AWH Deepens Commitment to Last Prisoner Project to Aid in Cannabis Criminal Justice Reform

NEW YORK–Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. (CSE: AAWH.U), a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator, today announced its enhanced commitment to Last Prisoner Project, a cannabis criminal justice-focused nonprofit organization. The pledge, which is part of a partnership with LPP that was launched in July 2020, will see AWH commit to raising an additional $500,000 by July 2022 through a customer donation program at all AWH retail locations. The Company completed its previous pledge to raise a total of $250,000 through a similar customer donation program and company match of $150,000 this past February, five months ahead of its goal.

As a leading multi-state operator, AWH is committed to helping end the criminalization of cannabis and rectifying the injustices inflicted on those incarcerated for cannabis-related activity. “The disproportionate treatment and imprisonment of people of color for cannabis-related offences is evident, and it’s our responsibility as a cannabis operator to help bring restorative justice to the industry,” said Abner Kurtin, CEO and Founder of AWH. “We’re honored to have made a direct impact with our previous contributions in freeing Michael Thompson from his 60-year prison sentence, and thank customers of Michigan Supply and Provisions for their generous donations to welcome him home. This accomplishment is why LPP’s work is so important and why AWH has decided to increase our commitment. We urge other cannabis operators to meet AWH at our level of support.”

Following the early completion of its initial pledge made to LPP, AWH has doubled its original donation goal. Starting July, AWH retail locations will ask customers to voluntarily donate one dollar to LPP at checkout with a corporate match for each dollar donated up to $250,000, for a total of $500,000. In addition, AWH CEO and Founder Abner Kurtin is personally donating $50,000 to LPP, and will be appointed as chair of the organization’s Freedom Circle.

“Last Prisoner Project is extremely grateful for AWH’s ongoing support and generosity,” said Mary Bailey, Managing Director of Last Prisoner Project. “We were delighted to see the consumer enthusiasm for social justice reform in the cannabis industry, as evidenced by the rapid completion of AWH’s initial pledge. The more cannabis companies are involved in our mission, the greater impact our work has in dismantling the discriminatory policies that have devastated millions of lives.”

“AWH is proud to have executed on our original commitment to LPP months ahead of our target date, an achievement that has inspired us to go even further with our secondary donations objective,” said Chris Melillo, Chief Revenue Officer at AWH. “LPP’s work has made incredible progress in the fight to bring criminal justice reform to the cannabis industry and AWH shares in LPP’s dedication to this urgent mission.”

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, the plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Words such as “expects”, “continue”, “will”, “anticipates” and “intends” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends, the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience of the Company and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate.

Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Such factors include, among others: the risks and uncertainties identified in the Supplemented PREP Prospectus and the Prospectus and in the Company’s other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators and the SEC. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

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(This information is primarily sourced from AWH.  Highly Capitalized has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Read our Disclaimer here).