Vireo Health Launches Amplifi™, the First Terpene-Enhanced Brand of Dry Cannabis Flower

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vireo Health International Inc., ("Vireo" or the "Company") (CNSX: VREO, OTCQX: VREOF), the leading physician-founded, science-focused multi-state cannabis company, today announced that the Company has launched a new line of naturally-augmented cannabis flower called Amplifi™. The product line will feature dry cannabis flower strains sold in 3.5-gram TerpSafe^TM jars. Amplifi is the first brand that utilizes Vireo's new TerpSafe packaging technology, a proprietary patent-pending system that not only preserves the existing terpene profile but can naturally augment the terpene content of cannabis flower over time.

Amplifi products launched in Vireo's popular Ultimate Purple strain and are currently available at licensed dispensaries in Maryland. The brand's second strain, Gorilla Girl, will be available later this month. In addition to the launch in Maryland, the Company expects Amplifi products to be available in Arizona at the Vireo dispensary located in Phoenix and at third-party dispensaries statewide starting in February.  

"We are excited to announce the launch of Amplifi, a new brand that will feature several of our most popular strains of dry cannabis flower," said Chief Executive Officer of Vireo Health, Kyle Kingsley, M.D. "Not only will Amplifi feature Vireo's next generation strains, but the flower's terpenes will be preserved and enhanced by our TerpSafe packaging. We believe that this proprietary technology will become the standard for flower packaging throughout the industry."

Recently featured in a peer-reviewed research paper published in the Journal of Cannabis Research, Vireo's new TerpSafe technology is a novel approach shown to preserve cannabis flower by inhibiting the gradual loss of terpenes. The technology works effectively towards terpene preservation for a variety of different cannabis flowers, grown and stored under various conditions. Multiple lab tests and real-world analyses have shown that cannabis flower stored in traditional packaging lost nearly half of its native terpenes over a four-week period. When the same flower was stored in Vireo's TerpSafe packaging system, the terpene content increased over the same four-week period.

Researchers were also able to successfully adjust the terpene profile of cannabis stored using the TerpSafe technology. This will provide patients and manufacturers the ability to customize the terpene profile of their cannabis as a result.

"In addition to keeping cannabis flower fresher for longer, what sets TerpSafe apart from conventional terpene-preserving packaging is that it is proven to reinfuse the product even after multiple openings," said Vireo Chief Scientific Officer, Eric Greenbaum. "Our research design included conditions which mimicked patient use, where the bottles were opened periodically over a period of weeks and conclusively showed that the terpene-preservation capabilities of our system are not adversely affected by the jar being opened at a normal-use rate."

The new packaging will enable cultivators and manufacturers to protect and enhance the naturally occurring terpenes in cannabis flower. This helps ensure the terpene levels in cannabis products are preserved throughout the distribution chain – from greenhouse to the customer home – so that consumers can enjoy a robust and consistent flavor profile.

Last year, Vireo signed a limited exclusive licensing agreement with eBottles420, the largest supplier of cannabis packaging in North America, to manufacture and distribute TerpSafe packaging.

About Vireo Health International, Inc.

Vireo Health International, Inc. is a physician-led cannabis company focused on bringing the best of technology, science, and engineering to the cannabis industry. Vireo manufactures proprietary, branded cannabis products in environmentally-friendly, state-of-the-art greenhouses and other facilities and distributes its products through its growing network of Green Goods™ retail locations and third-party dispensaries. Vireo's team of more than 400 employees, led by scientists, engineers, and cultivation experts, is focused on efficiency and the creation of best-in-class products, while driving scientific innovation within the cannabis industry and developing meaningful intellectual property. Today, Vireo is licensed to grow and/or process cannabis in seven markets. The Company is operational in five of those markets – including the core markets of Arizona, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, and New York. The Company holds 29 total retail dispensary licenses, of which 16 are currently open for business. For more information about Vireo Health, please visit www.vireohealth.com.

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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, including preliminary financial expectations regarding the annualized reduction of corporate overhead and SG&A expenses. 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, risks related to preliminary financial results being subject to the completion of the Company's financial closing procedures and not being audited or reviewed by the Company's independent registered public accounting firm; the timing of recreational-use legislation in markets where the Company currently operates; current and future market conditions, including the market price of the subordinate voting shares of the Company; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic; federal, state, local and foreign government laws, rules and regulations, including federal and state laws in the United States relating to cannabis operations in the United States; limited operating history; changes in laws, regulations and guidelines; operational, regulatory and other risks; execution of business strategy; management of growth; difficulty to forecast; conflicts of interest; risks inherent in an agricultural business; liquidity and additional financing; foreign private issuer status and the risk factors set out in the Company's listing statement dated March 19, 2019, filed with the Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and in the Company's registration statement on Form 10, filed November 5, 2020 on EDGAR with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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.

SOURCE Vireo Health International, Inc.