The Record Delta | Armory Pharmaceutical, Inc. celebrates ribbon cutting

BUCKHANNON — Armory Pharmaceutical, Inc. (API) celebrated their opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, June 28, at 2p.m. The event took place at their location of 50 Armory Road in Buckhannon. API said, “We exist to create botanically based, globally available medicines that provide health care options which change people’s lives for the better.” 

The API team revealed that they are a different kind of medical cannabis company. It is also noted that their team is comprised of experienced persons that grow, process, and dispense marijuana. In addition, the team has seven PhD scientists, one MD, and three MBA’s. A hemp farmer, mechanical engineer, and two attorneys complete their self-described “highly experienced and well-rounded business team.” 

Their team members include Brent Berisford M.S., Mike Besche, Harriett Kamendi Ph.D., Kathleen Kennedy Ph.D., Matt Lawson-Baker, Chanda Macias-Bobo Ph.D., Mike Oldaker, Vidmantas Petraits MD, Daniel Powers MBA, John Powers Ph. D/MBA, Meredith Priddy, Jason Queen, Hartman Roemer JD, Sam Sheehan MME, Amanda Vezinat and Brandon Wyatt JD. 

According to API’s website armorypharmaceutical.com, “Berisford is a W.Va. native who graduated from Wesleyan with a B.S. and M.S. in environmental science. Berisford helped to build, manage, and recruit for the John’s Hopkins Innovations Center if Rockville, Md. as well as the Upshur County Innovation Center here in Buckhannon. Besche is noted to be the CEO and graduated from Wharton School of Business with a B.S. in economics, Besche has over forty years of business management skills and serves on multiple financial and civic boards. Kamendi serves API in research and development of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Kamendi graduated from Howard University with B.S. degrees in education, chemistry, biology, and physics and a Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology. Kennedy serves API by working in genetics and chemical trials. Kennedy received a Ph.D. in genetics from Penn State University College of Medicine. Kennedy aims to develop B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. cannabis programs for local W.Va. Schools. Lawson- Baker is a team leader for API and has a B.S. in civil engineering from Queensland University of Technology. Lawson- Baker also designed the 27,000 square foot Armory building in Buckhannon. Macias-Bobo has a B.S. in biology, M.S. in business administration, and Ph.D. in cellular biology from Howard University. Oldaker is also a W.Va. resident and has a B.S. and M.S. from West Virginia Univeristy. Oldaker also serves as an advocate for industrial hemp in W.Va.; grower of industrial hemp from seed to harvest; organizational and operational manager of project assigned tasks, roles, and responsibilities. Petraits is a team leader for clinical trials with a Ph.D. in Medicine from Lithuanian Univeristy of Health Sciences. Daniel Powers has an MBA in business administration from Shenandoah Univeristy and has detail for financial operations; create and manage small operational teams; assist in training and living-wage jobs creation programs. John Powers holds a W.Va. Hemp license, Pres.; B.S, MBA with a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland Graduate School of Medicine. Priddy will serve as Chief Marketing Officer and has over five years’ experience in the cannabis industry and holds a B.S. in English and business writing from Towson University. Queen is also a W.Va. resident and hemp processor. Queen holds a degree in criminal justice from Glennville State College and built, owns, and manages a hemp processing facility in Buckhannon. Roemer serves as the company’s general counsel and has a B.S. and law degree from the University of Delaware School of Law. Roemer also has over thirty years of legal experience in corporate tax knowledge and small company development. Sheehan holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from University of Maryland College Park. Sheehan is a professional engineer, certified to design, build, and install specialty HVAC systems; experienced in designing HVAC systems for use in similar operations for cannabis grow and processing. Vezinat is a W.Va. resident and retired U.S. Army Veteran. Vezinat B.S. in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and experience in W.Va. medical marijuana patient advocacy. Wyatt holds a B.A. in political science, M.S. in business administration with a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law. Wyatt is also a U.S. Army veteran, attorney, veterans’ rights activist (including cannabis treatment for PTSD) Wyatt is experienced in drug policy, federal policies, civil rights, and intellectual properties.”

Further information obtained from API’s webpage revealed the following, “Armory Pharmaceutical, Inc. (“API”) was established in late 2018 by medical research scientists to participate in the 2020 West Virginia cannabis program. API leased the 27,000 square-foot former National Guard Armory building in Buckhannon, W.Va.. API then partnered with successful marijuana grow/process/dispensary owner-operators in Washington D.C. and Louisiana, along with a licensed W.Va. hemp processor. This team, designed to be a vertically integrated medical cannabis biopharmaceutical company, submitted applications for W.Va. grower, process, and dispensary licenses. To date, API was one of ten companies awarded a grow license, and has also been awarded both processing and dispensing licenses.” 

APT is also noted to be a vertically integrated company which means they grow, process, and dispense their products in the cannabis pharmaceutical based markers. While their headquarters are located in Baltimore, Md. the primary facility is the newly opened Armory Pharmaceutical Inc. located in Buckhannon. API is licensed in W.Va. and works in agricultural genetics, analytical testing, research, development, manufacturing, clinical trials, and distribution of cannabinoid-based botanical products. Their initial focus is producing “delta-9 tetrahydrocannabionol (THC) products, with a long-term focus on FDA approved prescription drugs using THC in combination with various other cannabinoids (e.g., CBD, CBN, CBG, etc.).”

In order to view the website, you must confirm that you are least 21 years old. The website offers interested parties to subscribe to a mailing list in order to receive updates. In order to contact API, please email [email protected] A video is also available on YouTube and includes a tour of the facility and well as interviews. It can be viewed by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKx-cOKAMoA.