MJBizMag July 2020 - 10

FiveQuestions | with Michael Cammarata
Walking an
Unconventional Path
CEO of Neptune Wellness Solutions says paper towels-not pastilles-are the
future of hemp
By Laura Drotleff
H
ow did a dyslexic 13-year-old who learned how
to program computers, went on to manage a
mainstream pop band and eventually build and
sell a national deodorant brand come to lead a cannabis
business?
Michael Cammarata, the CEO of Neptune Wellness
Solutions, a cannabinoid extractor and product
manufacturer based in Laval, Quebec, with facilities in
North Carolina, said everything in his life has been a
series of chance events-so, not surprisingly, he named a
venture capital and private equity firm he owns Random
Occurrence. He's learned a multitude of business
lessons from working in technology, advertising, music
and consumer packaged goods (CPG). But all of those
lessons ultimately lead back to one underlying theme:
" If you listen to the consumer, you're going to be right. "
Cammarata's journey to the hemp space began in
2017, when he sold his deodorant company, Schmidt's
Naturals, to Unilever. He stayed on as CEO of the brand
to expand the natural deodorant line into household
goods for the global market until July 2019, when he left
Unilever to join and invest in Neptune Wellness Solutions.
Since then, he has led Neptune in somewhat
unconventional deals, including trading shares
for advertising with New York City-based media
conglomerate American Media. Cammarata also gave
$24 million in stock warrants to New York-based flavors
and scents firm International Flavors & Fragrances to
collaborate on a line of CBD and wellness products.
In the months since the coronavirus pandemic shut
down much of the economy, Neptune Wellness Solutions
has kept moving, signing a brand-partnership deal with
renowned wildlife ecologist Jane Goodall and gaining
approval from the U.S. and Canadian governments to
mass-produce hand sanitizer.
Marijuana Business Magazine sat down with
Cammarata to discuss what the cannabis industry can
learn from the CPG industry, where he sees opportunities
8 Marijuana Business Magazine | July 2020
Wildlife biologist Jane Goodall and Neptune Wellness Solutions CEO
Michael Cammarata inked a brand-partnership deal to develop plantbased
hand sanitizers, essential oils and hemp-derived products under
the existing Forest Remedies brand. It is expected to launch in the next
few months. Courtesy Photo
for hemp and marijuana, and how the industry could
recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
What motivated you to move from consumer
packaged goods to cannabis, and how do you
plan to apply your experience to the industry?
The pivotal moment was looking at ingredients. At
Unilever, I was looking at hemp because it has a very
strong moisturizing effect on products ... making
natural deodorants and natural products more effective.
Natural deodorants can last for up to 48 hours. But
in a disinfectant wipe, it could get rid of a lot of the
toxicity and chemicals if you replace them with (hemp's)
antifungal and antibacterial properties. The cannabis
plant has so many different cannabinoids and flavonoids
that can apply to the whole household.
The fact that these powerful ingredients that are
just now coming to the market really can transform
everything you use and make them healthier, better, safer
and more efficient-that's exciting. Cannabis is going
to get looked at on a whole different level once personal
care, home care and beauty products on the CPG side
start using it.
MJBizMag July 2020

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