Irwin Naturals Commences Trading on the OTCQB Venture Market under the “IWINF” Stock Symbol

The Company’s Shares also have DTC Eligibility and are Listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the “97X” Stock Symbol


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Irwin Naturals Inc. (CSE: IWIN) (OTC: IWINF) (FRA: 97X) (“Irwin” or the “Company”), a household name and best-in-class herbal supplement formulator since 1994 that is leveraging its brand to enter the cannabis and psychedelic mental health industries, is pleased to announce that its ordinary shares (the “Shares”) have been successfully up-listed from the OTC Pink Sheet Open Market to the OTCQB Venture Market (the “OTCQB”) by the OTC Markets Group Inc. (“OTC Markets”). The Company’s Shares began trading on the OTCQB under the symbol "IWINF" as of the opening of the market on Friday, November 26, 2021. Irwin has a verified profile and is 12g3-2(b) Certified by OTC Markets.

Operated by OTC Markets, the OTCQB offers transparent trading in entrepreneurial and development stage companies that have met a minimum bid price test, are current in their financial reporting and have undergone an annual verification and management certification process. The OTCQB is recognized by the United States (“US”) Securities and Exchange Commission as an established public market providing public information for analysis and value of securities. These standards provide a strong baseline of transparency, as well as the technology and regulations to improve the trading experience for investors.

Investors or other interested parties in the US can obtain real-time quotes for Irwin’ Shares as well as access its most current news and other information at www.otcmarkets.com. Shareholders will also now have greater access to information via the OTC Disclosure and News Service, as well as transparent prices through full depth-of-book with Real Time Level 2 quotes.

Second, the Company’s Shares have successfully become eligible for delivery and depository services with the Depository Trust Company (the "DTC"), which facilitates the electronic settlement of transfers of common shares in the United States. Securities that are eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through the DTC are considered "DTC eligible". This electronic method of clearing securities expedites the receipt of stock and cash, and thus accelerates the settlement process for investors and greatly reduces transaction costs for participating brokerages firms.

Third, the Company’s Shares became listed for trading on the Börse-Frankfurt Exchange (the “Frankfurt Stock Exchange”) on October 11, 2021 under the securities identification code "WKN: A3CVJR" and the stock symbol "97X". The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is the world's third largest organized exchange-trading market in terms of turnover and dealings in securities and the world's 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. There are over 3,000 international companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

About Irwin Naturals

Irwin Naturals Inc. is a household name and best-in-class herbal supplement formulator since 1994 that is leveraging its brand to enter the cannabis and psychedelic industries. On a mission to heal the world with plant medicine, Irwin Naturals has operated profitably for over 27 years*. Irwin Naturals’ growing portfolio of herbal products are available in more than 100,000 retail doors across North America, where nearly 100 million people know the Irwin Naturals brand**. In 2018, the Company first leveraged its brand to expand into the cannabis industry by launching hemp-based CBD products into the mass market. The Company is now leveraging its famous halo of brand trust to become one of the first household name brands to offer THC-based products and psychedelic-assisted services.

*Under several corporate structures, Klee Irwin has operated the Irwin brand profitably since 1994, as measured by EBITDA adjusted for extraordinary costs.

**Based on a formal Company survey with a sample size of 500 randomly selected adults.

For investor-related information about the Company, please visit ir.irwinnaturals.com/

To contact the Company’s Investor Relations department, please call toll-free at (800) 883-4851 or send an email to Investors@IrwinNaturals.com.

Regulatory Overview

The following is a brief summary of regulatory matters concerning ketamine in the United States (“US”). Under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 811) (the "CSA"), ketamine is currently a Schedule III drug as well as being listed under the associated Narcotic Control Regulations, and psilocybin is currently a Schedule I drug.

Most US States have enacted Controlled Substances Acts (“State CSAs”) which regulate the possession, use, sale, distribution, and manufacture of specified drugs or categories of drugs and establish penalties for State CSA violations and form the basis for much state and local drug laws enforcement activity. State CSAs have either adopted drug schedules identical or similar to the federal CSA schedules or, in some instances, have incorporated the federal scheduling mechanism. Among other requirements, some US States have established a prescription drug monitoring or review programs collect information about prescription and dispensing of controlled substances for the purposes of monitoring, analysis and education.

In the United States, facilities holding or administering controlled substances must be registered with the US Drug Enforcement Agency ("DEA") to perform this activity. As such, medical professionals and/or the clinics in which they operate, as applicable, are also required to have a DEA license to obtain and administer ketamine (a "DEA License"). While ketamine is a controlled substance in the United States, it is approved for general anesthetic induction under the US Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Once a drug is approved for use, physicians may prescribe that drug for uses that are not described in the product’s labelling or that differ from those tested by the manufacturer and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA"). Licensed medical practitioners may prescribe ketamine legally in Canada or the United States where they believe it will be an effective treatment in their professional judgment.

Please see Irwin’s filing statement on its SEDAR profile for more information on the regulatory environment and regulations surrounding the US THC industry.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of management of the Company with respect to performance, business and future events. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "may", "will", "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "intends", "anticipates", "targeted", "continues", "forecasts", "designed", "goal", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements related to, the Company entering into and doing business in the US THC cannabis and psychedelics markets. The Company does not have any active operations or agreements with respect to the entrance into the THC cannabis or psychedelic markets at this time. The potential entrance by the Company into these new business segments are in their preliminary stages and may be subject to approval from the board of directors of the Company as well as any regulatory approval, including that of the Canadian Securities Exchange. These statements are based on numerous assumptions that are believed by management to be reasonable in the circumstances, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: board and regulatory approval, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange, Irwin being able to acquire and or enter into business relationships to enter into these new markets, the Company obtaining the required licenses, and changes to regulations and laws regarding cannabis or psychedelics. Further information on the regulatory environment and risks will be contained in future disclosure. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from that which are expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 

SOURCE: Irwin Naturals Inc.