Emerald Health Therapeutics’ Pure Sunfarms Joint Venture Makes First Cannabis Shipment to Alberta

Pure Sunfarms maintains status as #1 selling cannabis dried flower brand in Ontario through fourth quarter

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emerald Health Therapeutics, Inc. (“Emerald”) (TSXV: EMH; OTCQX: EMHTF) announced that its 50%-owned joint venture for large-scale, low-cost, quality cannabis production, Pure Sunfarms Corp. (“Pure Sunfarms” or “PSF”), has completed its first shipment of cannabis under its supply agreement with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC). Pure Sunfarms’ recreational adult-use cannabis products will be available on Alberta’s only legal online store (AlbertaCannabis.org) in the first week of March and can be purchased by the province’s licensed private sector retailers. The AGLC is the wholesaler to private retailers and the only authorized online retailer in Alberta.

Alberta has over 400 licensed stores, more than all other provinces combined. The province reported $255 million in legal cannabis retail store sales in the 12 months through December 2019 (StatsCan), making it the second largest in provincial retail store cannabis sales. Among the top four Canadian provinces by population (86%) and retail store cannabis sales (75%), Alberta’s $60 per capita cannabis purchases compares to a $23 per capita average in Ontario, Quebec, and BC.

“At Pure Sunfarms, we aim to bring great cannabis at the price it should be to recreational consumers across Canada – that’s why we are so excited to expand our footprint into Alberta,” said Mandesh Dosanjh, President and CEO, Pure Sunfarms. “With the province’s extensive network of licensed retail outlets and strong retail sales, the Alberta cannabis market presents a substantial opportunity for Pure Sunfarms as we continue to share our high-quality BC bud with even more Canadians.”

Pure Sunfarms launched its branded packaged cannabis products in Canada in September 2019, starting in Ontario, the province with the largest retail cannabis sale. Pure Sunfarms became the number one selling brand of dried flower products by sales value and volume in October and maintained this position for the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter it achieved market share of 13% by volume and 11% by sales dollars, with its Afghan Kush the top strain for the quarter in sales dollars and two of its strains (Afghan Kush and White Rhino) in the top five.