GREAT NORTHERN CANNABIS

Q&A | New CEO Aaron Morse

CANNASCANDAL Anchorage's Great Northern Cannabis changes up operations — starting at the top

Great Northern Cannabis made headlines for all the wrong reasons in early May after a recording of the former VP of Cultivation, Jordan Huss, went viral online.

Here it was revealed that the previous leadership of the company had sought to sell 100 pounds of marijuana suspected of being tainted with mold, which was acquired while purchasing the licenses and leasing the facilities of another local cultivator, RC Tinderbox.

The recorded phone conversation implicates that the plan came from the top of the company, COO Eric Logan, and was successfully carried out to the ire of employees.

Since the recording went public, the structure at the top of the company has changed dramatically, and for the better. The individuals involved have all been removed from their positions, with the new leadership currently taking shape. Recently appointed CEO Aaron Morse was eager to sit down with us and discuss the company's response.

GREAT NORTHERN CANNABIS GREATNORTHERNCANNABIS.COM @GREATNORTHERNCANNABISAK

When did the board of the company first become aware of the actions that

had taken place? First, let me say, Great Northern Cannabis has taken these matters very seriously. And while there are currently two ongoing investigations to determine the exact circumstances, I want to apologize on behalf of Great Northern Cannabis to our customers and to the Cannabis industry for betraying their trust. It appears that the prior Great Northern Cannabis Board of Directors learned of these allegations sometime in April.

On April 27, given these allegations and other mismanagement, Great Northern Cannabis shareholders demanded an immediate vote of confidence on the board - in which they removed the entire board with a resounding vote of no confidence.

In addition to the current Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office investigation (AMCO), Great Northern Cannabis is conducting an internal investigation to determine the facts and timeline of the events, as well as the parties that were involved. Although the investigations are still underway, Great Northern Cannabis has cut all ties with former CEO Steve Brashear, former COO Eric Logan and former VP of Cultivation Jordan Huss.

What was the general reaction to this

revelation? My own reaction was shock and disbelief, and I think other shareholders had similar feelings. From the outset, Great Northern’s motto was ‘100% compliance, 100% of the time.’ The founder and CEO came from a white collar regulatory compliance background in the energy sector and instilled confidence that Great Northern would be well managed, transparent and completely above board. This sentiment was so strong that several notable Alaskan public figures felt comfortable investing in Great Northern.

Has appropriate action been taken

against all those involved? From an internal company governance perspective, upon learning of the alleged events the shareholders acted immediately and decisively. Shareholders replaced the entire Board of Directors and the entire executive management team. To ensure a fully independent board, company bylaw changes are being made such that employees of Great Northern may no longer serve on the Board of Directors. Great Northern self-reported the allegations to AMCO, and the company is fully and transparently cooperating with AMCO’s ongoing investigation.

Additionally, the new Board of Directors and myself as CEO are working diligently to foster a company-wide culture focused on regulatory compliance and transpar

ency, including an open door policy for employees to voice their concerns and bring attention to any failures. An independent, internal investigation that is staffed by retired Anchorage police officers was also launched, and the investigation’s relevant findings will be shared with AMCO.

I am aware that a few employees objected to what was occurring, and many have spoken out over social media after the recording was released. To your knowledge, were their objections ever relayed to anyone outside of the involved individ

uals? The investigations are ongoing and we’re taking all reports, regardless of their source, very seriously. However, as is common, it appears that some individuals are using these events and social media platforms as an opportunity to voice their general dislike of Great Northern Cannabis.

That being said, to my understanding, knowledge of the events in question was limited to a small cohort of senior management. As a result, none of this came to light prior to April 2020. I personally learned of the allegations when another shareholder (not on the board) became aware and began taking an activist role to intervene and bring the matter to light.

What changes has the company made in response so far, and are more changes

planned for the future? As the new CEO, I’m really proud of the current employees that Great

"The new Board of Directors and myself as CEO are working diligently to foster a company-wide culture focused on regulatory compliance and transparency."

-CEO Aaron Morse Northern Cannabis has at its retail, cultivation and manufacturing facilities. It is imperative to me that we heal and rebuild both our company culture and earn back the trust of our valued employees. By fostering a culture of respect, responsibility and pride, Great Northern employees will be empowered to make the right decisions and report to supervisors or regulators if they witness any violations. I am committed to establishing a high-trust company culture and making Great Northern a great place to work.

Is there anything Great Northern would like to say directly to the public?

As a shareholder in Great Northern Cannabis, I am ashamed by the choices that were made by the prior management team.

As Great Northern’s new CEO, I sincerely apologize to our customers, employees and industry partners for this breach of trust. We are doing everything that we can to take appropriate actions. Nothing like this will happen under my watch.

I would also share my disappointment that this incident could unfairly harm the reputations of our outstanding cultivation and trimming employees. Our cultivation and trimming teams apply tremendous pride to their work, and that is evidenced by the consistent high quality products that they produce.

They have been part of the bedrock for Great Northern's successes, and I would extend my gratitude to them for their hard work and achievements. The new Board of Directors and I both share a commitment to a much better future.

LIC. 10008

Check out our June Deals! Sundays- 10% off CBD Products Mondays- 20% off All Glass Tuesdays - 10% off Top Hat Wednesdays - 10% off Edibles

907-631-3800 7 days a Week 9am - 9pm 4901 E. Blue Lupine Dr. Ste. E

Wasilla, Alaska 99654 www.GreenJarAK.com