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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549​
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FORM 10
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GENERAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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TILT Holdings Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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British Columbia
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83-2097293
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)​
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(I.R.S. employer identification no.)
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2801 E. Camelback Road #180
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
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(623) 887-4990
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(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)​
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(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
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With Copies to:
Katayun Jaffari, Esq.
Mehrnaz Jalali, Esq.
Cozen O’Connor P.C.
One Liberty Place,
1650 Market Street
Suite 2800
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Telephone: (215) 665-4622
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Shares
(Title of class)
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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Large accelerated filer
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Accelerated filer      ☐
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Non-accelerated filer
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Smaller reporting company      ☒
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Emerging growth company      ☒
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financing accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ☐
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IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY AND SMALLER REPORTING COMPANY AND FILING THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our most recently completed fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (“Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 ( “JOBS Act”). As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other exemptions from requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include:
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reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements;
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exemptions from non-binding shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements; and
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exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting.
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We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the last day of the year following the fifth anniversary of the first sale of the common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration under the Securities Act; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Notwithstanding the above, we are also currently a “smaller reporting company,” meaning that we are not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent company that is not a smaller reporting company, and we have (a) a public float of less than $250 million or (b) annual revenues of less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financial statements are available and (i) no public float or (ii) a public float of less than $700 million. In the event that we are still considered a smaller reporting company, at such time as we cease being an emerging growth company, the disclosure we will be required to provide in our SEC filings will increase, but it will still be less than it would be if we were not considered either an emerging growth company or a smaller reporting company. Specifically, similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings, including, among other things, only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in annual reports.
You should rely only on the information contained in this document or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different. You should assume that the information contained in this document is accurate as of the date of this registration statement on Form 10 only.
This registration statement will become effective automatically sixty days from the date of the original filing (the “Effective Date”), pursuant to Section 12(g)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As of the Effective Date, we will become subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13(a) under the Exchange Act and will be required to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and we will be required to comply with all other obligations of the Exchange Act applicable to issuers filing registration statements pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act.
USE OF NAMES AND CURRENCY
In this registration statement on Form 10, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company,” or “TILT” refer to TILT Holdings Inc. together with its wholly owned subsidiaries.
Unless otherwise indicated, all references to “$” or “US$” or “USD” in this registration statement refer to United States (“U.S.”) dollars, and all references to “C$” or “CAD” refer to Canadian dollars.
 
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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This registration statement includes “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, and our objectives, goals, strategies, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates, projections and outlook, including statements relating to our plans and objectives, or estimates or predictions of actions of customers, suppliers, competitors or regulatory authorities. These statements are subject to certain risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. The words “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “estimate”, “expect”, “likely”, “potential”, “proposed” or “anticipate”, and similar expressions, as well as future or conditional verbs such as “will”, “should”, “would” and “could” often identify forward-looking statements.
Management of the Company has based the forward-looking statements on its current views with respect to future events and financial performance and has made assumptions and applied certain factors regarding, among other things: future product pricing; costs of inputs; the Company’s ability to successfully market its products to its anticipated clients; the Company’s reliance on its key personnel; certain regulatory requirements; the application of federal and state environmental laws; the impact of increasing competition; the ability to obtain additional financing on favorable terms; the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals; and the regulatory environments in which the Company operates. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The Company’s forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The purpose of forward-looking statements is to provide the reader with a description of management’s expectations, and such forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for any other purpose.
Such factors include, among others, the status of cannabis as a controlled substance under the U.S. Federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”); reputational risk to third parties; risks associated with banking, financial transactions and anti-money laundering laws and regulations; risks related to federal and state forfeiture laws; the risk of heightened security by regulatory authorities; risks related to the potential negative impact of regulatory scrutiny on raising capital; risks related to regulatory or political change; risks due to industry immaturity or limited comparable, competitive or established industry best practices; risks related to the uncertainty surrounding existing protection from U.S. federal prosecution relating to cannabis laws; risks related to uncertainty with respect to geo-political disruptions; risks related to regulatory changes in relation to vaporization devices and subsequent impacts to interstate commerce, registrations and revenue reporting requirements, and potential excise tax applicability; risks relating to tax status; risks associated with the Company’s business model; risks related to the Company’s dependency on suppliers and skilled labor; risks related to the reliance on third party suppliers; the uncertainty of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19 pandemic”) on the Company and on the operations of the Company; risks that the Company’s actual financial position and results of operations may differ materially from the expectations of the Company’s management; risks related to the costs and obligations relating to the Company’s investment in infrastructure, growth, regulatory compliance and operations; risks related to the Company’s dependency on regulatory approvals and licenses to conduct its business; risks related to the potential for changes in laws, regulations and guidelines which could adversely affect the Company’s future business; risks related to a failure on the part of the Company to comply with applicable regulations; risks related to the legal, regulatory and scientific status of cannabis; risks related to the Company’s ability to find suitable candidates and capital necessary to complete strategic alliances or partnerships; risks related to the Company’s ability to successfully identify and execute future acquisitions or dispositions; risks related to the Company’s ability to develop its products; risks related to the Company’s ability to achieve successful cultivation; risks related to the Company’s ability to turn a profit or generate immediate revenues; risks related to limitations on the permissible ownership of licenses; risks related to constraints on marketing the Company’s products under varying state laws; risks related to the potential results of future clinical research; risks related to the Company’s ability to effectively manage its growth and operations; risks related to the regulation of medical cannabis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”); risks related to the differing local rules and regulations and the impact this may have on the Company’s ability to expand into new markets; risks related to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights and allegations that the Company is in violation of intellectual property rights of third parties; risks relating to access to banking; risks relating to disclosure of personal information to government or regulatory entities; risks related to potential requirement to disclose personal identifying information to government or regulatory entities; risk that the
 
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Company may be forced to litigate or defend its intellectual property rights, or to defend against claims by third parties against the Company relating to intellectual property rights; risks relating to fraudulent activity by employees, contractors and consultants, risks regarding the enforceability of contracts; risk of litigation generally; risks relating to increasing competition in the industry; risks relating to the Company’s ability to secure adequate or reliable sources of funding; risks relating to product recalls; risks relating to reliance on technology systems that may be subject to cyber-attacks or security breaches; risks that the Company’s officers and directors may be engaged in a range of business activities resulting in conflicts of interest; risks relating to the Company’s inability to successfully implement adequate internal controls over financial reporting; risks relating to restrictions on entry to the U.S. for the Company’s Canadian individuals; risks relating to consumer perception; risks relating to the potential that bond requirements and insurance premiums may be economically prohibitive; the risk that the Company’s web presence’s visibility is not limited by geography; risks relating to volatility in the market price of the Company’s securities; risks related to price volatility of publicly traded securities; risks related to the Company’s securities being currently quoted on the OTCQX; and other factors beyond our control, as more particularly described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this registration statement.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and statements. The forward-looking information and statements contained herein are presented for the purposes of assisting readers in understanding our expected financial and operating performance and our plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes.
The forward-looking information and statements contained in this registration statement represent our views and expectations as of the date of this registration statement and forward-looking information and statements contained herein represent our views as of the date of hereof. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update such forward-looking information and statements at a future time, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law.
 
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ITEM 1.
BUSINESS
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Unless otherwise stated, all dollar figures included in this Item 1 Business and in Item 2 Financial Information, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis, are quoted in thousands of U.S. dollars (“USD”, “$” or “US$”), except per share amounts.
General
TILT is a global provider of cannabis business solutions that include inhalation technologies, cultivation, manufacturing, processing, brand development and retail. TILT operates through two business divisions: Inhalation Technology and Cannabis.
TILT Holdings Inc. was incorporated under the laws of Nevada pursuant to NRS Chapter 78 on June 22, 2018. The Company was continued under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the “BCBCA”) pursuant to a Certificate of Continuance dated November 14, 2018. The Company is a reporting issuer in Canada in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario and its common shares (the “Common Shares”) are listed for trading on the NEO Exchange (the “NEO Exchange”) under the symbol “TILT.” In addition, the Common Shares are quoted on the OTCQX in the U.S. under the symbol “TLLTF.”
The Company’s head office is located at 2801 E. Camelback Road #180, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 and the registered office is located at 745 Thurlow St #2400, Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 0C5. The Company’s business website is www.tiltholdings.com.
Principal Products and Services
Inhalation Technology — Jupiter
Inhalation Technology encompasses the business of Jupiter Research, LLC (“Jupiter”) which is a leading participant in the cannabis vape and accessory product market. Through the Inhalation Technology division, the Company sells vape and accessory products and services to cannabis clients and brand partners across thirty-six states in the U.S., as well as Canada, Israel, South America and the European Union. The Company’s “designed in Arizona, manufactured in China” business model leverages in-house technical and product design acumen along with supply chain expertise to deliver customized hardware, accessories, technology and packaging solutions, which enables cannabis brands to differentiate their product in the marketplace. Jupiter partners with Shenzhen-based Smoore Technology to incorporate industry-leading CCELL® technology into Jupiter’s product solutions, and Jupiter is one of only four licensed resellers of CCELL® technology.
Cannabis
In the Cannabis division, the Company supports third-party cannabis clients through turn-key retail, distribution, cultivation and manufacturing offerings. The Company provides these products and services in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Company’s contract manufacturing and distribution network provides its cannabis clients with efficient access to these fast growing, supply-constrained, limited license markets. The following reflects a summary of the Company’s Cannabis operations and assets in each market:
Cannabis — Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the Company operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Commonwealth Alternative Care, Inc. (“CAC”). CAC operates a vertically integrated marijuana facility in Taunton, Massachusetts, dually licensed for both medical and adult-use operations. The facility includes over 60,000 square feet dedicated to cultivation, 8,000 square feet of production and 2,400 square feet of onsite retail dispensary space. At its Taunton facility, CAC also operates a full commercial kitchen and extraction facility producing packaged units across dozens of demand-driven stock keeping units (“SKUs”). CAC produces and distributes a variety of cannabis flower, vape cartridges, concentrates, edibles and topicals via wholesale to other licensed cannabis operators in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and via retail and direct delivery to registered patients of the Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program. CAC has two additional dispensary locations: one is operational for medical/adult-use in the City of Brockton, and the other is non-operational in the City of Cambridge.
 
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Cannabis — Pennsylvania
The Company has a cultivation and production presence in Pennsylvania through its wholly owned subsidiary, Standard Farms LLC (“Standard Farms PA”). Standard Farms PA produces medical cannabis products, including vape cartridges, flower, capsules, oil syringes and tinctures, which are sold via wholesale to more than 90% of the state’s cannabis dispensaries. Standard Farms PA operates a greenhouse facility that includes 33,500 square feet dedicated to cultivation with the ability to expand that footprint in the future.
Cannabis — Ohio
The Company operates a cannabis extraction facility outside of Cleveland, Ohio through its wholly owned subsidiary, Standard Farms Ohio, LLC (“Standard Farms OH”). The approximately 21,000 square foot facility, expanded in Q3 2021, utilizes CO2 extraction to produce high-quality medical cannabis products from cannabis biomass including tinctures, vape cartridges, syringes, topicals, concentrates and edibles. Standard Farms OH products are sold and distributed throughout Ohio at wholesale to other licensed cannabis businesses.
Cannabis — New York
The Company formed a partnership in August 2021 with the Shinnecock Indian Nation (“Shinnecock”), a federally recognized Native American tribe, to establish vertical cannabis operations on their tribal territory in Long Island, New York. Through a joint venture with the Shinnecock’s cannabis project development firm, Conor Green, the Company is financing, building and providing management services for Shinnecock’s wholly owned cannabis business, Little Beach Harvest (“Little Beach Harvest”). The project is expected to include a 60,000 square-foot cultivation, processing, extraction and packaging facility; a two-story dispensary with a drive through; and an adjacent wellness lounge. Construction is expected to begin in 2022. The initial term of the management agreement is for nine years but may be extended up to an additional ten years, pending accomplishment of certain performance-based milestones related to revenue and profitability.
Strategy
The Company provides innovative, unique and cost-effective business solutions to its customers across the cannabis industry value chain. The Company’s core mission is to help its customers build brands by offering unique products, solutions and services that deliver added value to consumers, multi-state cannabis operators, licensed producers and cannabis brands around the globe. The Company believes that its clients rely on the Company for its expertise to help address growing supply chain specialization and complexity in cannabis industry retailing and wholesaling. Further, as a result of its extensive Jupiter customer base and differentiated cannabis value proposition, the Company is uniquely positioned to cross-sell services between each business division and its respective customers and partners.
Recent Developments
On January 8, 2021, the Company announced that it had been approved for immediate trading on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol “TLLTF.”
On January 12, 2021, the Company announced that its subsidiary, Jupiter, had obtained ISO 13485:2016 certification of its quality management system for medical devices. The qualification verifies that Jupiter adequately fulfills regulatory requirements and specifications established by the International Organization for Standardization for medical device development and quality management systems. Jupiter can now design and manufacture its own medical device components, as well as act as a contract manufacturer for third party companies, allowing Jupiter to supply the U.S. and European medical cannabis markets with medical-grade inhalation devices.
On February 4, 2021, the Company announced an exclusive contract with Her Highness NYC (“Her Highness”), the premier purveyors of female-forward cannabis couture products inspired and engineered by women. Launched on March 5, 2021, Her Highness products are being manufactured and distributed in Massachusetts by the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, CAC.
 
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On February 9, 2021, the Company entered into a promissory note with PBM Enterprises, LLC, amending and restating in its entirety the original note entered into during May 2020. The promissory note includes a principal balance of $1,250 with an interest rate of 0% and a maturity date of December 31, 2022.
On February 22, 2021, the Company announced the assignment by its subsidiary, SH Finance Company, LLC, of the loan and security agreement entered into with Ermont, Inc. (the “Ermont Note”) to Teneo Funds SPVi LLC, through an arm’s-length third-party transaction, in exchange for $1,250 in cash and a portion of future collections pursuant to the Ermont Note. The assignment agreement contains standard representations, warranties and indemnifications between the parties.
On March 2, 2021, the Company announced that it had received regulatory approval from the Cannabis Control Commission (“CCC”) to commence operation of eight additional grow rooms at its subsidiary, CAC. The Company began cultivation operations in the newly approved space in late March 2021.
On March 15, 2021, the Company acquired all assets and assumed all liabilities of Standard Farms OH, a medical cannabis provider focused on cultivation, processing and CO2 extraction for the State of Ohio’s operating dispensaries. The acquisition of Standard Farms OH (the “Standard Farms OH Acquisition”) further expands the Company’s footprint into a new market, thus providing access to additional customers. The Company’s consideration for the Standard Farms OH Acquisition consisted of $7,550 settled indebtedness to the Company, transferred into ownership interest.
On May 24, 2021, the Company announced the expansion of its partnership with Airo Brands, Inc. (“Airo”), a multi-state consumer packaged goods company focused on proprietary inhalation products. Airo is a leading cannabis inhalation brand, available in more than 1,250 dispensaries across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Airo is one of Jupiter’s earliest customers, licensing exclusive Jupiter products since 2016 and collaborating on proprietary inhalation technologies. Under the expanded partnership, Jupiter would continue to provide its proprietary hardware for Airo’s AiroPro and AiroX devices, as well as AiroPod cartridges, while Standard Farms PA would produce and fill high-quality cannabis oil for Airo’s AiroPod cartridges to be sold at retailers across Pennsylvania. Sales of Airo products through Standard Farms PA subsequently commenced in September 2021.
On June 8, 2021, the Company announced that Baker Technologies Inc. (“Baker”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, had agreed to amend and receive payment for the convertible senior secured promissory note (the “Blackbird Note”) that was previously issued in connection with the sale of Blkbrd Holdings Corp. (“Blackbird”). The Blackbird Note receivable was paid at its $7,900 fair value calculated as of March 31, 2021. Baker agreed to receive payment through a series of transactions (collectively, the “Transactions”) with Slam Dunk LLC (“Slam Dunk”) and HERBL, Inc. (“HERBL”), a California corporation and arm’s-length third party to both the Company and Slam Dunk, pursuant to which:
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Blackbird Logistics Corporation, a Nevada corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of HERBL, assumed from Slam Dunk the obligation to repay the Blackbird Note to Baker;
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the Blackbird Note was fully repaid through the payment to Baker of US $1,500 in cash and the issuance to Baker of a certain number of shares of common stock of HERBL (such number of shares subject to adjustment in certain circumstances) (the “HERBL Shares”) based on HERBL’s enterprise value. Baker entered into customary investor and stockholder agreements related to its ownership of the HERBL Shares. If the cash payment was not made to Baker, or the HERBL Shares were not issued to Baker, such that the debt obligations under the Blackbird Note were not fully repaid on or before June 11, 2021, Slam Dunk would remain liable for all of its original debt obligations to Baker under the Blackbird Note; and
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HERBL agreed to give a guarantee to Baker of Slam Dunk’s obligations to Baker under the securities purchase agreement, dated November 18, 2020, entered into by Baker and Slam Dunk in connection with the Blackbird Sale (as defined below).
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All of the Transactions were completed on June 11, 2021.
On June 17, 2021, the Company announced that it had entered into an exclusive agreement (the “Old Pal Agreement”) to manufacture, package and distribute select products by Old Pal, a Los Angeles-based lifestyle
 
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cannabis company. Pursuant to the Old Pal Agreement, the Company’s subsidiary, CAC, would bring Old Pal into the Company’s full-service wholesale manufacturing, packaging and distribution platform in Massachusetts.
On June 17, 2021, the Company reached an agreement with the CCC to settle concerns of regulatory violations by making a payment in the amount of $275 to the Massachusetts Marijuana Regulation Fund (the “Settlement”). The Settlement was paid in full and allowed the Company to move forward with its licensing process and expansion plans in Massachusetts. The concerns of regulatory violations related to commercial arrangements with third-party licensed marijuana businesses in Massachusetts that the CCC determined could constitute unapproved control over such licensed businesses, and which resulted in the possible control of more than the permissible number of licensed businesses that a person or entity may control at any given time. The applicable business relationships have been terminated.
On July 21, 2021, Jupiter entered into a new two-year, $10,000 asset-based revolving credit facility with Entrepreneur Growth Capital, LLC.
On August 12, 2021, the Company announced a multi-state licensing agreement with cannabis product innovator brand 1906 (“1906”). Through its subsidiaries Standard Farms PA, in Pennsylvania, Standard Farms OH, in Ohio and CAC in Massachusetts, the Company provides full-service wholesale manufacturing, packaging and distribution services to accelerate the availability of 1906’s portable, non-smokable cannabis products to patients in the growing adult-use and medical markets that the Company serves.
On August 12, 2021, the CCC granted CAC a final retail license for the sale of medical cannabis in Brockton, Massachusetts. Subsequently, on September 21, 2021, the CCC approved the commencement of retail operations at CAC’s Brockton location, effective immediately.
On August 16, 2021, the Company announced that it had received approval for the listing of its Common Shares on the NEO Exchange. The Company’s Common Shares began trading in Canadian dollars on the NEO Exchange on August 17, 2021, under the symbol ‘TILT’. In conjunction with the new listing, the Common Shares were voluntarily delisted from the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) at the close of trading on Monday, August 16, 2021. The Company’s Common Shares continue to be quoted on the OTCQX Best Market.
On August 17, 2021, the Company announced a second exclusive agreement with Old Pal, a Los Angeles-based lifestyle cannabis company, to manufacture, package and distribute select Old Pal products in the Pennsylvania market via the Company’s subsidiary Standard Farms PA.
On August 24, 2021, the Company announced a partnership with the Shinnecock to establish vertical cannabis operations on their aboriginal tribal territory in the Hamptons on Long Island, New York. Through a joint venture with Shinnecock’s cannabis project development firm Conor Green, TILT will finance, build and provide management services for the vertical cannabis operations of Shinnecock’s wholly owned cannabis business, Little Beach Harvest. The project will include a 60,000 square-foot cultivation, processing, extraction and packaging facility, a two-story dispensary with drive-thru and an adjacent wellness lounge. A subsidiary of the Company purchased 100% of the Class A membership interests of Standard Farms New York, LLC (“SFNY”), which holds a 75% interest in CGSF Group (“CGSF”), a newly formed joint venture with Conor Green. The Company paid a total of $751 with $400 being paid in cash and $351 paid in Common Shares, in the acquisition of its interests in SFNY and CGSF. Additionally, upon the achievement of certain milestones, the Company will provide for additional consideration of up to 5,673,844 Common Shares, valued at $2,837 upon closing, in share-based payments to Connor Green. Through the agreements between CGSF and Little Beach Harvest, the Company will provide management services to Little Beach Harvest for the development of the facilities, including planning, design and funding of up to approximately $18,000 in capital expenditures in order to provide a fully vertical cannabis operation. The 9% debt financing the Company provides is repaid through cash flows monthly and is secured by the assets of the project. In exchange for providing management services, SFNY receives 11.25% of Shinnecock’s gross revenue as well as 18.75% of free cash flows from all Shinnecock cannabis operations during the initial term of up to nine years. The management agreement may be extended up to ten additional years, pending accomplishment of certain performance-based milestones related to revenue and profitability.
 
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On October 14, 2021, the CCC granted the Company’s subsidiary, CAC, a final adult-use retail establishment license for its Brockton location. Following a final inspection, the CCC approved the commencement of adult-use retail operations effective November 22, 2021.
On October 27, 2021, the Company closed the sale of substantially all of the assets of Sante Veritas Therapeutics Inc., an inactive wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, to Meridian 125W Cultivation Ltd. for approximately C$900 in cash. Part of the proceeds were used to resolve outstanding liabilities.
On November 10, 2021, the Company announced the expansion of its partnership with Airo, a multi-state consumer packaged goods company focused on proprietary inhalation products, beyond its current manufacturing and distribution agreement in Pennsylvania, to include Massachusetts. An early client of the Company’s subsidiary, Jupiter, since 2016, Airo also licenses exclusive Jupiter products and collaborates on proprietary inhalation technologies. Airo products are currently available in Massachusetts as Airo transitions to the Company’s subsidiary, CAC, to take over production and distribution. Through this expanded partnership, the Company will distribute Airo products including the AiroPro®, AiroSport™, and AiroX® featuring formulations from Airo’s Strain Series, Artisan Series, and Live Flower Series, plus additional products throughout the year.
On November 19, 2021, the CCC awarded CAC final adult-use cultivation, manufacturing and retail licenses for CAC’s Taunton location. Following a final inspection, the CCC approved the commencement of adult-use cannabis operations including cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and retail sales effective December 20, 2021. With this approval, CAC is the first dispensary to open its doors to recreational cannabis customers in Taunton, Massachusetts.
On February 9, 2022, the Company announced that it had signed a definitive agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) to exercise its purchase option for ownership of its Taunton, Massachusetts facility for a purchase price of approximately $13,000. Through its subsidiary, CAC, the Company has entered into the Purchase Agreement with the current owner of the Taunton facility. The Company paid an initial deposit of $50 into escrow upon execution of the Purchase Agreement, and will pay an additional $150 deposit into escrow if the Company elects to proceed with its acquisition of the facility. The Taunton facility is comprised of two condominium units (Unit A and Unit B). The Company originally had until March 15, 2022, under the Purchase Agreement to elect to purchase both Unit A and Unit B or solely Unit A but the Purchase Agreement was amended on March 15, 2022, to extend the deadline to May 15, 2022. If the Company elects to purchase Unit A only, the purchase price shall be reduced to approximately $4,600.
On February 17, 2022, the Company announced a multi-state licensing agreement with Toast™, an Aspen, Colorado born national cannabis brand. Initial product rollout will begin in Massachusetts through CAC. Pending regulatory approval, TILT will launch Toast™ in Pennsylvania and Ohio through its Standard Farms subsidiaries with new SKUs created for each market. The Company will provide full-service wholesale manufacturing, packaging and distribution for several existing Toast™ SKUs, as well as collaborative research and development services to create new products and increase the accessibility of high-end cannabis to medical patients and adult-use consumers. In the coming months, Toast™ will debut a new set of SKUs with the Company that are currently under development and are specially curated for each market.
On February 28, 2022, the Company announced that it will be launching adult-use cannabis delivery from its CAC’s dispensary in Taunton. The delivery service is made available through a partnership with Bracts & Pistils, a local woman-owned and veteran-managed social equity cannabis delivery operator.
On March 2, 2022, the Company announced an exclusive manufacturing and distribution partnership in Ohio with Timeless Refinery, a leading cannabis lifestyle brand with operations in Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri and California.
On March 15, 2022, the Company announced that it had signed an amendment to the Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the amendment, the Company paid to extend the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement to a date that is on or before May 31, 2022.
On March 22, 2022, the Company announced it was expanding its leadership team by hiring Lynn Ricci as Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications.
 
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History of the Company
On May 15, 2018, Baker entered into a letter of intent with Santé Veritas Holdings, Inc., a Canadian corporation (“SVT”), Sea Hunter Therapeutics, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sea Hunter”), and Briteside Holdings, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company (“Briteside”). The letter of intent contemplated that SVT and Baker would become sister operating companies owned by TILT. The letter of intent further contemplated that Baker would, in turn, own Sea Hunter and Briteside following the transaction. On June 22, 2018, TILT Holdings Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary TILT Holdings US, Inc. (“TILT Holdings US”), were formed with the intention of creating a vertically integrated, technology driven infrastructure platform to deliver comprehensive solutions to the legalized cannabis industry in Canada and the U.S.
On July 9, 2018, Baker, SVT, Sea Hunter, Briteside and 1167411 B.C. Ltd. (“Finco”) entered into a Business Combination Agreement to combine their respective businesses, all to be owned by the Company (the “Business Combination”). Pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger between TILT Holdings US, TILT Holdings and Baker (the “Merger Agreement”), it was agreed that TILT Holdings US would merge with and into Baker with Baker continuing as the surviving corporation in the merger (the “Merger”). Prior to the Merger, members of Briteside and Sea Hunter entered into separate contribution agreements (the “Contribution Agreements”) pursuant to which they contributed their respective membership interests in Briteside and Sea Hunter to TILT Holdings in exchange for common shares in TILT Holdings. As a result of the Merger Agreement and the Contribution Agreements, Baker, Sea Hunter and Briteside became wholly owned subsidiaries of TILT Holdings. TILT Holdings subsequently became the Company by way of conversion from the State of Nevada into the Province of British Columbia and thereby became a British Columbia corporation. On November 21, 2018, pursuant to a plan of arrangement under the BCBCA, SVT then became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. In connection with this transaction, the Company became a publicly listed company on the CSE.
On January 14, 2019, the Company announced the closing of the acquisition (the “Jupiter Acquisition”) of all of the issued and outstanding membership interests in Jupiter for consideration of $226,800 consisting of: (i) $70,000 of cash consideration; and (ii) $154,000 of security based consideration comprised of 54,914,224 limited partnership units of Jimmy Jang, L.P. (“LP Units”) and 54,914,224 rights of the Company (“Rights”), with each one LP Unit and one Right being convertible together, at the request of the holder, into one Common Share.
On January 16, 2019, the Company announced the closing of the acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares in Blackbird for consideration of $53,915, consisting of: (i) $4,716 of cash consideration and (ii) $45,000 of security-based consideration comprised of 161,543 compressed shares in the capital of the Company (“Compressed Shares”). Each Compressed Share has since been decompressed into 100 Common Shares.
On January 28, 2019, the Company announced the closing of the acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares in Standard Farms PA for consideration of $40,000, consisting of: (i) $12,000 of cash consideration; and (ii) $28,000 of security-based consideration comprised of 11,090,427 Common Shares.
On April 16, 2019, the Company announced that Baker, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, closed a loan to Standard Farms OH for up to $3,000. The first tranche of $1,000 was funded on closing and the remaining $2,000 was scheduled to be funded in late 2019 subject to, among other things, Standard Farms OH’s receipt of a certificate of operation. The proceeds of the loan were distributed to the holders of all of the membership interests in Standard Farms, Bio Alpha Venture LLC (“BAV”), and Goldrath Alpha Venture LLC (“GAV”), wholly owned companies of Jonathon Goldrath and Peter Bio, officers of Standard Farms PA, an indirect subsidiary of the Company.
On April 29, 2019, the Company secured a $20,000 credit facility (the “Bridge Loan” or the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility was created pursuant to a loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) among Standard Farms PA and White Haven RE, LLC, both indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company, as borrowers (the “Borrowers”), BAV, GAV and certain other parties consented to by BAV and GAV, as lenders (collectively, the “Lenders”), BAV and GAV as agents for the Lenders and the Company and each of its indirect and direct wholly owned subsidiaries as guarantors for the Borrowers. Under the Loan Agreement, the Lenders provided $8,000 initially followed by an additional $12,000 issued on May 10, 2019, at an effective interest rate of 18.75%.
 
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On November 4, 2019, the Company announced the closing of a private placement of up to $35,000 of senior secured notes (the “Financing”) from a syndicate consisting of existing shareholders and new investors. The first close was for $25,600. The Financing was specifically used to retire in full the Bridge Loan.
On November 4, 2019, the Company announced that the previous sellers of Jupiter (the “Sellers”) agreed to restructure unsecured obligations incurred in connection with the Jupiter Acquisition (the “Jupiter Debt Restructuring”). Pursuant to a junior secured note purchase agreement, dated November 1, 2019, among Jimmy Jang, L.P. (“Jimmy Jang”), Baker, CAC, Jupiter (together with Jimmy Jang, Baker, CAC, the “Borrowing Entities”), the Company, as guarantor, and the purchasers named on the Schedule of Purchasers attached thereto, the Borrowing Entities agreed to issue to the Purchasers junior secured promissory notes (“Jupiter Notes”) in the aggregate principal amount of $36,180 in exchange for the release and satisfaction of the obligations of Jupiter and certain of its affiliates to pay, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger dated January 11, 2019 (the “Jupiter Purchase Agreement”), the remainder of the purchase price under the Jupiter Purchase Agreement and to satisfy certain other payment obligations to the Sellers. The Jupiter Notes accrue interest at 8% per annum compounded quarterly and mature in May 2023.
On November 21, 2019, the Company announced the closing of an additional private placement of $10,200 of senior secured notes from a syndicate consisting of existing shareholders and new investors, bringing the total amount of the Financing to $35,800, up from the maximum of $35,000 announced on November 4, 2019.
As of August 1, 2020, the Company completed the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Phoenix, Arizona.
On October 9, 2020, the Company announced that the Company had received regulatory approval to commence operations in Taunton, Massachusetts at the expanded cultivation facility of CAC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The regulatory approval added another 10,000 square feet of flower room and increased the Company’s overall flower canopy by more than 50%.
On November 30, 2020, the Company completed the sale of all membership interests of Yaris Acquisition, LLC d/b/a Blackbird (the “Blackbird Sale”) to Slam Dunk, a Nevada limited liability company controlled by a member of the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”), for a convertible senior secured promissory note with a principal amount of $10,000, and up to an additional $1,000 of additional funding amounts under the same note.
Prior to the Blackbird Sale in November 2020, through its Blackbird division, the Company provided end-to-end software and logistics solutions for the cannabis industry. The “My Blackbird” online portal provided a business-to-business (“B2B”) logistics platform for cultivators, brands and retailers to manage the downstream movement of products through the supply chain. Additionally, the Blackbird solutions suite connected brands and retailers with end consumers through the business-to-consumer (“B2C”) BlackbirdGo.com product. The Blackbird platform helped cannabis businesses build relationships with their retail customers through SMS and MMS messaging, customer loyalty programs, targeted marketing solutions, digital menus and online ordering and e-commerce. Blackbird also provided a B2C last mile solution in Nevada where it provided retail delivery services for cannabis retail businesses.
Baker is not currently a revenue-generating entity. The former Baker platform and technology was consolidated into Blackbird as a part of the integration of Blackbird into the Company following its acquisition in January 2019. Subsequent to the sale of Blackbird, the Company realigned the Baker entity to focus on the cannabis cultivation and extraction business, with the Baker business unit becoming part of the Company’s cannabis division.
In December 2020, the Company completed an internal restructuring to (i) simplify the corporate organizational structure, (ii) eliminate unnecessary or inactive entities and the associated costs related thereto, (iii) organize the Company’s business entities to better align with the Company’s business lines and operations and (iv) ring-fence risks within each such business line. Pursuant to a contribution agreement, the Company first contributed the membership interests of Sea Hunter, SF Ohio Inc., and Defender Marketing Services LLC to the newly formed JJ Blocker Co. Finally, JJ Blocker Co. was merged into the newly formed JJ Merger Co., a direct subsidiary of Jimmy Jang, with JJ Blocker Co. being the surviving corporation.
 
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Financings
2021
Asset-based Revolving Credit Facility
On July 21, 2021, the Company’s subsidiary, Jupiter, entered into a new two-year, $10,000 asset-based revolving credit facility with Entrepreneur Growth Capital, LLC. Borrowings under the new credit facility bear interest at Prime plus 3.5% and are secured by Jupiter’s inventory, accounts receivable and related property. Jupiter’s existing senior and junior note creditors are subordinate in their security interests in Jupiter’s inventory, accounts receivable and related property; the existing note creditors will maintain the priority of their security interests in other Jupiter collateral. The new credit facility has a two-year initial term and will continue for successive one-year terms unless terminated by either party effective at the end of the then-current term. The loan terms provide for minimum monthly interest charges, and for borrowing base eligibility requirements, advance rates, fees, events of default and default interest rates that are common features in such facilities.
Competition
The Company’s businesses face competition from companies with varying resources, access to public markets, quality of management, geographic reach and strategic focus.
The Inhalation Technology business competes primarily with distributors of CCELL® vape hardware in the U.S. and Canada including Greenlane, 3Win Corp., Cannabrand Solutions and Hamilton Devices. Additionally, the Company competes with CCELL’s direct sales team in the Canadian market. The Company also competes with manufacturers of proprietary cannabis vaporization technologies such as Pax Labs and views manufacturers of tobacco vaporization technologies as potential future competitors. Product quality, innovation, pricing and availability are important differentiating factors in the vaporization hardware market. The Company believes its commitment to inhalation technology innovation, supply chain management expertise, highly focused sales team and ability to commit balance sheet resources for inventory positioning, among other factors, allows the Company to compete effectively for the wholesale B2B of the Company’s vape and inhalation customers.
The Company’s Cannabis business competes with hundreds of cultivators, manufacturers, distributors and retailers in the Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio markets. These competitors range from small family-owned operations to well-capitalized publicly traded multi-state operators. The Company’s Cannabis business operates in states with regulations limiting the number of cannabis licenses that will be awarded, representing a barrier to entry for potential new market participants. The Company believes its partnerships with strong third-party brand companies seeking a presence in the state markets where it operates allows the Company’s Cannabis business to compete in each market. The Company utilizes its in-house expertise on behalf of its brand partners to receive product approvals, scale up production and sell products with effective promotion, packaging, pricing, placement and inventory availability.
As cannabis remains federally illegal in the U.S., businesses seeking to enter the industry face challenges when accessing capital. At present, relatively few sources of debt or equity capital and bank lending are available to fund operations in the U.S. cannabis sector. Nevertheless, the Company is well-capitalized, and management believes that significant capital and expertise is required to replicate the Company’s assets and capabilities, which are focused on providing business solutions to B2B customers building enduring brands in the highly competitive U.S. cannabis market.
Intellectual Property
The Company has developed multiple proprietary product features, technologies and processes to ensure the protection of its innovative and quality products. These proprietary technologies and processes include its cultivation and extraction techniques, product formulations and delivery and monitoring systems. While actively pursuing the patenting of these processes and materials, the Company ensures confidentiality through the use of non-disclosure and/confidentiality agreements.
 
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Jupiter has spent considerable time and resources to establish a premium and recognizable brand amongst consumers and retailers in the cannabis industry. As of December 31, 2021, Jupiter had twelve issued patents and twenty-one pending U.S. and International patent applications, and seven federally registered trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). All issued patent and trademarks are further described below. Jupiter maintains an in-house legal team, as well as engages outside legal counsel, to actively monitor and identify potential infringements on its intellectual property.
Patents
As of March 31, 2022, Jupiter had twelve issued patents and twenty-one pending U.S. and international patent applications for its vaporizer devices and systems. The following table represents issued patents.
​ ​ ​
Country
​ ​
Patent No.
​ ​
Issued Date
​ ​
Title
​
1
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
D800310
​ ​
October 17, 2017
​ ​ Electronic Vaporizer ​
2
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
10398178
​ ​
September 3, 2019
​ ​ Electronic Vaporizer ​
3
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
10750788
​ ​
August 25, 2020
​ ​ Electronic Vaporizer ​
4
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
11044943
​ ​
June 29, 2021
​ ​ Electronic Vaporizer ​
5
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
16573787
​ ​
March 19, 2020
​ ​ Pod Vaping System ​
6
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
D908278
​ ​
September 21, 2020
​ ​ Electronic Vaporizer ​
7
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
10689243
​ ​
June 23, 2020
​ ​ Metered Dispensing Device for Plant Extracts ​
8
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
10875759
​ ​
September 10, 2020
​ ​ Metered Dispensing Device for Plant Extracts ​
9
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
DM/212544
​ ​
February 5, 2021
​ ​ Monlithic Electronic Vaporizer ​
10
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
D942,677
​ ​
February 1, 2022
​ ​ Liquid Medical Device ​
11
​ ​
European Union
​ ​
DM/214262
​ ​
May 19, 2021
​ ​ Liquid Medical Device ​
12
​ ​
European Union
​ ​
29/761966
​ ​
May 14, 2021
​ ​ Liquid Medical Device ​
Trademarks
Additionally, as of March 31, 2022, Jupiter had six registered and two pending trademarks with the USPTO, all pertaining to use of the Jupiter brands and related goods associated with the Jupiter brands and/or names. The following table represents registered trademarks.
​ ​ ​
Country
​ ​
Registration Number /
Serial Number
​ ​
Registration Date
​ ​
Mark
​
1
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
5326028
​ ​
October 31, 2017
​ ​ Liquid ​
2
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
5367649
​ ​
January 2, 2018
​ ​ Liquid 9 ​
3
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
5218409
​ ​
June 6, 2017
​ ​ Tear Shape (design) ​
4
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
5941427
​ ​
December 24, 2019
​ ​ Klik ​
5
​ ​
European Union
​ ​
18054132
​ ​
September 5, 2019
​ ​ Infinity ​
6
​ ​
U.S.
​ ​
90128914
​ ​
January 4, 2022
​ ​ Dose-cti ​
Environmental
The Company does not anticipate that environmental protection requirements will have a material financial or operational effect on its capital expenditures, earnings and competitive position in the current financial year or in future years.
Human Capital
When it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent, the Company strives to be an employer of choice. The Company’s organizational culture is led by defined core values, including productivity, profitability and
 
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growth. The Company’s aim is to offer a culture and careers that raise the standard of employment success, where taking care of its people and doing what’s right for the business are complimentary imperatives.
Workforce
As of December 31, 2021, Company employees worked within five divisions: Corporate Headquarters, Jupiter, Cannabis Massachusetts, Cannabis Pennsylvania, and Cannabis Ohio. The Company’s workforce has 361 workers in total, of which 354 workers are full-time. The combination of employees working onsite and remotely covers sixteen states, plus Toronto, Canada.
The Company’s employees hold a broad range of knowledge and skill sets, with educational backgrounds ranging from associate degrees to post-doctorate degrees in their respective fields. The Company’s employee onboarding and training programs uphold the Company’s high-performance standards.
None of the Company’s employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Management considers its relations with employees to be good.
Total Rewards and Wellness
The Company has sixteen organizational levels/pay grades, each with a broad band base pay range. In addition, the Company believes in aligned incentives and utilizes employee stock plans and annual bonuses for long- and short-term incentive to retain crucial talent and align the Company’s eligible employees with the Company’s shareholders’ interests. The Company offers a comprehensive package of company-sponsored employee benefits. Eligibility depends on the employee’s full-time or part-time status and location as well as other factors. The Company’s employee benefits include paid leave; incentive bonuses; equity awards; medical, dental and vision plans; incentive spending accounts; disability, life and supplemental insurance; employee assistance programs; and other market competitive components.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Company has a strong, employee-centered culture built by inspiring people. The Company is committed to sustaining a business environment that is respectful, welcoming, equitable and supportive for a diverse range of people. By fostering diversity and leveraging the value of diversity with equity and inclusion, the Company drives better ideas, positive business results and improved service through a deeper connection with the Company’s customers. The Company is formulating strategies and tactics to leverage diversity, equity and inclusion in the Company’s workplace, workforce, customers, communities and vendors. Women and people of color (racial/ethnic minority groups) comprise 55% of the Company’s workforce. People with disabilities and military veterans make up 5% and 2% of the Company’s workforce, respectively.
Legal and Regulatory Matters
Regulatory Overview
In accordance with Staff Notice 51-352 Issuers with U.S. Marijuana-Related Activities (the “Staff Notice”), below is a discussion of the federal and state-level U.S. regulatory regimes in those jurisdictions where the Company is currently involved through its subsidiaries. The Company or its subsidiaries are, recently were or are expected to be directly engaged in the manufacture, possession, use, sale or distribution of cannabis in the states of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Company is in compliance with the applicable state regulatory framework and licensing requirements for each of the states of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The Company also has ancillary involvement in the marijuana industry through the products and services it provides to customers in the following states and U.S. territories: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
 
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Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia. The Company is not aware of any non-compliance by its customers with any applicable licensing requirements or regulatory framework enacted by each of these respective states.
In accordance with the Staff Notice, the Company will evaluate, monitor and reassess this disclosure, and any related risks, on an ongoing basis and the same will be supplemented and amended to investors in public filings, including in the event of government policy changes or the introduction of new or amended guidance, laws or regulations regarding marijuana regulation. Any non-compliance, citations or notices of violation which may have an impact on the Company’s licenses, business activities or operations will be promptly disclosed by the Company.
Regulation of Cannabis in the U.S. Federally
The U.S. federal government regulates drugs through the CSA (21 U.S.C. § 811). Pursuant to the CSA, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. A Schedule I controlled substance is defined as a substance that has no currently accepted medical use in the U.S., lacks safety for use under medical supervision and has a high potential for abuse. The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) defines Schedule I drugs, substances or chemicals as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The FDA has not approved cannabis as a safe and effective drug for any use.
Canada has federal legislation which uniformly governs the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and possession of both medical and recreational cannabis under the Cannabis Act, as well as various provincial and territorial regulatory frameworks that further govern the distribution, sale and consumption of recreational cannabis within the applicable province or territory. In contrast, cannabis is only permissively regulated at the state level in the U.S.
State laws in the U.S. regulating cannabis are in direct conflict with the CSA, which prohibits cannabis use and possession. Although certain states and territories of the U.S. authorize medical and/or recreational cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, production, distribution and sales by licensed or registered entities, under U.S. federal law, the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, possession, use, and transfer of cannabis and any related drug paraphernalia, unless specifically exempt, is illegal and any such acts are criminal acts under the CSA. Although the Company’s activities are compliant with applicable U.S. state law, strict compliance with state laws with respect to cannabis may neither absolve the Company of liability under U.S. federal law, nor may it provide a defense to any federal proceeding which may be brought against the Company.
The risk of federal enforcement and other risks associated with the Company’s business are described in “Risk Factors.”
Legal Advice in Accordance with the Staff Notice
Legal advice has been obtained by the Company regarding applicable U.S. federal and state law.
 
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Regulation of Cannabis at State Levels
Below is a summary of the licensing and regulatory framework in the markets where, as of December 31, 2021, the Company held licenses and had direct or indirect involvement with the U.S. cannabis industry, followed by outlines of the regulatory framework in each of the relevant states.
State
​ ​
License Type held Directly and
Indirectly by Company
​ ​
Number of Licenses Allowed by
Law in State
​ ​
Number of Licenses/ Applications
arising out of Company Direct and
Indirect Involvement
​
Massachusetts ​ ​
Vertically Integrated Medical Marijuana Treatment Center
Cultivator, Product Manufacturer, Retailer (Adult-Use)
​ ​
A Person or Entity Having Direct or Indirect Control may not hold more than three licenses of the same license type
​ ​
3 Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (2 open; 1 provisional license);
4 adult-use Marijuana Establishment Final licenses with authorization to commence operations
(1 cultivator license;
1 product manufacturer license; and 2 retailer licenses; all operational)
​
Ohio ​ ​
Stand Alone Processor (Medical)
​ ​
A person, entity or subsidiary thereof may only hold a financial interest in or be an owner of one processor license
​ ​
1 license
​
Pennsylvania ​ ​
Grower/Processor (Medical)
​ ​
A person may only be issued one grower/​processor license
​ ​
1 license
​
Massachusetts
Massachusetts became the eighteenth state to legalize medical marijuana when voters passed a ballot measure in 2012. Adult-use (recreational) marijuana is legal in Massachusetts as of December 15, 2016, following the passage of a ballot initiative in November of that year. The CCC, a regulatory body created in 2016, oversees both the Medical Use of Marijuana Program and the Adult Use of Marijuana Program.
Under the Medical Use of Marijuana Program, a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (“MTC”) is required to be vertically integrated, such that a single MTC license holder must cultivate, manufacture and dispense medical marijuana and marijuana products to registered, qualifying patients and personal caregivers. Pursuant to the CCC’s regulations, no Person or Entity Having Direct or Indirect Control over the MTC’s operations may be granted or hold more than three MTC Licenses.
Under the Adult Use of Marijuana Program, vertical integration is not required, and therefore multiple types of adult-use Marijuana Establishment (“ME”) licenses exist. The Marijuana Cultivator (Indoor or Outdoor), Marijuana Product Manufacturer and Marijuana Retailer licenses cover the three main operational license types (cultivation, manufacturing and retail sales). ME Licenses, subject to certain ownership requirements, are also available for Independent Testing Laboratories, Marijuana Research Facilities, Marijuana Transporters (Third-Party or Existing Licensee), Craft Marijuana Cooperatives, Marijuana Couriers, Marijuana Delivery Operators, Social Consumption Establishments (once authorized by municipalities and an application is released by the CCC) and Marijuana Microbusinesses. No Person or Entity Having Direct or Indirect Control over the ME’s operations may be granted or hold more than three licenses in a particular class of license, except as otherwise specified in the applicable regulations. In addition, any Person or Entity Having Direct or Indirect Control, or Licensee, is limited to a total of 100,000 square feet of cultivation “canopy” distributed across no more than three adult-use Marijuana Cultivator Licenses and three MTC Licenses.
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary CAC, holds two operational vertically integrated MTC licenses, in Brockton and Taunton and one provisional MTC license in Cambridge. CAC has also
 
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received final licenses (including authorization to commence operations) for its adult-use retailer operations in Taunton and Brockton, as well as its adult-use cultivator and product manufacturer operations in Taunton. In addition, CAC has received municipal authorization for medical cannabis sales at its retail MTC location in Cambridge. The Company is currently seeking final licensure from the CCC to commence medical cannabis retail sales in Cambridge. The Company is in compliance with Massachusetts state law and the related licensing framework.
Ohio
On June 8, 2016, former Ohio Governor John Kasich signed HB 523 into law, sanctioning the use of marijuana for limited medical purposes and establishing a commercial marijuana regulatory regime. Qualifying conditions for access to medical marijuana under the program include, but are not limited to, chronic and severe pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer. Ohio’s medical cannabis program is regulated by both the Ohio Department of Commerce (“Department of Commerce”) and the Ohio Board of Pharmacy (“Ohio Board”). The Department of Commerce is responsible for licensing cultivators, processors and testing laboratories, while the Ohio Board is responsible for registering patients and caregivers as well as licensing medical marijuana dispensaries. Final regulations governing the program, including applications for business licensure, the operation of commercial medical cannabis establishments, physician certifications and patient registration have been adopted.
Ohio’s medical cannabis program allows businesses to be structured as for-profit entities and does not impose residency requirements for investment or ownership in a commercial cannabis license. Ohio’s licensing structure permits, but does not require, vertical integration. Each license (cultivation, processor and dispensary) is issued on an individual basis for each facility type/function. There are three different types of processors — stand-alone, vertically integrated facilities and a plant-only processor, which is a cultivator who distributes plant material directly to dispensaries. Common ownership between cultivation, processing and dispensing licenses is permitted, but prohibited for cannabis testing licensees. However, no one entity or person may own, have a financial interest in or significantly influence or control the activities of more than one cultivation license, more than one processing license or more than five dispensary licenses at any given time.
In March 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of Standard Farms OH, a licensed stand-alone processor in Ohio. Standard Farms OH engages in the production, possession, use, sale and distribution of cannabis products in Ohio’s medicinal cannabis marketplace. The Company is in compliance with Ohio state law and the related licensing framework.
Pennsylvania
In April of 2016, Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Wolf signed the commonwealth’s first medical marijuana bill into law. The medical program created a commercial system for a limited number of businesses and permits physicians to recommend cannabis for a limited number of qualifying conditions. The Pennsylvania Department of Health ( “PA DOH”) regulates medical marijuana businesses in the commonwealth and issues two types of primary licenses: a medical marijuana grower/processor license and a medical marijuana dispensary license. The PA DOH also issues a third type of license called a Clinical Registrant License. The Clinical Registrant license is a combination of a grower/processor license and a dispensary license that is limited to applicants who have established a partnership with an accredited medical school in Pennsylvania. Under new legislation, the PA DOH will issue up to ten Clinical Registrant Licenses, with each such licensee eligible for only one grower/processor license and one dispensary license (one Clinical Registrant dispensary license allows up to six dispensary locations).
For licensing purposes, the PA DOH split the commonwealth into six regions. The state limits the total number of medical marijuana organizations to twenty-five grower/processor licenses and fifty dispensary licenses commonwealth-wide. Each dispensary license is permitted to have up to three dispensary sites for a total of 150 potential dispensary locations throughout Pennsylvania. For each dispensary license, the locations must be within the region where the license was awarded. For medical marijuana grower/processor licenses, the location is limited to the region where the license was awarded, but distribution is permissible across all regions. Residency is not required to operate a medical marijuana organization in Pennsylvania. Vertical
 
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integration is limited, as the PA DOH may not issue more than five grower/processor businesses dispensary permits. In addition, a single entity may not hold more than one grower/processor permit nor more than five dispensary permits.
On June 30, 2021, Governor Wolf signed legislation, HB 1024, into law expanding the ability of patients to access medical cannabis and extending certain policies that were temporarily enacted during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the new law, Clinical Registrant Licenses have been expanded from eight to ten. Additionally, dispensaries are allowed to offer cannabis curbside deliveries; patients can obtain a ninety day instead of the previous thirty day supply for cannabis and the five person cap on the number of patients that a caregiver can serve would also be removed indefinitely. Patients can also now consult with authorizing physicians via video conferencing. Those who act as caregivers under the law are no longer restricted to servicing five patients or fewer. The law also expands the pool of eligible conditions to include cancer remission therapy and CNS-related neuropathy as well as eliminates provisions that previously required chronic pain patients to try conventional prescription pain medications prior to using cannabis. Additionally, the law makes it easier for producers to remove contaminants such as yeast and mold from medical marijuana, to turn it into products that are topical in form, not to be inhaled or ingested. The law also expands the number of research facilities that are studying patient response to the drugs.
In Pennsylvania, the Company holds a medical marijuana grower/processor license through its wholly owned subsidiary, Standard Farms PA, which operates 33,500 square feet of greenhouse. The Company is in compliance with Pennsylvania state law and the related licensing framework.
Company Compliance Program
The Company is classified as having direct, indirect and ancillary involvement in the U.S. marijuana industry and is in material compliance with applicable licensing requirements and the regulatory framework enacted by each U.S. state in which it operates. The Company is not subject to any citations or notices of violation with applicable licensing requirements or the regulatory framework enacted by each applicable U.S. state which may have an impact on its licenses, business activities or operations.
The Company’s General Counsel or any other individual appointed by them oversees, maintains, and implements the Company’s compliance program and personnel. In addition to the Company’s internal legal and compliance departments, the Company has state and local regulatory/compliance counsel engaged in every jurisdiction in which it operates.
The Company’s General Counsel or any other individual appointed by them oversees compliance training for all employees, such training includes, but is not limited to, on the following topics:
•
compliance with state and local laws;
​
•
safe cannabis use;
​
•
dispensing procedures;
​
•
security and safety policies and procedures;
​
•
inventory control;
​
•
seed-to-sale training sessions;
​
•
recordkeeping;
​
•
responsible vendor training;
​
•
quality control;
​
•
transportation procedures; and
​
•
extensive ingredient and product testing, often beyond that required by law to assure product safety and accuracy.
​
The Company’s compliance program emphasizes security and inventory control to ensure strict monitoring of cannabis and inventory from delivery by a licensed distributor to sale or disposal. Only authorized and properly trained employees are allowed to access the Company’s computerized seed-to-sale system.
 
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The Company’s General Counsel or anyone appointed by them monitors all compliance notifications from the regulators and inspectors in each market, timely resolving any issues identified. The Company keeps records of all compliance notifications received from the state regulators or inspectors and how and when the issue was resolved.
Further, the Company has created comprehensive standard operating procedures that include detailed descriptions and instructions for receiving shipments of inventory, inventory tracking, recordkeeping and record retention practices related to inventory, as well as procedures for handling cash, performing inventory and cash reconciliation, ensuring the accuracy of inventory tracking and recordkeeping. The Company maintains accurate records of its inventory at all licensed facilities. Adherence to the Company’s standard operating procedures is mandatory and ensures that the Company’s operations are compliant with the applicable state and local laws, regulations, ordinances, licenses, rules and other requirements. The Company ensures adherence to standard operating procedures by regularly conducting internal inspections and ensures that any issues identified are resolved quickly and thoroughly.
In January 2018, U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memorandum. The rescission of the Cole Memorandum and other Obama-era prosecutorial guidance did not create a change in federal law, as the Cole Memorandum was never legally binding; however, the revocation removed the DOJ’s guidance to U.S. Attorneys that state-regulated cannabis industries operating substantively in compliance with the Cole Memorandum’s guidelines should not be a prosecutorial priority. As an industry best practice, despite the rescission of the Cole Memorandum, the Company continues to do the following to ensure compliance with the guidance provided by the Cole Memorandum:
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ensure the operations of its subsidiaries and business partners are compliant with all licensing requirements that are set forth with regards to cannabis operation by the applicable state, county, municipality, town, township, borough, and other political/administrative divisions. To this end, the Company retains appropriately experienced legal counsel to conduct the necessary due diligence to ensure compliance of such operations with all applicable laws and regulations;
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the activities relating to cannabis business adhere to the scope of the license obtained — for example, in the states where only medical cannabis is permitted, the products are only sold to patients who hold the necessary documentation to permit the possession of the cannabis; and in the states where cannabis is permitted for adult recreational use, the products are only sold to individuals who meet the requisite age requirements;
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the Company only works through licensed operators, which must pass a range of requirements, adhere to strict business practice standards and be subjected to strict regulatory oversight whereby sufficient checks and balances ensure that no revenue is distributed to criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels; and
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the Company conducts reviews of products, product packaging and transactions to ensure that the products comply with applicable regulations, contain necessary disclaimers about the contents of the products and provide requisite educational material to mitigate adverse public health consequences from cannabis use and prevent impaired driving.
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On November 7, 2018, Jeff Sessions resigned from his position as Attorney General. The next Attorney General, William Barr, stated that he does not intend “go after” parties who are involved in the cannabis business and are compliant with state law in reliance on the Cole Memorandum. Under President Biden’s administration and his appointed Attorney General, Merrick Garland, DOJ rhetoric around cannabis has largely returned to the Obama-era rhetoric even if a new prosecutorial guidance memorandum has not been re-issued. During his Senate confirmation, Merrick Garland told Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) that, “It does not seem to me useful the use of limited resources that we have to be pursuing prosecutions in states that have legalized and are regulating the use of marijuana, either medically or otherwise.” Such statements are not official declarations or policies of the DOJ and are not binding on the DOJ, on any U.S. Attorney or on the U.S. federal courts, and substantial uncertainty regarding U.S. federal enforcement remains. To date, there has been no new federal cannabis memorandums issued by the Biden Administration or any published change in federal enforcement policy. Regardless, the federal government of the U.S. has always reserved the right to enforce federal law regarding the sale and disbursement of medical or recreational marijuana, even if state law sanctioned such sale and disbursement. Although the rescission of the Cole Memorandum does not necessarily
 
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indicate that marijuana industry prosecutions are now affirmatively a priority for the DOJ, there can be no assurance that the U.S. federal government will not enforce such laws in the future.
In the absence of a uniform federal policy, as had been established by the Cole Memorandum, numerous U.S. Attorneys with state-legal marijuana programs within their jurisdictions have announced enforcement priorities for their respective offices. For instance, Andrew Lelling, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts through February 2021, stated that while his office would not immunize any businesses from federal prosecution, he anticipated focusing the office’s marijuana enforcement efforts on: (1) overproduction; (2) targeted sales to minors; and (3) organized crime and interstate transportation of drug proceeds. Other U.S. Attorneys provided less assurance, promising to enforce federal law, including the CSA in appropriate circumstances.
The Company will continue to monitor compliance on an ongoing basis in accordance with its compliance program and standard operating procedures. While the Company’s operations are in full compliance with all applicable state laws, regulations and licensing requirements, such activities remain illegal under U.S. federal law. For the reasons described above and the risks further described in the Risk Factors section below, there are significant risks associated with the business of the Company. Readers are strongly encouraged to carefully read all of the risk factors contained in Risk Factors.
Available Information
The Company’s website address is www.tiltholdings.com. Through this website, the Company’s filings with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K will be accessible (free of charge) as soon as reasonably practicable after materials are electronically filed or furnished to the SEC. The information provided on the Company’s website is not part of this registration statement. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The Company’s filings with the SEC are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Additional information related to the Company is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
 
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ITEM 1A.   RISK FACTORS
The risks and uncertainties described below could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. The risk factors described below include the considerable risks associated with the current economic environment and the related potential adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. You should read these risk factors in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. There also may be other factors that we cannot anticipate or that are not described in this report generally because we do not currently perceive them to be material. Those factors could cause results to differ materially from our expectations.
Summary of Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which you should evaluate before making a decision to invest in our Common Shares. This summary does not address all of the risks related to our business. Additional discussion of the risks summaries may be found under the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this registration statement, and should be carefully considered before making a decision to invest in our Common Shares. These risks include, among others:
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We are subject to those risks inherent in an agricultural business.
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Some of our planned business activities, while compliant with applicable U.S. state and local law, are illegal under U.S. federal law. Third parties may fail to establish or maintain business relationships with us, which could have a material adverse effect on us. Banks and other financial institutions which service the cannabis industry are at risk of violating certain financial laws, including anti-money laundering statutes, and if we do not have access to the U.S. banking system, our business and operations could be adversely affected.
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Regulatory changes may adversely affect our profitability or cause us to cease operations entirely.
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We are subject to changes in laws, regulations and guidelines which could adversely affect our future business, financial conditions and operations.
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Reclassification of cannabis in the U.S. could adversely impact our business and growth strategy.
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We may be subject to federal and state forfeiture laws which, if exercised, could have a material adverse impact our operations.
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Our operations in the U.S., and any future operations or investments, may become the subject of heightened scrutiny by regulators, stock exchanges and other authorities in Canada.
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State regulatory agencies may require us to post bonds or significant fees, which may be economically prohibitive.
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The success of our business strategy depends on the legality of the cannabis industry.
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Public opinion and perception may significantly influence government policy and regulation of the cannabis industry, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and prospects.
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We face risks due to industry immaturity or limited comparable, competitive or established industry best practices.
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We face intense competition from other companies and increasing legalization of cannabis and rapid growth and consolidation in the cannabis industry may further intensify competition.
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The Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment may not be renewed, potentially resulting in DOJ enforcement activities against entities in the cannabis industry.
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We could be materially adversely impacted due to restrictions under U.S. border entry laws.
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Uncertainty in regulatory changes in relation to vaporization devices could result in an impact to our interstate commerce, registration and revenue reporting requirements, and potential excise tax liability.
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We are dependent on regulatory approvals and licenses to conduct our business, and there is no assurance that our licenses will be issued, extended or renewed by each applicable regulatory authority.
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Future research may lead to findings that vaporizers, electronic cigarettes and related products are not safe for their intended use.
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We may be required to disclose personal information of investors to government or regulatory entities or face the possibility of a license being revoked or cancelled.
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Increased prices and inflation could negatively impact our margin performance and our financial results.
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We may incur significant tax liabilities due to limitations on tax deductions and credits under the applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code.
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We are a holding company and are dependent on the earnings and distributions by our subsidiaries.
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Our actual financial position and results of operations may differ materially from the expectations of our management.
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We have incurred substantial indebtedness and may not be able to refinance, extend or repay this indebtedness on a timely basis or at all.
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We expect to incur significant ongoing costs and obligations related to our investment in infrastructure, growth, regulatory compliance and operations.
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Our reliance on third-party suppliers and loss of these suppliers, manufacturers and contractors may have a material adverse effect on our business and operational results.
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There is no assurance that we will be able to develop our products, which could prevent us from ever becoming profitable.
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There is no assurance that we will turn a profit or generate immediate revenues.
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Our growth and development may be hindered by applicable limitations on ownership of licenses.
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The results of future clinical research may be unfavorable to cannabis which may have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products.
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If we were to experience a bankruptcy, there is no guarantee that U.S. federal bankruptcy protections would be available to our U.S. operations, which would materially adversely affect our prospects and on the rights of our lenders and securityholders.
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We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent contractors and consultants may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity.
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There remains doubt and uncertainty that we will be able to legally enforce contracts we enter into.
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We have been or may become subject to litigation, including for possible product liability claims, which may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results from operations and financial condition.
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Failure to comply with applicable environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements may result in enforcement actions, including orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities causing operations to cease or be curtailed, and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment or remedial actions.
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We are highly dependent on certain key personnel and if we are unable to attract and retain key personnel, we may not be able to compete effectively in the cannabis market.
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The market price of our securities may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations.
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Our probable lack of business diversification could have a material adverse effect on our business.
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Our industry is experiencing rapid growth and consolidation that may cause us to lose key relationships and intensify competition.
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We may not be able to secure adequate or reliable sources of funding required to operate our business and meet consumer demand for our products.
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Product recalls could result in a material and adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Our officers and directors may be engaged in a range of business activities which could result in a conflict of interest.
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Management may not be able to successfully implement adequate internal controls over financial reporting.
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We face costs of maintaining a public listing and being a reporting company in Canada and the U.S. which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We face risks related to our insurance coverage and uninsurable risks.
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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on us and our operations is uncertain and may adversely affect our business and financial condition.
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Our operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted by a material downturn in global financial conditions.
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We may be subject to risks related to the protection and enforcement of our intellectual property rights, and may become subject to allegations that we are in violation of intellectual property rights of third parties.
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We will be reliant on information technology systems and may be subject to damaging cyber-attacks or security breaches.
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We may not be able to successfully identify and execute future acquisitions or disposition, or to successfully manage the impacts of such transactions on our operations.
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We may not be able to effectively manage our growth and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business.
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Risks Related to Regulation and the Cannabis Industry
The success of our business strategy depends on the legality of the cannabis industry.
The success of our business strategy depends on the legality of the cannabis industry. The political environment surrounding the cannabis industry in general can be volatile and the regulatory framework remains in flux. At the federal level, it currently does not appear that the risk of federal enforcement will be significantly altered by President Biden’s administration and his newly appointed Attorney General, Merrick Garland. To our knowledge, there are to date a total of thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam that have legalized a form of comprehensive commercial medical or adult-use cannabis reform; however, the risk remains that a shift in the regulatory or political realm could occur and have a drastic impact on the industry as a whole, adversely impacting our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
Delays in enactment of new state or federal regulations could restrict our ability to reach strategic growth targets and lower return on investor capital. Our strategic growth strategy is reliant upon certain federal and state regulations being enacted to facilitate the legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis. If such regulations are not enacted, or enacted but subsequently repealed or amended, or enacted with prolonged phase-in periods, our growth targets, and thus, the effect on the return of investor capital, could be detrimental. We are unable to predict with certainty when and how the outcome of these complex regulatory and legislative proceedings will affect our business and growth.
Further, there is no guaranty that state laws legalizing and regulating the sale and use of cannabis will not be repealed or overturned or that local governmental authorities will not limit the applicability of state laws within their respective jurisdictions. If the federal government begins to enforce federal laws relating to cannabis in states where the sale and use of cannabis is currently legal, or if existing applicable state laws are repealed or curtailed, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects would be materially adversely affected. It is also important to note that local and city ordinances may strictly limit and/or restrict disbursement of cannabis in a manner that will make it extremely difficult or impossible to transact business that is necessary for the continued operation of the cannabis industry. Federal actions against individuals or entities engaged in the cannabis industry or a repeal of applicable cannabis-related legislation could adversely affect us and our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
We are aware that multiple states are considering special taxes or fees on businesses in the cannabis industry. It is a potential yet unknown risk at this time that other states are in the process of reviewing such additional fees and taxation. This could have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
The commercial, medical and adult-use cannabis industries are in their infancy and we anticipate such regulations will be subject to change as the jurisdictions in which we will carry on business mature. We have put in place a detailed compliance program which will we oversee, maintain and implement. In addition to our legal and compliance departments, we also have local regulatory/compliance counsel engaged in every
 
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jurisdiction in which we operate. Our compliance program emphasizes security and inventory control to ensure strict monitoring of cannabis and inventory from delivery by a licensed distributor to sale or disposal. Additionally, we have created comprehensive standard operating procedures that include detailed descriptions and instructions for monitoring inventory at all stages of development and distribution. We will continue to monitor compliance on an ongoing basis in accordance with our compliance program, standard operating procedures and any changes to regulation in the cannabis industry.
Overall, the medical and adult-use cannabis industry is subject to significant regulatory change at both the state and federal level. Our inability to respond to the changing regulatory landscape may cause us to not be successful in capturing significant market share and could otherwise harm our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
We are subject to those risks inherent in an agricultural business.
Adult-use and medical marijuana are agricultural products. There are risks inherent in the agricultural business, such as insects, plant diseases and similar agricultural risks. Although our products are usually grown indoors under climate-controlled conditions, with conditions monitored, there can be no assurance that natural elements will not have a material adverse effect on the production of our products.
Some of our planned business activities, while compliant with applicable U.S. state and local law, are illegal under U.S. federal law.
We are engaged in the manufacturing, management, packaging/labeling, advertising, sale, transportation, storage and disposal of cannabis and are subject to laws and regulations relating to drugs, controlled substances, health and safety, the conduct of operations and the protection of the environment. Because the possession, use, cultivation, and transfer of cannabis and any related drug paraphernalia is illegal under U.S. federal law, and any such acts are criminal acts under federal law under any and all circumstances under the CSA, an investor’s contribution to and involvement in such activities may result in federal civil and/or criminal prosecution, including forfeiture of his, her or its entire investment. We may also be deemed to be aiding and abetting illegal activities through the contracts we have entered into and the products that we intend to provide. As a result, U.S. law enforcement authorities, in their attempt to regulate the illegal use of cannabis and any related drug paraphernalia, may seek to bring an action or actions against us, including, but not limited to, aiding and abetting another’s criminal activities. The U.S. federal aiding and abetting statute provides that anyone who “commits an offense against the U.S. or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal.” As a result of such an action, we may be forced to cease operations and be restricted from operating in the U.S., and our investors could lose their entire investment. Such an action would have a material negative effect on our business and operations.
Because the cannabis industry remains illegal under U.S. federal law, any property owned by participants in the cannabis industry which are either used in the course of conducting such business, or are the proceeds of such business, could be subject to seizure by law enforcement and subsequent civil asset forfeiture. Even if the owner of the property was never charged with a crime, the property in question could still be seized and subject to an administrative proceeding by which with minimal due process, it could be subject to forfeiture.
In addition, companies providing goods and/or services to companies like us that are engaged in cannabis-related activities may, under threat of federal civil and/or criminal prosecution, suspend or withdraw their services. Any suspension of service and inability to procure goods or services from an alternative source, even on a temporary basis, that causes interruptions in our operations could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Due to the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA, third parties may fail to establish or maintain business relationships with us, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
The parties with which we do business may perceive that they are exposed to reputational risk as a result of our cannabis business activities. While we have other banking relationships and believe that the services can be procured from other institutions, we may in the future have difficulty establishing or maintaining bank accounts or other business relationships. Failure to establish or maintain business relationships could have a material adverse effect on us.
 
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Due to the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA, banks and other financial institutions which service the cannabis industry are at risk of violating certain financial laws, including anti-money laundering statutes, and if we do not have access to the U.S. banking system, our business and operations could be adversely affected.
We will be subject to a variety of laws and regulations domestically and in the U.S. that involve money laundering, financial recordkeeping and proceeds of crime, including the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Proceeds of Crime Act (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada), as amended and the rules and regulations thereunder, the Criminal Code (Canada) and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by governmental authorities in the U.S. and Canada. Since the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of cannabis remains illegal under the CSA, banks and other financial institutions providing services to cannabis-related businesses risk violation of federal anti-money laundering statutes (18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957), the unlicensed money-remitter statute (18 U.S.C. § 1960) and the Bank Secrecy Act, among other applicable federal statutes. Banks or other financial institutions that provide cannabis businesses with financial services such as a checking account in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act could be criminally prosecuted for willful violations of money laundering statutes, in addition to being subject to other criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement actions. Banks often refuse to provide banking services to businesses involved in the cannabis industry due to the present state of the laws and regulations governing financial institutions in the U.S. The lack of banking and financial services presents unique and significant challenges to businesses in the cannabis industry. The potential lack of a secure place in which to deposit and store proceeds, the inability to pay creditors through the issuance of checks and the inability to secure traditional forms of operational financing, such as lines of credit, are some of the many challenges presented by the unavailability of traditional banking and financial services. These statutes can impose criminal liability for engaging in certain financial and monetary transactions with the proceeds of a “specified unlawful activity” such as distributing controlled substances which are illegal under federal law, including cannabis, and for failing to identify or report financial transactions that involve the proceeds of cannabis-related violations of the CSA. We may also be exposed to the foregoing risks.
In February 2014, FinCEN issued the FinCEN Memorandum providing instructions to banks seeking to provide services to cannabis-related businesses. The FinCEN Memorandum states that in some circumstances, it is permissible for banks to provide services to cannabis-related businesses without risking prosecution for violation of the Bank Secrecy Act. It refers to supplementary guidance that former Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole issued to federal prosecutors relating to the prosecution of money laundering offenses predicated on cannabis-related violations of the CSA. Although the FinCEN Memorandum remains in effect today, overall, the DOJ continues to have the right and power to prosecute crimes committed by banks and financial institutions, such as money laundering and violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, that occur in any state, including in states that have legalized the applicable conduct and the DOJ’s current enforcement priorities could change for any number of reasons. A change in the DOJ’s enforcement priorities could result in the DOJ prosecuting banks and financial institutions for crimes that previously were not prosecuted. If we do not have access to the U.S. banking system, our business and operations could be adversely affected.
If our operations were found to be in violation of money laundering legislation or otherwise, such transactions may be viewed as proceeds of crime under federal statutes noted or any other applicable legislation, which could restrict or otherwise jeopardize our ability to declare or pay dividends, effect other distributions or subsequently repatriate such funds back to Canada, and subject us to civil and/or criminal penalties.
Potential violations of federal law resulting from cannabis-related activities include the U.S. Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”). RICO is a federal statute providing criminal penalties in addition to a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. Under RICO, it is unlawful for any person who has received income derived from a pattern of racketeering activity (which includes most felonious violations of the CSA), to use or invest any of that income in the acquisition of any interest, or the establishment or operation of any enterprise which is engaged in interstate commerce. RICO also authorizes private parties whose properties or businesses are harmed by such patterns of racketeering activity to initiate a civil action against the individuals involved. Although RICO suits against
 
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the cannabis industry are rare, a few cannabis businesses have been subject to a civil RICO action. Defending such a case has proven extremely costly, and potentially fatal to a business’ operations.
In the event that any of our operations, or any proceeds thereof, any dividends or distributions therefrom, or any profits or revenues accruing from such operations in the U.S. were found to be in violation of money laundering legislation or otherwise, such transactions may be viewed as proceeds of crime under one or more of the statutes noted above or any other applicable legislation. This could restrict or otherwise jeopardize our ability to declare or pay dividends, effect other distributions or subsequently repatriate such funds back to Canada, and subject us to civil and/or criminal penalties. Furthermore, while there are no current intentions to declare or pay dividends on the Common Shares in the foreseeable future, in the event that a determination was made that our proceeds from operations (or any future operations or investments in the U.S.) could reasonably be shown to constitute proceeds of crime, we may decide or be required to suspend declaring or paying dividends without advance notice and for an indefinite period of time. We could likewise be required to suspend or cease operations entirely.
Reclassification of cannabis in the U.S. could adversely impact our business and growth strategy.
If marijuana is re-categorized as a Schedule II or lower controlled substance, the ability to conduct research on the medical benefits of cannabis would most likely be improved; however, if cannabis is re-categorized as a Schedule II or other controlled substance, and the resulting re-classification would result in the requirement for U.S. FDA approval if medical claims are made for our products such as medical cannabis, then as a result, such products may be subject to a significant degree of regulation by the FDA and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). In that case, we may be required to be registered (licensed) to perform these activities and have the security, control, recordkeeping, reporting and inventory mechanisms required by the DEA to prevent drug loss and diversion. Obtaining the necessary registrations may result in delay of the cultivation, manufacturing or distribution of our anticipated products. The DEA conducts periodic inspections of certain registered establishments that handle controlled substances. Failure to maintain compliance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The DEA may seek civil penalties, refuse to renew necessary registrations or initiate proceedings to restrict, suspend or revoke those registrations. In certain circumstances, violations could lead to criminal proceedings. Furthermore, if the FDA, DEA, or any other regulatory authority determines that our products may have potential for abuse, it may require us to generate more clinical or other data than we currently anticipate in order to establish whether or to what extent the substance has an abuse potential, which could increase the cost and/or delay the launch of that product.
If the federal government reclassifies cannabis to a Schedule II controlled substance, it is possible that FDA would seek to regulate cannabis under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938. Additionally, FDA may issue rules and regulations, including good manufacturing practices related to the growth, cultivation, harvesting and processing of medical cannabis. Clinical trials may be needed to verify the efficacy and safety of cannabis. It is also possible that FDA would require facilities where medical use cannabis is grown to register with FDA and comply with certain federally prescribed regulations. In the event that some or all of these regulations are imposed, the impact they would have on the cannabis industry is unknown, including the costs, requirements and possible prohibitions that may be enforced. If we are unable to comply with the potential regulations or registration requirements prescribed by FDA, it may have an adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenue, results of operation and financial condition.
It is also possible that the federal government could seek to regulate cannabis under the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives may issue rules and regulations related to the use, transporting, sale and advertising of cannabis or cannabis products, including smokeless cannabis products.
We may be subject to federal and state forfeiture laws which, if exercised, could have a material adverse impact our operations.
Violations of any federal laws and regulations could result in significant fines, penalties, administrative sanctions, convictions or settlements arising from civil proceedings conducted by either the federal government or private citizens, or criminal charges, including, but not limited to, seizure of assets, disgorgement of profits, cessation of business activities or divestiture. As an entity that conducts business in the cannabis industry, we
 
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will be potentially subject to federal and state forfeiture laws (criminal and civil) that permit the government to seize the proceeds of criminal activity. Civil forfeiture laws could provide an alternative for the federal government or any state or local police force that wants to discourage residents from conducting transactions with cannabis-related businesses but believes criminal liability is too difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Also, an individual can be required to forfeit property considered to be the proceeds of a crime even if the individual is not convicted of the crime, and the standard of proof in a civil forfeiture matter is lower than the standard in a criminal matter. Depending on the applicable law, whether federal or state, rather than having to establish liability beyond a reasonable doubt, the federal government or the state, as applicable, may be required to prove that the money or property at issue is proceeds of a crime only by either clear and convincing evidence or a mere preponderance of the evidence.
Members of our company located in states where cannabis remains illegal may be at risk of prosecution under federal and/or state conspiracy, aiding and abetting and money laundering statutes and be at further risk of losing their investments or proceeds under forfeiture statutes. Many states remain fully able to take action to prevent the proceeds of cannabis businesses from entering their state. Because state legalization is relatively new, it remains to be seen whether these states would take such action and whether a court would approve it. Members and prospective members of our company should be aware of these potentially relevant federal and state laws in considering whether to invest in our company.
Our operations in the U.S. and any future operations or investments may become the subject of heightened scrutiny by regulators, stock exchanges and other authorities in Canada.
Our operations in the U.S. and any future operations or investments may become the subject of heightened scrutiny by regulators, stock exchanges and other authorities in Canada. As a result, we may be subject to significant direct and indirect interaction with public officials. There can be no assurance that this heightened scrutiny will not in turn lead to the imposition of certain restrictions on our ability to operate or invest in the U.S. or any other jurisdiction, in addition to those described herein.
Further to the indication by CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. (“CDS”), Canada’s central securities depository for clearing and settling trades in the Canadian equity, fixed income and money markets, that it would refuse to settle trades for cannabis issuers that have investments in the U.S., the TMX Group, the owner and operator of CDS, subsequently issued a statement in August 2017 reaffirming that there is no CDS ban on the clearing of securities of issuers with cannabis-related activities in the U.S., despite media reports to the contrary and that the TMX Group was working with regulators to arrive at a solution that will clarify this matter, which would be communicated at a later time. In February 2018, following discussions with the Canadian Securities Administrators and recognized Canadian securities exchanges, the TMX Group announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with The Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc., the CSE, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the TSX Venture Exchange. The MOU outlines the parties’ understanding of Canada’s regulatory framework applicable to the rules, procedures and regulatory oversight of the exchanges and CDS as it relates to issuers with cannabis-related activities in the U.S. The MOU confirms, with respect to the clearing of listed securities, that CDS relies on the exchanges to review the conduct of listed issuers. As a result, there is currently no CDS ban on the clearing of securities of issuers with cannabis-related activities in the U.S. However, there can be no guarantee that this approach to regulation will continue in the future. If such a ban were to be implemented, it would have a material adverse effect on the ability of holders of Common Shares to make and settle trades. In particular, we would become highly illiquid until an alternative was implemented, as investors would have no ability to affect a trade of securities through the facilities of the applicable stock exchange.
In the U.S., many clearing houses for major broker-dealer firms have refused to handle securities or settle transactions of companies engaged in cannabis-related business. This means that certain broker-dealers cannot accept for deposit or settle transactions in the securities of companies, which may inhibit the ability of investors to trade in our securities and could negatively affect the liquidity of our securities.
Any restrictions imposed by the NEO Exchange or other applicable exchange on our business of and/or the potential delisting of the Common Shares from the NEO Exchange or other applicable exchange or regulatory agency would have a material adverse effect on us and on the ability of holders of Common Shares to make trades.
 
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Regulatory changes may adversely affect our profitability or cause us to cease operations entirely.
Our business activities will rely on newly established and/or developing laws and regulations in multiple jurisdictions. These laws and regulations are rapidly evolving and subject to change with minimal notice. Regulatory changes may adversely affect our profitability or cause us to cease operations entirely. The cannabis industry may come under the scrutiny or further scrutiny by the FDA, SEC, DOJ, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or other applicable federal, state or non-governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations that supervise or regulate the production, distribution, sale or use of cannabis for medical or non-medical purposes in the U.S. It is impossible to determine the extent of the impact of any new laws, regulations or initiatives that may be proposed, or whether any proposals will become law. The regulatory uncertainty surrounding our industry may adversely affect our business and operations, including without limitation, the costs to remain compliant with applicable laws and the impairment of our ability to raise additional capital, create a public trading market in the U.S. for our securities or to find a suitable acquirer, which could reduce, delay or eliminate any return on investment.
State regulatory agencies may require us to post bonds or significant fees, which may be economically prohibitive.
There is a risk that a greater number of state regulatory agencies will begin requiring entities engaged in certain aspects of the cannabis business or industry of legal marijuana to post a bond or significant fees when applying, for example, for a dispensary license or renewal as a guarantee of payment of sales and franchise tax. We are not able to quantify at this time the potential scope for such bonds or fees in the states in which we currently or may in the future operate. Any bonds or fees of material amounts could have a negative impact on the ultimate success of our business. Our business is subject to a number of risks and hazards generally, including adverse environmental conditions, accidents, labor disputes and changes in the regulatory environment. Such occurrences could result in damage to assets, personal injury or death, environmental damage, delays in operations, monetary losses and possible legal liability. Although we maintain insurance to protect against certain risks in such amounts as we consider to be reasonable, our insurance does not cover all the potential risks associated with our operations. We may also be unable to maintain insurance to cover these risks at economically feasible premiums. Insurance coverage may not continue to be available or may not be adequate to cover any resulting liability. Moreover, insurance against risks such as environmental pollution or other hazards encountered in our operations is not generally available on acceptable terms. We might also become subject to liability for pollution or other hazards which may not be insured against or which we may elect not to insure against because of premium costs or other reasons. Losses from these events may cause us to incur significant costs that could have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
Public opinion and perception may significantly influence government policy and regulation of the cannabis industry, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and prospects.
Government policy changes or public opinion may also result in a significant influence over the regulation of the cannabis industry in the U.S., Canada or elsewhere. Public opinion and support for medical and adult-use marijuana has traditionally been inconsistent and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. While public opinion and support appears to be rising for legalizing medical and adult-use marijuana, it remains a controversial issue subject to differing opinions surrounding the level of legalization (for example, legalization of medical marijuana as opposed to legalization in general). Further, adverse publicity reports or other media attention regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of marijuana in general, or associating the consumption of adult-use and medical marijuana with illness or other negative effects or events, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or prospects. There is no assurance that such adverse publicity reports or other media attention will not arise. A negative shift in the public’s perception of cannabis, including vaping or other forms of cannabis administration, in the U.S., Canada or any other applicable jurisdiction could affect future legislation or regulation. Among other things, such a shift could cause state jurisdictions to abandon initiatives or proposals to legalize medical and/or adult-use cannabis, thereby limiting the number of new state jurisdictions into which we could expand. Also, the perception of negative health effects from the use of vaporizers to consume cannabis could result in state and local prohibitions on the sale of vaping products for an indefinite period of time. Any inability to fully implement our expansion strategy may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or prospects. Among other things, such a shift could also cause states that have already legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis to reevaluate the extent
 
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of, and introduce new restrictions on, the permitted activities and permitted cannabis products within their jurisdictions, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or prospects. Recent medical alerts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) and state health agencies on vaping related illness and other issues directly related to cannabis consumption could potentially create an inability to fully implement our expansion strategy or could restrict the products which we sell at our existing operations, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or prospects.
We face risks due to industry immaturity or limited comparable, competitive or established industry best practices.
As a relatively new industry, there are not many established operators in the medical and adult use cannabis industries whose business models we can follow or build upon. Similarly, there is no or limited information about comparable companies available for potential investors to review in making a decision about whether to invest in us.
Shareholders and investors should consider, among other factors, our prospects for success in light of the risks and uncertainties encountered by companies that, like us, are in their early stages. For example, unanticipated expenses and problems or technical difficulties may occur, which may result in material delays in the operation of our business. We may fail to successfully address these risks and uncertainties or successfully implement our operating strategies. If we fail to do so, it could materially harm our business to the point of having to cease operations and could influence investors’ abilities to recover their investments.
We may face opposition from the pharmaceutical industry which could have an adverse impact on our business.
The cannabis industry (both adult-use and medical, together or individually) could face a material threat from the pharmaceutical industry, should cannabis displace other drugs or health products, or otherwise encroach upon the pharmaceutical industry’s products. The pharmaceutical industry is well funded with a strong and experienced lobby that eclipses the funding of the movement in support of the adult-use and medical cannabis industries. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry may attempt to dominate the marijuana industry through the development and distribution of synthetic products which emulate the effects and treatment of organic marijuana. If they are successful, the widespread popularity of such synthetic products could change the demand, volume and profitability of the marijuana industry. This could adversely affect our ability to secure long-term profitability and success through the sustainable and profitable operation of our business. There may be unknown additional regulatory fees and taxes that may be assessed in the future. Any inroads the pharmaceutical industry could make in halting or impeding the cannabis industry could have an adverse impact on our business.
We face intense competition from other companies and increasing legalization of cannabis and rapid growth and consolidation in the cannabis industry may further intensify competition.
The cannabis industry is undergoing rapid growth and substantial change, and the legal landscape for medical and recreational cannabis is rapidly changing internationally. An increasing number of jurisdictions globally are passing legislation allowing for the production and distribution of medical and/or recreational cannabis in some form or another. Entry into the cannabis market by international competitors might lower the demand for our products.
The foregoing legalization and growth trends in the cannabis industry has resulted in an increase in competitors, consolidation and formation of strategic relationships. Such acquisitions or other consolidating transactions could harm us in a number of ways, including by losing strategic partners if they are acquired by or enter into relationships with a competitor, losing customers, revenue and market share or forcing us to expend greater resources to meet new or additional competitive threats, all of which could harm our operating results. As competitors enter the market and become increasingly sophisticated, competition in the cannabis industry may intensify and place downward pressure on retail prices for products and services, which could negatively impact profitability.
We face and expect to continue to face intense competition from other companies, some of which can be expected to have longer operating histories and more financial resources, manufacturing and marketing experience than we have. In addition, there is potential that the cannabis industry will undergo consolidation, creating larger companies with financial resources, manufacturing and marketing capabilities and product
 
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offerings that are greater than ours. As a result of this competition, we may be unable to maintain our operations or develop them as currently proposed on terms that are considered acceptable. Increased competition by larger, better-financed competitors with geographic advantages could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operations.
We may face risks associated with competitive criminal enterprises dealing in cannabis.
Our operations may be a source of competition with current criminal enterprises dealing in cannabis, including drug cartels. As a result, our operations may be an ongoing target of attacks specifically designed to impede the success of our products, and it may be exposed to various levels of criminal interference and other risks and uncertainties including terrorism, violence, hostage taking and other drug gang activities. The nature of our operations may also make us subject to greater risks of theft and greater risks as to property security. These conditions could lead to lower productivity and higher costs, which would adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow. Such conditions could also have a material impact on our investment returns.
The Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment may not be renewed, potentially resulting in DOJ enforcement activities against entities in the cannabis industry.
An appropriations rider contained in various federal appropriations and spending bills since 2014 (formerly known as the ‘Rohrabacher-Farr’ Amendment); now known as the Joyce Amendment (the “Amendment”) provides budgetary constraints on the federal government’s ability to interfere with the implementation of state-based medical cannabis laws. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and other courts have interpreted the language to mean that the DOJ cannot prosecute medical cannabis operators complying strictly with state medical cannabis laws. The Amendment does not protect state-legal adult-use businesses, and the DOJ maintains that it can still prosecute violations of the federal cannabis ban and continue cases already in the courts. If the Amendment expires and is not renewed, federal prosecutors could prosecute even compliant medical cannabis operators for conduct within the five-year statute of limitations. On September 30, 2021, the Amendment was renewed through the signing of a stopgap spending bill, H.R.5305 — Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, effective through September 30, 2022. While this current appropriations rider only applies to jurisdictions authorizing medical cannabis-related activities, supportive legislators continue their efforts to amend future appropriations bills to extend the prohibition on the use of federal enforcement funds against the implementation of state cannabis programs regulating cannabis for either medical or adult-use purposes.
Pursuant to the Amendment, through September 2022, the DOJ was prohibited from expending any funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical cannabis laws. President Biden became the first president to propose a budget with the Amendment included. On September 30, 2021 and December 3, 2021, the Amendment was renewed through a pair of stopgap spending bills, with the most recent extension effective through September 30, 2022. If the Amendment or an equivalent thereof is not successfully included in the next or any subsequent federal omnibus spending bill, the protection which has been afforded thereby to U.S. medical cannabis businesses in the past would lapse, and such businesses would be subject to a higher risk of prosecution under federal law.
Although unlikely, there is a possibility that all amendments may be banned from federal omnibus spending bills, and if this occurs and the substantive provisions of the Amendment are not included in the base federal omnibus spending bill or other law, these protections would lapse.
We could be materially adversely impacted due to restrictions under U.S. border entry laws.
In the past, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (the “U.S. CBP”) was given the discretion to question Canadians entering the U.S. about their marijuana use and determine whether to use their response as a barrier to entry. Recently, the U.S. CBP has been focusing on the whole cannabis industry, including investors. Several highly publicized instances of U.S. CBP detaining and even banning Canadian investors from the U.S. have occurred in recent months. The restriction of travel to the U.S. of individuals affiliated with us, as well as our investors, would materially impair our ability to conduct business and could materially impact our results of operations.
 
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Uncertainty in regulatory changes in relation to vaporization devices could result in an impact to our interstate commerce, registration and revenue reporting requirements, and potential excise tax liability.
On December 27, 2020, the U.S. government passed the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Part of this legislation modified the existing language of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (“PACT Act”) and expanded the definition of “cigarette” to include “electronic nicotine delivery systems.” The newly added term “electronic nicotine delivery system” ​(“ENDS”), defined as a device intended to “deliver nicotine, flavor, or any other substance to the user inhaling from a device,” has extended the requirements of tobacco and tobacco products to electronic vaping devices that contain neither nicotine nor tobacco.
Under the amended PACT Act, ENDS are subject to the same federal and state registration mandates, monthly reporting requirements, and delivery restrictions as traditional cigarettes, including the prohibition on the use of the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) to deliver products directly to consumers.
The USPS has historically maintained an exception to this ban for tobacco products “mailed only … for business purposes between legally operating businesses that have all applicable State and Federal Government licenses or permits and are engaged in tobacco product manufacturing, distribution, wholesale, export, import, testing, investigation, or research …” ​(the “B2B Exception”) See 18 U.S.C. § 1716E(b)(3)(A)(i). In a proposed rule published on February 19, 2021, the USPS stated its intention to maintain this “business purposes exception” for ENDS. In advance of the final rule, on April 19, 2021, the USPS published guidance detailing the information required in an application for exception from the non-mailability provisions of the PACT Act for ENDS products. On October 21, 2021, the USPS released its Final Rule confirming the applicability of the B2B Exception for the mailing of ENDS between eligible businesses.
The effect of this change to the PACT Act could prevent the USPS from handling any package that contains ENDS shipped directly to a consumer. This could lead to a loss of carrier coverage and impact our inventory, the execution of our in-house brands and our overall revenue. While we retain both B2B and B2C relationships in this industry, it is undetermined what impact, if any, we will experience as individual states and merchants implement the registration, reporting, and shipping restrictions to comply with the PACT Act. Furthermore, although we continue to determine state-level applicability of the PACT Act, the jurisdictions in which we may be subject to excise tax in remains undetermined at this time.
We may be required to disclose personal information of investors to government or regulatory entities or face the possibility of a license being revoked or cancelled.
We may own, manage or provide services to various U.S. state-licensed cannabis operations. Acquiring even a minimal and/or indirect interest in a U.S. state-licensed cannabis business can trigger requirements to disclose investors’ personal information. While these requirements vary by jurisdiction, some require interest holders to apply for regulatory approval and to provide tax returns, compensation agreements, fingerprints for background checks, criminal history records and other documents and information. Some states require disclosures of directors, officers and holders of more than a certain percentage of equity of the applicant. While certain states include exceptions for investments in publicly traded entities, not all states do so, and some such exceptions are confined to companies traded on a U.S. securities exchange. If these regulations were to extend to us, investors would be required to comply with such regulations, or we could face the possibility that the relevant cannabis license could be revoked or cancelled by the applicable state licensing authority.
We are subject to changes in laws, regulations and guidelines which could adversely affect our future business, financial condition and operations.
Our operations will be subject to various state and federal laws, regulations and guidelines relating to the manufacturing, managing, packaging/labeling, advertising, selling, transporting, storing and disposing of cannabis, including laws and regulations relating to controlled substances, health and safety, the conduct of business operations and the protection of the environment. Achievement of our business objectives will be contingent, in part, upon compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and obtaining all requisite regulatory approvals. Changes to such laws, regulations and guidelines due to matters beyond our control may cause adverse effects to us.
 
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We endeavor to comply with all relevant laws, regulations and guidelines. However, changes to such laws, regulations and guidelines due to matters beyond our control may cause adverse effects to our operations and there is no assurance that we will be able to comply or continue to comply with applicable regulations. To the best of our knowledge, we are in compliance or in the process of being assessed for compliance with all such state laws, regulations and guidelines as described elsewhere in this registration statement.
Any failure on our part to comply with applicable regulations could prevent us from being able to carry on our business.
Our business activities in all jurisdictions in which we operate are heavily regulated. Laws and regulations, applied generally, grant government agencies and self-regulatory bodies broad administrative discretion over our business activities, including the power to limit or restrict business activities as well as impose additional requirements on our products and services. Our activities are routinely assessed for compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. Any failure of us to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could result in us becoming involved in a number of government or agency proceedings, investigations and audits. The outcome of any regulatory or agency proceedings, investigations, audits and other contingencies could harm our reputation, require us to take, or refrain from taking, actions that could harm our operations or require us to pay substantial amounts of money, harming our financial condition. There can be no assurance that any pending or future regulatory or agency proceedings, investigations and audits will not result in substantial costs or a diversion of management’s attention and resources or have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results or operations or prospects.
Adverse legal, regulatory or political changes could have a material adverse effect on our current and planned operations.
Achievement of our business objectives is contingent, in part, upon complying with other regulatory requirements enacted by governmental authorities and obtaining other required regulatory approvals. We will incur ongoing costs and obligations related to regulatory compliance. The regulatory regime which oversees cannabis is undergoing significant proposed changes and we cannot predict the impact of those changes on our business. Similarly, we cannot predict a timeline for securing the appropriate regulatory approvals and licenses for our products, or the extent of testing and documentation that may be required by government authorities. Any delays or failures in obtaining required regulatory approvals may significantly delay or impact the development of markets, products and sales initiatives and could have a material adverse effect on our business operations and finances. Failure to adapt and comply with regulations may result in additional costs for us through corrective measures, penalties and increased restrictions on our operations. In addition, changes to regulations, heightened enforcement thereof and other unanticipated events could have a material adverse effect on our operations and finances by requiring extensive changes to our operations, increasing compliance costs, generating material liabilities and effecting other aspects of our business that are currently unknown.
Products in certain of the segments in which we operate were recently developed and therefore the long-term health effects of their use have not been determined by the scientific community. If the scientific community were to determine conclusively that use of any or all of these products poses long-term health risks, market demand for these products and their use could materially decline. Such a determination could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may be subject to constraints on and differences in marketing our products under varying state laws.
There may be restrictions on sales and marketing activities imposed by government regulatory bodies that could hinder the development of our business and operating results. Restrictions may include regulations that specify what, where and to whom product information and descriptions may appear and/or be advertised. Marketing, advertising, packaging and labeling regulations also vary from state to state, potentially limiting the consistency and scale of our consumer branding communications and product education efforts. The regulatory environment in the U.S. limits our ability to compete for market share in a manner similar to other industries. Expansion of our business into new markets with different rules and regulations or distant from then-existing operations, may not succeed. Any such expansion may expose us to new operational, regulatory and/or legal risks. In addition, expanding into new localities may subject us to unfamiliar or uncertain local rules and regulations that may adversely affect our operations. For example, different localities may impose
 
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different rules on how cannabis may be cultivated, manufactured, processed, distributed and/or transported. Newly entered localities may also have competitive conditions, consumer preferences and spending patterns that are more difficult to predict or satisfy than the existing markets. If we are unable to effectively market our products and compete for market share, or if the costs of compliance with government legislation and regulation cannot be absorbed through increased selling prices for our products, our sales and operating results could be adversely affected.
Future research may lead to findings that vaporizers, electronic cigarettes and related products are not safe for their intended use.
Vaporizers, electronic cigarettes and related products were recently developed and therefore the scientific or medical communities have had a limited period of time to study the long-term health effects of their use. Currently, there is limited scientific or medical data on the safety of such products for their intended use and the medical community is still studying the health effects of the use of such products, including the long-term health effects. If the scientific or medical community were to determine conclusively that use of any or all of these products pose long-term health risks, market demand for these products and their use could materially decline. Such a determination could also lead to litigation, reputational harm and significant regulation. Loss of demand for our product, product liability claims and increased regulation stemming from unfavorable scientific studies on cannabis vaporizer products could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to our Business and Operations
We are a holding company and are dependent on the earnings and distributions by our subsidiaries.
We are a holding company as all of our assets are the capital stock of our subsidiaries in each of the markets that we operate in and/or hold or recently held licenses in the adult-use and/or medicinal cannabis marketplace in Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania; and have no material assets other than: (i) cash on hand; and (ii) ownership of our subsidiaries and minority interests in certain operating companies. As a result, our investors are subject to the risks attributable to our subsidiaries. As a holding company, we conduct substantially all of our business through our subsidiaries, which generate substantially all of our revenues. Consequently, our cash flows and ability to complete current or desirable future enhancement opportunities are dependent on the earnings of our subsidiaries and the distribution of those earnings to us. To the extent that we require funds, and our subsidiaries and such other entities are restricted from making such distributions by applicable law, regulation or contract, or are otherwise unable to provide such funds, it could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, as well as our ability to make distributions to our shareholders. In the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization of any of our material subsidiaries, holders of indebtedness and trade creditors may be entitled to payment of their claims from the assets of those subsidiaries before us. We have no earnings or dividend record and the ability of these entities to pay dividends and other distributions will depend on their operating results and will be subject to applicable laws and regulations which require that solvency and capital standards be maintained by such companies and contractual restrictions contained in the instruments governing their debt. Dividends paid by us would be subject to tax and potentially withholdings. We do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future.
Our business is dependent on suppliers and skilled labor.
Our ability to compete and grow will be dependent on our access, at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner, to skilled labor, equipment, parts and components. No assurances can be given that we will be successful in maintaining our required supply of skilled labor, equipment, parts and components. It is also possible that the final costs of the major equipment contemplated by our capital expenditure plans may be significantly greater than anticipated by our management and may be greater than funds available to us, in which circumstance we may curtail or extend the timeframes for completing our capital expenditure plans. This could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
 
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Our reliance on third-party suppliers and loss of these suppliers, manufacturers and contractors may have a material adverse effect on our business and operational results.
We will be reliant on third-party suppliers to develop and manufacture our products. Due to the uncertain regulatory landscape for regulating cannabis in the U.S., our third-party suppliers, manufacturers and contractors may elect, at any time, to decline or withdraw services necessary for our operations. Loss of these suppliers, manufacturers and contractors may have a material adverse effect on our business and operational results.
Our actual financial position and results of operations may differ materially from the expectations of our management.
Our finances and operations may differ materially from management’s expectations. The process for estimating our revenue, net income and cash flow requires subjective judgment in determining the appropriate assumptions and estimates. These estimates and assumptions may be revised as additional information becomes available and as additional analyses are performed. However, these assumptions may not prove to be accurate and other factors may affect our financial condition and operations.
We have incurred substantial indebtedness and may not be able to refinance, extend or repay this indebtedness on a timely basis or at all.
We have a substantial amount of existing indebtedness. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital to repay these obligations at maturity and are otherwise unable to extend the maturity dates or refinance these obligations, we would be in default. We cannot provide any assurances that we will be able to raise the necessary amount of capital to repay these obligations, that any obligations that are convertible will be converted into equity or that we will be able to extend the maturity dates or otherwise refinance these obligations. Upon a default, the lenders under such debt would have the right to exercise their rights and remedies to collect, which would include the ability to foreclose on our assets. Accordingly, a default by us would have a material adverse effect on our business, capital, financial condition and prospects and we would likely be forced to seek bankruptcy protection.
We expect to incur significant ongoing costs and obligations related to our investment in infrastructure, growth, regulatory compliance and operations.
We expect to incur significant ongoing costs and obligations related to our investment in growth and regulatory compliance, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition and cash flow. In addition, changes in regulations, heightened enforcement thereof or other unanticipated events could require extensive changes to our operations, increase compliance costs or generate material liabilities. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. Our efforts to grow may prove to be more costly than expected, and we may not be able to increase our revenue sufficiently to offset higher operating expenses. We may incur significant losses in the future for a number of reasons, including other risks described herein, unforeseen expenses, compliance or operating difficulties, complications and delays, and other events presently unknown to us.
We are dependent on regulatory approvals and licenses to conduct our business, and there is no assurance that our licenses will be issued, extended or renewed by each applicable regulatory authority.
Our ability to grow, store and sell cannabis in the U.S. is dependent on our ability to obtain licenses in the relevant state and local jurisdictions to do so. We will be required to obtain or renew further government permits and licenses for our contemplated operations. Obtaining, amending or renewing the necessary governmental permits and licenses can be a time-consuming process potentially involving numerous regulatory agencies, involving public hearings and costly undertakings on our part. The duration and success of our efforts to obtain, amend and renew permits and licenses will be contingent upon many variables not within our control, including the interpretation of applicable requirements implemented by the relevant permitting or licensing authority. We may not be able to obtain, amend or renew permits or licenses that are necessary to our operations. Any unexpected delays or costs associated with the permitting and licensing process could impede our ongoing or proposed operations. To the extent permits or licenses are not obtained, amended or renewed, or are subsequently suspended or revoked, we may be curtailed or prohibited from proceeding with
 
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our ongoing operations or planned development and commercialization activities. Such curtailment or prohibition may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
There is no assurance that our licenses will be issued, extended or renewed by each applicable regulatory authority, or, if issued, extended or renewed on terms that are favorable to us. There is also no assurance that our licenses will be renewed by each applicable regulatory authority in the future in a timely manner. Any unexpected delays or costs associated with the licensing renewal process for any of the licenses held by us could impede our ongoing or planned operations and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
There is no assurance that we will be able to develop our products, which could prevent us from ever becoming profitable.
If we cannot successfully develop, manufacture and distribute our products, or if we experience difficulties in the development process, such as capacity constraints, quality control problems or other disruptions, we may not be able to develop market ready commercial products at acceptable costs, which would adversely affect our ability to effectively enter the market. A failure by us to achieve a low cost structure through economies of scale or improvements in cultivation and manufacturing processes would have a material adverse effect on our commercialization plans and our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
There is no assurance that we will turn a profit or generate immediate revenues.
There is no assurance that we will be profitable, earn revenues or pay dividends. We have incurred and anticipate that we will continue to incur substantial expenses relating to the development and operations of our business.
The payment and amount of any future dividends will depend upon, among other things, the results of our operations, cash flow, financial condition and variable and capital requirements. There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid and if dividends are paid, there is no assurance as to the amount of any such dividends.
Our growth and development may be hindered by applicable limitations on ownership of licenses.
In certain states, the cannabis laws and regulations limit not only the number of cannabis licenses issued, but also the number of cannabis licenses that one person may own. For example, in Massachusetts, no person or entity having “direct or indirect control,” which includes a direct or indirect ownership interest of 10% or greater, may hold more than three licenses in a particular class, except as specified in the regulations. We believe that, where such types of restrictions apply, it may still capture significant share of revenue in the market through wholesale sales, exclusive marketing relations, provision of support services or other manners of arrangement with other industry participants. Nevertheless, such limitations on the acquisition or ownership of additional licenses within certain states or enforcement by regulators in certain states against such services arrangements may limit our ability to grow organically or to increase our market share in such states.
The results of future clinical research may be unfavorable to cannabis which may have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products.
Research regarding the medical and/or therapeutic benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis or isolated cannabinoids (such as CBD and THC) remains in early stages. There have been relatively few clinical trials on the benefits of cannabis or isolated cannabinoids (such as CBD and THC). Although we believe that various articles, reports and studies support our beliefs regarding the medical and/or therapeutic benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis, future research and clinical trials may prove such statements to be incorrect or could raise concerns regarding cannabis. Further, the cannabis industry is highly dependent upon consumer perception regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of the cannabis produced. Consumer perception can be significantly influenced by scientific research or findings regarding the consumption of cannabis products. There can be no assurance that future scientific research or findings will
 
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be favorable to the cannabis market or any particular product, or consistent with earlier research or findings. Future research studies and clinical trials may draw opposing conclusions to those stated in current research or reach negative conclusions regarding the medical and/or therapeutic benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing or other facts related to cannabis, which could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products, and therefore on our business, prospects, revenue, results of operation and financial condition.
We may incur significant tax liabilities due to limitations on tax deductions and credits under the applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the “Code”), prohibits businesses from deducting certain expenses associated with trafficking controlled substances (within the meaning of Schedule I and II of the CSA). Section 280E drastically increases federal taxes for cannabis businesses operating under state-sanctioned regulatory programs because they are generally not permitted to deduct their operating expenses and are barred from taking standard deductions available to most other businesses. As a result, an otherwise profitable business may in fact operate at a loss after taking into account its income tax expenses. The IRS has invoked Section 280E in tax audits against various cannabis businesses in the U.S. that are permitted under applicable state laws. Although the IRS issued a clarification allowing the deduction of certain expenses, the scope of such items is interpreted very narrowly and the bulk of operating costs and general administrative costs are not permitted to be deducted. We will be precluded from claiming certain deductions otherwise available to non-marijuana businesses and may incur significant tax liabilities due to the application of Section 280E of the Code. While there are currently several pending cases before various administrative and federal courts challenging these restrictions, there is no guarantee that these courts will issue an interpretation of Section 280E favorable to cannabis businesses. Consequently, there is no certainty that we will not be subject to Section 280E in the future, and accordingly, there is no certainty that the impact that Section 280E has on our margins will ever be reduced.
We, as a Canadian corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, generally would be classified as a non-U.S. Corporation under general rules of U.S. federal income taxation. Section 7874 of the Code, however, contains rules that can cause a non-U.S. Corporation to be taxed as a U.S. corporation (“U.S. Corporation”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under section 7874 of the Code, a corporation created or organized outside the U.S. (i.e., a non-U.S. Corporation) will nevertheless be treated as a U.S. Corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes (such treatment is referred to as an “Inversion”) if each of the following three conditions are met: (i) the non-U.S. Corporation acquires, directly or indirectly, or is treated as acquiring under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations, substantially all of the assets held, directly or indirectly, by a U.S. Corporation, (ii) after the acquisition, the former stockholders of the acquired U.S. Corporation hold at least 80% (by vote or value) of the shares of the non-U.S. Corporation by reason of holding shares of the acquired U.S. Corporation (taking into account the receipt of the non-U.S. Corporation’s shares in exchange for the U.S. Corporation’s shares), and (iii) after the acquisition, the non-U.S. Corporation’s expanded affiliated group does not have substantial business activities in the non-U.S. Corporation’s country of organization or incorporation when compared to the expanded affiliated group’s total business activities. For this purpose, “expanded affiliated group” means a group of corporations where (i) the non-U.S. corporation owns stock representing more than 50% of the vote and value of at least one member of the expanded affiliated group, and (ii) stock representing more than 50% of the vote and value of each member is owned by other members of the group. The definition of an “expanded affiliated group” includes partnerships where one or more members of the expanded affiliated group own more than 50% (by vote and value) of the interests of the partnership. We intend to be treated as a U.S. Corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes under section 7874 of the Code and expect to be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our worldwide income. However, for Canadian tax purposes, we are expected, regardless of any application of section 7874 of the Code, to be treated as a Canadian resident company (as defined in the Income Tax Act) for Canadian income tax purposes. As a result, we will be subject to taxation both in Canada and the U.S., which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
FDA regulation of medical cannabis may cause novel regulatory compliance and registration requirements.
FDA regulation of medical cannabis and the possible registration of facilities where medical cannabis is grown could negatively affect the medical cannabis industry, which would directly affect our financial condition. Should the federal government legalize cannabis for medical use, it is possible that FDA would seek
 
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to regulate it under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938. Additionally, FDA may issue rules and regulations including certified good manufacturing practices, related to the growth, cultivation, harvesting and processing of medical cannabis. Clinical trials may be needed to verify efficacy and safety. It is also possible that FDA would require that facilities where medical cannabis is grown register with FDA and comply with certain federally prescribed regulations. In the event that some or all of these regulations are imposed, it is unknown what the impact would be on the medical cannabis industry, including what costs, requirements and possible prohibitions may be enforced. If we are unable to comply with the regulations or registration as prescribed by FDA it may have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
If we were to experience a bankruptcy, there is no guarantee that U.S. federal bankruptcy protections would be available to our U.S. operations, which would materially adversely affect our prospects and on the rights of our lenders and securityholders.
Because the use of cannabis is illegal under federal law, many courts have denied cannabis businesses bankruptcy protections, thus making it very difficult for lenders to recoup their investments in the cannabis industry in the event of a bankruptcy. If we were to experience a bankruptcy, there is no guarantee that U.S. federal bankruptcy protections would be available to our U.S. operations, which would have a material adverse effect on us, our lenders and other stakeholders.
Additionally, there is no guarantee that we will be able to effectively enforce any interests that we may have in our other subsidiaries and investments. A bankruptcy or other similar event related to an entity in which we hold an interest that precludes such entity from performing its obligations under an agreement may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Further, should an entity in which we hold an interest have insufficient assets to pay its liabilities, it is possible that other liabilities will be satisfied prior to the liabilities or equity owed to us. In addition, bankruptcy or other similar proceedings are often a complex and lengthy process, the outcome of which may be uncertain and could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent contractors and consultants may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity.
We and our affiliates will be exposed to the risk that any of our employees, independent contractors and consultants may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct or disclosure of unauthorized activities that violate, (i) government regulations, (ii) manufacturing standards, (iii) federal and provincial healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, or (iv) laws that require the true, complete and accurate reporting of financial information or data. It may not always be possible for us to identify and deter misconduct by our and our affiliates’ employees and other third parties and the precautions taken by us to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. We cannot provide assurance that our internal controls and compliance systems will protect us from acts committed by our or our affiliates’ employees, agents or business partners in violation of U.S. federal or state or local laws. If any such actions are instituted against us and we are not successful in defending or asserting our rights, those actions could have a material impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment of our operations, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
There remains doubt and uncertainty that we will be able to legally enforce contracts we enter into.
Due to the nature of our intended business and the fact that our contracts will involve cannabis and other activities that are not legal under U.S. federal law and in some jurisdictions, we may face difficulties in enforcing our contracts in federal and certain state courts. The inability to enforce any of our contracts could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition or prospects.
We have been or may become subject to litigation, including for possible product liability claims, which may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results from operations and financial condition.
We may be named as a defendant in a lawsuit or regulatory action and may also incur uninsured losses for liabilities which arise in the ordinary course of business, or which are unforeseen, including, but not limited to,
 
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employment liability, business loss claims, and litigation, including class action lawsuits, such as those regarding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Any such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, sales, cash flow and financial condition.
Additionally, as a manufacturer, processor and distributor of products designed to be ingested by humans, we face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims, regulatory action and litigation if our products are alleged to have caused significant loss or injury. In addition, the manufacture and sale of our products involves the risk of injury to consumers due to tampering by unauthorized third parties or product contamination. Previously unknown adverse reactions resulting from human consumption of our products alone or in combination with other medications or substances could occur. Although we will have quality control procedures in place, we may be subject to various product liability claims, including, among others, that the products produced by us, or the products that will be purchased by us from third-party licensed producers, caused injury, illness or death, include inadequate instructions for use or include inadequate warnings concerning possible side effects or interactions with other substances. A product liability claim or regulatory action against us could result in increased costs, could adversely affect our reputation with our customers and consumers generally and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. There can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain or maintain product liability insurance on acceptable terms or with adequate coverage against potential liabilities. Such insurance is expensive and may not be available in the future on acceptable terms, or at all. The inability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage on reasonable terms or to otherwise protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of our potential products.
Monitoring and defending against legal actions, whether or not meritorious, can be time-consuming, divert management’s attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses. Adverse outcomes in some or all of these actions may result in significant monetary damages or injunctive relief that could result in material liability or adversely affect our ability to conduct our business. Litigation and other claims are subject to inherent uncertainties and management’s view of these matters may change in the future. Litigation, complaints, and actions involving either us and/or our subsidiaries, regardless of the outcome, could consume considerable amounts of financial and other corporate resources, adversely impact our reputation and have a material adverse effect on the market price of our Common Shares and our future cash flows, earnings, results of operations and financial condition.
Failure to comply with applicable environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements may result in enforcement actions, including orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities causing operations to cease or be curtailed and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment or remedial actions.
We are subject to environmental regulations that mandate, among other things, the maintenance of air and water quality standards and land reclamation. The regulations also set forth limitations on the generation, transportation, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous waste. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner which will require stricter standards and enforcement, increased fines and penalties for non-compliance, more stringent environmental assessments of proposed projects and a heightened degree of responsibility for companies and their officers, directors and employees. There is no assurance that future changes in environmental regulation, if any, will not adversely affect our operations.
Government environmental approvals and permits are currently, and may in the future be required in connection with our operations. To the extent such approvals are required and not obtained, we may be curtailed or prohibited from our proposed business activities or from proceeding with the development of our operations as currently proposed.
Failure to comply with applicable environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements may result in enforcement actions, including orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities causing operations to cease or be curtailed, and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment or remedial actions. We may be required to compensate those suffering loss or damage due to our operations and may have civil or criminal fines or penalties imposed for violations of applicable laws or regulations.
 
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We may encounter unknown environmental risks.
There can be no assurance that we will not encounter hazardous conditions, such as asbestos or lead, at the sites of the real estate used to operate our businesses, which may delay the development of our businesses. Upon encountering a hazardous condition, work at our facilities may be suspended. If we receive notice of a hazardous condition, we may be required to correct the condition prior to continuing construction. If additional hazardous conditions were present, it would likely delay construction and may require significant expenditure of our resources to correct the conditions. Such conditions could have a material impact on our investment returns.
We are highly dependent on certain key personnel and if we are unable to attract and retain key personnel, we may not be able to compete effectively in the cannabis market.
Our success has depended and continues to depend upon our ability to attract and retain key management, including the chief executive officer (“CEO”), technical experts and sales personnel. We will attempt to enhance our management and technical expertise by recruiting qualified individuals who possess desired skills and experience in targeted areas. Our inability to attract and retain employees or engineering and technical support resources could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, sales, cash flow or financial condition. Shortages in qualified personnel or the loss of key personnel could adversely affect our financial condition, operations of the business and could limit our ability to develop and market our cannabis-related products. The loss of any of our senior management or key employees could materially adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and strategy, and we may not be able to find adequate replacements on a timely basis, or at all. We do not maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our employees.
The market price of our securities may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations.
The market price for our Common Shares may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following: (i) actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations; (ii) recommendations by securities research analysts; (iii) changes in the economic performance or market valuations of companies in the industry in which we operate; (iv) addition or departure of our executive officers and other key personnel; (v) release or expiration of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on outstanding Common Shares; (vi) sales or perceived sales of additional Common Shares; (vii) significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors; (viii) fluctuations to the costs of vital production materials and services; (ix) changes in global financial markets and global economies and general market conditions, such as interest rates and pharmaceutical product price volatility; (x) operating and share price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us or from a lack of market comparable companies; (xi) news reports relating to trends, concerns, technological or competitive developments, regulatory changes and other related issues in our industry or target markets; and (xii) regulatory changes in the industry.
Financial markets have at times historically experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices of equity securities of companies and that have often been unrelated to the operating performance, underlying asset values or prospects of such companies. Accordingly, the market price of our Common Shares may decline even if our operating results, underlying asset values or prospects have not changed. Additionally, these factors, as well as other related factors, may cause decreases in asset values that are deemed to be other than temporary, which might result in impairment losses. There can be no assurance that continuing fluctuations in price and volume will not occur. If such increased levels of volatility and market turmoil continue, our operations could be adversely affected and the trading price of our Common Shares might be materially adversely affected.
Since our securities are currently listed on the OTCQX, our shareholders may face significant restrictions on the re-sale of our securities due to state “Blue Sky” laws.
Each state has its own securities laws, often called “Blue Sky” laws, which (i) limit sales of securities to a state’s residents unless the securities are registered in that state or qualify for an exemption from registration, and (ii) govern the reporting requirements for broker-dealers doing business directly or indirectly in the state. Before a security is sold in a state, there must be a registration in place to cover the transaction, or the
 
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transaction must be exempt from registration. The applicable broker must also be registered in that state. We do not know whether our Common Shares will be exempt from registration under the laws of any state. Since our Common Shares are currently quoted on the OTCQX, a determination regarding registration will be made by those broker-dealers, if any, who agree to serve as the market-makers for the Common Shares. There may be significant state Blue Sky law restrictions on the ability of investors to sell, and on purchasers to buy, the Common Shares. Investors should therefore consider the resale market for our Common Shares to be limited.
We may not be able to accurately forecast our operating results and plan our operations due to uncertainties in the cannabis industry.
We have a limited operating history and a history of net losses that make it difficult to make accurate predictions and forecasts about our business, operations and financial conditions. This difficulty is only compounded by the fact that the cannabis industry is continuously evolving. As a result of recent and ongoing regulatory and policy changes in the medical and adult-use marijuana industry, the market data available is limited and unreliable. Federal and state laws prevent widespread participation and hinder market research. Therefore, we must rely largely on our own market research to forecast sales as detailed forecasts are not generally obtainable from other sources at this early stage of the industry. Market research and our projections of estimated total retail sales, demographics, demand, and similar consumer research are based on assumptions from limited and unreliable market data, and generally represent the personal opinions of our management team. A failure in the demand for our products to materialize as a result of competition, technological change or other factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
Our probable lack of business diversification could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Because we are initially focused solely on developing our cannabis business, the prospects for our success will depend upon the future performance and market acceptance of our intended facilities, products, processes and services. Unlike certain entities that have the resources to develop and explore numerous product lines, operating in multiple industries or multiple areas of a single industry, we do not anticipate the ability to immediately diversify or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses.
Our industry is experiencing rapid growth and consolidation that may cause us to lose key relationships and intensify competition.
The cannabis industry is undergoing rapid growth and substantial change, which has resulted in an increase in competitors, consolidation and formation of strategic relationships. Acquisitions or other consolidating transactions could harm us in several ways, including the loss of strategic partners if they are acquired by or enter into relationships with a competitor, the loss of customers, revenue and market share, or us being forced to expend greater resources to meet new or additional competitive threats, all of which could harm our operations. As competitors enter the market and become increasingly sophisticated, competition in our industry may intensify and place downward pressure on prices for our products, which could negatively impact our profitability.
We may not be able to secure adequate or reliable sources of funding required to operate our business and meet consumer demand for our products.
There is no guarantee that we will be able to achieve our business objectives. Our continued development may require additional financing. The failure to raise such capital could result in the delay or indefinite postponement of our current business objectives. There can be no assurance that additional capital or other types of financing will be available or that, if available, the terms of such financing will be favorable to us. In addition, from time to time, we may enter into transactions to acquire assets or shares of other corporations. These transactions may be financed wholly or partially with debt, which may increase our debt levels above industry standards. Any debt financing secured in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. Debt financings may also contain provisions which, if breached, may entitle lenders or their agents to accelerate
 
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repayment of loans and/or realize security over our assets. There is no assurance that we would be able to repay such loans in such an event or prevent the enforcement of security granted pursuant to such debt financing.
Product recalls could result in a material and adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Manufacturers and distributors of products are sometimes subject to the recall or return of their products for a variety of reasons, including product defects, such as contamination, unintended harmful side effects or interactions with other substances, packaging safety and inadequate or inaccurate labelling disclosure. Although we have detailed procedures in place for testing our products, there can be no assurance that any quality, potency or contamination problems will be detected in time to avoid unforeseen product recalls, regulatory action or lawsuits. If any of our products are recalled due to an alleged product defect or for any other reason, we could be required to incur the unexpected expense of the recall and any legal proceedings that might arise thereto. We may lose a significant amount of sales and may not be able to replace those sales at an acceptable margin or at all. In addition, a product recall may require significant management attention. Additionally, if one of our significant brands were subject to recall, the image of that brand and we could be harmed. Moreover, product recalls can lead to increased scrutiny of operations by applicable regulatory agencies, requiring further management attention and potential legal fees and other expenses. A recall for any reason could lead to decreased demand for our products and could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.
We are reliant on key inputs, and any interruption of these services could have a material adverse effect on our finances and operational results.
Our business is dependent on several key inputs related to our growing operations as a vertically integrated U.S. based consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical manufacturer in the cannabis industry including raw materials and supplies. Any significant interruption or negative change in the availability or economics of the supply chain for key inputs could materially impact our business, financial condition and operations. Any inability to secure required supplies and services or to do so on appropriate terms could have a materially adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operations.
Our ability to compete and grow will also be dependent on having access, at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner, to equipment, parts and components. No assurances can be given that we will be successful in maintaining our required supply of equipment, parts and components. This could have an adverse effect on our financial results.
Our officers and directors may be engaged in a range of business activities which could result in a conflict of interest.
We may be subject to various potential conflicts of interest because some of our officers and directors may be engaged in a range of business activities. In addition, our executive officers and directors may devote time to their outside business interests, so long as such activities do not materially or adversely interfere with their duties to us. In some cases, our executive officers and directors may have fiduciary obligations associated with these business interests that interfere with their ability to devote time to our business and affairs and that could adversely affect our operations. These business interests could require significant time and attention of our executive officers and directors.
In addition, we may also become involved in other transactions which conflict with the interests of our directors and the officers who may from time to time deal with persons, firms, institutions or companies with which we may be dealing, or which may be seeking investments like those desired by us. The interests of these persons could conflict with our interests. In addition, from time to time, these persons may be competing with us for available investment opportunities. Conflicts of interest, if any, will be subject to the procedures and remedies provided under applicable laws. In particular, if such a conflict of interest arises at a meeting of our directors, a director who has such a conflict will abstain from voting for or against the approval of such participation or such terms. In accordance with applicable laws, our directors are required to act honestly, in good faith and in our best interests.
 
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Management may not be able to successfully implement adequate internal controls over financial reporting.
We are or will be subject to various reporting and other regulatory requirements in Canada and the U.S. We have incurred and will continue to incur expenses and, to a lesser extent, diversion of our management’s time in our efforts to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and requirements in Canada regarding internal controls over financial reporting. Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing we conduct in connection with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or the subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm when required, may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retrospective changes to our consolidated financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of the Common Shares.
We face costs of maintaining a public listing and being a reporting company in Canada and the U.S. which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As a public company with securities listed on the NEO Exchange, there are costs associated with legal, accounting and other expenses related to regulatory compliance. Securities legislation and the rules and policies of the NEO Exchange require listed companies to, among other things, adopt corporate governance and related practices, and to continuously prepare and disclose material information, all of which add to a company’s legal and financial compliance costs. We may also elect to devote greater resources than we otherwise would have on communication and other activities typically considered important by publicly traded companies.
In addition, we are subject or will become subject to the reporting requirements, rules and regulations under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. The requirements of existing and potential future rules and regulations will increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and may place undue strain on our personnel, systems and resources, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our emerging growth company status and our smaller reporting company status allows us certain exemptions from various reporting requirements.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other exemptions from requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. We have elected to use this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies.
For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain other exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies including, but not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the last day of the year following the fifth anniversary of the first sale of the common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC.
We are also currently a “smaller reporting company,” meaning that we are not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent company that is not a smaller reporting company, and we have (a) a public float of less than $250 million or (b) annual revenues of less than
 
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$100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financial statements are available and (i) no public float or (ii) a public float of less than $700 million.
In the event that we are still considered a smaller reporting company at such time as we cease being an emerging growth company, the disclosure we will be required to provide in our SEC filings will increase, but it will still be less than it would be if we were not considered either an emerging growth company or a smaller reporting company. Specifically, similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings, including, among other things, only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in annual reports.
We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Shares less attractive because we will rely on the exemptions available to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies. If some investors find our Common Shares less attractive as a result, then there may be a less active trading market for our Common Shares and our stock price may be more volatile.
Our business may be impacted by consumer perception of the cannabis industry, which we cannot control or predict.
We believe the cannabis industry is highly dependent upon consumer perception regarding the benefits, safety, efficacy and quality of the cannabis distributed for medical purposes to such consumers. Consumer perception of our products can be significantly influenced by scientific research or findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, political statements, media attention and other publicity (if accurate or with merit) regarding the consumption of cannabis products for medical purposes, including unexpected safety or efficacy concerns arising with respect to our products or the products of our competitors. There can be no assurance that future scientific research, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other research findings or publicity will be favorable to the cannabis market or any product or consistent with earlier publicity.
Future research, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity that are perceived as less favorable than, or that question, earlier research reports, findings or publicity could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products, operations and financial condition. Our dependence upon consumer perceptions means that adverse scientific research reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity (if accurate or with merit), could have an adverse effect on any demand for our products which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operations. Further, adverse publicity reports or other media attention regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of cannabis for medical purposes in general or our products specifically or associating the consumption of cannabis with illness or other negative effects or events, could have such a material adverse effect. Such adverse publicity reports or other media attention could arise even if the adverse effects associated with such products resulted from consumers’ failure to consume such products legally, appropriately or as directed.
We may not be able to develop and maintain lasting relationships with consumers.
Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain customers. There are many factors which could impact our ability to attract and retain customers, including but not limited to brand awareness, our ability to continually produce desirable and effective cannabis products, the successful implementation of the our consumer-acquisition plan and the continued growth in the aggregate number of consumers purchasing cannabis products. Our failure to acquire and retain consumers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operations.
We face risks related to our insurance coverage and uninsurable risks.
Our business is subject to a number of risks and hazards generally, including adverse environmental conditions, accidents, labor disputes, destruction from civil unrest and changes in the regulatory environment. Such occurrences could result in damage to assets, personal injury or death, environmental damage, delays in operations, monetary losses and possible legal liability.
 
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Although we intend to continue to maintain insurance to protect against certain risks in such amounts as we consider to be reasonable, our insurance will not cover all the potential risks associated with our operations. We may also be unable to maintain insurance to cover these risks at economically feasible premiums. Insurance coverage may not continue to be available or may not be adequate to cover any resulting liability. Moreover, insurance against risks such as environmental pollution or other hazards encountered in our operations is not generally available on acceptable terms. We might also become subject to liability for pollution or other hazards which we may not be insured against or which we may elect not to insure against because of premium costs or other reasons. Losses from these events may cause us to incur significant costs that could have a material adverse effect upon our financial performance and results of operations.
Our web presence’s visibility is not limited by geography.
Internet websites are visible by people everywhere, not just in jurisdictions where the activities described therein are considered legal. As a result, to the extent we sell services or products via web-based links targeting only jurisdictions in which such sales or services are compliant with state law, we may face legal action in other jurisdictions which are not the intended object of any of our marketing efforts for engaging in any web-based activity that results in sales into such jurisdictions deemed illegal under applicable laws.
We may have increased labor costs based on union activity.
Labor unions are working to organize workforces in the cannabis industry in general. Currently, there is no labor organization that has been recognized as a representative of our employees. However, it is possible that certain retail and/or manufacturing locations will be organized in the future, which could lead to work stoppages or increased labor costs and adversely affect our business, profitability and our ability to reinvest into the growth of our business. We cannot predict how stable our relationships with U.S. labor organizations would be or whether we would be able to meet any unions’ requirements without impacting our financial condition. Labor unions may also limit our flexibility in dealing with our workforce. Work stoppages and instability in our union relationships could delay the production and sale of our products, which could strain relationships with customers and cause a loss of revenues which would adversely affect our operations.
Risks Related to COVID-19 Pandemic and Macro-Economic Conditions
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on us and our operations is uncertain and may adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We may be impacted by business interruptions resulting from pandemics and public health emergencies, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic. An outbreak of infectious disease, a pandemic, or a similar public health threat, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or a fear of any of the foregoing, could adversely impact our operations by causing operating, manufacturing, supply chain, and project development delays and disruptions, labor shortages, travel and shipping disruptions and shutdowns (including as a result of government regulation and prevention measures). It is unknown whether and how we may be affected if such a pandemic persists for an extended period of time, including as a result of the waiver of regulatory requirements or the implementation of emergency regulations to which we are subject. Although we have been deemed essential and/or have been permitted to continue operating our facilities in the states in which we cultivate, process, manufacture and sell cannabis during the pendency of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no assurance that our operations will continue to be deemed essential and/or will continue to be permitted to operate. We may incur expenses or delays relating to such events outside of our control, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results, financial condition and the trading price of the Common Shares.
To date, there have been a large number of temporary business closures, quarantines and a general reduction in consumer activity in Canada, the U.S., Europe and China. The reduction in people’s ability and willingness to go into public to purchase cannabis at brick-and-mortar retail stores, travel to and work for us and our subsidiaries and provide other necessary services for the operation of our business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused companies and various international jurisdictions to impose travel, gathering and other public health restrictions. While these effects are expected to be temporary, the
 
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duration of the various disruptions to businesses locally and internationally and the related financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Similarly, we cannot estimate whether or to what extent this COVID-19 pandemic and the potential financial impact may extend to countries outside of those currently impacted. We are actively assessing and responding where possible to the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such public health crises can result in volatility and disruptions in global supply chains and financial markets, as well as declining trade and market sentiment and reduced mobility of people, all of which could affect commodity prices, interest rates, credit ratings, credit risk and inflation. The risks to us of such public health crises also include risks to employee health and safety, a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations impacted by an outbreak, increased labor and fuel costs, regulatory changes or backlog, political or economic instabilities or civil unrest. At this point, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will or may impact us is uncertain and these factors are beyond our control; however, it is possible that COVID-19 pandemic may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted by a material downturn in global financial conditions.
Global financial conditions have historically experienced extreme volatility. Economic shocks may be precipitated by a number of causes, including a rise in the price of oil, geopolitical instability and natural disasters. Any sudden or rapid destabilization of global economic conditions could impact our ability to obtain equity or debt financing in the future on terms favorable to us. Additionally, any such occurrence could cause decreases in asset values that are deemed to be other than temporary, which may result in impairment losses. Further, in such an event, our operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted.
Furthermore, general market, political and economic conditions, including, for example, inflation, interest and currency exchange rates, structural changes in the cannabis industry, supply and demand for commodities, political developments, legislative or regulatory changes, social or labor unrest and stock market trends will affect our operating environment and our operating costs and profit margins and the price of our securities. Any negative events in the global economy could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
Increased prices and inflation could negatively impact our margin performance and our financial results.
Increased inflation, including rising prices for raw materials and components, labor and energy increases the costs to manufacture and distribute our products and we may be unable to pass these costs on to our customers. Additionally, we are exposed to fluctuations in other costs such as labor and energy prices. If inflation in these costs increases beyond our ability to control for them through measures such as implementing operating efficiencies, we may not be able to increase prices to sufficiently offset the effect of various cost increases without negatively impacting customer demand, thereby negatively impacting our margin performance and results of operations.
We may be adversely affected by boycotts, civil unrest and other geo-political disruptions.
We may be adversely affected by boycotts, civil unrest and other geo-political disruptions. These events may damage our properties, deny us access to an adequate workforce, increase the cost of energy and other raw materials, temporarily or permanently close our facilities, disrupt the production, supply and distribution of our products and potentially disrupt information systems.
If significant tariffs or other restrictions are placed on goods imported into the U.S. from China or any related counter-measures are taken by China, our revenue and results of operations may be materially harmed. Currently, the average tariffs on the majority of goods imported from China is 19.3%, which is significantly higher than before additional duties were imposed in 2018. These tariffs apply primarily to our vaporizer and vaporizer accessory products, and as a result, the cost of our products may increase. In addition, any such additional tariffs may also make our products more expensive for consumers, which may reduce consumer demand. We may need to offset the financial impact by, among other things, moving our product manufacturing to other locations where feasible, modifying other business practices or raising prices. If we are not successful in offsetting the impact of any such tariffs, our revenue, gross margins and operating results may be adversely affected.
 
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In addition to tariffs, the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact the ability of suppliers in China to produce cannabis accessory products, including vaporizer and vaporizer accessories, and transport such products to our production facilities in a timely and cost-effective manner. Alternative sources of supply and transport may not be available or financially feasible, which could impact product availability, increase the cost of our products, make products more expensive for consumers, and result in reduced consumer demand.
Risks Related to our Intellectual Property and Information Technology
We may be subject to risks related to the protection and enforcement of our intellectual property rights and may become subject to allegations that we are in violation of intellectual property rights of third parties.
As long as cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal law, the benefit of certain federal laws and protections which may be available to most businesses, such as federal trademark and patent protection regarding the intellectual property of a business, may not be available us. As a result, our intellectual property may never be adequately or sufficiently protected against the use or misappropriation by third parties. In addition, since the regulatory framework of the cannabis industry is in a constant state of flux, we can provide no assurance that we will ever obtain any protection of our intellectual property, whether on a federal, state or local level.
Ownership and protection of intellectual property rights is a significant aspect of our future success. Currently we rely on trade secrets, technical know-how and proprietary information that are not protected by patents to maintain our competitive position. We try to protect such intellectual property by entering into confidentiality agreements with parties that have access to it, such as business partners, collaborators, employees and consultants. If any of these parties breach these agreements, we may not have adequate remedies available. Additionally, our trade secrets and technical know-how, which are not protected by patents, may otherwise become known to or be independently developed by competitors, in which case our business, financial condition and operations could be materially adversely affected.
Unauthorized parties may attempt to replicate or otherwise obtain and use our products, trade secrets, technical know-how and proprietary information. Policing the unauthorized use of our current or future intellectual property rights and enforcing those rights could be difficult, expensive, time-consuming and unpredictable. Identifying unauthorized use of intellectual property rights is difficult and we may be unable to effectively monitor and evaluate the products being distributed by our competitors and the processes used to produce such products. Additionally, some or all of our current or future trademarks, patents, proprietary know-how, arrangements, agreements or other intellectual property rights seeking to protect us, may be found invalid, not infringed, unenforceable or anti-competitive in an infringement proceeding. An adverse result in any litigation or defense proceedings could put one or more of our current or future trademarks, patents or other intellectual property rights at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and could put existing intellectual property applications at risk of not being issued. Any or all of these events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Other parties may claim that our products infringe on their proprietary and other protected rights. Such claims, if meritorious, may result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, legal fees, result in injunctions, temporary restraining orders and/or require the payment of damages. We may also need to obtain licenses from third parties who allege that we have infringed on their lawful rights. As such, we may not be able to obtain or utilize such rights or licenses at all or on terms that are favorable to us.
We may be forced to litigate to defend our intellectual property rights, or to defend against claims by third parties against us relating to intellectual property rights.
We may be forced into litigation to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights, protect our trade secrets or determine the validity and scope of other parties’ proprietary rights. Any such litigation could be very costly and could distract our management from focusing on operations. The existence and/or outcome of any such litigation could harm our business. Because the content of much of our intellectual property concerns cannabis and other activities that are not legal in some jurisdictions, we may face additional difficulties in defending our intellectual property rights. For instance, the USPTO does not allow trademarks directly related to cannabis and cannabis products to be registered due to the illegal nature of the business and products under federal law.
 
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We will be reliant on information technology systems and may be subject to damaging cyber-attacks or security breaches.
We have and will continue to enter into agreements with third parties for hardware, software, telecommunications and other information technology (“IT”) services regarding our operations. Our operations depend, in part, on how well we and our suppliers protect networks, equipment, IT systems and software against damage from many threats, including, but not limited to, cable cuts, damage to physical plants, natural disasters, intentional damage and destruction, fire, power loss, hacking, computer viruses, vandalism and theft. Our operations also depend on the timely maintenance, upgrade and replacement of networks, equipment, IT systems and software, as well as pre-emptive expenses to mitigate the risks of failures. Any of these and other events could result in information system failures, delays and/or increase in capital expenses. The failure of information systems or a component of information systems could, depending on the nature of any such failure, adversely impact our reputation and results of operations.
We have not experienced any material losses to date relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches, but there can be no assurance that we will not incur such losses in the future. Our risk and exposure to these matters cannot be fully mitigated because of, among other things, the evolving nature of these threats. As a result, cyber security and the continued development and enhancement of controls, processes and practices designed to protect systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage or unauthorized access is a priority. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to modify or enhance protective measures or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities.
Given the nature of our products and our lack of legal availability outside of channels approved by applicable governmental and regulatory authorities, as well as the concentration of inventory in our facilities, there remains a risk of security as well as theft. If there was a breach in security systems and we become a victim of robbery or theft, the loss of cannabis plants, cannabis oils, cannabis flowers and cultivation and processing equipment, or if there was a failure of information systems or a component of information systems, could, depending on the nature of any such breach or failure, adversely impact our reputation, business continuity and results of operations. A security breach at one of our facilities could expose us to additional liability and to potentially costly litigation, increased expenses relating to the resolution and future prevention of such breaches and may deter potential consumers from choosing our products.
We are subject to laws, rules and regulations in the U.S. (such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”)) and other jurisdictions relating to the collection, processing, storage, transfer and use of personal data. Our ability to execute transactions and to possess and use personal information and data in conducting our business subjects us to legislative and regulatory burdens that may require us to notify regulators and customers, employees and other individuals of a data security breach. Evolving compliance and operational requirements under the CCPA and the privacy laws, rules and regulations of other jurisdictions in which we operate impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time. In addition, non-compliance could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities and/or significant fines, could negatively impact our reputation and may otherwise adversely impact our business, financial condition and operating results.
Risks Related to our Acquisitions and Growth Strategy
We may not be able to successfully identify and execute future acquisitions or dispositions, or to successfully manage the impacts of such transactions on our operations.
Material acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions involve a number of risks, including: (i) potential disruptions of our ongoing business; (ii) distractions of management; (iii) we may become more financially leveraged; (iv) the anticipated benefits and cost savings may not be realized fully, or at all, and may take longer than expected; (v) an increase in the scope and complexity of our operations; and (vi) a loss or reduction of control over certain of our assets.
The presence of one or more material liabilities of an acquired company that are unknown to us at the time of acquisition could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, business prospects and financial condition. A strategic transaction may result in a significant change to our business, operations and
 
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strategy. In addition, we may encounter unforeseen obstacles or costs in implementing a strategic transaction or integrating any acquired business into our operations.
We may complete additional acquisitions, enter into new lines of business and expand into new geographic markets and businesses, each of which may result in upfront costs and additional risks and uncertainties in our businesses.
We intend, if market conditions warrant, to grow our businesses by acquiring additional businesses, expanding existing products lines, entering into new product lines and entering new geographic markets. Attempts to expand our businesses involve a number of special risks, including some or all of the following:
•
the required investment of capital and other resources;
​
•
the diversion of management’s attention from our existing businesses;
​
•
the assumption of liabilities in any acquired business;
​
•
the disruption of our ongoing businesses;
​
•
entry into markets or lines of business in which we may have limited or no experience;
​
•
compliance with or applicability to our businesses of regulations and laws, including, in particular, regulations and laws in new states and localities, and a lack of experience in interacting with the regulatory authorities responsible for enforcing these regulations and laws; and
​
•
increasing demands on our operational and management systems and controls.
​
Because we have not yet identified these potential new acquisitions, product line expansions, and expansions into new geographic markets or lines of business, we cannot identify all of the specific risks we may face and the potential adverse consequences on us and any investments that may result from any attempted acquisition or expansion.
Our ability to complete strategic alliances or partnerships will be dependent on and may be limited by the availability of suitable candidates and capital.
We currently have, and may in the future enter, into partnerships or strategic alliances with third parties that we believe will complement or augment our existing business. Such partnerships or strategic alliances could present unforeseen integration obstacles or costs, may not enhance our business and may involve risks that could adversely affect us, including significant amounts of management time that may be diverted from operations in order to pursue and complete such transactions or maintain such strategic alliances. Future strategic alliances or partnerships could result in the incurrence of additional debt, costs and contingent liabilities and there can be no assurance that future strategic alliances or partnerships will achieve, or that our existing strategic alliances or partnerships will continue to achieve, the expected benefits to our business or that we will be able to consummate future strategic alliances on satisfactory terms, or at all. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to effectively manage our growth and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business.
If we implement our business plan as intended, we may in the future experience rapid growth and development in a relatively short period of time. The management of this growth will require, among other things, continued development of our financial and management controls and information systems, stringent control of costs, the ability to attract and retain qualified management personnel and the training of new personnel. We intend to outsource resources and hire additional personnel to manage our expected growth and expansion. Failure to successfully manage our possible growth and development could have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of our equity.
 
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ITEM 2.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
​
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) of the financial condition and results of operations is for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
It is supplemental to and should be read in conjunction with, the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 and the accompanying notes for each respective period. The Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Financial information presented in this MD&A is presented in thousands of U.S. dollars (“USD”, “$” or “US$”), except per share amounts, unless otherwise indicated.
This MD&A contains certain “forward-looking statements” and certain “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable securities laws. Please refer to the discussion of forward-looking statements and information set out under the heading “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” identified in this registration statement. As a result of many factors, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements and information.
Overview of the Company
TILT Holdings Inc. was incorporated under the laws of Nevada pursuant to NRS Chapter 78 on June 22, 2018. The Company was continued under the BCBCA pursuant to a Certificate of Continuance dated November 14, 2018. The Company’s head office is located in Phoenix, Arizona and its registered office is located in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Company operates through two business divisions: Inhalation Technology and Cannabis. Inhalation Technology encompasses the Jupiter business, through which the Company sells vape and accessory products and services across thirty-six states in the U.S., as well as Canada, Israel, South America and the European Union. The Cannabis division includes operations in Massachusetts at CAC, in Pennsylvania at Standard Farms PA and in Ohio at Standard Farms OH.
Through the Company’s CAC operations, the Company operates a vertically integrated marijuana facility in Taunton, Massachusetts, dually licensed for both medical and adult-use cultivation, manufacturing and retail sales and a further dispensary, also dually licensed for both medical and adult-use retail sales, in Brockton, Massachusetts. CAC has another dispensary built out, but not yet operating, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Through these facilities the Company produces, packages, and sells a variety of cannabis flower, vape cartridge, concentrate, edible and topical products via wholesale and retail to Massachusetts customers.
Through the Company’s Standard Farms PA operations in White Haven, Pennsylvania, the Company produces medical cannabis products including vape cartridges, flower, capsules, oil syringes and tinctures, which are sold via wholesale to PA customers.
Through the Company’s Standard Farms OH facility outside Cleveland, Ohio, the Company produces high-quality medical cannabis products from cannabis biomass including tinctures, vape cartridges, syringes, topicals, concentrates and edibles, which are then sold and distributed throughout Ohio via wholesale to other licensed cannabis businesses.
Results of Operations
The Company reports the results of operations of its affiliates and subsidiaries from the date that control commences, either through the purchase of the business or control through a management agreement. The following selected financial information includes only the results of operations after the Company established control of affiliates and subsidiaries. Accordingly, the information included below may not be representative of the results of operations of such affiliates or subsidiaries had their results of operations included for the entire reporting period.
 
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The following is selected financial data derived from the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The selected consolidated financial information set out below may not be indicative of future performance:
​ ​ ​
Years Ended
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
($ in thousands)
​ ​
Dec 31,
2021
​ ​
Dec 31,
2020
​ ​
$
Change
​ ​
%
Change
​
Revenue
​ ​ ​ ​ 202,705 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 158,409 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 44,296 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 28% ​ ​
Cost of goods sold
​ ​ ​ ​ (152,502) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (112,270) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (40,232) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 36% ​ ​
Gross profit
​ ​ ​ ​ 50,203 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 46,139 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 4,064 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9% ​ ​
Loss from operations
​ ​ ​ ​ (39,793) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (36,294) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (3,499) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 10% ​ ​
Total other income (expense)
​ ​ ​ ​ (9,236) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (21,938) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 12,702 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -58% ​ ​
Net loss from continuing operations before income taxes
​ ​ ​ ​ (49,029) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (58,232) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9,203 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -16% ​ ​
Net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (56,490) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 56,490 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -100% ​ ​
Net loss
​ ​ ​ ​ (35,126) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (116,418) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 81,292 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -70% ​ ​
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
Revenue
Revenue represents the amount the Company expects to receive for goods and services in its contracts with customers, net of discounts and sales taxes. The Company’s revenue is derived from the following:
Sale of Goods — Vaporization and Inhalation Devices:
Revenue from the wholesale sales of accessories is recognized when the Company transfers control and satisfies its performance obligations on wholesale sales of accessories. Revenue is recognized from product sales at a point in time following the transfer of control of such products to the customer, which typically occurs upon shipment or delivery, depending on the terms of sale with the customer.
Sale of Goods — Cannabis:
Revenue from the direct sale of goods to customers for a fixed price is recognized when the Company transfers control of the good to the customer. The Company transfers control and satisfies its performance obligations on retail sales upon delivery and acceptance from the customer. For dispensary sales, this occurs at the point of sale at the dispensary. The Company satisfies its performance obligation on wholesale sales when goods are delivered to the customer.
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $202,705 up from $158,409 for the year ended December 31, 2020, reflecting a year-over-year increase of $44,296 or 28%. The increase was primarily attributable to year-over-year sales volume growth at Jupiter which increased revenue $40,329 or 33%. Additionally, revenue in cannabis operations for 2021 increased $4,022 or 11% year-over-year, primarily in the Company’s wholesale and retail cannabis operations in Massachusetts related to increased cultivation capacity, a broader product portfolio including partner brands and improved market conditions compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 in which sales volume was materially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Partially offsetting this growth in cannabis operations, cannabis revenue in the Pennsylvania market declined year-over-year related to decreased wholesale sales volume driven by increased marketplace competition in 2021.
Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit reflects revenue less production costs primarily consisting of labor, materials, rent and facilities, supplies, overhead, amortization on production equipment, shipping, packaging and other expenses required to grow and manufacture cannabis products. Gross margin represents gross profit as a percentage of revenue.
 
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Cost of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $152,502, up from $112,270 for the year ended December 31, 2020 reflecting a year-over-year increase of $40,232 or 36%, driven by increased year-over-year sales volume.
The Company’s gross profit for year ended December 31, 2021 was $50,203, up from $46,139 for the year ended December 31, 2020, which reflects a year-over-year increase of $4,064 or 9%. Gross margin was 25% and 29% in the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The improvement in gross profit was due to increased sales volume year-over-year while the contraction in gross margin was primarily due to a difference in customer and product mix.
Total Operating Expenses
Total operating expense primarily consists of costs incurred at the Company’s corporate offices, share-based compensation, personnel costs including wages and employee benefits, professional service costs including accounting and legal expenses, rental costs associated with certain of the Company’s offices and facilities, insurance expenses, costs associated with advertising and marketing TILT products and other general and administrative expenses which support TILT’s business.
The following is a summary of the Company’s operating expenses derived from the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively:
​ ​ ​
Years Ended
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
($ in thousands)
​ ​
Dec 31,
2021
​ ​
Dec 31,
2020
​ ​
$
Change
​ ​
%
Change
​
Wages and benefits
​ ​ ​ $ 17,407 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 12,927 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 4,480 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 35% ​ ​
General and administrative
​ ​ ​ ​ 19,073 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 22,170 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (3,097) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -14% ​ ​
Sales and marketing
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,457 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 839 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 618 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 74% ​ ​
Share-based compensation expense
​ ​ ​ ​ 3,804 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 4,200 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (396) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -9% ​ ​
Depreciation and amortization
​ ​ ​ ​ 17,857 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 18,356 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (499) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -3% ​ ​
Impairment loss
​ ​ ​ ​ 30,398 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 23,941 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6,457 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 27% ​ ​
Total Operating Expense
​ ​ ​ ​ 89,996 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 82,433 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 7,563 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9% ​ ​
Total operating expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $89,996, an increase of $7,563 or 9% from $82,433 for the prior year. The increase was primarily due to an increase in non-cash impairment loss, an increase in wages and benefits driven by the 2021 rollout of a company-wide bonus program and increased headcount related to the expansion of retail operations. Partially offsetting these increases to total operating expense, general and administrative expense decreased year-over-year primarily related to decreased bad debt.
Total Other Income (Expense)
Other expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 was ($9,236), a decrease of $12,702 from the prior year primarily due to a year-over-year decrease in loan losses as well as the change in fair value of warrant liabilities related to the change in the functional currency of the Company from the Canadian dollar to the U.S. dollar, effective January 1, 2021.
Net Income (Loss)
The company recorded a net loss from continuing operations of ($35,126) for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to a net loss from continuing operations of ($59,928) for the prior year, for a reduction in net loss from continuing operations of $24,802 or 41% as a result of the factors noted above.
 
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TILT HOLDINGS INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
For the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
(Amounts Expressed in Thousands of United States Dollars, Except for Gram, Unit, Share and Per Share Amounts)
​ ​ ​
2021
​ ​
2020
​
Revenues, net
​ ​ ​ $ 202,705 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 158,409 ​ ​
Cost of goods sold
​ ​ ​ ​ (152,502) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (112,270) ​ ​
Gross profit
​ ​ ​ ​ 50,203 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 46,139 ​ ​
Operating expenses: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Wages and benefits
​ ​ ​ ​ 17,407 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 12,927 ​ ​
General and administrative
​ ​ ​ ​ 19,073 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 22,170 ​ ​
Sales and marketing
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,457 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 839 ​ ​
Share-based compensation
​ ​ ​ ​ 3,804 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 4,200 ​ ​
Depreciation and amortization
​ ​ ​ ​ 17,857 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 18,356 ​ ​
Impairment loss
​ ​ ​ ​ 30,398 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 23,941 ​ ​
Total operating expenses
​ ​ ​ ​ 89,996 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 82,433 ​ ​
Loss from operations
​ ​ ​ ​ (39,793) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (36,294) ​ ​
Other income (expense): ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Interest income
​ ​ ​ ​ 593 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 3,835 ​ ​
Other income
​ ​ ​ ​ 74 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,053 ​ ​
Change in fair value of warrant liability
​ ​ ​ ​ 6,001 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Unrealized loss on investments
​ ​ ​ ​ (891) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (337) ​ ​
Gain on foreign currency exchange
​ ​ ​ ​ 14 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Gain (loss) on sale of assets
​ ​ ​ ​ 163 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (70) ​ ​
Loan losses
​ ​ ​ ​ (4,562) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (16,416) ​ ​
Loss on termination of lease
​ ​ ​ ​ (261) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (613) ​ ​
Interest expense, net
​ ​ ​ ​ (10,367) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (9,390) ​ ​
Other expense
​ ​ ​ ​ (9,236) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (21,938) ​ ​
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes
​ ​ ​ ​ (49,029) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (58,232) ​ ​
Income taxes ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Income tax benefit (expense)
​ ​ ​ ​ 13,903 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (1,696) ​ ​
Net loss from continuing operations, net of tax
​ ​ ​ ​ (35,126) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (59,928) ​ ​
Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (58,257) ​ ​
Income tax benefit from discontinued operations
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,767 ​ ​
Net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (56,490) ​ ​
Net loss
​ ​ ​ ​ (35,126) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (116,418) ​ ​
Other comprehensive (loss) income ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Foreign currency translation adjustments
​ ​ ​ ​ (15) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 496 ​ ​
Comprehensive loss
​ ​ ​ $ (35,141) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (115,922) ​ ​
Weighted average number of shares outstanding: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Basic and diluted
​ ​ ​
​
370,002,378
 ​ ​ ​ ​
​
364,562,929
 ​ ​
Net Loss per common share ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Basic and diluted
​ ​ ​ $ (0.09) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (0.32) ​ ​
Basic and diluted, from continuing operations
​ ​ ​ $ (0.09) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (0.16) ​ ​
Basic and diluted, from discontinued operations
​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (0.15) ​ ​
 
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company closely monitors and manages its capital resources to assess the liquidity required to fund fixed asset capital expenditures and operations.
As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had total current assets of $100,886 and $70,561, respectively, which represents an increase of $30,325. The increase in total current assets is primarily due to an increase in inventory and in trade receivables and others, net of allowances, partially offset by decreases in advances for acquisition target, cash and prepaid expenses and other current assets.
Additionally, as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had total current liabilities of $99,497 and $44,678, respectively, which represents an increase of $54,819. The increase in total current liabilities is primarily related to the increase in the current portion of notes payable and the increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities, partially offset by the decreases in deferred revenue and income tax payable.
Liquidity
The Company has experienced operating losses since its inception and expects to continue to incur losses in the development of its business. The Company incurred a comprehensive loss of $35,141 during the year ended December 31, 2021 and has an accumulated deficit as at December 31, 2021, of $856,248. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had positive working capital of $1,389 (compared to positive working capital of $25,883 as of December 31, 2020). The Company’s liquidity will depend, in large part, on its ability to raise adequate financing or refinance the debt maturities occurring in November 2022; generate expected positive cash flow; and minimize the anticipated net loss during the 12 months from the date of this filing: all of which are uncertain and outside the control of the Company.
Based on the Company’s operating plans for the next 12 months which includes (i) revenue growth from the sale of existing products and the introduction of new products across all operating segments, (ii) reduced production costs as a result of maturing efficiencies in cannabis operations, (iii) reduced supply chain costs, (iv) increased cash inflows from the Q4 2021 activation of two adult-use retail dispensary licenses and the 2022 activation of a further medical dispensary license, (v) cash inflows from the monetization of certain assets, (vi) line of credit and other financing with major bank and (vii) complete the refinancing of debt obligations and extension of maturities with banking partners and note holders, the Company believes that it has adequate resources to fund the operations during the next 12 months from the date of filing this registration statement. If the Company is unable to complete these actions, it may be unable to meet its operating cash flow needs and its obligations beyond the next 12 months.
Cash Flows
The following table presents the Company’s net cash inflows and outflows from the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:
​ ​ ​
Years Ended
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
($ in thousands)
​ ​
Dec 31,
2021
​ ​
Dec 31,
2020
​ ​
$
Change
​ ​
%
Change
​
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
​ ​ ​ $ (8,599) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 10,660 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (19,259) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -181% ​ ​
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
​ ​ ​ ​ 186 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (2,520) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2,706 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 107% ​ ​
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
​ ​ ​ ​ 6,514 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (3,909) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 10,423 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 267% ​ ​
Effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents
​ ​ ​ ​ (8) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 616 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (624) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -101% ​ ​
Net changes in cash and cash equivalents
​ ​ ​ ​ (1,907) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 4,847 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (6,754) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -139% ​ ​
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash was provided by (used in):
•
Operating activities: ($8,599). The cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 2021 includes a cash gain from operations of $14,572, which excludes non-cash items from net loss such as share-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, loan losses and impairment loss. This gain was offset by a ($23,171) change in cash used in working capital items during the period,
​
 
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primarily driven by an increase in inventory purchases in the Inhalation Technology division which was undertaken to ensure adequate supply for our customers and mitigate bottlenecks in our supply chain.
•
Investing activities: $186. The cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 2021 primarily consisted of the repayment of loan receivable and proceeds from the sale of property, partially offset by cash used in the purchase of PP&E, mainly at the Company’s Massachusetts cannabis operations as CAC continues to scale production and retail.
​
•
Financing activities: $6,514. The cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 2021 primarily consisted of proceeds from loans, partially offset by cash used in the repayment of loans and cash used in payments on lease liabilities.
​
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the net increase (decrease) in cash was ($1,907).
Working Capital
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had working capital of $1,389 compared to working capital of $25,883 as of December 31, 2020.
​ ​ ​
Years Ended
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
($ in thousands)
​ ​
Dec 31,
2021
​ ​
Dec 31,
2020
​ ​
$
Change
​ ​
%
Change
​
Working capital
​ ​ ​ $ 1,389 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 25,883 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (24,494) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -95% ​ ​
Operating Segments
Prior to 2021, the Company operated in five reportable segments: cannabis segment (SHT, SVH, Standard Farms PA and Standard Farms OH), technology/distribution (Baker and Blackbird), accessories (Jupiter), corporate and other (White Haven). During 2020, the Company sold all of the assets and liabilities related to Blackbird, the most significant piece of the technology/distribution segment rolling up into holding company Baker. Subsequent to the sale of Blackbird, the Company realigned the Baker holding company to focus on the cannabis cultivation and extraction business, with the Baker business unit becoming part of the Company’s cannabis operating segment.
As of 2021, the Company operates in four reportable segments: (1) cannabis segment (SHT, SVH, Standard Farms PA, Standard Farms OH and Baker), (2) accessories (Jupiter), (3) corporate and (4) other (White Haven, SFNY and CGSF). The cannabis segment includes production, cultivation, extraction and sale of cannabis products and accessories includes the manufacturing and distribution of electronic, non-nicotine (i.e., cannabis) devices and systems.
The following tables presents the results of the Company’s operating segments for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Year ended December 31, 2021
​
​ ​ ​
Technology/​
Distribution
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Accessories
​ ​
Corporate &
Elim
​ ​
Other
​ ​
Total
​
Revenue
​ ​ ​ $    — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 41,923 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 161,662 ​ ​ ​ ​ $    — ​ ​ ​ ​ $    — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 203,585 ​ ​
Inter-segment revenue
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (880) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (880) ​ ​
Net revenue
​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 41,923 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 160,782 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 202,705 ​ ​
Year ended December 31, 2020
​
​ ​ ​
Technology/​
Distribution
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Accessories
​ ​
Corporate &
Elim
​ ​
Other
​ ​
Total
​
Revenue
​ ​ ​ $ 54 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 37,901 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 122,042 ​ ​ ​ ​ $    — ​ ​ ​ ​ $    — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 159,997 ​ ​
Inter-segment revenue
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (1,588) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (1,588) ​ ​
Net revenue
​ ​ ​ $ 54 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 37,901 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 120,454 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 158,409 ​ ​
 
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Financial Instruments and Risk Management
The Company examines the various financial instruments and risks to which it is exposed and assesses the impact and likelihood of those risks. These risks include market risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, currency risk and credit risk. Where significant, these risks are reviewed and monitored by the Board.
The Board has overall responsibility for the determination of the Company’s risk management objectives and policies. The overall objective of the Board is to set policies that seek to reduce risk as far as possible without unduly affecting the Company’s competitiveness and flexibility.
Liquidity Risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will not be able to meet its financial obligations associated with financial liabilities. The Company manages liquidity risk through the management of its capital structure. The Company’s approach to managing liquidity is to ensure that it will have sufficient liquidity to settle obligations and liabilities when due, (refer to Liquidity and Capital Resources section for risk mitigation plan).
The following are the remaining contractual maturities of financial liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2021:
​ ​ ​
Carrying
amount
​ ​
Contractual cash flows
​
December 31, 2021
​ ​
Total
​ ​
< 6 months
​ ​
6 – 12 months
​ ​
1 – 5 years
​
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
​ ​ ​ $ 49,482 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (49,482) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (40,208) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (189) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (9,085) ​ ​
Notes payable
​ ​ ​ ​ 86,613 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (87,105) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (10,704) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (38,629) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (37,772) ​ ​
Total ​ ​ ​ $ 136,095 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (136,587) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (50,912) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (38,818) ​ ​ ​ ​ $ (46,857) ​ ​
Interest Rate Risk
Interest rate risk is the risk that future cash flows will fluctuate as a result of changes in market interest rates. As interest on the cash held with financial institutions is negligible and the Company does not have any variable interest rate instruments, the Company considers interest rate risk to be immaterial.
Currency Risk
The operating results and financial position of the Company are reported in U.S. dollars. Some of the Company’s financial transactions are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The results of the Company’s operations are subject to currency transaction and translation risks. The Company’s exposure to currency risk is minimal.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had no hedging agreements in place with respect to foreign exchange rates. The Company has not entered into any agreements or purchased any instruments to hedge possible currency risks at this time.
Credit Risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Company if a counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations, and arises principally from the Company’s trade receivables, advances for acquisition targets and loans receivable. The carrying amounts for these financial assets represent their maximum credit exposure to the Company.
•
Trade Receivables
​
The Company provides credit to its customers in the normal course of business and has established credit evaluation and monitoring processes to mitigate credit risk. Accounts receivable related to online sales are held in reputable merchant accounts and are typically received within a short period of time between 45-60 days. Additionally, the Company assesses the risk that accounts may not be collectible and has an allowance for doubtful accounts that reflects our assessment of the current expected credit loss as of the reporting date.
 
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As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company was not materially exposed to any significant credit risk related to counterparty performance of outstanding trade receivables.
•
Loans Receivable
​
The Company manages its exposure to credit risk arising from loans receivable by obtaining collateral in the form of guarantees and security interest in the underlying assets of the counterparty, including intangible assets such as cannabis licenses, which would allow the Company to foreclose on the loans or force a sale of the assets in the event of default by the counterparty.
At each reporting date, the Company assesses whether loans receivables are credit impaired by applying the guidance in ASC 326. A financial asset is ‘credit impaired’ when one or more events that have a detrimental impact on the estimated future cash flows of the financial asset have occurred. Credit impairment is based on observable data such as significant financial difficulty of the debtor and a breach of contract such as a default or being past due.
Current expected credit losses (CECLs) are measured by the Company on a probability-weighted basis based on historical experience with losses and forward-looking information, which includes considerations of ongoing legal and regulatory developments in the industry. Loss given default parameters utilized by the Company in estimating CECL generally reflect the assumed recovery rate from underlying collateral, with adjustments for time value of money and estimated costs for obtaining and selling the collateral. Given the repayment profile and underlying terms of such loans, CECLs are generally estimated over the contractual term of the loan.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash is maintained with financial institutions of reputable credit and may be redeemed upon demand. The Company maintains its cash accounts at various financial institution in the United States and Canada. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation provides insurance of up to $250 for cash accounts held in the banks in the United States. Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation provides insurance of up to C$100 for cash accounts held in the banks in Canada. From time to time, the Company’s balances may exceed this limit. The Company has not experienced any losses on its cash deposits. Credit risk exposure is limited through maintaining cash with high-credit quality financial institutions and management considers this risk to be minimal for all cash assets based on changes that are reasonably possible at each reporting period.
Capital Management
The Company’s objectives when managing capital are to ensure that there are adequate capital resources to safeguard the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern and maintain adequate levels of funding to support its ongoing operations and development such that it can continue to provide returns to shareholders and benefits for other shareholders.
The capital structure of the Company consists of items included in shareholders’ equity and debt. The Company manages its capital structure and makes adjustments to it in light of changes in economic conditions and the risk characteristics of the Company’s underlying assets. The Company plans to use existing funds, as well as funds from the future sale of products, to fund operations and expansion activities. As of December 31, 2021, the Company is not subject to externally imposed capital requirements.
Financial Instruments
A financial instrument is any contract that gives rise to a financial asset of one entity and a financial liability or equity instrument to another entity. Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognized in the consolidated statements of financial position at the time the Company becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the financial instrument.
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, our financial instruments consist of cash, trade receivables, loans receivable, equity investments, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, warrant liability and notes payable. The Company has no speculative financial instruments, derivatives, forward contracts or hedges.
 
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Financial instruments recorded at fair value are classified using a fair value hierarchy that reflects the significance of the inputs used to make the measurements. The hierarchy is summarized as follows:
•
Level 1 — Quoted prices (unadjusted) that are in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
​
•
Level 2 — Inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (prices) for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or indirectly (derived from prices) for identical assets or liabilities in markets with insufficient volume or infrequent transactions;
​
•
Level 3 — Inputs for assets or liabilities that are not based upon observable market data.
​
​ ​ ​
Year Ended December 31, 2021
​
​ ​ ​
Fair value hierarchy
​
Fair value of assets and liabilities
​ ​
Level 1
​ ​
Level 2
​ ​
Level 3
​
Cash and cash equivalents
​ ​ ​ $ 6,952 ​ ​ ​ ​ $    — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​
Trade receivables and others
​ ​ ​ ​ 32,393 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Other loans receivable
​ ​ ​ ​ 4,125 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Investments
​ ​ ​ ​ 102 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6,596 ​ ​
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
​ ​ ​ ​ 49,482 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Warrant liability (1)
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2,394 ​ ​
Notes payable
​ ​ ​ ​ 86,613 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Total ​ ​ ​ $ 179,667 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 8,990 ​ ​
​ ​ ​
Year Ended December 31, 2020
​
​ ​ ​
Fair value hierarchy
​
Fair value of assets and liabilities
​ ​
Level 1
​ ​
Level 2
​ ​
Level 3
​
Cash and cash equivalents
​ ​ ​ $ 8,859 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​ ​ ​ $ — ​ ​
Trade receivables and others
​ ​ ​ ​ 14,568 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Blackbird loan receivable
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 7,128 ​ ​
Other loans receivable
​ ​ ​ ​ 10,015 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Investments
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 189 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,000 ​ ​
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
​ ​ ​ ​ 31,086 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Notes payable
​ ​ ​ ​ 71,750 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Total ​ ​ ​ $ 136,278 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 189 ​ ​ ​ ​ $ 8,128 ​ ​
Significant Accounting Judgements and Estimates
The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of policies and reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and revenue and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period or in the period of the revision and future periods if the review affects both current and future periods. Significant judgments and estimates that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements are described below.
Classification and Measurement of Jimmy Jang, L.P. Units
Significant judgment is applied in connection with the classification and measurement of LP Units, as discussed within the significant accounting policy for equity.
 
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Estimated Useful Lives and Depreciation of Property, Plant and Equipment
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is dependent upon estimates of useful lives which are determined through the exercise of judgment. The assessment of any impairment of these assets is dependent upon estimates of recoverable amounts that take into account factors such as economic and market conditions and the useful lives of assets.
Business Combinations
In a business combination, all identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired are recorded at their fair values. For any intangible asset identified, depending on the type of intangible asset and the complexity of determining its fair value, an independent valuation expert or management may develop the fair value, using appropriate valuation techniques, which are generally based on a forecast of the total expected future net cash flows.
The evaluations are linked closely to the assumptions made by management regarding the future performance of the assets concerned and any changes in the discount rate applied.
Certain fair values of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities may be estimated at the acquisition date pending confirmation or completion of the valuation process. Where provisional values are used in accounting for a business combination, they may be adjusted retrospectively in subsequent periods within the measurement period when it reflects new information obtained about facts and circumstances that were in existence at the acquisition date. The measurement period cannot exceed one year from the acquisition date.
Measurement of Share-Based Payments
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of equity-settled share-based payments. In estimating fair value, management is required to make certain assumptions and estimates such as the expected life of units, volatility of the Company’s future share price, risk free rates, future dividend yields and estimated forfeitures at the initial grant date. Changes in assumptions used to estimate fair value could result in materially different results.
Impairment of Non-Financial Assets
The assessment of any impairment of non-financial assets is dependent upon estimates of recoverable amounts that take into account factors such as economic and market conditions, the useful lives of assets, definition of the cost generating unit and estimates used to measure impairment losses. The recoverable value of these assets is determined using present value techniques, which incorporate assumptions regarding future events, specifically future cash flows, growth rates and discount rates.
Goodwill and Indefinite Life Intangible Asset Impairment
Goodwill and intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are tested for impairment annually during the fourth quarter and whenever there are indicators that the carrying amount of goodwill or intangible assets with an indefinite useful life have been impaired. In order to determine if the value of these assets have been impaired, the Company calculates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which asset has been allocated using present value techniques. When applying this valuation technique, the Company relies on a number of factors, including historical results, business plans, forecasts and market data. Changes in these judgments and estimates can significantly affect the assessed recoverable amount of goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets.
Deferred Tax Assets
Deferred tax assets, including those arising from tax loss carry-forwards, require management to assess the likelihood that the Company will generate sufficient taxable earnings in future periods in order to utilize recognized deferred tax assets. Assumptions about the generation of future taxable profits depend on management’s estimates of future cash flows.
 
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In addition, future changes in tax laws could limit the ability of the Company to obtain tax deductions in future periods. To the extent that future cash flows and taxable income differ significantly from estimates, the ability of the Company to realize the deferred tax assets recorded at the reporting date could be impacted.
Leases
The Company applies ASU 2016-02, Leases (“Topic 842”). Topic 842 requires lessees to recognize Right of Use (“ROU”) Assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. The Company evaluates whether arrangements entered into contain leases for accounting purposes. See Note 13 — Leases for additional information.
Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurement
A number of the Company’s accounting policies and disclosures require the measurement of fair values, for both financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities that are required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers all related factors of the asset by market participants in which the Company would transact and the market-based risk measurements or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions and credit risk.
When measuring the fair value of an asset or a liability, the Company uses observable market data as far as possible. Fair values are categorized into different levels in a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used in the valuation techniques as follows:
•
Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
​
•
Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (i.e., as prices) or indirectly (i.e., derived from prices).
​
•
Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).
​
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2021, and 2020 the Company does not have any off-balance-sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company, including, and without limitation, such considerations as liquidity and capital resources.
 
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ITEM 3.
PROPERTIES
​
Leases
The following table sets forth the Company’s principal properties as of December 31, 2021:
​
Location
​ ​
Square Feet
​ ​
Purpose
​ ​
Segment(s)
​ ​
Leased/Owned
​
​ Phoenix, AZ ​ ​
13,115
​ ​
Administrative
​ ​
Corporate,
Accessories
​ ​
Leased
​
​ Cambridge, MA ​ ​
9,882
​ ​
Distribution
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Leased
​
​ Taunton, MA ​ ​
539,273
​ ​
Cultivation and Distribution
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Leased
​
​ Taunton, MA ​ ​
N/M
​ ​
Administrative
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Leased
​
​ Taunton, MA ​ ​
20,000
​ ​
Distribution
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Leased
​
​ Brockton, MA ​ ​
6,000
​ ​
Distribution
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Leased
​
​ Cleveland, OH ​ ​
20,725
​ ​
Distribution and manufacturing
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Leased
​
​ Elyria, OH ​ ​
6,180
​ ​
Distribution
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Owned
​
​ White Haven Borough, PA ​ ​
  478,724
​ ​
Cultivation and manufacturing
​ ​
Cannabis
​ ​
Owned
​
​ Total Square Footage ​ ​
1,093,899
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​
N/M = not meaningful.
All properties are subject to liens by creditors as described in Note 12 to the audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
 
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ITEM 4.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
​
The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of the Common Shares as of March 31, 2022 for (i) each member of the Board, (ii) each named executive officer, (iii) each person known to the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s voting securities and (iv) the members of the Board and the Company’s executive officers as a group. Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC. Generally, a person has beneficial ownership of a security if the person possesses sole or shared voting or investment power of that security, including any securities that a person has the right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days. Except as indicated, all Common Shares will be owned directly, and the person or entity listed as the beneficial owner has sole voting and investment power. The percentage ownership in the below table is based on 331,481,888 Common Shares outstanding as of March 31, 2022.
To the Company’s knowledge, except as noted below, no person or entity is the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Common Shares. The address for each director and executive officer is c/o TILT Holdings Inc., 2801 E. Camelback Road #180, Phoenix, Arizona 85016.
​ ​ ​
Common Shares
​
Name and Position of Beneficial Owner
​ ​
Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
​ ​
Percent of
Class
​
Mark Scatterday, Director and Former Chief Executive Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ 33,012,957(1) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9.09% ​ ​
Tim Conder, Director
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,393,000(2) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Jane Batzofin, Director
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,381,452(3) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Mark J. Coleman, Director
​ ​ ​ ​ 631,452(4) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
John Barravecchia, Director
​ ​ ​ ​ 516,390(5) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
D’Angela Simms, Director
​ ​ ​ ​ 470,117(6) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Gary F. Santo, Jr., Chief Executive Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ 782,982(7) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Brad Hoch, Chief Financial Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ 424,842(8) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Dana Arvidson, Chief Operating Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ 50,000(9) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
Marshall Horowitz, Former General Counsel
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,000,000(10) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ * ​ ​
All current directors and executive officers as a group (9 persons)
​ ​ ​ ​ 39,663,192 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 11.0% ​ ​
​
Notes:
*
Less than one percent.
​
(1)
Mr. Scatterday, through Mak One LLP, holds 27,182,540 LP Units and Rights 27,182,540 with each one LP Unit and one Right being convertible together, at the request of the holder, into one Common Share. The LP Units do not hold any voting power at meetings of shareholders of the Company. Mr, Scatterday also holds 1,150,000 Common Shares, 1,666,667 vested Options, 2,913,750 warrants and 100,000 RSUs that will vest within 60 days of March 31, 2022.
​
(2)
Mr. Conder holds 1,393,000 Common Shares.
​
(3)
Ms. Batzofin holds 631,452 Common Shares and 750,000 warrants.
​
(4)
Mr. Coleman holds 631,452 Common Shares.
​
(5)
Mr. Barravecchia holds 516,390 Common Shares.
​
(6)
Ms. Simms holds 470,117 Common Shares.
​
(7)
Mr. Santo holds 207,982 Common Shares and 525,000 vested Options. Mr. Santo also holds 50,000 Options that will vest within 60 days of March 31, 2022.
​
(8)
Mr. Hoch holds 41,509 Common Shares and 350,000 vested Options. Mr. Hoch also holds 33,333 Options that will vest within 60 days of March 31, 2022.
​
(9)
Mr. Arvidson holds 50,000 Common Shares.
​
(10)
Mr. Horowitz holds 1,000,000 vested Options.
​
 
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ITEM 5.
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
​
The articles of the Company (the “Articles”) provide that the Board, subject to certain circumstances, is set at the greater of three and the number of directors set by ordinary resolutions. Each director shall hold office until the close of the next annual general meeting, or until his or her successor is duly elected or appointed, unless his or her office is earlier vacated. The Board currently consists of six directors.
The following table sets forth the directors and executive officers and their respective positions:
Name
​ ​
Age
​ ​
Position
​
Mark Scatterday ​ ​
53
​ ​ Chairman of the Board ​
Tim Conder ​ ​
39
​ ​ Director ​
Jane Batzofin ​ ​
47
​ ​ Director ​
Mark J. Coleman ​ ​
63
​ ​ Director ​
John Barravecchia ​ ​
66
​ ​ Director ​
D’Angela Simms ​ ​
46
​ ​ Director ​
Gary F. Santo, Jr. ​ ​
55
​ ​ Chief Executive Officer ​
Dana Arvidson ​ ​
47
​ ​ Chief Operating Officer ​
Brad Hoch ​ ​
52
​ ​ Chief Financial Officer ​
Director and Executive Officer Biographies
Directors
Mark Scatterday.   Mr. Scatterday has served as the Chairman of the Board since June 2019. From May 2019 through May 2021, Mr. Scatterday served as the CEO of the Company. Since 2015, Mr. Scatterday has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Jupiter, a vapor cartridge and power supplies provider.
The Company believes that Mr. Scatterday’s industry experience as well as extensive knowledge and experience at the Company qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Tim Conder.   Mr. Conder has served as a member of the Board since October 2019. Mr. Conder served as the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) of the Company from July 2019 to November 2020, the Senior Vice President of Software and Services for the Company from January 2019 to July 2019 and the President of the Company from February 2020 to October 2020. Since January 2015, Mr. Conder has served as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blackbird Logistics Company, a technology and logistics provider in the cannabis space. Since December 2021, Mr. Conder has served as the Chief Technology Officer of HERBL, Inc., a distributor and supply chain provider for cannabis. Mr. Conder previously co-founded Bootleg Courier Company, a bike messenger business in Reno, Nevada.
The Company believes that Mr. Condor’s industry experience as well as extensive knowledge and experience at the Company qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Jane Batzofin.   Ms. Batzofin has served as a member of the Board since November 2019. Ms. Batzofin has served as President of Corner Growth Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company, since December 2020 and President of Corner Growth Acquisition Corporation 2, a special purpose acquisition company, since June 2021. Ms. Batzofin is currently a Partner and President of Corner Capital Management, LLC, a multi-strategy technology investment firm she helped build over the last decade that includes a venture arm, digital platform and ESG strategy. Prior to launching Corner, Ms. Batzofin was a structured finance attorney in New York at DLA Piper representing various parties in the securitization market.
The Company believes that Ms. Batzofin’s background in a variety of types of business qualifies her to serve on the Board.
 
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Mark J. Coleman.   Mr. Coleman has served as a member of the Board since November 2019. Since October 2021, Mr. Coleman has served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Trine II Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company. Before that, from February 2019 until December 2020, Mr. Coleman served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Trine Acquisition Corp., the first-in-the-series SPACs. Since December, 2005, Mr. Coleman has also served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of InterMedia Advisors, LLC, an investment advisor to the seventh InterMedia private equity fund, specializing in disruptive media and communications investing. Mr. Coleman also serves as General Counsel to JPK Capital Management, Inc., a private family office. Mr. Coleman served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of The YES Network, the regional sports network home of the New York Yankees, which he co-founded in June 2001. Prior to YES, Mr. Coleman was Executive Vice President and General Counsel at GlobalCenter Inc., a Silicon Valley-based internet services and webhosting company, from January 2000 to October 2000. From June 1998 to December 1999, Mr. Coleman was a Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, prior to which he was a Partner at Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP, which he joined in 1984. From September 2015 until July 2021, Mr. Coleman served as Trustee and then the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Queens Museum, an art museum and educational center located in Flushing Meadows — Corona Park in the Borough of Queens in New York City. Mr. Coleman earned his B.A. from Pomona College and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Coleman clerked for the Hon. Samuel P. King. Chief U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Hawaii from September 1983 to September 1984.
The Company believes that Mr. Coleman’s extensive business experience in a variety of industries and his familiarity in working with management of a variety of companies qualifies him to serve on the Board.
John Barravecchia.   Mr. Barravecchia has served as a member of the Board since April 2020. Mr. Barravecchia served as the Chief Financial Officer of Stat Health Services Inc., an e-health service provider, from 2011 through the sale of the company in 2016. Mr. Barravecchia served as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer for General Electric — Franchise Finance, a General Electric financing subsidiary, from 2001 to 2008. Prior to General Electric, Mr. Barravecchia served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Franchise Finance Corporation of America, a REIT that specifically focused on restaurant franchise sale-leasebacks, from 1984 to 2001. From 1980 to 1984, Mr. Barravecchia was associated with the public accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co.
The Company believes that Mr. Barravecchia’s financial experience and his familiarity in working with management of a variety of companies qualifies him to serve on the Board.
D’Angela Simms.   Ms. Simms has served as a member of the Board since July 2020. Since August 2020, Ms. Simms has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Lobos 1707, an independent spirits producer. From May 2017 to June 2019, Ms. Simms served as the President of Combs Enterprises, a privately owned spirits and wines producer.
The Company believes that Ms. Simms’ experience serving in a management capacity at various companies qualifies her to serve as a member of the Board.
Executive Officers
Gary F. Santo, Jr.   Mr. Santo has served as the CEO of the Company since June 2021. Mr. Santo served as the President of the Company from October 2020 to May 2021 and as Senior Vice President and Head of Capital Markets and Investor Relations from July 2020 to October 2020. Mr. Santo has more than 25 years of experience leading lean, high-performance teams in Consumer Credit, Financial Services, Gaming and Technology, Higher Education and Specialty Pharma. Mr. Santo has held a variety of senior-level positions, including as Vice President of Investor Relations at Columbia Care Inc., a leading multi-state operator in the cannabis industry from 2019 to 2020, as Head of Capital Markets & Investor Relations at The First Marblehead Corporation, a company that provides outsourcing services for private education lending in the U.S., from 1996 to 2013. Mr. Santo also served as a Managing Director of Structured Finance at Fitch Ratings, an American credit rating agency, from 2007 to 2008, as Senior Director and Head of Corporate Finance & Debt Investor Relations at International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT), a multinational gambling company, from 2014 to 2016, and as Head of Capital Markets, Investor
Relations & Corporate Communications at Lantheus Medical Imaging (Nasdaq: LNTH), a company that
 
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develops, manufactures and commercializes essential diagnostic imaging agents and products, from 2016 to 2018. Mr. Santo holds an Investor Relations Charter® certification from the National Investor Relations Institute as well as a degree in Political Science from Boston University.
Dana Arvidson.   Mr. Arvidson has served as the COO of the Company since July 2021. Prior to serving as COO of the Company, Mr. Arvidson served as Vice President of Corporate Development at PhyNet Dermatology LLC, a physician network of dermatologists and dermatopathologists, from March 2019 to July 2021. Prior to PhyNet, Mr. Arvidson served as Director of Corporate Development at American Dental Partners Inc., a dental practice management company, from March 2017 to March 2019. Mr. Arvidson has over 20 years of experience in a broad array of roles focused on achieving growth objectives and enhancing operating results within Healthcare and Financial Services.
Brad Hoch.   Mr. Hoch has served as a Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Company since October 2020 and served as the interim CFO from June 2020 to October 2020. Mr. Hoch served as the Division Controller of Verra Mobility, a technology company focused on fleet management, from October 2011 to February 2019. Mr. Hoch has over 20 years of experience in senior finance and accounting positions in a number of high growth technology and business solutions enterprises including having served as Director of Finance at TPI Composites Inc. from September 2009 to October 2011 and having held numerous positions at Gateway Inc. from January 1996 to September 2009.
Board Committees
The Company currently has an Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Governance Committee. A brief description of each committee is set out below.
Audit Committee
Mandate of the Audit Committee
The audit committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”) established for the purpose of overseeing the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and annual external audits of the consolidated financial statements. The Audit Committee has formally set out its responsibilities and composition requirements in fulfilling its oversight in relation to the Company’s internal accounting standards and practices, financial information, accounting systems and procedures in the Company’s Audit Committee Charter.
Composition of the Audit Committee
The Audit Committee currently consists of John Barravecchia, Mark J. Coleman and Jane Batzofin. Mr. Barravecchia is the Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Barravecchia, Mr. Coleman and Ms. Batzofin have been determined to be independent, as such term is defined in section 1.4 of National Instrument (NI) 52-110. All members are considered to be financially literate as such term is defined in section 1.6 of NI 52-110. Mr. Barravecchia, Mr. Coleman and Ms. Batzofin also have been determined to be independent pursuant to Rule 5605(c)(2)(A) of the Nasdaq Rules applicable to Audit Committee members.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee will review and pre-approve any engagements for non-audit services to be provided by the external auditor, together with estimated fees.
Compensation Committee
Mandate of the Compensation Committee
The compensation committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities with respect to evaluating human resources policies, performing annual performance reviews and evaluating executive compensation arrangements. The Compensation Committee makes recommendations to the Board with respect to proposals regarding designing and administering the
 
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Company’s executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee’s responsibilities are set forth in the Mandate of the Compensation Committee.
Composition of the Compensation Committee
The current members of the Compensation Committee include the following directors: John Barravecchia, Mark Coleman and D’Angela Simms. Ms. Simms is the chair of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Barravecchia, Mr. Coleman and Ms. Simms have been determined to be independent pursuant to Rule 5605(d)(2) of the Nasdaq Rules applicable to Compensation Committee members and each is a “non-employee director” under Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.
For additional details on the Compensation Committee, see Item 6 Executive Compensation — “Compensation Committee.”
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Mandate of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The nominating and corporate governance committe of the Board (the “Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee”) was established for the purpose of assisting the Board in fulfilling its corporate governance responsibilities under applicable law and is responsible for reviewing and assessing the effectiveness of the Board, evaluating the Board and its directors and making policy recommendations aimed at enhancing Board effectiveness.
Composition of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee currently consists of Jane Batzofin, Mark Scatterday and John Barravecchia. Mr. Scatterday is the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is a committee established for the purpose of developing the Company’s approach to corporate governance matters and reviewing and recommending the size and composition of the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s responsibilities are set forth in the Mandate of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
 
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ITEM 6.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
​
In accordance with reduced disclosure rules applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies as set forth in Item 402 of Regulation S-K, this section explains how the Company’s compensation program is structured for the named executive officers, as defined below.
The below section is designed to provide shareholders with an understanding of the Company’s executive compensation philosophy and objectives, as well as the analysis that the Board or the Compensation Committee, as the case may be, performs in setting executive compensation. In doing so, it describes the material elements of compensation that is awarded to named executive officers of the Company, as defined below.
Compensation Committee
The Board as a whole determines the level of compensation in respect of the senior executives. The Compensation Committee is appointed by and reports to the Board. The Compensation Committee, on behalf of the Board, establishes policies with respect to the compensation of the CEO and CFO and other senior executive officers. The Compensation Committee assists the Board in discharging the Board’s oversight responsibilities relating to the attraction, compensation, evaluation and retention of key senior management employees, and in particular the CEO, with the skills and expertise needed to enable the Company to achieve the Company’s goals and strategies at fair and competitive compensation and appropriate performance incentives.
The Compensation Committee is responsible to review and approve corporate goals and objectives relevant to the CEO and other senior executive officers’ compensation, evaluate the performance of the CEO and each senior executive officer’s performance in light of those goals and objectives, and recommend to the Board for approval the compensation level each senior executive officer based on this evaluation. The Compensation Committee is also responsible for the review of the compensation systems in order to ensure the fairness and appropriateness of the compensation of senior executive officers that may participate, including incentive compensation plans and equity-based plans.
Named Executive Officers
A named executive officer (“NEO”) of the Company means each of the following individuals:
•
the principal executive officer of the Company;
​
•
the Company’s next two most highly compensated executive officers as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year, based on total compensation; and
​
•
up to two additional individuals for whom disclosure would have been provided under the above but for the fact that the individual was not serving as an executive officer at the end of the last completed fiscal year.
​
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, the Company’s NEOs included: (i) Gary F. Santo, Jr., CEO; (ii) Dana Arvidson, COO; (iii) Brad Hoch, CFO; (iv) Mark Scatterday, Former CEO, who served as CEO until May 31, 2021 and continues to serve as Chairman of the Board and (v) Marshall Horowitz, Former General Counsel, whose final date of employment was October 1, 2021.
Elements of NEO Compensation
As part of the executive compensation, NEOs receive both fixed base compensation and performance-based variable compensation comprising of short-term and long-term incentives. The Compensation Committee makes recommendations to the Board with respect to proposals regarding designing and administering the Company’s executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee will not allocate compensation value to the different compensation elements on the basis of a formula, but rather on the basis of market practices and realities and a discretionary assessment of an NEO’s past contribution and ability to contribute to future short and long-term business results of the Company.
 
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Analysis of NEO Compensation Elements
Base Compensation
Base compensation is designed to provide income certainty and attract and retain executives. Base compensation for NEOs is reviewed annually by the Compensation Committee. Base compensation is based on individual performance, the scope of the NEO’s role within the Company and retention considerations.
Short-Term Incentives (Annual Incentive Bonuses)
Annual incentive bonuses are a short-term incentive that are intended to reward NEOs for their yearly individual contribution and performance of personal objectives in the context of overall annual corporate performance. The amount is not pre-established and is at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee may still recommend bonus payments absent attainment of the relevant performance goal. Assessment of NEO performance objectives is based on a number of qualitative and quantitative factors including execution of on-going activities, individual and corporate operational and financial performance and progress on key initiatives connected to the Company’s strategy with respect to that particular fiscal year, using targeted guidance of 0-100% of annualized salary. Employment of the NEOs by the Company at the time of payment of incentive bonuses with respect to a particular fiscal year is required in order to earn and be eligible to receive an incentive bonus for that year.
Long-term Incentives (Awards)
Long-term incentive compensation include the grant of Awards (as defined below) pursuant to the Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated on June 24, 2020 (the “Plan”). The incentive arrangement is designed to motivate NEOs to achieve longer-term sustainable business results, align their interests with those of the shareholders and attract and retain executives without requiring the Company to use cash from its treasury. The Plan permits the grant of: (i) stock options (“Options”); (ii) restricted stock awards; (iii) restricted stock units (“RSUs”); (iv) stock appreciation rights; (v) performance-based compensation awards (“PSUs”); (vi) dividend equivalents (“Dividend Equivalents”); and (vii) other stock based awards (collectively, the “Awards”). Any of the Company’s employees, officers, directors, consultants or any affiliate or person to whom an offer of employment or engagement with the Company or an affiliate of the Company is extended, is eligible to participate in the Plan if selected by the Compensation Committee, the Board or such other committee designated by the Board to administer the Plan.
The basis of participation of an individual under the Plan, and the type and amount of any Award that an individual (a “Participant”) is entitled to receive under the Plan is determined by the Compensation Committee, the Board or such other committee designated by the Board to administer the Plan and is based on their judgment of the best interests of the Company and the shareholders at the time of grant. When considering new grants of any Award, previous grants will be taken into account. The Compensation Committee, the Board or such other committee as may be designated by the Board, may at their discretion, amend, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan or amend or alter any outstanding Award.
The number of securities that may be issued under the Plan is the number of securities as determined by the Board from time to time. The total number of Common Shares which may be issued or issuable to any one person under the Plan and all other security based compensation arrangements within any one-year period shall not exceed 5% of the Common Shares and of the total number of Common Shares and any convertible securities that are convertible into Common Shares at no additional expense to the holder (“Common Share Equivalents”), from time to time, outstanding. Any Common Shares subject to an Award under the Plan that are not purchased, forfeited, reacquired by the Company (including any withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations on Awards or securities that are settled in cash), or cancelled, will again be available to be awarded under the Plan.
The Plan was originally approved by shareholders on November 15, 2018. Amendments were made to the Plan to, among other things, ensure that Options granted under the Plan complied with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The amendment and restatement of the Plan was approved by shareholders on June 24, 2020. There are no requirements under applicable securities laws or the policies of
 
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the NEO Exchange to have the Plan approved by shareholders on a periodic basis. Pursuant to section 7(a) of the Plan, prior approval of the shareholders is required for any material amendment to the Plan.
Other Compensation
NEOs may occasionally receive other benefits that are reasonable and consistent with the Company’s overall executive compensation program. These benefits, which are based on competitive market practices, support the attraction and retention of executive officers. The NEOs are also entitled to participate in all employee pension and welfare benefit plans and programs, and fringe benefit plans and programs, made available by the Company to the Company’s employees generally, in accordance with the eligibility and participation provisions of such plans and as such plans or programs may be in effect from time to time.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table is a summary of annual compensation paid to the NEOs for our two most recently completed fiscal years. All amounts are expressed in USD:
Name and Principal Position
​ ​
Year
​ ​
Salary
($)
​ ​
Bonus
($)
​ ​
Stock
awards
($)(1)
​ ​
Option
awards
($)(2)
​ ​
Non-equity
incentive
plan
compensation
($)(3)
​ ​
All other
Compensation
($)(4)
​ ​
Total
Compensation
($)
​
Gary F. Santo, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer and Former President (5)
​ ​ ​ ​ 2021 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 381,884 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2,786,127 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 385,200 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 3,553,211 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 131,707 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 182,460 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 129,082 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 443,249 ​ ​
Dana Arvidson
Chief Operating Officer(6)
​ ​ ​ ​ 2021 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 158,750 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 243,090 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 155,500 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 557,340 ​ ​
Brad Hoch
Chief Financial Officer(7)
​ ​ ​ ​ 2021 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 305,769 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 300,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 605,769 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 135,192 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 24,780 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 121,640 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 145,068 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 426,680 ​ ​
Mark Scatterday,
Former Chief Executive Officer(8)​
​ ​ ​ ​ 2021 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 164,615 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 303,000(10) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 707,000(11) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,174,615 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 415,962 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 400,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 815,962 ​ ​
Marshall Horowitz
Former General Counsel (9)​
​ ​ ​ ​ 2021 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 307,692 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 542,474 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 850,166 ​ ​
​ ​ ​ 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 412,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 233,440 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 200,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 845,440 ​ ​
​
Notes:
(1)
The amounts reported in the Stock Awards column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718 — Stock Compensation. These amounts reflect our calculation of the value of these awards at the grant date and do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may ultimately be realized by the NEO. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are included in Note 15 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, which are included elsewhere in this registration statement. The 2021 Stock Awards reported for Mr. Santo relate to awards of 831,928 RSUs and 7,487,351 PSUs granted to Mr. Santo on June 18, 2021. The 2021 Stock Awards reported for Mr. Arvidson relate to awards for 200,000 RSUs and 800,000 PSUs granted to Mr. Arvidson on September 30, 2021. The RSU awards awarded to Mr. Santo and Mr. Arvidson vest ratably over four years beginning with the first vesting date of December 31, 2021. The PSU awards awarded to Mr. Santo and Mr. Arvidson vest depending on the satisfaction of both an employment service condition and the achievement of stock price hurdles during the performance period of July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2024. The 2020 Stock Awards reported for Mr. Hoch relate to an award of 62,751 Common Shares granted to Mr. Hoch on June 26, 2020. Details surrounding these awards and assumptions are included within Notes 2 and 15 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, which are included elsewhere in this registration statement. The values provided in this column are calculated based on the closing price of our Common Shares on the NEO Exchange on the date of grant. For the grants on June 18, 2021, a share price of CAD$0.6821 converted to USD using the exchange rate provided by Thomson Reuters on the grant date of USD$1.00 =
​
 
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CAD$1.2437. For the grants on September 30, 2021, a share price of CAD$0.4957 converted to USD using the exchange rate provided by Thomson Reuters on the grant date of USD$1.00 = CAD$1.2664. For the grant on June 26, 2020, a share price of CAD$0.5400 converted to USD using the exchange rate provided by Thomson Reuters on the grant date of USD$1.00 = CAD$1.3676.
(2)
The amounts reported in the Option Awards column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718 — Stock Compensation. These amounts reflect our calculation of the value of these awards at the grant date and do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may ultimately be realized by the named executive officer. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are included in Note 15 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, which are included elsewhere in this registration statement. The Option Awards reported for Mr. Santo relate to 600,000 Options granted to Mr. Santo on June 26, 2020. The Option Awards reported for Mr. Hoch relate to 400,000 Options granted to Mr. Hoch on June 26, 2020. The Option Awards reported for Mr. Horowitz relate to 800,000 Options granted to Mr. Horowitz on August 27, 2020. Details surrounding these awards and assumptions are included within Notes 2 and 15 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, which are included elsewhere in this registration statement. The values provided in this column are calculated based on the closing price of our Common Shares on the NEO Exchange on the date of grant. For the grants on June 26, 2020, a share price of CAD$0.4159 converted to USD using the exchange rate provided by Thomson Reuters on the grant date of USD$1.00 = CAD$1.3676. For the grant on August 27, 2020, a share price of CAD$0.3831 converted to USD using the exchange rate provided by Thomson Reuters on the grant date of USD$1.00 = CAD$1.3129.
​
(3)
In accordance with the SEC’s rules, the amount disclosed in this column reflect bonus compensation under an employee’s compensation agreement awarded with respect to such fiscal year and paid in the subsequent fiscal year.
​
(4)
Included in the All Other Compensation column are amounts of any other compensation paid to an executive employee outside of salaried wages and benefits, bonus, and equity-based compensation. The All Other Compensation paid to Mr. Horowitz reflect payments made to Mr. Horowitz in connection with his severance which included two lump sum payments of $250,000 and accrued wages and paid time off amounting to approximately $42,000.
​
(5)
From July 2020 to October 28, 2020, Mr. Santo served as the Vice President and Head of Capital Markets and Investor Relations. Effective October 28, 2020, Mr. Santo was appointed to the position of President of the Company. The row related to compensation paid in 2020 discloses the compensation paid to Mr. Santo in his capacity as the Head of Capital Markets and Investor Relations and as President of the Company. Effective June 1, 2021, Mr. Santo ceased to be the President of the Company and transitioned to the CEO position. As such, the row related to compensation paid in 2021 includes compensation paid to Mr. Santo in his capacity as President and CEO.
​
(6)
Mr. Arvidson was appointed to the position of COO effective July 21, 2021.
​
(7)
Mr. Hoch assumed the position of interim CFO and Corporate Controller on June 12, 2020.
​
(8)
Mr. Scatterday resigned as CEO of the Company effective May 31, 2021. He continues to serve as Chairman of the Board, a position held since June 2019.
​
(9)
Mr. Horowitz resigned from the position of General Counsel effective October 1, 2021.
​
(10)
Mr. Scatterday was granted 600,000 RSUs for his duties as the Chairman of the Board on June 18, 2021. The amounts reported for Mr. Scatterday in this column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of the RSUs computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718 — Stock Compensation. The value provided in this column is calculated based on the closing price of our Common Shares on the NEO Exchange on the date of grant. On the date of grant of June 18, 2021, a share price of CAD$0.6281 converted to USD using the exchange rate provided by Thomson Reuters on the grant date of USD$1.00 = CAD$1.2437.
​
(11)
Mr. Scatterday was granted 1,400,000 PSUs for his consulting services to the Company. The PSUs vest based on two performance-based milestones related to the development of IP and a successful commercialization of the related patent. The amounts reported for Mr. Scatterday in this column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of the PSUs computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718 — Stock Compensation. The value provided in this column is calculated based on the closing price of our Common
​
 
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Shares on the NEO Exchange on the date of grant. On the date of grant of June 18, 2021, a share price of CAD$0.6281 converted to USD using the exchange rate provided by Thomson Reuters on the grant date of USD$1.00 = CAD$1.2437.
Narrative Discussion
For a summary of the significant terms of each NEO’s employment agreement or arrangement, please see below under the heading “Agreements with NEOs”.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table
The following table sets forth outstanding equity awards for the NEOs at December 31, 2021. All amounts are expressed in USD:
​ ​ ​
Option Awards
​ ​
Stock Awards
​
Name
​ ​
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
​ ​
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
​ ​
Equity
Incentive
Plan 
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Option (#)
​ ​
Option
Exercise
Price ($)
​ ​
Option
Expiration
Date
​ ​
Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested(1)
​ ​
Market
Value of
Shares of
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
($)(2)
​ ​
Equity
Incentive
Plan 
Awards:
Number of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
Other
Rights
That
Have Not
Vested
(#)(3)
​ ​
Equity
Incentive
Plan 
Awards:
Market or
Payout
Value of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
Other
Rights That
Have Not
Vested ($)
​
Gary F. Santo Jr., Chief Executive Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ 450,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 150,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0.4753 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6/25/2030 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 623,946 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 315,093 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 7,487,351 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1,684,654 ​ ​
Dana Arvidson, Chief Operating Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 150,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 58,718 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 800,000 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 180,000 ​ ​
Brad Hoch, Chief Financial Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ 300,002 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 99,998 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0.4753 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6/25/2030 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​
Mark Scatterday, Former Chief Executive Officer
​ ​ ​ ​ 1,666,667 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ — ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 0.4135 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 11/21/2029 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 250,000(4) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 126,250 ​ ​