Owners of The Companies Responsible For the Processing of Arkansas’ Medical Marijuana!
To put it mildly, the five registered medicinal marijuana processing enterprises in the state are run by people from wildly different walks of life. One is a neurosurgeon, another was a property manager and uniform salesman, and yet another is used to represent Playboy’s Hugh Hefner in court.
All of the 2022 license renewal applications filed with the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission included the names and addresses of the business owners. Julie Brents, one of the founders of Shake Extractions of Fayetteville, not only has extensive experience in the cannabis retail and growing sectors in California, but also a degree in commercial interior design from the University of North Texas.
According to Shake’s state license renewal application, she controls 39% of the company. Brittany Phillips and her business partner manage Phillips Design Studio in Fayetteville, which provides graphic design services to clients like Crisis Brewing, the Boston Mountain Solid Waste District, and the city of Fayetteville.
They own 30% of Shake Extractions together with Antigone “Tig” Davoulas. Davoulas has worked as a movie critic and as a lawyer and writer. He was most recently the counsel and manager of licensing business affairs for Playboy Enterprises Inc. in Beverly Hills. Syrona Scott, the lab manager of Shake Extractions, has a Master of Science in Chemistry and a 1% ownership stake in the company.
Christopher Gibson, the leader of Little Rock’s Pure Pharma Labs, is a CBD processor who, with the help of his degree in horticulture, branched out into the marijuana industry. Dr. J. Justin Seale and his wife Amy Seale, a seasoned compounding pharmacist and yoga instructor, control the other half of the business.
Originally from Sparkman, Baptist Health’s orthopedic spine physician Justin Seale now resides in Houston (Dallas County). Casey Flippo, the sole proprietor of Dark Horse Medicinals in Little Rock, has a varied background that includes serving as the head of CBD processing for Natvana, working for Cintas Uniforms, and assisting Capstone Real Estate Investments’ Fayetteville office as an assistant property manager.
Marion (Crittenden CountyMink )’s & Kimball Extracts is wholly owned by Danielle Buntyon, who got the idea for the name from the crossroads of Mink Street and Kimball Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, near her childhood home. She has a master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State in sports management and has worked in sports marketing.
But in 2019, after completing what Buntyon called a “rigorous” curriculum for beginning farmers, she obtained certification in agriculture from Tennessee State University and realized she had found her true passion. Hot Springs is home to New Day Laboratories, which is run by Carla McCord.
She owns the Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant, the Kahuna Bay boat rental company, and the Salty Dog Boating Center in addition to being the majority owner of Leafology, a medicinal cannabis cultivator in Hot Springs.
