(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, and Canopy Growth Corporation (Canopy Growth) (TSX: WEED, NYSE: CGC), a leading diversified cannabis company (together, the “Companies”), today announced a significant expansion of their strategic partnership to position Canopy Growth as the global leader in cannabis production, branding, intellectual property and retailing.

Constellation Brands will increase its ownership interest in Canopy Growth by acquiring 104.5 million shares directly from Canopy Growth, thereby achieving approximately 38 percent ownership when assuming exercise of the existing Constellation warrants.  Constellation Brands is acquiring the new shares at a price of C$48.60 per share, which is a 37.9 percent premium to Canopy’s 5-day volume weighted average price of the common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“VWAP”), and a 51.2 percent premium to the closing price on August 14, 2018.  Constellation will also receive additional warrants of Canopy that, if exercised, would provide for at least an additional $4.5 billion CAD to Canopy Growth.