Pyxus International Inc (PYYX)

[Campeese]

Cannabis Companies Seek to Nurture Growth in New Regions

NEW YORK, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past few years, the cannabis market has overcome barriers and achieved milestones in what has been arguably its most important period ever. Notably, Canada's legalization of cannabis became recognized globally as the Country allowed the use of cannabis for its citizens, becoming the first G-7 nation to ever do so. Since then, other G-7 countries have also adopted some form of cannabis legislation. France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., and a majority of the U.S. have all implemented regulated medical cannabis legalization to a certain extent. Even while the U.S. has technically not ratified a federal bill legalizing cannabis for either medical or recreational use, its States have been given the jurisdiction to legalize cannabis or not. So far, more than half of U.S. states have legalized medical cannabis, while a fifth of the country has also moved to legalize its recreational use. The U.S. also remains the center of focus within the cannabis industry because it is still the primary revenue driver. States such as California, Colorado, Washington, Nevada deliver over billions of dollars collectively in annual cannabis sales, and furthermore, emerging states such as Oregon, Massachusetts, and Michigan are also expected to become large players within the marketplace. According to data compiled by Verified Market Intelligence, the global marijuana market was valued at USD 42.20 Billion in 2017. By 2025, the market is projected to reach USD 466.81 Billion, registering a CAGR of 35.3% from 2018 to 2025. WeedMD Inc. (OTC: WDDMF) (TSX-V: WMD), Pyxus International Inc. (NYSE: PYX), Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYNE), OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (OTC: OGRMF) (TSX-V: OGI), iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. (OTC: ITHUF) (CSE: IAN)

The expansion of the cannabis industry has now led large corporations within the marketplace to expand their operations into new regions. Some countries maintain strict regulations towards the cultivation and distribution of cannabis, leading many Canadian and U.S. companies to lock-in agreements internationally. For instance, Canadian companies are exporting While other North American companies are developing operations in the European and Latin American markets. The European market, in particular, is a rapidly growing marketplace since many of its countries are moving to adopt cannabis for medical applications. Additionally, countries such as Spain and the Netherlands have also decriminalized cannabis, allowing for moderate personal consumption. Moreover, the Latin American region is also attractive due to the lenient regulations regarding cannabis present in its larger countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. Notably, these countries are also known for their fertile lands and inexpensive cultivation costs, providing cultivators more value for their money. Overall, as the market continues its expansion to new lands, people and regulatory bodies are beginning to change how they view the plant, "Some of those ingredients get re-looked at through a different lens. It becomes a little less taboo," said Perteet Spencer, a Principal in the Brand Growth Solutions division at SPINS. "You're seeing massive legislative shifts that are going make a lot of things that were once completely off-limits a little more acceptable."

WeedMD Inc. (OTCQX: WDDMF) (TSX-V: WMD) is also listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker (TSX-V: WMD). Earlier last week, the Company announced breaking news that, "Pioneer Cannabis Corp. ("Pioneer Cannabis"), a national cannabis retail service provider, is pleased to announce it has signed a Master Cannabis Retail and Licensing Agreement ("Licensing Agreement") with Ontario cannabis retail lottery winner Guruveer Sangha who will be the owner and operator of the first Pioneer Cannabis retail store located at 1200 Brant Street in Burlington, Ontario. Pioneer Cannabis is a collaboration between WeedMD Inc. (TSX-V:WMD) (OTCQX: WDDMF) (FSE:4WE) ("WeedMD"), a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis, and Pita Pit Canada ("Pita Pit"), a privately-owned Canadian fast casual franchise eatery with over 225 stores in Canada.

Mr. Sangha, an entrepreneur and lawyer from the Greater Toronto Area, recently secured a Retail Operator Licence ("ROL") from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario ("AGCO"). The 4,000 square foot Pioneer Cannabis Co. store is expected to open in late spring following final AGCO inspection and subsequent receipt of its Retail Store Authorization ("RSA"). Located next to the main arterial highways that border Oakville and Hamilton, the high-capacity area of Burlington and its surrounding areas has a combined population of over 1.7M.

"As a keen observer of the cannabis industry and a strong proponent of local economic growth through small business, I am delighted to be working with Pioneer Cannabis. Together we look forward to setting the standard for Canadians seeking safe stewardship of cannabis in a quality retail setting," said Mr. Sangha.

'It is an important milestone for us to be able to support Guruveer's establishment of Canada's first Pioneer Cannabis store," said Kristie Smith, President of Pioneer Cannabis. "He will be a driving force behind what we expect to be a true retail success as we launch a leading Canadian cannabis retail store that combines product, education and experience. We look forward to helping Guruveer realize his plan of opening additional Pioneer Cannabis stores across the GTA as soon as regulatory rules permit."

"We are all stewards of cannabis and our pioneering spirit welcomes this retail endeavour between Pioneer and Guruveer," said Keith Merker, CEO of WeedMD.

"Congratulations to Guruveer and Pioneer Cannabis. We're pleased to see that the Burlington community and its surrounding area is in responsible hands," said Chris Fountain, CEO of Pita Pit.

Pioneer Cannabis continues to pursue retail opportunities within Ontario and other provinces in accordance with prevailing cannabis retail regulations. For additional information and updates on store openings, visit the Pioneer website www.pioneercannabis.com

About Pioneer Cannabis Corp: Pioneer Cannabis Corp. is a cannabis retail services provider resulting from the collaboration of two industry-leading Canadian companies, WeedMD Inc., a trusted licensed cannabis producer, and Pita Pit Canada, a franchising and brand expert, to develop opportunities for everyday Canadians interested in owning and operating their own cannabis retail store. The values of Pioneer are deeply rooted in community and providing small business owners with the opportunity to thrive and contribute to their local economy. We are the pioneers of cannabis retail, supporting businesses from the ground up and setting the standard for Canadian cannabis retail.

About WeedMD Inc: WeedMD Inc. is the publicly-traded parent company of WeedMD Rx Inc., a federally-licensed producer and distributor of cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The Company owns and operates two facilities: a 26,000 sq. ft. indoor facility in Aylmer, Ontario and a 158-acre state-of-the-art greenhouse and outdoor facility located in Strathroy, Ontario. The Company currently has 136,000 square feet of licensed production space across its facilities and is expected to have a total footprint of more than 550,000 square feet of indoor and greenhouse production in addition to more than 25 acres of outdoor cultivation space online in the first half of 2019. WeedMD has a multi-channeled distribution strategy that includes selling directly to medical patients, strategic relationships across the seniors' market and supply agreements with Shoppers Drug Mart as well as six provincial distribution agencies.

For more information, access WeedMD's investor presentation here (https://www.weedmd.com/investing-in-weedmd/) and recently updated corporate video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktgJ_BQtBCs&feature=youtu.be).

About Pita Pit: Founded in 1995 in Kingston, Ontario near Queen's University, Pita Pit® is an innovative fast-casual restaurant with a unique mindset that challenges consumers to Refuse to Settle™ for anything less than quality, healthy, freshly grilled food. After rapidly earning a loyal following in its home market, franchising began across Canadain 1997 and, in 1999, the brand expanded to the United States. Now boasting more than 600 stores across North America and internationally across 13 countries, Pita Pit offers its customers millions of ridiculously delicious, customizable flavour combinations of grilled meats, fresh vegetables, and zesty sauces all rolled into a unique and convenient pita package. For more information about Pita Pit, visit www.pitapit.ca/consumer or www.facebook.com/pitapitcanada."

For our latest "Buzz on the Street" Show featuring WeedMD Inc. recent corporate news, please head over to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4vOilnkTfY

Pyxus International Inc. (NYSE: PYX) is a global agricultural company with 145 years' experience delivering value-added products and services to businesses and customers. Pyxus International, Inc. recently announced the opening of its affiliate, Criticality, LLC's, industrial hemp extraction and purification facility located in Wilson, North Carolina. The 55,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility was unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening event on March 12. The facility is designed to follow good manufacturing practices and operate in compliance with dietary supplement standards. The hemp processed at the facility will be used to expertly craft and responsibly produce "Korent," Criticality's line of cannabidiol oil (CBD) products, as well as develop new products in its innovation pipeline. "Through our investment in Criticality, a North Carolina-based hemp processor, our goal is to become a leader in the production of CBD and related consumer products," said Pyxus President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Pieter Sikkel. "The opening of the facility is a critical step in achieving that goal and is a glimpse of what's to come in the future."

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYNE) is the leader in pharmaceutically-produced transdermal cannabinoid therapies for rare and near-rare neuropsychiatric disorders. Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently provided an update on its clinical progress. Zynerba remains on track to report top line results from the CONNECT-FX (Clinical study of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Children and Adolescents with Fragile X) study in Fragile X Syndrome in the second half of 2019. The Company has completed enrollment in its Phase 2 BELIEVE 1 (Open Label Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of ZYN002 Administered as a Transdermal Gel to Children and Adolescents with Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy) clinical trial in children and adolescents with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE). Top-line results will be reported in the third quarter of 2019. "Our aspirations and expectations are clear: To work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand the opportunity for pharmaceutically-developed CBD treatments that meet their rigorous medical and manufacturing standards, and in doing so, continue toward our goal of addressing significant unmet medical needs in neuropsychiatric disorders," said Armando Anido, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zynerba. "With the new indications of ASD and 22q, in addition to FXS and DEE, we now have four shots on goal to show the clinical benefit of ZYN002 transdermal gel in patient populations that have few, if any, therapeutic options available."

OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (OTCQX: OGRMF) (TSX-V: OGI) is a TSX Venture Exchange listed company whose wholly owned subsidiary, Organigram Inc., is a licensed producer of cannabis and cannabis-derived products in Canada. Organigram Holdings Inc. recently announced that it had signed a letter of intent with the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC). This agreement solidifies the Company's position as a true national player in Canada's legal adult use recreational cannabis marketplace. Organigram now has distribution in place for all ten Canadian provinces. Quebec is an important part of Organigram's national strategy. The Company will offer consumers in the province access to a portfolio of products which will include mainstream, value and premium flower, along with an assortment of pre-rolls and oils. "Organigram's growth strategy has always focused on establishing a strong national footprint and building our brand presence with the Edison Cannabis line nationally," says Greg Engel, Organigram's Chief Executive Officer. "We are proud to work with our partners across the country to help ensure Canadians have access to a reliable supply of premium cannabis products for both medical and adult recreational use. We look forward to continuing to build on these relationships as we look ahead to the legalization of cannabis edibles."

iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: ITHUF) (CSE: IAN) owns and operates best-in-class licensed cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities throughout the United States, providing investors diversified exposure to the U.S. regulated cannabis industry. iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. recently announced that CBD For Life, a top-ranked, national CBD brand in the U.S. which the Company agreed to acquire on March 29, 2019, has entered into an agreement with Urban Outfitters, a lifestyle-oriented general merchandise and consumer products store with 245 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The agreement places CBD For Life products in Urban Outfitters' e-commerce platform and top 6 retail locations in the U.S. The CBD For Life products are expected to launch in the select Urban Outfitters stores later this month. "Our partnership with Urban Outfitters represents a major step forward for CBD For Life, placing us in one of the United States' most successful retail chains that also serves as a tastemaker for the rest of the retail market," said Julie Winter, COO of CBD For Life. "With the backing of iAnthus, we look forward to further growing our footprint and making our products top of mind for consumers around the world."

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