TORONTO, Dec. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entourage Health Corp. (formerly WeedMD Inc.) (TSX-V:ENTG) (OTCQX:ETRGF) (FSE:4WE) (“Entourage” or the “Company”), a Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning cannabis products and brands, announced today it has upgraded its cultivation platform to include a unique Company-wide standardized system rooted in tissue culture propagation that is expected to drive commercial growth for premium products in 2022. In addition to the introduction of new “Plant Empowerment” practices and new genetics geared at optimal canopy management, the Company is also pleased to confirm it recently received certification as an Ontario Living Wage Employer.
“We officially implemented tissue culture propagation across our Strathroy facility to align with our Guelph craft production site and it is now at the heart of Entourage’s horticultural program - which we fully expect will result in a balanced, consistent canopy that produces higher potency, cannabinoid and terpene-rich cultivars and products,” said Patrick Scanlon, Head of Cultivation, Entourage. “In our drive to produce the very best for our patients and consumers, we are nurturing and mentoring a world-class cultivation team that together will elevate cannabis products and experiences in Canada. Our balanced approach is already seeing benefits with exciting new genetics for highly sought premium flower products coming in 2022 across all our commercial channels.”
Tissue culture propagation is widely recognized as a superior way of growing and preserving agricultural root health and has been primarily used across agricultural channels over the last 60 years. Entourage’s Guelph facility has developed a proprietary tissue culture program “SteadyStem Solutions” for the cannabis industry using bio-technology techniques aimed at plant cell growth in a clean, scientific-data driven environment. Its “Plant Empowerment” approach is a precision agriculture, data-driven philosophy based on environmental monitoring, integrated rootzone management, plant response data and KPIs centered around excellent donor stock that minimizes contamination, promotes genetic integrity and the growth of vigorous, prolific plants.
The Company recently regenerated some of its prized cultivars and genetics unique to Entourage’s brands: Color Cannabis, Saturday Cannabis, Royal City Cannabis Co., and Starseed Medicinal with the goal of meeting evolving consumer preferences for premium products. The full suite of new products is expected to be rolled out starting in early 2022.
Ontario Living Wage Employer Certification
Entourage also announced it has been officially certified as an Ontario Living Wage Employer. A living wage is defined as the income needed for a worker and/or family to meet basic expenses and considers the true costs of living, and participating in their community. It is higher than the provincial minimum wage and draws on community-specific data to determine the rate.
“We are proud to be a leader in the living wage movement within the cannabis industry. It is widely proven that businesses like Entourage - who offer a living wage, comprehensive benefits packages, shares programs, merit programs and mentorship opportunities - are more likely to retain and attract talent as well as encourage higher productivity and job satisfaction within their talent pool,” said Deborah Sikkema, Chief People Officer, Entourage. “Ensuring our workplace is conducive to positive employee engagement is a key measure of success for us, particularly as we look to increase our cultivation and production talent in 2022. We also recognize that a higher standard of living will bring positive change in Ontario’s cannabis community as a whole and we’re thrilled to be at the forefront of this movement.”
Visit Entourage Health’s newly launched website here. To access our corporate video, visit us here and to access our latest investor presentation and corporate deck here.
About Entourage Health Corp.
Entourage Health Corp. (formerly WeedMD Inc.) is the publicly traded parent company of WeedMD RX Inc. and CannTx Life Sciences Inc., licence holders producing and distributing cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The Company owns and operates a 158-acre state-of-the-art greenhouse, outdoor and processing facility located in Strathroy, ON as well as a fully licensed 26,000 sq. ft. Aylmer, ON processing facility, specializing in cannabis extraction. With the addition of Starseed Medicinal, a medical-centric brand, Entourage has expanded its multi-channeled distribution strategy. Starseed’s industry-first, exclusive partnership with LiUNA, the largest construction union in Canada, along with employers and union groups complements Entourage’s direct sales to medical patients. In October 2021, Entourage closed the acquisition of craft cultivator CannTx Life Sciences Inc. which operates out of its state-of-the-art micropropagation and specialty extraction facility in Guelph, Ontario. Craft brand Royal City Cannabis was added to Entourage’s elite product portfolio that includes adult-use brands Color Cannabis and Saturday Cannabis – sold across eight provincial distribution agencies. The Company also maintains strategic relationships in the seniors’ market and supply agreements with Shoppers Drug Mart. It is the exclusive Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning U.S.-based wellness brand Mary’s Medicinals sold in both medical and adult-use channels. Entourage recently announced an exclusive collaboration with The Boston Beer Company subsidiary to launch cannabis-infused beverages in Canada.
For more information, please visit us at www.entouragehealthcorp.com
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Twitter: Entourage, Color Cannabis, Saturday Cannabis, Starseed & Royal City Cannabis Co.
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For further information, please contact:
For Investor Enquiries:
Valter Pinto
Managing Director
KCSA Strategic Communications
1-212-896-1254
entourage@kcsa.com
For Media Enquiries:
Marianella delaBarrera
SVP, Communications & Corporate Affairs
416-897-6644
marianella@entouragecorp.com
Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based upon Entourage's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, information in respect of the manufacture and distribution of cannabis-infused beverages pursuant to the development, supply, manufacturing, sales and marketing agreements entered into by the Company and the prospects thereof.
The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; the ability of Entourage to implement its business strategies; the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; crop failure; and other risks.
Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Entourage does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Entourage to predict all such factors. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Entourage’s disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.
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