🎙️ FloraWorks, CEO, Alleh Lindquist

FloraWorks provides cannabinoid ingredients and is a discovery stage company developing cannabinoid-inspired drugs.

Company:

FloraWorks is a discovery stage company developing a multifaceted approach to cannabinoid and cannabinoid-inspired drug development utilizing traditional chemical synthesis, advanced biological assays, and cutting-edge computational science to advance cannabinoid research for a new generation of therapeutics.

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Background:

Alleh Lindquist, CEO, FloraWorks. Prior to co-founding FloraWorks, Alleh was a CEO of Swell Companies, one of Oregon's largest cannabis extraction facilities, first to receive a license by the state and proprietor of two of Oregon's most notable vaporizer and cannabis oil brands. Alleh lead the company to a successful exit to C21 Investments in 2019. Prior to entering the Cannabis industry, Alleh worked as a commercial advertising photographer in the sports and lifestyle genre, for clients such as Nike, Polar, and Gerber Knives. Working as a photographer in advertising has given him a deep understanding of the value and path toward building a successful brand.

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Summary:

Transition to biotech and cannabinoid research. How FloraWorks started with a focus on cannabinoid chemistry and manufacturing CBN at scale. They pursued collaborations with Salk Institute and validated CBN for sleep, shifting FloraWorks' focus to therapeutic research and drug discovery.

Sleep study and validation of CBN. FloraWorks conducted the first double-blind, placebo-controlled sleep study on CBN, finding significant improvements over placebo. This provided the first structure-function claim for a cannabinoid and validated consumer reports on CBN's effects.

Collaborations with Salk Institute and National Cancer Institute. FloraWorks' collaborations to explore cannabinoid mechanisms and therapeutic potential, including an Alzheimer's project with Salk and a project with the National Cancer Institute, helping FloraWorks' to grow their therapeutic focus and validation efforts.

Business model and client base. FloraWorks operates as an ingredient supplier with over 100 cannabis company clients (Wyld, Grön). Alleh expressed a goal to expand into traditional supplement companies for broader access and discussed plans to partner CBN product launches.

Challenges and Opportunities for FloraWorks. Alleh identified capital raising, resource allocation, and operating challenges as top issues. He emphasized opportunities through artificial intelligence, changing regulations, and validating botanical cannabinoids through drug research.

Approach to drug discovery and intellectual property. Focus on generating proprietary data and designing novel cannabinoids for composition patents and drug potential. He emphasized the importance of patents for pharmaceutical funding required for clinical research.

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👋 The Highly Objective Podcast is hosted by Dai Truong, who leads Cannabis Investment Banking at Arlington Capital Advisors.. Third-party information presented here and links to third-party content are for informational purposes only and are not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, security or investment.  The information provided is not warranted as to completeness or accuracy and is subject to change without notice. Linking to third-party sites in no way implies an endorsement or affiliation of any kind between Arlington Capital Advisors, LLC, or its affiliates and any third party.  The information in this blog constitutes my own opinions (and any opinions posted by guest bloggers from time to time) and it should not be regarded as a description of services provided by Arlington Capital Advisors, LLC or any affiliate.