Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (CSE: HARV, OTCQX: HRVSF) (“Harvest”), a vertically integrated cannabis company with one of the largest and deepest footprints in the U.S., today announced CannApprove™, a set of testing and safety protocols for THC vape products available at Harvest retail locations. The CannApprove™ program represents a set of stringent seed-to-sale quality testing protocols developed and implemented during the past 10 years that Harvest products must pass before they are allowed on store shelves. The protocols are a demonstration of Harvest’s continued leadership role on quality and safety and will enhance the experience of patients and customers across the country.

All Alchemy™, Chroma™, Delta 8, Co2lors™ and CBx Sciences™ Amplify and Meditate vape products are manufactured in compliance with the CannApprove™ protocols, which apply to ingredients, components, hardware, manufacturing processes and packaging.

“Quality and safety are at the center of what we do and have done for nearly a decade,” said Harvest CEO Steve White. “CannApprove™ represents the rigorous steps and standards we employ to provide quality products for consumers and our patients. We go above and beyond the testing requirements in many jurisdictions where we operate and at a time when vaping products are under immense scrutiny, Harvest’s efforts demonstrate our leadership role over quality control.”

“Harvest’s consumer safety team includes medical professionals, scientists, researchers and former regulators that have been implemented these protocols for many years and are excited to give consumers a clear picture of the steps we’ve always taken for their benefit,” said Harvest Chief Scientist Noel Palmer, PhD. “We have played a role in writing some of the most stringent cannabis regulations in the nation and we bring that diligence to the work we do to protect our patients.”

The CannApprove™ testing and safety protocols include:

• Stringent Third Party (or Internal) Testing: Our ingredients are tested internally or by third party laboratories to be free from potentially toxic ingredients like vitamin E, caprylic acid, mineral oil, squalene, polyethylene glycol (PEG), propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oils and triethyl citrate.
• Quality Ingredients: Our THC vape pens and cartridges only use pharmaceutical grade cannabis from sources that have been tested for potency and to be free from residual solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, mycotoxins, microbiological and other contaminants. The flavors we use are all natural, nothing synthetic.
• Seed to Sale Testing: We test throughout the entire process, from seed to sale, and THC vaping products have completed the CannApprove™ program that can only be earned by following a rigorous testing process, detailed here with more information at www.cannapprove.com.
• Going Above and Beyond State Regulations: We go above and beyond most state requirements and apply rigorous testing standards to our products for the patients we serve. We ensure compliance with all state-specific regulations regarding use of ingredients.
• Thoroughly Analyzed Components: The cartridges, coils, wicking and soldering materials used in our products go through our state-of-the-art laboratories in Colorado, California or Florida for thorough testing at the elemental level for heavy metals and other contaminants before they are released to our facilities across the country.
• Responsible Manufacturing Practices: Our hardware is produced and packaged in Good Manufacturing Practice (“GMP”) audited facilities or are overseen by GMP-experienced personnel and must include Certificates of Analysis, the gold standard in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Diligent Post-Fill Testing: Our filled products are tested for potency and to be free from heavy metals, residual solvents, pesticides, herbicides, mycotoxins, and microbiological and other contaminants.
• Device and Packaging Safety: We exclusively use child-proof and tamper-evident packaging. We run routine hardware audits to ensure our products do not allow for manipulation above manufacturer temperature guidelines. These steps ensure that our hardware as sold reproducibly reaches consistent temperatures safely and helps prevent contamination and modification for illicit use.
• Dedicated Professional Team: We have a robust team of professionals with backgrounds as regulators, medical professionals, scientists and researchers led by Chief Scientist Noel Palmer, PhD. Dr. Palmer and his team played a role in writing some of the most stringent cannabis regulations in the nation.