Battery charge dropped against Ascend Wellness co-founder: Report

Abner Kurtin, co-founder and former CEO of cannabis company Ascend Wellness Holdings , no longer faces battery charges against his domestic partner, MJ Biz Daily reported late Friday. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office told MJ Biz Daily the charges were dropped because neither the alleged victim nor the witness agreed to cooperate with police and prosecutors. Ascend Wellness said Wednesday it will search for a new CEO and that Kurtin will become executive chairman of the company. Ascend Wellness said Sept. 6 it was aware of allegations against Kurtin “regarding a domestic-related misdemeanor” and that it was investigating. Shares of Ascend Wellness are down 6.6% on Monday. The stock has fallen 74.3% so far this year, compared to a 63.8% drop by the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF .

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