Denise has been involved in the Cannabis Industry for nearly two decades. Always passionate about plants and botanically derived compounds, she achieved a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Botany, Biochemistry and Environmental Sciences at the University of Victoria and Camosun College on Vancouver Island, BC.

After a diverse range or careers in laboratories and tree seedling production, she landed a job as a product development researcher for a hydroponic nutrient company focussing on the cannabis industry during the early stages of the medical access program. There, she acquired substantial knowledge of the industry from the nutritional needs and growing aspects of cannabis to regulatory and legal requirements.

The concept of Pura Labs was born out of the changing landscape of retail cannabis, quality assurance and the legal requirements around compliance testing. Drawing on her experience in an analytical laboratory setting and finding the right partners in the industry, Pura Labs became licensed to test cannabis by Health Canada in 2019, and recently a Controlled Substance Dealers License for analysing psychedelic compounds for therapeutic use in 2022. And of course, she’s a mother of two fur babies, an animal and nature lover!