Mr. Frank Perullo reports

PRAETORIAN ANNOUNCES MULTISTATE BRAND PARTNERSHIP WITH ASCEND

Praetorian Global Inc. has entered into definitive licensing agreements with Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc. (AWH or Ascend) to bring the Binske and Oni brands to the Illinois, New Jersey and Massachusetts markets beginning later this year.

Binske has pioneered the premium medical and recreational markets in the United States and beyond through its meticulous focus on standards, quality and consistency. Lauded for its proprietary strains, craft ingredients, full product suite of nearly 200 offerings and best-in-class packaging, Binske offers luxury, artisan-quality products using purposefully sourced ingredients that have earned widespread recognition, making it one of the largest and most recognizable cannabis brands globally. The Binske brand has won numerous cannabis related awards including Leafly's best overall brand, best edibles and best concentrates, and was featured as one of the best national brands by Weedmaps for 2022.

Oni is widely considered to possess the intellectual property behind the most flavour-forward, aesthetically pleasing, uniquely efficient and highest-yielding genetics in the industry. Oni has been a hub of innovation and at the forefront of industry trends since its founding, responsible for creating and developing many of the industry's most popular genetics and now has a library of nearly a thousand varietals, including award-winning Trop Punch, Tropicana Cookies, Papaya, Wilson! Zero, Strawpicanna, Honey Bunny and Zahiti Lime. In addition, the Oni premium concentrates brand has historically focused on the solventless hash segment and has amassed significant patronage from cannabis connoisseurs from coast to coast.

According to BDS Analytics, Illinois (No. 3), Massachusetts (No. 5) and New Jersey (No. 11) represent three of the top 11 states in estimated 2023 total cannabis retail sales, comprising over 17 per cent of the total United States market, and with projected growth for 2023 of approximately 21.6 per cent.

"With one of the strongest management teams in the industry, AWH has a proven track record of growth and stability, making them an ideal partner for our portfolio of brands," said Alex Pasternack, co-founder and president of Binske. "As newer markets emerge, we feel it is our duty and responsibility to assist in defining the cannabis experience for consumers with our sophisticated brands and quality product offerings," continued Mr. Pasternack. "Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey represent some of the fastest growing markets in the industry, and we look forward to working with AWH to capitalize on this significant opportunity."

"AWH is committed to providing quality products and a diverse offering to our customers," said Frank Perullo, co-chief executive officer, president and co-founder of AWH. "Adding Binske and Oni to our brand portfolio will help fulfill that commitment by bringing nationally recognized brands with top-tier products to our core markets. We are excited to work with the Praetorian team who, like AWH, is dedicated to quality and the overall customer experience."