DENVER, Oct. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- solo sciences, the world's first cryptographically-secured product authentication system, and a member of the Akerna (Nasdaq:KERN) family of companies, is collaborating with Legion of Bloom, an award-winning California cannabis producer. As part of the collaboration, Legion of Bloom will add the solo*CODE authentication tag to its vaporizer products. The codes are already appearing on dispensary store shelves throughout California.

California's estimated $3.1 billion legal cannabis market is the largest in the world. As the first state to legalize medicinal cannabis in 1996, California has long been the vanguard of evolving cannabis regulations. As one of the state's leading fully-licensed eco-conscious cannabis flower and vaporizer producers, Legion of Bloom's collaboration with solo sciences both drives standards in consumer safety while also inspiring legal cannabis companies worldwide to do the same.

The continued growth of the legal cannabis industry has made it easier for consumers to discover a range of products with diverse medicinal and recreational effects. However, as the legal market has grown across numerous states, federal regulatory oversight is not in place. Therefore, counterfeit products remain, threatening the safety of all users.

In February 2020, the CDC reported 2,807 vaping-related deaths had occurred since January 1, 2019, with an average of 76.9% of those being linked to counterfeit THC vape products, with no centralized production or distribution standards.

Thanks to its collaboration with Legion of Bloom, solo sciences has responded by working more broadly to promote public health and safety through the Legal Cannabis for Consumer Safety (LCCS), a coalition of 86 California cannabis industry leaders. LCCS looks to tackle counterfeit products and misinformation through direct action to close 3000+ illicit retailers, strengthen product manufacturing and labeling, and improve testing processes.

"As part of our pledge to the LCCS, we are excited to join forces with solo sciences to give our customers unprecedented assurance that our products are genuine and of the utmost quality," said Legion of Bloom CEO, Russell Weisman. "Thanks to this collaboration, Legion of Bloom's community can rest assured that all of our products are crafted responsibly and with care."

solo sciences' technology is designed to detect counterfeit products through interactive packaging. Unlike other authentication methods such as QR codes and holograms, which are easily faked and hacked, the solo*CODE™ – a unique identifying mark for every item – is secured through four unique inputs and can be integrated into or applied to a pre-existing product or its packaging. The solo*CODE is scanned by consumers using the free solo* mobile app, which decrypts it and verifies product authenticity while also providing consumers with detailed product information. The app also provides a new way for product creators to promote their products and interact with consumers.

Legion of Bloom will also use solo*CODE scanning to empower its consumers to give back to their state with portions of these sales going to environmental causes across California. A partnership with the California Association of Resource Conservation District will empower Legion's consumers to help with habitat restoration projects for the monarch butterfly through each scan of the solo*CODE on Legion's Award-winning Monarch Line of Vape cartridges.

Additionally, for their California Sauce cartridges and line of PAX Era pods, Legion is partnering with One Tree Planted and giving back with each solo*CODE scan on these products, supporting reforestation projects in areas affected by wildfires across California.

"We are incredibly proud to partner with Legion of Bloom and together support the LCCS while empowering consumers to validate their products through our tech and simultaneously help restore the beautiful state of California," said solo sciences Co-Founder & Head of Partnerships, Katie Flannery. "To support the industry's continued momentum, companies and regulators must come together to adopt an industry-wide solution that gives consumers confidence in the regulated market while also delivering innovative opportunities to feel rewarded and give back."

To learn more about how solo sciences' groundbreaking technology enables consumer safety from counterfeit cannabis products, visit: solosciences.com. To scan a solo*CODE and learn more about products, download the solo* mobile app for iOS and Android at getsolo.com.

About Akerna
Akerna is a global regulatory compliance technology company in the cannabis space. Akerna's service offerings include MJ Platform^®, Leaf Data Systems^®, solo sciences tech platform,Trellis and Ample Organics. Since its establishment in 2010, the company has tracked more than $18 billion in cannabis sales. Akerna is based in Denver. For more information please visit akerna.com.

About Legion of Bloom
Legion of Bloom's mission is to produce the highest-quality cannabis products using sustainable, conscious cultivation and extraction practices. Founded by five cannabis cultivators with more than half a century of industry experience, Legion of Bloom continues to press the boundaries through innovative cultivation and manufacturing processes. Their goal has always been to create incredible cannabis products that they would be honored to share with their friends and families.  For more information, visit thelegionofbloom.com.

About The Legal Cannabis for Consumer Safety Coalition
The Legal Cannabis for Consumer Safety (LCCS) is a coalition of 86 California cannabis industry leaders. The coalition looks to tackle counterfeit products and misinformation through direct action to close 3000+ illicit retailers, strengthen product manufacturing and labeling, and improve testing processes. To learn more, visit calccs.org.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the ability of solo*CODE to prevent counterfeiting, the Legion of Bloom's collaboration with solo sciences driving industry standards in consumer safety and inspiring legal cannabis companies worldwide to do the same and the ability of the MJ Platform team to help operators make decisions through analytics and reporting. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other important factors, many of which are outside Akerna's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others that may affect actual results or outcomes, include (i) Akerna's ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees, (ii) changes in applicable laws or regulations, (iii) changes in the market place due to the coronavirus pandemic or other market factors, (iv) and other risks and uncertainties disclosed from time to time in Akerna's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those under "Risk Factors" therein.  You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All information herein speaks only as of the date hereof, in the case of information about Akerna, or the date of such information, in the case of information from persons other than Akerna. Akerna undertakes no duty to update or revise the information contained herein. Forecasts and estimates regarding Akerna's industry and end markets are based on sources believed to be reliable; however, there can be no assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in whole or in part.

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