VANCOUVER, British Columbia, November 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Arcturus Growthstar Technologies Inc. (the "Company" or "Arcturus") (OTCQB: AGSTF) (CSE: AGS) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") to acquire a 10-acre operating greenhouse in Florida, which is in a designated zone to legally cultivate, process and dispense cannabis. The Greenhouse fits Florida's stringent criteria for agricultural farmers looking to manufacture Cannabis which, under the current law, applicants had to have been in business in Florida for at least 30 years and grow a minimum of 400,000 plants at the time they applied.
Image of greenhouse property: Aerial View
"This is a major milestone for Arcturus and positions us for tremendous growth for years to come," says Mr. William Gildea, Arcturus Growthstar Technologies, Inc.'s CEO and Chairman. "With this acquisition, Arcturus is potentially positioned as one of the public sectors first movers into Florida's cannabis market." Mr. Gildea continues, "This acquisition is in the designated legal grow zone with close proximity to Orlando, which has a local population of almost 2.5 million and attracts over 62 million visitors annually, making it a prime location.
Shareholders will be excited to know that the farm is much more than a "Zoned for Cannabis" piece of land, but a fully operational greenhouse business already in full production. The greenhouse property, which has been family operated since 1959, currently grows ornamental plants sold in large box stores throughout North America. In the past 12 months, it has generated over $2,600,000 in revenue with EBITDA of over $400,000, which is expected to continue until Amendment 2 allows for the property to be converted for growing cannabis. Once fully licensed and operational, the property has the capacity to generate seven figures in revenue per month. In the interim we feel we can use our CEA technology to quadruple the current ornamental plant yields, thereby increasing both profit and revenue."
On November 8th, Floridians will vote on Amendment 2, which would broaden medical cannabis usage to individuals with "debilitating" medical conditions as certified by a licensed physician. It also would greatly expand the consumer base for the state's marijuana industry. Amendment Two on the Nov. 8 ballot in Florida would broaden medical cannabis usage to individuals with "debilitating" medical conditions certified by a licensed physician. It also would greatly expand the consumer base for the state's marijuana industry, which by some estimates would exceed 400,000 citizens.
"Florida stands to be one of the biggest medical marijuana markets, in North America," says John Sweeney, Arcturus board member and former Vice President of Operations at Tilray, a 60,000-sq. ft. cannabis grow operation in Vancouver. "With all the opportunities in the cannabis market, I am thrilled with our ability to acquire this Florida property and to be a part of this dynamic and growing company."
Measures to legalize recreational marijuana are on the November 8thballot in five states this year: California, Nevada, Arizona, Maine and Massachusetts. Four other states - Florida, Arkansas, North Dakota and Montana - are considering initiatives to legalize medical marijuana, a move that some say is a first step towards full legalization.
On behalf of the Board,
Arcturus Growthstar Technologies Inc.
William Gildea, CEO & Chairman
About Arcturus
The Company's business model includes developing and acquiring technologies that will position it as a leader in the evolution of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for the global production of various types of plants. Arcturus provides scalable, indoor CEA systems that utilize minimal land, water and energy regardless of climate, location or time of year and are customized to grow an abundance of crops close to consumers, therefore minimizing food miles and its impact to the environment. The Company holds an exclusive, worldwide license to use a patented vertical farming technology that, when compared to traditional plant production methods, generate yields up to 10 times greater per square foot of land. The contained system provides many other benefits including seed to sale security, scalability, consistency due to year-round production, cost control, product safety and purity by eliminating environmental variability.
The Company is also in the business of designing and distributing LED lighting solutions utilizing the COB and MCOB technology. The Company is focused on delivering cost efficient lighting to North America via advanced e-commerce sites the Company owns and operates. LEDCanada.com which caters to B2B customers is a supplier of the newest and highest demand LED solutions. The Company also owns and operates COBGrowlights.com which caters to both large and small agriculture green houses and controlled cultivation centers.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.
For further information, contact
William Gildea
Director
617.834.9467
SOURCE Arcturus Growthstar Technologies Inc.