Mr. John Hartmann reports

AWH EXPANDS ITS REACH WITH THE OPENING OF ITS THIRD DISPENSARY IN OHIO

Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc. has opened an Ascend dispensary outlet, located at 6019 Milan Rd., Sandusky, Ohio. The dispensary will be Ascend's third in the state of Ohio and 33rd across its seven-state footprint.

In 2022, Ascend entered into a definitive agreement providing it the option to acquire 100 per cent of the equity of Ohio Patient Access LLC (OPA). In addition to the Sandusky provisional licence, OPA owns and will operate two other provisionally licensed dispensaries that are in the process of being built in Cincinnati and Piqua. Ascend will benefit from the economics under a support service agreement (SSA) with OPA.

The Sandusky dispensary will be open Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The dispensary will offer medical products from seven point-of-sale (POS) terminals, accepting both cash and cashless ATM terminals for debit cards. Via Ascend's support agreement relationship with OPA, this is Ascend's first outlet store in the state offering everyday low pricing and discounts. Ascend prides itself on offering a wide range of products, including a variety of cannabis strains, edibles, tinctures, topicals and other cannabis-infused products. The new dispensary will feature an extensive selection, ensuring that customers have access to the products that best suit their individual needs.

John Hartmann, chief executive officer at Ascend Wellness Holdings, expressed his enthusiasm for this expansion: "With the opening of the Sandusky location, we are thrilled to expand access to high-quality cannabis for patients in the Buckeye State. We are grateful for our partnership with the community and the opportunity to foster better living through cannabis. Ascend was pleased to see the citizens of Ohio vote in favour of adult-use on the 7th and are hopeful to bring recreational cannabis to this store and to the other Ohio dispensaries in the coming quarters. We are looking forward to further expanding our presence in Ohio with the expected openings of the Piqua and Cincinnati stores later this year."

The location is equipped with ample parking, making it easily accessible for residents and visitors to the area. Patients must hold an active Ohio medical marijuana card to purchase medical cannabis products at the Sandusky dispensary.

Grand opening events

Ascend will be celebrating the opening of this dispensary with a special event. Attendees can expect educational sessions and giveaways to mark the occasion. For more on the grand opening, sign up for alerts on-line on Ascend's website.

About Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc.

Ascend is a vertically integrated operator with assets in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Ascend owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award-winning strains and producing a curated selection of products for retail and wholesale customers. Ascend produces and distributes its in-house Common Goods, Simply Herb, Ozone, Ozone Reserve, Tunnel Vision and Royale branded products.

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