Canopy Growth’s CLO tries to enter the US cannabis space

Christelle Gedeon (pictured), who was appointed last August as chief legal officer (CLO) at Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation where she manages a team of 50 people, is trying to make her group enter the US market and get established as part of the US cannabis ecosystem by launching Canopy USA.

“There were a lot of moving pieces to establish that entity,” said Gedeon, speaking of Canopy USA. “I’m very proud of it because it really validated the reason why I came to the company – because it is a pioneering company at the forefront of where the industry can and should be. It was a highly complex, cross-border transaction which required a lot of thought and strategy, so it was pretty exciting.”

“It’s really that focus on executing well in Canada, and then really being at the forefront of the industry by setting Canopy USA up to fly on its own and to have it well-equipped to navigate the market and to win in the market,” added Gedeon. “The legal team is a pretty integral part of that.”

Before entering Canopy Growth Corporation, Gedeon spent three years as chief legal officer at Aphria, another cannabis company, and then one year at a small mining company, before going back to the cannabis industry.

“I feel like I’m doing my old job but in a new place,” commented Gedeon. “I always admired Canopy as innovators and pioneers in the market, so I jumped on the opportunity to be a part of that.”