Koios Teams up with Blackbeard Beverage, a Distribution Company Owned by a Pepsi Bottler in North and South Carolina

Koios Beverage Corp. (CSE: KBEV; OTC: KBEVF) (the "Company" or "Koios") is pleased to announce that pursuant to a one-year renewable agreement finalized on August 12, 2021, Koios has entered into a partnership with Blackbeard Beverage Company ("Blackbeard'), who is a distributor for Carolina Canners Inc. ("Carolina Canners"), an independent bottler for Pepsi beverages on the east coast of the United States. Carolina Canners and Blackbeard will each respectively provide full-service manufacturing and distribution of all four Fit Soda™ flavours east of the Mississippi River. Blackbeard has already confirmed an order of 216 pallets of Fit Soda™ (each containing 104 cases and 2,496 cans) valued at USD $575,000, the largest single wholesale order of canned beverages in the Company's history.

Blackbeard has already started to procure raw materials for the production, canning, and packaging of Fit Soda™ at Carolina Canners, to fill an order for 54 pallets of each flavour, which Carolina Canners is to manufacture. Subsequently, Blackbeard is to distribute this order to its accounts in the grocery category to include more than 1,000 supermarket locations of Food Lion located in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern regions of the United States. Following the Company's February 18, 2021 press release in which it announced its own in-house canning facility located in the Denver, Colorado area, Koios has started to explore opportunities to further expand its manufacturing pipeline as its beverage products such as Fit Soda™ continue to build sustained popularity among consumers in the United States. More than 700,000 units of Fit Soda™ were sold in 2020 after being launched in July of the prior year.

In the 1960s, Carolina Canners was formed through the amalgamation of several bottlers, including two bottlers for Pepsi, who created a joint venture in 1968 to capitalize on growing demand for packaged beverages including canned sodas. After choosing Cheraw, South Carolina as its principal location in which to operate, Carolina Canners began manufacturing beverages for clients to include Pepsi. In 1972 Carolina Canners added a bottle line for non-returnable bottles, and in 2013 made a USD $26 million investment into injection moulding and blow moulding machinery to produce its own plastic bottles. Carolina Canners has also established several distribution relationships with wholesalers and grocers in several states to provide greater value to the beverage brands it services.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/de58bc0b-1235-47de-94db-60a40e61c393

Blackbeard, who is a beverage distributor for Pepsi Bottler Carolina Canners, has placed a USD $575,000 purchase order for all four varieties of Fit Soda™ to distribute to accounts on the east coast of the United States to include more than 1,000 Food Lion supermarkets

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With two canning lines, Carolina Canners' facility in Cheraw has the capacity to produce more than 1.15 million beverage cans in an eight-hour shift, and currently produces more than 9.1 million cases of beverage cans per year in addition to over 14.65 million cases of bottled products per year. This capacity could prove instrumental in satisfying continued demand for Fit Soda™ with sustained interest in eastern regions of the United States.

Koios Chief Executive Officer Chris Miller commented, "This business relationship with Blackbeard and Carolina Canners is a major development for us because Fit Soda™ can now be manufactured and distributed from the same production facility as some of the nation's largest beverage brands. Furthermore, to have secured the largest purchase order in the Company's history through Blackbeard before production has even started is a magnificent validation of the Fit Soda™ product as a relevant beverage to a large segment of the U.S. population. Placing Fit Soda™ in Food Lion supermarkets will also boost our store count by about 25%, increasing our footprint to more than 5,000 points of sale across the country. We look forward to working with Blackbeard and Carolina Canners, as established players in the Pepsi ecosystem. We believe they can be key partners in helping build Koios' market share as we continue our launch of Fit Soda ™."

Sterling Whitley, CSO of Blackbeard commented, "We are enthusiastic about working with Koios because their Fit Soda™ functional beverage product offers a new dimension of value to consumers in the carbonated beverages category. The general public is far more conscious nowadays about what their beverages contain both in terms of specific attributes they want ( e.g. , electrolytes) as well as ingredients they want to cut down on or avoid ( e.g. , sugar). In just its second year, Fit Soda™ has performed exceptionally well as a new beverage product, and we take pride in being Koios' newest partner to both distribute and facilitate manufacturing of their entire line of Fit Soda™ functional beverages. Starting later in 2021 we intend to start shipping Fit Soda™ made in Carolina Canners' production facility to several of our accounts throughout various markets on the east coast, which we anticipate could help to scale Fit Soda™ 's market presence and build momentum as Koios and its distribution partners continue to roll Fit Soda™ out across the United States."

The Company also announces that Mr. Theo van der Linde has resigned as the Company's Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Chris Miller will continue on as the Company's interim Chief Financial Officer while a suitable replacement is being sought. Koios would like to thank Mr. van der Linde for his time and contributions made to the Company.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

KOIOS BEVERAGE CORP.

"Chris Miller"

Chris Miller, CEO, and Director

For further information, please contact:
Gina Burrus
844-255-6467
gina@koiosbeveragecorp.com

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

About Koios Beverage Corp.

The Company is an emerging functional beverage company which has an available distribution network of more than 4,400 retail locations across the United States in which to sell its products. Koios has relationships with some of the largest and most reputable distributors in the United States, including Europa Sports, Muscle Foods USA, KeHE, and Wishing-U-Well. Koios uses a proprietary blend of nootropics and natural organic compounds to enhance human productivity without using harmful chemicals or stimulants. Koios products have been shown to enhance focus, concentration, mental capacity, memory retention, cognitive function, alertness, brain capacity and create all day mental clarity. Its ingredients are specifically designed to target brain function by increasing blood flow, oxygen levels and neural connections in the brain.

Koios produces one of the only drinks in the world infused with MCT oil. MCT oil is derived from coconuts and has been shown to help the body burn fat more effectively, create lasting energy from a natural food source, produce ketones in the brain, allowing for greater brain function and clarity, support healthy hormone production and improve immunity. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.koiosbeveragecorp.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding: Potential outcomes from Blackbeard's 216-pallet order of Fit Soda ™ including successful manufacture by Carolina Canners and distribution by Blackbeard in markets in the eastern United States. The forward-looking information reflects management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the functional beverage markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company's management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward- looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Company's products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Company's products on an individual's health and well-being. The Company's products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by Koios with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with Koios is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees.


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Medical cannabis approvals were up by 120 percent in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Statista forecasts that Australian cannabis revenue will reach AU$3.73 billion in 2024 and grow at an annual rate of 3.22 percent, culminating in market volume worth AU$4.53 billion by 2029.

However, Australia’s cannabis industry is still young. Despite there being a strong case for a regulated market, which was outlined in a July 2024 report by the Penington Institute, recreational use is not legal and medical access remains limited and regulated.

Medical cannabis patients have access to various forms of the drug, including flower, oils and tinctures. However, only two medicinal cannabis products, Sativex and Epidyolex, are registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and none are subsidised through the country’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Patients who want access to medicinal cannabis must go through special pathways, and doctors who want to prescribe medicinal cannabis have to apply to do so.

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Despite these headwinds, production data and long-term growth forecasts suggest the cannabis industry remains on a promising — albeit turbulent — path. Read on for more on key trends to watch in 2025.

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This change had the potential to significantly impact farmers and processors, as many hemp varieties that are compliant under the Delta-9 THC rule could exceed the 0.3 percent limit when THCA is included.

Various bills and amendments were proposed in 2024 as part of the Farm Bill discussions, each with different approaches to regulating hemp. Separate regulatory frameworks for industrial hemp and hemp grown for cannabinoids were suggested, and many states took their own action, leading to a patchwork of regulations and even outright bans.

Despite challenges, data from the US Department of Agriculture suggests signs of recovery.

The department's annual National Hemp Report from 2024 points to an 18 percent increase in industrial hemp production value between 2022 and 2023, with output growth seen in specific sectors like floral (18 percent), fiber (133 percent) and seed hemp (414 percent). The 2025 report from the Department of Agriculture indicates further expansion, with notable increases observed in both acreage (up 64 percent from 2023) and value (46 percent).

The 2024 Farm Bill ultimately did not pass, and right now the hemp industry is operating under a temporary extension of the 2018 Farm Bill under the American Relief Act of 2025, signed into law on December 21, 2024.

The 2018 Farm Bill is now set to expire on September 30, 2025.

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US cannabis legalization remains stalled

Although there is clear demand for cannabis products, the now-defunct rescheduling process in the US is likely to continue casting a shadow of uncertainty over the industry's long-term trajectory.

Legal and procedural delays, including allegations of improper conduct and bias within the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), led to hearing cancellations, and the new administration of US President Donald Trump has brought leadership changes to key agencies like the DEA and the Department of Justice.

Terry Cole, who Trump nominated to be DEA administrator on February 11, has a history of opposing cannabis legalization in the country. Similarly, Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick to lead the justice department, staunchly opposed a movement to legalize medical cannabis during her tenure as Florida’s attorney general.

While there have been bipartisan efforts in Congress to end federal cannabis prohibition and establish regulations for eventual legalization, the DEA’s actions and statements indicate a potential stall or reversal of progress.

In addition to that, new research is adding complexity to the debate.

A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry this past March highlights an association between the use of high-potency cannabis strains and increased risks of psychosis, a factor that may not have been fully considered by the Department of Health and Human Services. As stronger cannabis strains become more widely available, a reassessment of their potential health risks may be required.

Investor takeaway

While the cannabis industry holds promise for growth and innovation, investors must remain acutely aware of the regulatory uncertainties and market volatility that will undoubtedly shape its trajectory in the years to come.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Cannabis for real-time news updates!

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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