Wana Brands eyes European market with Alpen Group deal

BOULDER — Wana Brands, the Boulder-based cannabis-infused edibles maker, has inked a deal with Swiss marijuana company Alpen Group that could allow Wana to enter the European market in the next year or two. 

The deal, Wana said, would make it the first American company operating in the European edibles space. 

“Through a historic partnership with Alpen Group, Wana Brands is bringing its innovative all-natural line of popular cannabis-infused gummy products to Switzerland, which will serve as a launching pad for the rest of the European Union and beyond,” the companies said in a news release. “The infused product juggernaut expects its top-selling gummies to launch in the Swiss market by 2025.”

The deal comes on the heels of a 2023 approval by Switzerland’s health authority that sets the stage for “pilot trials involving the dispensing of cannabis for non-medicinal uses, effectively legalizing recreational cannabis in Europe for the first time,” the release said. “Spread throughout Switzerland, the pilot projects are intended to create a basis for future legal regulation. Wana Brands will offer the first U.S. cannabis edible gummy available in Switzerland through a partnership with Alpen Group, a vertically integrated cannabis platform.”

Wana CEO Nancy Whiteman, in a prepared statement, said, “Since Wana Brands was established in Colorado’s budding market in 2010, our mission has been to pioneer our presence in emerging markets. This vision has now taken us across the Atlantic to Switzerland, marking 14 years of expansive growth. Our collaboration with Alpen Group, a company that mirrors our commitment to quality, positions us to become the pioneering American cannabis edibles brand in the European Union’s adult-use market.”

Wana gummies for the European market would be produced in a 30,000-square-foot Swiss manufacturing facility. 

“Alpen Group is proud to join forces with the world-renowned cannabis edibles group, Wana Brands. As we embark on a journey of innovation and expansion, we look forward to serving as the epicenter of their global operations. From our headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland, we embrace the opportunity to fuse our strengths, expertise, and vision, propelling both entities toward unparalleled success. Together, we eagerly anticipate the collaborative effort, working hand in hand with Wana Brands’ esteemed team to realize their global aspirations and pioneer the future of the industry,” Alpen CEO Todd Boren said. “From a commercial standpoint, The distinct opportunities presented in possessing a unique arsenal of proprietary formulations provides us with a significant advantage, particularly in emerging markets. We look forward to working closely together on the legal recreational pilot programs underway in Switzerland.”

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