SmartKem COO Jonathan Warkins resigns Aug. 31

SmartKem, Inc. disclosed the voluntary resignation of its Chief Operating Officer, effective August 31, 2026, with no reported disagreements over financial or operational matters.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

SmartKem, Inc. (SMTK) reported that its Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Warkins, submitted his voluntary resignation on August 30, 2026, which the company accepted. His resignation became effective on August 31, 2026, and the company states it did not arise from any dispute or disagreement regarding financial statements, internal controls, operations, policies, or practices.

Positive

• None.

Negative

• Chief Operating Officer resignation: Jonathan Warkins voluntarily resigned as COO effective August 31, 2026, creating a leadership change at the principal officer level, although the company states there were no disagreements on financial or operational matters.

8-K Event Classification

Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers

1 item

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers Governance

Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.

Key Figures

COO resignation effective date: August 31, 2026 Resignation acceptance date: August 30, 2026 Company status: Emerging growth company

3 metrics

COO resignation effective date August 31, 2026 Effective date of Jonathan Warkins’ resignation as Chief Operating Officer

Resignation acceptance date August 30, 2026 Date SmartKem, Inc. accepted the voluntary resignation of the COO

Company status Emerging growth company Status indicated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Key Terms

Emerging growth company, principal officers, internal controls

3 terms

Emerging growth company regulatory

"Emerging growth company x"

An emerging growth company is a recently public or smaller public firm that qualifies for temporary, lighter regulatory and disclosure rules to reduce the cost and effort of being public. For investors, it means the company may provide less historical financial detail and face fewer reporting requirements than larger firms, so it can grow more quickly but also carries higher uncertainty—like buying a promising early-stage product with fewer user reviews.

principal officers regulatory

"Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors"

internal controls financial

"any matters relating to the Company’s financial statements, internal controls, operations"

Internal controls are the policies, procedures and routine checks a company uses to keep its financial records accurate, safeguard assets, and ensure laws and internal rules are followed. For investors they matter because strong controls reduce the risk of accounting errors, fraud or surprise liabilities; think of them as locks, alarms and bookkeeping checklists that make a company’s reported results more trustworthy and lower the chance of unexpected losses.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What leadership change did SmartKem, Inc. (SMTK) announce in this 8-K?

SmartKem, Inc. announced that Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Warkins voluntarily resigned. The company accepted his resignation on August 30, 2026, and his departure became effective on August 31, 2026.

Did the COO’s resignation at SmartKem (SMTK) involve any disagreement with the company?

No. SmartKem states that Jonathan Warkins’ resignation as Chief Operating Officer was not the result of any dispute or disagreement regarding the company’s financial statements, internal controls, operations, policies, or practices.

When was the COO resignation at SmartKem (SMTK) effective?

The resignation of Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Warkins was effective on August 31, 2026, following the company’s acceptance of his voluntary resignation on August 30, 2026.

Which executive signed the SmartKem (SMTK) Form 8-K reporting the COO’s resignation?

The Form 8-K was signed on behalf of SmartKem, Inc. by Barbra C. Keck, who is identified as the company’s Chief Financial Officer.

Does SmartKem (SMTK) identify as an emerging growth company in this filing?

Yes. SmartKem, Inc. indicates that it is an emerging growth company for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as reflected in the status section of the report.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Available on EDGAR 09/04/2026 - 04:07 PM EDT Accepted by SEC EDGAR 09/04/2026 - 04:05 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 31, 2026

SmartKem, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-42115	85-1083654
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

3 Germay Drive, Unit 4 #1029

Wilmington, DE, 19804

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share		SMTK		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b - 2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b - 2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company x

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers.

On August 30, 2026, SmartKem, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) accepted the voluntary resignation of Jonathan Warkins as the Chief Operating Officer of the Company, effective August 31, 2026. His resignation is not the result of any dispute or disagreement with the Company on any matters relating to the Company’s financial statements, internal controls, operations, policies, or practices.

Signature

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	SMARTKEM, INC.
Dated: September 4, 2026	By:	/s/ Barbra C. Keck
		Barbra C. Keck
		Chief Financial Officer

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

3 documents

Other Documents

• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA 2.9 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE 33.4 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE 21.8 KB