August 24, 2023

The Honorable Kay Ivey

The Office of Alabama Governor
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130

To Governor Ivey and the Citizens of Alabama:

On behalf of the more than 3,700 team members of Verano across 13 states, thank you for the opportunity to bring our
national, industry-leading expertise to help launch Alabama’s Medical Cannabis program under the Hall Compassion Act.
Several years ago, the Alabama legislature learned from the experience of other states in developing Alabama’s cannabis
program. They crafted a series of fair, objective, third-party, and blind scoring metrics and established administrative
procedures to ensure licenses were awarded to best-in-class operators.
Officials designed the system to keep politics and personal preferences out of the licensing process.
Alabama’s cannabis patients stood to benefit from the state partnering with organizations with a proven track record of
patient and public safety, the financial capabilities to deliver, and the ability to operate in a complex and highly regulated
industry.
As the founder and CEO of Verano—one of the nation’s leading cannabis companies by size, revenue, and industry
experience—you can imagine the enthusiasm my team and I shared in June when we earned the top score and were
awarded a license.
Immediately, we rolled up our sleeves and began the work to invest at least $40 million into communities across the state.
Imagine our surprise weeks later when the Commission sought to “void” its June proceedings, deliberate behind closed
doors, and change the result by casting aside the objective licensing system Alabama’s elected representatives created.
By departing from law, the Commission has found itself in an endless loop of licensing “do-overs.”
I’m a first-generation American who believes in the American Dream. As an entrepreneur, I know the value of hard work
and that respect and trust are virtues that are earned, not given.
My team and I have embraced these values since I founded Verano in 2014. Our company began with only one medical
cultivation license. Today, we have blossomed into a thriving business that operates 132 retail locations and 14 cultivation
centers across America, including market-leading medical operations in Florida.
Our compassionate and expert team assists an average of 25,000 individuals daily on their personalized cannabis journey
that meets their unique needs. We are eager to offer this same patient-centric medical care in Alabama.
Verano is seeking the assistance of the Alabama judicial system to intervene to restore order and due process to these
official proceedings for the benefit of all applicants and citizens. Alabama’s patients in need deserve better than years of
litigation; they need best-in-class operators to come to the state who can quickly build this new industry from the ground
up.
Outdated federal regulations have caused innumerable companies to fail in the cannabis industry, but Verano is a proven
operator with a track record of success and delivering on our promises.
Verano’s investments have revitalized shopping centers, repurposed abandoned superstores, generated millions in local
and state tax revenue, and created thousands of careers in this new industry.
We’ll do the same for communities across Alabama.
We remain ready, willing, and able to invest at least $40 million in Alabama, creating jobs, growing best-in-class products,
and serving patients across the state.
On behalf of the entire Verano team, we hope this process can be quickly resolved so we can begin to demonstrate to
state officials and the public why our company was twice scored as the top-rated applicant in Alabama.
We’re committed to Alabama and remain ready to serve its medical patients as soon as possible.
Sincerely,

George Archos
Verano Founder and Chief Executive Officer