Cresco Labs and Columbia Care today announced the signing of definitive agreements to divest certain New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts assets to an entity owned and controlled by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The divestiture of the assets is required for Cresco to close its previously announced acquisition of Columbia Care. The transaction is expected to close concurrently with the closing of the Columbia Care acquisition. Total consideration for the transaction is an amount up to $185 million.
The deal is Combs’ first investment in cannabis and, upon closing, will create the country’s first minority-owned and operated, vertically integrated multi-state operator.
These vertically integrated New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts assets provide Combs the ability to grow and manufacture cannabis products; wholesale, and distribute those branded products to licensed dispensaries in major metropolitan areas like New York City, Boston, and Chicago; and operate retail stores in all three states.
“My mission has always been to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in industries where we’ve traditionally been denied access, and this acquisition provides the immediate scale and impact needed to create a more equitable future in cannabis,” said Combs, Chairman and CEO Combs Enterprises. “Owning the entire process — from growing and manufacturing to marketing, retail, and wholesale distribution — is a historic win for the culture that will allow us to empower diverse leaders throughout the ecosystem and be bold advocates for inclusion.”
The following combination of Cresco (CL) and Columbia Care (CC) assets will be divested in the Transaction:
- New York: Brooklyn (CC), Manhattan (CC), New Hartford (CL), and Rochester (CC) retail assets and Rochester (CC) production asset.
- Massachusetts: Greenfield (CC), Worcester (CL), and Leicester (CL) retail assets and Leicester (CL) production asset.
- Illinois: Chicago – Jefferson Park (CC) and Villa Park (CC) retail assets and Aurora (CC) production asset.
