/EINPresswire.com/ -- TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - November 22, 2017) - Maricann Group Inc. (CSE: MARI) (CSE: MARI.CN) (CNSX: MARI) (OTCQB: MRRCF) (FRANKFURT: 75M) ("Maricann" or the "Company"), a medicinal cannabis company, is working with Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) to develop a connected, scalable plant-wide platform to connect the key functions of Maricann's cultivation facility to produce a consistent, high-yield crop.

Maricann will utilize Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk software, Logix hardware and Ethernet/IP network connectivity to streamline communication between process control functions, building automation, and material handling. This connected and scalable system offers a single, integrated plant-wide platform for process automation, environmental monitoring and building management.

"The Rockwell Automation system that we are adopting will enable us to monitor and control the variables required for growing medicinal cannabis, capture the ideal nutrient mix, temperature, humidity, light cycle and repeat to produce a consistent, high-yield crop, regardless of changing weather conditions," said Jeff Ayotte, Maricann's Director of Infrastructure. "Our system's unified platform will ease compliance, reduce costs and enhance productivity. It's also highly expandable, putting the blocks in place to facilitate rapid growth." Said Ben Ward, CEO.

"This is our first large scale integration in the medical cannabis industry," said Tessa Myers, Rockwell Automation's vice president of North American sales, services and solutions. "It's significant because it demonstrates our ability to successfully transfer parallel expertise from life sciences to the medical cannabis industry. We're helping Maricann improve their asset utilization, shorten time to market, and lower costs," said Myers.

Utilizing FactoryTalk energy metrics, Maricann can optimize its carbon footprint by controlling all lights, fans, and other environmental specifications, enabling it to achieve more than a 90 percent energy efficiency rating. The building management system will interface to ensure tight control over the temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, lighting and fertigation.

"Automation will enable us to replace ergonomically challenging, labor-intensive jobs with technically advanced operators who have higher skill sets," said Ayotte. "This creates a lower headcount with a higher paygrade, enabling us to correct a hurdle in agriculture agronomics."

Rather than have an employee retrieve each plant on a harvest day, Maricann's new material handling system can stage each plant without anyone present. Maricann expects to increase efficiency between 65 to 75 percent as it advances towards a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) rating and exceeds Health Canada's established tracking requirements.

Maricann's platform buildout is currently in Phase 1 with a tie into Phase 2. By utilizing Rockwell Automation, the Company will easily be able to replicate a bolt-on solution for Phase 2 through Phase 3.

For more information about Maricann, please visit our website at www.maricann.com.

About Maricann Group Inc.
Maricann is a vertically integrated producer and distributor of marijuana for medical purposes. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Toronto with a facility in Langton, Ontario, where it operates a medicinal cannabis cultivation, extraction and distribution business under federal licence from the Government of Canada. Maricann, which has federal licences to cultivate, process and distribute cannabis, services a patient base with more than 8,000 total registered patients since inception. Maricann is currently undertaking an expansion of its cultivation and support facilities in Canada in a fully funded 217,000 sq. ft. (20,159 sq. m) build out, to support existing and future patient growth.

Maricann, which has federal licenses in Canada to cultivate, extract, formulate and distribute cannabis, is rapidly expanding its Canadian production, based in Norfolk County, Ontario, adding 22,245 kg of annual production of dry flower to come online in Q2 2018, with additional production planned. Maricann is focused on expanding capacity in a truly differentiated product offering, in support of its previously announced joint pharmacy initiative and future global export opportunities.

For more information about Maricann, please visit our website at www.maricann.com.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC., NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward Looking Information

Certain statements in this document contain forward-looking statements which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may", "desires", "will", "should", "projects", "estimates", "contemplates", "anticipates", "intends", or any negative such as "does not believe" or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. No assurance can be given that potential future results or circumstances described in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. By their nature, these forward-looking statements, necessarily involve risks and uncertainties, including those discussed herein, that could cause actual results to significantly differ from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the view of the Company with respect to future events, and are based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions, which it considers reasonable. The forward looking statements in this release include statements regarding the planned increase in annual production and the implementation and benefits of the Rockwell Automation software to be used by the Company. Management cautions readers that the assumptions relative to the future events, several of which are beyond Management's control, could prove to be incorrect, given that they are subject to certain risk and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: fluctuations in operating results; the impact of general economic, industry and market conditions; the ability to recruit and retain qualified employees; fluctuations in cash flow; failure to obtain required financing; increased levels of outstanding debt and obligations under a capital lease; expectations regarding market demand for particular products and the dependence on new product development; the impact of market change; and the impact of price and product competition. Management disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.