The Cannabist Company Adds Successful California House of Brands, Ciencia Labs, to its National Portfolio

Ciencia Labs Brands Include Dreamt, Luchador and Quell

The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. (NEO: CBST) (OTCQX: CBSTF) (FSE: 3LP) (“The Cannabist Company” or the “Company”), one of the largest and most experienced cultivators, manufacturers and retailers of cannabis products in the U.S., announced today it has enhanced its national brand platform through the addition of the Ciencia Labs portfolio of award-winning, science-based brands and products, including Dreamt, Luchador and Quell. Ciencia Labs was founded and led by the husband-and-wife team of Benjamin Mitchell, JD, a successful entrepreneur, and Carolina Vazquez Mitchell, MS, an internationally recognized product development expert, along with their co-founders, Ross Gardiner, who served as chief marketing officer, Wassef Tawachi, and Jannise Babbush, PhD.

“The Ciencia Labs team has created one of the most interesting and innovative product portfolios in cannabis, and their brands’ impressive reach in California speaks to their creativity and passion for product development,” said Jesse Channon, President, The Cannabist Company. “We’re looking forward to building on that momentum and bringing these brands to our markets across the country to complement our existing house of brands.”

“We’re thrilled for Ciencia Labs’ next chapter and the opportunity to see our brands thrive across The Cannabist Company’s retail footprint and wholesale channels. As the founders of a bootstrapped start-up, this is a very exciting outcome for us,” said Benjamin Mitchell, Ciencia Labs Co-Founder and CEO.

“This is an amazing moment for us to have The Cannabist Company recognize the effectiveness and power of targeted, science-backed products as a brand differentiator and game changer for customers. As a product developer, chemist, and food scientist, this is a dream come true. I also look forward to supporting The Cannabist Company team as they continue the development of these brands and take them to new markets,” adds Carolina Vazquez Mitchell, Ciencia Labs Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer.

Ciencia Labs Co-Founder, Ross Gardiner, also added, “I am so proud of what we have accomplished as Ciencia Labs – from our out-of-the-box, high ROI marketing tactics such as our lucha libre events promoting the Luchador brand to claiming nearly 30 percent market penetration in California, an incredibly saturated market. The team at The Cannabist Company shares our same passion for differentiated and industry-changing marketing and sales approaches, and I am incredibly excited to be joining The Cannabist Company to support their wholesale efforts for their entire portfolio of brands, including those from Ciencia Labs. I know that they are in the best hands possible and can’t wait to see them take off across the country.”

For more information, visit cannabistcompany.com and ciencialabs.com.

About Ciencia Labs

Ciencia Labs is a house of brands and innovation lab developing the next generation of cannabis-based formulations. Ciencia Labs’ portfolio of problem-solving brands includes Dreamt, Luchador, and Quell.

About The Cannabist Company (f/k/a Columbia Care)

The Cannabist Company, formerly known as Columbia Care, is one of the largest and most experienced cultivators, manufacturers and providers of cannabis products and related services, with licenses in 16 U.S. jurisdictions. The Company operates 125 facilities including 94 dispensaries and 31 cultivation and manufacturing facilities, including those under development. The Cannabist Company is one of the original multi-state providers of cannabis in the U.S. and now delivers industry-leading products and services to both the medical and adult-use markets. In 2021, the Company launched Cannabist, its retail brand, creating a national dispensary network that leverages proprietary technology platforms. The company offers products spanning flower, edibles, oils and tablets, and manufactures popular brands including Seed & Strain, Triple Seven, Hedy, gLeaf, Classix, Press, and Amber. For more information, please visit www.cannabistcompany.com.

Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that constitute “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws and reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking statements or information contained in this release include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to the future of the Company, the Company’s management, and the Company’s ability to execute on retail, wholesale, brand and product initiatives. These forward-looking statements or information, which although considered reasonable by the Company, may prove to be incorrect and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking information. In addition, securityholders should review the risk factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities and described from time to time in subsequent documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240201687467/en/