CHICAGO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Thumb Industries Inc. (“Green Thumb”) (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company, today announced the grand opening of COOKIES on the Strip (formerly Essence on the Strip), in Las Vegas on May 14. The company previously announced an exclusive partnership with COOKIES, an international cannabis brand, making this the first COOKIES store in Nevada. The retail location will sell the acclaimed portfolio of Cookies, Lemonnade, Runtz, Minntz, Powerzzzup Genetics, Collins Ave, Run The Jewels and Grandiflora products in the brand’s signature blue retail environment.
Based in the Bay Area, COOKIES was founded by prolific rapper and entrepreneur Berner, along with his partner Jai, a highly respected cannabis cultivator and breeder. With the opening of COOKIES’ first location in Nevada, on the iconic Strip, this adds to the growing international footprint of COOKIES locations. Berner will be onsite for the grand opening, along with Rick Ross, the official COOKIES bus and other appearances by special guests.
"I want to thank the whole team over at Green Thumb for our partnership and trust in our vision," said Berner, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cookies. "We have such a special menu selected for the opening and new genetics being created just for this location. This is a legendary life goal play and it truly complements the growth of Cookies. I’ll see you guys on the Strip."
Green Thumb’s Essence and Rise™ retail locations in Las Vegas, Henderson, Spanish Springs and Carson City will also offer COOKIES products including popular favorites such as London Pound Cake 75, Gary Payton and Cereal Milk.
“We are thrilled to open the first Cookies store in Nevada in partnership with Berner, Jai and their visionary team,” said Green Thumb Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Kovler. “Brand recognition is key to winning in the cannabis industry and with Cookies, Berner has created one of the most desired and recognizable cannabis and lifestyle brands. We are excited to partner with them and open this flagship location right on the Las Vegas Strip. People are looking for experiences as the country reopens, and Cookies offers a unique one for residents and tourists alike.”
The store remains at its current address at 2307 South Las Vegas Boulevard and will be open Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Customers can learn more at www.Cookies.co.
About Green Thumb Industries:
Green Thumb Industries Inc. (“Green Thumb”), a national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retailer, promotes well-being through the power of cannabis while giving back to the communities in which it serves. Green Thumb manufactures and distributes a portfolio of branded cannabis products including Beboe, Dogwalkers, Dr. Solomon’s, incredibles, Rythm and The Feel Collection. The company also owns and operates rapidly growing national retail cannabis stores called Rise™. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Green Thumb has 13 manufacturing facilities, licenses for 97 retail locations and operations across 12 U.S. markets. Established in 2014, Green Thumb employs over 2,400 people and serves thousands of patients and customers each year. The company was named a Best Workplace 2018 by Crain’s Chicago Business and MG Retailer magazine in 2018 and 2019. More information is available at www.GTIgrows.com.
At 18, Berner, known today as a prolific Bay Area rapper, entrepreneur and COOKIES Founder and CEO of COOKIES, served as the general manager of "Hemp Center," a medical cannabis dispensary in San Francisco. There, he was inspired by the city's progressive and compassionate view that cannabis could have a profound and positive impact on the lives of chronically or terminally ill patients. Later, in 2008, Berner founded COOKIES along with his partner Jai, a Bay Area cultivator and breeder. Their intention was to create the world's highest-quality, most innovative cannabis strains. After achieving success in its home state of California, COOKIES quickly built a grassroots following while remaining loyal to its brand promise: authenticity and innovative genetics.
Today, COOKIES is one of the most well-respected and top-selling cannabis brands in California and throughout the world. The company and its product are recognized globally and offer a collection of over 150 proprietary cannabis varieties and product lines including indoor and sungrown flower, pre-rolls, gel capsules, vape cartridges and medicinal mushrooms. COOKIES' seed-to-sale business allows for complete quality control at every step—from cultivation and production to customers' end retail experience. With a deep commitment to restorative justice and progressive drug policy, COOKIES actively works to enrich communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs through advocacy work and social equity initiatives.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains statements which may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” or similar expressions and include information relating to the size of the U.S. cannabis market, expectations regarding listing opportunities for U.S. cannabis companies on major U.S. exchanges, the impact of cannabis on job opportunities and tax revenue in the U.S. and expectations regarding the principal purposes of the offering. The forward‐looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations of future events which management believes to be reasonable. Any forward‐looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Green Thumb does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward‐looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward‐looking information in this news release is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those express or implied. When considering these forward‐looking statements, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Green Thumb’s public filings with the applicable securities regulatory authorities on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including the risk factors set out in the Registration Statement and any prospectus relating to the offering discussed in this release.
| Investor Contact: | Media Contact: |
| Jennifer Dooley | Grace Bondy |
| Chief Strategy Officer | Manager, Corporate Communications |
| InvestorRelations@gtigrows.com | GBondy@gtigrows.com |
| 310-622-8257 | 517-672-8001 |
Source: Green Thumb Industries
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66fb8e3f-37b0-4d7f-b927-deb00f58cf42