Cannabis firm drafts in former Pharmacy Guild head as adviser

Medicinal cannabis firm Montu, which runs the Alternaleaf business, has brought on a former Pharmacy Guild president as an adviser.

George Tambassis has joined the advisory board of Montu.

Montu, which claims to be Australia’s largest medicinal cannabis company, has appointed former Pharmacy Guild president George Tambassis as a special adviser.

Mr Tambassis was president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia for seven years, ending his term in early 2021, and also served as president of the World Pharmacy Council for more than four years.

Montu operates in Australia through the Alternaleaf brand and raised $5.5m from investors through strongly-backed crowd-funding campaigns in 2020 and 2021, with the latter hitting its fundraising target on the Birchal platform in little more than a day.

Mr Tambassis’s pharmacy, executive and board career stretches back more than three decades, and he was Blackmores founder Marcus Blackmore’s pick for a board seat on the formerly ASX-listed vitamin company, during Mr Blackmore’s 2022 stoush with the company.

Alternaleaf operates a virtual cannabis dispensing service, including nurse consultations and virtual doctor appointments, and also has a wholesale distribution network called Leafio.

The company claims to be the nation’s “largest medical cannabis clinic, trusted by more than 100,000 Australians’’.

Montu was founded in 2019 and now operates in Australia and across Europe, with offices in the UK, Germany and New Zealand.

Montu managing director Christopher Strauch said Mr Tambassis would provide critical expertise and help raise awareness of medical cannabis treatment options in Australia.

“We are excited to have George Tambassis join our advisory board, as he will provide

critical expertise to our business and the complex environment in which we operate,”

Mr Strauch said.

“Adding such deep understanding and insights into the pharmacy landscape in Australia as

we continue to grow and expand our business will be invaluable.

“We look forward to working closely with George as we push for governmental change in

having medical cannabis treated the same as any other prescription medication.”

Mr Tambassis said he was excited to have the chance to help pharmacists grow their knowledge of medical cannabis and “to assist Montu in its engagement with healthcare

organisations and to assist with maintaining connections with patient advocacy groups”.

“Through this advisory appointment, I look forward to continuing to contribute to this

important work and improving accessibility, awareness and patient outcomes.”

Originally published as Cannabis firm drafts in former Pharmacy Guild head as adviser