CHICAGO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Good Green, a cannabis flower brand owned by Green Thumb Industries Inc. (Green Thumb) (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), today announced it is partnering with 40 Tons, an African American and woman-owned social impact organization committed to restorative justice and equitable access to career opportunities, to present the sixth 40 Tons Level Up Career Conference & Business Expo in Chicago on Monday, June 19, Juneteenth, at the Malcolm X College Conference Center located at 1900 W. Jackson. The event is free and open to the public.

Presented by Good Green, the 40 Tons Level Up Career Conference is an innovative employment resource that promotes social justice and brings together employers who encourage equitable hiring practices with diverse job seekers. The core pillar of the conference is centered around restorative justice, with five key areas of focus: employment, expungement, education, empowerment and engagement.

“The path to restorative justice is through employment, education and expungement, and 40 Tons’ mission is to close the gaps within all industries, starting with the cannabis industry,” said Loriel Alegrete, CEO of 40 Tons Brand. “We’re excited to host the Level Up Conference in Chicago on Juneteenth, an important day of liberation for Black people. Our goal is to present a wide range of resources that go beyond a traditional job fair to be a catalyst for attendees to ‘level up’ in their careers.”

The presenting sponsor for the conference is Good Green, a cannabis brand that aims to reinvest cannabis dollars back into communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. Good Green works with organizations nationwide, like 40 Tons, to create more employment and expungement opportunities for individuals facing past cannabis convictions.

“We are proud to partner with 40 Tons to bring the Level Up Career Conference to Chicago,” said Jai Kensey, director of social impact at Green Thumb. “Good Green’s goal is to create opportunity in Black and Brown communities, and this career conference aligns directly with that mission. We look forward to connecting with diverse candidates and supporting their career journey within the cannabis industry.” 

As part of the event, 40 Tons is also collaborating with civic leaders and local organizations, including the Westside Justice Center, Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition, several law firms and law school students to create an expungement clinic with comprehensive wraparound services, including offsite fingerprinting at the Chicago Police Department, securing rap sheets, petition creation and providing legal aid. Congressman Danny K. Davis, key sponsor of the Second Chance Act of 2007, which is credited for helping more than 100,000 individuals escape the cycle of recidivism following incarceration, will address attendees at the “State of Expungement in Illinois” session.

The Level Up conference is designed to bring all aspects of career development into one location as a one-stop shop for attendees and provides a wide variety of services to job seekers, employers, brands, and consumers. The conference fuses hands-on education and essential resources to offer:

• A robust career conference with companies committed to diversity and inclusion, specifically targeting diverse communities;
• A business expo featuring top Chicago businesses as well as leading organizations and brands within the cannabis industry, offering attendees insights into opportunities for entrepreneurship and career advancement;
• A comprehensive expungement clinic designed to help individuals with previous convictions navigate the legal process and clear their records;
• Keynote presentation Breaking the Glass Ceiling & Creating Your Own Lane by Khadijah Tribble, Founder of Marijuana Matters and Chief Strategy Officer of Marijuana Policy Trust, with introduction by award-winning CBS2 Chicago News reporter and National Association of Black Journalists President Dorothy Tucker;
• A series of empowering educational sessions focused on professional development and personal growth including topics such as Grow With Google, How to Beat the ATS System to Get Your Resume Seen by HR Recruiters, Pivot Smarter Into the Industry (Transferable Skills), Is DEI a Buzzword?, Life After A Cannabis Conviction, Building a Social Impact Brand and Responsible Dispensary Agent Training, among others; and 
• Complimentary resume development, LinkedIn optimization, grooming services and professional headshots.

Since 2021, over 3,500 participants have engaged with or attended the five career conferences presented by 40 Tons held in Hawthorne and Oakland, California, as well as Jersey City and Trenton, New Jersey that resulted in 88 cannabis industry vendors, 250+ follow up interviews, 100+ hires on the spot, and 35 scholarships awarded ($50K value).

For additional information and to register for the Level Up Career Conference, visit conferences.40 tons.co.

About 40 Tons Careers
40 Tons is a California-based, African American and woman-owned social impact brand committed to closing the gap in restorative justice and promoting diversity and inclusivity within American businesses, including the cannabis industry. The organization provides resources such as education, training, resume development and legal advocacy/support to create pathways to inclusion. For more information, visit 40tonscareers.com.

About Good Green
Good Green is a brand owned by Green Thumb Industries, founded on the belief that cannabis should be enjoyed as a catalyst to wellness – not weaponized against those caught in the failed War on Drugs. The brand is creating a movement to bring cannabis and communities together, investing a portion of sales to nonprofits to create real, sustained progress against the War on Drugs. Good Green’s current product offerings, including indica, sativa and hybrid flower in a variety of sizes, are available in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, Florida, Nevada and Ohio. For more information, visit good.green.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains statements which may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” or similar expressions and include information regarding the filing of the Documents and the timing thereof. The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations of future events which management believes to be reasonable. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Green Thumb does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this news release is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied. When considering these forward-looking statements, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Green Thumb’s public filings with the applicable securities regulatory authorities, including with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on its website at www.sec.gov and with Canada’s System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com, as well as on Green Thumb’s website at https://investors.gtigrows.com, including in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Media Contacts:

Sonya Lewis, Wyn-Win Communications (40 Tons)
sonya@wyn-win.com

MATTIO Communications (Good Green)
GTI@mattio.com

Investor Contact:

Andy Grossman (Green Thumb Industries)
EVP, Capital Markets & Investor Relations
InvestorRelations@gtigrows.com
310-622-8257

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f7a63c47-50de-404c-a344-e720d08c2e59