Mr. George Archos reports

VERANO EXPANDS RETAIL FOOTPRINT IN CONNECTICUT WITH THE OPENING OF ZEN LEAF NEWINGTON, THE COMPANY'S SECOND SOCIAL EQUITY JOINT VENTURE LOCATION IN CONNECTICUT AND FOURTH DISPENSARY STATEWIDE

Verano Holdings Corp. opened Zen Leaf Newington, the company's second social equity joint venture location in Connecticut and fourth cannabis dispensary statewide, on Oct. 13, following a ceremonial ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. local time. Zen Leaf Newington, located at 2903 Berlin Turnpike, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In opening Zen Leaf Newington, Verano received support for the company's approved social equity plan by several local organizations, including Connecticut Foodshare, Connecticut Pardon Team, New Life II Ministries of New Britain, North Oak Neighborhood Revitalization Zone of New Britain, St. Mark's Episcopal Church of New Britain, and the New Britain Food & Resource Center.

"Opening Zen Leaf Newington, our second social equity joint venture dispensary, further demonstrates our commitment to support the equitable growth of the cannabis industry in Connecticut," said George Archos, Verano founder and chief executive officer. "We're grateful for the opportunity to participate in Connecticut's cannabis industry and contribute to rectifying decades of unjust cannabis prohibition that has adversely affected countless communities across the state. We appreciate the support from the Social Equity Council, our team members, partners, the community and local organizations as we celebrate the opening of Zen Leaf Newington, and look forward to serving the community for years to come."

Verano's expanding vertical operations in Connecticut encompass CTPharma, a state-of-the-art 217,000-square-foot cultivation and processing facility in Rocky Hill that produces a variety of Connecticut's most popular cannabis products, and Zen Leaf dispensaries in Meriden (hybrid), Norwich (hybrid) and Waterbury (presently medical-only). Including both Zen Leaf Newington and Zen Leaf Norwich, the company plans to open a total of six equity joint venture dispensaries across Connecticut with its social equity partners in the months ahead, subject to obtaining all customary approvals, which would raise Verano's total retail footprint to eight stores statewide. Connecticut adult use customers and medical patients can visit Verano's website for more information, and may browse the company's extensive portfolio of high-quality cannabis products and place orders on-line for in-store pickup via the ZenLeafDispensaries website

About Verano Holdings Corp.

Verano Holdings, one of the U.S. cannabis industry's leading companies based on historical revenue, geographic scope and brand performance, is a vertically integrated, multistate operator embracing a mission of saying "Yes" to plant progress and the bold exploration of cannabis. Verano offers a superior cannabis shopping experience in medical and adult use markets under the Zen Leaf and MUV dispensary banners and produces a comprehensive suite of high-quality, regulated cannabis products sold under its diverse portfolio of trusted consumer brands including Verano, MUV, Savvy, BITS, Encore and Avexia. Verano's active operations span 13 U.S. states, comprising 14 production facilities with over one million square feet of cultivation capacity.

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