Dara Redler, general counsel, Tilray. (Courtesy photo) Dara Redler, general counsel, Tilray. (Courtesy photo)

Another cannabis company is growing its in-house legal team as Canada's recreational market blooms.

Nanaimo, Canada-based cannabis production company Tilray Inc. announced on Thursday its appointment of Dara Redler as general counsel. She'll be based out of Tilray's Toronto office.

“This is an incredibly exciting time as we're witnessing a global paradigm shift from a state of prohibition to legalization. There are very few opportunities where I would get the chance to be a part of shaping an entire industry from an early stage,” Redler said in an email to Corporate Counsel.

Recreational cannabis hit the shelves in Canada in October. In the months leading up to legalization, many cannabis companies in the country began hiring in-house counsel. Their American peers have also grown their legal teams as more states legalized the sale of recreational cannabis.

Post-legalization, cannabis counsel still face complicated and vague regulations in Canada, especially around marketing.

Redler enters the cannabis industry after nearly two decades in the food and beverage industry. She joins Tilray from The Coca-Cola Co., where she spent 18 years in a number of senior counsel roles.

Most recently, she was the Atlanta-based company's vice president and senior counsel of worldwide marketing and growth, according to her LinkedIn profile. In that role, she advised on marketing, worldwide licensing, data privacy and security. She also provided legal support for the launch of a new Coca-Cola reduced calorie beverage.

“I'm very proud of my tenure at The Coca-Cola Company and appreciative for the wonderful career I had with the company,” Redler said. “I'm excited for my next challenge in this new chapter.”

Redler began her career at another Atlanta-based company, Travelport. She spent seven years there. As senior counsel, Redler managed corporate contracts, intellectual property and antitrust matters. Prior to moving in-house, she was an associate at Alston & Bird. She holds a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.

Tilray also announced the hiring of Greg Christopher as executive vice president of operations, Rita Seguin as executive vice president of human resources and Charlie Cain as vice president of retail, expanding its executive team.

“We are pleased to have these experienced leaders join our team as we continue to disrupt the global pharmaceutical, alcohol, CPG and functional food and beverage industries,” Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy said in a press release. “Greg, Rita, Dara and Charlie come to Tilray with robust expertise in their respective fields and we look forward to their contributions as we pioneer the future of cannabis around the world.”

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