WeedMD Responds to UFCW Canada
Toronto, Canada, March 27, 2020 – WeedMD Inc. (TSX-V:WMD) (OTCQX:WDDMF) (FSE:4WE) (“WeedMD” or the “Company”), a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis, issued the following public statement in response to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (“UFCW Canada”) public notification:
UFCW Canada is well aware that the cannabis industry has been properly characterized as agricultural, and is subject to specific labour legislation in the form of the Agricultural Employees Protection Act (AEPA), 2002.
UFCW Canada’s arguments have already been considered and rejected by the governing tribunal under the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMFRA). WeedMD is aligned with OMFRA in that UFCW Canada’s continued attempts to mischaracterize employers in the cannabis sector is disingenuous. Furthermore, its allegations against WeedMD are unfounded and without merit.
WeedMD is in good standing with all regulatory bodies that are responsible for investigating claims under Health Canada; the Ministry of Labour; and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
As one of Canada’s leading cannabis companies, we fully understand our obligation to our employees and we are in full compliance with AEPA’s regulations. We greatly value and respect the contributions of our employees, and we take their health and safety very seriously.
As a multi-award-winning* licensed producer repeatedly nominated for excellence by our own employees, we are committed to remaining an employer of choice in our sector and will fully support our employees in their pursuits, but we also stand with the cannabis community and Canadian legislation in that cannabis is an agricultural classification.
*Voted Best Place to Work by London Inc. Magazine, February 2020 edition; Nominated by London Chamber of Commerce for Best Agricultural Business in 2020; & Indeed’s 2019 “Hottest Cannabis Places to Work by Job Seekers”.
About WeedMD Inc.
WeedMD Inc. is the publicly traded parent company of WeedMD RX Inc. and Starseed Medicinal Inc., licence holders producing and distributing cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The Company owns and operates a 158-acre state-of-the-art greenhouse, outdoor and processing facility located in Strathroy, ON as well as a fully-licensed 26,000 sq. ft. Aylmer, ON processing facility, specializing in cannabis extraction. With the addition of Starseed, a medical-centric operator, WeedMD has expanded its multi-channeled distribution strategy. Starseed’s industry-first, exclusive partnership with LiUNA, the largest construction union in Canada, along with employers and union groups complements WeedMD’s direct sales to medical patients. The Company maintains strategic relationships in the seniors’ market and supply agreements with Shoppers Drug Mart as well, as seven provincial distribution agencies where adult-use brands Color Cannabis and Saturday are sold.
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For further information, please contact:
For Investor Enquiries:
Valter Pinto
Managing Director
KCSA Strategic Communications
1-212-896-1254
weedmd@kcsa.com
For Media Enquiries:
Marianella delaBarrera
VP, Communications & Corporate Affairs
416-897-6644
marianella@weedmd.com
All product images and labels are provided for information and illustrative purposes only, and do not represent the actual cannabis product, product label, or its appearance.
Forward Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based upon WeedMD's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy.
The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking information in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to internal expectations, expectations with respect to actual production volumes, expectations for future growing capacity and the completion of any capital project or expansions. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; the ability of WeedMD to implement its business strategies; the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; crop failure; and other risks.
Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, WeedMD does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for WeedMD to predict all such factors. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in WeedMD's disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR a www.sedar.com. The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.
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