CHICAGO and PINELLAS PARK, Fla., April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Thumb Industries Inc. (GTI) (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and owner of the retail chain Rise™, announces it will open its second retail location in Florida, Rise Pinellas Park, on April 26. This marks the first cannabis retail store to open in Pinellas Park and GTI’s 16th retail location in the country.

Rise™ opened its first Florida location in Deerfield Beach earlier this year. The company owns and operates a manufacturing facility in Homestead where it cultivates and produces GTI’s branded cannabis products including Rythm and The Feel Collection. Rise also offers direct-to-home delivery service to registered cardholders.

“Rise™ provides exceptional customer care and we’re honored to begin serving the people of Pinellas Park and look forward to being active members of the community,” said GTI Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Kovler. “We are also thrilled to offer high quality cannabis products as an alternative to opioids in support of people exercising their right to wellness.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 218,000 people died in the United States between 1990 and 2017 from overdoses related to prescription opioids. Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids nationwide were five times higher in 2017 than in 1999. In 2016, there were 2,798 opioid-related overdose deaths­­­ in Florida—a rate of 14.4 deaths per 100,000 persons -- which is above the national rate according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The Centers for Disease Control also found that the rate of fatalities from all drug overdoses in the state increased nearly 6 percent from 2016 to 2017.

Research shows that when marijuana is available legally, the rate of opioid use and associated fatalities decrease, leading advocates to encourage marijuana policy reforms as part of an overall comprehensive plan to battle the opioid crisis.

Rise Pinellas Park is located at 6999 US 19 in Pinellas Park and will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

About Green Thumb Industries:

Green Thumb Industries (GTI), a national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retailer, is dedicated to providing dignified access to safe and effective cannabis while giving back to the communities in which they serve. GTI manufactures and distributes a portfolio of branded cannabis products including Rythm, Dogwalkers, The Feel Collection, and Beboe, among others. The company also owns and operates a rapidly growing national chain of retail cannabis stores called Rise™. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, GTI has 11 manufacturing facilities, licenses for 77 retail locations and operations across 12 U.S. markets. Established in 2014, GTI employs approximately 650 people and serves thousands of patients and customers each year. GTI was named a Best Workplace 2018 by Crain’s Chicago Business. More information is available at GTIgrows.com.

Investor Contact: Media Contact: Jennifer Dooley Linda Marsicano Chief Strategy Officer VP, Corporate Communications InvestorRelations@gtigrows.com lmarsicano@gtigrows.com 310-622-8257 773-354-2004

Source: Green Thumb Industries

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a315da93-4212-4358-90a9-4b5163d3a484