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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

 

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

September 11, 2020

 

 

 

GENERAL CANNABIS CORP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Colorado   000-54457   90-1072649
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

6565 E. Evans Avenue

Denver, Colorado

  80224
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(303) 759-1300

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) 

 

Not applicable.

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class: Trading Symbol: Name of each exchange on which registered:
N/A N/A N/A

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

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 provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1.01             Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On September 13, 2020, General Cannabis Corp (the “Company”) entered into a letter agreement with Hershey Strategic Capital, LP and Shore Ventures III, LP (collectively, the “Investor”) which amended the Subscription Agreement previously entered into by the Company and the Investor on May 29, 2020 to extend the “Negotiation Period” as defined therein to October 4, 2020. Adam Hershey, a director of the Company, is the principal of the Investor.

 

The foregoing description of the letter agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the letter agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 1.02             Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

As reported in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 13, 2020, on April 7, 2020, the Company and The Organic Seed, LLC, doing business under the name Cannasseur (“Cannasseur”), entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire the assets of Cannasseur, including a recreational retail dispensary, a 12,000 square foot light deprivation greenhouse, and a manufacturing facility based in Pueblo West, Colorado.

 

On September 11, 2020, the Company and Cannasseur mutually agreed to terminate the Asset Purchase Agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

Section 5 – Corporate Governance and Management.

 

Item 5.02             Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

Appointment of Officer

 

On September 13, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company appointed Diane Jones as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. The Board also designated Ms. Jones as the Company’s principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, replacing Jessica Bast in those positions. Ms. Bast will continue as the Company’s Controller.

 

Prior to her appointment, since 2015 Ms. Jones owned her own consulting firm, where she provided accounting and finance consulting services to numerous public and private companies. While consulting, Ms. Jones was responsible for her clients’ accounting and valuation for business mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, technical accounting and process improvements. Ms. Jones served as Senior Director of Shared Financial Services of Arrow Electronics, Inc. from 2010 to 2013 and as Worldwide Controller of Arrow Electronics Computing Solutions, a division of Arrow Electronics, Inc., from 2008 to 2009, where she was responsible for back office accounting operations, acquisition integration, and oversight of accounting functions. Prior to that, Ms. Jones served as Assistant Corporate Controller of Ball Corporation, a public packaging company, where she was responsible for SEC filings, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, management reporting and oversight of all accounting functions. Ms. Jones also has eight years of experience as an auditor with big four audit firms as a senior manager, serving both public and private companies. She is a licensed certified public accountant in the state of Colorado and holds a BBA degree in marketing from Texas A&M University and an MBA with an emphasis in accounting from the University of Houston.

 

 

 

 

There are no family relationships between Ms. Jones and any director, executive officer, or any person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer. No information is required to be disclosed with respect to Ms. Jones pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K other than with respect to her employment agreement with the Company, which is summarized below.

 

Subject to the confirmation of such terms and conditions in a definitive employment agreement to be entered into between the Company and Ms. Jones, Ms. Jones’s employment with the Company will be for a term of four years, provided that her employment may be terminated at any time with or without “Cause”. The Company will pay to Ms. Jones an annual base salary of $200,000, subject to evaluation and adjustment by the Board. Ms. Jones will also be eligible to receive an annual bonus payment of up to 50% of her annual base salary, on terms and conditions to be set by the Company. The Company will also grant Ms. Jones an option to purchase 300,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, with one-quarter of the options vesting on each yearly anniversary of the date of grant, which award shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Company’s then effective equity incentive plan.

 

In addition to customary employment benefits that are broadly provided to the Company’s employees, such as participation in any retirement plan, life insurance, group medical and dental, and short-term and long-term disability policies, after three months of employment, Ms. Jones will be entitled to six months of severance in the form of salary continuation payments in the event her employment is terminated without “Cause”.

 

Resignation of Directors; Appointment of New Directors

 

On September 11, 2020, each of Peter Boockvar, Mark Green and Seth Oster voluntarily resigned from the Board of Directors of the Company. The Company has appointed Carl Williams, John Barker Dalton and Richard Travia as new directors, as discussed further below. The resignations of Messrs. Boockvar, Green and Oster were not due to any disagreement with the Company, its management, or the Board of Directors. In connection with their resignations, the Company agreed to amend the terms of the stock options previously granted to Messrs. Boockvar, Green and Oster by (i) vesting all unvested stock options and (ii) extending the term of all of such previously issued stock options.

 

On September 11, 2020, each of Carl Williams, Richard Travia and John Barker Dalton were appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Carl Williams joins the Company’s Board of Directors as the Chairman of the Board and an independent Board member, and as the Chair of the Compensation Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Williams’s career in financial services spans 30 years and includes several high profile industry positions. Mr. Williams served as a director of Planet Payment, Inc. [Nasdaq: PLPM], a company which processes merchant payments internationally, beginning in August 2013 before being elevated in February 2014 to Chairman and CEO, which positions he held until it was sold in 2018 to the Fintrax Group, a leader in payment processing. Before that, from 2004 until 2009, Mr. Williams was President of World Wide Payment Processing for Global Payments [NYSE: GPN], and served as its Advisor to Global Payments on Business Development and International Operations from 2009 to 2013. He also served as Managing Director of Pay Anywhere, LLC from 2012 until 2013. He also served as President of the Merchant Services Division of National Processing Company, one of the nation’s largest processors of credit card, debit and check transactions. He holds a BA from La Salle University. The Company believes Mr. Williams’s qualifications to sit on the Company’s Board of Directors include his prior and extensive leadership positions with public companies.

 

2

 

 

Richard Travia joins the Company’s Board of Directors as an independent Board member, as the Chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Travia is an experienced cannabis investor and company builder who founded Wildcat Advisory Group in 2017 and Wildcat Investment Management in 2018. Wildcat Advisory Group is a diversified business and investment consultant that advises small and medium size public and private companies, institutional investors such as family offices, private equity funds and hedge funds, and institutional-quality service providers. Wildcat Investment Management provides investment management services. Prior to launching Wildcat, Mr. Travia co-founded Tradex Global Advisors in 2004 and Tradex Global Advisory Services in 2014. While at Tradex, Mr. Travia served as the COO and Compliance Officer of the firm, Director of Research for the fund of hedge funds business and Head of Risk Management for the single hedge fund business. He holds a BA from Villanova University. The Company believes Mr. Travia’s qualifications to sit on the Company’s Board of Directors include his experience as an investor and deep knowledge of the cannabis capital market ecosystem.

 

John Barker Dalton joins the Company’s Board of Directors as a Board member and as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Dalton is the Founder and has served as Managing Director of Dalton Adventures, LLC (“Dalton Adventures”) since 2010. The assets of Dalton Adventures that constitute the business of SevenFive Farm, a purpose-built cannabis greenhouse facility in Boulder County, Colorado, were acquired by the Company in May 2020 (as described below). Mr. Dalton has over a decade of experience in the cannabis industry. Mr. Dalton created SevenFive Farm after living 5 years in Costa Rica working in sustainable development. His focus was on site study, master design and material sourcing. Prior to working in Costa Rica, Mr. Dalton co-owned and operated Robb’s Music, an iconic music instrument store in Boulder, Colorado. The Company believes Mr. Dalton’s qualifications to sit on the Company’s Board of Directors include his position as one of the largest shareholders in the Company, prior ownership of SevenFive Farm and extensive knowledge of the Colorado cannabis market.

 

Mr. Dalton owns 100% percent of Dalton Adventures. Dalton Adventures owns 8,859,117 shares of the Company’s common stock, which it acquired in connection with the sale of its assets that constitute the business of SevenFive Farm to the Company, which transaction was finalized on May 25, 2020. In conjunction with such acquisition, the Company entered into a lease agreement with Dalton Adventures in which the Company rents greenhouse space in Boulder, Colorado for $33,680 a month, which includes base rent and real estate taxes. The terms of such arrangements with Dalton Adventures were previously disclosed in the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 24, 2020 and May 29, 2020, and a copy of the Asset Purchase Agreement and Commercial Lease between the Company and Dalton Adventures were attached as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated bylaws, the Company’s Board of Directors has the power to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors serving at the time of the increase. Except as described above, there is no arrangement or understanding between Messieurs Williams, Dalton or Travia and any other persons pursuant to which Messieurs Williams, Dalton or Travia were selected as a director of the Company and Messieurs Williams, Dalton or Travia do not have any direct or indirect material interest in any existing or currently proposed transaction to which the Company is or may become a party.

 

3

 

 

Also on September 13, 2020, Adam Hershey and Steve Gutterman were appointed as members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, with Mr. Hershey serving as Chair.

 

A copy of the press release dated September 14, 2020 announcing the foregoing is furnished and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

 

Compensatory Arrangement of Mr. Gutterman

 

As previously reported, on April 29, 2020, Steve Gutterman, the Company’s CEO, agreed to a 50% reduction in his base salary given the uncertainty of the business environment surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 13, 2020, Mr. Gutterman agreed not to enter into discussions to adjust his base salary or his total compensation back to its original level until the company has raised at least $3 million in new, incremental debt or equity capital to fund its growth.

 

Item 5.08.            Shareholder Director Nominations.

 

The Board of Directors of the Company previously announced that it had rescheduled its Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on Monday, November 16, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. MT (the “2020 Annual Meeting”). The Company hereby announces that, in conjunction with the recent changes in the composition of the Board of Directors, it is moving the date of the 2020 Annual Meeting to Monday, November 23, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. MT. The Company will determine a new record date closer to the meeting date. Because the date of the 2020 Annual Meeting differs by more than thirty days from the anniversary date of the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Company is using this Form 8-K to provide the due date for the submission of any qualified shareholder proposals or qualified shareholder nominations. The location of the 2020 Annual Meeting will be as set forth in the Company’s proxy statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting, to be filed prior to the 2020 Annual Meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

In accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), any shareholder proposal intended to be considered for inclusion in the Company’s proxy materials for the 2020 Annual Meeting must be delivered to, or mailed to and received at, the Company’s principal executive offices located at 6565 E. Evans Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80224 Attention: Secretary, on or before the close of business on October 9, 2020, which the Company has determined to be a reasonable time before it expects to begin to print and distribute its proxy materials prior to the 2020 Annual Meeting. In addition to complying with this deadline, shareholder proposals intended to be considered for inclusion in the Company’s proxy materials for the 2020 Annual Meeting must also comply with all applicable SEC rules, including Rule 14a-8, as well as the Company’s bylaws.

 

Section 9 – Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

Item 9.01.            Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(a)          Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired.

 

Not Applicable.

 

(b)          Pro Forma Financial Information.

 

Not Applicable.

 

(c)          Shell Company Transactions.

 

Not Applicable.

 

4

 

 

(d)          Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No. Description
   
10.1 Letter Agreement between General Cannabis Corp and Hershey Strategic Capital, LP and Shore Ventures III, LP, dated September 13, 2020  
   
99.1 Press Release, dated September 14, 2020.
   
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 

5

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

  GENERAL CANNABIS CORP
     
     
Dated: September 14, 2020 By /s/ Steve Gutterman
    Steve Gutterman
    Its: Chief Executive Officer

 

6

 

 

Exhibit 10.1 

 

General Cannabis Corp

6565 East Evans Ave.

Denver, CO 80224

 

September 13, 2020

 

Shore Ventures III, LP

Hershey Strategic Capital, LP

6 Pompano Road

Rumson, New Jersey 07760

Attn: Mr. Adam Hershey

 

Re:          Extension of Negotiation Period in Subscription Agreement dated May 29, 2020

 

Dear Adam:

 

Reference is made to that certain Subscription Agreement, dated as of May 29, 2020 (the “Subscription Agreement”) by and among General Cannabis Corp (the “Company”) and Hershey Strategic Capital, LP and Shore Ventures III, LP (collectively, the “Investor”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Subscription Agreement.

 

This will confirm the Company and Investor’s agreement that the Negotiation Period, as defined in Section 6.8 of the Subscription Agreement, shall be extended to October 4, 2020.

 

Please confirm your agreement to the foregoing by signing below.

 

  Sincerely,
   
  General Cannabis Corp
   
  By: /s/ Steve Gutterman
    Steve Gutterman, Chief Executive Officer

 

ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED

THIS 13th DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2020:

 

HERSHEY STRATEGIC CAPITAL, LP

 

By: Hershey Strategic Capital GP, LLC

 

By: /s/ Adam Hershey  
  Adam Hershey, Managing Member  

 

 

 

 

Page 2

 

 

SHORE VENTURES III, LP

 

By: Hershey Management IV, LLC

 

By: /s/ Adam Hershey  
  Adam Hershey, Managing Member  

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

GENERAL CANNABIS CORP ANNOUNCES NEW

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER; APPOINTS BOARD MEMBERS AND CHAIRMAN

 

Denver, CO (September 14, 2020)—General Cannabis Corp (OTCQB: CANN) announced today it has named Diane Jones as Chief Financial Officer. Jones brings deep experience in accounting and financial planning and has held key executive positions at publicly-held companies. She becomes a member of the Company’s senior management team as it expands its operations within Colorado and maintains a continued focus on creating and driving shareholder value across its business.

 

Prior to joining General Cannabis Corp, Ms. Jones served as Corporate Controller for the Americas at Cardino. Before that, she was Worldwide Controller and Senior Director of Shared Financial Services at Arrow Electronics and earlier served as Assistant Corporate Controller at Ball Corporation. She began her career as a CPA with Ernst & Young. Ms. Jones has taught accounting as an adjunct professor at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and received a BBA from Texas A&M and and MBA from the University of Houston.

 

Steve Gutterman, CEO of General Cannabis Corp and a member of its Board of Directors said: “We’re fortunate to add a CFO of Diane’s deep functional expertise, skills, and technical knowledge in all aspects of corporate finance and accounting. She’s worked across multiple industries, within public companies, and in all sized environments, which will be critical for us as we continue to grow our business, pursue M&A targets and add additional strategic capital needed to fund our growth objectives. As we do so, we will be diligent in our commitment to ensuring that our controls and accounting meet or exceed best practices. Diane will be central to those efforts.”

 

General Cannabis Corp also announced today a change in the composition of its Board of Directors, as its three independent Directors—Peter Boockvar, Mark Green and Seth Oster—have decided to step down after nearly a decade of collective service on the Board. Said Adam Hershey, Board member and shareholder: “We are appreciative of the many contributions Peter, Mark and Seth have made. They have been invaluable to the growth and development of General Cannabis, helping guide the company through challenging periods and working to protect shareholder interests. We are grateful to them."

 

The Board has elected Carl Williams, Richard Travia and Barker Dalton to replace Boockvar, Green and Oster. Williams, who will become Chairman of the Board and an independent director, has extensive company building experience, having lead private and public companies for over 30 years. Travia, who will join as an inpedendent director, brings an extensive background in finance and investment management within private and public companies. Dalton, who will join as a director, has built an expansive reputation within the cannabis industry as Founder and Managing Director of SevenFive Farm, Boulder County’s first purpose-built cannabis greenhouse facility, which General Cannabis Corp acquired in May 2020 in an equity deal that established Dalton as one of the company’s largest shareholders.

 

Said Gutterman, “Our new Board members are well-suited to support management, oversee corporate governance, and add shareholder value. Carl is a seasoned operator and leader who will provide significant mentorship in his role as Chairman of the Board.  Richard’s knowledge about the cannabis capital markets will help us grow; and Barker has been a fantastic partner ever since we acquired SevenFive, and his knowledge about the Colorado cannabis market is extensive. We are fortunate to have them helping lead us forward.”

 

Over the past several months, General Cannabis Corp has continued to establish itself as a leader among Colorado cannabis businesses. It has refined its business strategy to focus on acquiring and operating licensed cannabis facilities throughout the state—transitioning out of unprofitable business lines and investing resources in support of an M&A strategy that led to its successful acquisition this past May of SevenFive Farm. The Company continues to enjoy strong performance from its Next Big Crop cultivation consulting business. In May, General Cannabis Corp became one of the only publicly-held cannabis companies to receive regulatory approval from the State of Colorado, authorizing it to acquire licensed cannabis facilities. And the Company received a significant capital infusion from Hershey Strategic Capital and Shore Ventures III totaling $3 million in equity capital to grow the business and enhance enterprise value.

 

 

 

Additional background on the new members of General Cannabis Corp’s Board of Directors:

 

Carl Williams

Mr. Williams’ career in financial services includes several high profile industry positions. He was the Chairman and CEO of Planet Payment (Nasdaq: PLPM), a company that processes merchant payments internationally. Williams led the sale of Planet Payment to the Fintrax Group, a leader in payment processing. Previously he was President of World Wide Payment Processing for Global Payments (NYSE: GPN). He also served as President of the Merchant Services Division of National Processing Company, a processor of credit card, debit and check transactions. He holds a BA from La Salle University in Philadelphia.

 

Richard Travia

Mr. Travia is an experienced cannabis investor and company builder who founded Wildcat Advisory Group and Wildcat Investment Management. Wildcat Advisory Group is a diversified business and investment consultant that advises small and medium size public and private companies, institutional investors such as family offices, private equity funds and hedge funds, and institutional-quality service providers. Wildcat Investment Management provides investment management services. Prior to launching Wildcat, Richard co-founded Tradex Global Advisors and Tradex Global Advisory Services. While at Tradex, Richard served as the COO and Compliance Officer of the firm, Director of Research for the fund of hedge funds business and Head of Risk Management for the single hedge fund business Richard graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics.

 

Barker Dalton

Mr. Dalton is the Founder and Managing Director at SevenFive Farm, Boulder County’s first purpose-built cannabis greenhouse facility. He has over a decade of experience in the cannabis industry. Mr. Dalton built SevenFive Farm from the ground up, overseeing all elements of the business from construction to cultivation to sales. Under his stewardship, SevenFive Farm has become a leading supplier of wholesale cannabis products, known for quality and consistency. Mr Dalton created SevenFive after living for five years in Costa Rica, working in sustainable development. His focus was on site study, master design and material sourcing. Prior to working in Costa Rica, Mr Dalton gained significant retail experience as the co-owner of Robb’s Music.

 

About General Cannabis Corp
General Cannabis Corp offers a comprehensive national resource for the highest quality service providers available to the regulated cannabis industry. The Company is a trusted partner to the cultivation, production and retail sides of the cannabis business. The Company's website address is www.generalcann.com.

 

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “estimate”, “plan”, “outlook”, and “project” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors relevant in the circumstances. Although General Cannabis Corp believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements because General Cannabis Corp can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, current and future market conditions; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on General Cannabis Corp, risks related to federal, state, local and foreign government laws, rules and regulations, including changes in the regulation of medical and recreational cannabis use; as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in General Cannabis Corp’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading "Risk Factors" and in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. General Cannabis Corp undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made herein.

 

Contact:
Steve Gutterman
sgutterman@generalcann.com