Ayr Wellness To Roll Out '12 Days Of Giving' Initiative Supporting Those Harmed By Cannabis Prohibition

Ayr Wellness AYR AYRWF announced on Tuesday that it is undertaking a holiday-themed initiative called “12 Days of Giving” as part of the company’s commitment to be a Force for Good. The initiative is designed to give back to Ayr’s customers, communities and employees, as well as individuals who have been negatively affected by cannabis prohibition.

“Our '12 Days of Giving' program allows us to use our platform to be a Force for Good, both nationally and in the very communities we serve,”  Ayr Wellness founder, chairman and CEO Jon Sandelman told Benzinga. “We’re thrilled to leverage our scale and influence as a leading cannabis MSO to improve lives, contribute to righting historic wrongs, and foster a more equitable, community-oriented industry.”

‘12 Days of Giving’ 

Starting Dec. 13th and concluding Dec. 24th, the intuitive will support nonprofits with local ties, need and impact across Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania – Ayr’s key markets.

The company is inviting its customers to provide various donations such as coats, non-perishable food items and other winter necessities. Ayr will match all donations and deliver them to local community aid organizations. In Nevada, for example, the vertically-integrated cannabis company teamed up with local food bank Three Square to donate the equivalent of three meals for families in need with each purchase of an eighth of Ayr’s Kynd premium flower.

To kick off the program, Ayr is making a $25,000 cash donation to Freedom Grow, an all-volunteer organization that provides support to cannabis prisoners and their families, in support of their annual Holiday Christmas Drive. The donation will directly support families of incarcerated individuals to pay for food, gifts and other holiday and winter needs.

“As the cannabis industry continues to grow and solidify its place in American culture, brands have a responsibility to give back to their communities and assist those adversely affected by prohibition,” Sandelman said. “Our ‘12 Days of Giving’ program benefits from our scale as an MSO by connecting our business and customers with organizations which directly support the unique needs of each of their communities.”

At a national level, Ayr will donate $1.12 from every transaction made over the twelve days to The Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. Ayr expects to collect around $100,000 in donations for the Last Prisoner Project.

Price Action 

Ayr Wellness’ shares closed Monday market session 6.19% lower at $14.10 per share.

Photo: Courtesy of Joel Muniz on Unsplash