CHICAGO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RISE Dispensaries, a fast-growing cannabis retail chain owned by Green Thumb Industries Inc. (“Green Thumb”) (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), today announced that RISE New Hope, the company’s 7^th location in Minnesota and 78^th nationwide, will open on Monday, April 17^th. Profits from the first day of sales will be donated to Balanced Veterans Network (“BVN”).

RISE New Hope is the first RISE Dispensary in the Northwest Minneapolis Metropolitan area and features numerous points of sale and ample space for an exceptional patient shopping experience. The store is offering an extensive product selection including &Shine flavored distillate vapes and specially formulated gummies, as well as RYTHM premium flower in a variety of strains, which will launch for the first time in the Minnesota market on April 17^th.

"As we continue to grow our footprint in Minnesota and other regions across the country, we remain committed to being good neighbors and supporting local organizations that are doing important work in our communities, such as Balanced Veterans Network,” said Dominic O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Revenue at Green Thumb. "We are excited to bring the RISE experience to New Hope and offer medical patients expanded access to safe, high-quality cannabis products, including RYTHM, our premium flower brand.”

Balanced Veterans Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe space for community, education, advocacy and empowerment of alternative therapies for veterans and their families. The organization has a medical cannabis initiative called Operation 1620 that brings awareness, education and support to veterans using cannabis. The initiative aims to educate, normalize and break the stigma surrounding this plant while advocating for medical cannabis as a proven, safe and common-sense personal health management option.

"BVN is beyond excited to once again partner with the wonderful folks at Green Thumb," said Jen Baxter, acting Executive Director of Balanced Veterans Network. "Our mutual interest in the well-being of veterans and their families drives the work this donation will help to accomplish. We aim to develop a holistic and alternative medicine-based mental wellness program for our nation’s veterans who experience PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other traumas as a result of their military service.”

Baxter added, “BVN has had extraordinary success in developing a peer-led group environment that has aided veterans, and with our donors' contributions, we plan to formalize this program with a curriculum developed by medical professionals and veterans to treat post-service conditions while encouraging responsible and safe use of cannabis or entheogens for mental health."

In addition to RISE New Hope, the company operates six other retail stores across the state, including locations in Eagan, Hibbing, Mankato, St. Cloud, St. Paul and Willmar.

RISE New Hope is located at 7700 N 42nd Ave. Regular hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Curbside pickup is also available Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information on how to become a medical cannabis patient, email RISEmed@gtigrows.com. Visit RISEcannabis.com for more information.

About RISE Dispensaries
RISE Dispensaries, a fast-growing national cannabis retailer founded under Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, promotes social conscience, community impact and well-being through the power of cannabis. With a national footprint of 78 retail locations across 14 U.S. markets, RISE employs approximately 2,000 residents and serves millions of patients and customers each year. Since opening their doors in 2015, RISE has been at the forefront of a movement to democratize cannabis. RISE believes that cannabis should be a right for all of us, not just some of us, and there are too many restrictions on when and where residents can enjoy products. RISE Dispensaries lead innovative access to cannabis by offering home delivery, virtual pharmacist consultations, mobile pre-ordering and the first consumption lounge east of the Mississippi at RISE Mundelein, Illinois (services vary by market). RISE locations offer a wide variety of products and award-winning brands including &Shine, Beboe, Dogwalkers, Doctor Solomon’s, Good Green, incredibles and RYTHM, produced by owner Green Thumb Industries. RISE Rewards members enjoy insider perks, points and first access to products and merchandise. More information is available at RISEcannabis.com.

For more information about Green Thumb Industries, visit www.GTIgrows.com.

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 regarding the filing of the Documents and the timing thereof. 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 expressed 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, including with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on its website at www.sec.gov and with Canada’s System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com, as well as on Green Thumb’s website at https://investors.gtigrows.com, including in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Investor Contact:
Andy Grossman
EVP, Capital Markets & Investor Relations
InvestorRelations@gtigrows.com
310-622-8257

Media Contact:
MATTIO Communications
GTI@mattio.com