Avicanna Enters Multi-level Strategic Partnership with Al Harrington’s, Harrington Wellness Inc., to Commercialize re+PLAY™ Branded Products in Canada and the United States

Avicanna Enters Multi-level Strategic Partnership with Al Harrington’s, Harrington Wellness Inc., to Commercialize re+PLAY™ Branded Products in Canada and the United States

Avicanna Enters Multi-level Strategic Partnership with Al Harrington’s, Harrington Wellness Inc., to Commercialize re+PLAY™ Branded Products in Canada and the United States

• Development and licensing of a bespoke and evidence-based athletic line of CBD topical products for the re+PLAY brand in the U.S.
• Avicanna to lead commercialization in Canada through consumer retail and medical sales channels.

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TORONTO, Feb. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Avicanna Inc. (“Avicanna” or the “Company“) (TSX: AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) (FSE: 0NN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products, is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into an intellectual property licensing and royalty agreement with Harrington Wellness Inc. (“Harrington Wellness”) for the commercialization of a CBD topical product line targeting athletes and active consumers in Canada and the U.S. (the “re+PLAY Agreement”).

Avicanna and Harrington Wellness have worked together extensively on researching, developing and optimizing a bespoke line of CBD-based topicals designed specifically for the athletic and sports community (the “re+PLAY Products”). These CBD-based topicals utilize Avicanna’s proprietary deep tissue technology for cannabinoid delivery and have been curated with the support of Harrington Wellness’ deep understanding of the needs of professional athletes. The products are planned to be launched in Q2 2021 in the United States by Harrington Wellness across retail and e-commerce channels and in Canada through medical and adult-use/consumer retail cannabis sales channels by Avicanna. The product formulations are also enrolled in several preclinical studies with leading Canadian medical institutions to assess their efficacy in chronic pain and osteoarthritis.

Under the re+PLAY Agreement, which has an initial three-year term, Avicanna has licensed the use of certain proprietary product formulations to Harrington Wellness to be used in connection with the manufacture and distribution of the re+PLAY Products in the United States. Additionally, Harrington Wellness has also licensed the use of the re+PLAY brand to Avicanna to be used in connection with the manufacture and distribution of the re+PLAY Products in Canada. The re+PLAY Products will be branded and sold under the re+PLAY brand in both the United States and Canada. Royalties are payable to Avicanna and Harrington Wellness as consideration for each of the licenses.

“As a former professional athlete myself and avid CBD user, I understand the importance of being in peak physical condition and finding products that help you to recover faster,” says Al Harrington, CEO of Harrington Wellness. “Avicanna has been an incredible partner in developing the re+PLAY formulas and expanding the product line’s availability into Canada.”

In commenting on the re+PLAY Agreement, Aras Azadian, CEO of Avicanna said, “I am thrilled to finally introduce our relationship with Al Harrington and Harrington Wellness. This partnership was formed on the alignment of the vision to introduce premium and scientifically backed products for athletic and active consumers to the market. Additionally, the distinct expertise of the two companies and collaborative spirit has yielded an advanced and evidence-based line of products that are tailored to promote a healthy active lifestyle for the athlete in all of us.”

To the knowledge of the Company, it is in compliance with all applicable laws in the jurisdictions in which it operates.

About Harrington Wellness

Founded in 2018 by Viola CEO and NBA Vet, Al Harrington, Harrington Wellness produces a wide range of products via in house manufacturing, joint venture projects and white label arrangements with other vetted organizations that stand for the highest quality and reliable medical benefits. These items are sold online via in house and existing marketplace sites, in brick and mortar retail and by health professions directly in their clinics.

Harrington Wellness’ hero brand, re+PLAY™ is a performance based CBD wellness brand created with the combined knowledge and experience of athletes, doctors, and certified athletic trainers. Our team is dedicated to creating best in class products that deliver the powerful healing properties of the plant to our customers. All products are made using a triple-tested process with hemp grown in the USA, and are free of heavy metals, pesticides, and harmful microbes.

About Avicanna Inc.

Avicanna is a diversified and vertically integrated Canadian biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products for the global consumer, medical, and pharmaceutical market segments.

Avicanna is an established leader in cannabinoid research and development, which it primarily conducts at its R&D headquarters in the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre, JLABS @ Toronto, Canada and in collaboration with leading Canadian academic and medical institutions. In addition to its developing pharmaceutical pipeline, Avicanna’s team of experts have developed and commercialized several industry leading product lines, including:

• Pura Earth™ or Pura H&W™: an advanced and clinically tested line of CBD consumer derma-cosmetic products; and,
• RHO Phyto™: an advanced line of medical cannabis products containing varying ratios of CBD and THC currently available nation-wide across Canada in partnership with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™, a subsidiary of Shoppers Drug Mart. RHO Phyto is the first strictly medical formulary of advanced “Cannabis 2.0” products, containing oils, sprays, capsules, creams, and gels, all 2 developed with scientific rigour, manufactured under GMP standards and supported by pre-clinical data.

With ongoing clinical trials on its derma-cosmetic (branded as Pura Earth or Pura H&W), medical cannabis (branded as RHO Phyto) and a pipeline of pharmaceutical products, Avicanna’s dedication to researching the important role that cannabinoids play in an increasingly wider scope of products has been at the core of the Company’s vision since its inception. Furthermore, Avicanna’s commitment to education is demonstrated through its annual medical symposium, the Avicanna Academy educational platform, and the My Cannabis Clinic patient program through its subsidiary company.

Avicanna manages its own supply chain including cultivation and extraction through its two majority-owned subsidiaries, Sativa Nativa S.A.S. and Santa Marta Golden Hemp S.A.S., both located in Santa Marta, Colombia. Through these sustainable, economical, and industrial scale subsidiaries, Avicanna cultivates, processes, and commercializes a range of cannabis and hemp cultivars dominant in CBD, CBG, THC, and other cannabinoids for use as active pharmaceutical ingredients. Avicanna’s Avesta Genetica program specializes in the development and optimization of rare cultivars for commercial production along with feminized seeds for global export. In June 2020, Avicanna made history with a shipment of hemp seeds to the United States of America by completing the first ever export of hemp seeds from Colombia.

SOURCE Avicanna Inc.

Stay Connected

For more information about Avicanna, visit www.avicanna.com, call 1-647-243-5283, or contact Setu Purohit, President by email at info@avicanna.com.

The company posts updates through videos from the official company YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5yBclNIsNf7VrE34iwt8OA.

Please join the conversation on our Avicanna supporter’s telegram group at https://t.me/Avicannainc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as, “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “likely”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “believe, “intend”, “plan”, “forecast”, “project”, “estimate”, “outlook” and other similar expressions, and includes statements with respect to the laws of Canada and the U.S., the Company’s ability to license its intellectual property to Harrington Wellness, Harrington Wellness ability to license its marks to the Company, the market demand for the re+PLAY Products, the Company’s and Harrington Wellness’ ability to engage suitable contract manufacturers, and the ability to contract with suitable retailers to purchase and sell the re+PLAY Products. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors relevant in the circumstances, including assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions, the current and future regulatory environment; and the availability of licenses, approvals and permits.

Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to current and future market conditions, including the market price of the common shares of the Company, and the risk factors set out in the Company’s annual information form dated April 15, 2020 and final short form prospectus dated November 27, 2020, filed with the Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

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