Mr. Micah Anderson reports

LEEF BRANDS REPORTS STRONG SECOND QUARTER 2023 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Leef Brands Inc. has released its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023. All currency references used herein are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Financial highlights:

• Net sales of $9.3-million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, and $19-million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, representing an increase in year-over-year revenue of 14.60 per cent and 22.5 per cent, respectively;
• Gross profit of $2.9-million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, and $6.4-million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, representing an increase in year-over-year gross profit of 8.2 per cent and 11.6 per cent, respectively;
• Gross margin of 31.2 per cent for the three months ended June 30, 2023, and 33.1 per cent for the six months ended June 30, 2023;
• Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $293,300 for the three months ended June 30, 2023, and $1-million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Management commentary

"Despite the continued difficult environment in the California cannabis industry, I am extremely pleased to report strong financial performance for the first six months of 2023. Our continued success is a result of the implementation of our corporate strategy that is focused on our core competencies, our team's relentless dedication to achieving our corporate objectives and an unwavering commitment to our customers," stated Micah Anderson, chief executive officer of Leef. "As we continue to navigate the challenges of the market, we remain focused on advancing our strategic priorities in an effort to continue to drive long-term shareholder value. As part of this, we are extremely excited to be progressing towards closing the $7-million financing related to the sale of the company's 60-per-cent interest in its cultivation and real estate assets in Santa Barbara, Calif., of which the proceeds will be principally used to develop one of the largest biomass cultivation sites in the state. By bringing supply of biomass material in-house, Leef Labs can focus its efforts on its goal to produce the best and most consistent concentrates at scale. We expect this initiative will enable the company to enhance efficiencies across the entire manufacturing process, foster stronger relationships with its client base by providing exclusive genetics, higher-yielding strains and unique terpene profiles, and will also support Leef Labs customers' growth with a predictable and consistent supply of the highest-quality input material."

Chief financial officer Kevin Wilson added: "We are very pleased to report continued revenue growth, high gross margins and, most importantly, positive adjusted EBITDA. Our financial performance is the result of our continued focus on operational excellence and substantial cost-cutting measures. Over all, the company has increased revenues by 23 per cent year over year and we remained laser focused on continuing to generate positive cash flow from operations, which we have now achieved for two straight quarters. In the course of our regular balance sheet review, we have identified the need to record a non-cash goodwill impairment of $17.4-million pertaining to the acquisition of Leef Holdings Inc. during the quarter. We believe the impairment is reflective of the current challenges in the California cannabis market that we continue to navigate."

Q2 2023 financial results discussion

Financial results and analyses will be available on the company's investor relations website and SEDAR+.

Subsequent events to the three months ended June 30, 2023

The company has appointed Andrew Glashow to the board of directors as an independent director, effective Aug. 4, 2023. Mr. Glashow is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore School of Business and Economics and has 25 years of experience in capital markets and is seasoned in all phases of business start-up, growth and development. Mr. Glashow is the chief executive officer of CLS Holdings USA Inc., a diversified cannabis company in Nevada that consists of two operating businesses, Oasis Cannabis Dispensary and City Trees. Oasis Cannabis Dispensary is a retail cannabis dispensary in Las Vegas, Nev. City Trees is a cannabis production and manufacturing wholesaler located in North Las Vegas.

The company has also appointed Emily Heitman to the role of chief revenue officer, effective Aug. 4, 2023. Ms. Heitman has been with the organization since inception and has until recently been the chief operating officer for the company.

The company has issued 2,186,602 common shares at a price per share equal to 6.66 cents in respect of the acquisition of The Leaf at 73740 LLC, a premium California retailer located in the heart of Palm Desert, Calif., previously announced on Sept. 19, 2022. The company expects to issue an additional 18,580,301 common shares in connection with the acquisition of The Leaf at 73740 as per the press release dated Jan. 12, 2023.

About Leef Brands Inc.

Leef Brands is a leading California-based extraction and manufacturing cannabis company. Leef is owned and managed by some of the best legacy operators in the industry and is one of California's largest and most sophisticated vertical cannabis companies. The company's platform consists of an integrated supply chain, state-of-the-art manufacturing and a robust bulk concentrate portfolio that powers some of the largest brands in California.

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