DARTMOUTH, NS – September 20, 2019 – Dispension Industries Inc. and Signifi Solutions Inc. are embarking on a strategic partnership to transform the distribution of regulated products with their flagship innovation, the Verified Identity Dispenser, or ‘VID’. This partnership combines Dispension’s forward-thinking expertise in the regulated product market with Signifi’s experience and excellence in automated retail. The cannabis industry has upended the Canadian retail landscape since recreational cannabis was legalized. This has presented Canadian companies with the opportunity to become global leaders in cannabis retail. The VID has great potential to solve hurdles faced by Canadian retailers such as distribution bottlenecks, consumer access, high costs and competition with the black market.

Dispension is pioneering automated retail for regulated products. The VID is comparable to an ATM, only rather than dispense cash the VID offers a secure solution for cannabis retailers while providing consumers with a private and frictionless experience. The VID employs proprietary software and a unique biometric hardware solution developed with ePortation Inc., which features Fujitsu’s PalmSecure™ palm-vein authentication system that verifies a registered user’s identity with unmatched precision by using a near-infrared scan of the palm.

The VID recognizes registered users by their “vascular imprint”; the unique, subcutaneous, internal vein pattern in the palm. During registration, a biometric template is created from the user’s vascular imprint and is converted to an encrypted numeric hash. Once registered, the user can then access any VID in any location across the globe. Dispension refers to this asVerified Convenience™. “It uses the highest accuracy biometrics on the market,” said Yantha. “It uses the veins inside the palm of your hand. That’s the most secure biometric because it can’t be manipulated, it’s internal. You don't leave your palm vein prints around like you do your fingerprints.”

“There is only one automated retail system that we feel can meet and exceed the objectives of the Canadian cannabis regulations and the requirements set forth by our government, and thatis the VID”, said Corey Yantha, president of Dispension Industries. “We are not limiting ourselves to the Canadian cannabis market. The VID is the ideal solution for secure distribution of any product that requires an age-gate or consumer identification. We are actively pursuing international opportunities in a variety of markets.”

Dispension anticipates that the first VIDs will be introduced to the marketplace before the end of 2019. The VID is being utilized for an upcoming project with Vancouver Coastal Health to assist with their response to the opioid overdose epidemic. The VID will be used as part of a harm reduction-based approach to prevent opioid-related fatalities. The project will take place in the Downtown Eastside, a Vancouver neighbourhood notable for its levels of drug use, poverty and crime. Further, Dispension has finalized an exclusive partnership with a compliance consulting firm in Jamaica to use the VID for medical cannabis distribution in the Caribbean.

Prior to Dispension’s partnership with Signifi Solutions, Dispension had entered in a partnership with American Green, as their Canadian distributor for the American Green Machine (AGM). The partnership was terminated in 2018 by Dispension, due to the AGM not meeting Canadian Standards Association requirements.“We are thrilled to announce Signifi as our strategic partner and manufacturer. We share a longterm vision and through collaboration have developed a Canadian-made product that exceeds the rigorous demands of the Canadian and global markets”, said Yantha. “Working with a Canadian manufacturer is really exciting. Signifi has already established a great reputation internationally, and we’re eager to build on that with them into the future.”

Dispension Industries Inc., (“Dispension”) is a Dartmouth-based technology company that specializes in secure automated dispensing of cannabis, and other regulated products. Dispension is transforming the distribution of regulated products with an integrated retail platform, the Verified Identity Dispenser (“VID”) which uses palm-vein biometrics as the “agegate” to identify registered users with unmatched precision, and dispenses controlled amounts of regulated products. Dispension is developing the VID system in partnership with Signifi Solutions, a global leader in automated retail kiosks.

Mississauga-based Signifi Solutions Inc., (“Signifi”) is a global leader in automated retail. Since 2007, they have designed and engineered solutions that empower businesses with automated retail for convenience, and simplicity through an engaging experience. Signifi is trusted by many top brands, and as automated retail becomes an emerging channel, Signifi provides end-to-end solutions for retailers and brands to bridge the speed and convenience of online shopping with the experiential, physical retail world.

Dispension Industries Media Relations, +1 833 801 9333, info@dispension.ca

Signifi Solutions Media Relations, +1 877 744 6434, bwilliams@signifi.com