The European continent is essentially the most thrilling place on the planet proper now for hashish coverage and trade, particularly after Germany applied the primary provisions of its new adult-use legalization regulation. Along with Germany, hashish is authorized for grownup use in Malta and Luxembourg, and most international locations on the continent now have working authorized medical hashish industries.
As hashish coverage and regulatory modernization efforts proceed to unfold throughout Europe, alternatives for entrepreneurs, buyers and trade service suppliers are rising. As such, the eyes of the worldwide hashish group will proceed to be centered on Europe’s rising authorized trade. Beneath is an inventory of the continent’s most influential hashish executives (in no explicit order).
Will Muecke – Co-Founder and Managing Member, Artemis Development Companions
Will Muecke is a co-founding managing member of Artemis Development Companions, an ESG and impact-oriented non-public fairness platform devoted to investing 100% within the hashish trade on a worldwide foundation. Artemis Development Companions oversees US $400+ million in mission-driven, discretionary property underneath administration (AUM) invested within the international hashish worth chain, together with branded merchandise, distributors, value-added service suppliers, ancillary operators and science-driven analysis and growth platforms. Identified for creating worth at each step of the funding course of, Muecke brings the rules and practices of world-class governance, technique and a relentless deal with enhancing outcomes for house owners to his investing ethos.
Finn Hänsel – CEO and Founder, Sanity Group GmbH
Finn Hänsel is a pioneering entrepreneur and one of many main voices within the European hashish trade. His work goes past entrepreneurship; he’s an advocate for evidence-based hashish insurance policies, contributing considerably to the continued dialogue concerning the decriminalization and legalization of hashish in Europe. With over 12 years of expertise throughout varied sectors—starting from client items and insurance coverage to prescription drugs—Hänsel has established himself as a serial entrepreneur with a confirmed observe file of founding profitable firms. He’s the founding father of manufacturers like THE ICONIC, Berliner Berg Craft Beer, Sportsecondhand, Valmano, and Petobel.
For the previous seven years, Hänsel has served because the CEO of Sanity Group GmbH, certainly one of Europe’s most influential hashish firms. Beneath Hänsel’s management, Sanity has rapidly established itself as a pacesetter within the German hashish market, the place it maintains a strong distribution community with over 2,000 pharmacies working with roughly 5,000 physicians in Germany. Sanity can also be taking part within the Swiss leisure hashish pilot program and has introduced plans to increase its retail footprint in Switzerland plus enter the leisure pilot in Germany as soon as it’s formally launched by the brand new authorities. Sanity presently holds roughly a ten% share of the German medical hashish market because the 2024 authorized reforms in Germany have been launched and most just lately acquired a 21 million CAD funding from Organigram [NASDAQ:OGI] by means of their buy of a minority stake designed to strengthen the partnership between these two international leaders.
Alex Rogers – CEO and Government Producer, Worldwide Hashish Enterprise Convention
Alex Rogers is a visionary entrepreneur, political activist and the founding father of a number of influential hashish companies over the previous 30 years. He’s the mastermind behind the Worldwide Hashish Enterprise Convention (ICBC)—the primary and largest worldwide enterprise convention producing occasions throughout a number of continents. Having lived in 5 international locations and being a polyglot, Rogers was naturally positioned to create the main convention in Europe. He’s famend worldwide for connecting elite trade leaders and just lately launched the members-only Talman Home, created to attach entrepreneurs who want capital with buyers able to deploy capital in Europe’s rising trade. A Magna Cum Laude graduate in Political Science, his ardour is utilizing his affect to form hashish coverage globally. Rogers has efficiently advocated for progressive hashish reform on the worldwide stage and is presently working in Slovenia to assist advocates obtain medical hashish coverage modernization. His foundational work with legendary pioneer Jack Herer and his unimaginable affect globally has cemented Rogers’ legacy as each a profitable worldwide hashish entrepreneur and a world coverage influencer.
George Bellow – CO-Founder, SOMAÍ Prescribed drugs LTD
George Bellow is a seasoned entrepreneur with a confirmed observe file of constructing organizations and managing operations throughout a number of international locations. An skilled in European medical hashish distribution, he brings in-depth information of regulatory frameworks and a useful community of trade contacts to SOMAÍ Prescribed drugs. Bellow has excelled in multi-level distribution, co-developed trade codes of observe with the European Merchandising Affiliation, and efficiently exited a tech startup, demonstrating his means to ship shareholder worth. With management expertise at SOMAÍ, Belka VR, UVENCO, and Mili.ru, and credentials together with a BBA and an MBA in Entrepreneurship, and expertise in aviation, Bellow is a visionary chief driving innovation and development.
Jamie L Pearson – Founder and President, New Holland Group
Jamie Pearson based and leads The New Holland Group (NHG), a world consulting agency serving shoppers in want of skilled help in worldwide enterprise growth & technique, operations, branding & advertising and marketing, capital elevating, government teaching, and monetizing IP throughout borders. Earlier than NHG, Jamie spent seven years, together with three because the President & CEO, of Bhang Inc. [CSE:BHNG], one of many world’s most-awarded infused edible manufacturers. She led the worldwide enlargement plan, ran the capital markets division, and was the face of the model–catapulting Bhang from a California favourite to a multi-national phenomenon.
Pearson’s shoppers are among the many most influential executives within the trade, together with international manufacturers, MSOs, governments and worldwide commerce associations. Identified for her “boots on the bottom” information of North American and European markets, and deep rolodex, she is a well-liked speaker at conferences across the globe and sits on the advisory boards of Dope Drinks, Marley One, Unlock Healthcare, The Hashish Summit and Howdy Once more. Pearson would be the Keynote Speaker at ICBC Barcelona on March 13, 2025.
Lisa Haag – Founder, MJ Universe GmbH
Lisa Haag, a advertising and marketing strategist and the founding father of MJ Universe GmbH from Berlin, has been an energetic and devoted contributor to the European hashish trade for over a decade, relationship again to 2015. Her mission is to foster collaboration and construct bridges throughout borders, industries and regulatory frameworks, serving to to form the way forward for hashish on a world scale. Along with main MJ Universe, Haag serves as a board member of the German Hashish Business Affiliation (BvCW) the place she coordinates actions in know-how, commerce and companies. She can also be a passionate supporter of worldwide legalization efforts, working to align trade practices with regulatory and market wants. Haag’s dedication extends to empowering others, notably girls in hashish.
Constantine von der Groeben – Cofounder and Managing Director, DEMECAN
With over 10 years of authorized and worldwide expertise, Constantine von der Groeben is the co-founder and managing director of DEMECAN, the one German firm that produces medical hashish domestically. Von der Groeben has a Grasp of Legal guidelines from New York College and a PhD in Worldwide Regulation from the College of Cologne. He has additionally labored as a Referent on the Federal Ministry of Financial Affairs and Power, advising on commerce and funding points. As a co-founder and managing director of DEMECAN, von der Groeben oversees the authorized, regulatory and enterprise growth facets of the corporate, and works with a various and passionate staff to offer high-quality hashish merchandise to sufferers and pharmacies.
Peter Homberg – Associate, gunnercooke
Peter Homberg is likely one of the world’s most educated and achieved hashish consultants. Homberg makes a speciality of life sciences, IP and company regulation, and M&A transactions. Few folks on the planet, if any, possess the intensive expertise in advising on medical hashish compliance as Mr. Homberg. He’s a prolific speaker at hashish trade and coverage seminars and conferences, together with being a long-time presenter at Worldwide Hashish Enterprise Convention (ICBC) occasions, and is the creator of quite a few articles and different publications on company and IP regulation within the areas of life sciences and medical hashish.
Shai Ramsahai – President, Royal Queen Seeds
Shai Ramsahai is a hashish trade veteran and entrepreneur who grew up with Royal Queen Seeds (RQS) and makes use of his intimate information to information the corporate’s worldwide enlargement. Because the son of RQS Founder Boy Ramsahai, Shai has worn many hats on the firm, beginning as a seed packager and dealing his method up by means of roles reminiscent of gross sales consultant, on-line ordering assist, European gross sales staff supervisor, and, finally, president. Shai now heads RQS and oversees its international enlargement, leveraging his perception into various enterprise cultures and mentalities to barter strategic partnerships and lead worldwide RQS administration groups. Beneath his management, RQS has grown together with a number of groundbreaking strikes together with taking up NYC Time Sq. on 4/20, becoming a member of forces with Mike Tyson for a Tyson 2.0 x RQS collaboration, and opening a flagship location in Thailand. RQS’s front-running place on the planet of seeds and genetics has catapulted Shai firmly into the highlight as probably the most influential executives globally. Initially from Holland, he now calls Malaga, Spain, house. In his free time, Shai enjoys spending time along with his two daughters, exercising, unwinding on the seashore, and discovering new locations around the globe.
Kai-Friedrich Niermann – Hashish Lawyer, KFN+
Kai-Friedrich Niermann is characterised by his excellent experience and various observe within the hashish trade. With a broad vary of experience in hashish and enterprise regulation, he gives complete authorized assist to firms and people. From contract drafting and firm formation to day-to-day authorized assist, he assists hashish firms with custom-made options in all authorized issues, together with white-collar felony regulation the place obligatory. Niermann can also be the creator of the weblog canna-biz.authorized, the place he positions himself as an skilled within the thriving hashish enterprise. Canna-biz.authorized not solely gives insights into the authorized standing of hashish in Germany and Europe right now, but additionally present developments and affords sources for companies and events. Niermann’s deep understanding of the complicated authorized framework on this sector makes him a sought-after contact.
Anna-Sophia Kouparanis – Co-Founder, Bloomwell Group
Anna-Sophia Kouparanis is co-founder of German hashish holding firm Bloomwell Group, in addition to founding father of medical hashish wholesaler Ilios Santé GmbH, making her the primary girl in Germany to launch such a enterprise. The Bloomwell Group closed a seed funding spherical of over $10 million in 2022, the best publicly identified seed funding for a medical European hashish firm thus far.
Sergio Martinez Béjar– CEO, Blimburn Seeds and BBG Initiatives
Sergio Martinez Béjar, CEO of Blimburn Seeds and BBG Initiatives, is a famend pioneer within the European hashish trade, based mostly on his 20+ years of expertise in wholesale seed distribution, music, vogue, journalism, occasion group and e-commerce ventures. He has constructed, operated, consulted and exited from a number of profitable ventures, establishing himself as a revered determine in international hashish. Primarily based out of Barcelona, Béjar is the CEO of Blimburnseeds.com, a number one hashish seed retailer, and of BBG Initiatives, a number one seed wholesale firm. Béjar’s deep understanding of find out how to monetize international developments positions him as a key participant with a long time of expertise in Europe’s nascent and rising seed markets.
Jürgen Bickel – Managing Director and Co-Founder, STORZ & BICKEL
Jürgen Bickel is the Managing Director and co-founder of STORZ & BICKEL, a producer of high-quality medical vaporizers based mostly in Tuttlingen, Germany. The model’s most well-known gadget, the VOLCANO, was the primary medically licensed hashish vaporizer worldwide and stays the gold normal amongst physicians, researchers, and customers. Jürgen Bickel holds a level in civil engineering and, previous to beginning at STORZ & BICKEL, managed a growth support mission for consuming water provide in Peru for five years. His expertise in planning and organizing large-scale initiatives was of nice profit to him as Managing Director of STORZ & BICKEL, and along with Markus Storz, he established the profitable, globally working model.
Sita Shubert – Secretary Common, European Medical Hashish Affiliation
Sita Schubert is an achieved lawyer with intensive experience in facilitating market entry for worldwide enterprises and start-ups reminiscent of Tilray Europe, throughout Germany and Austria. Her complete information spans product launches, approval transfers, medical trials, regulatory compliance and enterprise practices. Schubert excels in steering merchandise by means of each stage—from growth and approval to manufacturing and advertising and marketing. As a guide, she affords invaluable assist in establishing firms and start-ups, guaranteeing easy market entry. She has designed and led the “Street Map from Science to Enterprise” mentoring and coaching program, which prepares future administration to navigate complicated trade landscapes successfully.
