Zenabis Provides Corporate Update

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 15, 2020 /CNW/ - Zenabis Global Inc. ZENA ("Zenabis" or the "Company") today provided its monthly operational update for August, 2020.  

Highlights

• Shai Altman assumed the role of Zenabis' Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2020.
• The Company shipped approximately 4,700 kg of cannabis in the first two months of the third quarter of 2020, an increase of approximately 20% over the entire second quarter of the year.
• Zenabis continues to expect that September international shipments of non-GMP cannabis to be 600 kg, subject to export permit receipt. Zenabis anticipates ongoing non-GMP shipments of 1,000 kg per month for October and remaining at this level for at least the remainder of the year.
• Zenabis Atholville remains in steady state production, with August harvest volumes 2.7% above design capacity. Through a combination cultivation output from Zenabis Atholville and Zenabis Langley, Zenabis does not expect to require any further expansion of cultivation capacity at this time.
• The Company completed its first export shipment to Australia in August.
• ZenPharm, the Company's European Union-based joint venture in Malta, converted its binding term sheet with Farmako GmbH for the supply of dried flower into the European Union ("EU") medical cannabis market into a definitive supply agreement.

Shai Altman, Chief Executive Officer of Zenabis, stated, "I am excited to have joined Zenabis in September and am very pleased with the Company's performance for the month of August.  Zenabis' performance continues to show positive progress including our first shipment to Australia which completed in August and our Malta joint venture, ZenPharm, signing an important supply agreement for the EU medical cannabis market this week.  The Company continues to be on track to meet or exceed its guidance for the third quarter of the year with revenue in the cannabis segment expected to exceed the second quarter by more than 50%."

Facilities Update

Zenabis Atholville

Cultivation

Zenabis Atholville remains in steady-state production from a cultivation standpoint, with August harvest volumes 2.7% above design capacity. There are no changes to Zenabis' expectations with regards to the launch of additional cultivars from the Zenabis Atholville facility.

Extraction

The Company has expanded the hours of operation for extraction activities at Zenabis Atholville as a result of demand for the Company's Cannabis 2.0 products, including its Namaste PAX Era and Re-Up 510 threaded vaporizer cartridges. In addition, the company has sourced distillate from third parties in order to meet this demand, as it continues to ramp up its internal capability.

Zenabis Langley

Zenabis Langley cultivation remains in steady state for the summer months at this time. In conjunction with production from Zenabis Atholville, cultivation output remains sufficient to meet current market demand without further expansion of Zenabis Langley.

Zenabis Stellarton

Zenabis Stellarton is currently operating as the Company's centre of excellence for Cannabis 2.0 products, including beverages, products derived from trichome extraction, edibles, and hashish products, which are expected to be commercialized in mid-Q4. The facility is also completing pre-roll production and distribution of Namaste and Re-Up pre-rolls.

Business Development Update

Cannabis 2.0 Update

Recreational Cannabis

Recreational cannabis shipments continued to increase month over month in August versus July as the Company realized the results of previously enacted price changes from Q2 and the positive response to new formats by retail consumers. The Company commenced its first shipments of Re-up 510 threaded vaporizer cartridges during Q2, which reached retail consumers in late July and early August.

Supply Agreements, Contract Cultivation Agreements, International Agreements, and Bulk Market Cannabis Sales

The following is a summary of the status of the various relations by contract or relationship type:

Zenabis is currently in various stages of discussions with potential counterparties for additional agreements for bulk, contract cultivation and other commercial agreements.

ZenPharm

On September 14, 2020, ZenPharm converted its previously announced binding term sheet with Farmako GmbH into a definitive supply agreement for the supply of EU GMP-certified dried flower to the EU medical cannabis market. The supply agreement has a term of 36 months, with two automatic renewals, for 24 additional months in total.  As noted above, the agreement also contains a minimum purchase commitment of 500 kg of dried flower per year.

About Zenabis

Zenabis is a significant Canadian licensed cultivator of medical and recreational cannabis, and a propagator and cultivator of floral and vegetable products. Zenabis employs staff coast-to-coast, across facilities in Atholville, New Brunswick; Aldergrove, Pitt Meadows and Langley, British Columbia; and Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Zenabis currently has 111,200 kg of licensed cannabis cultivation space across four licensed facilities. Zenabis has 3.5 million square feet of total facility space dedicated to a mix of cannabis production and cultivation and its propagation and floral business.

Zenabis expects Zenabis Stellarton and Zenabis Langley facilities to join Zenabis Atholville in steady state production in 2020. The Zenabis brand name is used in the cannabis medical market, the Namaste, Blazery, and Re-Up brand names are used in the cannabis adult-use recreational market.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include, among others, statements regarding the future plans, costs, objectives or performance of Zenabis, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the Company now expects that September international shipments of non-GMP cannabis to be greater than 1,000 kg, subject to export permit receipt; Zenabis anticipates ongoing non-GMP shipments at this level for at least the rest of the year; the Company continues to be on track to meet or exceed its guidance for the third quarter of the year of with revenue in the cannabis segment expected to exceed the second quarter by more than 44%; the commercial production of trichrome concentrate products (such as hash) has been delayed until mid-fourth quarter; commercial production (of HYTN Beverages) has been delayed until mid-fourth quarter due to COVD-19; commercial production of edibles is expected to commence this quarter; volumes achieving the level of 1,000 kg per month or greater are subject to export permit receipt; volumes achieving the level of 90 kg per month or greater are subject to export permit receipt. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved.  No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Zenabis' control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described in the shelf prospectus dated April 9, 2019 as supplemented by a prospectus supplement dated June 19, 2020 and the annual information form dated March 30, 2020, copies of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Furthermore, any forward-looking information with respect to available space for cannabis production is subject to the qualification that management of Zenabis may decide not to use all available space for cannabis production, and the assumptions that any construction or conversion would not be cost prohibitive, required permits will be obtained and the labour, materials and equipment necessary to complete such construction or conversion will be available. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Zenabis does not intend, nor undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws.

For more information, visit: https://www.zenabis.com. 

SOURCE Zenabis Global Inc.