Verano to Welcome Ohio Adult Use Cannabis Customers on August 6th at Company’s Zen Leaf Dispensaries to Commemorate Historic End of Cannabis Prohibition in the Buckeye State

Company Also Confirms Sixth Ohio Zen Leaf Dispensary Location in Antwerp - Near Indiana Border and City of Ft. Wayne, IN - Will Open in Near Future

CHICAGO, Aug. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verano Holdings Corp. (Cboe CA: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF) (“Verano” or the “Company”), a leading multi-state cannabis company, today announced that after obtaining all required approvals, the Company will commence adult use cannabis sales in Ohio on Tuesday, August 6^th at four of its five statewide Zen Leaf retail locations in Bowling Green, Canton, Cincinnati, and Dayton, with its Newark location expected to follow pending approval from state officials. Established in 2018, Verano’s Ohio operations also include a state-of-the-art 22,000 square foot cultivation and processing facility in Canton. Verano will also open a sixth Zen Leaf dispensary in Antwerp, Ohio, located within a 30-minute drive of Ft Wayne, Indiana, near the state border.

Nationally, Verano’s active operations span 13 states, comprised of 142 dispensaries and 13 cultivation and processing facilities with more than 1 million square feet of cultivation capacity. On July 29^th, Verano announced an agreement with The Cannabist Company to acquire its Eastern Virginia operations subsidiary and its Arizona operations subsidiaries which, upon closing, will raise Verano’s geographic footprint to 14 states, 15 cultivation and production facilities, and 150 dispensaries nationwide.

“Today marks a significant step forward for Ohio, and the nation at large, as we celebrate the end of cannabis prohibition and turn the page on a new chapter that will deliver countless benefits for the Buckeye State in the form of job creation, economic development, investment, state and local revenue, and social progress,” said George Archos, Verano Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re honored to participate in this historic milestone, and proud to stand alongside Ohioans as we make history together.”

Verano offers a wide range of high quality cannabis products sold at its Zen Leaf Ohio locations and third-party retailers throughout the state, including Verano Reserve flower; Savvy and Nectar flower, vaporizers, and cured resin edibles and extracts; BITS low-dose, high-function edibles; Encore Edibles hand-crafted cannabis gummies, hard candies, mints, caramels and chocolates; and Avexia topical lotion, balm, bath soaks, tinctures, and RSO products that are made to effortlessly enhance any self-care routine.