Acreage Holdings, Inc. (CSE:ACRG.A.U, ACRG.B.U), (OTCQX: ACRHF, ACRDF) a vertically integrated, multi-state operator of cannabis licenses and assets in the U.S., today announced its subsidiary, Universal Hemp, LLC reached an agreement with Medterra CBD, LLC, one of the largest CBD companies in the industry. This partnership will allow Acreage Holdings to tap into Medterra’s innovation pipeline, high-quality CBD, and significant e-commerce platform for immediate nationwide distribution. Five Farms CBD, LLC, a subsidiary of Medterra, will develop a full spectrum CBD collection under The Botanist, an Acreage Holdings brand. This partnership makes this a first in the cannabis industry for a CBD and a publicly traded cannabis brand to collaborate.
“Leveraging insights and technology from Medterra to develop Five Farms has allowed us to scale the brand with record-breaking growth over the past year. We’ve been laser focused on identifying how to resonate with the cannabis-friendly consumer,” says J.P. Larsen Co-founder of Medterra and President of Five Farms. “Incorporating Acreage’s The Botanist brand, under Five Farms will allow us to innovate for their target demographic and rapidly expand the brand’s national footprint – it’s an evolution for both industries and the future of CBD and cannabis companies.”
“This asset-lite approach to entering the U.S. CBD market with Medterra, a leader in the industry, will allow Acreage to realize a low-risk, high-margin revenue stream, and is aligned with our shareholder commitment to deliver increased returns and outsized shareholder value creation” said Peter Caldini, Chief Executive Officer of Acreage. “Partnering our flagship brand, The Botanist, with Medterra’s fastest growing line, Five Farms, ensures the broadest consumer distribution through their industry-leading e-commerce platform, as well as the most efficient ‘go-to-market’ strategy.”
Acreage will license The Botanist brand to Five Farms, which will manufacture, market, and sell The Botanist branded CBD products through Medterra’s e-commerce platform. The Botanist branded CBD is expected to be available the second half of 2021.
ABOUT FIVE FARMS
Five Farms is setting a new standard for CBD; its perfected the full spectrum CBD experience. The name “five” comes from the commitment to use every part of the hemp plant for a 5:1 ratio. Five Farms uses the highest quality CBD in the U.S. and offers fair pricing on products that consumers can feel the difference. A certificate of analysis from third-party labs for potency, quality and effectiveness is available for every product on the website. For more information, please visit www.fivecbd.com.
ABOUT ACREAGE
With its principal address in New York City, Acreage is a multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation and retailing facilities in the U.S., including the company’s national retail store brand, The Botanist. Acreage’s wide range of national and regionally available cannabis products include the award-winning The Botanist brand, the highly recognizable Tweed brand, the Prime medical brand in Pennsylvania, the Innocent edibles brand in Illinois and others. Acreage also owns Universal Hemp, LLC, a hemp subsidiary dedicated to the distribution, marketing, and sale of CBD products throughout the U.S. Since its founding in 2011, Acreage has focused on building and scaling operations to create a seamless, consumer-focused, branded experience. More information is available at www.acreageholdings.com.
On June 27, 2019, Acreage implemented an arrangement under section 288 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) with Canopy Growth Corporation (“Canopy Growth”), which was subsequently amended on September 23, 2020 (the “Amended Arrangement”). Pursuant to the Amended Arrangement, upon the occurrence (or waiver by Canopy Growth) of changes in federal laws in the United States to permit the general cultivation, distribution and possession of marijuana (as defined in the relevant legislation) or to remove the regulation of such activities from the federal laws of the United States (the “Triggering Event”), Canopy Growth will, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, acquire all of the issued and outstanding Class E subordinate voting shares (the “Fixed Shares”) on the basis of 0.3048 of a Canopy Growth share per Fixed Share (following the automatic conversion of the Class F multiple voting shares and subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the arrangement agreement entered into between Acreage and Canopy Growth on April 18, 2019, as amended on May 15, 2019 and on September 23, 2020).
In addition, Canopy Growth holds an option, exercisable at the discretion of Canopy Growth, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Class D subordinate voting shares (the “Floating Shares”) at the time that Canopy Growth acquires the Fixed Shares, for cash or Canopy Growth shares, as Canopy Growth may determine, at a price per Floating Share based upon the 30-day volume-weighted average trading price of the Floating Shares on the CSE relative to the trading price of the Canopy Growth shares at the time of the occurrence or waiver of the Triggering Event, subject to a minimum price of US$6.41 per Floating Share.
For more information about the Amended Arrangement please see the Acreage proxy statement and management information circular dated August 17, 2020 (the “Circular”) and the respective information circulars of each of Acreage and Canopy Growth dated May 17, 2019, which are available on Acreage’s and Canopy Growth’s respective profiles on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and filed with the SEC on the EDGAR website at www.sec.gov. For additional information regarding Canopy Growth, please see Canopy Growth’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
