Item 1A. Risk Factors

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks, uncertainties and other factors described below, in addition to the other information set forth in this Form 10-K, before making an investment decision. 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 market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment in our common stock. See also “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Risks Relating to Our Company

Our limited operating history makes it difficult for potential investors to evaluate our business prospects and management.

The Company was incorporated on September 5, 2018 and only commenced operations thereafter. Accordingly, we have a limited operating history upon which to base an evaluation of our business and prospects. Operating results for future periods are subject to numerous uncertainties, and we cannot assure you that the Company will achieve or sustain profitability in the future.

The Company’s prospects must be considered in light of the risks encountered by companies in the early stage of development, particularly companies in new and rapidly evolving markets. Future operating results will depend upon many factors, including our success in attracting and retaining motivated and qualified personnel, our ability to establish short term credit lines or obtain financing from other sources, such as this Offering, our ability to develop and market new products, our ability to control costs, and general economic conditions. We cannot assure you that the Company will successfully address any of these risks. There can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful or that we will ultimately be able to attain profitability.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, our competitive position could be harmed.

Our commercial success will depend in part on our ability to obtain and maintain appropriate intellectual property protection in the United States and foreign countries with respect to our proprietary formulations and products. Our ability to successfully implement our business plan depends on our ability to build and maintain brand recognition using trademarks, service marks, trade dress and other intellectual property. We may rely on trade secret, trademark, patent and copyright laws, and confidentiality and other agreements with employees and third parties, all of which offer only limited protection. The steps we have taken and the steps we will take to protect our proprietary rights may not be adequate to preclude misappropriation of our proprietary information or infringement of our intellectual property rights. If our efforts to protect our intellectual property are unsuccessful or inadequate, or if any third party misappropriates or infringes on our intellectual property, the value of our brands may be harmed, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and prevent our brands from achieving or maintaining market acceptance. Protecting against unauthorized use of our trademarks and other intellectual property rights may be expensive, difficult and in some cases not possible. In some cases, it may be difficult or impossible to detect third-party infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property rights and proving any such infringement may be even more difficult.

We may not be able to effectively manage growth.

As we continue to grow our business and develop products, we expect to need additional research, development, managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial, accounting, legal and other resources. The Company expects its growth to place a substantial strain on its managerial, operational and financial resources. The Company cannot assure that it will be able to effectively manage the expansion of its operations, or that its facilities, systems, procedures or controls will be adequate to support its operations. The Company’s inability to manage future growth effectively would have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our management may not be able to control costs in an effective or timely manner.

The Company’s management has used reasonable efforts to assess, predict and control costs and expenses. However, the Company only has a brief operating history upon which to base those efforts. Implementing our business plan may require more employees, capital equipment, supplies or other expenditure items than management has predicted. Likewise, the cost of compensating employees and consultants or other operating costs may be higher than management’s estimates, which could lead to sustained losses.

We expect our quarterly financial results to fluctuate.

We expect our net sales and operating results to vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, including changes in: 

As a result of the variability of these and other factors, our operating results in future quarters may be below the expectations of our stockholders.

We are subject to the reporting requirements of US federal securities laws, which can be expensive.

We will be subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and other federal securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The costs of preparing and filing annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC and furnishing audited financial statements to stockholders will cause our expenses to be higher than they would be if we had remained privately held. In addition, it may be time consuming, difficult and costly for us to develop and implement the internal controls and reporting procedures required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We may need to hire additional financial reporting, internal controls and other finance personnel in order to develop and implement appropriate internal controls and reporting procedures.

Cybersecurity breaches of our IT systems could degrade our ability to conduct our business operations and deliver products and services to our customers, delay our ability to recognize revenue, compromise the integrity of our software products, result in significant data losses and the theft of our intellectual property, damage our reputation, expose us to liability to third parties and require us to incur significant additional costs to maintain the security of our networks and data.

We increasingly depend upon our IT systems to conduct virtually all of our business operations, ranging from our internal operations and product development activities to our marketing and sales efforts and communications with our customers and business partners. Computer programmers may attempt to penetrate our network security, or that of our website, and misappropriate our proprietary information or cause interruptions of our service. Because the techniques used by such computer programmers to access or sabotage networks change frequently and may not be recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques. In addition, sophisticated hardware and operating system software and applications that we produce or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of the system. We have also outsourced a number of our business functions to third-party contractors, including our manufacturers and logistics providers, and our business operations also depend, in part, on the success of our contractors’ own cybersecurity measures. Similarly, we rely upon distributors, resellers and system integrators to sell our products and our sales operations depend, in part, on the reliability of their cybersecurity measures. Additionally, we depend upon our employees to appropriately handle confidential data and deploy our IT resources in safe and secure fashion that does not expose our network systems to security breaches and the loss of data. Accordingly, if our cybersecurity systems and those of our contractors fail to protect against unauthorized access, sophisticated cyberattacks and the mishandling of data by our employees and contractors, our ability to conduct our business effectively could be damaged in a number of ways, including:

We may incur significant costs and require significant management resources to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and any failure to comply or any adverse result from such evaluation may have an adverse effect on our stock price.

As a smaller reporting company, as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, we will be required to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Section 404”) and to include an internal control report beginning with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. This report must include management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year. This report must also include disclosure of any material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting that we have identified. Failure to comply, or any adverse results from such evaluation could result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports and have an adverse effect on the trading price of our equity securities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts to mitigate its impact may have an adverse effect on our business, liquidity, results of operations, financial condition and price of our securities.

The pandemic involving the novel strain of coronavirus and related respiratory disease (which we refer to as COVID-19) and the measures taken to combat it, have had an adverse effect on our business. Public health authorities and governments at local, national and international levels have announced various measures to respond to this pandemic. Some measures that directly or indirectly impact our business include:

We have undertaken measures in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 including limiting company travel and in-person meetings. We also have enacted our business continuity plans, including implementing procedures requiring employees working remotely where possible which may make maintaining our normal level of corporate operations, quality controls and internal controls difficult. Notwithstanding these efforts, our results of operations have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 and this may continue.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has previously caused some temporary delays in the delivery of our inventory, although recently we are no longer experiencing such delays. In addition, the travel restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 have impacted our ability to visit customer and potential customers for sales presentations, which have been substituted with on-line conference calls. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation efforts have also adversely affected our customers’ financial condition, resulting in reduced spending for the products we sell.

As events are rapidly changing, we do not know how long the COVID-19 pandemic, or localized outbreaks or recurrences of COVID-19, and the measures that have been introduced to respond to COVID-19 will disrupt our operations or the full extent of that disruption. Further, once we are able to restart normal operations doing so may take time and will involve costs and uncertainty. We also cannot predict how long the effects of COVID-19 and the efforts to contain it will continue to impact our business after the pandemic is under control. Governments could take additional restrictive measures to combat the pandemic that could further impact our business or the economy in the geographies in which we operate. It is also possible that the impact of the pandemic and response on our suppliers, customers and markets will persist for some time after governments ease their restrictions. These measures have negatively impacted, and may continue to impact, our business and financial condition as the responses to control COVID-19 continue.

A prolonged economic downturn, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business.

Uncertain global economic conditions, in particular in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business. Negative global and national economic trends, such as decreased consumer and business spending, high unemployment levels and declining consumer and business confidence, pose challenges to our business and could result in declining revenues, profitability and cash flow. Although we continue to devote significant resources to support our brands, unfavorable economic conditions may negatively affect demand for our products.

Increases in costs, disruption of supply or shortage of raw materials could harm our business.

We may experience increases in the cost or a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of raw materials. Any such an increase or supply interruption could materially negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. We use various raw materials in our business including aluminum. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on market conditions and global demand for these materials and could adversely affect our business and operating results. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials increase our operating costs and could reduce our margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs through increased prices for our products.

Our failure to meet the continuing listing requirements of the NASDAQ Capital Market could result in a de-listing of our securities.

If, after this offering, we fail to satisfy the continuing listing requirements of NASDAQ, such as the corporate governance, stockholders’ equity or minimum closing bid price requirements, NASDAQ may take steps to delist our Common Stock. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our Common Stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we would likely take actions to restore our compliance with NASDAQ’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our Common Stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our securities, prevent our Common Stock from dropping below the NASDAQ minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with NASDAQ’s listing requirements.

We will incur increased costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies, which could adversely affect our operating results.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting and corporate governance requirements. These requirements include compliance with Section 404 and other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and the NASDAQ. In addition, our management team will also have to adapt to the requirements of being a public company. We expect complying with these rules and regulations will substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly.

The increased costs associated with operating as a public company will decrease our net income or increase our net loss and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business or increase the prices of our products. Additionally, if these requirements divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

As a public company, we also expect that it may be more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as our executive officers.

We are eligible to be treated as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and a “smaller reporting company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies will make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including (1) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (2) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this annual report and our periodic reports and proxy statements and (3) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, as an emerging growth company, we are only required to provide two years of audited financial statements and two years of selected financial data in this annual report. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of any December 31 before that time or if we have total annual gross revenue of $1.0 billion or more during any fiscal year before that time, after which, in each case, we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31 or, if we issue more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during any three-year period before that time, we would cease to be an emerging growth company immediately.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our shares of Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the prior the end of our second fiscal quarter ending December 31 of each year, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior to the end of our second fiscal quarter ending December 31 of each year. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur additional management time and cost to comply with the more stringent reporting requirements applicable to companies that are deemed accelerated filers or large accelerated filers, including complying with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry

We operate in a highly competitive environment, and if we are unable to compete with our competitors, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects could be materially adversely affected.

We operate in a highly competitive environment. Our competition includes all other companies that are in the business of producing or distributing hemp-based products for personal use or consumption. Many of our competitors have greater resources that may enable them to compete more effectively than us in the CBD industry. Some of our competitors have a longer operating history and greater capital resources, facilities and product line diversity, which may enable them to compete more effectively in this market. Our competitors may devote their resources to developing and marketing products that will directly compete with our product lines. The Company expects to face additional competition from existing competitors and new market entrants. If a significant number of new entrants enters the market in the near term, the Company may experience increased competition for market share and may experience downward pricing pressure on the Company’s products as new entrants increase production. Such competition may cause us to encounter difficulties in generating revenues and market share, and in positioning our products in the market. If we are unable to successfully compete with existing companies and new entrants to the market, our lack of competitive advantage will have a negative impact on our business and financial condition.

Unfavorable publicity or consumer perception of our products or similar products developed and distributed by other companies could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, which could result in decreased sales and fluctuations in our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We depend on consumer perception regarding the safety and quality of our products, as well as similar products marketed and distributed by other companies. Consumer perception of hemp-based products can be significantly influenced by adverse publicity in the form of published scientific research, national media attention or other publicity, which may associate consumption of our products or other similar products with adverse effects or question the benefits and/or effectiveness of our products or similar products. A new product may initially be received favorably, resulting in high sales of that product, but that level of sales may not be sustainable as consumer preferences change over time. Future scientific research or publicity could be unfavorable to our industry or any of our particular products and may not be consistent with earlier favorable research or publicity. Unfavorable research or publicity could have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate sales.

Our failure to appropriately and timely respond to changing consumer preferences and demand for new products could significantly harm our customer relationships and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business is subject to changing consumer trends and preferences. Our failure to accurately predict or react to these trends could negatively impact consumer opinion of us as a source for the latest products, which in turn could harm our customer relationships and cause us to lose market share. The success of our product offerings depends upon a number of factors, including our ability to:

If we do not introduce new products or make enhancements to meet the changing needs of our customers in a timely manner, some of our products could be rendered obsolete, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Future acquisitions or strategic investments and partnerships could be difficult to identify and integrate with our business, disrupt our business, and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may seek to acquire or invest in businesses and product lines that we believe could complement or expand our product offerings, or otherwise offer growth opportunities. The pursuit of potential acquisitions may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses in identifying, investigating, and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not the acquisitions are completed. Future acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our financial position and results of operations. In addition, if an acquired business or product line fails to meet our expectations, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Failure to successfully integrate acquired businesses and their products and other assets into our Company, or if integrated, failure to further our business strategy, may result in our inability to realize any benefit from such acquisition.

We expect to grow by acquiring relevant businesses, including other cannabis-related businesses. The consummation and integration of any acquired business, product or other assets into our Company may be complex and time consuming and, if such businesses and assets are not successfully integrated, we may not achieve the anticipated benefits, cost-savings or growth opportunities. Furthermore, these acquisitions and other arrangements, even if successfully integrated, may fail to further our business strategy as anticipated, expose our Company to increased competition or other challenges with respect to our products or geographic markets, and expose us to additional liabilities associated with an acquired business, technology or other asset or arrangement.

The failure to attract and retain key employees could hurt our business.

Our success also depends upon our ability to attract and retain numerous highly qualified employees. The loss of one or more members of our management team or other key employees or consultants could materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We face competition for personnel and consultants from other companies, universities, public and private research institutions, government entities and other organizations. Our failure to attract and retain skilled management and employees may prevent or delay us from pursuing certain opportunities. If we fail to successfully fill many management roles, fail to fully integrate new members of our management team, lose the services of key personnel, or fail to attract additional qualified personnel, it will be significantly more difficult for us to achieve our growth strategies and success.

We have limited supply sources, and price increases or supply shortages of key raw materials could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our products are composed of certain key raw materials. If the prices of such raw materials increase significantly, it could result in a significant increase in our product development costs. If raw material prices increase in the future, we may not be able to pass on such price increases to our customers. A significant increase in the price of raw materials that cannot be passed on to customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company believes that its continued success will depend upon the availability of raw materials that permit the Company to meet its labeling claims and quality control standards. The supply of our industrial hemp is subject to the same risks normally associated with agricultural production, such as climactic conditions, insect infestations and availability of manual labor or equipment for harvesting. Any significant delay in or disruption of the supply of raw materials could substantially increase the cost of such materials, could require product reformulations, the qualification of new suppliers and repackaging and could result in a substantial reduction or termination by the Company of its sales of certain products, any of which could have a material adverse effect upon the Company. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the disruption of the Company’s supply sources will not have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Loss of key contracts with our suppliers, renegotiation of such agreements on less favorable terms or other actions these third parties may take could harm our business.

Most of our agreements with suppliers of our industrial hemp, including our key supplier contract, are short term. The loss of these agreements, or the renegotiation of these agreements on less favorable economic or other terms, could limit our ability to procure raw material to manufacture our products. This could negatively affect our ability to meet consumer demand for our products. Upon expiration or termination of these agreements, our competitors may be able to secure industrial hemp from our existing suppliers which will put the company at a competitive disadvantage in the market.

Loss of key customers could harm our business.

For the year ended June 30, 2021, a significant portion of our sales were to two large customers, but we do not have contracts for future purchases in place with either of these customers. As such, we do not have any purchase commitments from these customers, and there can be no assurance that they will continue to purchase our products. If these customers do not purchase our products in the future, and we are not able to generate a similar volume of sales from other customers, it could have a material effect on our total sales and result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition and business.

There is limited availability of clinical studies.

Although hemp plants have a long history of human consumption, there is little long-term experience with human consumption of certain of these innovative product ingredients or combinations thereof in concentrated form. Although the Company performs research and/or tests the formulation and production of its products, there is limited clinical data regarding the safety and benefits of ingesting industrial hemp-based products. Any instance of illness or negative side effects of ingesting industrial hemp-based products would have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.

We face substantial risk of product liability claims and potential adverse product publicity.

Like any other retailer, distributor or manufacturer of products that are designed to be ingested, we face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims, regulatory action and litigation if our products are alleged to have caused loss or injury. In the event we do not have adequate insurance or contractual indemnification, product liability claims could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company is not currently a named defendant in any product liability lawsuit; however, other manufacturers and distributors of hemp-based products currently are or have been named as defendants in such lawsuits. The successful assertion or settlement of any uninsured claim, a significant number of insured claims, or a claim exceeding the Company’s insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

We may be unable to attract and retain independent distributors for our products.

As a direct selling company, our revenue depends in part upon the number and productivity of our independent distributors. Like most direct selling companies, we experience high levels of turnover among our independent distributors from year to year, who may terminate their service at any time. Generally, we need to increase the productivity of our independent distributors and/or retain existing independent distributors and attract additional independent distributors to maintain and/or increase product sales. Many factors affect our ability to attract and retain independent distributors, including the following:

Our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected if our independent distributors are unable to maintain their current levels of productivity, or if we are unable to retain existing distributors and attract new distributors in sufficient numbers to maintain present sales levels and sustain future growth.

We could incur obligations resulting from the activities of our independent distributors.

We sell our products through a network of independent distributors. Independent distributors are independent contractors who operate their own business separate and apart from the Company. We may not be able to control certain aspects of our distributors’ activities that may impact our business. If local laws and regulations, or the interpretation thereof, change and require us to treat our independent distributors as employees, or if our independent distributors are deemed by local regulatory authorities in one or more of the jurisdictions in which we operate to be our employees rather than independent contractors under existing laws and interpretations, we may be held responsible for a variety of obligations that are imposed upon employers relating to their employees, including employment-related taxes and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, there is the possibility that some jurisdictions may seek to hold us responsible for false product or earnings-related claims due to the actions of our independent distributors. Liability for any of these issues could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If our independent distributors’ failure to comply with applicable advertising laws and regulations could adversely affect our financial conditions and results of operations.

The advertisement of our products is subject to extensive regulations in the markets in which we do business. Our independent distributors may fail to comply with such regulations governing the advertising of our products. We cannot ensure that all marketing materials used by our independent distributors comply with applicable regulations, including bans on false or misleading product and earnings-related claims. If our independent distributors fail to comply with applicable regulations, we could be subjected to claims of false advertising, misrepresentation, significant financial penalties, and/or costly mandatory product recalls and relabeling requirements with respect to our products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to risks arising from the recent global outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus has spread across the globe and is impacting worldwide economic activity. A pandemic, including COVID-19 or other public health epidemic, poses the risk that we or our employees, suppliers, manufacturers and other partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time, including due to the spread of the disease or shutdowns that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities. While it is not possible at this time to estimate the full impact that COVID-19 could have on our business, the continued spread of COVID-19 could disrupt our clinical trials, supply chain and the manufacture or shipment of our cyclodextrin products, and other related activities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. COVID-19 has also had an adverse impact on global economic conditions which could impair our ability to raise capital when needed. While we have not yet experienced any disruptions in our business or other negative consequences relating to COVID-19, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our results will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

Risks Related to the CBD Industry

Laws and regulations affecting the CBD industry are evolving under the Farm Bill, and changes to applicable regulations may materially affect our future operations in the CBD market.

The CBD used by the Company is derived from hemp as defined in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (United States) (the “Farm Bill “) and codified at 7 USC 1639o means “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.” The Cannabis sativa plant and its derivatives may also be deemed marijuana, depending on certain factors. “Marijuana” is a Schedule I controlled substance and is defined in the Federal Controlled Substances Act at 21 USC Section 802(16) as “all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin.” Exemptions to that definition provided in 21 USC Section 802(16) include “the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination” or hemp as defined in 7 USC 1639o.

Substances meeting the definition of “hemp” in the Farm Bill and 7 USC 1639o may be used in clinical studies and research through an Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application with the Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”). Substances scheduled as controlled substances, like marijuana, require more rigorous regulation, including interaction with several agencies including the FDA, the DEA, and the NIDA within the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”).

Accordingly, if the CBD used by the Company is deemed marijuana and, therefore, a Schedule I controlled substance, the Company could be subject to significant additional regulation, as well as enforcement actions and penalties pertaining to the Federal Controlled Substances Act, and any resulting liability could require the Company to modify or cease its operations.

Furthermore, in conjunction with the Farm Bill, the FDA released a statement about the status of CBD use in food and dietary supplements, noting that the Farm Bill explicitly preserved the FDA’s authority to regulate products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”) and Section 351 of the Public Health Service Act. Any difficulties we experience in complying with existing and/or new government regulation could increase our operating costs and adversely impact our results of operations in future periods. The FDA has issued guidance titled “FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD)” pursuant to which the FDA has taken the position that CBD is prohibited from use as an ingredient in a food or beverage or as a dietary ingredient in or as a dietary supplement based on several provisions of the FDCA. In the definition of “dietary supplement” found in the FDCA at 201(ff), an article authorized for investigation as a new drug, antibiotic, or biological for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and for which the existence of such investigations has been made public, is excluded from the definition of dietary supplement. A similar provision in the FDCA 301(ll) makes it a prohibited act to introduce or deliver into commerce any food with a substance that was investigated as a new drug prior to being included in a food. There are no similar exclusions for the use of CBD in non-drug topical products, as long as such products otherwise comply with applicable laws. The FDA created a task force to address the further regulation of CBD and other cannabis-derived products and is currently evaluating the applicable science and pathways for regulating CBD and other cannabis-derived ingredients.

As a result of the Farm Bill’s recent passage, we expect that there will be a constant evolution of laws and regulations affecting the CBD industry which could affect the Company’s plan of operations. Local, state and federal hemp laws and regulations may be broad in scope and subject to changing interpretations. These changes may require us to incur substantial costs associated with legal compliance and may ultimately require us to alter our business plan. Furthermore, violations of these laws, or alleged violations, could disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our operations. We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations or applications, and it is possible that regulations may be enacted in the future that will be directly applicable to our business.

Changes to state laws pertaining to industrial hemp could slow the use of industrial hemp, which could impact our revenues in future periods. Approximately 40 states have authorized industrial hemp programs pursuant to the Farm Bill. Additionally, various states have enacted state-specific laws pertaining to the handling, manufacturing, labeling, and sale of CBD and other hemp products. Compliance with state-specific laws and regulations could impact our operations in those specific states. Continued development of the industrial hemp industry will be dependent upon new legislative authorization of industrial hemp at the state level, and further amendment or supplementation of legislation at the federal level. Any number of events or occurrences could slow or halt progress all together in this space. While progress within the industrial hemp industry is currently encouraging, growth is not assured, and while there appears to be ample public support for favorable legislative action, numerous factors may impact or negatively affect the legislative process(es) within the various states where we have business interests.

Unfavorable interpretations of laws governing hemp processing activities could subject us to enforcement or other legal proceedings and limit our business and prospects.

There are no express protections in the United States under applicable federal or state law for possessing or processing hemp biomass derived from lawful hemp not exceeding 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis and intended for use in finished product, but that may temporarily exceed 0.3% THC during the interim processing stages. While it is a common occurrence for hemp biomass to have variance in THC content during interim processing stages after cultivation but prior to use in finished products, there is risk that state or federal regulators or law enforcement could take the position that such hemp biomass is a Schedule I controlled substance in violation of the CSA and similar state laws. In the event that the Company’s operations are deemed to violate any laws, the Company could be subject to enforcement actions and penalties, and any resulting liability could cause the Company to modify or cease its operations.

Costs associated with compliance with various laws and regulations could negatively impact our financial results.

The manufacture, labeling and distribution of CBD products is regulated by various federal, state and local agencies. These governmental authorities may commence regulatory or legal proceedings, which could restrict our ability to market CBD-based products in the future. The FDA regulates our products to ensure that the products are not adulterated or misbranded. We may also be subject to regulation by other federal, state and local agencies with respect to our CBD-based products. Our advertising activities are subject to regulation by the FTC under the Federal Trade Commission Act. In recent years, the FTC and state attorneys general have initiated numerous investigations of dietary and nutritional supplement companies and products. Any actions or investigations initiated against the Company by governmental authorities or private litigants could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any actions or investigations initiated against the Company by governmental authorities or private litigants could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The shifting regulatory environment necessitates building and maintaining of robust systems to achieve and maintain compliance in multiple jurisdictions and increases the possibility that we may violate one or more of the legal requirements applicable to our business and products. If our operations are found to be in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, we may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, injunctions, or product withdrawals, recalls or seizures, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business, our financial condition and results of operations.

Uncertainty caused by potential changes to legal regulations could impact the use and acceptance of CBD products.

There is substantial uncertainty and differing interpretations and opinions among federal, state and local regulatory agencies, legislators, academics and businesses as to the scope of operation of Farm Bill-compliant hemp programs relative to the emerging regulation of cannabinoids and the Controlled Substances Act. These different opinions include, but are not limited to, the regulation of cannabinoids by the DEA and/or the FDA, and the extent to which manufacturers of products containing Farm Bill-compliant cultivators and processors may engage in interstate commerce. The existing uncertainties in the CBD regulatory landscape in the United States cannot be resolved without further federal, and perhaps state-level, legislation and regulation or a definitive judicial interpretation of existing laws and regulations. If these uncertainties are not resolved in the near future or are resolved in the manner inconsistent with our business plan, such uncertainties may have an adverse effect upon our plan of operations and the introduction of our CBD-based products in different markets.

If we fail to obtain necessary permits, licenses and approvals under applicable laws and regulations, our business and plan of operations may be adversely impacted.

We may be required to obtain and maintain certain permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in the jurisdictions where we sell or plan to sell our products. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain or maintain any necessary licenses, permits or approvals. Any material delay in obtaining, or inability to obtain, such licenses, permits and approvals is likely to delay and/or inhibit our ability to carry out our plan of operations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Potential future international expansion of our business could expose us to additional regulatory risks and compliance costs.

Although we have no plans to expand internationally for at least two or more years, if the Company intends to expand internationally or engage in the international sale of its products, it will become subject to the laws and regulations of the foreign jurisdictions in which it operates, or in which it imports or exports products or materials, including, but not limited to, customs regulations in the importing and exporting countries. The varying laws and rapidly changing regulations may impact the Company’s operations and ability to ensure compliance. In addition, the Company may avail itself of proposed legislative changes in certain jurisdictions to expand its product portfolio, which expansion may include unknown business and regulatory compliance risks. Failure by the Company to comply with the evolving regulatory framework in any jurisdiction could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

The market for health and wellness products is highly competitive. If we are unable to compete effectively in the market, our business and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.

The market for CBD products is a competitive and rapidly evolving market. There are numerous competitors in the industry, some of whom are more well-established with longer operating histories and greater financial resources than the Company. We expect competition continue to intensify following the recent passage of the Farm Bill. We believe the Company will be able to compete effectively because of the quality of our products and customer service. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will effectively compete with existing or future competitors. Increased competition may also drive the prices of our products down, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in future periods.

Given the rapid changes affecting the global, national and regional economies generally, the Company may experience difficulties in establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The Company’s success will depend on our ability to keep pace with any changes in such markets, especially legal and regulatory changes. Our success will depend on our ability to respond to, among other things, changes in the economy, market conditions and competitive pressures. Any failure to anticipate or respond adequately to such changes could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.