its cultivation and processing license, as well as sales licence for all the classes of cannabis under the Canadian Cannabis Act and Regulations. She also consults for Leisure Club Inc. and provided immense support to them in their journey to receiving their micro processing cannabis license which was granted by Health Canada in February 2022. 

Prior to establishing herself as one of the most knowledgeable QAPs in the cannabis industry, Nina had worked as an Assistant Research Scientist and later as a Research Scientist with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Food Research Institute, Ghana from 2006 – 2018. Her research activities focused on food science and new product development, food safety and quality assurance. During that period, Nina supported several food companies to develop, implement and improve HACCP-based Food Safety Management Systems, which considerably improved the food safety output of those companies. Analogously, Nina lectured and examined MPhil students of the CSIR College of Science and Technology on Food Safety and Quality Assurance Regulations. She also led the microbiology laboratory to regain accreditation to ISO 17025 under her guidance as the Head of the Department. As well, she served as an ISO 17025 auditor for the Microbiology labs of the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority for almost 4 years, leading them to gain accreditation to ISO 17025. 

Nina holds a BSc. Degree in Laboratory Technology from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana and an MSc. Degree in Food Quality Management from Wageningen University, The Netherlands. She was a recipient of the NUFFIC Fellowship for international students in the Netherlands. She is also a fellow of the prestigious USDA Borlaug Fellowship under which she worked as a visiting scientist at Tuskegee University, Alabama to carry out research on the use of molecular methods for the rapid detection of pathogens in poultry and beef. 

She has attended and given presentations at several conferences, both local and international, including the C45 Growing Summit and C45 Quality summit, which are noted as some of the most important platforms for discussing cannabis-related topics in Canada. She also has several publications including peer-reviewed ones to her credit.  

Nina is enthused about the cannabis industry because of its versatile and positively challenging nature as well as the constant new things to be learnt on-the-go. She also looks forward to championing innovative ideas to make the Cannabis Industry a more recognized one.

Monica Maillé is the QA/QC Manager for HealthView Pharms Inc (HVP). Monica joined HVP when the facility was still in its early construction phase, therefore, many details of the facilities design are a reflection of her vision. She has extensive knowledge pertaining to the Cannabis Regulations and Act and works diligently with the team to ensure compliance in all areas. She has been working in the cannabis space since 2019 after completing the Commercial Cannabis Production program at Niagara College.  Monica has always enjoyed the fast-paced changing landscape of the cannabis industry, and works endlessly to create safe and enjoyable products for recreational and medical users alike. Her interests in the cannabis industry are diverse, but her drive for educating others and being a strong female leader in the cannabis space remains constant. 

Monica has collaborated with the Grow Opportunity Magazine, the Growers Source Virtual Exposition and H!gh Canada Magazine early in her career where she was both a guest speaker and a content creator. Since February 2021, Monica has been an intern on the Board of Directors for the C45 Quality Association. As an intern for the Board, she helped various sub-committees meet their quarterly goals, played a large role in the organization of the C45 Quality Summit, helped establish the monthly Quality Time sessions, as well as accomplished many other projects as requested by the Board.  

Hubert Marceau is the Development Director and a co-founder of Laboratoire PhytoChemia, an analytical and research lab established in 2013 and licensed for cannabis work in 2014. At PhytoChemia, he has been responsible for designing the lab space, securing accreditation, maintaining equipment, developing new methods, building customer relationships, and driving business growth. In addition to this role, since 2015 he has also been a founding member of Alchemia Solutions, a company that specializes in crafting extraction systems.

Hubert earned his Bachelor's degree in Natural Product Chemistry from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC). He is an expert in analytical phytochemistry and data analysis. Hubert played a pivotal role in obtaining the ISO 17025 accreditation for the lab, implementing the necessary tools and procedures to ensure accurate data management. He has developed various methods within the cannabis industry and created open-source software to assist with statistical data analysis. He has shared his passion for plant chemistry at numerous conferences across Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

In recent years, he has also focused on internal software development, working on automating lab processes and optimizing data acquisition and retention. Hubert adopts a data-driven approach to chemistry, constantly seeking to decipher patterns in the vast and complex fields of cannabis and phytochemistry.

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Hubert believes that the C-45 Quality Association is a unique association that not only serves as a bridge to the regulator but also as an educator. He views the Association as distinctive among industry associations because it acts as a platform for information exchange. Marceau is eager to actively contribute to this organization. He envisions the C--45 Quality Association as a hub uniting quality assurance and other industry members, creating a space where they can find answers to their questions without apprehension. 

Arjun Dedakia is currently the Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs at Herbal Dispatch, operating under Rosebud Productions Inc., where he has also held pivotal roles as a Quality Assurance Person (QAP) and A/HOS. At Herbal Dispatch, Arjun plays a hands-on role in overseeing day-to-day production activities, regulatory compliance, and licensing. His career is distinguished by a robust educational background, including a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy (B.Pharm), a Diploma in Chemical Laboratory Technician from Seneca College, Toronto, and a Master's degree in Pharmaceutical with a specialization in Novel Drug Dosage Form.

Prior to his tenure at Herbal Dispatch, Arjun served as the Quality Assurance Manager, QAP, and A/RPIC at Canna Farms Ltd., BC’s pioneering legal licensed producer of cannabis products, later acquired by Vivo Cannabis and subsequently by Medipharm Labs. Throughout his career, Arjun has collaborated with industry-leading LPs such as ABcann Medicinals (Medipharm Labs), Pure Sunfarms (Village Farms), Zenabis (SNDL), and Embark Corp. His early professional experience at Apotex Pharmaceutical and IPOC (International Point of Care) provided him with foundational knowledge in Pharmaceutical GMP and ISO standards for medical devices.

Arjun advocates for a science-driven approach to cannabis cultivation, processing, and regulation, emphasizing critical thinking and healthy skepticism. His contributions extend beyond operational roles; he has been instrumental in developing a Quality Management course at the University of British Columbia and has served as a guest lecturer on Cannabis Quality Management and Project Management, influencing hundreds of students.

Known for his leadership acumen, Arjun excels in inspiring teams to achieve shared objectives. His collaborative ethos and commitment to continuous improvement underscore his role as a valuable asset to any organization striving for excellence in quality management.

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In conclusion, Arjun Dedakia’s extensive expertise, coupled with his deep-rooted passion for the cannabis industry and unwavering pursuit of excellence, position him as a highly sought-after professional poised to drive significant advancements and contribute to the ongoing success of the industry.

Patrick Uharcek is currently the Senior Quality Auditor at Motif Labs, the leading license holder in the Canadian market for vaporizer products, and one of the leading for infused pre-roll products. At Motif Labs, Patrick oversees key QMS systems, including Deviations, CAPA, Vendor Management, Internal Audit, Complaints, including the QMS itself. Patrick and his team of specialists play a key role in both process and product conformance, ensuring the continued success and continuous improvement at Motif Labs on a daily basis.

Prior to his tenure at Motif Labs, Patrick performed numerous functions at Aleafia Health, prior known as Emblem Cannabis, joining the Cannabis industry in the early days of 2017. This included, post-harvest activities; cultivation activities such as phenotyping, integrated pest management (IPM), and general plant work; quality control, and finally quality assurance. Once transitioning to QA, Patrick was able to leverage his extensive production experience in order to improve and standardize processes across the business, and completely redeploy the QMS. Further, Patrick served as A/QAP for two years, gaining crucial experience in areas such as PCP development and management, new system deployment, extensive audit experience, product development, and product release.

Patrick is very passionate about compliance and truly understanding and operationalizing compliance requirements and is very keen on how the C45 association can help not only educate, but also shape the Cannabis Industry. Patrick is looking forward to further positive developments, and working with regulators in pushing the industry in a positive direction.

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