Salus Scientific Announces Plan to Build Major Cultivation and Manufacturing Center in Southern Tier

SYRACUSE, N.Y., July 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Salus Scientific, a medical cannabis company that has submitted an application to become one of five registered organizations authorized in New York State to provide medical cannabis products, announced its nationally recognized leadership team and its five locations that will bring high-quality medical products to qualified patients in New York, and spur economic growth in communities throughout the State. 

In order to achieve the goal of providing high-quality medical products to those suffering from serious health conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Huntington's disease, the company has assembled a highly skilled team of professionals. Many are recognized globally for their extensive experience in the industry and include chemists, clinicians, agronomists, botanists, operators and leading physicians.

Salus Scientific intends to locate its cultivation facility in Johnson City, N.Y. in a 120,000 square foot warehouse space. The company also plans to open four dispensaries across the state in Vestal, Evans Mills in the Town of LeRay, Dewitt and Maspeth. Salus Scientific was particularly drawn to the eastern region of the Southern Tier because of its proximity to an outstanding healthcare delivery system and to the new Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The company has developed a relationship with the School, creating the potential for significant research and biomedical developments. 

"Salus Scientific does not intend to just do business in these communities -- we want to be a part of the community," said co-founder and Chairman of the Board Michael P. Falcone. "As a community partner, Salus Scientific is fully dedicated to reinvesting in local economies -- creating opportunities and jobs -- while cultivating global medical breakthroughs right here in the Empire State."

"As the prime co-sponsor of the Compassionate Care Act, I am very excited about Salus' interest in placing its indoor grow facility along with a dispensary in Broome County," said Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (D-Endwell). "A focus on science-based research and intention to partner with Binghamton University's Pharmacy School brings together two state-of-the-art medical programs in one community, benefiting our strong healthcare delivery while growing the local economy. Salus has expressed interest in furthering its operations by also using industrial hemp once it is legalized for full-scale production. Rich in cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic oil used for various medical marijuana products, hemp will not only maximize the company's output, but will help to continue growing our emerging agricultural industry." 

According to Gloria Meredith, Founding Dean of Binghamton University's new School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, "We recognize the importance of research into medical marijuana and its use for treating seriously ill patients. It is exciting to have a company such as Salus Scientific in our region looking at growing, dispensing and partnering for research."

The legacies of Broome County and Johnson City, N.Y. as industrious and historically creative places were also a draw for the company. Ultimately, Salus Scientific chose these locations in order to benefit as wide and diverse a population as possible. The company has also had extensive communications with Broome County Executive Debbie Preston and Johnson City Mayor Greg Deemie, as well as a variety of other local representatives from government, health care and economic development. 

Salus Scientific is focused on delivering the highest quality medicines to the patients of New York, which will result in a positive impact on New York residents, businesses and organizations. Its dispensing facilities and manufacturing site will create much-needed jobs, and the company plans to implement local and statewide cannabinoid medicine public education programs. Salus Scientific is also committed to establishing partnerships with experienced local law enforcement agencies, area non-profits and community based organizations; to incorporating industry-leading environmental building and energy practices; and to hiring local employees and utilizing local goods and products to help boost the economy.

A fifth generation New Yorker, Mr. Falcone is Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of his family's real estate business, the Pioneer Companies. Mr. Falcone has built over 20 million square feet in real estate development projects throughout New York and the U.S., including the formation of a Senior Living division. As the division built or acquired 28 assisted-living Alzheimer's care facilities, Mr. Falcone came to care deeply about the quality and accessibility of healthcare in New York. As a local business owner, he sees the potential for Salus Scientific and its partners to create hundreds of jobs while bringing vital industry and life-changing research opportunities to the area. 

Nicole Ruvo Falcone, co-founder, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer, joins Mr. Falcone in the operations of Salus Scientific. Mrs. Falcone holds a position in the global consumer marketplace where she is responsible for U.S. brand management and marketing. She is also passionate about the use of medical cannabis to treat devastating conditions. Her entire family has dedicated themselves to the treatment of neurological conditions like Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, frontal lobe dementia, and other degenerative brain diseases, through the creation and fundraising of over $200 million for the Keep Memory Alive Foundation.

Through its team and advisers, Salus Scientific has privileged access to unrivaled professional knowledge, clinical trials and experience on using cannabis plant chemistry to treat chronic, intractable and life-threatening medical conditions. In that regard, the company's team and advisors own and control the rights to unique, as well as patent-protected, next-generation technologies for increasing bioavailability and otherwise enhancing drug delivery efficiency (thus superior therapeutic results); for improving quality management systems and manufacturing processes; and for improving the extraction and purification of cannabis plant chemistry. 

The Salus Scientific leadership team of advisers includes:

Mark J. Rosenfeld, M.S., Ph.D., Chairman of the Science and Research Board and Vice President of Science and Research
Dr. Rosenfeld is CEO and Chief Science Officer of ISA Scientific, Inc., a biotech and medical company that concentrates on improving serious health conditions with non-psychoactive and non-abusable cannabis chemistry. With professional expertise in the healthcare sciences and nanotechnology, his previous experiences include U.S. Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Transboundary Disease Program; Chief Science Officer of DxNA, where he successfully achieved U.S. Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization product approval; Advisor to the Subcommittee on Health of the U.S. House of Representatives; and Advisor to the China State Council on Medical Reform.

Perry G. Fine, M.D., Physician Advisory Board
Dr. Fine is Medical Director of ISA Scientific, Inc., where his activities center around developing cannabinoid therapies for treating chronic pain, diabetes and other serious medical conditions. He is also a Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology of the University of Utah School of Medicine and Faculty at its Pain Management Center. Dr. Fine is a Founding Member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and President Emeritus of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Chris Stubbs, Vice President of Quality Control
Mr. Stubbs is the Chief Scientific Officer for GenCanna Global, Inc., specialists in the production of reliable, sustainable supplies of Cannabidiol (CBD). Mr. Stubbs brings decades of experience in furthering the research, science and production of cannabis based formulations for the production of measured, accurate doses of cannabinoid medicine. He has been a driving force in the standardization and dosing of cannabinoid formulations since opening one of the first analytical testing labs in Colorado in 2008. His detailed experience with increasing QA/QC procedural standards has led to exceptional innovation in all aspects of the nascent industrial hemp industry. Unique among research-oriented colleagues, he is one of the few that can bridge the gap between public and technical scientific knowledge, elevating public education at each opportunity. Mr. Stubbs developed the initial confidence and formulations that allowed the successful treatment of many pediatric epileptic patients starting with the well-known Charlotte's Web story, and has led the cannabis industry with respect to scientific advancement in many regards.

Hugh Hempel, Vice President of Community Services & Advisory Board 
Mr. Hempel is a nationally recognized healthcare advocate and has successfully worked with the NIH and the FDA to develop a new drug for his identical twin daughters that suffer from Niemann Pick Type C, a fatal neurological disorder referred to as "Childhood Alzheimer's". Mr. Hempel is a licensed medical marijuana caregiver and his twins use Cannabidiol (CBD) to help treat their seizures. His work to develop pharmaceutical-grade medications under strict regulations will guide development of nutraceutical-grade cannabis products for patients in New York.

Louis A. Pharao, Chairperson Security Advisory Board
Mr. Pharao's law enforcement career spans 34 years, including over 20 with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, where he held leadership roles at the New York Field Division, the Ft. Lauderdale District Office, the Office of Training, the Office of Inspection, the Office of Domestic Operations and the Office of Operations Management. His most recent post was to the Washington Field Division as the Associate Special Agent in Charge. Mr. Pharao began his career in the U.S. Army, followed by 12 years as an award-winning NYPD officer and narcotics investigator. 

William J. De Block, Security Advisory Board 
Mr. Bill De Block completed a 30-year career with the New York State Police as Deputy Superintendent Field Commander at State Police Headquarters in Albany. After starting as a Trooper, Mr. De Block rose through the ranks to supervise approximately 4,500 uniform and BCI personnel statewide, gathering extensive experience in terrorism, narcotics and organized crime investigation. Mr. De Block was former Chairman of the Organized Crime Committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and during his career was affiliated with the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police and the FBI National Academy Associates.

Of Salus Scientific's leadership, Mrs. Falcone said, "By relying on core values of integrity, reliability, and stewardship, Salus Scientific will provide‎ medical cannabis products produced to nutraceutical standards to those who are suffering needlessly. Our comprehensive team of world-class innovators has the unique expertise to produce nutraceutical-grade medicines for New York's qualified patients."

SOURCE Salus Scientific

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