Aurora Cannabis Expands Local Production and Research in Germany

EDMONTON, AB, July 25, 2024  – Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB)

Aurora Cannabis Inc., a global leader in medical cannabis, has been awarded two significant licenses by Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) under the new Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG). This expansion strengthens Aurora’s ongoing investment in Germany with enhanced local production and innovative research initiatives.

🌿 New Cultivation License: Aurora continues its domestic cultivation efforts, now approved to grow an additional product to meet the increasing demand of the German patient base.

🔬 Dedicated R&D License: The company can now trial up to seven novel cultivars at its EU GMP facility in Leuna, Germany, positioning Aurora at the forefront of cannabis innovation.

Michael Simon, President of Aurora Europe, expressed gratitude to the German government for their support, emphasizing Aurora’s commitment to delivering the highest quality cannabis. “We now have the framework to expand our portfolio, invest in domestic research, and leverage our global expertise locally.”

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Since 2021, Aurora’s facility in Leuna has been producing approximately 1,000 kg of medical cannabis annually. The additional licenses underscore Aurora’s dedication to quality and compliance, enabling further advancements in the European cannabis market.

Aurora’s efforts align with Germany’s regulatory reforms and the broader acceptance of medical cannabis across Europe. This strategic move enhances Aurora’s ability to meet growing patient demand with novel, high-quality products.

About Aurora Cannabis

Aurora Cannabis Inc. is pioneering global cannabis markets, serving medical and consumer needs across Canada, Europe, Australia, and South America. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Aurora’s brands include Aurora Drift, San Rafael ’71, Daily Special, Tasty’s, Being, Greybeard, MedReleaf, CanniMed, Whistler Medical Marijuana Co, Pedanios, Bidiol, IndiMed, and CraftPlant. Aurora also holds a controlling interest in Bevo Farms Ltd., North America’s top supplier of propagated agricultural plants.

Discover more at www.auroramj.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Aurora’s shares trade on NASDAQ and TSX under the symbol “ACB”.

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Forward-Looking Information

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Aurora’s new licenses and their impact on production, research, and market expansion. These statements are based on assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Aurora is not obligated to update these statements unless required by law.

SOURCE Aurora Cannabis Inc.

• Over one-third of Gen Zers (34%) say they’ll try a new beverage product if it’s marketed as aligning with the sober curious lifestyle.
• Nearly half (45%) of Gen Z say social media is the most effective advertising channel to inform them about new nonalcoholic options.
• The most popular month to purchase alcohol in 2023 was December (up 16% over November), and the least popular was January (down 24% compared to December 2022)

The share of Gen Zers born between 1997 and 2002 who say they plan to drink less alcohol in 2024 jumped 53% year over year.  Sixty-one percent say they plan to cut back on their alcohol consumption, compared to 40% who said they planned to drink less in 2023.

The findings are from the latest consumer sentiment survey about the sober curious movement, a follow-up to a similar survey conducted in January 2023. Both surveys were commissioned by NCSolutions (NCS). The findings also include an analysis of NCS’ proprietary consumer purchase data. NCS is the leading company for improving advertising effectiveness for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) ecosystem.

More millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) said they’d drink less in 2024 (49%), an increase of 26% from those surveyed a year before. Overall, 41% of all Americans plan to drink less in 2024, up from 34% the year before. Together, these findings indicate the sober curious movement gained strength over the last year, largely due to interest from younger generations.

“Nonalcoholic alternatives, once a niche category, are becoming more mainstream,” said Alan Miles, chief executive officer, NCSolutions. “Younger consumers are increasingly expressing a growing interest in healthier options for social drinking. Beverage brands have a real opportunity to engage and build brand loyalty with the next generation of consumers by focusing on the right combination of creative, product, placement, and timing.”

Tap into Gen Z with sober curious lifestyle messages

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Younger consumers say saving money and improving physical health are the top reasons they switch to a sober lifestyle. More than one-third (36%) of Gen Z say they’re going alcohol-free for their mental health.

This impacts the type of advertising most likely to influence purchases: over one-third of Gen Zers (34%) say they’re more likely to try a new beverage product if it’s aligned with the sober curious lifestyle, compared to 17% of all Americans. The finding adds further nuance to the marketing preferences of Gen Z, who are known to have an affinity for brands whose missions align with their values.

Nearly half (45%) of Gen Zers say social media is the most effective advertising channel to help them learn about new nonalcoholic beverage options, followed by internet searches (16%) and streaming TV (15%).  In addition, nearly one in four (24%) have tried a nonalcoholic beverage because a celebrity or influencer endorsed it.

Mocktails are twice as popular as nonalcoholic beer

Sober curious consumers surveyed are twice as likely to choose a mocktail than a nonalcoholic beer. One in five (19%) Americans said they drank a mocktail in 2023, compared to one in 10 who drank nonalcoholic beer. More than one-third (37%) said they drank mocktails most often.

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Mocktails were especially popular among younger generations in 2023. Thirty-seven percent of Gen Z said they drank mocktails last year, compared to 16% who said they had nonalcoholic beer and 10% who said they drank nonalcoholic wine.

Among millennials, 30% said they drank mocktails in 2023, compared to 15% who drank nonalcoholic beer and 9% who had nonalcoholic wine.

Seventeen percent of both millennials and Gen Z said they had tried THC and CBD-infused drinks in 2023.

December leads for nonalcoholic beverage sales

Interest in Dry and Damp January continues to expand. Consumers purchased the least amount of alcoholic beverages in January 2023 (down 24% from December 2022) and August 2023 (down 10% from July 2023), according to NCS purchase data. This follows a 19% drop in January 2022 compared to December 2021.

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December was the most popular month of the year to buy alcohol in 2023, followed by May and March. Month-over-month purchases of alcohol in December increased 16% over November. This increase was two times higher than the 8% month-over-month increase in December 2022 and rose 8% in May, compared to April. By contrast, in 2022, the summer and winter holidays saw the highest increase in purchases of alcoholic beverages.

“Alcohol consumption is traditionally seasonal. Consumers purchase significantly more during December in preparation for the holidays,” Miles said. “In the past, we’ve seen alcohol sales rise during summer months, but now the peak is as early as May.  Beverage brands have the opportunity to leverage the sober curious trend beyond January and into the summer months, targeting younger consumers with new summer-focused nonalcoholic products and health-oriented creative.”

Additional results are available on our website.

About NCS

NCSolutions (NCS) makes advertising work better. Our unrivaled data resources powered by leading providers combine with scientific rigor and leading-edge technology to empower the CPG ecosystem to create and deliver more effective advertising. With NCS’s proven approach, brands are achieving continuous optimization everywhere ads appear, through purchase-based audience targeting and sales measurement solutions that have impacted over $25 billion in media spend for our customers. Visit us at ncsolutions.com to learn more.

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About the NCS Consumer Sentiment Survey

The consumer sentiment survey of 1,062 Americans was commissioned by NCS in December 2023 and was made up of U.S. adults ages 21+, who were asked about their drinking habits and preferences. Results were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population by age, gender, region, ethnicity, marital status, education level, and household income.

About NCS Purchase Data

NCS provides purchase insights to brands to help them target, optimize, measure, and enable sales-based outcomes. NCS’s representative and balanced consumer CPG purchase data set consists of the industry’s preeminent and comprehensive sources. It includes actual purchase data (transaction information) from big-box retailers, supermarkets, drug stores, convenience stores, and other retail channels at which American households buy CPG products spanning 340+ grocery categories. The NCSolutions purchase data was analyzed in January 2024.

Fair Use

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When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing NCSolutions.

SOURCE NCSolutions

Editor opinion:

The hemp, CBD, and related industries are likely to experience significant growth shortly, especially considering the increasing interest in soberness among Gen Z. The survey indicates that over one-third of Gen Zers (34%) are inclined to try new beverage products aligned with the sober curious lifestyle. This trend suggests a growing market for nonalcoholic alternatives, showcasing a shift towards healthier options for social drinking, including for sure hemp, and infused beverages.

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High Tide Inc. (“High Tide” or the “Company“) (NASDAQ: HITI) (TSXV: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA), the high-impact, retail-forward enterprise built to deliver real-world value across every component of cannabis, is pleased to announce that its Founder and CEO, Raj Grover, has made Grow Up’s 2024 Top 50 Cannabis Leaders in Canada list. The list, which was hand-selected by Grow Up’s industry advisory committee, recognizes influential leaders in the cannabis industry who are trailblazers in the growth, development, and innovation of the cannabis industry and celebrates their relentless, courageous, and innovative dedication to elevate the industry. The full list is available at Grow Up Top 50.

“I am honored to be included in this list. This would not have been possible without the continuous hard work and dedication of the High Tide team. Our innovative mindset has resulted in our ability to achieve significant milestones in the five years since Canadian legalization, despite broader industry challenges that have seen some of our peers fall by the wayside. Our success is also due to the loyalty and commitment of our customers, who continue to support our business in Canada and internationally,” said Raj Grover, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide.

“I also want to congratulate all the other industry trailblazers recognized on this list who are all leaders helping to shape and grow our industry. As we look to solidify our strength in Canada while exploring emerging markets in 2024, I know that our industry-leading team will continue delivering results for our customers and shareholders alike,” added Mr. Grover.

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ABOUT RAJ GROVER

Raj Grover is one of Canada’s foremost business strategists and deal-makers who founded High Tide and its subsidiaries, Valiant Distribution, and Canna Cabana, and also co-founded Famous Brandz. Under his leadership, High Tide has grown from a small shop of 2 employees into Canada’s largest non-franchised cannabis retailer with over 160 locations and 1,500 team members globally. Raj has also expanded High Tide’s online reach in the ancillary cannabis space across North America and Europe. He is committed to giving back to the global community and has spearheaded High Tide’s support of World Vision, sponsoring over 300 children across 101 communities in 33 countries.

ABOUT HIGH TIDE

High Tide, Inc. is the leading community-grown, retail-forward cannabis enterprise engineered to unleash the full value of the world’s most powerful plant. High Tide (HITI) is uniquely built around the cannabis consumer, with wholly diversified and fully integrated operations across all components of cannabis, including:

Bricks & Mortar Retail: Canna Cabana™ is the largest non-franchised cannabis retail chain in Canada, with 162 current locations spanning British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario and growing. In 2021, Canna Cabana became the first cannabis discount club retailer in North America.

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Retail Innovation: Fastendr™ is a unique and fully automated technology that integrates retail kiosks and smart lockers to facilitate a better buying experience through browsing, ordering, and pickup.

E-commerce Platforms: High Tide operates a suite of leading accessory sites across the world, including Grasscity.com, Smokecartel.com, Dailyhighclub.com, and Dankstop.com.

CBD: High Tide continues to cultivate the possibilities of consumer CBD through Nuleafnaturals.com, FABCBD.com, blessedcbd.de and blessedcbd.co.uk.

Wholesale Distribution: High Tide keeps that cannabis category stocked with wholesale solutions via Valiant™.

Licensing: High Tide continues to push cannabis culture forward through fresh partnerships and license agreements under the Famous Brandz™ name.

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High Tide consistently moves ahead of the currents, having been named one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies in 2021, 2022 and 2023 by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine and was ranked number one in the retail category on the Financial Times list of Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies for 2023. To discover the full impact of High Tide, visit www.hightideinc.com. For investment performance, don’t miss the High Tide profile pages on SEDAR+ and EDGAR.

ABOUT GROW UP

Since its inception in 2017, Grow Up Conference & Expo has become a benchmark event in the Canadian cannabis industry, known for its high-profile speakers, diverse programming, and commitment to bringing together forward-thinkers and experts. For more information, visit Grow Up Conference & Expo.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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SOURCE High Tide Inc.