BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Stem Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Driven by Stem

(OTCQX: STMH) (CSE: STEM) (the ”

Company

” or ”

Stem

“), the first multi-state, vertically integrated Farm-to-Home™ (F2H) cultivation and technology omnichannel cannabis company featuring a proprietary Delivery-as-a-Service (DaaS) marketplace platform, today announced that it has acquired Artifact Extracts (“

Artifact

”), a premier cannabis extraction company based in Oregon known for its award-winning concentrates, as well as two dispensaries. The national market for concentrates grew 40% last year* as new and current cannabis consumers turn to this product category.

Strategic Highlights:

With the acquisition of Artifact, Driven By Stem will be well positioned to capture additional market share, expand its presence in the fast-growing concentrates segment, and maximize value for all its shareholders.

• Increases footprint of fully-owned dispensaries on the West Coast to six locations.
• Expand Oregon presence with a dispensary in Salem, to be re-named TJ’s on Broadway, and a dispensary in Eugene, to be re-named TJ’s on 7
  
  ^th
  
  , flanking its two existing dispensaries in the city. Cannabis sales in Salem/Marion County were $73.5 million in 2020 growing 32.4%** as compared to the prior year.
• Immediately launch the Budee™ proprietary delivery platform in Salem, extending its consumer reach with expedited service, with service expansion to Eugene in October.
• Supply consistent, high-quality biomass for Artifact from its cultivation operations for Stem’s TJ’s Gardens™ and Yerba Buena™ brands in Oregon, with accretive margins.
• Integrate Artifact’s premier line of concentrates including budder, badder, shatter, crumble, rosin, THC A crystals, and other popular forms into Stem’s family of brands and product lines.
• Expands the Company’s distribution footprint by cross-selling into dispensaries not yet supplied with the full portfolio of Stem’s brands, as well as including Artifact’s presence in all TJ’s dispensaries.
• Strengthen Stem’s experienced management team with the integration of Artifact’s skilled R&D leadership.
  

“Artifact is recognized for the potency and purity of its high-quality line of concentrates that have driven its growth in the Oregon market,” stated Adam Berk, CEO of Stem. “As a result of this strategic acquisition, we will benefit from the expertise and broad capabilities that the Artifact team will provide to our existing extraction team that has specialized in tinctures and edibles, as well as in retail operations. We look forward to integrating Artifact’s operations, dispensaries, and leadership into the Stem family, and quickly expanding product distribution to our full retail customer base for rapid growth.”

Jesse Johnson, the lead extractor at Artifact, commented, “We have worked with Stem in the past and trust the quality of the cannabis grown in its facilities. The synergies of this acquisition will build value for the company as we combine our expertise to launch cutting-edge products meeting the needs of this evolving market, as well as increasing their market penetration with an expanded retail and delivery platform,” he concluded.

The transaction closed September 17

^th

, 2021 with all OLCC approvals granted. In connection with such transaction, Stem issued 8,209,178 shares of common stock of Stem at a deemed aggregate value of US$2,925,000 at a 24% premium to Stem’s closing share price of common stock. Such share consideration will be held in escrow for a period of six months with a subsequent six month leak out.

*

MJ Business Daily, 2/8/2021, “Marijuana Concentrate Sales Up”

**

Portland Business Journal

, 1/11/2021,

“Oregon Cannabis Consumption at Record High…”

About Stem Holdings, Inc.

Stem Holdings is a leading omnichannel, vertically-integrated cannabis branded products and technology company with state-of-the-art cultivation, processing, extraction, retail, distribution, and delivery-as-a-service (DaaS) operations throughout the United States. Stem’s family of award-winning brands includes TJ’s Gardens™, TravisxJames™, and Yerba Buena™ flower and extracts; Cannavore™ edible confections; Doseology™, a CBD mass-market brand launching in late 2021; as well as DaaS brands Budee™ and Ganjarunner™ through the acquisition of Driven Deliveries. Budee™ and Ganjarunner™ e-commerce platforms provide direct-to consumer proprietary logistics and an omnichannel UX (user experience)/CX (customer experience).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the management of Stem with respect to future business activities. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect” or similar expressions and includes information regarding: (i) expectations around the accretive nature of the acquisition; (ii) the expansion of the Company’s market following the closing of the acquisition and the ability to scale operations; and (iii) the launch of delivery services into Stem’s current and future markets. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects the management of Stem’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Stem believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in the public perception of cannabis; construction delays; decreases in the prevailing prices for cannabis and cannabis products in the markets that the Company operates in; adverse changes in applicable laws; adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws, including those related to taxation; the inability to locate and acquire suitable companies, properties and assets necessary to execute on the Company’s business plans; political risk; and increasing costs of compliance with extensive government regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Stem and market conditions.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although Stem has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Stem does not assume any obligation to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

No securities regulatory authority has in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transactions described in this news release or has approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

Stem Holdings


Investor Relations Contact:

KCSA Strategic Communications

Valter Pinto or Rory Rumore

+1 212.896.1254 / 347.237.9998


[email protected]

/

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Mauria Betts

Director of Branding and Public Relations

971.266.1908


[email protected]

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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