11:13:41 EDT Fri 19 Apr 2024
Enter Symbol
or Name
USA
CA



Aurora Cannabis Inc
Symbol ACB
Shares Issued 561,515,531
Close 2018-06-20 C$ 9.99
Market Cap C$ 5,609,540,155
Recent Sedar Documents

Aurora Cannabis gears up for Medreleaf vote July 18

2018-06-20 17:32 ET - News Release

Mr. Terry Booth reports

AURORA CANNABIS ANNOUNCES MAILING OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR WITH RESPECT TO ACQUISITION OF MEDRELEAF CORP.; BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS SHAREHOLDERS VOTE IN FAVOUR OF RESOLUTION - COMBINATION CREATING PRE-EMINENT GLOBAL CANNABIS COMPANY

Aurora Cannabis Inc. has filed its management information circular and related voting materials under its profile on SEDAR. The meeting materials will be mailed to Aurora shareholders in connection with the special meeting to be held on July 18, 2018. The company recommends shareholders vote in favour of the resolution to approve the issuance of Aurora common shares forming the consideration to be issued to Medreleaf Corp. securityholders pursuant to the transaction (defined below). Management believes this combination will establish the world's pre-eminent cannabis company positioned for accelerated growth.

Note to shareholders

To ensure that your Aurora shares will be represented at the meeting, please return the proxy form you will receive, properly completed and signed, prior to 9 a.m. Vancouver time on July 16, 2018.

As announced previously, Aurora entered into an arrangement agreement with Medreleaf dated May 14, 2018, as amended by the amending agreement dated May 24, 2018, whereby Aurora intends to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Medreleaf in an all-share transaction. Under the terms of the arrangement agreement, holders of Medreleaf common shares will receive 3.575 Aurora common shares and, in general, one-10,000th of a cent ($0.000001) in cash for each Medreleaf common share held.

A copy of the meeting materials are also available for download on-line.

Key benefits of the transaction

  • Industry leading scale: Unifying two leading operators with a total financed capacity of over 570,000 kilograms per year of high-quality cannabis, through nine facilities in Canada and two in Europe;

  • Low production costs and industry leading yields: Aurora's automated "Sky Class" greenhouses are expected to provide industry-leading efficiencies and ultralow production costs, delivering sustainably robust margins. Medreleaf's high-yield cultivation techniques are expected to further enhance productivity and reduce costs across the combined entity's facilities;

  • International distribution: Aurora has established a strong and rapidly growing footprint in the international medical market. The combined entity can rapidly gain market share and establish an unmatched position in very substantial markets (the European Union, after Brexit, will have well over 400 million people), while being subject to very limited competition;

  • Brand leadership: Aurora, CanniMed and Medreleaf, three established cannabis brands, coupled with a portfolio of consumer and wellness brands San Rafael '71, Woodstock and AltaVie, backed by detailed consumer and marketplace insights and advanced analytical frameworks;

  • Scientific leadership: Each company is actively engaged in clinical trials and medical studies, which has resonated exceptionally well with the international medical community, driving above average prescription rates and referrals. Furthermore, both companies have developed considerable expertise at the genetics end of the cannabis science value chain, enabling the development of new cultivars with specific traits for a variety of domestic and international markets;

  • Research and development: The combined company will have an industry leading science and R&D team, approaching 40 PhDs and MScs. Both companies have a proven record in developing new products, adopting innovations throughout the value chain and integrating exciting innovations from third parties. Combining these capabilities will accelerate product development and technology adoption, creating strong, defensible competitive advantages, including, management believes, higher-margin offerings to drive above average profitability.

Management commentary

"Simply put, our joint management teams believe that the combination establishes a pre-eminent global cannabis company, positioned exceptionally well to rapidly accelerate growth in multiple large domestic and international markets, while achieving an unmatched margin profile," said Terry Booth, chief executive officer of Aurora. "Aurora and Medreleaf are complementary in many ways: sharing philosophies and strategies with respect to corporate values, cultivation and production, international expansion, focus on aggressive development of global medical cannabis markets, as well as the establishment of leading consumer brands in Canada and additional international markets as laws and regulations permit. This strategic and cultural alignment creates the foundation to further strengthen our vertical integration -- capturing more margin, and developing strong, defensible competitive advantages, while servicing a rapidly growing customer base through well-developed distribution channels."

Recommendation of the board of directors

After consulting with its financial and legal advisers and careful consideration of the transaction, the board of directors has unanimously recommended that Aurora shareholders vote for the share issuance resolution.

If you have any questions or require assistance voting your shares, please contact Aurora's strategic adviser and proxy solicitation agent, Laurel Hill Advisory Group, at 1-877-452-7184 (toll-free) or 416-304-0211 (collect) or by e-mail at assistance@laurelhill.com.

About Aurora Cannabis Inc.

Headquartered in Edmonton, with financed capacity in excess of 430,000 kilograms per year and operations across Canada and in Europe, Aurora is one of the world's largest cannabis companies.

About Medreleaf Corp.

Voted top licensed producer at the 2017 Lift Canadian Cannabis Awards, Medreleaf is a research-and-development-driven company dedicated to innovation, operational excellence and the production of top-quality cannabis.

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