As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 7 , 2019
Registration No. 333-227088
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 3
TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CLS HOLDINGS USA, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada |
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2833 |
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45-1352286 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
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(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
11767 South Dixie Highway, Suite 115 |
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Miami, Florida |
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33156 |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
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(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (888) 438-9132
Jeffrey Binder
Chief Executive Officer
11767 South Dixie Highway, Suite 115
Miami, Florida 33156
Telephone: (888) 438-9132
Telefax: (305) 507-9081
With copies to:
Kathleen L. Deutsch
Nelson Mullins Broad and Cassel
One North Clematis Street, Suite 500
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
Telephone: (561) 832-3300
Telefax: (561) 655-1109
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
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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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 financial accounting standards pursuant to Section(7)(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
WE HEREBY AMEND THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL WE SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF THE SECURITIES ACT, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(a), MAY DETERMINE.
The information contained in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling stockholders may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these shares, and the selling stockholders are not soliciting an offer to buy these shares in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject To Completion: Dated February 7 , 2019
CLS HOLDINGS USA, INC.
71,563,336 Common Shares
This Prospectus (this “Prospectus”) relates to up to 71,563,336 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 (the “Common Shares”), of CLS Holdings USA, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), that may be offered for sale by the selling stockholders identified in this Prospectus (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”). Such Common Shares consist of:
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33,463,826 Common Shares (“Unit Shares”) held by the Selling Stockholders as of January 4, 2019, which were acquired upon the deemed exercise of 30,421,665 Special Warrants; |
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33,463,826 Common Shares (“Unit Warrant Shares”) acquirable upon the exercise of common stock purchase warrants (“Unit Warrants”) held by the Selling Stockholders as of January 4, 2019, which were acquired upon the deemed exercise of 30,421,665 Special Warrants; |
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2,317,842 Common Shares (“Broker Shares”) acquirable upon exercise of broker warrants (“Broker Warrants”) held by a Selling Stockholder as of January 4, 2019; and |
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2,317,842 Common Shares (“Broker Warrant Shares”, together with the Unit Warrant Shares, the “Warrant Shares”, and collectively with the Unit Shares, Unit Warrant Shares and Broker Shares, the “Offered Shares”) acquirable upon exercise of common stock purchase warrants (such warrants, together with the Unit Warrants, the “Warrants”) acquirable upon exercise of Broker Warrants held by a Selling Stockholder as of January 4, 2019. |
The Selling Stockholders purchased special warrants (the “Special Warrants”) of the Company pursuant to private transactions between the Company and the Selling Stockholders. The Special Warrants consisted of 28,973,014 Special Warrants issued under the Special Warrant Offering (as defined below) and 1,448,651 Special Warrants issued to Canaccord Genuity Corp, as sole bookrunner and agent (the “Agent”) comprising the corporate finance fee under the agency agreement dated June 20, 2018 (the “Agency Agreement”) between the Company and the Agent. Upon the deemed exercise of the Special Warrants on November 30, 2018, pursuant to their terms, each Selling Stockholder received 1.1 units of the Company per Special Warrant, each such unit consisting of one Unit Share and one Warrant. The Special Warrants were issued on June 20, 2018 to purchasers resident in Canada and the United States at a price of CAD$0.45 per Special Warrant, for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of CAD$13,037,859 (the “Special Warrant Offering”). The Special Warrants were issued pursuant to the terms of a special warrant indenture dated June 20, 2018 (the “Special Warrant Indenture”) between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as special warrant agent thereunder (the “Special Warrant Agent”). The offering price and other terms of the Special Warrant Offering were determined by arm’s length negotiations between the Company and the Agent. See “Description of Securities Being Distributed”.
The Unit Warrants were issued, and the Warrants to be issued upon exercise of the Broker Warrants will be issued, pursuant to the terms of a warrant indenture dated June 20, 2018 (the “Warrant Indenture”) between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as warrant agent thereunder (the “Warrant Agent”). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Warrant Share at a price of CAD$0.65 per Warrant Share for a period of 36 months following the date the Common Shares are listed on a recognized Canadian stock exchange (the “Listing Date”), subject to adjustment in certain events as set out in the Warrant Indenture. See “Description of Securities Being Distributed”.
The Broker Warrants were issued as compensation to the Agent upon closing of the Special Warrant Offering. Each Broker Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Broker Share and one Warrant, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances, at CDN$0.45 for a period of 36 months following the Listing Date.
The Selling Stockholders or their pledgees, assignees or successors-in-interest may offer and sell or otherwise dispose of the Offered Shares from time to time through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. The Selling Stockholders will bear all commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to the sales of Offered Shares. We will bear all other costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the Offered Shares. The Agent is an affiliate of registered broker-dealers and is an underwriter in relation to the offer and sale of its securities under this Prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information about how the Selling Stockholders may sell or dispose of their Offered Shares.
We are not selling any securities under this Prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of Offered Shares by the Selling Stockholders. The Special Warrants are not available for purchase pursuant to this Prospectus and no additional funds were received by the Company from the distribution of the Unit Shares and Warrants upon the deemed exercise of the Special Warrants.
The outstanding Common Shares are quoted for trading on the OTCQB Venture Market (“OTCQB”) under the symbol “CLSH” and are also listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (“CSE”) under the symbol “CLSH.U.” On February 4, 2019, the closing bid price of the Common Shares on the OTCQB was $0.302 and CAD$0.30 on the CSE.
Investing in our Common Shares involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 7 of this Prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this Prospectus is .
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT |
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DISCLOSURE OF THE SEC POSITION OF INDEMNIFICATION FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITIES |
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GENERAL MATTERS
Unless otherwise noted or the context indicates otherwise “we”, “us”, “our”, “CLSH” or the “Company” refer to CLS Holdings USA, Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries.
References to “management” in this Prospectus means the senior officers of the Company and/or its operating subsidiaries, as the case may be. See “Directors and Executive Officers”. Any statements in this Prospectus made by or on behalf of management are made in such persons’ capacities as officers of the Company and not in their personal capacities.
Prospective purchasers should rely only on the information contained in this Prospectus. We have not authorized any other person to provide prospective purchasers with additional or different information. If anyone provides prospective purchasers with additional or different or inconsistent information, including information or statements in media articles about us, prospective purchasers should not rely on it. Prospective purchasers should assume that the information appearing in this Prospectus is accurate only as at its date, regardless of its time of delivery or of any distribution of Offered Shares. Our business, financial conditions, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
We present our Consolidated Financial Statements (as defined below) in United States dollars. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to dollar amounts in this Prospectus are to United States dollars. Reference to “United States” or “U.S.” are references to the United States of America.
CAUTIONARY NOTE TO INVESTORS
This Prospectus qualifies the distribution of securities of an entity that derives all of its revenues from the cannabis industry in certain U.S. states, which industry is illegal under U.S. federal Law. CLSH is directly involved in the cannabis industry through the production, cultivation and sale of medical and adult-use cannabis in the State of Nevada, which has regulated such activity.
The cultivation, sale and use of cannabis is illegal under federal law pursuant to the U.S. Controlled Substance Act of 1970 (the “Controlled Substance Act”). Under the Controlled Substance Act, the policies and regulations of the United States Federal Government and its agencies are that cannabis has no medical benefit and a range of activities including cultivation and the personal use of cannabis is prohibited. The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution establishes that the United States Constitution and federal laws made pursuant to it are paramount and in case of conflict between federal and state law, the federal law shall apply.
Despite the current state of the federal law and the Controlled Substance Act, the states of California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Maine, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Vermont and Alaska, and the District of Columbia, have legalized the recreational use of cannabis. Massachusetts and Maine have not yet begun recreational cannabis commercial operations. In early 2018, Vermont became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis by passage in a state legislature, but it does not allow commercial sales of recreational cannabis. Although the District of Columbia voters passed a ballot initiative in November 2014, no commercial recreational operations exist because of a prohibition on using funds to enact a recreational cannabis law contained within a federal appropriations amendment.
In addition, over half of the U.S. states have enacted legislation to legalize and regulate the sale and use of medical cannabis, while other states have legalized and regulate the sale and use of medical cannabis with strict limits on the levels of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”).
Our objective is to capitalize on the opportunities presented as a result of the changing regulatory environment governing the cannabis industry in the United States and Canada. Accordingly, there are a number of significant risks associated with our business. Unless and until the United States Congress amends the Controlled Substance Act with respect to medical and/or adult-use cannabis (and as to the timing or scope of any such potential amendments there can be no assurance), there is a risk that federal authorities may enforce current federal law, and our business may be deemed to be producing, cultivating, extracting or dispensing cannabis in violation of federal law in the United States.
For these reasons, our involvement in the United States cannabis market may subject us to heightened scrutiny by regulators, stock exchanges, clearing agencies and Canadian authorities. There are a number of significant risks associated with our business. 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 in the U.S. or any other jurisdiction. See sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Our Business – Regulation and Licensure -Enforcement of United States Federal Laws”.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Prospectus contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which is also referred to as “forward-looking information,” that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. The forward-looking information is contained principally in the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary”, “Our Business”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” and “Risk Factors”.
In some cases, the forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as “may”, “might”, “will”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “indicate”, “seek”, “believe”, “predict” or “likely”, or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking information. We have based this forward-looking information on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe might affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, information and statements relating to:
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our expectations regarding our revenue, expenses and operations |
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our anticipated cash needs, our needs for additional financing, changes to our dividend policies |
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our intention to grow our business and our operations, including the addition of retail stores, grow operation expansion and the Greenhouse Expansion |
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our anticipated phases and timing of the expansion at the Warehouse Facility and the Greenhouse Expansion and the production capacity thereof |
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the expected growth in the number of consumers using our products |
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the expected growth of the cannabis industry in Nevada, Massachusetts and in the U.S. |
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our ability to finance our planned operations and proposed acquisitions, including the transactions contemplated by the Option Agreement and the CannAssist LOI |
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our ability to receive additional financing in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering |
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medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis |
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expectations with respect to future production costs and capacity |
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expectations with respect to the renewal and/or extension of our licenses |
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expectations with respect to our plan to apply for additional retail store licenses |
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expectations with respect to the effects our patent will have on costs and revenues |
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market reception of our current product offerings and other new delivery mechanisms produced by us for use by consumers |
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our competitive position and the regulatory environment in which we operate |
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any commentary related to the legalization of medical or recreational cannabis and the timing related to such commentary or legalization |
Forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate, and is subject to risks and uncertainties. The material factors and assumptions used to make the forward-looking information includes, among other things:
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our revenue, expenses and operations not being subject to a material adverse effect |
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our anticipated cash needs, its needs for additional financing, changes to its dividend policies not being subject to a material adverse effect |
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our remaining able to grow the business and its operations, including the addition of retail stores, grow operation expansion, including the expansion at the Warehouse Facility and the Greenhouse Expansion |
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the price of cannabis and cannabis products not being materially adversely affected |
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there being no material adverse effect on our ability or capacity to produce cannabis or cannabis products |
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there being no material adverse effect in the anticipated phases and timing of the expansion at the Warehouse Facility and the Greenhouse Expansion and the production capacity thereof |
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the continued growth in the number of consumers using our products |
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the continued growth of the cannabis industry in Nevada, Massachusetts and the U.S. and there being no material adverse effect in the market for cannabis or the regulatory environment in Nevada, Massachusetts or at the federal level in the U.S. |
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there being no material adverse effect with respect to the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis, including there being no loss of public trust in the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis |
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there being no material adverse effect with respect to our expectations for future production costs and capacity |
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the Company being able to renew and/or extend its licenses |
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the Company being able to apply for additional retail store licenses |
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there being no material adverse effect with respect to our expectations on the effects our patent will have on costs and revenues |
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there remaining a positive market reception of our current product offerings and other new delivery mechanisms produced by the Company for use by consumers |
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the Company maintaining its competitive position and there being no material adverse effect in the regulatory environment in which the Company operates |
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there being no material adverse effect related to the legalization of medical or recreational cannabis and the timing related to such legalization |
Although we believe that the assumptions underlying this information is reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and we cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with this forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including those listed under “Risk Factors”, which include:
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ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements relating to our business |
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changes in laws, regulations and guidelines relating to our business |
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risk of prosecution of the cannabis business at the federal level in the U.S. due to the ambiguity of laws in relation to medical cannabis and the cannabis business |
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reliance on current research regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis |
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a history of losses |
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failure or delay in the growth of the business and our operations, including the addition of retail stores, grow operation expansion and the Greenhouse Expansion |
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failure or delay in the anticipated phases and timing of the expansion at the Warehouse Facility and the Greenhouse Expansion and a consequently reduced production capacity |
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reliance on management and loss of members of management or other key personnel or an inability to attract new management team members |
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inability to raise financing to fund on-going operations, capital expenditures or acquisitions |
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inability to realize growth targets |
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requirements of additional financing |
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competition in our industry |
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inability to acquire and retain new clients |
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inability to develop new technologies and products and the obsolescence of existing technologies and products |
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vulnerability to rising energy costs |
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vulnerability to increasing costs and obligations related to investment in infrastructure, growth and regulatory compliance |
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dependence on third party transportation services to deliver our products |
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unfavorable publicity or consumer perception |
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product liability claims and product recalls |
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reliance on key inputs and their related costs |
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dependence on suppliers and skilled labor |
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difficulty associated with forecasting demand for products |
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operating risk and insurance coverage |
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inability to manage growth |
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conflicts of interest among our officers and directors |
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environmental regulations and risks |
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managing damage to our reputation and third party reputational risks |
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inability to adequately protect our intellectual property due to cannabis being illegal under U.S. federal law |
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potential reclassification/re-categorization of cannabis as a controlled substance in the U.S. |
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changes to safety, health and environmental regulations |
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exposure to information systems security threats and breaches |
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management of additional regulatory burdens |
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volatility in the market price for the Common Shares |
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potential imposition of additional sales practice requirements by the SEC |
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no dividends for the foreseeable future |
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future sales of Common Shares by existing shareholders causing the market price for the Common Shares to fall |
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the issuance of Common Shares in the future causing dilution |
If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove to be incorrect, actual results might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information.
Forward-looking information in this Prospectus is provided as of the date of this Prospectus, and we disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information or future events or results, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. Accordingly, potential investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA
Unless otherwise indicated, information contained in this Prospectus concerning our industry and the markets in which we operate, including our general expectations and market position, market opportunities and market share, is based on information from independent industry organizations, other third-party sources (including industry publications, surveys and forecasts) and management studies and estimates.
Unless otherwise indicated, our estimates are derived from publicly available information released by independent industry analysts and third-party sources as well as data from our internal research, and include assumptions made by the Company which it believes to be reasonable based on its knowledge of our industry and markets. Our internal research and assumptions have not been verified by any independent source, and we have not independently verified any third-party information. While we believe the market position, market opportunity and market share information included in this Prospectus is generally reliable, such information is inherently imprecise. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the industry and markets in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors”.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PRESENTATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS
The following financial statements (the “Consolidated Financial Statements”), prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, have been included in this Prospectus:
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the audited annual consolidated financial statements of the Company for the years ended May 31, 2018 and May 31, 2017; |
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the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for the three and six month periods ended November 30 , 2018 and 2017; |
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the audited consolidated financial statements of Alternative Solutions for the years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016; |
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the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Alternative Solutions for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017; and |
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the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations of the Company and Alternative Solutions for the year ended May 31, 2018. |
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Prospectus and does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making your investment decision. Before investing in our securities, you should carefully read this entire Prospectus, including our financial statements and the documents to which we refer you. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the detailed information appearing elsewhere in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) of which this Prospectus is a part. Readers should not assume that the information contained in this Prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the cover page of this Prospectus.
Our Business
Overview
We own 100% of Alternative Solutions, LLC, a Nevada-based holding company (“Alternative Solutions”) that owns three separate entities with licenses to operate cannabis businesses within the State of Nevada: Serenity Wellness Center, LLC dba Oasis Cannabis (“Oasis”); Serenity Wellness Growers, LLC dba City Trees Fresh Cannabis Cultivation Wholesale; and Serenity Wellness Products, LLC dba City Trees Fresh Cannabis Production Wholesale. Oasis currently operates a retail marijuana dispensary within walking distance to the Las Vegas Strip. City Trees Cultivation and City Trees Production currently operate a small-scale cultivation and product manufacturing facility, respectively, as well as a wholesale distribution operation in North Las Vegas.
Oasis’ retail dispensary is a single location operation in Nevada. This location, which is easily accessible by tourists, is currently open 24 hours per day for walk-in customers and in-store pickup. It also delivers cannabis to residents between the hours of 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM. The central location provides logistical convenience for delivery to all parts of the Las Vegas valley.
City Trees’ wholesale operations began sales to third parties in August 2017. It had made sales to over 25 external customers by Q2 2018. Its existing product line includes vaporizers, tinctures, capsules, and concentrates. Raw materials for manufacturing are all sourced from third parties so there is a significant opportunity to capture additional margin after construction is completed on Phase 1, Phase 2 and the Greenhouse Expansion (as defined below). City Trees currently occupies 1,150 square feet in a 22,000 square feet warehouse. Management expects the facility to produce over 500 pounds of cannabis per month when it is operating at capacity. City Trees plans to use state of the art LED grow lights to dramatically reduce energy costs from what they would be with conventional methods. The lights will be used with a vertical racking system that can accommodate up to three tiers of cannabis plants. This method increases the overall size of the growth canopy that can be placed within a single building. It will further reduce raw materials and manufacturing costs by using mostly sunlight instead of electricity. See “Our Business”.
Our principal business offices are located at 11767 South Dixie Highway, Suite 115, Miami, Florida 33156.
History and Recent Developments
The Company was initially incorporated on March 31, 2011 as Adelt Design, Inc. under Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes. On April 29, 2015, we entered into a merger agreement with CLS Labs and a newly-formed, wholly-owned subsidiary and effected the Merger (see “Our Business – The Merger”). Upon the consummation of the Merger, the separate existence of the wholly-owned subsidiary ceased and CLS Labs, the surviving corporation in the Merger, became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, with the Company acquiring the stock of CLS Labs, abandoning its previous business, and adopting the existing business plan and operations of CLS Labs.
Since 2014, one of the founders of CLS Labs has been developing a proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into concentrates such as oils, waxes, edibles and shatter. In 2017, we began pursuing other revenue producing opportunities, which resulted in the Acquisition. See “Our Business - History”.
Darling Capital Note
On February 5, 2018, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with Darling Capital LLC, (“Darling”), whereby Darling agreed to purchase an 8% convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $550,000 from the Company (“Darling Note”) due, subject to the terms therein, eighteen (18) months from the date of issuance (“Darling Transaction”), for a purchase price of $500,000. Darling could, at its option, convert all or a portion of the note and accrued but unpaid interest into Common Shares at a conversion price of $0.3125 per share. The note also contained a reset feature, whereby, absent certain exceptions, if the Company issued equity securities at an effective price less than $0.3125 per Common Share, the conversion price of the note would be reset to such lower price. We also issued Darling a three-year common stock purchase warrant to purchase 400,000 Common Shares at an initial exercise price of $0.75 per share. During the six months ended November 30, 2018, Darling converted $565,000, of which $550,000 was principal and $15,000 was accrued interest, into 1,808,000 shares of common stock.
Lamadrid Transaction
On February 26, 2018, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with David Lamadrid, our former President and Chief Financial Officer, whereby Mr. Lamadrid agreed to purchase an 8% convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $31,250 (the “Lamadrid Note”) from us due, subject to the terms therein, eighteen (18) months from the date of issuance (the “Lamadrid Transaction”). On August 21, 2018, the Company received a conversion notice from Mr. Lamadrid indicating that he had converted $31,250 in principal of, and $1,247 of accrued interest on, the Lamadrid Note into 103,989 Common Shares.
WestPark Offering
During February and March 2018, the Company received aggregate gross proceeds of $1,710,313 from a private offering of 1,368,250 units at a price of $1.25 per unit. Each unit consisted of four Common Shares and one warrant to purchase one Common Share at $0.75 per Common Share.
Efrat Investments Note
On February 16, 2018, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with Efrat Investments LLC, (“Efrat”), whereby Efrat agreed to purchase an 8% convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $55,000 from the Company (the “Efrat Note”) due, subject to the terms therein, eighteen (18) months from the date of issuance, for a purchase price of $50,000. Efrat could, at its option, convert all or a portion of the note and accrued but unpaid interest into Common Shares at a conversion price of $0.3125 per share. The note also contained a reset feature, whereby, absent certain exceptions, if the Company issued equity securities at an effective price less than $0.3125 per Common Share, the conversion price of the note would be reset to such lower price. We also issued Efrat a three-year common stock purchase warrant to purchase 40,000 Common Shares at an initial exercise price of $0.75 per share. During the six months ended November 30, 2018, Efrat converted $57,200, of which $55,000 was principal and $2,200 was accrued interest into 183,040 shares of common stock.
YA II Transaction
On May 11, 2018, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with YA II PN, Ltd., a Cayman Island exempted limited partnership (“YA II”), pursuant to which we agreed to sell to YA II, in two closings, (i) convertible debentures in the aggregate principal amount of $1,250,000, plus accrued interest, which may be converted into Common Shares, at the discretion of either the investor or the Company in accordance with the terms of the debentures, and (ii) five-year warrants to purchase an aggregate of 3,125,000 Common Shares at $0.60 per share (“YA II Transaction”). At the first closing, which occurred on May 14, 2018, we issued a $750,000 debenture and a warrant to purchase 1,875,000 Common Shares. At the second closing, which occurred on July 20, 2018, we issued a $500,000 debenture and a warrant to purchase 1,250,000 additional Common Shares. The debentures bear interest at the rate of 8% per annum. If an event of default occurs and for so long as such event of default remains uncured, the interest rate on the debentures shall immediately become 15% per annum and shall remain at such increased interest rate until the applicable event of default is cured.
Commencing on December 1, 2018 and on the first day of each month thereafter through July 1, 2019, we will pay YA II one-eighth of the principal amount of the debentures, plus accrued and outstanding interest (“Installment Amount”), plus 20% of the of the installment amount for installment amounts due within 180 days following the date of execution of the securities purchase agreement, and 25% of the installment amount for installment amounts due thereafter in cash or by converting such installment amount into Common Shares, if we have met the applicable conditions for such a conversion and as long as the conversion does not exceed certain maximum amounts. Each Installment Amount will be deferred to the maturity date if the daily dollar volume-weighted average price of our common stock equals or exceeds $0.40 per share for each of the 10 consecutive days preceding the fifth trading day prior to the respective installment date.
Pursuant to the terms of the debentures, YA II PN may elect to convert any portion of the principal and accrued interest under the debentures into Common Shares at a fixed conversion price of $0.40 per share. In addition, we may, in our sole discretion, make an installment payment using Common Shares. During the six months ended November 30, 2018, YA II converted a total of $280,247, which consisted of $250,000 of principal and $30,247 of accrued interest, into 700,616 shares of common stock. On January 8, 2019, YA II converted $256,027, of which $250,000 was principal and $6,027 was accrued interest, into 640,068 shares of common stock.
Canaccord Financing
On June 20, 2018, we closed an offering (the “Canaccord Special Warrant Offering”) for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD$13,037,859. Canaccord Genuity Corp. (“Canaccord”) acted as the sole agent and sole bookrunner in connection with the Canaccord Special Warrant Offering. Pursuant to the Canaccord Special Warrant Offering, we issued 28,973,014 Special Warrants, at a price of CAD$0.45 per Special Warrant. Each Special Warrant was automatically exercisable, for no additional consideration, into one unit (a “Unit”) consisting of one Unit of our common stock and one common stock warrant on the earlier of: (i) the date that is five business days following the date on which we obtain a receipt from the applicable securities commissions for a final prospectus qualifying the distribution of the Units issuable upon exercise of the Special Warrants, and (ii) November 30, 2018. On August 20, 2018, the number of Units acquirable upon deemed exercise of the Special Warrants was automatically adjusted from one Unit per Special Warrant to 1.1 Units per Special Warrant due to the Company not having obtained that required receipt from the applicable securities commissions to qualify the distribution of the Units by that date. All Special Warrants were automatically exercised on November 30, 2018. See “Our Business - History – Canaccord Special Warrant Offering”.
Acquisition of Alternative Solutions
On June 27, 2018, we completed the purchase of all of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions and the Oasis LLCs from the members of such entities (other than Alternative Solutions) (the “Oasis Acquisition”). The closing occurred pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement entered into between the Company and Alternative Solutions on December 4, 2017, as amended. Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, we acquired all of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions, the parent of the Oasis LLCs, from its members, and the membership interests in the Oasis LLCs owned by members other than Alternative Solutions. See “Our Business - History – Acquisition of Alternative Solutions”.
Appointment of New Officers for CLS Nevada
On July 1, 2018, CLS Nevada, Inc., our wholly-owned operating subsidiary, appointed Mr. Benjamin Sillitoe as its new Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Don Decatur as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer
On July, 24, 2018, Mr. David Lamadrid resigned as our President and Chief Financial Officer, and on August 1, 2018, the Company appointed Mr. Frank Tarantino as its new Chief Financial Officer.
August Koretsky Note
On August 6, 2018, we issued a convertible promissory note to Newcan Investment Partners LLC, an entity owned by Frank Koretsky, a director of the Company, in the amount of $75,000.00 (the “Newcan Convertible Note 8”), to finalize the terms of repayment with respect to a certain loan made to the Company by Newcan Investment Partners LLC on May 4, 2018, which was converted into 196,336 shares of common stock on October 23, 2018.
Navy Capital Offering
On July 31, 2018, the Company entered into a subscription agreement with Navy Capital Green International, Ltd., a British Virgin Islands limited company (“Navy Capital”), pursuant to which we agreed to sell to Navy Capital, for a purchase price of $3,000,000, 7,500,000 units, at $0.40 per unit, representing (i) 7,500,000 Common Shares, and (ii) three-year warrants to purchase an aggregate of 7,500,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.60 per Common Share (the “Navy Capital Offering”). The warrants provide that they are callable at any time after the bid price of the Company’s Common Shares exceeds 120% of the exercise price of the warrants for a period of 20 consecutive business days. Between August 8, 2018 and August 10, 2018, we entered into five subscription agreements in connection with the Navy Capital Offering, pursuant to which we agreed to sell 6,875,000 units for an aggregate purchase price of $2,750,000.
U.S. Convertible Debenture Offering
Between October 25, 2018 and November 2, 2018, we entered into six subscription agreements, pursuant to which we agreed to sell, for an aggregate purchase price of $5,857,000 (U.S.), $5,857,000 in original principal amount of convertible debentures in minimum denominations of $1,000 (U.S.) each (the “U.S. Convertible Debenture Offering”). The debentures bear interest, payable quarterly, at a rate of 8% per annum, with interest during the first eighteen (18) months following their issuance, being payable by increasing the then-outstanding principal amount of the debentures. The debentures mature on a date that is three years following their issuance. The debentures are convertible into units at a conversion price of $0.80 (U.S.) per unit. Each unit consists of (i) one (1) share of the Company’s common stock, par value $.001 and (ii) one-half of one (1) warrant, with each warrant exercisable for three years to purchase a share of common stock at a price of $1.10 (U.S.). The debentures have other features, such as mandatory conversion in the event our common stock trades at a particular price over a specified period of time and required redemption in the event of a “Change in Control” of the Company. The debentures are unsecured obligations of the Company and rank pari passu in right of payment of principal and interest with all other unsecured obligations of the Company. Navy Capital and its affiliates purchased $5,000,000 in principal amount of Debentures, with the remaining $857,000 in principal amount being purchased by several unaffiliated purchasers.
Our Operations and Products
Dispensary Operations
Oasis opened as a medical cannabis dispensary in 2015 and began retail sales to adults over the age of 21 on July 1, 2017. Oasis is a top retail cannabis destination in Nevada where customers and patients can browse the selection of inventory in a display and ask questions to qualified staff with minimal wait times. Automated payments allow for safety, convenience, and scalability. See “Our Business – Nevada Operations – Dispensary Operations”.
Cultivation, Production & Wholesale Sales Operations
City Trees wholesale operations primarily consists of purchasing finished distilled cannabis oil from third party vendors and formulating it into a variety of finished products for sales and distribution to retail cannabis stores and medical dispensaries throughout Nevada.
The vaporizer and concentrate product line of City Trees consist of proprietary blends of cannabis oil and terpenes filled into custom branded City Trees vaporizers that utilize ceramic heating technology to deliver clean, even heat without using a wick like most traditional vaporizers. The product line of capsules is known as City Caps and includes CBD and THC blends in ratios of 10 to 1, 4 to 1, and 1 to 4. The blends are named cannabidiol (“CBD”), Rise, and Rest, respectively. The recently introduced line of tinctures include a 20 to 1, 10 to 1, and a 1 to 1 CBD to THC ratio as well as a THC only version. See “Our Business – Nevada Operations – Cultivation, Production and Wholesale Sales Operations” and “Our Business – Nevada Operations – Product Line”.
The Offering |
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Common Shares Offered By the Selling Stockholders |
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71,563,336 Common Shares including:
●33,463,826 Unit Shares;
●33,463,826 Unit Warrant Shares;
●2,317,842 Broker Shares; and
●2,317,842 Broker Warrant Shares. |
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Offering Price |
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Determined at the time of sale by the Selling Stockholders |
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Use of Proceeds |
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The Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares by Selling Stockholders covered by this Prospectus. |
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Common Shares Outstanding as of January 30, 2019 |
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125,814,095 Common Shares |
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OTCQB |
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The shares are quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “CLSH”. |
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Risk Factors |
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Investing in the Common Shares involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 9 of this prospectus. |
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Dividend Policy |
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The Company currently intends to retain any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. Therefore, the Company does not currently anticipate paying cash dividends. |
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Listing |
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Quoted on the OTCQB (CLSH), and listed on the CSE (CLSH.U). |
Selected Financial Data
The following historical financial information should be read in conjunction with the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Prospectus. The historical results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any future periods:
November 30 (unaudited) |
May 31 (audited) |
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Balance Sheet Data |
2018 |
2017 |
2018 |
2017 |
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Cash |
$ | 4,872,048 | $ | 12,099 | $ | 52,964 | $ | 78,310 | ||||||||
Current assets |
$ | 5,998,395 | $ | 13,509 | $ | 54,374 | $ | 79,720 | ||||||||
Total assets |
$ | 39,406,385 | $ | 15,398 | $ | 2,105,272 | $ | 131,940 | ||||||||
Current liabilities |
$ | 6,742,553 | $ | 1,414,784 | $ | 2,689,148 | $ | 1,826,478 | ||||||||
Total Liabilities |
$ | 7,858,865 | $ | 2,113,040 | $ | 2,733,052 | $ | 2,018,478 | ||||||||
Stockholders’ equity (deficit) |
$ | 31,547,520 | $ | (2,097,642 |
) |
$ | (627,780 |
) |
$ | (1,886,538 |
) |
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Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
$ | 39,406,385 | $ | 15,398 | $ | 2,105,272 | $ | 131,940 |
Three Months Ended November 30 (unaudited) |
Six Months Ended November 30 (unaudited) |
Years Ended May 31 (audited) |
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Statements of Operations Data: |
2018 |
2017 |
2018 |
2017 |
2018 |
2017 |
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Total Revenues |
$ | 1,976,910 | $ | - | $ | 3,156,263 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
Cost of goods sold |
$ | 1,046,667 | $ | - | $ | 1,806,611 | - | $ | - | $ | - | |||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (2,699,243 |
) |
$ | (2,525,598 |
) |
$ | (19,356,183 |
) |
$ | (3,091,283 |
) |
$ | (9,577,484 |
) |
$ | (4,865,724 |
) |
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Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted |
$ | (0.03 |
) |
$ | (0.07 |
) |
$ | (0.24 |
) |
$ | (0.09 |
) |
$ | (0.24 |
) |
$ | (0.23 |
) |
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Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted |
90,338,339 | 35,039,032 | 80,765 ,385 | 33,946,441 | 39,224,613 | 20,778,785 |
RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities is subject to numerous risks, including the risk factors described below. You should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties, and other factors described below, in addition to the other information set forth in this Prospectus, before making an investment decision with regard to our securities. Any of these risks, uncertainties, and other factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, or prospects. In that case, the trading price of our Common Shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. See also “Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks Related to the Marijuana Industry
Cannabis continues to be a Controlled Substance under the United States Federal Controlled Substances Act and our business may result in federal civil or criminal prosecution.
We are directly engaged in the medical and adult-use cannabis industry in the U.S. where local state law permits such activities however all such activities remain illegal under federal law in the U.S.. Investors are cautioned that in the U.S., cannabis is highly regulated at the state level. To our knowledge, there are to date a total of 30 states, and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam that have legalized medical cannabis in some form, including California, although not all states have fully implemented their legalization programs. Nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult use. Fifteen additional states have legalized high-cannabidiol (“CBD”), low Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) oils for a limited class of patients. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of cannabis at the state level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance under the U.S. Controlled Substance Act of 1970 (codified in 21 U.S.C.A. Section 812) (the “Controlled Substances Act”). Under United States federal law, a Schedule I drug is considered to have a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for the use of the substance under medical supervision. Federal law prohibits commercial production and sale of all Schedule I controlled substances, and as such, cannabis-related activities, including without limitation, the importation, cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis remain illegal under U.S. federal law. It is also illegal to aid or abet such activities or to conspire or attempt to engage in such activities. Strict compliance with state and local laws with respect to cannabis may neither absolve us of liability under U.S. federal law, nor provide a defense to any federal proceeding brought against us. An investor’s contribution to and involvement in such activities may result in federal civil and/or criminal prosecution, including, but not limited to, forfeiture of his, her or its entire investment, fines and/or imprisonment.
An appropriations rider contained in the fiscal year 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Acts 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 U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) cannot expend funds to prosecute state-law-abiding medical cannabis operators complying strictly with state medical cannabis laws. The Amendment prohibits the federal government from using congressionally appropriated funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical cannabis laws. The Amendment remains in effect through September 30, the end of the 2018 fiscal year, as extended, at which point Congress will decide whether to approve its extension. Continued reauthorization of the Amendment is predicated on future political developments and cannot be guaranteed. If the Amendment expires, federal prosecutors could prosecute even state-compliant medical cannabis operators for conduct within the five-year statute of limitations. The Amendment does not protect state legal adult-use cannabis businesses and the DOJ may spend funds to prosecute persons that are operating in accordance with state adult use cannabis laws.
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 and penalties, including, but not limited to, disgorgement of profits, cessation of business activities, divestiture, or prison time. This could have a material adverse effect on us, including our reputation and ability to conduct business, our holding (directly or indirectly) of medical and adult-use cannabis licenses in the U.S., the listing of our securities on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”), our financial position, operating results, profitability or liquidity or the market price of our publicly traded shares. In addition, it is difficult for us to estimate the time or resources that would be needed for the investigation or defense of any such matters or our final resolution because, in part, the time and resources that may be needed are dependent on the nature and extent of any information requested by the applicable authorities involved, and such time or resources could be substantial.
The approach to the enforcement of cannabis laws may be subject to change, which creates uncertainty for our business.
As a result of the conflicting views between state legislatures and the federal government regarding cannabis, investments in, and the operations of, cannabis businesses in the U.S. are subject to inconsistent laws and regulations. The so-called “Cole Memorandum” issued by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole on August 29, 2013 and other Obama-era cannabis policy guidance, discussed below, provided the framework for managing the tension between federal and state cannabis laws. Subsequently, as discussed below, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo and related policy guidance. Although no longer in effect, these policies, and the enforcement priorities established within, appear to continue to be followed during the Trump administration and remain critical factors that inform the past and future trend of state-based legalization.
The Cole Memo directed U.S. Attorneys not to prioritize the enforcement of federal cannabis laws against individuals and businesses that comply with state medical or adult-use cannabis regulatory programs, provided certain enumerated enforcement priorities (such as diversion or sale of cannabis to minors) were not implicated. In addition to general prosecutorial guidance issued by the DOJ, FinCEN issued a the FinCEN Memorandum on February 14, 2014 outlining Bank Secrecy Act-compliant pathways for financial institutions to service state-sanctioned cannabis businesses, which echoed the enforcement priorities outlined in the Cole Memorandum. On the same day the FinCEN Memorandum was published, the DOJ issued complimentary policy guidance directing prosecutors to apply the enforcement priorities of the Cole Memo when determining whether to prosecute individuals or institutions with crimes related to financial transactions involving the proceeds of cannabis-related activities.
On January 4, 2018, the then Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo, the Cole Banking Memorandum, and all other related Obama-era DOJ cannabis enforcement guidance. While the rescission did not change federal law, as the Cole Memo and other DOJ guidance documents were not themselves laws, the rescission removed the DOJ’s formal policy that state-regulated cannabis businesses in compliance with the Cole Memo guidelines should not be a prosecutorial priority. Notably, former Attorney General Sessions’ rescission of the Cole Memo and the Cole Banking Memorandum has not affected the status of the FinCEN Memorandum issued by the Department of Treasury, which remains in effect. In addition to his rescission of the Cole Memo, former Attorney General Sessions issued a one-page memorandum known as the “Sessions Memorandum.” The Sessions Memorandum explains the DOJ’s rationale for rescinding all past DOJ cannabis enforcement guidance, claiming that Obama-era enforcement policies are “unnecessary” due to existing general enforcement guidance adopted in the 1980s, in chapter 9.27.230 of the U.S. Attorney’s Manual (the “USAM”). The USAM enforcement priorities, like those of the Cole Memo, are based on the use of the federal government’s limited resources and include “law enforcement priorities set by the Attorney General,” the “seriousness” of the alleged crimes, the “deterrent effect of criminal prosecution,” and “the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community.” Although the Sessions Memorandum emphasizes that cannabis is a federally illegal Schedule I controlled substance, it does not otherwise instruct U.S. Attorneys to consider the prosecution of cannabis-related offenses a DOJ priority, and in practice, most U.S. Attorneys have not changed their prosecutorial approach to date. However, due to the lack of specific direction in the Sessions Memorandum as to the priority federal prosecutors should ascribe to such cannabis activities and the lack of additional guidance since the resignation of former Attorney General Sessions, there can be no assurance that the federal government will not seek to prosecute cases involving cannabis businesses that are otherwise compliant with state law.
Such potential proceedings could involve significant restrictions being imposed upon us or third parties, while diverting the attention of key executives. Such proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, revenues, operating results and financial condition as well as our reputation and prospects, even if such proceedings were concluded successfully in our favor. In the extreme case, such proceedings could ultimately involve the criminal prosecution of key executives of the Company, the seizure of corporate assets, and consequently, the inability of the Company to continue its business operations. Strict compliance with state and local laws with respect to cannabis does not absolve the Company of potential liability under U.S. federal law, nor provide a defense to any federal proceeding which may be brought against us. Any such proceedings brought against us may adversely affect our operations and financial performance.
Uncertainty surrounding existing protection from U.S. federal prosecution may adversely affect our operations and financial performance.
Pursuant to the Amendment, until September 2018, the DOJ is prohibited from expending any funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical cannabis laws. 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 may be in violation of anti-money laundering laws and regulations which could impact our ability to obtain banking services, result in the forfeiture or seizure of our assets and could require us to suspend or cease operations.
We are 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 (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 Controlled Substances Act, 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 or credit card 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 cash, 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 Controlled Substances Act. We may also be exposed to the foregoing risks.
As previously introduced, in February 2014, FinCEN issued the FinCEN Memo providing instructions to banks seeking to provide services to cannabis-related businesses. The FinCEN Memo 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 Controlled Substances Act. Although the FinCEN Memo remains in effect today, it is unclear at this time whether the current administration will follow the guidelines of the FinCEN Memo. 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 a U.S. banking system, its business and operations could be adversely affected.
Other potential violations of federal law resulting from cannabis-related activities include the 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 Canadian Securities Administrators), 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 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 United States 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 United States) 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.
We may become subject to federal and state forfeiture laws which could negatively impact our business 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 are 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.
Investors 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. Investors and prospective investors of the Company should be aware of these potentially relevant federal and state laws in considering whether to invest in the Company.
We are subject to certain tax risks and treatments that could negatively impact our results of operations.
Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, prohibits businesses from deducting certain expenses associated with trafficking controlled substances (within the meaning of Schedule I and II of the Controlled Substances Act). 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. 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.
Our business in the cannabis industry is subject to heightened scrutiny by regulatory authorities.
For the reasons set forth above, our existing operations in the United States, 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 United States or any other jurisdiction, in addition to those described herein.
It has been reported by certain publications in Canada that The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited is considering a policy shift that would see its subsidiary, CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. (“CDS”), refuse to settle trades for cannabis issuers that have investments in the United States. CDS is Canada’s central securities depository, clearing and settlement hub settling trades in the Canadian equity, fixed income and money markets. CDS or its parent company has not issued any public statement in regard to these reports. If CDS were to proceed in the manner suggested by these publications, and apply such a policy to us, it would have a material adverse effect on the ability of holders of Common Shares to make trades in Canada. In particular, the Common Shares would become highly illiquid in Canada as investors would have no ability to effect a trade of the Common Shares in Canada through the facilities of a stock exchange.
In the United States, many clearing houses for major broker-dealer firms, including Pershing LLC, the largest clearing, custody and settlement firm in the United States, have refused to handle securities or settle transactions of companies engaged in cannabis related business. Many other clearing firms have taken a similar approach. 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 in the United States and could negatively affect the liquidity of our securities.
In addition, on November 24, 2017, the TMX Group provided an update regarding issuers with marijuana-related activities in the United States and confirmed that TMX Group will rely on the Canadian Securities Administrators’ recommendation to defer to individual exchange’s rules for companies that have marijuana-related activities in the United States and to determine the eligibility of individual issuers to list based on those exchanges’ listing requirements. On February 8, 2018, CDS signed a memorandum (the “CDS MOU”) with Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc., CNSX Markets Inc., TSX Inc., and TSX Venture Exchange Inc. (collectively, the “Exchanges”). The CDS MOU outlines CDS’ and the Exchanges’ understanding of Canada’s regulatory framework applicable to the rules and procedures and regulatory oversight of the Exchanges and CDS. The CDS 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 currently is no CDS ban on the clearing of securities of issuers with marijuana-related activities in the U.S.
Any restrictions imposed by the CSE or other applicable exchange on the business of the Company and/or the potential delisting of the Common Shares from the CSE or other applicable exchange would have a material adverse effect on the Company and on the ability of holders of Common Shares to make trades in Canada.
The heightened regulatory scrutiny could have a negative impact on our ability to raise capital.
Our business activities rely on newly established and/or developing laws and regulations in multiple jurisdictions, including in Nevada. These laws and regulations are rapidly evolving and subject to change with minimal notice. Regulatory changes may adversely affect our profitability or cause it to cease operations entirely. The cannabis industry may come under the scrutiny or further scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, SEC, the DOJ, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or other federal, Nevada or other applicable 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 its ability to raise additional capital, create a public trading market in the U.S. for securities of the Company or to find a suitable acquirer, which could reduce, delay or eliminate any return on investment in the Company.
Our business is subject to risk from changing regulatory and political environments surrounding the cannabis industry.
The success of our business strategy depends on the legality of the marijuana industry. The political environment surrounding the marijuana industry in general can be volatile and the regulatory framework remains in flux. To our knowledge, there are to date a total of 29 states, and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam that have legalized cannabis in some form, including Nevada, and additional states have pending legislation regarding the same; 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 marijuana. If such regulations are not enacted, or enacted but subsequently repealed or amended, or enacted with prolonged phase-in periods, our growth target, 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 its 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 marijuana in a manner that will make it extremely difficult or impossible to transact business that is necessary for the continued operation of the marijuana industry. Federal actions against individuals or entities engaged in the marijuana industry or a repeal of applicable marijuana 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 marijuana 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 marijuana industries are in their infancy and we anticipate that such regulations will be subject to change as the jurisdictions in which we do business matures. We have in place a detailed compliance program overseen and maintained by external state and local regulatory/compliance counsel. Our internal compliance team (consisting of managers for each respective business unit) implements the compliance program.
Our internal compliance team oversees training for all employees, including on the following topics:
• compliance with state and local laws
• safe cannabis use
• dispensing procedures
• security and safety policies and procedures
• inventory control
• quality control
• transportation procedures
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. Only authorized, properly trained employees are allowed to access our computerized seed-to-sale system.
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 its compliance program, standard operating procedures, and any changes to regulation in the marijuana industry.
Overall, the medical and adult-use marijuana industry is subject to significant regulatory change at both the state and federal level. The inability of the Company to respond to the changing regulatory landscape may cause it to not be successful in capturing significant market share and could otherwise harm its business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
The potential re-classification of cannabis in the United States could create additional regulatory burdens on our operations and negatively affect our results of operations.
If cannabis and/or CBD 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, rescheduling cannabis may materially alter enforcement policies across many federal agencies, primarily the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). FDA is responsible for ensuring public health and safety through regulation of food, drugs, supplements, and cosmetics, among other products, through its enforcement authority pursuant to the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FFDCA”). FDA’s responsibilities include regulating the ingredients as well as the marketing and labeling of drugs sold in interstate commerce. Because cannabis is federally illegal to produce and sell, and because it has no federally recognized medical uses, the FDA has historically deferred enforcement related to cannabis to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”); however, the FDA has enforced the FFDCA with regard to hemp-derived products, especially CBD, sold outside of state-regulated cannabis businesses. If cannabis were to be rescheduled to a federally controlled, yet legal, substance, FDA would likely play a more active regulatory role. Further, in the event that the pharmaceutical industry directly competes with state-regulated cannabis businesses for market share, as could potentially occur with rescheduling, the pharmaceutical industry may urge the DEA, FDA, and others to enforce the Canadian Securities Administrators and FFDCA against businesses that comply with state but not federal law. The potential for multi-agency enforcement post-rescheduling could threaten or have a materially adverse effect on the operations of existing state-legal cannabis businesses, including the Company.
Even though certain U.S. and state statutes authorize the cultivation and transportation of CBD under certain circumstances, the DEA has determined that all CBD products, regardless of origin, are considered Schedule I controlled substances and issued a drug code for CBD. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently upheld the DEA’s rule. We are unable to determine whether this decision will have a chilling effect on sales of CBD products and whether our business will be adversely affected.
Our participation in the cannabis industry may lead to costly litigation, which could adversely affect our financial condition and business operations.
Our participation in the cannabis industry may lead to litigation, formal or informal complaints, enforcement actions, and inquiries by various federal, state, or local governmental authorities against us or our investments. Litigation, complaints, and enforcement actions involving either us or our investments could consume considerable amounts of financial and other corporate resources, which could have an adverse effect on our future cash flows, earnings, results of operations and financial condition.
There is uncertainty regarding the availability of U.S. federal patent and trademark protection.
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 to 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 it will ever obtain any protection of its intellectual property, whether on a federal, state or local level.
Current constraints on marketing our products could adversely affect our sales and results of operations.
The development of our business and operating results may be hindered by applicable restrictions on sales and marketing activities imposed by government regulatory bodies. The regulatory environment in the United States limits companies’ abilities to compete for market share in a manner similar to other industries. 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 results of operations could be adversely affected.
We could experience difficulty enforcing our contracts.
Due to the nature of our business and the fact that our contracts 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.
Risks Related to the Business
We will require additional financing to support our on-going operations.
We will require equity and/or debt financing to support on-going operations, to undertake capital expenditures or to undertake acquisitions or other business combination transactions, such as the transactions contemplated by the Option Agreement and the CannAssist LOI (defined below). There can be no assurance that additional financing will be available to us when needed or on terms which are acceptable. There can be no assurance that we will receive all financing under the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering (defined below). Our inability to raise financing to fund on-going operations, capital expenditures or acquisitions could limit our growth and may have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
If additional funds are raised through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, existing shareholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities issued could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of Common Shares. 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 to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions.
We may have difficulty continuing as a going-concern.
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under which an entity is considered to be able to realize its assets and satisfy its liabilities in the ordinary course of business. Our future operations are dependent upon the identification and successful completion of equity or debt financing and the achievement of profitable operations at an indeterminate time in the future. There can be no assurances that we will be successful in completing an equity or debt financing or in achieving profitability. The financial statements do not give effect to any adjustments relating to the carrying values and classification of assets and liabilities that would be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern.
We had negative cash flow for the financial year ended May 31, 2018
We had negative operating cash flow for the financial year ended May 31, 2018. To the extent that we have negative operating cash flow in future periods, we may need to allocate a portion of the Company’s cash reserves to fund such negative cash flow. We may also be required to raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or debt securities. There can be no assurance that we will be able to generate a positive cash flow from our operations, that additional capital or other types of financing will be available when needed or that these financings will be on terms favorable to the Company.
We may experience difficulties in generating profits.
We may experience difficulties in its development process, such as capacity constraints, quality control problems or other disruptions, which would make it more difficult to generate profits. A failure by the Company to achieve a low-cost structure through economies of scale or improvements in manufacturing processes and design could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
We will likely incur significant costs and obligations in relation to our on-going and anticipated business operations.
We expect to incur significant ongoing costs and obligations related to our investment in infrastructure and growth and for regulatory compliance, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition, future changes in regulations, more vigorous enforcement thereof or other unanticipated events could require extensive changes to our operations, increased compliance costs or give rise to material liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Company.
Our business is reliant on Oasis and the Warehouse Facility.
Our current activities and resources are focused on Oasis and the Warehouse Facility, The licenses held by the Oasis Subsidiaries are specific to Oasis and the Warehouse Facility. Adverse changes or developments affecting either Oasis or the Warehouse Facility, including but not limited to, a breach of security, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and prospects. Any breach of the security measures and other facility requirements, could also have an impact on the Oasis Subsidiaries’ ability to continue operating under their respective licenses or the prospect of renewing their respective licenses. Oasis and the Warehouse Facility continue to operate with routine maintenance however buildings do have components that require replacement. The Company will bear many, if not all, of the costs of maintenance and upkeep of Oasis and the Warehouse Facility. Our operations and financial performance may be adversely affected if any of Oasis or the Warehouse Facility are unable to keep up with maintenance requirements.
We are reliant on key employees in the management of our business and loss of their services could materially adversely affect our business.
Our success is dependent upon the ability, expertise, judgment, discretion and good faith of its senior management. While employment agreements or management agreements are customarily used as a primary method of retaining the services of key employees, these agreements cannot assure the continued services of such employees. Any loss of the services of such individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition or prospects.
Our business is heavily regulated which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
The business and activities of the Company are heavily regulated in all jurisdictions where it carries on business. Our operations are subject to various laws, regulations and guidelines by governmental authorities, relating to the manufacture, marketing, management, transportation, storage, sale, pricing and disposal of medical marijuana and cannabis oil, and also including laws and regulations relating to health and safety, insurance coverage, the conduct of operations and the protection of the environment. Laws and regulations, applied generally, grant government agencies and self-regulatory bodies broad administrative discretion over the activities of the Company, including the power to limit or restrict business activities as well as impose additional disclosure requirements on our products and services. Achievement of our business objectives is contingent, in part, upon compliance with regulatory requirements enacted by governmental authorities and obtaining all regulatory approvals, where necessary, for the sale of our products. Similarly, the Company cannot predict the time required to secure all appropriate regulatory approvals for its products, or the extent of testing and documentation that may be required by governmental authorities. Any delays in obtaining, or failure to obtain regulatory approvals would significantly delay the development of markets and products and could have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Company.
We will incur ongoing costs and obligations related to regulatory compliance. Failure to comply with regulations may lead to possible sanctions including the revocation or imposition of additional conditions on licenses to operate our business, the suspension or expulsion from a particular market or jurisdiction or of our key personnel, and the imposition of fines and censures. In addition, changes in regulations, more vigorous enforcement thereof or other unanticipated events could require extensive changes to our operations, increased compliance costs or give rise to material liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Company.
Our business is subject to general regulatory risks, which could negatively impact our operations.
Our business is subject to a variety of laws, regulations and guidelines relating to the manufacture, management, transportation, storage and disposal of marijuana, including laws and regulations relating to health and safety, the conduct of operations and the protection of the environment. Achievement of our business objectives are 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 the control of the Company may cause adverse effects to the Company.
We are required to obtain or renew further government permits and licenses for our current and 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 are 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 the ongoing or proposed operations of the Company. To the extent permits or licenses are not obtained, amended or renewed, or are subsequently suspended or revoked, the Company may be curtailed or prohibited from proceeding with its 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.
While our compliance controls have been developed to mitigate the risk of any material violations of any license we hold, there is 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 the Company could impede the ongoing or planned operations of the Company and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
We may become 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 the Company to take, or refrain from taking, actions that could harm its operations or require the Company to pay substantial amounts of money, harming its 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 of operations or prospects.
Changes in laws, regulations and guidelines could have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Company.
Our operations are subject to various laws, regulations, guidelines and licensing requirements relating to the production, manufacture, sale, distribution, management, transportation, storage and disposal of medical marijuana, as well as being subject to laws and regulations relating to health and safety, the conduct of operations and the protection of the environment. While to the knowledge of management we are currently in compliance with all such laws, any changes to such laws, regulations, guidelines and policies due to matters beyond the control of the Company could have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Company.
Volatility of industry conditions could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
Industry conditions are influenced by numerous factors over which we have no control, including the level of medical marijuana prices, expectations about future medical marijuana prices and production, the cost of producing and delivering medical marijuana; any rates of declining current production, political, regulatory and economic conditions; alternative fuel requirements; and the ability of medical marijuana companies to raise equity capital or debt financing.
The level of activity in the medical marijuana industry is volatile. No assurance can be given that expected trends in medical marijuana production and sales activities will continue or that demand for medical marijuana will reflect the level of activity in the industry. Any prolonged substantial reduction in medical marijuana prices would likely affect medical marijuana production levels and therefore affect the demand for medical marijuana. A material decline in medical marijuana prices or industry activity could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We rely on securing agreements with licensed producers.
The regulatory framework in most states restricts the Company from obtaining a license to grow, store and sell marijuana products. As such, the Company relies on securing agreements with licensed producers in the targeted jurisdictions that have been able to obtain a license with the appropriate regulatory authorities. Failure of a licensed producer to comply with the requirements of their license or any failure to maintain their license would have a material adverse impact on the business, financial condition and operating results of the Company. Should the regulatory authorities not grant a license or grant a license on different terms unfavorable to the licensed producers, and should the Company be unable to secure alternative licensed producers, the business, financial condition and results of the operation of the Company would be materially adversely affected.
Our industry is subject to intense competition.
There is potential that the Company will face intense competition from other companies, some of which can be expected to have longer operating histories and more financial resources and experience than the Company. Increased competition by larger and better-financed competitors could materially and adversely affect the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company.
Because of the early stage of the industry in which the Company operates, the Company expects to face additional competition from new entrants. To become and remain competitive, the Company will require research and development, marketing, sales and support. We may not have sufficient resources to maintain research and development, marketing, sales and support efforts on a competitive basis which could materially and adversely affect the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company.
The introduction of a recreational model for cannabis production and distribution may impact the medical marijuana market. The impact of this potential development may be negative for the Company, and could result in increased levels of competition in its existing medical market and/or the entry of new competitors in the overall cannabis market in which the Company operates.
If the number of users of medical marijuana increases, the demand for products will increase and the Company expects that competition will become more intense, as current and future competitors begin to offer an increasing number of diversified products. To remain competitive, the Company will require a continued high level of investment in research and development, marketing, sales and client support. We may not have sufficient resources to maintain research and development, marketing, sales and client support efforts on a competitive basis which could materially and adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
As well, the legal landscape for medical and recreational marijuana is changing internationally. More countries have passed laws that allow for the production and distribution of medical marijuana in some form or another. We have some international partnerships in place, which may be effected if more countries legalize medical marijuana. Increased international competition might lower the demand for our products on a global scale.
New well-capitalized entrants into our industry may develop large-scale operations which will make it difficult for our business to compete and remain profitable.
Currently, the marijuana industry generally is comprised of individuals and small to medium-sized entities, however, the risk remains that large conglomerates and companies who also recognize the potential for financial success through investment in this industry could strategically purchase or assume control of larger dispensaries and cultivation facilities. In doing so, these larger competitors could establish price setting and cost controls which would effectively “price out” many of the individuals and small to medium-sized entities who currently make up the bulk of the participants in the varied businesses operating within and in support of the medical marijuana industry. While the trend in most state laws and regulations seemingly deters this type of takeover, this industry remains quite nascent, so what the landscape will be in the future remains largely unknown, which in itself is a risk.
Our proposed business plan is subject to all business risks associated with new business enterprises, including the absence of any significant operating history upon which to evaluate an investment. The likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered in connection with the formation of a new business, the development of new strategy and the competitive environment in which the Company will operate. It is possible that the Company will incur losses in the future. There is no guarantee that the Company will be profitable.
We could incur risks and uncertainties regarding our future acquisitions and dispositions.
Material acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions, including the transactions contemplated by the Option Agreement and the CannAssist LOI (defined below), involve a number of risks, including: (i) potential disruption of our ongoing business; (ii) distraction of management; (iii) the Company may become more financially leveraged; (iv) the anticipated benefits and cost savings of those transactions may not be realized fully or at all or may take longer to realize than expected; (v) increasing the scope and complexity of our operations; and (vi) 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 the business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition of the Company. A strategic transaction may result in a significant change in the nature of our business, operations and strategy. In addition, the Company may encounter unforeseen obstacles or costs in implementing a strategic transaction or integrating any acquired business into our operations.
Acquisitions and strategic collaborations may never materialize or may fail.
We intend to explore a variety of acquisitions and strategic collaborations with existing marijuana growers, dispensaries and related businesses in various states, such as the transactions contemplated by the Option Agreement and the CannAssist LOI (defined below). We are likely to face significant competition in seeking appropriate acquisitions or strategic collaborators, and these acquisitions and strategic collaborations can be complicated and time consuming to negotiate and document. We may not be able to negotiate acquisitions and strategic collaborations on acceptable terms, or at all, and we are unable to predict when, if ever, we will enter into any such acquisitions or strategic collaborations due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with them.
Failure to successfully integrate acquired businesses, their products and other assets into the Company, or if integrated, failure to further our business strategy, may result in our inability to realize any benefit from such acquisition.
We have grown by acquiring Alternative Solutions. The consummation and integration of any acquired business, product or other assets into the Company may be complex and time consuming and, if Alternative Solutions and its assets are not successfully integrated, the Company may not achieve the anticipated benefits, cost-savings or growth opportunities. Furthermore, the Alternative Solutions acquisition and other arrangements, even if successfully integrated, may fail to further the Company’s business strategy as anticipated, expose the Company to increased competition or other challenges with respect to the Company’s products or geographic markets, and expose the Company to additional liabilities associated with an acquired business, technology or other asset or arrangement.
When the Company acquires cannabis businesses, it may obtain the rights to applications for licences as well as licences; however, the procurement of such applications for licences and licences generally will be subject to governmental and regulatory approval. There are no guarantees that the Company will successfully consummate such acquisitions, and even if the Company consummates such acquisitions, the procurement of applications for licences may never result in the grant of a licence by any state or local governmental or regulatory agency and the transfer of any rights to licences may never be approved by the applicable state and/or local governmental or regulatory agency.
Investors will have limited recourse against sellers of Alternative Solutions.
Investors in the Company will not have a direct statutory right or any other rights against the sellers of Alternative Solutions. The sole remedy of the investors against the sellers of Alternative Solutions will be through the Company bringing an action for a breach of the representations and warranties contained in the Acquisition Agreement. While the Company generally is indemnified for breaches of representations and warranties contained in the Acquisition Agreement, recourse for such breaches may be limited due to qualifications related to knowledge of the sellers or otherwise, contractual and time limits on recourse under applicable laws, and the ability of the vendors to satisfy third-party claims. In particular, most of the representations and warranties under the Acquisition Agreement survive for a period of only one year. The inability to recover fully any significant liabilities incurred with respect to breaches of representations and warranties under the Acquisition Agreement may have adverse effects on our financial position. In addition, the sellers have not made any representation to the Company, and are not making any representation to investors, as to the disclosure in this Prospectus constituting full, true and plain disclosure of all material facts related to the Acquisition, or that this Prospectus does not contain a misrepresentation with respect to such Acquisition. Accordingly, the sellers will not have any liability to investors if the disclosure in this Prospectus relating to the Acquisition does not meet such standard or contains a misrepresentation.
The Company is a holding company.
The Company is a holding company and essentially all of its assets are the capital stock of its material subsidiaries. As a result, investors in the Company are subject to the risks attributable to its subsidiaries. Consequently, our cash flows and ability to complete current or desirable future enhancement opportunities are dependent on the earnings of its subsidiaries and investments and the distribution of those earnings to the Company. 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. In the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization of any of the Company’s material subsidiaries, holders of indebtedness and trade creditors may be entitled to payment of their claims from the assets of those subsidiaries before the Company.
We have a limited operating history.
The Company and its subsidiaries have varying and limited operating histories, which can make it difficult for investors to evaluate our operations and prospects and may increase the risks associated with investment into the Company.
We have not generated profits or revenues in the periods covered by our financial statements included herein, and, as a result, have only a very limited operating history upon which our business and future prospects may be evaluated.
Although the Company expects to generate substantial revenues from its subsidiaries, the subsidiaries have only recently started generating revenues and accordingly, we are therefore expected to remain subject to many of the risks common to early-stage enterprises for the foreseeable future, including challenges related to laws, regulations, licensing, integrating and retaining qualified employees; making effective use of limited resources; achieving market acceptance of existing and future solutions; competing against companies with greater financial and technical resources; acquiring and retaining customers; and developing new solutions. There is no assurance that the Company will be successful in achieving a return on shareholders’ investment and the likelihood of success must be considered in light of the early stage of operations.
Potential reputational risks to third parties could result in difficulties in maintaining our operations.
The parties with which the Company does business may perceive that they are exposed to reputational risk as a result of our medical marijuana business activities. While we have other banking relationships and believe that the services can be procured from other institutions, the Company 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 the Company.
Changes in public opinion and perception could negatively affect our business operations.
Government policy changes or public opinion may also result in a significant influence over the regulation of the cannabis industry in the United States 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, medical marijuana as opposed to legalization in general). A negative shift in the public’s perception of cannabis in the United States 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 the Company could expand. Any inability to fully implement our expansion strategy may have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations or prospects.
We may be subject to unfavorable publicity or consumer perception which could negatively affect our results of operations.
We believe the medical marijuana industry is highly dependent upon consumer perception regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of the marijuana produced. Consumer perception can be significantly influenced by scientific research or findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention and other publicity regarding the consumption of marijuana products. There can be no assurance that future scientific research or findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention or other publicity will be favorable to the marijuana market or any particular product, or consistent with earlier publicity. Future research reports, findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention or other publicity that are perceived as less favorable than, or that question, earlier research reports, findings or other publicity could have a material adverse effect on the demand for medical marijuana and on the business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects of the Company. Further, adverse publicity reports or other media attention regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of marijuana in general, or associating the consumption of medical marijuana with illness or other negative effects or events, could have such a material adverse effect. There is no assurance that such adverse publicity reports or other media attention will not arise.
Research and development costs may negatively impact our results of operations.
Before the Company can obtain regulatory approval for the commercial sale of any of its products, it will be required to complete extensive trial testing to demonstrate safety and efficacy. Depending on the exact nature of trial testing, such trials can be expensive and are difficult to design and implement. The testing process is also time consuming and can often be subject to unexpected delays.
The timing and completion of trial testing may be subject to significant delays relating to various causes, including: inability to manufacture or obtain sufficient quantities of units and or test subjects for use in trial testing; delays arising from collaborative partnerships; delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to commence a study, or government intervention to suspend or terminate a study; delays, suspensions or termination of trial testing due to the applicable institutional review board or independent ethics board responsible for overseeing the study to protect research subjects; delays in identifying and reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective trial testing sites and subjects; variability in the number and types of subjects available for each study and resulting difficulties in identifying and enrolling subjects who meet trial eligibility criteria; scheduling conflicts; difficulty in maintaining contact with subjects after testing, resulting in incomplete data; unforeseen safety issues or side effects; lack of efficacy during trial testing; reliance on research organizations to conduct trial testing, which may not conduct such trials with good laboratory practices; or other regulatory delays.
We may experience difficulty in developing products.
If the Company cannot successfully develop, manufacture and distribute its products, or if the Company experiences difficulties in the development process, such as capacity constraints, quality control problems or other disruptions, the Company 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 the Company 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.
We are dependent on the success of our new and existing products and services.
We have committed, and expect to continue to commit, significant resources and capital to develop and market existing product and service enhancements and new products and services. These products and services are relatively untested, and the Company cannot guarantee that it will achieve market acceptance for these products and services, or other new products and services that we may offer in the future. Moreover, these and other new products and services may be subject to significant competition with offerings by new and existing competitors in the business of manufacturing and distributing vaporizers and accessories. In addition, new products, services and enhancements may pose a variety of technical challenges and require us to attract additional qualified employees. The failure to successfully develop and market these new products, services or enhancements or to hire qualified employees could seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are dependent on the continued market acceptance by consumers of our products.
We are substantially dependent on continued market acceptance of our products by consumers. Although we believe that the use of products similar to the products designed and manufactured by the Company is gaining international acceptance, we cannot predict the future growth rate and size of this market.
We may incur significant expenses in promoting and maintaining brands, which could negatively impact our profitability.
We believe that establishing and maintaining the brand identities of products is a critical aspect of attracting and expanding a large customer base. Promotion and enhancement of brands will depend largely on success in continuing to provide high quality products. If customers and end users do not perceive our products to be of high quality, or if the Company introduces new products or enters into new business ventures that are not favorably received by customers and end users, the Company will risk diluting brand identities and decreasing their attractiveness to existing and potential customers. Moreover, in order to attract and retain customers and to promote and maintain brand equity in response to competitive pressures, the Company may have to increase substantially financial commitment to creating and maintaining a distinct brand loyalty among customers. If the Company incurs significant expenses in an attempt to promote and maintain brands, the business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
The results of future clinical research may negatively impact our business.
Research in Canada, the U.S. and internationally regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing and social acceptance 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 the Company believes that the articles, reports and studies support its beliefs regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing and social acceptance of cannabis, future research and clinical trials may prove such statements to be incorrect, or could raise concerns regarding, and perceptions relating to, cannabis. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, prospective purchasers of the Common Shares should not place undue reliance on such articles and reports. Future research studies and clinical trials may draw opposing conclusions to those stated in this Prospectus or reach negative conclusions regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing, social acceptance or other facts and perceptions related to cannabis, which could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products with the potential to lead to a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
We are reliant on key inputs and changes in their costs could negatively impact our profitability.
The manufacturing business is dependent on a number of key inputs and their related costs including raw materials and supplies related to product development and manufacturing operations. Any significant interruption or negative change in the availability or economics of the supply chain for key inputs could materially impact the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company. Some of these inputs may only be available from a single supplier or a limited group of suppliers. If a sole source supplier was to go out of business, the Company might be unable to find a replacement for such source in a timely manner or at all. If a sole source supplier were to be acquired by a competitor, that competitor may elect not to sell to the Company in the future. Any inability to secure required supplies and services or to do so on appropriate terms could have a materially adverse impact on the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company.
We are subject to environmental regulations.
Our operations are subject to environmental regulation in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. These regulations mandate, among other things, the maintenance of air and water quality standards and land reclamation. They 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 CLSH’s operations. To the extent such approvals are required and not obtained, the Company may be curtailed or prohibited from its proposed business activities or from proceeding with the development of its operations as currently proposed.
Failure to comply with applicable environmental laws, regulations and permitting requirements may result in enforcement actions thereunder, 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.
Our business is subject to certain environmental risks.
Our operations are subject to environmental regulation in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. These regulations mandate, among other things, the maintenance of air and water quality standards and land reclamation. They 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 (or the equivalent thereof) and employees. There is no assurance that future changes in environmental regulation, if any, will not adversely affect our operations.
Government 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, the Company may be curtailed or prohibited from its proposed production of medical marijuana or from proceeding with the development of its operations as currently proposed.
Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements may result in enforcement actions thereunder, 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 by reason of our operations and may have civil or criminal fines or penalties imposed for violations of applicable laws or regulations.
Amendments to current laws, regulations and permits governing the production of medical marijuana, or more stringent implementation thereof, could have a material adverse impact on the Company and cause increases in expenses, capital expenditures or production costs or reduction in levels of production or require abandonment or delays in development.
Our business is subject to certain agricultural risks.
Our future business involves the growing of cannabis, an agricultural product. Such business will be subject to the risks inherent in the agricultural business, such as insects, plant diseases and similar agricultural risks. Although the Company expects that any such growing will be completed indoors under climate controlled conditions, there can be no assurance that natural elements will not have a material adverse effect on any such future production.
Our business is vulnerable to rising energy costs.
Adult-use and medical marijuana growing operations consume considerable energy, making the Company potentially vulnerable to rising energy costs. Rising or volatile energy costs may adversely impact the business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects of the Company.
We are dependent on suppliers and skilled labor.
Our ability to compete and grow is dependent on our having 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 the Company may curtail, or extend the timeframes for completing, its capital expenditure plans. This could have an adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company.
The market for our products is difficult to forecast and our forecasts may not be accurate which could negatively impact our results of operations.
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. 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 the business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects of the Company.
We are subject to certain risks regarding the management of our growth.
We may be subject to growth-related risks including capacity constraints and pressure on our internal systems and controls. The ability of the Company to manage growth effectively will require it to continue to implement and improve its operational and financial systems and to expand, train and manage its employee base. The inability of the Company to deal with this growth may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
We may experience difficulties in maintaining adequate internal controls.
Effective internal controls are necessary for the Company to provide reliable financial reports and to help prevent fraud. Failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our results of operations or cause it to fail to meet its reporting obligations. If the Company or its auditors discover a material weakness, the disclosure of that fact, even if quickly remedied, could reduce the market’s confidence in our Consolidated Financial Statements and materially adversely affect the trading price of the Common Shares.
Certain of our officers and directors may have conflicts of interest.
Certain of the directors and officers of the Company are, or may become directors and officers of other companies, and conflicts of interest may arise between their duties as officers and directors of the Company and as officers and directors of such other companies.
We may become subject to costly litigation regarding our operations.
We may become party to litigation from time to time in the ordinary course of business which could adversely affect our business. Should any litigation in which the Company becomes involved be determined against the Company, such a decision could adversely affect our ability to continue operating and the market price for the Common Shares. Even if we are involved in litigation and win, litigation can redirect significant company resources.
We are subject to product liability regarding our products, which could result in costly litigation and settlements.
As a distributor of products designed to be ingested by humans, the Company faces an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims, regulatory action and litigation if its products are alleged to have caused significant loss or injury. In addition, the 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. We may be subject to various product liability claims, including, among others, that our products caused injury or illness, 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 the Company could result in increased costs, could adversely affect our reputation with our clients and consumers generally, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition of the Company. Although we have secured product liability insurance, and strictly enforce a quality standard within the operations, there can be no assurances that we will be able to maintain our product liability insurance on acceptable terms or with adequate coverage against potential liabilities. This scenario could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of our potential products. To date, there have been no product related issues.
Our products may become subject to product recalls, which could negatively impact our 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 labeling disclosure. If any of our products are recalled due to an alleged product defect or for any other reason, the Company could be required to incur the unexpected expense of the recall and any legal proceedings that might arise in connection with the recall. 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. Although we have detailed procedures in place for testing finished 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. Additionally, if one of our significant brands were subject to recall, the image of that brand and the Company as its owner could be harmed. A recall for any of the foregoing reasons could lead to decreased demand for the Company’s products and could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations and financial condition of the Company. Additionally, product recalls may lead to increased scrutiny of our operations by the U.S. FDA, Health Canada or other regulatory agencies, requiring further management attention and potential legal fees and other expenses.
We are subject to certain intellectual property risks.
Our viability will depend, in part, on our ability to develop and maintain the proprietary aspects of our technology to distinguish our products from our competitors’ products. We have certain proprietary intellectual property, including but not limited to brands, trademarks, trade names, patents and proprietary processes. We will rely on this intellectual property, know-how and other proprietary information, and may require employees, consultants and suppliers to sign confidentiality agreements. However, any confidentiality agreement may be breached, and the Company may not have adequate remedies for such breaches. Third parties may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information without infringing upon any proprietary technology. Third parties may otherwise gain access to our proprietary information and adopt it in a competitive manner. Any loss of intellectual property protection may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or prospects.
As long as cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal law as a Schedule I controlled substance pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act, 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, the Company can provide no assurance that it will ever obtain any protection of its intellectual property, whether on a federal, state, provincial and/ or local level.
We may also find it necessary to bring infringement or other actions against third parties to seek to protect its intellectual property rights. Litigation of this nature, even if successful, is often expensive and time-consuming to prosecute and there can be no assurance that we will have the financial or other resources to enforce our rights or prevent other parties from developing similar technology or designing around our intellectual property. Although we believe that our technology does not and will not infringe upon the patents or violate the proprietary rights of others, it is possible such infringement or violation has occurred or may occur, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are not aware of any infringement by us of any person’s or entity’s intellectual property rights. In the event that products the Company sells are deemed to infringe upon the patents or proprietary rights of others, the Company could be required to modify its products or obtain a license for the manufacture and/or sale of such products or cease selling such products. In such event, there can be no assurance that the Company would be able to do so in a timely manner, upon acceptable terms and conditions, or at all, and the failure to do any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect upon our business.
There can be no assurance that the Company will have the financial or other resources necessary to enforce or defend a patent infringement or proprietary rights violation action. If our products or proposed products are deemed to infringe or likely to infringe upon the patents or proprietary rights of others, the Company could be subject to injunctive relief and, under certain circumstances, become liable for damages, which could also have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Fraudulent or illegal activity by employees, contractors and consultants could negatively impact our operations.
We are exposed to the risk that 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 to us that violates: (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 the Company to identify and deter misconduct by its employees and other third parties, and the precautions taken by the Company to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting the Company from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against the Company, and it is not successful in defending itself or asserting its rights, those actions could have a significant 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, results of operations or prospects.
We are subject to certain risks regarding our information technology systems and cyber-attacks.
Our operations depend, in part, on how well we and our suppliers protect networks, equipment, IT systems and software against damage from a number of 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 the Company 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, the Company may be required to expend additional resources to continue to modify or enhance protective measures or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities.
If we experience security breaches, it could negatively impact our operations and result in litigation or civil penalties and fees.
Given the nature of our product and its lack of legal availability outside of channels approved by the Government of the United States, as well as the concentration of inventory in its facilities, despite meeting or exceeding all legislative security requirements, there remains a risk of shrinkage as well as theft. A security breach at one of our facilities could expose the Company to additional liability and to potentially costly litigation, increase expenses relating to the resolution and future prevention of these breaches and may deter potential patients from choosing our products.
In addition, the Company collects and stores personal information about its patients and is responsible for protecting that information from privacy breaches. A privacy breach may occur through procedural or process failure, information technology malfunction, or deliberate unauthorized intrusions. Theft of data for competitive purposes, particularly patient lists and preferences, is an ongoing risk whether perpetrated via employee collusion or negligence or through deliberate cyber-attack. Any such theft or privacy breach would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to market price volatility risks.
The market price of the Common Shares may be subject to wide fluctuations in response to many factors, including variations in the operating results of the Company, divergence in financial results from analysts’ expectations, changes in earnings estimates by stock market analysts, changes in the business prospects for the Company, general economic conditions, legislative changes, and other events and factors outside of our control. In addition, stock markets have from time to time experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations, which, as well as general economic and political conditions, could adversely affect the market price for the Common Shares.
The lack of reliable data on the medical marijuana industry may negatively impact our results of operations.
As a result of recent and ongoing regulatory and policy changes in the medical marijuana industry, the market data available is limited and unreliable. Federal, and state laws prevent widespread participation and hinder market research. Therefore, market research and projections by the Company 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 as of the date of this document.
Our business could be negatively affected by a downturn in the general economy.
Our operations could be affected by the economic context should the unemployment level, interest rates or inflation reach levels that influence consumer trends, and consequently, impact our sales and profitability. As well, general demand for banking services and alternative banking or financial services cannot be predicted and future prospects of such areas might be different from those predicted by our management.
We are subject to risks regarding the current global financial conditions.
Following the onset of the credit crisis in 2008, global financial conditions were characterized by extreme volatility and several major financial institutions either went into bankruptcy or were rescued by governmental authorities. While global financial conditions subsequently stabilized, there remains considerable risk in the system given the extraordinary measures adopted by government authorities to achieve that stability. Global financial conditions could suddenly and rapidly destabilize in response to future economic shocks, as government authorities may have limited resources to respond to future crises.
Future 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, profit margins and share price. Any negative events in the global economy could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
We are reliant on third-party suppliers.
We are reliant on third-party suppliers to develop and manufacture our products. Due to the uncertain regulatory landscape for regulating cannabis in the United States, 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.
We are subject to certain operating risks for which our insurance coverage may not be adequate.
Our operations are subject to hazards inherent in the medical marijuana industry, such as equipment defects, malfunction and failures, natural disasters which result in fires, accidents and explosions that can cause personal injury, loss of life, suspension of operations, damage to facilities, business interruption and damage to or destruction of property, equipment and the environment, labor disputes, and changes in the regulatory environment. These risks could expose the Company to substantial liability for personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, pollution, and other environmental damages. The frequency and severity of such incidents will affect operating costs, insurability and relationships with customers, employees and regulators.
We continuously monitor our operations for quality control and safety. However, there are no assurances that our safety procedures will always prevent such damages. Although we maintain insurance coverage that we believe to be adequate and customary in the industry, there can be no assurance that such insurance will be adequate to cover its liabilities. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain adequate insurance in the future at rates we consider reasonable and commercially justifiable. The occurrence of a significant uninsured claim, a claim in excess of the insurance coverage limits maintained by the Company, or a claim at a time when it is not able to obtain liability insurance, could have a material adverse effect on us, our ability to conduct normal business operations and on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows in the future.
We may have uninsured or uninsurable risk.
We may be subject to liability for risks against which we cannot insure or against which we may elect not to insure due to the high cost of insurance premiums or other factors. The payment of any such liabilities would reduce the funds available for our normal business activities. Payment of liabilities for which the Company does not carry insurance may have a material adverse effect on our financial position and operations.
We may issue debt.
From time to time, the Company may enter into transactions to acquire assets or the shares of other organizations. These transactions may be financed in whole or in part with debt, which may increase our debt levels above industry standards for companies of similar size. Depending on future exploration and development plans, the Company may require additional equity and/or debt financing that may not be available or, if available, may not be available on favorable terms to us. Neither our articles nor our by-laws limit the amount of indebtedness that the Company may incur. As a result, the level of our indebtedness from time to time, could impair its ability to obtain additional financing on a timely basis to take advantage of business opportunities that may arise.
Certain remedies shareholders may seek against our officers and directors may be limited and such officers and directors may be entitled to indemnification by the Company.
Our governing documents provide that the liability of our Board and officers is eliminated to the fullest extent allowed under the laws of the State of Nevada. Thus, the Company and the shareholders of the Company may be prevented from recovering damages for alleged errors or omissions made by the members of the Board and its officers. Our governing documents also provide that the Company will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, indemnify members of the Board and its officers for certain liabilities incurred by them by virtue of their acts on behalf of the Company.
We are dependent on attracting new customers.
Our success depends on its ability to attract and retain customers. There are many factors which could impact our ability to attract and retain clients, including but not limited to our ability to continually produce desirable and effective products, the successful implementation of our client-acquisition plan and continued growth in the aggregate number of patients selecting medical marijuana as a treatment option. Our failure to acquire and retain patients as customers would have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
We are subject to interest rate risks.
Interest rate risk is the risk that future cash flows will fluctuate as a result of changes in market interest rates. Our debt and borrowings are all at fixed interest rates, therefore the interest rate risk is limited to potential changes on cash held with financial institutions. As interest on these balances is negligible, the Company considers interest rate risk to be immaterial.
We are subject to certain credit risks.
We are exposed to credit risk through our cash and cash equivalents. Credit risk arises from deposits with banks and outstanding receivables. We do not hold any collateral as security but mitigate this risk by dealing only with what management believes to be financially sound counterparties and, accordingly, do not anticipate significant loss for non-performance.
Risks related to the Offering
Our directors and officers control a large portion of the Common Shares.
The officers and directors of the Company currently own approximately 25.72% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Our shareholders nominate and elect the Board, which generally has the ability to control the acquisition or disposition of our assets, and the future issuance of our Common Shares or other securities. Accordingly, for any matters with respect to which a majority vote of the Common Shares may be required by law, our directors and officers may have the ability to control such matters. Because the directors and officers control a substantial portion of such Common Shares, investors may find it difficult or impossible to replace our directors if they disagree with the way our business is being operated.
SEC “Penny Stock” Regulations
Our securities may be “penny stocks”. The SEC has adopted Rule 15g-9 which generally defines “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price (as defined) less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. The Common Shares are covered by the penny stock rules, which impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell to persons other than established customers and “accredited investors”. The term “accredited investor” refers generally to institutions with assets in excess of $5,000,000 or individuals with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 jointly with their spouse. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document in a form prepared by the SEC which provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer's account. The bid and offer quotations, and the broker-dealer and salesperson compensation information, must be given to the customer orally or in writing prior to effecting the transaction and must be given to the customer in writing before or with the customer's confirmation. In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from these rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser's written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary market for the securities of the Company that are captured by the penny stock rules. Consequently, the penny stock rules may affect the ability of broker-dealers to trade our securities. Management believes that the penny stock rules could discourage investor interest in and limit the marketability of our Common Shares.
FINRA Sales Practice Requirements
The U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has adopted rules that require a broker-dealer to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending an investment to a customer. Prior to recommending speculative, low priced securities to non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Pursuant to the interpretation of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative, low priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, the FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend the Common Shares to customers which may limit an investor’s ability to buy and sell the Common Shares, have an adverse effect on the market for the Common Shares, and thereby negatively impact the price of the Common Shares.
Our Common Shares may be subject to dilution.
We may make future acquisitions or enter into financings or other transactions involving the issuance of securities of the Company which may be dilutive to the other shareholders and any new equity securities issued could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of Common Shares.
Our Common Shares are subject to liquidity risks.
In the United States, our Common Shares trade on the OTCQB. The OTCQB is an inter-dealer, over-the-counter market that provides significantly less liquidity than other national or regional exchanges. Securities traded on the OTCQB are usually thinly traded, highly volatile, have fewer market makers and are not followed by analysts. The SEC’s order handling rules, which apply to NASDAQ-listed securities, do not apply to securities quoted on the OTCQB. Quotes for stocks listed on the OTCQB are not listed in newspapers. Therefore, prices for securities traded solely on the OTCQB may be difficult to obtain and holders of our securities may be unable to resell their securities at or near their original acquisition price, or at any price.
We cannot predict at what prices the Common Shares of the Company will trade and there can be no assurance that an active trading market will develop or be sustained. Commencing in January 2019, our Common Shares began trading on the CSE. Because our Common Shares have traded for a very short period of time on the CSE, we have not developed any meaningful liquidity on this exchange and we cannot guaranty that we will do so in the future. There is a significant liquidity risk associated with an investment in the Company.
The shares of our common stock we may issue in the future and the options we may issue in the future may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and cause dilution to investors.
We may issue shares of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock pursuant to private offerings and we may issue options to purchase common stock to our executive officers pursuant to their employment agreements. The sale, or even the possibility of sale, of shares pursuant to a separate offering or to executive officers could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock or on our ability to obtain future financing.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws could discourage acquisition proposals, delay a change in control or prevent other transactions.
Provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws, as well as provisions of Nevada Corporation Law, may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of the Company or other transactions that you as a shareholder may consider favorable and may be in your best interest. The amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that: authorize the issuance of shares of “blank check” preferred stock that could be issued by our board of directors (“Board of Directors”) to increase the number of outstanding shares and discourage a takeover attempt; limit who may call special meetings of shareholders; and require advance notice for business to be conducted at shareholder meetings, among other anti-takeover provisions
Our directors have the authority to issue common and preferred shares without shareholder approval, and preferred shares can be issued with such rights, preferences, and limitations as may be determined by our board of directors. The rights of the holders of common stock will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of any holders of preferred stock that may be issued in the future. Although we authorized a series A preferred stock in 2017, we presently have no commitments or contracts to issue any shares of preferred stock. Authorized and unissued preferred stock could delay, discourage, hinder or preclude an unsolicited acquisition of our company, could make it less likely that shareholders receive a premium for their shares as a result of any such attempt, and could adversely affect the market prices of and the voting and other rights, of the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock.
We have not retained independent professionals for investors.
We have not retained any independent professionals to comment on or otherwise protect the interests of potential investors. Although we have retained our own counsel, neither such counsel nor any other independent professionals have made any examination of any factual matters herein, and potential investors should not rely on our counsel regarding any matters herein described.
We may sell additional equity securities in the future and your ownership interest in the Company may be diluted as a result of such sales.
We intend to sell additional equity securities in order to fully implement our business plan. Such sales will be made at prices determined by our board of directors based on the market value of the Company and could be made at prices less than the price of the shares of our common stock purchased by investors, in which case, such investors could experience dilution of their investment.
Our stock price may be volatile and you may not be able to sell your shares for more than what you paid.
Our stock price may be subject to significant volatility, and you may not be able to sell shares of common stock at or above the price you paid for them. The trading price of our common stock has been subject to fluctuations in the past and the market price of the common stock could continue to fluctuate in the future in response to various factors, including, but not limited to: quarterly variations in operating results; our ability to control costs and improve cash flow; announcements of innovations or new products by us or by our competitors; changes in investor perceptions; and new products or product enhancements by us or our competitors
USE OF PROCEEDS
This Prospectus relates to the sale or other disposition of the Offered Shares by the Selling Stockholders listed under “Selling Stockholders” section below, and their transferees. We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of the Offered Shares by the Selling Stockholders.
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
This Prospectus covers the offering of up to 71,563,336 Common Shares by Selling Stockholders. This includes the Unit Shares, Unit Warrant Shares, Broker Shares and Broker Warrant Shares.
Selling Stockholders are persons or entities that, directly or indirectly, have acquired Common Shares, or will acquire Common Shares from us from time to time upon exercise of certain Broker Warrants and Warrants. This Prospectus and any prospectus supplement will only permit the Selling Stockholders to sell the Common Shares identified in the column “Number of Shares Offered Hereby.”
The Selling Stockholders may from time to time offer and sell the Common Shares pursuant to this Prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. The Selling Stockholders may offer all or some portion of the Common Shares they hold or acquire, but only Common Shares that are currently outstanding or are acquired upon the exercise of certain Broker Warrants or Warrants, and in either case included in the “Number of Shares Offered Hereby” column, may be sold pursuant to this Prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement.
The Common Shares issued to the Selling Stockholders are or will be “restricted” shares under applicable federal and state securities laws and are being registered to give the Selling Stockholders the opportunity to sell their Common Shares. The registration of such Common Shares does not necessarily mean, however, that any of these shares will be offered or sold by the Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholders may from time to time offer and sell all or a portion of their shares in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, or otherwise, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at negotiated prices.
The registered Common Shares may be sold directly or through brokers or dealers, or in a distribution by one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or best efforts basis. To the extent required, the names of any agent or broker-dealer and applicable commissions or discounts and any other required information with respect to any particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement. See “Plan of Distribution.”
Each of the Selling Stockholders reserves the sole right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of the registered Common Shares to be made directly or through agents. To the extent that any of the Selling Stockholders are brokers or dealers, they may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and any commissions received by them and any profit on the resale of the registered shares may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. As of the date of this Prospectus, based on the representations received by the Company from the Selling Stockholders, none of the Selling Stockholders are brokers or dealers or affiliated with brokers or dealers, except for Canaccord Genuity Corp., and Graham Saunders, Daniel Davian and Laszlo Fur, who are affiliates of Canaccord Genuity Corp.
The following table sets forth the names of persons who are offering the resale of Common Shares by this Prospectus, the number of Common Shares beneficially owned by each person, the number of Common Shares that may be sold in this offering and the number of Common Shares each person will own after the offering, assuming they sell all of the Common Shares offered. The information appearing in the table below is based on information provided by or on behalf of the named Selling Stockholders. We will not receive any proceeds from the resale of the shares by the Selling Stockholders.
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
ANTHONY ORAM (2) |
660,000 | ** | 660,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JOSEPH QUARIN (3) |
550,000 | ** | 550,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
DANIEL DAVIAU (4) |
488,894 | ** | 488,894 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
RICHARD/DEBORAH CROWE (5) |
244,452 | ** | 244,452 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MATTHEW GAASENBEEK (6) |
363,000 | ** | 363,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MATTHEW GAASENBEEK II (7) |
363,000 | ** | 363,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
BLUE SKY REALTY CORP (8) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MARK/DEVORAH ROTHSCHILD (9) |
490,600 | ** | 490,600 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
HANIF SACHEDINA (10) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JEFFREY/ANDREA MARSHALL (11) |
242,000 | ** | 242,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
GREG WOYNARSKI (12) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ASHLEY LEONE (13) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JOHN G SUTTON (14) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
PETER/TAMMY BECK (15) |
220,000 | ** | 220,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
FRANCIS EGAN (16) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
LASZLO FUR (17) |
367,888 | ** | 367,888 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
BIRDIE GORE (18) |
487,666 | ** | 487,666 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
PATRICK BURKE (19) |
220,000 | ** | 220,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MERICA LI (20) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
CEDAR POINT CAPITAL (21 |
935,000 | ** | 935,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
EQUEDIA NETWORK CORP (22 |
363,000 | ** | 363,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
FABRIZIO/DEBBIE CARELLA (23) |
330,000 | ** | 330,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
BREAK POINT VENTURES (24 |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MIKE LABANOVICH HOLD (25) |
122,222 | ** | 122,222 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
QUINN CAPITAL CORP (26) |
122,222 | ** | 122,222 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
CAMERON/KAT GORE (27) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
GRAHAM SAUNDERS (28) |
2,246,875 | 1.77 |
% |
2,200,000 | 46,875 | ** | ||||||||||||||
GURDASS (GARY) SINGH (29) |
550,000 | ** | 550,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
AJIT GREWAL (30) |
625,000 | ** | 550,000 | 75,000 | ** | |||||||||||||||
PETER SLATER (31) |
244,444 | ** | 244,444 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MARGARET BARRON (32) |
291,319 | ** | 244,444 | 46,875 | ** | |||||||||||||||
682501 ALBERTA LTD (33) |
1,600,625 | 1.26 |
% |
1,100,000 | 500,625 | ** | ||||||||||||||
STEVE GROVES (34) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ARLEEN AGATE (35) |
132,000 | ** | 132,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
PAUL WOODHOUSE (36) |
132,000 | ** | 132,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ELIZABETH MACDONALD (37) |
222,875 | ** | 176,000 | 46,875 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JOHN ELLIOTT (38) |
222,875 | ** | 176,000 | 46,875 | ** | |||||||||||||||
SUSAN BROOKES (39) |
211,875 | ** | 165,000 | 46,875 | ** | |||||||||||||||
BRIGHTHOUSE CAPITAL (40) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
MICHAEL CRONDAHL (41) |
167,875 | ** | 121,000 | 46,875 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ELMER HAAN (42) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
GLEN STEWART (43) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
G &/OR D PETERSON (44) |
132,000 | ** | 132,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ALEXANDER LOO (45) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
CHARLES BUEHLER (46) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
DEBORAH CHAMITOFF (47) |
165,000 | ** | 165,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
BRENT TODD (48) |
368,750 | ** | 275,000 | 93,750 | ** | |||||||||||||||
VINCE DEROSA (49) |
484,000 | ** | 484,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
TIM ALAVATHIL (50) |
55,000 | ** | 55,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
STEVE ARSHINOFF (51) |
110,000 | ** | 110,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
D &/OR C FLEET (52) |
55,000 | ** | 55,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JAGJIWAN JOHAL (53) |
24,200 | ** | 24,200 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
DEXTER JOHN (54) |
27,500 | ** | 27,500 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
TARIQ MALIK (55) |
97,900 | ** | 97,900 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JOHNNY MARKOVINA (56) |
167,875 | ** | 121,000 | 46,875 | ** | |||||||||||||||
GURMEET (GARY) BERAR (57) |
550,000 | ** | 550,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
M ITF RACHEL BERNHOLTZ (58) |
887,000 | ** | 737,000 | 150,000 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ANINDA BHUNIA (59) |
132,000 | ** | 132,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
SHELDON INWENTASH (60) |
1,232,000 | ** | 1,232,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
HOWARD KERBEL (61) |
253,000 | ** | 253,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
RICHARD KRANGLE (62) |
284,875 | ** | 253,000 | 31,875 | ** | |||||||||||||||
PAUL PELLEGRINI (63) |
810,100 | ** | 622,600 | 187,500 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JANUSZ PIWOWAR (64) |
272,125 | ** | 154,000 | 118,125 | ** | |||||||||||||||
THREED CAPITAL INC. (65) |
1,232,000 | ** | 1,232,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
HARBIR TOOR (66) |
712,800 | ** | 712,800 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JING WANG (67) |
220,000 | ** | 220,000 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
ACME TELE POWER (68) |
1,100,000 | ** | 1,100,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
PEDRO QUINZANOS CANCINO (69) |
484,000 | ** | 484,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ITD FINANCIAL INC. (70) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ADAM SZWERAS (71) |
584,350 | ** | 490,600 | 93,750 | ** | |||||||||||||||
DIANA LEE (72) |
1,100,000 | ** | 1,100,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JENCORP INC. (73) |
606,125 | ** | 473,000 | 133,125 | ** | |||||||||||||||
GLADYS CHAN (74) |
220,000 | ** | 220,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
GORDON HOLMES (75) |
220,000 | ** | 220,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
727 CAPITAL (76) |
176,000 | ** | 176,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
KOI COMMUNICATIONS CORP (77) |
220,000 | ** | 220,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ALKIN CORPORATION (78) |
244,200 | ** | 244,200 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
CRAIG WARREN (79) |
342,222 | ** | 342,222 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
BRAD WHITE (80) |
733,480 | ** | 733,480 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MACLACHLAN INVESTMENTS (81) |
1,100,000 | ** | 1,100,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MICHELLE A MONDVILLE (82) |
631,386 | ** | 488,886 | 142,500 | ** | |||||||||||||||
JENCORP INC. (83) |
641,862 | ** | 641,862 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ROBBIE SALTSMAN (84) |
18,136 | ** | 18,136 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
SEAN DOLLINGER (85) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
DAVID DURNO (86) |
121,000 | ** | 121,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
KAWARTHA ASSET MANAGEMENT INC. (87) |
7,333,326 | 5.66 | % | 7,333,326 | 0 | ** | ||||||||||||||
PARKWOOD LIMITED PARTNERSHIP FUND (88) |
1,100,000 | ** | 1,100,000 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
ROUNDTABLE CAPITAL PARTNERS INC. (89) |
1,466,740 | 1.16 |
% |
1,466,740 | 0 | ** | ||||||||||||||
SAMARA FUND (90) |
1,100,000 | ** | 1,100,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
TRIBECA GLOBAL NATURAL RESOURCES FUND (91) |
19,152,778 | 13.67 |
% |
9,777,778 | 9,375,000 | 7.45 | % | |||||||||||||
ROBERT MANHERZ (92) |
244,200 | ** | 244,200 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ROBERT NEMY (93) |
330,000 | ** | 330,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
AARUN KUMAR (94) |
293,332 | ** | 293,332 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
KAMALDEEP THINDAL (95) |
440,000 | ** | 440,000 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
ASHWIN SRINIVASAN (96) |
470,573 | ** | 329,948 | 140,625 | ** | |||||||||||||||
S. JOSHUA MACKTAZ (97) |
161,232 | ** | 161,232 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
MICHAEL GORDON (98) |
646,604 | ** | 646,604 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
BRENDAN T. O’NEIL (99) |
1,320,000 | 1.04 |
% |
1,320,000 | 0 | ** | ||||||||||||||
FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND LLC (100) |
484,952 | ** | 484,952 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
HEIDI WERTHER (101) |
161,648 | ** | 161,648 | 0 | ** |
Name |
Number of Common |
Beneficial Ownership Before This Offering (%)(1) |
Number of Common |
Number of |
Beneficial |
|||||||||||||||
ATUL SABHARWAL (102) |
452,310 | ** | 171,060 | 281,250 | ** | |||||||||||||||
CANACCORD GENUITY CORP. (103) |
11,717,506 | 8.65 |
% |
7,822,726 | 3,894,780 | 2.87 |
% |
|||||||||||||
JEFFERY BINDER (104) |
8,962,415 | 7.11 |
% |
488,888 | 8,473,527 | 6.73 |
% |
|||||||||||||
ROSS SILVER(105) |
368,660 | ** | 368,660 | 0 | ** | |||||||||||||||
FRANK KORETSKY (106) |
20,115,933 | 15.84 |
% |
2,397,136 | 17,718,797 | 14.08 |
% |
|||||||||||||
DOUGLAS GORE (107) |
2,444,444 | 1.92 |
% |
2,444,444 | 0 | ** | ||||||||||||||
BRUCE DE JONG (108) |
2,444,444 | 1.92 |
% |
2,444,444 | 0 | ** | ||||||||||||||
TOTAL |
113,301,690 | 71,563,336 | 41,738,354 | -- |
|
**Less than 1% |
(1) |
This table is based upon information supplied by the Selling Stockholders. While the Company believes the information is accurate as of January 4, 2019 , changes in beneficial ownership may have occurred that were not reported to the Company and therefore some of the information may not be accurate as of the date hereof. For instance, some Selling Stockholders may have sold some of the offered shares prior to the date of this Prospectus pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the SEC Act. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Beneficial ownership includes the Unit Warrant Shares and Broker Warrant Shares acquirable upon the exercise of the Warrants. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the Selling Stockholders named in the table above have sole voting and investment power with respect to all Common Shares that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community property laws. Applicable percentages are based on 125,814,095 Common Shares outstanding on January 30, 2019, adjusted as required by rules promulgated by the SEC. |
(2) |
Beneficial ownership includes 330,000 Unit Shares and 330,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(3) |
Beneficial ownership includes 275,000 Unit Shares and 275,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(4) |
Beneficial ownership includes 244,447 Unit Shares and 244,447 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(5) |
Beneficial ownership includes 122,226 Unit Shares and 122,226 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(6) |
Beneficial ownership includes 181,500 Unit Shares and 181,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(7) |
Beneficial ownership includes 181,500 Unit Shares and 181,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(8) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(9) |
Beneficial ownership includes 245,300 Unit Shares and 245,300 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(10) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(11) |
Beneficial ownership includes 121,000 Unit Shares and 121,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(12) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(13) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(14) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(15) |
Beneficial ownership includes 110,000 Unit Shares and 110,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(16) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(17) |
Beneficial ownership includes 183,944 Unit Shares and 183,944 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(18) |
Beneficial ownership includes 243,833 Unit Shares and 243,833 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(19) |
Beneficial ownership includes 110,000 Unit Shares and 110,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(20) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(21) |
Beneficial ownership includes 467,500 Unit Shares and 467,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(22) |
Beneficial ownership includes 181,500 Unit Shares and 181,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(23) |
Beneficial ownership includes 165,000 Unit Shares and 165,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(24) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(25) |
Beneficial ownership includes 61,111 Unit Shares and 61,111 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(26) |
Beneficial ownership includes 61,111 Unit Shares and 61,111 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(27) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(28) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 1,100,000 Unit Shares and 1,100,000 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 31,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 15,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(29) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 275,000 Unit Shares and 275,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(30) |
Beneficial ownership includes 275,000 Unit Shares and 275,000 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 50,000 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 25,000 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(31) |
Beneficial ownership includes 122,222 Unit Shares and 122,222 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(32) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 122,222 Unit Shares and 122,222 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 31,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 15,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(33) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 550,000 Unit Shares and 550,000 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 333,750 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 166,875 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(34) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(35) |
Beneficial ownership includes 66,000 Unit Shares and 66,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(36) |
Beneficial ownership includes 66,000 Unit Shares and 66,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(37) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 88,000 Unit Shares and 88,000 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 31,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 15,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(38) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 88,000 Unit Shares and 88,000 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 31,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 15,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(39) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 82,500 Unit Shares and 82,500 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 31,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 15,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(40) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(41) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 31,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 15,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(42) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(43) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(44) |
Beneficial ownership includes 66,000 Unit Shares and 66,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(45) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(46) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(47) |
Beneficial ownership includes 82,500 Unit Shares and 82,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(48) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 137,500 Unit Shares and 137,500 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 62,500 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 31,250 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(49) |
Beneficial ownership includes 242,000 Unit Shares and 242,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(50) |
Beneficial ownership includes 27,500 Unit Shares and 27,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(51) |
Beneficial ownership includes 55,000 Unit Shares and 55,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(52) |
Beneficial ownership includes 27,500 Unit Shares and 27,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(53) |
Beneficial ownership includes 12,100 Unit Shares and 12,100 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(54) |
Beneficial ownership includes 13,750 Unit Shares and 13,750 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(55) |
Beneficial ownership includes 48,950 Unit Shares and 48,950 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(56) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 60,500 Unit Shares 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 31,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 15,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(57) |
Beneficial ownership includes 275,000 Unit Shares and 275,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(58) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 368,500 Unit Shares and 368,500 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 100,000 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 50,000 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(59) |
Beneficial ownership includes 66,000 Unit Shares and 66,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(60) |
Beneficial ownership includes 616,000 Unit Shares and 616,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(61) |
Beneficial ownership includes 126,500 Unit Shares and 126,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(62) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 126,500 Unit Shares and 126,500 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 21,250 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 10,625 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(63) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 311,300 Unit Shares and 311,300 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 125,000 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 62,500 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(64) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 77,000 Unit Shares and 77,000 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 78,750 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 39,375 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(65) |
Beneficial ownership includes 616,000 Unit Shares and 616,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(66) |
Beneficial ownership includes 356,400 Unit Shares and 356,400 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(67) |
Beneficial ownership includes 110,000 Unit Shares and 110,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(68) |
Beneficial ownership includes 550,000 Unit Shares and 550,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(69) |
Beneficial ownership includes 242,000 Unit Shares and 242,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(70) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(71) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 245,300 Unit Shares and 245,300 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 62,500 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 31,250 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(72) |
Beneficial ownership includes 550,000 Unit Shares and 550,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(73) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 236,500 Unit Shares and 236,500 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 88,750 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 44,375 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(74) |
Beneficial ownership includes 110,000 Unit Shares and 110,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(75) |
Beneficial ownership includes 110,000 Unit Shares and 110,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(76) |
Beneficial ownership includes 88,000 Unit Shares and 88,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(77) |
Beneficial ownership includes 110,000 Unit Shares and 110,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(78) |
Beneficial ownership includes 122,100 Unit Shares and 122,100 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(79) |
Beneficial ownership includes 171,111 Unit Shares and 171,111 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(80) |
Beneficial ownership includes 366,740 Unit Shares and 366,740 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(81) |
Beneficial ownership includes 550,000 Unit Shares and 550,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(82) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 244,443 Unit Shares and 244,443 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 95,000 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 47,500 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(83) |
Beneficial ownership includes 320,931 Unit Shares and 320,931 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(84) |
Beneficial ownership includes 9,068 Unit Shares and 9,068 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(85) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(86) |
Beneficial ownership includes 60,500 Unit Shares and 60,500 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(87) |
Beneficial ownership includes 3,666,663 Unit Shares and 3,666,663 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(88) |
Beneficial ownership includes 550,000 Unit Shares and 550,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(89) |
Beneficial ownership includes 733,370 Unit Shares and 733,370 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(90) |
Beneficial ownership includes 550,000 Unit Shares and 550,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(91) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 4,888,889 Unit Shares and 4,888,889 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 6,250,000 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 3,125,000 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(92) |
Beneficial ownership includes 122,100 Unit Shares and 122,100 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(93) |
Beneficial ownership includes 165,000 Unit Shares and 165,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(94) |
Beneficial ownership includes 146,666 Unit Shares and 146,666 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(95) |
Beneficial ownership includes 220,000 Unit Shares and 220,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(96) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 164,974 Unit Shares and 164,974 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 93,750 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 46,875 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the U.S. Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the U.S. Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(97) |
Beneficial ownership includes 80,616 Unit Shares and 80,616 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(98) |
Beneficial ownership includes 323,302 Unit Shares and 323,302 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(99) |
Beneficial ownership includes 660,000 Unit Shares and 660,000 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(100) |
Beneficial ownership includes 242,476 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(101) |
Beneficial ownership includes 80,824 Unit Shares and 80,824 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(102) |
Beneficial ownership includes (i) 85,530 Unit Shares and 85,530 Unit Warrant Shares; and (ii) 187,500 shares acquirable upon conversion of convertible debentures and 93,750 shares acquirable upon exercise of warrants underlying the convertible debentures in connection with the U.S. Convertible Debenture Offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the U.S. Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(103) |
Canaccord Genuity Corp. is an affiliate of Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management (USA) Inc., Canaccord Capital Corporation USA, Inc., and Canaccord Financial (USA) Inc. which are registered broker-dealers with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and Canaccord is an underwriter within the meaning of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in relation to the distribution of the shares held by Canaccord Genuity Corp. Beneficial ownership includes: (i) the following securities issued in connection with the Special Warrant Offering: 1,593,516 Unit Shares, 1,593,516 Unit Warrant Shares, 2,317,842 Broker Shares and 2,317,842 Broker Warrant Shares; (ii) five Unit Shares and five Unit Warrant Shares issued to Canaccord, in its capacity as the record holder for other beneficial owners listed herein, due to the rounding down of the Penalty Units, which shares will be distributed among such beneficial owners; (iii) the following securities issued as compensation to Canaccord as agent in connection with the closing of the first tranche of the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering: (a) 447,800 Common Shares and warrants to purchase 223,900 Common Shares for $1.10 per share and (b) a broker warrant exercisable for $0.80 per unit to purchase 1,074,720 Common Shares and warrants to purchase 537,360 Common Shares for $1.10 per share, where each unit consists of one Common Share and a warrant to purchase one half of one Common Share for $1.10 per whole Common Share; and (iv) 1,074,000 Common Shares and warrants to purchase 537,000 Common Shares for $1.10 per whole Common Share underlying debentures purchased by Canaccord under the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. The securities described in clauses (iii) and (iv) are not being offered for sale pursuant to this Prospectus and will be held by Canaccord following this offering. Beneficial ownership does not include any shares the holder may receive upon the conversion of interest that has accrued or that will accrue in the future with respect to convertible debentures acquired in connection with the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering. |
(104) |
Includes (i) 8,473,527 shares of our common stock directly held by Mr. Binder; and (ii) 244,444 Unit Shares and 244,444 Unit Warrant Shares. Mr. Binder is the Chairman and CEO of the Company. |
(105) |
Beneficial ownership includes 184,330 Unit Shares and 184,330 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(106) |
Includes (i) 12,276,253 shares of our common stock directly held by Mr. Koretsky; (ii) 1,198,568 Unit Shares and 1,198,568 Unit Warrant Shares; and (iii) 5,442,544 shares of our common stock held of record by Newcan Investment Partners LLC (“Newcan”). Mr. Koretsky is the beneficial owner and has voting and investment power over the securities held by Newcan. Mr. Koretsky is a director of the Company. |
(107) |
Beneficial ownership includes 1,222,222 Unit Shares and 1,222,222 Unit Warrant Shares. |
(108) |
Beneficial ownership includes 1,222,222 Unit Shares and 1,222,222 Unit Warrant Shares. |
Transactions with Selling Stockholders
On June 20, 2018, the Company closed the Offering of Special Warrants for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD$13,037,859. The Agent acted as the sole agent and sole bookrunner in connection with the Special Warrant Offering.
Pursuant to the Special Warrant Offering, the Company issued 28,973,014 Special Warrants, at a price of CAD$0.45 per Special Warrant. Each Special Warrant was automatically exercisable, for no additional consideration, into Units on the earlier of: (i) the date that was five business days following the date on which the Company obtained a Receipt from the Securities Commissions for a (final) prospectus qualifying the distribution of the Units issuable upon exercise of the Special Warrants, and (ii) November 30, 2018.
Each Unit consisted of one Unit Share and one Unit Warrant. Each Unit Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Unit Warrant Share at a price of CAD$0.65 for a period of 36 months from the Listing Date, subject to adjustment in certain events.
Pursuant to the terms of the Special Warrant Offering, the Company agreed to use its best efforts to obtain a Receipt from the Securities Commissions for the Prospectus before August 20, 2018. Because the Company did not received a Receipt from the Securities Commissions for the Prospectus before August 20, 2018, each unexercised Special Warrant was thereafter entitled the holder to receive, upon the exercise thereof, for no additional consideration, 1.1 Units (instead of one (1) Unit) (the additional 0.1 Units are collectively referred to herein as the “Penalty Units”); provided, however, that any fractional entitlement to Penalty Units was rounded down to the nearest whole Penalty Unit. On August 20, 2018, the number of Units acquirable upon deemed exercise of the Special Warrants was automatically adjusted from one Unit per Special Warrant to 1.1 Units per Special Warrant due to the Company not having obtained that required receipt from the applicable securities commissions to qualify the distribution of the Units by that date. All Special Warrants were automatically exercised on November 30, 2018.
In connection with the Special Warrant Offering, the Company paid to the Agent a cash commission equal to C$1,043,028 (USD$799,053), a corporate finance fee equal to 1,448,651 Special Warrants, and 2,317,842 Broker Warrants. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Broker Share and one Warrant, subject to adjustment for certain circumstances, at a price of CDN$0.45 for a period of 36 months from the Listing Date.
The Special Warrants, Broker Warrants, Units and underlying Unit Shares and Warrants are restricted securities. The sale of the units in Canada was exempt from registration under the Securities Act because the Special Warrants were sold in a private offering in accordance with the requirements of Category 3 of Rule 903 of Regulations S under the Securities Act. The sale of the Special Warrants in the United States was exempt from registration under the Securities Act because the Special Warrants were sold in a private offering to verified accredited investors pursuant to Rule 506(c) under the Securities Act.
In addition to the foregoing, Mr. Binder, our Chairman and CEO, and Mr. Koretsky, one of our directors, both of whom are Selling Stockholders, are parties to agreements with us as described in “Executive Compensation-Employment Agreements” and “Related Party Transactions and Director Independence.”
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have not declared dividends on our Common Shares for each of the three most recently completed financial years nor in its current financial year. We do not have any restrictions that could prevent it from paying dividends. We do not intend to pay dividends on our Common Shares in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend on the financial condition, business environment, operating results, capital requirements, any contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and any other factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We are registering the Offered Shares to permit the resale of those Offered Shares from time to time after the date of this Prospectus at the discretion of the holders of such Offered Shares. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the Selling Stockholders of the Offered Shares.
The Selling Stockholders may, at their discretion, sell all, none, or a portion of the Offered Shares beneficially owned by them and offered hereby from time to time directly or through one or more underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents. If the Offered Shares are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, the Selling Stockholders will be responsible for underwriting discounts or commissions or agent's commissions. The Offered Shares may be sold in one or more transactions at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions that may involve block transactions,
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on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale; |
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in the over-the-counter market; |
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• |
in transactions otherwise than on these exchanges or systems or in the over-the-counter market; |
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• |
through the writing of options, whether such options are listed on an options exchange or otherwise; |
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• |
ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
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• |
block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the Offered Shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
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• |
purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
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• |
an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
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• |
privately negotiated transactions; |
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• |
short sales; |
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• |
sales pursuant to Rule 144; |
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broker-dealers may agree with the Selling Stockholders to sell a specified number of such Offered Shares at a stipulated price per share; |
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• |
a combination of any such methods of sale; and |
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any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
If the Selling Stockholders effect such transactions by selling Offered Shares to or through underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents may receive commissions in the form of discounts, concessions, or commissions from the Selling Stockholders or commissions from purchasers of the Offered Shares for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal (which discounts, concessions, or commissions as to particular underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents may be in excess of those customary in the types of transactions involved). In connection with sales of the Offered Shares or otherwise, the Selling Stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers, which may in turn engage in short sales of the Offered Shares in the course of hedging in positions they assume. The Selling Stockholders may also sell Offered Shares short and deliver Offered Shares covered by this prospectus to close out short positions and to return borrowed Offered Shares in connection with such short sales. The Selling Stockholders may also loan or pledge Offered Shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such Offered Shares.
The Selling Stockholders and any broker-dealer participating in the distribution of the Offered Shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any commission paid, or any discounts or concessions allowed to, any such broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The Agent is an affiliate of registered broker-dealers and is an underwriter in relation to the offer and sell of its securities under this Prospectus At the time a particular offering of the Offered Shares is made, a prospectus supplement, if required, will be distributed that will set forth the aggregate amount of Offered Shares being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any broker-dealers or agents, any discounts, commissions, and other terms constituting compensation from the Selling Stockholders and any discounts, commissions, or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to broker-dealers.
Under the securities laws of some states, the Offered Shares may be sold in such states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the Offered Shares may not be sold unless such Offered Shares have been registered or qualified for sale in such state, or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.
There can be no assurance that any Selling Stockholder will sell any or all of the Offered Shares registered pursuant to the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.
The Selling Stockholders and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the Offered Shares by the Selling Stockholders and any other participating person. Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the Offered Shares to engage in market-making activities with respect to the Offered Shares. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the Offered Shares and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the Offered Shares.
We will pay all expenses of the registration of the Offered Shares, estimated to be approximately $183,374.60 in total, including, without limitation, Securities and Exchange Commission filing fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or “blue sky” laws; provided, however, that a Selling Stockholder will pay all underwriting discounts and selling commissions, if any. We will indemnify the Selling Stockholders against liabilities, including some liabilities under the Securities Act, in accordance with applicable registration rights agreements, if any, or the Selling Stockholders will be entitled to contribution. We may be indemnified by the Selling Stockholders against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, that may arise from any written information furnished to us by the Selling Stockholder specifically for use in this prospectus, in accordance with the related registration rights agreement, or we may be entitled to contribution.
Once sold under the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, the Offered Shares will be freely tradable in the hands of persons other than our affiliates.
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED
Authorized Share Capital
The authorized capital of the Company consists of 250,000,000 Common Shares and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock issuable in series, which may contain the rights, privileges and restrictions as determined by the Board. As at January 30, 2019, there were a total of 125,814,095 Common Shares issued and no preferred shares issued and outstanding.
Special Warrants
The Special Warrants were issued pursuant to and were governed by the Special Warrant Indenture. The Company agreed with the Agent to use its commercially reasonable best efforts to obtain the Receipt by August 20, 2018, or as soon as possible thereafter. Because the Company did not receive a Receipt from the Securities Commissions for the Prospectus before August 20, 2018, each unexercised Special Warrant thereafter entitled the holder to receive, upon the exercise thereof, for no additional consideration, 1.1 Units (instead of one (1) Unit).
Each Special Warrant was automatically exercised for 1.1 Units on behalf of, and without any further action or payment required on the part of, the holder thereof at 5:00 (Toronto time) on November 30, 2018 (the “Deemed Exercise Time”).
Common Shares
Holders of Common Shares are entitled to receive notice of any meetings of shareholders of the Company and to attend and to cast one vote per Common Share at all such meetings. Holders of Common Shares do not have cumulative voting rights with respect to the election of directors and, accordingly, holders of a majority of the Common Shares entitled to vote in any election of directors may elect all directors standing for election. Holders of Common Shares are entitled to receive on a pro rata basis such dividends, if any, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of the Company at its discretion from funds legally available therefor and upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company are entitled to receive on a pro rata basis the net assets of the Company after payment of debts and other liabilities, in each case subject to the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to any other series or class of shares ranking senior in priority to or on a pro rata basis with the holders of Common Shares with respect to dividends or liquidation. The Common Shares do not carry any pre-emptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights, nor do they contain any sinking or purchase fund provisions. The common stock is not convertible or redeemable and has no preemptive, subscription or conversion rights. There are no conversions, redemption, sinking fund or similar provisions regarding the Common Shares.
Warrants
The Unit Warrants were issued upon exercise of the Special Warrants, and the Warrants to be issued upon exercise of the Broker Warrants will be issued, pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Indenture. The following summary of certain provisions of the Warrant Indenture does not purport to be complete and is subject in its entirety to the detailed provisions of the Warrant Indenture, a copy of which is available on the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov or may be obtained on request without charge from the Company at 11767 South Dixie Highway, Suite 115, Miami, Florida, 33156. A register of holders of Warrants will be maintained at the principal offices of the Warrant Agent in Calgary, Alberta.
Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Unit Warrant Share or one Broker Warrant Share, as applicable, at a price of CAD$0.65 per Warrant Share, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances, by no later than 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the date that is 36 months from the Listing Date, after which time the Warrants will expire and become null and void.
The Warrant Indenture provides for adjustment in the number of Unit Warrant Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants and/or the exercise price per Common Share upon the occurrence of certain events, including: (i) the subdivision, re-division or change of the outstanding Common Shares into a greater number of Common Shares; (ii) the reduction, combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Shares into a lesser number of Common Shares; (iii) the issuance of Common Shares or securities exchangeable for or convertible into Common Shares to all or substantially all of the holders of the Common Shares as a stock dividend or other distribution (other than upon exercise of Warrants); (iv) the fixing of a record date for the distribution to all or substantially all of the holders of the outstanding Common Shares of rights, options or warrants under which such holders are entitled, for a period expiring not more than 45 days after such record date, to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares, or securities exchangeable for or convertible into Common Shares, at a price per share to the holder (or at an exchange or conversion price per share) of less than 95% of the Current Market Price (as such term is defined in the Warrant Indenture), for the Common Shares on such record date; and (v) the fixing of a record date for the issuance or distribution to all or substantially all of the holders of the Common Shares of: (a) securities of any class, whether of the Company or any other trust (other than Common Shares), (b) rights, options or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares (or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares), (c) evidences of its indebtedness, or (iv) any property or other assets.
The Warrant Indenture also provides for adjustments in the class and/or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and/or exercise price per security in the event of the following additional events: (i) reclassifications of the Common Shares or a capital reorganization other than as described above; (ii) consolidations, amalgamations, arrangements, or mergers of the Company with or into another entity; or (iii) the sale or conveyance of the property or assets of the Company as an entirety or substantially as on entirety to any other entity.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no adjustment shall be made to the Warrants if the issue of Common Shares is being made pursuant to the Warrant Indenture or in connection with: (i) any share incentive plan or restricted share plan or share purchase plan in force from time to time for directors, officers, employees, consultants or other service providers of the Company; or (ii) the satisfaction of existing instruments issued at the Closing Date.
The Company has agreed that, so long as any Warrant remains outstanding, it will give notice to the Warrant Agent and to the holders of Warrants of its intention to fix a record date that is prior to the expiry date of the Warrants for any matter for which an adjustment may be required pursuant to the Warrant Indenture. Such notice is to specify the particulars of such event and the record date for such event, provided that the Company shall only be required to specify in the notice such particulars of the event as shall have been fixed and determined on the date on which the notice is given. The Company will use its reasonable commercial efforts to give notice not less than 14 days prior to such applicable record date. If notice has been given and the adjustment is not then determinable, the Company shall promptly, after the adjustment is determinable, file with the Warrant Agent a computation of the adjustment and give notice to the holders of Warrants of such adjustment computation.
No fractional Unit Warrant Shares will be issuable upon the exercise of any Warrants, and no cash or other consideration will be paid in lieu of fractional shares. Holders of Warrants will not have any voting or pre-emptive rights or any other rights that a holder of Common Shares would have.
From time to time, the Company and the Warrant Agent may amend or supplement the Warrant Indenture for certain purposes, including curing defects or inconsistencies or making any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of Warrants. Any amendment or supplement to the Warrant Indenture that adversely affects the interests of the holders of the Warrants may only be made by “extraordinary resolution”, which is defined in the Warrant Indenture as a resolution proposed at a meeting of holders of Warrants duly convened for that purpose and held in accordance with the provisions of the Warrant Indenture at which there are present in person or by proxy holders of Warrants holding at least 10% of the aggregate number of all then outstanding Warrants and passed by the affirmative votes of holders of Warrants holding not less than 66 2/3% of the aggregate number of all then outstanding Warrants represented at the meeting and voted on the poll upon such resolution. A quorum for such meeting shall consist of holders of Warrants present in person or by proxy and holding at least 10% of the aggregate number of all the then outstanding Warrants.
Contractual Right of Rescission
The Company granted each holder of a Special Warrant a contractual right of rescission of the Special Warrant Offering prospectus-exempt transaction under which the Special Warrant was initially acquired. The contractual right of rescission provides that if a holder of a Special Warrant who acquires another security of the Company on exercise of the Special Warrant as provided for in the Prospectus is, or becomes, entitled under the securities legislation of a jurisdiction to the remedy of rescission because of the Prospectus or an amendment to the Prospectus containing a misrepresentation, (a) the holder is entitled to rescission of both the holder’s exercise of its Special Warrant and the Special Warrant Offering; (b) the holder is entitled in connection with the rescission to a full refund of all consideration paid to the underwriter or issuer, as the case may be, on the acquisition of the Special Warrant; and (c) if the holder is a permitted assignee of the interest of the original Special Warrant subscriber, the holder is entitled to exercise the rights of rescission and refund as if the holder was the original subscriber.
Registration Rights
The Selling Stockholders are entitled to certain rights with respect to the registration of the Unit Shares and Unit Warrant Shares issued in connection with the Special Warrant Offering (the “Registrable Securities”).
We are obligated to file a registration statement, of which this Prospectus is a part, with respect to the Registrable Securities. Upon becoming effective, such registration statement shall remain effective at all times until the earlier of the date (i) all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to such registration statement or Rule 144, if available, or (ii) three years from the effective date of the registration statement. We must also take such action as is necessary to register and/or qualify the Registrable Securities under such other securities or blue sky laws of all applicable jurisdictions in the United States.
We will pay all reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the registrations described above. However, we will not be responsible for any broker or similar concessions or any legal fees or other costs of the Selling Stockholders.
We have also granted registration rights to each of Ionic Ventures, LLC, Navy Capital and associated investors, YA II, Darling, Efrat, WestPark Capital and associated investors, Jeffrey Binder, Frank Koretsky, Newcan, David Lamadrid, Raymond Keller and the investors under the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering with respect to the Common Shares held or acquirable by such persons. These registration rights cover an aggregate of 85,580,416 shares of common stock. We also granted “piggyback” registration rights containing such terms as we reasonably determined to Jeffrey Binder, Raymond Keller, Frank Koretsky and Newcan, all of whom have waived their registration rights with respect to this Prospectus, except with respect to such shares issuable upon conversion of the Special Warrants.
Dividends
Dividends, if any, will be contingent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements, and financial conditions. The payment of dividends, if any, will be within the discretion of our Board. We intend to retain earnings, if any, for use in our business operations and accordingly, our Board does not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future.
OUR BUSINESS
Background
We were originally incorporated as Adelt Design, Inc. on March 31, 2011 to manufacture and market carpet binding art. Production and marketing of carpet binding art never commenced. After CLS Labs, Inc. (“CLS Labs”) acquired 55.6% of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, Jeffrey Binder, the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of CLS Labs, was appointed Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Subsequently, the Company adopted amended and restated articles of incorporation, thereby changing its name to CLS Holdings USA, Inc.
The Merger
On April 29, 2015, the Company entered into a merger agreement with CLS Labs and a newly-formed, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger Sub”) and effected the Merger (the “Merger”). Upon the consummation of the Merger, the separate existence of the Merger Sub ceased and CLS Labs, the surviving corporation in the Merger, became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, with the Company acquiring the stock of CLS Labs, abandoning its previous business, and adopting the existing business plan and operations of CLS Labs. CLS Labs is a company that plans to generate revenues through licensing, fee-for-service and joint venture arrangements related to its patented proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into saleable concentrates.
Historical Operations
Since 2014, one of the founders of CLS Labs has been developing a proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into concentrates such as oils, waxes, edibles and shatter. These concentrates may be ingested in a number of ways, including through vaporization via e-cigarettes, and used for a variety of pharmaceutical and other purposes. Internal testing of the cannabinoids extracted through our patent-pending proprietary process versus the cannabinoids resulting from the processes commonly used in the industry, the results of which were reviewed and confirmed by an independent laboratory, has revealed that our process produces a cleaner, higher quality product and a significantly higher yield than the cannabinoid extraction processes currently existing in the marketplace.
As CLS Labs was unable to obtain a license in Colorado to operate a cannabis processing facility due to residency requirements, on April 17, 2015, CLS Labs took its first step toward commercializing its then patent pending proprietary methods and processes by entering into an arrangement, as described in the section entitled “The Colorado Arrangement” below (the “Colorado Arrangement”. During 2017, we suspended our plans to proceed with the Colorado Arrangement due to regulatory delays and have not yet determined when we will pursue it again.
On April 24, 2018, we were issued a U.S. patent with respect to our proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into concentrates such as oils, waxes, edibles and shatter. These concentrates may be ingested in a number of ways, including through vaporization via electronic cigarettes, and used for a variety of pharmaceutical and other purposes. Internal testing of this extraction method and conversion process has revealed that it produces a cleaner, higher quality product and a significantly higher yield than the cannabinoid extraction processes currently existing in the marketplace. We have not commercialized our proprietary process. We plan to generate revenues through licensing, fee-for-service and joint venture arrangements related to our proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into saleable concentrates.
We intend to monetize this extraction method and generate revenues through (i) the licensing of our proprietary methods and processes to others, as in the Colorado Arrangement, (ii) the processing of cannabis for others, and (iii) the purchase of cannabis and the processing and sale of cannabis-related products. We plan to accomplish this through the acquisition of companies, the creation of joint ventures, through licensing agreements, and through fee-for-service arrangements with growers and dispensaries of cannabis products. We believe that we can establish a position as one of the premier cannabinoid extraction and processing companies in the industry. Assuming we do so, we then intend to explore the creation of our own brand of concentrates for consumer use, which we would sell wholesale to cannabis dispensaries. We believe that we can create a “gold standard” national brand by standardizing the testing, compliance and labeling of our products in an industry currently comprised of small, local businesses with erratic and unreliable product quality, testing practices and labeling. We also plan to offer consulting services through Cannabis Life Sciences Consulting, LLC (“CLS Consulting”), which will generate revenue by providing consulting services to cannabis-related businesses, including growers, dispensaries and laboratories, and driving business to our processing facilities.
The Colorado Arrangement
Licensing Agreement
On April 17, 2015, CLS Labs Colorado entered into a Licensing Agreement with Picture Rock Holdings, LLC (“PRH”) whereby, in exchange for a license fee payable over the ten (10) year term of the agreement, CLS Labs Colorado granted to PRH an exclusive license for the State of Colorado of certain proprietary inventions and formulas relating to the extraction from, separation and processing of marijuana to produce certain marijuana-infused products, including edibles, e-liquids, waxes and shatter, and to practice and use such extraction processes in conjunction with the manufacture, production, sale, and distribution of such Products.
Lease and Sublease
In connection with the Colorado Arrangement, on April 17, 2015, pursuant to an Industrial Lease Agreement, CLS Labs Colorado leased 14,392 square feet of warehouse and office space in a building in Denver, Colorado where certain intended activities, including growing, extraction, conversion, assembly and packaging of cannabis and other plant materials, are permitted by and in compliance with state, city and local laws, rules, ordinances and regulations. The Lease had an initial term of seventy-two (72) months and provided CLS Labs Colorado with certain renewal options. In August 2017, as a result of our decision to suspend our proposed operations in Colorado, CLS Labs Colorado asked its landlord to be relieved from its obligations under the Lease, but the parties have not yet reached an agreement on how to proceed.
Contemporaneously with the execution of the Lease, CLS Labs Colorado entered into a Sublease Agreement with PRH, thereby subletting the entire leased premises to PRH. As a result of our decision to suspend our plans to enter the Colorado market, PRH has vacated the subleased premises but the sublease remains effective.
Equipment Lease
In addition to the above-referenced Sublease, on April 17, 2015, CLS Labs Colorado and PRH entered into an Equipment Lease Agreement (the “PRH Equipment Lease”) whereby, in exchange for a lease payment, CLS Labs Colorado agreed to commence building a fully equipped lab at the leased premises, including purchasing all equipment necessary to extract, convert and provide quality control of all cannabis products of PRH. The term of the PRH Equipment Lease was to commences upon delivery of the equipment and terminate upon the earlier of ten (10) years from its effective date or such earlier date upon which the real property lease is terminated. Due to our suspension of plans to enter the Colorado market, the PRH Equipment Lease never commenced.
The Promissory Note
On April 17, 2015, CLS Labs Colorado loaned Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) to PRH pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”) to be used by PRH in connection with the financing of the building out, equipping, and development of the grow facility by PRH that will be operated by the Grower. Pursuant to the Note, as amended by the parties effective June 30, 2015, October 31, 2015, April 11, 2016 and May 31, 2016, PRH will repay the principal due under the Note in twenty (20) equal quarterly installments of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) commencing in the month following the month in which PRH commences generating revenue at the grow facility, which commencement is currently unknown, and continuing until paid in full. Interest will accrue on the unpaid principal balance of the Note at the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum and will be paid quarterly in arrears commencing after such initial payment and continuing until paid in full. All outstanding principal and any accumulated unpaid interest due under the Note is due and payable on the five-year anniversary of the initial payment thereunder. Due to the suspension of our plans to enter the Colorado market, we cannot predict when or if the Note will be paid although PRH did make one payment under the Note during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018.
Acquisition of Alternative Solutions
On June 27, 2018, the Company completed the purchase of all of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions and the Oasis LLCs from the members of such entities (other than Alternative Solutions). The closing occurred pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the “Acquisition Agreement”) entered into between the Company and Alternative Solutions on December 4, 2017, as amended. Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, the Company initially contemplated acquiring all of the membership interests in the Oasis LLCs from Alternative Solutions. Just prior to closing, the parties agreed that the Company would instead acquire all of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions, the parent of the Oasis LLCs, from its members, and the membership interests in the Oasis LLCs owned by members other than Alternative Solutions. The revised structure of the transaction is referenced in the Oasis Note (as defined below), which modified the Acquisition Agreement.
Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, the Company paid a non-refundable deposit of $250,000 upon signing, which was followed by an additional payment of $1,800,000 paid in February 2018, for an initial 10% of each of the Oasis LLCs. At that time, the Company applied for regulatory approval to own an interest in the Oasis LLCs, which approval was received on June 21, 2018. On June 27, 2018, the Company made the payments to indirectly acquire the remaining 90% of the Oasis LLCs, which were equal to cash in the amount of $6,200,000 (less offsets for assumed liabilities), a $4.0 million promissory note due in December 2019 (the “Oasis Note”), and 22,058,823 shares of common stock. We used the proceeds of the Canaccord Special Warrant Offering to fund the cash portion of the closing consideration. On December 12, 2018, we were approved for the transfer of the remaining 90% interest.
The number of purchase price shares was equal to 80% of the offering price of the Company’ common stock in its last equity offering, which price was $0.34 per share. The Oasis Note is secured by a first priority security interest over the membership interests in Alternative Solutions and the Oasis LLCs, as well as by the assets of the Oasis LLCs. The Oasis Note bears interest at the rate of 6% per annum and both principal and accrued interest are due and payable in full on December 4, 2019 but may be prepaid at any time without penalty. We also delivered a confession of judgment to a third party neutral representative of the parties that will become effective, in general, if we default under the Oasis Note.
Oasis currently owes certain amounts to a consultant known as 4Front Advisors, LLC. If the Company makes any payments to this company post-closing, the Company will be entitled to deduct the present value of such payments from the principal amount due under the Oasis Note.
The sellers of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions are also entitled to a $1,000,000 payment from the Company on May 30, 2020 if the Oasis LLCs have maintained an average revenue of $20,000 per day during the 2019 calendar year.
None of the sellers of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions or the Oasis LLCs was affiliated with the Company prior to the closing. In connection with the closing, however, the Company employed Mr. Ben Sillitoe, the CEO and a member of Alternative Solutions, as the Chief Executive Officer of CLS Nevada, Inc., and Don Decatur, the COO of the Oasis LLCs, as the Chief Operating Officer of CLS Nevada, Inc.
Corporate Structure
We have four direct and three indirect, active, wholly-owned subsidiaries, CLS Labs, CLS Labs Nevada, Inc., CLS Massachusetts, Inc. and Alternative Solution are owned directly, and Alternative Solutions owns 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests of: (i) Oasis; (ii) Serenity Wellness Products, LLC dba City Trees Fresh Cannabis Production, Wholesale (“City Trees Production”); and (iii) Serenity Wellness Growers, LLC dba City Trees Fresh Cannabis Cultivation, Wholesale (“City Trees Cultivation”, together with City Trees Production, “City Trees” and together with Oasis and City Trees Production, the “Oasis LLCs”). The following diagram illustrates the inter-corporate relationships of the Company, and all of the parents own 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of their subsidiaries:
Notes:
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(1) |
The Company owns 100% of CLS Nevada, Inc., CLS Labs, Inc., and CLS Massachusetts, Inc. |
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(2) |
Alternative Solutions owns 100% of Oasis, City Trees Production and City Trees Cultivation. |
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(3) |
All entities in the corporate chart were incorporated and are existing under the laws of the state of Nevada, except for CLS Massachusetts, Inc., which is a Massachusetts corporation. |
Nevada Operations
We own 100% of Alternative Solutions, which is a Nevada-based holding company that owns three separate entities with licenses to operate cannabis businesses within the State of Nevada. Oasis currently operates a retail marijuana dispensary within walking distance to the Las Vegas Strip. Its other subsidiaries, which do business as City Trees Cultivation and City Trees Production, currently operate a small-scale cultivation and product manufacturing facility, as well as a wholesale distribution operation in North Las Vegas. Management expects that the vertically integrated business model will drive strong margins to the bottom line on a large portion of existing sales at the dispensary as the build out of the Warehouse Facility becomes operational. (See section entitled “Expansion of Cultivation Activities” below).
Oasis’ retail dispensary is a single location operation in Nevada and occupies over 5,000 square feet of an over 20,000 square foot building This location, which is easily accessible by tourists, is currently open 24 hours per day for walk-in customers and in-store pickup. It also delivers cannabis to residents between the hours of 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM. The central location provides logistical convenience for delivery to all parts of the Las Vegas valley.
City Trees’ wholesale operations, which occupies approximately 1,150 square feet of a 22,000 square foot warehouse (the “Warehouse Facility”), began sales to third parties in August 2017. It had made sales to over 25 external customers by Q2 2018. Its existing product line includes vaporizers, tinctures, capsules, and concentrates. At present, the City Trees cultivation facility only grows breeding stock to preserve valuable genetics and does not offer its crops for sale or processing, As a result, all raw materials for manufacturing are sourced from third parties.
Market Growth
According to the 2017 report compiled by ArcView Market Research, legal cannabis sales in the U.S. grew by over 37% in 2017 to $9.5 billion. This growth trend is expected to continue as more states legalize medical and retail cannabis and as more consumers choose to make legal cannabis purchases instead of buying through traditional sources. Consumers who are learning about new research supporting the health and the perceived medical benefits of cannabis will be a secondary source of strong growth in the market for the next several years.
Cannabis sales in Nevada have exceeded all expectations since recreational sales began on July 1, 2017. The Nevada Department of Taxation (“NV DOT”) indicated it had exceeded its marijuana tax collection projection for the entire fiscal year after only nine months of sales.1 Management believes that the Nevada market will continue to grow at double digit rates for the next few years. This expectation is supported by sales trends in other legal markets like Colorado and Washington.
Internal Growth Strategy
Oasis expects to continue to grow its dispensary market share both organically and by adding additional locations within the Nevada market. Oasis will seek to expand its footprint throughout the state in select locations with access to tourists or in residential areas with above average median income. The locations of the potential acquisitions will only matter to the extent that they are in preferable local jurisdictions. For licensing purposes, the physical location of a marijuana establishment in Nevada may be moved if it remains in the same local municipality or jurisdiction.
City Trees’ wholesale growth strategy focuses on completion of Phase 1 of the planned build out of the Warehouse Facility, with secondary focus on adding new customers and increasing product line penetration at each customer’s retail location. City Trees has about 25 customers with regular recurring orders at dispensaries located throughout Nevada. Oasis currently purchases about $30,000 per month in products from City Trees, which represents only about 10% – 15% of the total retail sales. When City Trees is able to grow and release its wholesale cannabis flower, Oasis will be able to purchase about $100,000 worth of product as it replaces some of its current third party vendors with City Trees. It is expected that other existing wholesale customers will also replace some of their current suppliers’ flower with City Trees once it has become available. At present, City Trees competes with companies that grow their own raw materials. Because City Trees currently purchases raw materials from third parties, and because competition prevents City Trees from pricing its product in a manner that would generate a typical gross margin, at present, City Trees is generally unable to generate positive cash flow from its sales. Oasis expects cash flow to improve as the build out of the Warehouse Facility becomes operational. (See section entitled “Expansion of Cultivation Facilities” below.)
Dispensary Operations
Oasis opened as a medical cannabis dispensary in 2015 and began retail sales to adults over the age of 21 on July 1, 2017. Customers and patients can browse the selection of inventory on display and ask questions to qualified staff with minimal wait times. Automated payments allow for safety, convenience, and scalability.
[1] State of Nevada Department of Taxation “April Marijuana Revenue Statistics News Release”. June 28, 2018, accessed July 3, 2018. Available at: https://tax.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/taxnvgov/Content/TaxLibrary/News-Release-April-Marijuana.pdf.
Inventory Management
All inventory is tracked in the state-mandated METRC seed to sale tracking system. Additionally, we have recently implemented MJ Platform for our point of sale and internal inventory management system. Each item is stored in a designated physical location that is also reflected in the inventory control system. All products are prepackaged before arriving at the retail store and a barcode is added to each package to ensure the proper products are fulfilled in each order. MJ Platform synchronizes its sales and inventory data with METRC for additional assurance of compliance with state mandated inventory tracking accuracy. Regular, independent inventory counts ensure that any physical variances from the tracking system are detected and addressed immediately. All product that is unusable is destroyed and logged with photo-evidence according to state regulations.
Product Selection
Product selections are currently managed by a team comprised of the General Manager, Assistant General Manager, and Inventory Team Leader. As Oasis adds new locations, it will form a centralized purchasing team that will ensure there is consistent product selection across all locations. The General Manager is responsible for negotiating bulk purchase discounts in conjunction with the Oasis CEO. The General Manager is also responsible for quality assurance and product mix. Each new vendor is researched, and their operations are visited whenever possible. Product samples are distributed to various employees and feedback is reviewed before making final product decisions. Oasis carries between 30 and 40 different cultivars or “strains” of cannabis flowers in addition to a wide variety of cannabis products such as vaporizers, concentrated oil, edibles, capsules, tinctures, and beverages.
Payment System
Payments made at Oasis are completed via both cash and electronic payment methods. All cash payments are made by customers through their use of an on-site kiosk. Electronic payments, such as those where a customer wishes to use a credit card, require an Oasis employee to load a closed loop gift card that can then be used for purchases. The kiosks operate using semi-custom and proprietary software that interfaces with the point of sale and inventory system. Oasis is in the process of implementing electronic payment methods that can be processed through a self-checkout technology as opposed to involving an Oasis employee. All cash payments are made into the kiosk, which stores the cash in a steel safe. All kiosk units are bolted to the ground and locked. By utilizing the kiosks, the exposure of operating a cash-intensive business is reduced and Oasis is able to scale and grow while minimizing labor costs associated with maintaining multiple cashiers and increasing operational efficiency.
Home Delivery and In-Store Pickup
Home delivery is currently about 15% of the total sales mix of Oasis. Customers can call or place orders online for both pickup and delivery. There is currently no fee for delivery but there are minimum order amounts based on the distance from the store. Home deliveries average well over $100 per order, which is about 75% higher than in-store orders. Oasis is centrally located within the Las Vegas valley which makes it roughly equally distant from all areas of town. This allows the store to have a much wider geographic reach than it otherwise would. Many locals work on the Las Vegas Strip close to the store and will shop there when going to and from a shift. Offering delivery also allows them to conveniently make a purchase from Oasis without having to drive past a cannabis store that might be located closer to their homes. Many consumers prefer the convenience of home delivery and this allows Oasis to be their dispensary of choice regardless of how close they live to the store.
Pricing Strategy
Oasis targets at least a 50% gross margin when determining pricing for any given product. Market dynamics such as supply, demand, and competitive pressure can cause variances from the target. The assistant general manager of Oasis, as part of the purchasing team, will conduct or oversee a pricing survey to determine which of the competition in close proximity carries the product and how much such competition is charging for similar products. Oasis offers a price match guarantee to minimize the risk of losing customers to competitors’ daily specials or discounts, and also sets prices to be consistent with the selection of product that is offered by competitor dispensaries in the area.
Marketing Strategy
Oasis uses a variety of methods to reach consumers including billboards, paid digital static and video online ads, social media, marketing to rideshare drivers, and social engagement through a calendar of events at its community center called Community Oasis.
Cultivation, Production & Wholesale Sales Operations
City Trees’ wholesale operations primarily consists of purchasing finished distilled cannabis oil from third party vendors and formulating it into a variety of finished products for sales and distribution to retail cannabis stores and medical dispensaries throughout Nevada. Although City Trees has the capability to conduct extraction, conversion and processing activities, it does not presently conduct many of these activities because it is not manufacturing its own raw materials. In the future, City Trees plans to conducts these activities using both its internally developed methods as well as our patented process. (See section entitled “Expansion of Cultivation Facilities” below.)
Due to the small size of the existing Oasis grow operation, it currently only cultivates plants for breeding and to preserve quality stock and does not harvest its plants for either production or for sale to third parties.
Expansion of Cultivation Facilities
City Trees Cultivation is in the preliminary stages of expanding its grow operation and implementing additional manufacturing operations using both Alternative Solutions’ existing processing methods and the Company’s patented processing methods. City Trees Cultivation intends to build out a processing facility and a grow operation to manufacture product for Oasis. City Trees Cultivation intends to construct a multi-level grow operation in the Warehouse Facility.
During the next twelve months the Company expects to complete phase 1 (“Phase 1”) of its expansion plan (the “Expansion Plan”). The timeline for the commencement and completion of phase 2 of the Expansion Plan (“Phase 2”) is currently not known. At present, management of the Company estimates that the Company will require up to $3,000,000 to complete Phase 1 and up to $2,000,000 to complete Phase 2 of the Expansion Plan (excluding development of the outdoor space). The Company expects to fund the cost of the Expansion Plan from a portion of the proceeds of the 2018 Convertible Debenture Offering (defined below).
Phase 1 includes tenant improvements to expand within the current facility to add one room for mother plants and two rooms for flowering stage in addition to rooms for trimming, curing, drying, packaging, and storage and to add seven additional rooms for the flowering stages. The Company expects the power upgrade aspect of Phase 1 to take six months. The Company expects Phase 1 will be completed within the next 12 months. Phase 2 includes the possible addition of additional flower rooms to the remaining unused portion of the building. The Company anticipates that City Trees Cultivation will use state of the art LED grow lights and a vertical racking system to dramatically reduce energy costs and increase growth capacity.
The anticipated steps for Phase 1 are as follows:
1. |
Finalize construction plan revisions and execute a construction contract for Phase 1 cultivation and production. |
2. |
Floor plans and operational plans including standard operating procedures and required equipment will be submitted for approval to the NV DOT. |
3. |
Building permits will be obtained from North Las Vegas Building Department. |
4. |
Power upgrades will be completed. |
5. |
Finalize construction plans for Phase 1 and execute a construction contract for Phase 1 cultivation. |
6. |
Tenant improvements for Phase 1 will be completed. |
The anticipated timing and steps for Phase 2 are to be determined at a later date.
The Company currently anticipates completion of Phase 1 in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Warehouse Facility also has a 34,000 square foot enclosed yard that City Trees Cultivation may develop into a greenhouse (the “Greenhouse Expansion”) in the future as doing so would further reduce raw materials and manufacturing costs by using mostly sunlight instead of electricity. The Greenhouse Expansion is separate from the Phase 1 and Phase 2 expansions and will be completed on the existing, enclosed asphalt yard after the Warehouse Facility is operating at full capacity within the current structure, i.e. Phase 1 and Phase 2 are completed. The Greenhouse Expansion will be constructed in one phase. The anticipated cost for the Greenhouse Expansion is approximately $2,000,000.
As City Trees Cultivation completes the phases of the Expansion Plan, the Company expects to capture additional margin as less of the raw materials will be purchased from third parties.
Product Line
City Trees offers the following product lines to its wholesale customers:
● The vaporizer and concentrate product line consists of proprietary blends of cannabis oil and terpenes filled into custom branded City Trees vaporizers that utilize ceramic heating technology to deliver clean, even heat without using a wick like most traditional vaporizers. The City Trees product line of capsules is known as City Caps and includes CBD and THC blends in ratios of 10 to 1, 4 to 1, and 1 to 4. The blends are named cannabidiol (“CBD”), Rise, and Rest, respectively.
● The recently introduced City Trees line of tinctures includes a 20 to 1, 10 to 1, and a 1 to 1 CBD to THC ratio as well as a THC only version.
Pricing Strategy
The raw materials cost inputs are very high for the current product line relative to what would be seen in a normal market. Because of competitive pressure from companies that are producing their own raw materials, City Trees has not been able to set prices high enough to achieve targeted margins in the short term. City Trees has chosen to remain very competitive with pricing in order to grow and maintain market share during its expansion project. After construction of phase 1 is completed and we are harvesting our own raw materials, the margins are expected to be recaptured from the third party suppliers.
Vertical Farming
As wholesale cannabis flower and trim moves toward becoming priced like a commodity, minimizing output costs will become more important than ever before. Wholesale price compression will reduce profitability and put many operators who are not able to grow outdoors or in greenhouses in difficult positions. Vertical farms use cubic feet instead of square feet to calculate how much space is available for cultivation. Phase 1 and Phase 2 construction project plans for 20-foot ceilings that can accommodate up to 3 tiers of grow canopy, essentially tripling the potential output in the building. Management expects City Trees will start with 2 tiers in most areas during phase 1 of its expansion and test 3 tiers on a smaller scale before rolling it out across the entire facility in phase 2.
The vertical farm will reduce electricity and rent costs per pound but has the potential to increase labor costs per pound if proper automation is not used. City Trees plans to utilize a moderate amount of automated technology to offset the potential additional labor costs. Automated watering, feeding, lighting systems are in the design phase.
Energy Efficient Heating & Cooling
In addition to using LED lights to conserve energy, City Trees plans to utilize natural gas heat pumps to minimize its heavy reliance on electricity. The units are able to heat and cool critical areas of the building using natural gas instead of relying on the already over-burdened electrical system of an indoor cultivation facility.
Single Stream Inventory
In Nevada, as long as a wholesale facility holds both a medical and a recreational license, it may sell products to dispensaries that may be sold to both recreational and medical customers. As long as the dispensary also holds both licenses, the inventory may be sold to either type of customer as long as it came from a wholesale company with both license types. This reduces logistical challenges that would otherwise arise from having two separate streams of inventory to service the medical and adult-use segments.
Licenses
A Retail Marijuana Store License or Medical Marijuana Dispensary Registration Certificate allows for the sale of cannabis products to the applicable end consumer. A company must hold both licenses to be able to sell products to both types of consumers. A retail marijuana store may also deliver to residents in Nevada without any additional licensing. Both local and state licenses are required.
A Retail (adult-use or recreational) Marijuana Cultivation or Medical Marijuana Cultivation Registration Certificate allows the holder to grow as much cannabis as it can in its approved production space. There is no limitation to the number of plants that maybe be grown at any time. The state only approves the production space regarding compliance, not size.
A Retail (adult-use or recreational) Marijuana Product Manufacturing license or Medical Marijuana Production Registration Certificate allows for the extraction, conversion, and manufacturing of raw cannabis material into finished consumer packaged goods. The NV DOT must approve all formulas, processes, equipment, products, and packaging prior to any manufacturing or sales.
A Retail (adult-use or recreational) Marijuana Distributor License allows licensees to deliver wholesale products from a cultivator or manufacturer to a retail store. This is only a requirement for products that could be sold to recreational customers. Many vertically integrated operators are forced to use third party distributors to deliver products from their wholesale facilities to their own stores and to other customers. City Trees holds one of only 29 distributor licenses that exist to serve the more than 60 dispensaries and 195 wholesalers in the State. Oasis is licensed to operate in the city of Las Vegas as a Dual Use Marijuana Business, and in the State of Nevada as a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Establishment and a Retail Marijuana Store. City Trees Production is licensed to operate in the state of Nevada as a Medical Marijuana Production Establishment, a Retail Marijuana Product Manufacturing facility and a Retail Marijuana Distributor. City Trees Production is also licensed to operate in the state of Nevada as a Medical Marijuana Cultivation Facility and a Retail Marijuana Cultivator. Please see “Our Business – Regulation and Licensure – Oasis LLC Licenses” for a complete list of state and local licenses held by the Oasis LLCs.
Oasis submitted retail applications for 7 different local jurisdictions in Nevada. The application scores and rankings will be available no later than December 5, 2018. Oasis will know how many retail store licenses it received at that time.
Specialized Skill & Knowledge
Commercial cannabis cultivation requires access to employees with specialized skills and knowledge in order to maximize harvest quality and yield in addition to having the capacity for developing new varieties. Botanical extraction of concentrated oils, product formulation and product manufacturing each require their own specific sets of specialized skill and knowledge to ensure maximization of yields and quality from extraction and to create consistent, high quality products. Additionally, the operation of a quality retail cannabis store requires extensive product knowledge to provide the optimal experience for customers. Each of these operations requires extensive knowledge and understanding of the Nevada regulatory landscape to ensure compliance with all local and state laws and regulations.
The COO of CLS Nevada, Inc. has gained important skills and knowledge through experience with all areas needed to run a successful cultivation operation. With these skills and knowledge, we expect the Company to continue to develop unique, new strains that are only available to City Trees and will build on the current knowledge of the organization through testing new techniques and technologies in a small research and development room within the cultivation facility. The previous experience of the management team of CLS Nevada, along with independent consultation, is the basis for Oasis’ proprietary standard operating procedures that we believe will ensure consistent quality and yield performance. The COO of CLS Nevada has practical experience with the extraction of cannabis including no-solvent, butane, carbon dioxide and the finishing of the extracts into consumer-packaged goods.
The extraction / product formulation team includes employees with hands on experience in cannabis extraction and product manufacturing in addition to employees with undergraduate chemistry degrees and limited experience in cannabis extraction. This provides access to both the technical and hands-on applications of knowledge that benefits product formulation in addition to extraction efficiency and productivity.
The leadership at CLS Nevada is knowledgeable in all the products available in the United States market because the leadership at Oasis has operated in Nevada since the beginning of medical cannabis sales.
We conduct ongoing training to ensure compliance with all laws and regulations. The leadership of each business unit attends regular compliance training conducted by local and state officials which provides content and updates for internal training.
In addition to our internal resources, there is a broad market of skilled employees with cannabis knowledge and experience in Nevada to facilitate growth of the labor force.
Competitive Conditions
We currently operate in the Nevada cannabis market, which has limited licensing opportunities for retail locations in accordance with state regulations. There is currently no legal limitation on the number of cultivation and product manufacturing licenses that may be issued and there is no limitation on how much can be grown or produced with those licenses. These conditions create significant barriers to entry for new competition.
The limitation on the number of licenses available for retail creates a significant barrier to entry for potential competition in the retail cannabis market. Acquisition is the only method available for most companies to enter the state’s retail cannabis market absent changes in legislation. There is also a 10% legal limitation on the number of retail licenses that may be owned by any one entity within a given county. The size and number of locations in a potential acquisition are limited as a result. These conditions mitigate the risk of losing market share to new companies entering the Nevada retail market.
Nevada wholesale prices have increased since recreational sales began as a result of a demand spike being met with a limited supply. Expansion projects, like the City Trees cultivation facility, have been completed or are underway to meet the additional demand. Most of the additional supply is coming from existing participants within the market as very few new cultivation licenses have been issued. The ability to expand facilities without limitation will allow the market to reach an equilibrium wholesale price point without the need to license additional operators. Although there is no legal limitation on cultivation and production licenses, we do not currently anticipate that new licenses will be issued
Components
Raw materials for processing and manufacturing are available from a variety of sources. Oasis maintains relationships with various suppliers for each key component of the raw materials to mitigate vendor concentration risk. City Trees wholesale operations is the sole purchaser of raw materials within the organization because the retail operation only stocks finished consumer packaged products. All raw materials are currently purchased from third parties. City Trees is expected to be able to supply a large portion of the raw cannabis material upon completion of phase 1, but certain items will always come from third parties. The following table describes the key components of the supply chain for City Trees products:
Raw Material Item |
Description |
Sources |
# of Suppliers |
Pricing |
Internal Sourcing |
Raw Cannabis Trim |
Raw cannabis leaf that is trimmed from raw flowers that will be sold directly to consumers. Trim makes up the majority of what is extracted into oil. |
Nevada Licensed Cultivators (115 active licenses as of April 2018) |
5+ |
Wholesale prices are currently in the range of $500 - $750 per pound. Target pricing is $350 per pound in order to match the cost of sourcing finished bulk oil. |
Gradually increasing amount will be sourced internally upon completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2. |
Raw Cannabis Flower |
Raw cannabis flower is typically trimmed, packaged and sold to consumers or it is rolled into pre-rolled joints, packaged and sold to consumers. City Trees is currently not purchasing or harvesting flower. |
Nevada Licensed Cultivators (115 active licenses as of April 2018) |
5+ |
Wholesale prices currently range from $2,000 - $3,000 per pound. |
Gradually increasing amount will be sourced internally for City Trees upon completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2. |
Bulk Distillate Cannabis Oil
|
Cannabis oil refined through distillation processes that maximize potency and remove impurities. |
Nevada Licensed Product Manufacturers (80 active licenses as of April 2018) |
4+ |
Wholesale prices currently range from $16 - $18 per gram. |
Gradually increasing amount will be sourced and processed internally upon completion of Greenhouse Expansion. |
Custom All-in-One Disposable Vaporizer Pens |
Cannabis oil vaporizer “pens” with ceramic heating that contain a single use battery charge customized with City Trees logos and imagery. |
Distributors of Chinese Manufacturing Products |
2 |
$3.35 each |
N/A |
Vaporizer Pen Cartridges and Custom Batteries |
Cannabis oil vaporizer cartridges with ceramic heating that attach to a rechargeable battery customized with City Trees logos and imagery. |
Distributors of Chinese Manufacturing Products |
2 |
Cartridges: $2.50 each Custom Batteries: $3.25 each |
N/A |
Vegan Capsules |
Empty capsules that are filled with proprietary blends of cannabis oil and terpenes |
Online Medical Supply Companies |
2 |
1.3 cents per capsule |
N/A |
Botanical Terpenes |
Natural compounds found in essential oils of plants with strong fragrance and flavor. Some terpenes have been shown to be biologically active with specific effects |
Domestic online suppliers of cannabis-derived and non-cannabis derived terpenes. |
2 |
Isolated Terpenes: $290 per kilogram |
Some terpenes will be sourced internally through a fractional distillation process. |
CBD Isolate |
Cannabidiol (CBD) in powder form that is 99.9% pure CBD |
Domestic Industrial Hemp Growers and Processors |
2 |
Wholesale prices range from $7,000 - $10,000 per kilogram |
N/A |
Intellectual Property
Domains
We have protected Internet domain names with the following registered domains as of the date of this Prospectus:
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https://www.clsholdingsinc.com/ |
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https://oasiscannabis.com/ |
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http://www.citytrees.com/ |
Patent and Trademarks
We have developed extraction and processing methods that are proprietary and, on April 24, 2018, the Company (via CLS Labs) was awarded a non-provisional U.S. utility patent for cannabidiol extraction and conversion process (the “Extraction Process”) by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. patent number 9,950,976 B1). The Extraction Process is expected to result in increased product consistency, cost savings for growers, and increased anticipated revenues for us due to the larger amount of Delta-9 THC that we believe it can produce. We expect to use a version of the patented technology on a smaller scale in connection with the Phase 1, Phase 2 and the Greenhouse Expansion, on completion.
Internal testing of the Extraction Process has revealed that such process produces a cleaner, higher quality product and a higher yield than the cannabinoid extraction processes currently existing in the marketplace. We have not commercialized the Extraction Process. We plan to generate revenues through licensing, fee-for-service and joint venture arrangements related to the Extraction Process from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into saleable concentrates.
We intend to monetize the Extraction Process and generate revenues through (i) the licensing of its patented processes to others, (ii) the processing of cannabis for others, and (iii) the purchase of cannabis and the processing and sale of cannabis-related products. We plan to accomplish this through the acquisition of companies, the creation of joint ventures, through licensing agreements, and through fee-for-service arrangements with growers and dispensaries of cannabis products. We then intend to explore the creation of its own brand of concentrates for consumer use, which it would sell wholesale to cannabis dispensaries. We believe that it can standardize the testing, compliance and labeling of its products in the cannabis industry.
Employees
As of December 15, 2018, the Oasis LLCs had 75 employees. The employees are distributed among the following departments:
Nevada Market Administration |
|
Number of Employees |
Administrative Accounting |
|
2 2 |
Executive |
|
1 |
Oasis Cannabis Retail |
|
|
Product Sales and Customer Service Inventory Control Dispatch / Delivery Safety / Security Leadership Communications |
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27 12 5 11 3 1 |
City Trees Wholesale |
|
|
Wholesale Sales and Distribution Leadership Cultivation / Product Manufacturing Inventory Control |
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2 1 6 2 |
Total Employees |
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75 |
We believe in equal opportunity employment and we recruit, hire and promote individuals that are best qualified for each position without regard to race, color, creed, sex, national origin or handicap. We pride ourselves on using a selection process that recruits people who are trainable, co-operative and share the core values of the Company. Our employees are highly-talented individuals who have educational achievements ranging from masters and undergraduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines, as well as staff who have been trained on the job to uphold the highest standards set as a Company.
We recruit based on a rigorous interview process to ensure the right candidates are selected for the Company and the individual team. In addition to adherence to our core values, it requires that each employee acts with integrity and constant striving to uphold the highest professional standards.
In addition, the safety of our employees is a priority and we are committed to the prevention of illness and injury through the provision and maintenance of a healthy workplace. We take all reasonable step to ensure staff are appropriately informed and trained to ensure the safety of themselves as well as others around them.
In addition to the Oasis employees, the Company employs three executive and management personnel and engages one consultant in a management capacity.
Growth Strategy
Our growth strategy includes the following plans:
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Securing capital for the construction of processing centers. |
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Obtaining the necessary state and local licensure for each proposed facility. |
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Securing initial licensing, processing or sales arrangements, as applicable, with growers and dispensaries. Such arrangements may result from marketing efforts, relationships within the industry or the CLS Consulting business. |
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Constructing processing facilities. |
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Expanding per-facility capacity and increasing revenues. |
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Developing a national brand of cannabis concentrates, which will be sold wholesale to dispensaries, through standardization of the testing, compliance and labeling process. |
We may also grow by acquiring existing cannabis industry companies that will benefit from the use of our proprietary technology as well as other companies in the cannabis industry that are compatible with our proposed operations, including but not limited to completion of the proposed Pure Harvest transaction
Regulation and Licensure
Despite 30 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam having legalized or decriminalized marijuana use for medical purposes, the prescription, use and possession of marijuana remains illegal under federal law. As such, although we will only operate processing facilities in states that permit the possession, sale and use of cannabis, certain activities of our business, including the possession of cannabis for processing and the sale of cannabis concentrates, will be in violation of federal law.
We, through the Oasis LLCs, are directly involved in the cultivation, distribution and sale of cannabis in the State of Nevada. All of our operations are in the United States. Therefore, our balance sheet and operating statement exposure to U.S. marijuana-related activities is 100%.
Enforcement of United States Federal Laws
In the United States, cannabis is highly regulated at the state level. To our knowledge, there are to date a total of 30 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam that have legalized medical cannabis in some form although not all states have fully implemented their legalization programs. Nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult use. Fifteen additional states have legalized CBD, low Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oils for a limited class of patients. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of cannabis at the state level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (codified in 21 U.S.C.A. Section 812). Under United States federal law, a Schedule I drug is considered to have a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for the use of the substance under medical supervision. Federal law prohibits commercial production and sale of all Schedule I controlled substances, and as such, cannabis-related activities, including without limitation, the importation, cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis that remain illegal under U.S. federal law. It is also illegal to aid or abet such activities or to conspire or attempt to engage in such activities. Strict compliance with state and local laws with respect to cannabis may neither absolve the Company of liability under U.S. federal law, nor provide a defense to any federal proceeding brought against the Company. An investor’s contribution to and involvement in such activities may result in federal civil and/or criminal prosecution, including, but not limited to, forfeiture of his, her or its entire investment, fines and/or imprisonments.
As a result of the conflicting views between state legislatures and the federal government regarding cannabis, investments in, and the operations of, cannabis businesses in the U.S. are subject to inconsistent laws and regulations. The so-called “Cole Memorandum” or “Cole Memo” issued by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole on August 29, 2013 and other Obama-era cannabis policy guidance, discussed below, provided the framework for managing the tension between federal and state cannabis laws. Subsequently, as discussed below, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo and related policy guidance. Although no longer in effect, these policies, and the enforcement priorities established within, appear to continue to be followed during the Trump administration and remain critical factors that inform the past and future trend of state-based legalization.
The Cole Memo directed U.S. Attorneys not to prioritize the enforcement of federal cannabis laws against individuals and businesses that comply with state medical or adult-use cannabis regulatory programs, provided certain enumerated enforcement priorities (such as diversion or sale of cannabis to minors) were not implicated. In addition to general prosecutorial guidance issued by the DOJ, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a memorandum on February 14, 2014 outlining Bank Secrecy Act-compliant pathways for financial institutions to service state-sanctioned cannabis businesses, which echoed the enforcement priorities outlined in the Cole Memo (the “FinCEN Memorandum” or “FinCEN Memo”). On the same day the FinCEN Memorandum was published, the DOJ issued complimentary policy guidance directing prosecutors to apply the enforcement priorities of the Cole Memo when determining whether to prosecute individuals or institutions with crimes related to financial transactions involving the proceeds of cannabis-related activities (the “Cole Banking Memorandum”).
On January 4, 2018, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo, the Cole Banking Memorandum, and all other related Obama-era DOJ cannabis enforcement guidance. While the rescission did not change federal law, as the Cole Memo and other DOJ guidance documents were not themselves laws, the rescission removed the DOJ’s formal policy that state-regulated cannabis businesses in compliance with the Cole Memo guidelines should not be a prosecutorial priority. Notably, Attorney General Sessions’ rescission of the Cole Memo and the Cole Banking Memorandum has not affected the status of the FinCEN Memorandum issued by the Department of Treasury, which remains in effect. In addition to his rescission of the Cole Memo, Attorney General Sessions issued a one-page memorandum known as the “Sessions Memorandum”. The Sessions Memorandum explains the DOJ’s rationale for rescinding all past DOJ cannabis enforcement guidance, claiming that Obama-era enforcement policies are “unnecessary” due to existing general enforcement guidance adopted in the 1980s, in chapter 9.27.230 of the USAM. The USAM enforcement priorities, like those of the Cole Memo, are based on the use of the federal government’s limited resources and include “law enforcement priorities set by the Attorney General,” the “seriousness” of the alleged crimes, the “deterrent effect of criminal prosecution,” and “the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community.” Although the Sessions Memorandum emphasizes that cannabis is a federally illegal Schedule I controlled substance, it does not otherwise instruct U.S. Attorneys to consider the prosecution of cannabis-related offenses a DOJ priority, and in practice, most U.S. Attorneys have not changed their prosecutorial approach to date. However, due to the lack of specific direction in the Sessions Memorandum as to the priority federal prosecutors should ascribe to such cannabis activities, there can be no assurance that the federal government will not seek to prosecute cases involving cannabis businesses that are otherwise compliant with state law. See “Risk Factors”.
Such potential proceedings could involve significant restrictions being imposed upon the Company or third parties, and also divert the attention of key executives. Such proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, revenues, operating results and financial condition as well as our reputation, even if such proceedings were concluded successfully in favor of the Company. See “Risk Factors”.
For the reasons set forth above, our existing operations in the United States, and any future operations or investments the Company may engage in, may become the subject of heightened scrutiny by regulators, stock exchanges and other authorities in Canada. As a result, the Company 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 in the United States or any other jurisdiction. See “Risk Factors”.
Government policy changes or public opinion may also result in a significant influence over the regulation of the cannabis industry in the United States or elsewhere. A negative shift in the public’s perception of medical cannabis in the United States 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 cannabis, thereby limiting the number of new state jurisdictions into which the Company could expand. Any inability to fully implement our expansion strategy may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Risk Factors”.
Further, 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, disgorgement of profits, cessation of business activities or divestiture. This could have a material adverse effect on the Company, including its reputation and ability to conduct business, its holding (directly or indirectly) of medical cannabis licenses in the United States, the listing of its securities on various stock exchanges, its financial position, operating results, profitability or liquidity or the market price of its publicly traded shares. In addition, it is difficult for the Company to estimate the time or resources that would be needed for the investigation of any such matters or its final resolution because, in part, the time and resources that may be needed are dependent on the nature and extent of any information requested by the applicable authorities involved, and such time or resources could be substantial. See “Risk Factors”.
United States Enforcement Proceedings
An appropriations rider contained in the fiscal year 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Acts (formerly known as the “Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment”; now known as the “Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment” and currently proposed for the next appropriations rider as the “Joyce Amendment”, referred to herein as 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 expend funds to prosecute state-law-abiding medical cannabis operators complying strictly with state medical cannabis laws. The Amendment prohibits the federal government from using congressionally appropriated funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical cannabis laws. The Amendment was extended until December 8, 2018, as part of the passage of an emergency aid package. Continued reauthorization of the Amendment is predicated on future political developments and cannot be guaranteed. If the Amendment expires, federal prosecutors could prosecute even state-compliant medical cannabis operators for conduct within the five-year statute of limitations. The Amendment does not protect state legal adult-use cannabis businesses and the DOJ may spend funds to prosecute persons that are operating in accordance with state adult use cannabis laws.
Ability to Access Public and Private Capital
We have historically, and continue to have, access to equity and debt financing from the public and prospectus exempt (private placement) markets in Canada. Our executive team and board of directors of the Company also have extensive relationships with sources of private capital (such as funds and high net worth individuals), that could be investigated at a higher cost of capital. If such equity and/or debt financing was no longer available in the public markets in Canada due to changes in applicable law, then the Company expects that it would have access to raise equity and/or debt financing privately.
Although we are not able to obtain bank financing in the U.S. or financing from other U.S. federally regulated entities, we currently have access to equity financing through the private markets in Canada and public and private markets in the United States. Since the use of marijuana is illegal under U.S. federal law, and in light of concerns in the banking industry regarding money laundering and other federal financial crime related to marijuana, U.S. banks have been reluctant to accept deposit funds from businesses involved with the marijuana industry. Consequently, businesses involved in the marijuana industry often have difficulty finding a bank willing to accept their business. Likewise, marijuana businesses have limited, if any, access to credit card processing services. As a result, marijuana businesses in the U.S. are largely cash-based. This complicates the implementation of financial controls and increases security issues.
Commercial banks, private equity firms and venture capital firms have approached the cannabis industry cautiously to date. However, there are increasing numbers of high net worth individuals and family offices that have made meaningful investments in companies and projects similar to our projects. Although there has been an increase in the amount of private financing available over the last several years, there is neither a broad nor deep pool of institutional capital that is available to cannabis license holders and license applicants. There can be no assurance that additional financing, if raised privately, will be available to us when needed or on terms which are acceptable. Our inability to raise financing to fund capital expenditures or acquisitions could limit our growth and may have a material adverse effect upon future profitability. See “Risk Factors”.
State-Level Overview
The following sections present an overview of market and regulatory conditions for the marijuana industry in the state of Nevada, in which we have an operating presence in, and is presented as of August 2018, unless otherwise indicated. Although our activities are compliant with applicable United States state and local law, strict compliance with state and local laws with respect to cannabis may neither absolve the Company of liability under United States federal law, nor may it provide a defense to any federal proceeding which may be brought against the Company.
Nevada Summary
Nevada has a medical marijuana program and passed an adult-use legalization through the ballot box in November 2016. In 2000, Nevada voters passed an amendment to the Nevada state constitution allowing physicians to recommend cannabis for an inclusive set of qualifying conditions including chronic pain and created a limited non-commercial medical marijuana patient/caregiver system. Senate Bill 374, which passed the legislature and was signed by the Governor in 2013, expanded this program and established a for-profit regulated medical marijuana industry.
The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health licensed medical marijuana establishments up until July 1, 2017 when the state’s medical marijuana program merged with adult-use marijuana enforcement under the NV DOT. In 2014, Nevada accepted medical marijuana business applications and a few months later the Division approved 182 cultivation licenses, 118 licenses for the production of edibles and infused products, 17 independent testing laboratories, and 55 medical marijuana dispensary licenses. The number of dispensary licenses was then increased to 66 by legislative action in 2015. The application process is merit-based, competitive, and is currently closed. Residency is not required to own or invest in a Nevada medical cannabis business. In addition, vertical integration is neither required nor prohibited. Nevada’s medical law includes patient reciprocity, which permits medical patients from other states to purchase marijuana from Nevada dispensaries. Nevada also allows for dispensaries to deliver medical marijuana to patients.
Each medical marijuana establishment must register with the NV DOT and apply for a medical marijuana establishment registration certificate. Among other requirements, there are minimum liquidity requirements and restrictions on the geographic location of a medical marijuana establishment as well as restrictions relating to the age and criminal background of employees, owners, officers and board members of the establishment. All employees must be over 21 and all owners, officers and board members must not have any previous felony convictions or had a previously granted medical marijuana registration revoked. Additionally, each volunteer, employee, owner, officer and board member of a medical marijuana establishment must be registered with the NV DOT as a medical marijuana agent and hold a valid medical marijuana establishment agent card. The establishment must have adequate security measures and use an electronic verification system and inventory control system. If the proposed medical marijuana establishment will sell or deliver edible marijuana products or marijuana-infused products, proposed operating procedures for handling such products which must be preapproved by the NV DOT.
In response to the rescission of the Cole Memorandum, Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt has issued a public statement, pledging to defend the law after it was approved by voters. Governor Brian Sandoval also stated, “Since Nevada voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2016, I have called for a well-regulated, restricted and respected industry. My administration has worked to ensure these priorities are met while implementing the will of the voters and remaining within the guidelines of both the Cole and Wilkinson federal memos,” and that he would like for Nevada to follow in the footsteps of Colorado, where the U.S. attorneys do not plan to change the approach to prosecuting crimes involving recreational marijuana.
To our knowledge, there have not been any additional statements or guidance made by federal authorities or prosecutors regarding the risk of enforcement action in Nevada.
In determining whether to issue a medical marijuana establishment registration certificate pursuant to NRS 453A.322, the NV DOT, in addition the application requirements set out, considers the following criteria of merit:
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(a) |
the total financial resources of the applicant, both liquid and illiquid; |
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(b) |
the previous experience of the persons who ar |