WAKEFIELD, Mass. — Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the state-regulated cannabis business of Cura Partners, Inc., owners of the Select brand, in an all-stock transaction valued at C$1.27 billion or US$948.8 million. The acquisition includes Select’s manufacturing, processing, distribution, marketing and retailing operations and all adult-use cannabis products marketed under the Select brand name, including all intellectual property. Based in Portland, Oregon, Select is the most well-known cannabis wholesale brand in the country. With its THC products sold in more than 900 retailers, it is the leading cannabis brand in key Western states, including California, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada.

The highly complementary acquisition brings together two of the strongest cannabis brands, Curaleaf and Select, to offer a full-range of products across the U.S. The combination will provide immediate geographic diversification with Curaleaf’s footprint on the East Coast and Select’s brand strength on the West Coast.

The proposed transaction combines Curaleaf’s retail locations, vertical integration, wellness brand and strong East Coast market presence with Select’s wholesale model, lifestyle brand and leading West Coast market presence. Significant cost synergies are expected to be realized through operational efficiencies, greater economies of scale, supply chain efficiencies and increased vertical integration.

“The transformational acquisition of Cura and the Select brand is another step in our journey to create the most accessible cannabis brands in the U.S.,” said Joseph Lusardi, CEO of Curaleaf. “The combination of Curaleaf and Select is a perfect fit. With our industry leading capacity, expansive retail distribution network and Select’s impressive sales and marketing capabilities, we intend to meaningfully accelerate our topline growth trajectory with the addition of the Select Oil product range. In addition, we intend to create significant operational synergies from the integration of Select’s wholesale business with our vertically-integrated cultivating, processing and retail platform. We look forward to welcoming the talented Select team who will bring superior brand marketing expertise and a culture of innovation in technology and product development.”

“I could not be more excited about this transaction with Curaleaf and what it means for the Select brand and for our industry. The leading companies in the industry on the West Coast and the East Coast are now joining forces to progress the legalization and mainstream acceptance of cannabis across the country,” added Cameron Forni, CEO of Cura and founder of Select. “Cura and the Select brand would not have the exceptional platform for growth that we have today without the incredible team that has built our foundation – from our production staff, to our sales and marketing teams, and our executive leadership. In partnership with Curaleaf, we will continue to uphold our standards across people, product and business innovation.”

Cura is recognized as having one of the best employee cultures in the industry. In 2018, Cura was named as one of the “Top 100 Companies to Work For” in Oregon by Oregon Business Magazine and placed No. 12 in the Large Companies category. In 2019, Cura won the award again demonstrating Cura’s ability to focus on its culture while growing its headcount by 400%.