- Through its joint venture partner Appalachian Pharm Processing, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company (“APP”), Vext has received approval from the State of Ohio and been granted ownership of an operating manufacturing facility in Jackson, Ohio.
- Vext, through another affiliated joint venture partner (the “Joint Venture”), presently has an agreement in place i to acquire an operating Ohio dispensary license (the “Ohio Dispensary”). The Joint Venture will be able to apply to the Ohio regulators for a transfer of ownership of the Ohio Dispensary beginning in July 2022.
- Vext’s wholly owned Vapen ™ line of products is already available in a majority of dispensary locations in Ohio, through the Company’s partnership with APP.
Vext Science, Inc. (“Vext” or the “Company”) (CSE: VEXT) (OTCQX: VEXTF) a cannabinoid brand leader based in Arizona, leveraging its core expertise in extraction, manufacturing, cultivation, and marketing to build a profitable multi-state footprint, today announced that it has received approval to have ownership of a manufacturing operation in Ohio, through a 37.5% ownership interest in APP. In July 2022, the Company expects to apply to the Ohio regulators, through another affiliated joint venture partner (the “Joint Venture”), to transition an operating cannabis dispensary license to the Joint Venture. The combination of these acquisitions, once approved by the Ohio regulators and completed, will move Vext closer to vertical integration in Ohio, which is an attractive limited license state with the potential for a future transition into an adult-use market.
Eric Offenberger, CEO of Vext commented, “We have consistently stated that we see the Ohio market as the Company’s second leg of growth, and with the addition of manufacturing ownership, we are positioned to build a strong position in this high population, limited license state. Additionally, we are in the process of pursuing an Ohio cultivation license, to move to vertical integration in the State, which we expect will ensure the quality of both our products and services, while protecting long-term returns. We expect the next 12 months to bring significant growth for Vext shareholders. Our team is currently in the process of tripling cultivation capacity in Arizona, expanding in Ohio, executing on additional organic growth plans in Arizona, and evaluating a robust pipeline of accretive acquisition opportunities. With a solid operational foundation, an established and proven return on capital framework and one of the most attractive cash flow profiles even among large multi-state operator peers, Vext is positioned to continue generating profitable growth for its shareholders.”
Ohio’s state-sanctioned cannabis sales are expected to be between US$350 million to US$425 million in 2021, under a highly regulated, medical-only framework, compared to US$221.5 million in 2020ii.
