Curio Wellness & VMO-Ops, Inc. partner to bring cGMP-certified medical cannabis to Missouri
Curio Wellness, a cGMP-certified, vertically integrated medical cannabis company and market-leading innovator of health and wellness products derived from cannabis, today announced its partnership with VMO-Ops, Inc., a Missouri minority-owned business enterprise (Village). Through the partnership, the Curio team will bring their industry expertise, operational model, and cGMP-certified products to Missouri and its over 200,000 patients statewide.
“We are excited and eager to bring our award-winning suite of products, LEAN processes, and patient-centered approach to Missouri patients,” said Michael Bronfein, CEO of Curio Wellness. “Our discipline, unwavering focus on quality, and seasoned leadership team have enabled us to be the market leader in Maryland for five years running, and we hope to achieve similar success with Village in this new market.”
The official partnership agreement between Curio Wellness and Village allows Curio to expand its innovative and proven cultivation and processing businesses providing targeted therapeutics and cGMP-certified medical cannabis products throughout Missouri, beginning in 2023. Curio’s experience as a trusted licensing partner has enabled the team to also secure an agreement with Village, and licensed brands like Viola, to produce their suite of products. Initial distribution of these products will begin through Village’s two Missouri dispensaries located in St. Louis, with broader distribution to follow.
“Choosing Curio as a partner not only aligns with Village’s mission and values—including the importance of representation within the industry—but it also significantly accelerates our ability to bring high-quality medicine to patients throughout the state,” said Dan Pettigrew, Village CEO and Co-Founder of both Village and Viola. “We’re thrilled to work with Curio. They bring a depth of knowledge and strategy allowing us to further optimize the operationalizing of licenses while creating meaningful careers for Missourians, with a focus on improving the lives of those in local, disadvantaged communities.”
For more information about Curio Wellness and its innovative approach to medical cannabis, please visit: https://curiowellness.com.
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About Curio Wellness
Founded in 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland, Curio Wellness is a cGMP-certified, vertically integrated medical cannabis company and trusted healthcare partner. Recognized as the leading wellness brand in cannabis by BDS Analytics, Curio is committed to serving patients with targeted, effective, and reliable cannabis-based medicine.
About VMO-OPS INC
VMO is a collaboration between Village, LLC, Viola Brands, and a local pair of entrepreneurs, Larry Hughes and Abe Givins. In 2020, the VMO team was awarded four medical cannabis licenses; 1 of 11 fully integrated cannabis operators and the only Black-owned and operated company in Missouri.
About Village
Founded in 2019 By Dan Pettigrew and Al Harrington, Village Brands is a multi-state cannabis company that focuses on opportunities in newly legalized states that typically have higher growth potential and limited licensing, as well as opportunistic acquisitions or partnerships with high-quality operators who need the expertise and access to black-owned brands that only Village can provide.
About Viola
Viola, co-founded by Al Harrington and Dan Pettigrew in 2011, is one of the nation’s oldest minority producers and licensed wholesalers of premium quality cannabis products. Viola has integrated the latest cutting-edge technology with its own proprietary procedures designed for every stage of the cultivation, extraction, and production process. The company is known for its wide variety of product offerings including high-quality flower to premier butane extract.