Medical Marijuana Firm Khiron Life Sciences Adds Ex-Mexican President Vicente Fox to Board

Canadian medical marijuana company Khiron Life Sciences Corp. has appointed former Mexican President Vicente Fox to its board of directors.

The company, which became listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange earlier this year, operates in Colombia from its Bogotá headquarters with plans to cultivate and sell its cannabis products in the country. It is also has longer-term plans to expand in the region, with Mexico representing a key market its top executives hope to tap.

Photo: Former Mexican President  Vicente Fox speaking at the 3rd Annual Southwest Cannabis Conference & Expo in Phoenix, Arizona.(Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

In addition to his experience governing the hemisphere’s third biggest nation, Fox has earned his business bonafides as CEO of Coca-Cola Latin America. Through his current foundation, Centro Fox, the former president has advocated for wider medical marijuana adoption.

Fox, who served as head of state in Mexico from 2000 to 2006 and made history as the first candidate from outside of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to win the presidency, has gained further fame in recent years for his outspoken opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to build a wall along the entire Mexican border. He has repeatedly lambasted Trump on social media and television, continually repeating his claim that “we won’t pay for that f***ing wall.”

Khiron Chief Executive Officer Alvaro Torres says that the company advanced a relationship with Fox at the CannaMexico 2018 medical cannabis conference that was organized by Centro Fox.

“It was clear that the collaboration between Khiron, former President Fox and Centro Fox provided the opportunity to greatly advance our shared interests in increasing the level of education and understanding of the benefits of medical cannabis for all of Latin America.”

Torres added that adding Fox to the board of directors “significantly expands our scope of influence and relationships within the Latin American market.”