Registrant’s telephone number, including area code  (831) 998-8214

 

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

 

 

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

 

Subordinate Voting Shares

(Title of class)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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.

 

Large accelerated filer	☐		Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐		Smaller reporting company	☒
			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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.☐

 

 

LOWELL FARMS INC.

 

Table of Contents

Page

 

ITEM 1. BUSINESS	1
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS	21
ITEM 2. FINANCIAL INFORMATION	38
ITEM 3. PROPERTIES	51
ITEM 4. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT	51
ITEM 5. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS	53
ITEM 6. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION	56
ITEM 7. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE	58
ITEM 8. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.	59
ITEM 9. MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS	59
ITEM 10. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.	60
ITEM 11. DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT'S SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED	62
ITEM 12. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS	67
ITEM 13. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA	69
ITEM 14. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE	69
ITEM 15. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS	70
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	F-2

 

 

 

 

ITEM 1. BUSINESS.

 

Unless the context indicates or suggests otherwise, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company,” or “Lowell Farms” refer to Lowell Farms Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of British Columbia, Canada, individually, or as the context requires, collectively with its subsidiaries. For a discussion of our corporate history, see Corporate Information below.

 

General

 

We are a California-based cannabis company with vertically integrated operations including large scale cultivation, extraction, processing, manufacturing, branding, packaging and wholesale distribution to retail dispensaries. We manufacture and distribute proprietary and third-party brands throughout the State of California, the largest cannabis market in the world. Our proprietary product portfolio includes distinctive and highly regarded premium packaged flower, pre-roll, concentrates, and vape products distributed under the Lowell Herb Co. and Lowell Smokes brands. We also provide manufacturing, extraction and distribution services to third-party cannabis and cannabis branding companies.

 

We operate a 225,000 square foot greenhouse cultivation facility in Monterey County, a 15,000 square foot manufacturing and laboratory facility in Salinas, California, a separate 20,000 square foot distribution facility in Salinas, California, an 11,000 square foot production facility in Sun Valley, California and a warehouse depot and distribution vehicles in Los Angeles, California.

 

We acquired the Lowell Herb Co. and Lowell Smokes trademark brands, product portfolio and production assets from The Hacienda Group, a California limited liability company (“Hacienda”), and its subsidiaries on February 25, 2021. We changed our name from Indus Holdings, Inc. to Lowell Farms Inc. effective March 1, 2021. The acquisition is referred to in this Form 10 as the “Lowell Acquisition.” See Corporate Information - Recent Developments for further information about the Lowell Acquisition.

 

Product Offerings

 

Our product offerings includes flower, vape pens, oils, extracts, chocolate edibles, mints, gummies, beverages, tinctures and pre-rolls. We sell our products under owned and third-party brands.

 

Brands we own include the following:

 

 

 

 

 

Third-party brands for which we exclusively manufacture and distribute in California include Dixie beverages and edibles, Dr. Raw tinctures and topicals, Legal beverages, and Her Highness edibles and prerolls. We also provide third party extraction processing and third-party distribution services, and bulk extraction concentrates and flower to licensed manufacturers and distributors. The focus in 2020 was on owned brands and limiting the number of third-party brands manufactured and distributed. The Lowell Acquisition is a significant expansion of this strategy.

 

Cultivation

 

We conduct cannabis cultivation operations located in Monterey County, California. We currently operate a cultivation facility which includes four greenhouses totaling approximately 225,000 square feet sited on 10 acres located on Zabala Road. Farming cannabis at this scale enables us to curate specialized strains and maintain greater control over the quantity and quality of cannabis available for our products, preserving the consistency of our flower and cannabis feedstocks for our extraction laboratory and product manufacturing operations.

 

The first harvest was in the third quarter of calendar 2017. We are nearing completion of a series of facility upgrades to our greenhouses and supporting infrastructure, which when completed will increase facility output approximately four times from that generated in 2019. These facility improvements include separate grow rooms configured with drop-shades, supplemental lighting, upgraded electrical capability with environmental controls and automated fertigation, raised gutter height in two of the greenhouses and expanded dry room capacity capable of handling the increased output. We harvested approximately 9,000 and 17,000 pounds of flower in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and are currently projecting to harvest up to 40,000 to 45,000 pounds in 2021 as a result of these facility upgrades and improvements.  We have invested approximately $6 million in our greenhouse renovations to date with a planned $2 million additional investment. The completion and commissioning of the renovated greenhouses and headhouse is expected to further reduce unit costs of cultivation and make available additional cannabis flower and feedstocks for our extraction and processing, packaging and distribution operations.

 

Lowell Farms maintains a strict quality control process which facilitates a predictable output yield of pesticide-free products.

 

Extraction

 

Extraction operations were first launched by us in the third quarter of 2017 with the commissioning of our 5,000 square foot licensed laboratory within our Salinas manufacturing facility. The lab contains six separate rooms that can each house one independent closed loop volatile extraction machine (meaning that the machine does not expose the products to open air), which are designed to process the cannabis through the application of hydrocarbon or ethanol solvents, to extract certain concentrated resins and oils from the dried cannabis. This process is known as volatile extraction, which is an efficient and rapid method of extracting cannabis. These resins, oils and concentrates are sold as ingestible products known as “shatter”, rosin, wax, sugar, diamonds, “caviar” and “crumble”.

 

 

We currently own and operate five closed loop volatile extraction machines, each housed in a separate room, and each having the capacity to process approximately 100 pounds of dry product per day yielding approximately 5 kilograms of cannabis concentrates. We also currently own and operate 14 purge ovens to work in conjunction with the five extraction units in the laboratory. Purge ovens, also known as vacuum ovens, are used after the processing by the extraction units to remove the solvents from the end-product in a low pressure and high heat environment.

 

The extraction operations utilize cannabis feedstocks from the Lowell Farms cultivation site, supplemented with feedstock acquired from multiple third-party cultivations. Concentrate production is packaged as branded extracts, such as crumble, shatter, wax and sugar for distribution, incorporated into its manufactured edible products and sold in bulk to other licensed enterprises. In addition, extraction is provided on a fee-based service on third-party material.

 

Upon the completion of the acquisition of certain regulatory assets in the Lowell Acquisition, we will acquire from Hacienda certain non-hydrocarbon extraction assets used for the production of oils, water hashish, bubble hashish and rosin.

 

Manufacturing

 

Our manufacturing facility is located in Salinas, California and houses our edible product operations and extraction and distillation operations. The edible product operations utilize internally produced cannabis oil, which can also be supplied from multiple external sources. Our manufacturing operations produce a wide variety of cannabis-infused products in our 15,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Salinas. Our products include chocolate confections, beverages, baked goods, hard and soft non-chocolate confections, and topical lotions and balms. Lowell Farms utilizes modern commercial production equipment and employs food grade manufacturing protocols, including industry-leading standard operating procedures designed so that its products meet stringent quality standards. We have implemented updated compliance, packaging and labeling standards to meet the requirements of the California Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act with the advent of adult use legalization in California.

 

We also operate an automated flower packaging line and a pre-roll assembly line for making finished goods in those respective categories with feedstock grown by the Lowell Farms cultivation operations.

 

Distribution and Distribution Services

 

We have a primary distribution center, warehouse and packing facility located in Salinas, California and a service center and distribution depot in Los Angeles, California. We provide physical warehousing and delivery to retail dispensary customers throughout the State of California for our manufactured products as well as third party branded products distributed on behalf of third parties. In addition, we distribute all finished goods produced at the Hacienda facility. Deliveries are made daily to over 80% of the licensed dispensaries in California utilizing a fleet of 39 owned and leased vehicles. We provide warehousing, delivery, customer service and collection services for the third-party brands. We will increase our fleet of vehicles as necessary to meet delivery requirements from increased proprietary and third-party brand sales.

 

 

Technology Platform

 

We maintain an automated, on-demand supply chain logistics platform, utilizing e-commerce, enterprise resource planning and other technology to manage product movement, order taking and logistics needs.

 

Inventory Management

 

We have comprehensive inventory management procedures, which are compliant with the rules set forth by the California Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Cannabis Control and all other applicable state and local laws, regulations, ordinances, and other requirements. These procedures ensure strict control over Lowell Farms’ cannabis and cannabis product inventory from cultivation or manufacture to sale and delivery to a licensed dispensary, distributor or manufacturer, or disposal as cannabis waste. Such inventory management procedures also include measures to prevent contamination and maintain the quality of the products cultivated, manufactured or distributed.

 

Sources, Pricing and Availability of Raw Materials, Component Parts or Finished Products

 

We presently source all flower feedstock for sale primarily from our cultivation facility. We have developed relationships with local cannabis growers whereby flower quantities are readily available at competitive prices should the sourcing need arise. We source our biomass needs in extraction from our cultivation facility and from third-party suppliers. Remaining biomass material is readily available from multiple sources at competitive prices. Lowell Farms manufactures substantially all cannabis oil and distillate needs from its internal extraction operations. A small amount of specialized cannabis oil is procured from multiple external sources at competitive prices. Lowell Farms manufactures all finished goods for its proprietary brands. Third party distributed brand product is sourced directly from third party partners.

 

Corporate Information

 

We are a company incorporated under the laws of British Columbia, Canada. On April 25, 2019, we completed a reverse takeover transaction with Indus Holding Company, a Delaware corporation. On February 25, 2021, we completed the Lowell Acquisition. In connection with the Lowell Acquisition, we changed our name to Lowell Farms Inc.

 

Business Combination with Indus Holding Company

 

The Company entered into a definitive agreement dated as of March 29, 2019 (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with Indus Holding Company and certain other parties pursuant to which the Company effected a business combination with Indus Holding Company. The business combination resulted in a reverse take-over (the “Business Combination” or the “RTO”) of the Company by the securityholders of Indus Holding Company. The completion of the RTO was announced on April 29, 2019.

 

We were incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on October 27, 2005 under the name Zoolander Corporation. Our articles of incorporation were amended on September 10, 2013 to change our name from “Zoolander Corporation” to “Mezzotin Minerals Inc.” We sometimes refer to the Company in this Form 10 as “Mezzotin” when referring to the period prior to the RTO. In connection with the RTO, we filed articles of amendment to effectuate the Share Terms Amendment (as defined below) and became domiciled in British Columbia, Canada under the name “Indus Holdings, Inc.”

 

 

Indus Holding Company was formed as a Delaware corporation on January 2, 2015 and was recapitalized pursuant to an amendment and restatement of its certificate of incorporation in connection with the RTO. Pursuant to the recapitalization, all outstanding shares of preferred and common stock of Indus Holding Company were reclassified as non-voting Class B Common Shares, as described in the next paragraph. Simultaneously, the Company subscribed for and became the sole holder of Indus Holding Company’s voting Class A Common Shares. The purchase price for the Class A Common Shares was paid from the proceeds of a subscription receipts financing conducted in connection with the RTO.

 

In connection with the RTO, (i) a new class of equity securities of Mezzotin designated subordinate voting shares (“Subordinate Voting Shares”) were created, and all outstanding common shares of Mezzotin were reclassified as Subordinate Voting Shares at a ratio of one Subordinate Voting Share for every 485.3 common shares and (ii) a new class of non-participating securities of Mezzotin designated super voting shares (“Super Voting Shares”) were created (collectively, the “Share Terms Amendment”). Additionally, pursuant to the Indus Holding Company recapitalization, the voting Class A Common Shares (“Indus Sub Class A Shares”) and the non-voting Class B Common Shares (“Indus Sub Class B Shares”) of Indus Holding Company were created. All outstanding shares of preferred and common stock of Indus Holding Company were reclassified as Indus Sub Class B Shares on a one-for-one basis. Indus Sub Class B Shares are redeemable at the option of the holder for Subordinate Voting Shares on a one-for-one basis or, at Indus Holding Company’s option, for cash.

 

Effective April 16, 2020, in connection with the completion of a private placement of convertible debentures and warrants (the “Convertible Debenture Offering”), our certificate of incorporation was amended to create a class of non-voting Class C Common Shares (the “Indus Sub Class C Shares” and, together with the Indus Sub Class B Shares, the “Indus Sub Convertible Shares”). The debentures issued in the Convertible Debenture Offering are convertible into Indus Sub Class C Shares. The Indus Sub Class C Shares are redeemable at the option of the holder for Subordinate Voting Shares on a one-for-one basis. See “General Development of the Business – Financing Transactions” below for further details as to the Convertible Debenture Offering.

 

Recent Developments

 

Lowell Acquisition

 

On February 25, 2021, the Company completed the Lowell Acquisition, pursuant to which it acquired substantially all of the assets associated with the Lowell Herb Co. and Lowell Smokes brands, including the trademarks, product portfolio and production assets, from Hacienda. Lowell Herb Co. is a leading California cannabis brand. The Company will continue the manufacturing and distribution of distinctive and highly regarded premium packaged flower, pre-roll, concentrates, and vape products under the Lowell Herb Co. and Lowell Smokes brands.

 

The consideration for the Lowell Acquisition was valued at approximately $39.0 million and consisted of a cash payment of $4.1 million and the issuance of 22,643,678 Subordinate Voting Shares to Hacienda. 5,000,000 of such shares are being held in escrow to secure indemnification obligations undertaken by the sellers in the transaction. The share consideration was issued in a private placement transaction and the Company has agreed to register those shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission for resale.

 

Hacienda has agreed to continue to produce Lowell branded products for an interim period for the account of the Company pending the completion of the transfer of certain regulatory assets. During such period, the Company is managing the production operations of Hacienda at the Sun Valley, California facility pursuant to a management services agreement and will be responsible for substantially all of the liabilities of the production operation, excluding income taxes.

 

 

Name Change

 

Effective March 1, 2021, we changed our name from Indus Holdings, Inc. to Lowell Farms Inc. On March 5, 2021, the Subordinate Voting Shares and the warrants issued in our December 2020 Unit offering described herein (the "December 2020 Warrants") began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) under the ticker symbols LOWL and LOWL.WT, respectively, and the Subordinate Voting Shares began trading on the OTCQX under the ticker symbol LOWLF.

 

Organizational Chart

 

Set forth below is the organization chart of the Company, setting out all material subsidiaries of the Company and their jurisdiction of incorporation, formation or organization. Each of the subsidiaries of Indus Holding Company is wholly-owned by it.

 

 

Although Indus Holding Company and certain of its subsidiaries exist under the laws of Delaware and Nevada, no such company carries on operations in Delaware or Nevada. Indus is presently carrying on active business operations solely in California.

 

The head office of the Company is located at 19 Quail Run Circle – Suite B, Salinas, California 93907 USA. The registered office of the Company is Suite 2200, HSBC Building, 885 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3E8 Canada. Our website address is https://www.lowellfarms.direct.com/. No information available on or through our website shall be deemed to be incorporated into this Registration Statement on Form 10.

 

 

U.S. Cannabis Market

 

The emergence of the legal cannabis sector in the United States, both for medical and adult use, has been rapid as more states adopt regulations for its production and sale. A majority of Americans now live in a state where cannabis is legal in some form and almost a quarter of the population lives in states where it is fully legalized for adult use.1 According to Fortune Business Insights, the global legal marijuana market is anticipated to reach a value of US$97.35 billion by the end of 2026 from US$10.60 billion in 2018. The market is predicted to rise at a compounded annual growth rate of 32.6% during the period 2019 to 2026.2

 

The use of cannabis and cannabis derivatives to treat or alleviate the symptoms of a wide variety of chronic conditions has been generally accepted by a majority of citizens with a growing acceptance by the medical community as well. A review of the research, published in 2015 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found solid evidence that cannabis can treat pain and muscle spasms.3 The pain component is particularly important, because other studies have suggested that cannabis can replace pain patients’ use of highly addictive, potentially deadly opiates.4 Polls conducted throughout the United States consistently show overwhelming support for the legalization of medical cannabis, together with strong majority support for the full legalization of recreational adult-use cannabis. As of November 11, 2019, “Around nine-in-ten Americans favor legalization for recreational or medical purposes” and “Only 8% say it should not be legal.”5 These are large increases in public support over the past 40 years in favor of legal cannabis use.

 

Today cannabis is legal in some form in a total of 36 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On the recreational side, there are currently 15 States, plus the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories, in which the recreational sale of cannabis has been approved. These States include Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Vermont, Alaska, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana. With respect to medical marijuana, as more research centers study the effects of cannabis-based products in treating or addressing therapeutic needs, and assuming that research findings demonstrate that such products are effective in doing so, management believes that the size of the U.S. medical cannabis market will also continue to grow as more States expand their medical marijuana programs and new States legalize medical marijuana. Although the Company only operates in the State of California, it may seek opportunities expand into other States within the United States that have legalized cannabis use either medicinally or recreationally.

_________________

1 Nichols, Chris (2018). Do a majority of Americans live in states with legal marijuana. https://www.politifact.com/california/statements/2018/apr/19/john-chiang/do-majority-americans-live-states-legal-marijuana/

2 Cannabis/Marijuana Market Size. (August 2019) Retrieved from https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/cannabis-marijuana-market-100219 

3 Grant, Igor MD (2015). Medical Use of Cannabinoids. Journal of American Medical Association, 314: 16, 1750-1751. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.11429.

4 Bachhuber, MA, Saloner B, Cunningham CO, Barry CL. (2014). Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Analgesic Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1999-2010. JAMA Intern Med. 174(10):1668-1673. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.4005.

5 Pew Research Organization (November 11, 2019). Two-thirds of Americans support marijuana legalization. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/11/14/americans-support-marijuana-legalization/

 

 

Growth Strategy

 

While the legalization of cannabis throughout the United States continues to expand both in the adult use (recreational) and medical markets, and the size of the U.S. cannabis market will continue to provide growth opportunities, management believes that focusing on the substantial California market and becoming profitable and self-sustaining is the appropriate near-term growth strategy for the Company.

 

We plan to capitalize on the significant increase in cannabis consumption in California through the robust marketing of the recently acquired Lowell branded products and our other proprietary brands, the continued expansion of our brand and distribution footprint and the exploitation of our increased cultivation capacity. We will selectively seek opportunities to further expand our brands and operations in California through acquisitions or alliances.

 

We may also seek to expand our cultivation footprint within California by either purchasing an existing cultivation business or by entering into a lease arrangement with a suitable property to develop cultivation facilities. We currently have no retail facilities within the state of California but continue to evaluate such opportunities and could seek to enter retail at a future date.

 

Also, we may consider, but do not currently have definitive plans or timelines for our expansion beyond California as these markets continue to expand.

 

Competitive Conditions

 

We compete with other branded licensed cultivators, manufacturers and distributors, offering similar products and services, within California.

 

Currently, the California cannabis industry is largely comprised of small to medium-sized entities. We believe that the vast majority of our competitors are relatively small operations. Over time, it is expected that within California the industry will begin to consolidate as market-share will increasingly favor larger and more sophisticated operators.

 

We expect to face additional competition from new entrants. To remain competitive, we expect to invest in scale, people, processes and technology to maintain cost and product leadership over our competitors.

 

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 our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

 

Also, we expect to face continued competition from the illicit or “black-market” commercial activities that still operate within the state. Despite state-level legalization of cannabis in the United States, such operations remain abundant and present substantial competition to Lowell Farms. In particular, illicit operations, because they are largely clandestine, are not required to comply with the extensive regulations with which we must comply in order to conduct business, and accordingly may have significantly lower costs of operation. It is estimated that the current illicit cannabis market in California exceeds $8.5 billion.6

 

_________________ 

6 https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/business/analyst-california-cannabis-market-isnt-slowed-by-covid-and-should-reach/

 

Intangible Property

 

To date, we have 11 registered federal trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and 3 California state trademark registrations. In addition, we have 8 federal trademark application pending. We own over 100 website domains, including www.lowellfarms.com, and numerous social media accounts across all major platforms. Lowell Farms maintains strict standards and operating procedures regarding its intellectual property, including the regular use of nondisclosure, confidentiality, and intellectual property assignment agreements.

 

Lowell Farms has developed numerous proprietary technologies and processes. These proprietary technologies and processes include its information system software, cultivation, edible manufacturing and extraction techniques, quality and compliance processes and new product development processes. While actively exploring the patentability of these techniques and processes, Lowell Farms relies on non-disclosure/confidentiality arrangements and trade secret protection. Lowell Farms has invested significant resources towards developing recognizable and unique brands consistent with premium companies in analogous industries.

 

Employees

 

Lowell Farms employs personnel with a wide range of skill sets, including those with masters’ and bachelors’ degrees in their respective fields. With respect to cultivation, Lowell Farms recruits individuals with plant science and agricultural experience, and personnel have the practical experience necessary to cultivate high yielding, multiple strain variety cannabis plants and to develop new cannabis strains through selective horticultural practices. With regard to extraction, Lowell Farms recruits individuals with extraction and distillation experience for its product lines, and personnel have the practical experience and knowledge necessary to process the raw, dried cannabis product through volatile extraction processes, thereby generating high yields of cannabis extracts and distillates. In addition, Lowell Farms personnel have the practical experience and knowledge necessary to conduct secondary processing of cannabis biomass into crude cannabis oil, distillate, and concentrates, including shatter, wax and crystals, and to utilize the natural terpenes in cannabis to formulate premium vaporizer oils. Terpenes are the oils that give cannabis plants their smell. They come from the same components as tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) and cannabidiol (“CBD”).

 

With regard to product development and manufacturing, Lowell Farms recruits individuals with professional culinary education for edibles product development for its edibles division, and personnel have extensive experience in confectionary product development and manufacturing, particularly with regard to cannabis edibles, including chocolates, candies, cookies, gummies, beverages and tinctures.

 

With regard to sales & distribution, we recruit employees who retain a high degree of industry awareness and knowledge who can interface with dispensaries state-wide and introduce our products with the intention of retaining and potentially increasing shelf-space and the intention of maintaining or increasing market share. Our sales and distribution teams are important conduits for collecting intelligence on consumer behavior and trends. Our distribution capabilities are critical to building trust with dispensaries that they will receive inventory on a timely and consistent basis.

 

Lowell Farms currently possesses all specialized skills and knowledge it requires, but will continue to compete with other cannabis and manufacturing companies to secure and retain such staff.

 

As of March 1, 2021, we had 224 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees, all of which are located in California. Additionally, Lowell Farms utilizes contract employees in security, cultivation, packaging and warehousing activities. The use of contract employees enables Lowell Farms to manage variable staffing needs and in the case of cultivation and security personnel, access to experienced, qualified and readily available human resources.

 

 

In 2018, the manufacturing personnel of Lowell Farms were organized by UFCW Local 5. In 2020, prior to the completion of a collective bargaining agreement, the union workers voted to decertify UFCW Local 5. Under California law, the holder of a cannabis license with 20 or more employees must enter into a “labor peace agreement” with a union or provide a notarized statement to the Bureau of Cannabis Control that it will do so. A “labor peace agreement” is a private contract between an employer and a union that requires both parties to waive certain rights under federal labor law in connection with union organizing activities. Following the decertification of UFCW Local 5, Lowell Farms provided such a notarized statement to the Bureau of Cannabis Control. There has been no further union organizing activity of which the Company is aware involving its employees.

 

United States Regulatory Environment

 

Below is a discussion of the federal and state-level U.S. regulatory regimes in those jurisdictions where Lowell Farms is currently involved, directly or through its subsidiaries in the cannabis industry. Lowell Farms is directly engaged in the manufacture, extraction, cultivation, package, sale or distribution of cannabis in the adult-use and/or medical industries in the State of California. The Company derives all of its revenues from the cannabis industry in the State of California, which industry is illegal under U.S. federal law. The Company’s cannabis-related activities are compliant with applicable State and local law, and the related licensing framework, and the Company is not aware of any non-compliance with applicable State and local law, and the related licensing framework, by any of the Company’s clients to whom the Company renders services. Nonetheless, such activities remain illegal under U.S. federal law. The enforcement of relevant laws is a significant risk.

 

The Company evaluates, monitors and reassesses this disclosure, and any related risks, on an ongoing basis, and the same will be supplemented and amended to investors in public filings, including in the event of government policy changes or the introduction of new or amended guidance, laws or regulations regarding marijuana regulation. Any non-compliance, citations or notices of violation which may have an impact on the Company’s licenses, business activities or operations will be promptly disclosed by the Company.

 

United States Federal Overview

 

The United States federal government regulates drugs in large part through the CSA. Marijuana, which is a form of cannabis, is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. As a Schedule I controlled substance, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA, considers marijuana to have a high potential for abuse; no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. According to the U.S. federal government, cannabis having a concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, greater than 0.3% on a dry weight basis is marijuana. Cannabis with a THC content below 0.3% is classified as hemp. The scheduling of marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance is inconsistent with what we believe to be widely accepted medical uses for marijuana by physicians, researchers, patients, and others. Moreover, as of January 30, 2021 and despite the clear conflict with U.S. federal law, 36 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use, while 15 of those states and the District of Columbia have legalized the adult-use of cannabis for recreational purposes. In November 2020, voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota voted by referendum to legalize marijuana for adult use, and voters in Mississippi and South Dakota voted to legalized marijuana for medical use. As further evidence of the growing conflict between the U.S. federal treatment of cannabis and the societal acceptance of cannabis, the FDA on June 25, 2018 approved Epidiolex. Epidiolex is an oral solution with an active ingredient derived from the cannabis plant for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, in patients two years of age and older. This is the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified substance derived from the cannabis plant. In this case, the substance is cannabidiol, or CBD, a chemical component of marijuana that does not contain the psychoactive properties of THC.

 

 

Unlike in Canada, which uniformly regulates the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of marijuana at the federal level under the Cannabis Act (Canada), marijuana is largely regulated at the State level in the United States. State laws regulating marijuana are in conflict with the CSA, which makes marijuana use and possession federally illegal. Although certain States and territories of the United States authorize medical or adult-use marijuana production and distribution by licensed or registered entities, under United States federal law, the possession, use, cultivation, and transfer of marijuana and any related drug paraphernalia is illegal. Although our activities are compliant with the applicable State and local laws in California, strict compliance with state and local laws with respect to cannabis may neither absolve us of liability under United States federal law nor provide a defense to any federal criminal action that may be brought against us.

 

In 2013, as more and more states began to legalize medical and/or adult-use marijuana, the federal government attempted to provide clarity on the incongruity between federal law and these State-level regulatory frameworks. Until 2018, the federal government provided guidance to federal agencies and banking institutions through a series of Department of Justice, or DOJ, memoranda. The most notable of this guidance came in the form of a memorandum issued by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole on August 29, 2013, which we refer to as the Cole Memorandum.

 

The Cole Memorandum offered guidance to federal agencies on how to prioritize civil enforcement, criminal investigations and prosecutions regarding marijuana in all states and quickly set a standard for marijuana-related businesses to comply with. The Cole Memorandum put forth eight prosecution priorities:

 

1.

Preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors;

 

2.

Preventing revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels;

 

3.

Preventing the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under state law in some form to other states;

 

4.

Preventing the state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;

 

5.

Preventing violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana;

 

6.

Preventing drugged driving and the exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated with marijuana use;

 

7.

Preventing the growing of marijuana on public lands and the attendant public safety and environmental dangers posed by marijuana production on public lands; and

 

8.

Preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property.

 

On January 4, 2018, former United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memorandum by issuing a new memorandum to all United States Attorneys, which we refer to as the Sessions Memo. Rather than establishing national enforcement priorities particular to marijuana-related crimes in jurisdictions where certain marijuana activity was legal under State law, the Sessions Memo simply rescinded the Cole Memorandum and instructed that “[i]n deciding which marijuana activities to prosecute... with the [DOJ’s] finite resources, prosecutors should follow the well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions.” Namely, these include the seriousness of the offense, history of criminal activity, deterrent effect of prosecution, the interests of victims, and other principles.

 

 

Neither Attorney General William Barr, who succeeded Attorney General Sessions, nor any subsequent Acting Attorney General provided a clear policy directive for the United States as it pertains to State-legal marijuana-related activities. President-elect Biden has nominated Merrick Garland to serve as Attorney General in his administration. It is not yet known whether the Department of Justice under President-elect Biden and Attorney General Garland, if confirmed, will re-adopt the Cole Memorandum or announce a substantive marijuana enforcement policy.

 

Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that State laws legalizing and regulating the sale and use of marijuana will not be repealed or overturned, or that local governmental authorities will not limit the applicability of State laws within their respective jurisdictions. Unless and until the United States Congress amends the CSA with respect to marijuana (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 U.S. federal law. Currently, in the absence of uniform federal guidance, as had been established by the Cole memorandum, enforcement priorities are determined by respective United States Attorneys.

 

As an industry best practice, despite the recent rescission of the Cole Memorandum, the Company abides by the following standard operating policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the guidance provided by the Cole Memorandum:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, the Company conducts background checks to ensure that the principals and management of its operating subsidiaries are of good character, have not been involved with other illegal drugs, engaged in illegal activity or activities involving violence, or use of firearms in cultivation, manufacturing or distribution of cannabis. The Company will also conduct ongoing reviews of the activities of its cannabis businesses, the premises on which they operate and the policies and procedures that are related to possession of cannabis or cannabis products outside of the licensed premises, including the cases where such possession is permitted by regulation. See “Risk Factors”.

 

 

Although the Cole Memorandum has been rescinded, one legislative safeguard for the medical marijuana industry remains in place: Congress has passed a so-called “rider” provision in the Fiscal Years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Acts to prevent the federal government from using congressionally appropriated funds to enforce federal marijuana laws against regulated medical marijuana actors operating in compliance with State and local law. The rider is known as the “Rohrabacher- Farr” Amendment after its original lead sponsors (it is also sometimes referred to as the “Rohrabacher- Blumenauer” or “Joyce-Leahy” Amendment, but it is referred to in Registration Statement on Form 10 as the “Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment”). Most recently, the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019, which was signed by President Trump on February 14, 2019 and funds the departments of the federal government through the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019. In signing the Act, President Trump issued a signing statement noting that the Act “provides that the DOJ may not use any funds to prevent implementation of medical marijuana laws by various States and territories,” and further stating “I will treat this provision consistent with the President’s constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.” While the signing statement can fairly be read to mean that the executive branch intends to enforce the CSA and other federal laws prohibiting the sale and possession of medical marijuana, the president did issue a similar signing statement in 2017 and no major federal enforcement actions followed. On September 27, 2019 the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment was temporarily renewed through a stopgap spending bill and was similarly renewed again on November 21, 2019. The Fiscal Year 2020 omnibus spending bill was ultimately passed on December 20, 2019, making the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment effective through September 30, 2020. In signing the spending bill, President Trump again released a statement similar to the ones he made May 2017 and February 2019 regarding the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment. On December 27, 2020 the amendment was renewed through the signing of the Fiscal Year 2021 omnibus spending bill, effective through September 30, 2021.

 

United States Border Entry

 

The United States Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, enforces the laws of the United States as they pertain to lawful travel and trade into and out of the U.S. Crossing the border while in violation of the CSA and other related United States federal laws may result in denied admission, seizures, fines, and apprehension. CBP officers administer determine the admissibility of travelers who are non-U.S. citizens into the United States pursuant to the United States Immigration and Nationality Act. An investment in our Subordinate Voting Shares, if it became known to CBP, could have an impact on a non-U.S. citizen’s admissibility into the United States and could lead to a lifetime ban on admission.

 

Because marijuana remains illegal under United States federal law, those investing in Canadian companies with operations in the United States cannabis industry could face detention, denial of entry, or lifetime bans from the United States for their business associations with United States marijuana businesses. Entry happens at the sole discretion of CBP officers on duty, and these officers have wide latitude to ask questions to determine the admissibility of a non-US citizen or foreign national. The government of Canada has started warning travelers that previous use of marijuana, or any substance prohibited by United States federal laws, could mean denial of entry to the United States. Business or financial involvement in the marijuana industry in the United States could also be reason enough for CBP to deny entry. On September 21, 2018, CBP released a statement outlining its current position with respect to enforcement of the laws of the United States. It stated that Canada’s legalization of cannabis will not change CBP enforcement of United States laws regarding controlled substances and because marijuana continues to be a controlled substance under United States law, working in or facilitating the proliferation of the legal marijuana industry in U.S. states where it is deemed legal may affect admissibility to the United States. As a result, CBP has affirmed that, employees, directors, officers, managers and investors of companies involved in business activities related to marijuana in the United States (such as Lowell Farms), who are not United States citizens, face the risk of being barred from entry into the United States.

 

 

Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Access to Banking

 

The Company is subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States that involve anti-money laundering, financial recordkeeping and the proceeds of crime, including the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (referred to herein as 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), and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by governmental authorities in the United States.

 

Additionally, under United States federal law, it may potentially be a violation of federal anti-money laundering statutes for financial institutions to take any proceeds from the sale of any Schedule I controlled substance. Banks and other financial institutions could potentially be prosecuted and convicted of money laundering under the Bank Secrecy Act for providing services to cannabis businesses. Therefore, under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks or other financial institutions that provide a cannabis business with a checking account, debit or credit card, small business loan, or any other financial service could be charged with money laundering or conspiracy.

 

While there has been no change in U.S. federal banking laws to accommodate businesses in the large and increasing number of U.S. states that have legalized medical or adult-use marijuana, FinCEN, in 2014, issued guidance, or the FinCEN Guidance, to prosecutors of money laundering and other financial crimes. The FinCEN Guidance advised prosecutors not to focus their enforcement efforts on banks and other financial institutions that serve marijuana-related businesses so long as that marijuana-related business activities are legal in their state and none of the federal enforcement priorities referenced in the Cole Memorandum are being violated (such as keeping marijuana out of the hands of organized crime). The FinCEN Guidance also clarifies how financial institutions can provide services to marijuana-related businesses consistent with their Bank Secrecy Act obligations, including thorough customer due diligence, but makes it clear that they are doing so at their own risk. The customer due diligence steps typically include:

 

1.

Verifying with the appropriate State authorities whether the business is duly licensed and registered;

 

2.

Reviewing the license application (and related documentation) submitted by the business for obtaining a State license to operate its marijuana-related business;

 

3.

Requesting available information about the business and related parties from State licensing and enforcement authorities;

 

4.

Developing an understanding of the normal and expected activity for the business, including the types of products to be sold and the type of customers to be served (e.g., medical versus adult-use customers);

 

5.

Ongoing monitoring of publicly available sources for adverse information about the business and related parties;

 

6.

Ongoing monitoring for suspicious activity, including for any of the red flags described in the FinCEN Guidance; and

 

7.

Refreshing information obtained as part of customer due diligence on a periodic basis and commensurate with the risk.

 

 

With respect to information regarding State licensure obtained in connection with such customer due diligence, a financial institution may reasonably rely on the accuracy of information provided by state licensing authorities, where States make such information available.

 

While the FinCEN Guidance decreased some risk for banks and financial institutions considering servicing the cannabis industry, in practice it has not increased banks’ willingness to provide services to marijuana-related businesses. This is because current U.S. federal law does not guarantee banks immunity from prosecution, and it also requires banks and other financial institutions to undertake time-consuming and costly due diligence on each marijuana-related business they accept as a customer.

 

Those State-chartered banks and/or credit unions that have agreed to work with marijuana businesses are typically limiting those accounts to small percentages of their total deposits to avoid creating a liquidity risk. Since, theoretically, the federal government could change the banking laws as it relates to marijuana-related businesses at any time and without notice, these banks and credit unions must keep sufficient cash on hand to be able to return the full value of all deposits from marijuana-related businesses in a single day, while also keeping sufficient liquid capital on hand to service their other customers. Those State-chartered banks and credit unions that do have customers in the marijuana industry can charge marijuana businesses high fees to cover the added cost of ensuring compliance with the FinCEN Guidance.

 

As an industry best practice and consistent with its standard operating procedures, Lowell Farms adheres to all customer due diligence steps in the FinCEN Guidance and any additional requirements imposed by those financial institutions it utilizes. However, 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 anti-money laundering legislation or otherwise, such transactions could 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 or effect other distributions.

 

In the United States, the “SAFE Banking Act” has been put forth which would grant banks and other financial institutions immunity from federal criminal prosecution for servicing marijuana-related businesses if the underlying marijuana business follows State law. The SAFE Banking Act was adopted by the House of Representatives during the 2020 legislative session. On December 4, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives also passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. The MORE Act would remove marijuana from the CSA and eliminate criminal penalties for individuals who manufacture, distribute or possess marijuana. While there is strong support in the public and within Congress for legislation such as the Safe Banking Act and the MORE Act, there can be no assurance that any such legislation will be enacted. In both Canada and the United States, transactions involving banks and other financial institutions are both difficult and unpredictable under the current legal and regulatory landscape. Legislative changes could help to reduce or eliminate these challenges for companies in the cannabis space and would improve the efficiency of both significant and minor financial transactions.

 

Tax Concerns

 

An additional challenge for marijuana-related businesses is that the provisions of Internal Revenue Code Section 280E are being applied by the IRS to businesses operating in the medical and adult-use marijuana industry. Section 280E prohibits marijuana businesses from deducting their ordinary and necessary business expenses, forcing them to pay higher effective federal tax rates than similar companies in other industries. The effective tax rate on a marijuana business depends on how large its ratio of non-deductible expenses is to its total revenues. Therefore, businesses in the legal cannabis industry may be less profitable than they would otherwise be. Furthermore, although the IRS issued a clarification allowing the deduction of cost of goods sold, 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.

 

 

The 2018 Farm Bill

 

CBD is a non-psychoactive chemical found in cannabis and is often derived from hemp, which contains, at most, only trace amounts of THC. On December 20, 2018, President Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (popularly known as the 2018 Farm Bill) into law. Until the 2018 Farm Bill became law, hemp fell within the definition of “marijuana” under the CSA and the DEA classified hemp as a Schedule I controlled substance because hemp is part of the cannabis plant.

 

The 2018 Farm Bill defines hemp as the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of the plant with a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3% by dry weight and removes hemp from the CSA. The 2018 Farm Bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, to, among other things: (1) evaluate and approve regulatory plans approved by individual states for the cultivation and production of industrial hemp, and (2) promulgate regulations and guidelines to establish and administer a program for the cultivation and production of hemp in the U.S. The regulations promulgated by the USDA will be in lieu of those States not adopting State-specific hemp regulations. Hemp and products derived from it, such as CBD, may then be sold into commerce and transported across State lines provided that the hemp from which any product is derived was cultivated under a license issued by an authorized state program approved by the USDA and otherwise meets the definition of hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill also explicitly preserved the authority of the FDA to regulate hemp-derived products under the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The Company expects that the FDA will promulgate its own rules for the regulation of hemp-derived products in the coming year. Notwithstanding the pending FDA rules, on October 29, 2019, the USDA published its proposed rules for the regulation of hemp, (referred to herein as the “USDA Rule”). The USDA Rule will go into effect immediately upon the conclusion of the public comment period and publication in the federal register by the USDA. The USDA Rule, among other things, sets minimum standards for the cultivation and production of hemp, as well as requirements for laboratory testing of hemp.

 

State Level Overview and Compliance Summary

 

In the United States, cannabis is largely regulated at the State level. Although California authorizes medical and adult-use marijuana production and distribution by licensed entities, and numerous other states have legalized marijuana in some form, under U.S. federal law, the possession, use, cultivation, and transfer of marijuana and any related drug paraphernalia remains illegal, and any such acts are criminal acts under U.S. federal law. Although we believe that our business activities are compliant with applicable State and local laws, strict compliance with State and local laws with respect to marijuana may neither absolve us of 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 result in a material adverse effect on our business.

 

California Regulatory Landscape

 

In 1996, California was the first State to legalize medical marijuana through Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. This provided an affirmative defense for defendants charged with the use, possession and cultivation of medical marijuana by patients with a physician recommendation for treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief. In 2003, Senate Bill 420 was signed into law, decriminalizing the use, possession, and collective cultivation of medical marijuana, and establishing an optional identification card system for medical marijuana patients.

 

 

In September 2015, the California legislature passed three bills collectively known as the “Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act,” or MCRSA. The MCRSA established a licensing and regulatory framework for medical marijuana businesses in California. The system created testing laboratories and distributors. Edible infused product manufacturers would require either volatile solvent or non-volatile solvent manufacturing licenses depending on their specific extraction methodology. Multiple agencies would oversee different aspects of the program and businesses would require a State license and local approval to operate. However, in November 2016, voters in California overwhelmingly passed Proposition 64, the “Adult Use of Marijuana Act,” or AUMA, creating an adult-use marijuana program for adult-use 21 years of age or older. In June 2017, the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill No. 94, known as Medicinal and Adult-Use Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, or MAUCRSA, which amalgamated MCRSA and AUMA to provide a set of regulations to govern the medical and adult-use licensing regime for marijuana businesses in the State of California. MAUCRSA went into effect on January 1, 2018. The three primary licensing agencies that regulate marijuana at the state level are the Bureau of Cannabis Control, or BCC, California Department of Food and Agriculture, or CDFA, and the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH.

 

One of the central features of MAUCRSA is known as “local control.” In order to legally operate a medical or adult-use marijuana business in California, an operator must have both a local and State license. This requires license-holders to operate in cities or counties with marijuana licensing programs. Cities and counties in California are allowed to determine the number of licenses they will issue to marijuana operators, or, alternatively, can choose to ban marijuana licenses.

 

Licenses

 

Once an operator obtains local approval, the operator must obtain State licenses before conducting any commercial marijuana activity. There are multiple license categories that cover all commercial activity. Lowell Farms and its subsidiaries are licensed to operate Medical and Adult-Use Manufacturing, Nursery, Cultivation and Distribution facilities under applicable California and local jurisdictional law. Lowell Farms’ licenses permit it to possess, cultivate, process, dispense and wholesale medical and adult-use cannabis in the State of California pursuant to the terms of the various licenses issued by the BCC, California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA”) under the provision of the MAUCRSA and California Assembly Bill No. 133. The licenses are independently issued for each approved activity for use at the Lowell Farms facilities in California.

 

The following licenses are held by Cypress Manufacturing Company:

 

 

 

Under the terms of the Lowell Acquisition, Lowell Farms expects to acquire the following licenses as part of the regulatory assets to be transferred to Lowell Farms upon receipt of regulatory approval of the change in ownership of such assets. There can be no assurance that such regulatory approval will be granted.

 

 

California State and local licenses, including for the City of Los Angeles, are renewed annually. Each year, licensees are required to submit a renewal application per guidelines published by the BCC. While renewals are annual, there is no limit on the number of permitted annual renewals. To renew a DCR license, a renewal application and renewal fee are required to be paid by the licensee no earlier than 120 calendar days before the expiration of the license, and no later than 60 calendar days before the expiration of the license. At the time of a license renewal application, a licensee must include updated annual licensing documents. As part of the renewal process, the DCR may require modification to the licensee's security plan. To renew a license, a licensee must be in good standing as required by the DCR and shall not be delinquent on any City tax or fee.

In respect of the renewal process, provided that the requisite renewal fees are paid, the renewal application is submitted in a timely manner, and there are no material violations noted against the applicable license, Lowell Farms would expect to receive the applicable renewed license in the ordinary course of business. While Lowell Farms’ compliance controls have been developed to mitigate the risk of any material violations of a license arising, there is no assurance that Lowell Farms’ licenses will be renewed in the future in a timely manner. Any unexpected delays or costs associated with the licensing renewal process could impede the ongoing or planned operations of Lowell Farms and have a material adverse effect on Lowell Farms’ business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

 

California License and Regulations

 

The Adult-Use and Medicinal Cultivation licenses that have been granted to Lowell Farms permit cannabis cultivation activity, which means any activity involving the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading or trimming of cannabis. Such licenses further permit the production of a limited number of non-manufactured cannabis products and the sales of cannabis to certain licensed entities within the State of California for resale or manufacturing purposes.

 

Lowell Farms’ Adult-Use and Medicinal Manufacturing licenses permit Lowell Farms to extract concentrated cannabis, THC, CBD and other cannabis extracts from cannabis plants, then convert them to cannabis concentrates, edibles, balms, beverages, vapes and a variety of other consumer goods. Lowell Farms also packages and labels these goods, including processed flower (the smokable part of the cannabis plant) for wholesale delivery.

 

The Adult-Use and Medicinal Distribution licenses permit Lowell Farms to complete cannabis related distribution activity which means the procurement, sale, and transportation of cannabis and cannabis products between licensed entities. Distribution activity is permissible to and from certain Lowell Farms and non-Lowell Farms licensees.

 

 

In the State of California, only cannabis that is grown in California can be sold in the state. Although California is not a vertically integrated system, Lowell Farms is vertically integrated and has the capabilities to cultivate, harvest, manufacture and wholesale cannabis and cannabis products to licensed retail dispensaries. Under manufacturing, distribution and cultivation licenses, the State of California also allows Lowell Farms to make a wholesale purchase of cannabis from, or a distribution of cannabis and cannabis product to, another licensed entity within the state.

 

California – Local Licensure, Zoning and Land Use Requirements

 

To obtain a State license, cannabis operators must first obtain local authorization, which is a prerequisite to obtaining State licensure. All three State regulatory agencies require confirmation from the applicable locality that an applicant is in compliance with local requirements and has either been granted authorization to, upon State licensure, continue previous cannabis activities or commence cannabis operations. One of the basic aspects of obtaining local authorization is compliance with all local zoning and land use requirements. Local governments are permitted to prohibit or otherwise regulate the types and number of cannabis businesses allowed in their locality. Some localities have limited the number of authorizations an entity may hold in total or for various types of cannabis activity. Others have tiered the authorization process, granting the initial rounds of local authorization to applicants that previously conducted cannabis activity pursuant to the CUA or those that meet the locality’s definition of social equity.

 

California – Record-Keeping and Continuous Reporting Requirements

 

California’s State license application process additionally requires comprehensive criminal history, regulatory history and personal disclosures for all beneficial owners. Any criminal convictions or civil penalties or judgments occurring after licensure must promptly be reported to the regulatory agency from which the licensee holds a license. State licenses must be renewed annually. Disclosure requirements for local authorization may vary, but generally tend to mirror the State’s requirements.

 

Licensees must also keep detailed records pertaining to various aspects of the business for up to seven years. Such records must be easily accessible by the regulatory agency from which the licensee holds a license. Additionally, licensees must record all business transactions, which must be uploaded to the statewide traceability system. Lowell Farms is in compliance in all material respects with these record-keeping and disclosure requirements.

 

 

Storage and Security

 

To ensure the safety and security of cannabis business premises and to maintain adequate controls against the diversion, theft, and loss of cannabis or cannabis products, Lowell Farms is

required to do the following:

 

 

Marijuana Taxes in California

 

Several types of taxes are imposed in California for adult use sale. As of January 1, 2020, cultivators have the choice of being taxed at $9.65, per dry-weight ounce of cannabis flowers or $1.35 per ounce of wet-weight plants. Further, cultivators are required to pay $2.87 per ounce for cannabis leaves. California also imposes an excise tax of 15%. Cities and counties apply their sales tax along with the state’s excise and many cities and counties have also authorized the imposition of special cannabis business taxes which can range from 2% to 10% of gross receipts of the business.

 

The Company has retained legal counsel and/or other advisors in connection with California’s marijuana regulatory program. The Company has developed standard operating procedures for licenses who are operational.

 

California – Operating Procedure Requirements

 

License applicants must submit standard operating procedures describing how the operator will, among other requirements, secure the facility, manage inventory, comply with the State’s seed-to-sale tracking requirements, dispense cannabis, and handle waste, as applicable to the license sought. Once the standard operating procedures are determined compliant and approved by the applicable State regulatory agency, the licensee is required to abide by the processes described and seek regulatory agency approval before any changes to such procedures may be made. Licensees are additionally required to train their employees on compliant operations and are only permitted to transact with other legal and licensed businesses.

 

Lowell Farms complies with these operational and training requirements by systematically training employees in various aspects of regulatory requirements, ensuring that operational and business practices are aligned with regulatory requirements, and by conducting internal audits to ensure compliance and identify areas for further training.

 

 

California – Site-Visits & Inspections

 

As a condition of State licensure, operators must consent to random and unannounced inspections of the commercial cannabis facility as well as the facility’s books and records to monitor and enforce compliance with State law. Many localities have also enacted similar standards for inspections, and the State of California has already commenced site-visits and compliance inspections for operators who have received State temporary or annual licensure.

 

California – Compliance Procedures

 

Lowell Farms utilizes MAX ERP, an integrated enterprise compliance platform, which integrates Lowell Farms’ inventory management program and standard operating procedures with the software’s compliance and quality features to facilitate compliance with State and local requirements. MAX ERP features include a compliance software solution that offers lot and batch control, recall management, document control and quality analysis. Additionally, Lowell Farms utilizes standard operating procedure building tools to facilitate the implementation and maintenance of compliant operations and tracks all required licensing maintenance criteria.

 

City of Los Angeles – Compliance Procedures

 

Following submission of a pre-application request and once compliance with the business premises location is completed, including all zoning requirements and sensitive use restrictions, the DCR will request and review attestations from primary personnel and owner(s) associated with the application. Following such review, the DCR will issue a determination of eligibility/ineligibility for further processing. A determination of eligibility is based on, among other things, an initial inspection and environmental clearance. Following a determination of eligibility, the DCR reviews the application for completeness, including the status of state licenses and verification of local compliance under way with the state agencies. Following temporary approval, applicants may apply for an annual license.

 

Continued compliance includes ongoing, unannounced inspections, investigations and audits conducted by the employees or agents of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or the following City departments: the DCR, the Department of Building and Safety, the Department of City Planning, the Police Department, the Fire Department and the Office of Finance. Inspections may include an examination of employee practice; cannabis safety; proper storage; equipment/utensils; facility; plumbing fixtures; sign/license requirements; record keeping; compliance and enforcement; and requirements for manufacturing.

 

Lowell Farms has developed a robust compliance program designed to ensure operational and regulatory requirements continue to be satisfied, and has retained outside counsel to monitor its compliance with U.S. State and local law on an ongoing basis. Lowell Farms will continue to work closely with its legal counsel to develop and improve its internal compliance program and will defer to their legal opinions and risk mitigation guidance regarding California’s complex regulatory framework. The internal compliance program requires continued monitoring by managers and executives of Lowell Farms to ensure all operations conform to and comply with required laws, regulations and legally compliant standard operating procedures.

 

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

 

Before making an investment decision, prospective purchasers of the Company's securities should carefully consider the information and risk factors described in this registration statement on Form 10. If any event arising from these risks occurs, the Company’s business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, could be materially adversely affected. Additional risks and uncertainties of which the Company is currently unaware or that are unknown or that the Company currently deems to be immaterial could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The Company cannot provide any assurances that it will successfully address any or all of these risks.

 

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

 

Cannabis Continues to be a Controlled Substance under the CSA and is Illegal Under United States federal law.

 

The Company is engaged directly in the medical and adult-use cannabis industry. The Company derives all of its revenues from the State of California and conducts its activities in accordance with applicable state and local laws. Even though the Company’s cannabis-related activities are compliant with applicable state and local law, such activities remain illegal under U.S. federal law.

 

 

In the United States, cannabis is extensively regulated at the state level. 36 States, the District of Columbia and four US territories have legalized medical cannabis in some form. Of these States, 15 States, including California, have legalized cannabis for adult use. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of cannabis at the State level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA and as such, the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis violates federal law. Although the Company believes its business is compliant with applicable State and local law, strict compliance with state and local laws with respect to cannabis may not absolve the Company of liability under federal law, nor may it provide a defense to any federal proceeding which be brought against the Company. Any such proceedings brought against the Company may result in a material adverse effect on the Company.

 

Since the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis is illegal under federal law, the Company may be deemed to be aiding and abetting illegal activities. Under these circumstances, U.S. law enforcement authorities, in their attempt to regulate the illegal use of cannabis, may seek to bring an action or actions against the Company, including, but not limited to, a claim regarding the possession and sale of cannabis, and/or aiding and abetting another’s criminal activities. The federal law provides that anyone who “commits an offense or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal.” As a result, the DOJ could allege that Lowell Farms has “aided and abetted” violations of federal law by providing financing and services to its subsidiaries. Under these circumstances, a federal prosecutor could seek to seize the assets of the Company, and to recover any “illicit profits” previously distributed as of such time to shareholders resulting from any of the foregoing. In these circumstances, the Company’s operations would cease, shareholders could lose their entire investment and directors, officers and/or shareholders may be left to defend any criminal charges against them at their own expense and, if convicted, be sent to federal prison. Such an action would result in a material adverse effect on the Company.

 

CBP enforces the laws of the United States. Crossing the border while in violation of the CSA and other related federal laws may result in denied admission, seizures, fines and apprehension. CBP officers administer the Immigration and Nationality Act to determine the admissibility of travelers, who are non-U.S. citizens, into the United States. An investment in the Company, if it became known to CBP, could have an impact on a shareholder’s admissibility into the United States and could lead to a lifetime ban on admission.

 

Enforcement of U.S. Federal Law Could Damage the Company’s Operations and Financial Position.

 

Since 2014, the United States Congress has passed appropriations bills that have included the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment. For now, the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, as discussed above, is the only statutory restraint on enforcement of federal cannabis laws. Courts in the U.S. have construed these appropriations bills to prevent the federal government from prosecuting individuals or businesses when those individuals or businesses operate in strict compliance with state and local medical cannabis regulations; however, this legislation only covers medical cannabis, not adult-use cannabis, and has historically been passed as an amendment to omnibus appropriations bills, which by their nature expire at the end of a fiscal year or other defined term.

 

 

The Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment may or may not be included in future omnibus appropriations packages or continuing budget resolutions, and its inclusion or non-inclusion, as applicable, is subject to political changes. Because this conduct continues to violate federal law, U.S. courts have observed that should the Congress at any time choose to appropriate funds to fully prosecute the CSA, any individual or business - even those that have fully complied with State law - could be prosecuted for violations of federal law and if the Congress restores such funding, the federal government will have the authority to prosecute individuals and businesses for violations of the law while it lacked funding, to the extent of the CSA’s five-year statute of limitations applicable to non-capital CSA violations. The Company may be irreparably harmed by any change in enforcement policies by the federal or applicable state governments, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, revenues, operating results and financial condition as well as the Company’s reputation.

 

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 cannabis licenses in California, the listing of its securities on any stock exchange, its financial position, operating results, profitability or liquidity or the market price of its shares. In addition, it will be difficult for the Company to estimate the time or resources that would be needed in connection with 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.

 

As a result of the conflicting views between states and the federal government regarding cannabis, investments in cannabis businesses in the U.S. are subject to inconsistent legislation and regulation. The response to this inconsistency was addressed in Cole Memorandum, acknowledging that notwithstanding the designation of cannabis as a controlled substance at the federal level in the United States, several U.S. states had enacted laws relating to cannabis for medical purposes. The Cole Memorandum outlined certain enforcement priorities for the DOJ relating to the prosecution of cannabis offenses. In particular, the Cole Memorandum noted that in jurisdictions that have enacted laws legalizing cannabis in some form and that have also implemented strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis, conduct in compliance with those laws and regulations is less likely to be a priority at the federal level. Notably, however, the DOJ did not provide specific guidelines for what regulatory and enforcement systems it deemed sufficient under the Cole Memorandum standard.

 

In light of limited investigative and prosecutorial resources, the Cole Memorandum concluded that the DOJ should be focused on addressing only the most significant threats. States where cannabis had been legalized were not characterized as a high priority. In March 2017, the then newly appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions again noted limited federal resources and acknowledged that much of the Cole Memorandum had merit; however, he disagreed that it had been implemented effectively. Accordingly, on January 4, 2018, Attorney General Sessions issued the Sessions Memorandum, which rescinded the Cole Memorandum on the basis that the direction provided therein was unnecessary, given the well-established principles governing federal prosecution that are already in place. Those principals are included in chapter 9-27-000 of the United States Attorneys’ Manual and require federal prosecutors deciding which cases to prosecute to weigh all relevant considerations, including federal law enforcement priorities set by the Attorney General, the seriousness of the crime, the deterrent effect of criminal prosecution and the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community. Due to the ambiguity of the Sessions Memorandum and the lack of clarity provided by the DOJ since then, 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.

 

 

The effect of the rescission of the Cole Memorandum remains to be seen. Currently, federal prosecutors are free to utilize their prosecutorial discretion to decide whether to prosecute cannabis activities despite the existence of state-level laws that may be inconsistent with federal prohibitions. No direction was given to federal prosecutors in the Sessions Memorandum as to the priority they should ascribe to such cannabis activities, and resultantly it is uncertain how active federal prosecutors will be in relation to such activities. While some U.S. Attorneys expressed support for the rescission of the Cole Memorandum, numerous government officials, legislators and federal prosecutors in states with medical and adult-use cannabis statutes announced their intention to continue the Cole Memorandum-era status quo.

 

The impact that this lack of uniformity between state and federal authorities could have on individual state cannabis markets and the businesses that operate within them is unclear, and the enforcement of relevant federal laws is a significant risk. Potential federal prosecutions could involve significant restrictions being imposed upon the Company or third parties, while diverting the attention of key executives. Such proceedings could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, revenues, operating results and financial condition, as well as the Company’s reputation and prospects, even if such proceedings were concluded successfully in favor of the Company. Such proceedings could involve the prosecution of key executives of the Company or the seizure of corporate assets.

 

With a new administration at the U.S. federal level, it is possible that additional changes (whether positive or negative) could occur. There can be no assurance as to the position any new administration may take on marijuana and a new administration could decide to take a stronger approach to the enforcement of federal laws. Any enforcement of current federal laws could cause significant damage to the Company’s operations and financial position. Further, future presidential administrations may want to treat marijuana differently and potentially enforce the federal laws more aggressively.

 

The Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment may not be Renewed Potentially Resulting in DOJ Enforcement Activities Against Entities in the Cannabis Industry.

 

The Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, as discussed above, prohibits the DOJ from spending funds appropriated by Congress to enforce the tenets of the CSA against the medical cannabis industry in states which have legalized such activity. On December 27, 2020, the amendment was renewed through the signing of the fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill and is effective through September 30, 2021. There can be no assurance that the federal government will not seek to prosecute cases involving medical cannabis businesses that are otherwise compliant with state law. Such potential proceedings could involve significant restrictions being imposed upon the Company or third parties, while diverting the attention of key executives. Such proceedings could have a material adverse effect on the Company, even if such proceedings were concluded successfully in favor of the Company.

 

Federal and State Forfeiture Laws Could Result in Seizure of our Assets.

 

As an entity that conducts business in the cannabis industry, the Company is subject to U. S. 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 prosecute. 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. Shareholders of the Company located in jurisdictions 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. Current and prospective securityholders of the Company or any entity related thereto should be aware of these potentially relevant federal and State laws in considering whether to remain invested or invest in the Company or any entity related thereto.

 

 

Future Research may Lead to Findings that Vaporizers, Electronic Cigarettes and Related Products are not Safe for Their Intended Use.

 

Vaporizers, electronic cigarettes and related products were recently developed and therefore the scientific or medical communities have had a limited period of time to study the long-term health effects of their use. Currently, there is limited scientific or medical data on the safety of such products for their intended use and the medical community is still studying the health effects of the use of such products, including the long-term health effects. If the scientific or medical community were to determine conclusively that use of any or all of these products pose long-term health risks, market demand for these products and their use could materially decline. Such a determination could also lead to litigation, reputational harm and significant regulation. Loss of demand for our product, product liability claims and increased regulation stemming from unfavorable scientific studies on cannabis vaporizer products could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

We May Have Limited Access to Capital as a Result of our Business and Operations.

 

Because the Company cultivates, processes, possesses, and distributes cannabis products in violation of the CSA, a significant proportion of providers of debt and equity capital are unwilling or unable to enter into financing transactions with the Company. As a result, the Company’s access to capital is and may continue to be extremely limited, which inhibits the ability of the Company to fund operations and investments in growth initiatives. The Company’s financial results, financial condition, business and prospects are and may continue to be materially adversely affected by its inability to access capital.

 

Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Regulations May Limit Access to Traditional Banking Funds and Services.

 

The Company is subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the U.S. and Canada 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 U.S. Anti-Money Laundering Laws, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956, 1957, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada), as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated 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. Further, under federal law, banks or other financial institutions often refuse to provide a checking account, debit or credit card, small business loan, or any banking services that could be found guilty of money-laundering, aiding and abetting or conspiracy 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 U.S. cannabis industry. While Lowell Farms has maintained bank accounts, the loss of such accounts and 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 to U.S. cannabis companies, and which could conceivably impact the Company, by the unavailability of traditional banking and financial services.

 

Despite these laws, FinCEN issued the FinCEN Guidance in 2014, which as described above, outlines the pathways for financial institutions to bank state sanctioned cannabis businesses in compliance with federal enforcement priorities. The FinCEN Guidance echoed the enforcement priorities of the Cole Memorandum. Under these guidelines, financial institutions must submit a Suspicious Activity Report (“SAR”) in connection with all cannabis-related banking activities by any client of such financial institution, in accordance with federal money laundering laws. These cannabis-related SARs are divided into three categories - cannabis limited, cannabis priority, and cannabis terminated - based on the financial institution’s belief that the business in question follows state law, is operating outside of compliance with state law, or where the banking relationship has been terminated, respectively.

 

 

The FinCEN Guidance states that in some circumstances, it is permissible for banks to provide services to cannabis-related businesses without risking prosecution for violation of federal money laundering laws. It refers to supplementary guidance included in the Cole Memorandum. The revocation of the Cole Memorandum has not yet affected the status of the FinCEN Guidance, nor has the United States Department of the Treasury given any indication that it intends to rescind the FinCEN Guidance itself. Although the FinCEN Guidance remains intact, it is unclear whether the current administration or future administrations will continue to follow the guidelines of the FinCEN Guidance. 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 states that have in some form legalized the sale of cannabis. Further, the conduct of the DOJ’s enforcement priorities could change for any number of reasons. A change in the DOJ’s priorities could result in the DOJ’s prosecuting banks and financial institutions for crimes that were not previously prosecuted.

 

In the event that any of the Company’s 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 a crime under one or more of the statutes noted above or any other applicable legislation. Apart from the consequences of any prosecution in connection with such violation, among other things, this could restrict or otherwise jeopardize the Company’s ability to declare or pay dividends, effect other distributions or subsequently repatriate such funds back to Canada.

 

Restricted Access to Banking Services Could Make Operating our Business and Maintaining our Finances Difficult.

 

The FinCEN Guidance, as further described above, remains effective to this day, in spite of the fact that the Cole Memorandum was rescinded and replaced by the Sessions Memorandum. The FinCEN Guidance does not provide any safe harbors or legal defenses from examination or regulatory or criminal enforcement actions by the DOJ, FinCEN or other federal regulators, though. Thus, most banks and other financial institutions in the U.S. do not appear to be comfortable providing banking services to cannabis-related businesses, or relying on this guidance, which can be amended or revoked at any time by the current or future federal administrations. In addition to the foregoing, banks may refuse to process debit card payments and credit card companies generally refuse to process credit card payments for cannabis-related businesses. As a result, the Company may have limited or no access to banking or other financial services in the U.S. The inability or limitation in the Company’s ability to open or maintain bank accounts, obtain other banking services and/or accept credit card and debit card payments may make it difficult for the Company to operate and conduct its business as planned or to operate efficiently.

 

Heightened Scrutiny by Securities Regulatory Authorities in the United States and Canada May Impact Investors’ Ability to Transact in the Company’s Securities.

 

The Company’s 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 the United States and/or Canada. As a result, the Company may be subject to significant direct and indirect interaction with public officials. 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 or otherwise be adopted, and there can be no assurance that heightened scrutiny will not in turn lead to the imposition of certain restrictions on the Company’s ability to operate or invest in the United States or any other jurisdiction, in addition to those described herein.

 

 

The Company’s operations in the United States cannabis market may become the subject of heightened scrutiny by regulators, stock exchanges, clearing agencies and other authorities in Canada. 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 with regard to these reports. On February 8, 2018, following discussions with the Canadian Securities Administrators and recognized Canadian securities exchanges, CDS signed the CDS Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with The Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc., the CSE, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the TSX Venture Exchange. The MOU outlines the parties’ understanding of Canada’s regulatory framework applicable to the rules and procedures and regulatory oversight of the exchanges and CDS as it relates to issuers with cannabis-related activities in the United States. The MOU confirms, with respect to the clearing of listed securities, that CDS relies on the exchanges to review the conduct of listed issuers. As a result, there currently is no CDS ban on the clearing of securities of issuers with cannabis -related activities in the United States. However, if CDS were to proceed in the manner suggested by these publications, and apply such a ban on the clearing of securities of the Company, it would have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company’s shareholders to effect trades of shares through the facilities of a stock exchange in Canada, as a result of which such shares could become highly illiquid.

 

The Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”) is the primary depository for securities in the United States. Several major U.S. securities clearing companies that provide clearance, custody and settlement services in the United States terminated providing clearance services to issuers in the cannabis industry, including those that operate entirely outside the United States, in response to the Sessions Memo. As a result of these decisions, U.S. securityholders may experience difficulties depositing securities of cannabis companies in the DTC system or reselling their securities in open market transactions, including transactions facilitated through the CSE. Many larger U.S. broker-dealers own U.S. securities companies that self-clear transactions. However, some U.S. brokerages have adopted policies precluding their clients from trading securities of cannabis issuers.

 

Changes in State or Federal Political/or Regulatory Climate Could Impact the Company’s Business.

 

The success of the Company’s business strategy depends on the legality of the cannabis industry in the states in which the Company operates, and the lack of federal enforcement of its laws that make cannabis businesses illegal. The political environment surrounding the cannabis industry in general can be volatile and the statutory and regulatory framework remains in flux. Despite widespread state legalization, 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 the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.

 

Delays in enactment of or changes in new state regulations, or changes in federal laws or enforcement priorities, could restrict the Company’s ability to reach strategic growth targets and lower return on investor capital. The strategic growth strategy of the Company will be reliant upon state regulations being implemented to facilitate the operation of medical and adult-use cannabis in California. If such regulations are not timely implemented, or are subsequently repealed or amended, or contain prolonged or problematic phase-in or transition periods or provisions, the Company’s ability to achieve its growth targets, and thus, the return on investor capital, could be adversely affected. The Company is 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 guarantee 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, the Company’s 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 cannabis businesses in a manner that will make it extremely difficult or impossible to transact business that is necessary for the continued operation of the cannabis industry, including the Company. Federal actions against individuals or entities engaged in the cannabis industry or a repeal of applicable cannabis related legislation could adversely affect the Company and its business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

 

The medical and adult-use cannabis industries are in their infancy and the Company anticipates that the current California regulations will be subject to change as California’s regulation of the cannabis industry matures. The Company’s compliance program emphasizes security and inventory control to ensure strict monitoring of cannabis and other inventory from cultivation to sale or disposal. Additionally, Lowell Farms has created standard operating procedures that include descriptions and instructions for monitoring inventory at all stages of cultivation, processing, manufacturing, distribution, transportation and delivery. The Company will continue to monitor compliance on an ongoing basis in accordance with its compliance program, standard operating procedures, and any changes to applicable regulation.

 

Overall, the medical and adult-use cannabis industry is subject to significant regulatory change at each of the local, state and federal level. The inability of the Company to respond to the changing regulatory landscape may cause it to be unsuccessful in capturing significant market share and could otherwise harm its business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.

 

Investors Could Be Disqualified From Ownership in the Company.

 

The Company’s business is in a highly regulated industry in which many states have enacted extensive rules for ownership of a participant company. Investors in the Company could become disqualified from having an ownership stake in the Company under relevant laws and regulations of applicable state and/or local regulators, if the applicable owner is convicted of a certain type of felony or fails to meet the requirements for owning equity in a company like the Company.

 

Negative Public Opinion and Perception of the Cannabis Industry Could Adversely Impact Our Ability to Operate and Our Growth Strategy.

 

Government policy changes or public opinion may result in a significant influence over the regulation of the cannabis industry in Canada, the United States or elsewhere. The Company believes the medical and adult-use cannabis industry is highly dependent on consumer perception regarding the safety and efficacy of such cannabis. Consumer perceptions regarding legality, morality, consumption, safety, efficacy and quality of cannabis are mixed and evolving. Public opinion and support for medical and adult-use cannabis has traditionally been inconsistent and varied from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. While public opinion and support appears to be rising for legalizing medical and adult-use cannabis, it remains a controversial issue subject to differing opinions surrounding the level of legalization (for example, medical cannabis 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, or could result in adverse regulatory changes in California, thereby limiting the Company’s growth prospects and number of new state jurisdictions into which the Company could expand. Any inability to fully implement the Company’s expansion strategy may have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations or prospects.

 

 

Significant Licensure Requirements and Limitations in States Where Cannabis is Legal Could Impact the Company’s Ability to Maintain its Operations.

 

The Company’s business is subject to a variety of laws, regulations and guidelines relating to the cultivation, manufacture, management, transportation, extraction, storage and disposal of cannabis, including laws and regulations relating to health and safety, the conduct of operations and the protection of the environment. Achievement of the Company’s 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.

 

The Company will be required to obtain or renew government permits and licenses for its current and contemplated operations. Obtaining, amending or renewing the necessary governmental permits and licenses can be a time-consuming process involving numerous regulatory agencies, involving public hearings and costly undertakings on the Company’s part. The duration and success of the Company’s efforts to obtain, amend and renew permits and licenses will be contingent upon many variables not within its control, including the interpretation of applicable requirements implemented by the relevant permitting or licensing authority. The Company may not be able to obtain, amend or renew permits or licenses that are necessary to its 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 renovation, development and commercialization activities. Such curtailment or prohibition may result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. California state licenses, and some local licenses, are renewed annually. Each year, licensees are required to submit a renewal application per guidelines published by the BCC (for state licenses) or the applicable local regulatory body (for local licenses), including the DCR. While renewals are annual, there is no ultimate expiry after which no renewals are permitted. Additionally, with respect to the renewal process, provided that the requisite renewal fees are paid, the renewal application is submitted in a timely manner and there are no material violations noted against the applicable license, the Company would expect to receive the applicable renewed license in the ordinary course of business.

 

Under MAUCRSA, after January 1, 2018, only license holders are permitted to engage in commercial cannabis activities. A prerequisite to obtaining a California state license is obtaining a valid license, permit or authorization from a local municipality. The process associated with acquiring a permanent state license is onerous and there are no assurances that the Company, or any subsidiary or entity to which the Company will provide or intends to provide services, will be granted any licenses or any renewals thereof. Because there are different licenses for different types of commercial cannabis activities, even if the Company, any subsidiary and/or any such entity to which the Company will provide services or intends to provide services is granted one or more licenses, there are no assurances that they will be granted all of the licenses they will need to effectuate the Company’s business plan. Further, as part of the permitting and licensing process in California, state and local officials may conduct both random and scheduled inspections of cannabis operations. The Company is required to comply with both state laws and regulations and applicable local ordinances and codes. Compliance with both state and local laws may be burdensome and failure to do so could result in the loss of licenses, civil penalties and possibly criminal prosecution. While the compliance controls of Lowell Farms have been developed to mitigate the risk of any material violations of any license it holds arising, there is no assurance that the Company’s 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 or to be held by the Company could impede the ongoing or planned operations of the Company and have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

 

 

The Company 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 the Company’s 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 the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

 

Reclassification of Cannabis in the United States Could Adversely Impact the Company’s Business and Growth Strategy.

 

If marijuana is re-categorized as a Schedule II or lower controlled substance, the ability to conduct research on the medical benefits of cannabis would most likely be improved; however, if cannabis is re-categorized as a Schedule II or other controlled substance, and the resulting re-classification would result in the requirement for U.S. FDA approval if medical claims are made for the Company’s products such as medical cannabis, then as a result, such products may be subject to a significant degree of regulation by the U.S. FDA and DEA. In that case, the Company may be required to be registered (licensed) to perform these activities and have the security, control, recordkeeping, reporting and inventory mechanisms required by the DEA to prevent drug loss and diversion. Obtaining the necessary registrations may result in delay of the cultivation, manufacturing or distribution of the Company’s anticipated products. The DEA conducts periodic inspections of certain registered establishments that handle controlled substances. Failure to maintain compliance could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. The DEA may seek civil penalties, refuse to renew necessary registrations, or initiate proceedings to restrict, suspend or revoke those registrations. In certain circumstances, violations could lead to criminal proceedings. Furthermore, if the U.S. FDA, DEA, or any other regulatory authority determines that the Company’s products may have potential for abuse, it may require the Company to generate more clinical or other data than the Company currently anticipates in order to establish whether or to what extent the substance has an abuse potential, which could increase the cost and/or delay the launch of that product.

 

Service Providers May Suspend or Withdraw Services if an Adverse Change in Cannabis Regulation Occurs.

 

As a result of any adverse change to the approach in enforcement of United States cannabis laws, adverse regulatory or political change, additional scrutiny by regulatory authorities, adverse change in public perception in respect of the consumption of marijuana or otherwise, third party service providers to the Company could suspend or withdraw their services, which may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, revenues, operating results, financial condition or prospects.

 

Increasing Legalization of Cannabis and Rapid Growth and Consolidation in the Cannabis Industry may Further Intensify Competition.

 

The cannabis industry is undergoing rapid growth and substantial change, and the legal landscape for medical and recreational cannabis is rapidly changing internationally. An increasing number of jurisdictions globally are passing legislation allowing for the production and distribution of medical and/or recreational cannabis in some form or another. Entry into the cannabis market by international competitors might lower the demand for our products.

 

 

The foregoing legalization and growth trends in the cannabis industry has resulted in an increase in competitors, consolidation and formation of strategic relationships. Such acquisitions or other consolidating transactions could harm us in a number of ways, including by losing strategic partners if they are acquired by or enter into relationships with a competitor, losing customers, revenue and market share, or forcing us to expend greater resources to meet new or additional competitive threats,all of which could harm our operating results. As competitors enter the market and become increasingly sophisticated, competition in the cannabis industry may intensify and place downward pressure on retail prices for products and services, which could negatively impact profitability.

 

The Company May Encounter Difficulties Entering its Contracts in Federal and Some State Courts.

 

Due to the nature of the Company’s business and the fact that its contracts involve cannabis and other activities that are not legal under federal law, the Company may face difficulties in enforcing its contracts in federal and certain state courts. The inability to enforce any of the Company’s contracts could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition or prospects. California enacted a law that provides that notwithstanding any other law, commercial activity relating to medicinal cannabis or adult-use cannabis conducted in compliance with California law and any applicable local standards, requirements, and regulations shall be deemed to be all of the following: (1) a lawful object of a contract, (2) not contrary to, an express provision of law, any policy of express law, or good morals, and (3) not against public policy.

 

The COVID-19 Pandemic May Adversely Affect Our Business and Financial Condition.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted commercial and economic activity and contributed to significant volatility in the equity and debt markets in the U.S. and Canada. The impact of the outbreak continues to develop and many jurisdictions, including the State of California and local municipalities, have instituted quarantines, prohibitions on travel and the closure of offices, businesses, schools, retail stores and other public venues. Individual businesses and industries are also implementing similar precautionary measures. Those measures, as well as the general uncertainty surrounding the dangers and effects of COVID-19, have created significant disruption in supply chains and economic activity. New strains of the virus have been identified originating in the U.S. and elsewhere. These new strains may have different transmission, morbidity and mortality rates than the original virus, and the COVID-19 vaccines developed to date may not be effective to provide immunization against new strains of the virus. While the Company has continuously sought to assess the potential impact of the pandemic on its financial condition and operating results, any assessment is subject to extreme uncertainty as to probability, severity and duration. The continued spread of the virus globally could result in a protracted world-wide economic downturn, the effects of which could last for some period after the pandemic is controlled and/or abated and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. The impact of COVID-19 could have the effect of heightening many of the other risk factors described herein.

 

The Company has attempted to assess the impact of the pandemic by identifying risks in the following principle areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Company is actively addressing the risk to business continuity represented by each of the above factors through the implementation of a broad range of measures throughout its structure and is re-assessing its response to the COVID-19 pandemic on an ongoing basis. The above risks individually or collectively may have a material impact on the Company’s ability to generate revenue. Implementing measures to remediate the risks identified above may materially increase our costs of doing business, reduce our margins and potentially result in or increase losses. While the Company is not currently in financial distress, if the Company’s financial situation materially deteriorates as a result of the impact of the pandemic, the Company could eventually be unable to meet its obligations to third parties, which in turn could lead to insolvency and bankruptcy of the Company.

 

 

The regional stay home order, announced by the California Department of Public Health on December 3, 2020, as supplemented by an additional order executed on December 6, 2020, was issued to apply across California on a regional basis in respect of certain designated regions. It is required to go into effect in respect of a particular region at 11:59 p.m. the day after such region has been announced to have less than 15% ICU availability. Among other implications in the event this order becomes effective in respect of a region:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apart from the conditions under which this stay home order is required to be followed, California state counties may exercise discretion to apply this order voluntarily.

 

The Company facilities are not currently subject to any stay home orders. The Company’s cultivation, manufacturing and distribution operations and the Company’s various suppliers of raw materials or inputs are considered to be a part of the essential infrastructure sectors and as such do not require a reduction in their scope or amount of activity. The end purchasers of products distributed by the Company, being cannabis retail dispensaries located across California, may be or become subject to this stay home order. They would nonetheless be able to continue to operate curbside pick-up and delivery services and potentially limited capacity indoor operations in order to effect the sale of their products, as they too are considered essential businesses. Nonetheless, the impact of this stay home order may be to lessen the demand for the Company’s products. The extent to which this stay home order may impact the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows is highly uncertain and cannot be quantified at this time. The Company will continue to monitor the impact of this stay home order and take measures that alter its business operations as may be required by federal, state or local authorities and/or that the Company deems are in the best interests of its employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and other stakeholders.

 

Wildfire Risks in Certain Areas of California Could Adversely Impact the Company’s Operations.

 

Certain areas of California, including certain areas nearby the Company’s cultivation facility in Monterey County, can be negatively impacted by wildfires. Wildfires can cause smoke and ash to pass through greenhouse vents and cause cannabis plants to fail testing. As a result, the Company will close the greenhouse vents when needed to prohibit smoke and ash from entering the greenhouses at its cultivation facility. However, closing the greenhouse vents may cause elevated temperatures within the greenhouses and as a result induced plant stress, thereby negatively affecting plant yields. Wildfires can also cause essential sunlight to be blocked out, thereby negatively affecting plant yields in another manner. Overall, such wildfires can materially disrupt the Company’s ability to harvest cannabis crops, significantly diminishing both the size and quality of the crops harvested, the Company’s supply chain, and other operations and as a result can negatively impact the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Wildfires that occurred in late summer, early fall 2020 negatively impacted the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows during the third quarter of 2020 and are expected to continue to have a negative impact for the fourth quarter of 2020 and potentially beyond as the Company completes its production from cannabis crops that were impacted by such wildfires that occurred earlier this year. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company installed automated environmental control systems within individual grow rooms at its cultivation facility. While the Company believes that the addition of such systems should mitigate future negative effects of wildfires that may occur nearby the Company’s cultivation facility, there is no guarantee that such negative effects would in fact be mitigated. The extent to which any such future wildfires or any other natural disaster impacts the Company’s results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

 

 

Risks Related to our Acquisitions

 

The anticipated benefits of the Lowell Acquisition may not be realized or may take longer than expected to realize.

 

Historically, the Company and the Lowell brands businesses have operated independently. The future success of the Lowell Acquisition, including anticipated benefits, depends, in part, on our ability to optimize our combined operations. The optimization of our operations following the Lowell Acquisition will be a complex and time-consuming process and if we experience difficulties in this process, the anticipated benefits may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected, which could have an adverse effect on us for an undetermined period. There can be no assurances that we will realize the potential operating efficiencies, synergies and other benefits currently anticipated from the Lowell Acquisition.

 

The integration of the Lowell brands businesses and the Company’s historical operations may present material challenges, including, without limitation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of these factors are outside of our control, and any one of them could result in delays, increased costs, decreases in the amount of potential revenues or synergies, potential cost savings, and diversion of management’s time and energy, which could materially affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

 

We may complete additional acquisitions, enter into new lines of business and expand into new geographic markets and businesses, each of which may result in upfront costs and additional risks and uncertainties in our businesses.

 

We intend, if market conditions warrant, to grow our businesses by acquiring additional businesses, expanding existing products lines, entering into new product lines and entering new geographic markets. Attempts to expand our businesses involve a number of special risks, including some or all of the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, the acquisition of additional businesses would involve some or all of the integration risks identified above with respect to the Lowell Acquisition. Not all of our historical acquisitions have been successful. Because we have not yet identified these potential new acquisitions, product line expansions, and expansions into new geographic markets or lines of business, we cannot identify all of the specific risks we may face and the potential adverse consequences on us and their investment that may result from any attempted acquisition or expansion.

 

Risks Related to the Securities of the Company

 

Unpredictability Caused by the Company’s Capital Structure Could Adversely Impact the Market for the Company’s Securities.

 

Although other Canadian-listed companies have dual class or multiple voting and exchangeable share structures, given the other unique features of the capital structure of the Company, including the existence of a significant amount of redeemable equity securities that have been issued by, and are issuable pursuant to the exercise, conversion or exchange of the applicable convertible and exchangeable securities of, Indus Holding Company, which equity securities are redeemable from time to time for Subordinate Voting Shares in accordance with their terms, the Company is not able to predict whether this structure will result in a lower trading price for or greater fluctuations in the trading price of the Subordinate Voting Shares or will result in adverse publicity to the Company or other adverse consequences.

 

Investors Could be Diluted by Future Financings.

 

The Company may need to raise additional financing in the future through the issuance of additional equity securities or convertible debt securities. If the Company raises additional funding by issuing additional equity securities or convertible debt securities, such financings may substantially dilute the interests of shareholders of the Company and reduce the value of their investment and the value of the Company’s securities.

 

 

The Market for Subordinate Voting Shares May be Illiquid.

 

There may not be an active, liquid market for the Subordinate Voting Shares. There is no guarantee that an active trading market for the Subordinate Voting Shares will be maintained on the CSE. Investors may not be able to sell their Subordinate Voting Shares quickly or at the latest market price if trading in the Subordinate Voting Shares is not active.

 

The Market Price of the Subordinate Voting Shares is Volatile.

 

The market price of the Subordinate Voting Shares cannot be predicted and has been and may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. This volatility may affect the ability of holders of Subordinate Voting Shares to sell their securities at an advantageous price. Market price fluctuations in the Subordinate Voting Shares may be due to the Company’s operating results failing to meet expectations of securities analysts or investors in any period, downward revision in securities analysts’ estimates, adverse changes in general market conditions or competitive, regulatory or economic trends, adverse changes in the economic performance or market valuations of companies in the industry in which the Company operates, acquisitions, dispositions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, capital commitments or other material public announcements by the Company or its competitors or government and regulatory authorities, operating and share price performance of the companies that investors deem comparable to the Company, addition or departure of the Company’s executive officers and other key personnel, along with a variety of additional factors. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of the Subordinate Voting Shares.

 

Financial markets have at times historically experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices of equity and convertible securities of companies and that have often been unrelated to the operating performance, underlying asset values or prospects of such companies. Accordingly, the market price of the Subordinate Voting Shares and any other listed securities of the Company, from time to time, may decline even if the Company’s operating results, underlying asset values or prospects have not changed. Additionally, these factors, as well as other related factors, may cause decreases in asset values that are deemed to be other than temporary, which may result in impairment losses. There can be no assurance that continuing fluctuations in price and volume will not occur. If such increased levels of volatility and market turmoil arise or continue, the Company’s operations may be adversely impacted and the trading price of the Subordinate Voting Shares and such other securities may be materially adversely affected.

 

Future sales of Subordinate Voting Shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of the Subordinate Voting Shares.

 

As of March 1, 2021, there are 67,493,463 Subordinate Voting Shares outstanding and the following Subordinate Voting Shares are issuable upon the conversion, redemption or exercise of derivate securities of Lowell Farms and Indus Holding Company:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22,643,678 of the outstanding Subordinate Voting Shares were issued in the Lowell Acquisition and are subject to a restriction on resale under Canadian law until June 26, 2021. Furthermore, 5,000,000 of the 22,643,678 Subordinate Voting Shares issued in the Lowell Acquisition are held in escrow and, absent offsetting claims for indemnification, will be released on November 25, 2021 (with 287,356 of such shares continuing to be held until the transfer of certainly regulatory assets is completed, if such transfer is not completed prior to November 25, 2021). The Company has agreed to use its commercially reasonable best efforts to file a resale registration statement covering the shares issued in the Lowell Acquisition by the later of May 26, 2021 or 45 days after the provision by Hacienda of certain financial statements and other financial information regarding the assets and operations acquired in the Lowell Acquisition.

 

The 158,136,965 Subordinate Voting Shares underlying the outstanding convertible debentures and warrants issued in the Convertible Debenture Offering and the Subordinate Voting Shares issuable in respect of accrued and unpaid interest on such debentures are subject to a contractual lock-up until April 13, 2021 that may be waived at the option of the holders of a majority in principal amount of such debentures.

 

The remainder of the outstanding Subordinate Voting Shares, as well as any securities issued upon conversion or exercise thereof, may be resold pursuant to Rule 905 under the Securities Act of 1933 or any other applicable exemption from registration, and no such shares are subject to a contractual lock-up restriction.

 

Future sales of Subordinate Voting Shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of the Subordinate Voting Shares.

 

The Company has Experienced Negative Operating Cash Flows Throughout its History.

 

The Company had negative operating cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. Operating cash flows may decline in certain circumstances, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. As a result, the Company may need to allocate a portion of its existing working capital or a portion of the net proceeds of the Offering or any future securities issuance to fund any such negative operating cash flow in future periods.

 

The Company is subject to both U.S. and Canadian Taxation, which will Adversely Affect our Results of Operations.

 

The Company is treated as a United States company for U.S. Federal income tax purposes under section 7874 of the Code and is subject to United States Federal income tax on its worldwide income. However, for Canadian income tax purposes, the Company is, regardless of any application of section 7874 of the Code, treated as a resident of Canada for purposes of the Tax Act. As a result, the Company is subject to taxation both in Canada and the United States, which could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations.

 

 

ITEM 2. FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Certain statements in this Form 10 constitute “forward-looking statements.” Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend” and “plan” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include the legislative framework regarding the licensing of cannabis and related activities; proposed and anticipated changes to applicable laws and regulations regarding the cannabis market, associated fees and taxes and the business impact on the Company; the potential size of the adult and medical-use cannabis markets in the jurisdictions in which the Company currently operates in and may in the future operate; the availability and renewal of requisite licenses and permits on terms acceptable to the Company, including those related to any expansion contemplated by the Company of its operations; the implementation of the Company’s remaining construction plans in respect of its cultivation facility, including the timing thereof; anticipated future cultivation, manufacturing and extraction capacity and output, and the resulting anticipated operational and financial benefits to the Company; expectations as to the development and distribution of the Company’s brands and products and the distribution of third-party products; expectations as to changes to future strategies regarding the Company’s own branded products; estimated future sales and revenue, estimated future operating costs and expenses, estimated future capital expenditures, estimated future cash flows and other prospective financial performance and the resulting effects on the Company’s financial position; prospective operational performance; business prospects and objectives and near and long term strategies, including growth strategies; competitive strengths; anticipated trends and challenges in the Company’s business and the markets in which it operates; the ability of the Company to satisfy the requirements of its debt obligations, and to repay, renew or refinance such indebtedness upon such indebtedness becoming payable in the event such indebtedness is not converted into equity in accordance with its terms; anticipated cash needs; the Company’s ability to raise funds in the capital markets and the resulting effects on the Company’s financial position; expectations regarding the schedule for the release of outstanding shares or other securities of the Company or its subsidiaries, which are currently subject to lock-up arrangements, from such arrangements; expectations for other economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors related to the Company or the cannabis industry generally, and other events or conditions that may occur in the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

  

Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2020	2019
Net loss attributable to the Company (GAAP)	$(12,330)	$(50,250)
Interest expense	3,331	2,152
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	224	205
Depreciation in cost of goods sold	241	592
Depreciation and amortization in operating expenses	3,671	3,322
Investment and currency losses	(168)	2,091
Share-based compensation	2,200	3,385
Transaction and other special charges	4,201	2,341
Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)(1)	$1,369	$(36,162)

_______________

(1) Non-GAAP measure

Revenue by Category

 

 

Year Ended December 31,			2020 v 2019
(in thousands)	2020	2019	% Change
Owned	$31,955	$15,366	108%
Agency	7,778	13,470	-42%
Distributed	2,885	8,209	-65%
Net revenue	$42,618	$37,045	15%

Net Loss

 

Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)	2020	2019
Net loss	$(12,330)	$(50,250)
Net loss per share:
Basic and Diluted	$(0.36)	$(1.60)
Shares used in per share calculation:
Basic and Diluted	33,940	31,379

(in thousands, except per share amounts)	First Quarter	Second Quarter	Third Quarter	Fourth Quarter
2020
Revenue	$9,442	$9,894	$14,131	$9,151
Gross profit (loss)	$(1,091)	$2,158	$9,358	$5,317
Operating income (loss)	$(6,985)	$(2,136)	$4,480	$(219)
Income(loss) before income taxes	$(7,725)	$(6,080)	$2,656	$(956)
Net income (loss)	$(7,750)	$(6,105)	$2,537	$(1,011)
Income (Loss) per share - basic	$(0.23)	$(0.18)	$0.08	$(0.03)
Income (Loss) per share - diluted	$(0.23)	$(0.18)	$0.01	$(0.03)
2019
Revenue	$6,434	$9,689	$10,119	$10,803
Gross profit (loss)	$(203)	$2,569	$(4,335)	$(6,763)
Operating loss	$(4,664)	$(5,807)	$(16,713)	$(18,713)
Income before income taxes	$(5,840)	$(5,060)	$(18,917)	$(20,228)
Net loss	$(5,840)	$(5,563)	$(18,458)	$(20,389)
Loss per share - basic and diluted		$(0.17)	$(0.57)	$(0.63)

Cash Flows

 

The following table presents the Company's net cash inflows and outflows from the condensed interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

 

Year Ended December 31,			Change
(in thousands)	2020	2019	$	%
Net cash used in operating activities	$(7,752)	$(39,323)	$31,571	80%
Net cash used in investing activities	(5,607)	(10,061)	4,454	44%
Net cash provided by financing activities	37,765	40,418	(2,653)	-7%
Change in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	$24,406	$(8,966)	$33,372	372%

	December 31,		Change
(in thousands)	2020	2019	$	%
Working capital(1)	$34,280	$3,147	$31,133	989%
Cash on hand	$25,751	$1,344	$24,407	1816%
(1) Non-GAAP measure - see Non-GAAP Financial Measures in this MD&A.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

 

Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Consolidated Operations
Net revenue	$42,618	$37,045	$17,199	$15,468	$4,676
Gross profit/(loss)	$15,742	$(8,732)	$(1,804)	$1,763	$692
Operating loss	$(4,860)	$(45,897)	$(13,197)	$(5,976)	$(3,358)
Loss before income taxes	$(12,106)	$(50,045)	$(14,481)	$(7,258)	$(3,439)
Net loss	$(12,330)	$(50,250)	$(14,578)	$(7,280)	$(3,439)
Net loss per share - basic and diluted	$(0.36)	$(1.60)
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted	$33,940	$31,379
Consolidated Financial Position
Cash	$25,751	$1,344	$10,310	$2,229	$2,807
Current assets	$50,002	$15,198	$27,293	$8,809	$4,949
Property, plant and equipment, net	$49,243	$42,972	$4,063	$1,649	$960
Total assets	$100,813	$62,351	$33,505	$12,171	$6,133
Current liabilities	$15,723	$12,051	$4,436	$7,753	$1,126
Working capital	$34,280	$3,147	$22,857	$1,056	$3,823
Long-term notes payable including current portion	$15,217	$506	$536	$12,276	$4,524
Capital lease obligations including current portion	$45,393	$35,836	$-	$-	$-
Total stockholders' equity	$34,553	$17,503	$26,773	$(5,211)	$541

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

ITEM 4. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT.

 

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our Subordinate Voting Shares as of March 1, 2021 by:

 

 

The Super Voting Shares carry 1,000 votes per share and the Subordinate Voting Shares carry 1 vote per share. As of March 1, 2021, the Super Voting Shares represent approximately 75.0% of the voting power of our outstanding voting securities and approximately 44.1% of the voting power of our voting securities on a fully diluted basis. The Super Voting Shares are held by Robert Weakley, who has entered into an agreement with the Company to vote the Super Voting Shares in accordance with the voting agreement described below and otherwise as directed by our board of directors. Mr. Weakley served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company from the date of the RTO until April 2020 and thereafter as a member of our board of directors until October 2020.

 

In connection with the closing of the Convertible Debenture Offering, the Company and Mr. Weakley entered into a voting agreement with the investors in the Convertible Debenture Offering pursuant which Mr. Weakley and such investors agreed to maintain the size of our board of directors at seven directors and to vote all of their voting securities (including the Super Voting Shares) to elect three persons designated by the debenture holders (currently George Allen, Brian Shure and Kevin McGrath), three persons designated by a majority of the incumbent directors or their successors or, in the event no such director is then serving, Mr. Weakley (currently Mark Ainsworth, William Anton and Stephanie Harkness) (“Indus Directors”) and one person designated by mutual agreement of a majority of the investor directors and a majority of the Indus Directors (currently Bruce Gates). Beneficial ownership of the shares held by Mr. Weakley and the investors in the Convertible Debenture Offering has not been attributed to one another by reason of the voting agreement for purposes of the calculations in the table below.

 

_________________ 

7 Lowell Farms has two 4-year extension options.

8 Lowell Farms has one 4-year extension option.

9 Lowell Farms has four 2-year extension options.

10 Lowell Farms has five 5-year extension options.

11 Managed by Lowell Farms pursuant to the management services agreement with Hacienda entered into in connection with the Lowell Acquisition.

 

To our knowledge, except as discussed above, none of the shares listed below are held under a voting trust or similar agreement, except as noted. To our knowledge, there is no arrangement, including any pledge by any person of our securities or any of our parents, the operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a change in control of our company. Unless otherwise noted below, the address of each other person listed on the table is c/o Lowell Farms Inc., 19 Quail Run Circle – Suite B, Salinas, California 93907.

 

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. In accordance with the SEC rules, shares of our shares that may be acquired upon exercise or vesting of equity awards within 60 days of the date of the table below are deemed beneficially owned by the holders of such options and are deemed outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage of ownership of such person, but are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage of ownership of any other person. As of March 1, 2021, 67,493,463 Subordinate Voting Shares were issued and outstanding.

 

                            

*	Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%.
(1)	Includes 52,537,438 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the conversion of convertible debentures and 52,537,438 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Geronimo Central Valley Opportunity Fund, LLC; 800,063 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the conversion of convertible debentures and 800,063 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Geronimo CVOF Manager, LLC (together with Geronimo Central Valley Opportunity Fund, LLC, the “Geronimo Fund”); 3,804,303 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the conversion of convertible debentures and 3,804,303 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Geronimo Capital, LLC; and 133,500 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Mr. Allen. Mr. Allen is the sole member of Geronimo Capital, LLC and the sole manager of Geronimo CVOF Manager, LLC. Geronimo CVOF Manager, LLC is the sole manager of Geronimo Central Valley Opportunity Fund, LLC.
(2)	Includes 1,432,567 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon redemption of Sub Convertible Shares and 137,500 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of options held by Mr. Ainsworth.
(3)	Includes 811,104 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon redemption of Sub Convertible Shares, 177,500 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants and 10,000 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of options held by Ms. Harkness; and 190,231 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon redemption of Sub Convertible Shares and 245,724 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Opes Holdings, LLC, which is controlled by Ms. Harkness. Excludes 482,667 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon redemption of Sub Convertible Shares and 22,500 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Ms. Harkness’ spouse, as to which Ms. Harkness disclaims beneficial ownership.

 

 

(4)	Includes 1,026,095 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the conversion of convertible debentures, 1,271,819 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants and 532,917 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon redemption of Sub Convertible Shares held by Anton Enterprises, Inc., which is controlled by Mr. Anton. Also includes 460,000 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon redemption of Sub Convertible Shares and 10,000 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of options held by Mr. Anton.
(5)	Includes 5,015,984 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the conversion of convertible debentures and 5,150,984 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Mr. McGrath.
(6)	Includes 108,388 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Mr. Shure.
(7)	Includes 25,000 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon redemption of Sub Convertible Shares and 63,750 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of options held by Mr. McMillin.
(8)	Includes 88,750 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of options held by Ms. Montenegro.
(9)	Consists of 53,337,501 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the conversion of convertible debentures and 53,337,501 Subordinate Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Geronimo Fund.

 

 

George Allen has served as the non-executive Chairman and a director of the Company since April 2020. Mr. Allen is the Founder of Geronimo Capital LLC, a cannabis-industry investment firm, and has been its Managing Member since April 2019. Mr. Allen was the President of Acreage Holdings, a cannabis multi-state operator, from August 2017 to April 2019. At the time of his departure from Acreage Holdings, it was the largest multi-state operator with the broadest footprint in the United States. Mr. Allen was the Chief Investment Officer of Cambridge Information Group, family investment office, from July 2015 to August 2017. Mr. Allen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University. From 2011 to 2014 Mr. Allen led an acquisition-driven restructuring of Blucora (NASDAQ: BCOR) into a leading provider of wealth management and tax software and prior to Blucora, Mr. Allen spent nine years at Warburg Pincus, managing investments in the communication, media and technology sectors, and Goldman Sachs in New York and Hong Kong, where he invested capital in distressed securities The Company believes that Mr. Allen’s extensive public company and executive-level experience and his expertise in strategy, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance qualify him to serve as our Chairman.

 

Mark Ainsworth has served as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company since April 2019. Mr. Ainsworth previously served as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer (November 2019 to April 2020) and Executive Vice President (April 2019 to April 2020) and as Executive Vice President of Indus Holding Company (inception to April 2019). In 2006, Mr. Ainsworth founded Pastry Smart, an American Humane Certified and Organic bakery and confectionery manufacturer. He has been a member of the American Culinary Federation since 2013. The Company believes that Mr. Ainsworth’s long history as an entrepreneur and as a co-founder of the Company as well as his executive-level experience qualify him to serve as a member of our Board.

 

 

Stephanie Harkness has served as an independent director of the Company since April 2019. Ms. Harkness is the Managing General Partner of OPES Holdings, LLC, a venture capital and private equity firm. From 1980 to 2011 Ms. Harkness was CEO of Pacific Plastics & Engineering, a leading medical device manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay area. Ms. Harkness was formerly the Chairperson of National Association of Manufacturers, a member of the Board of Directors for Dignity Health Hospital, and Chair of the Silicon Valley Capital Club Board of Governors. Ms. Harkness holds a B.S. degree from California Polytechnic State University. The Company believes that Ms. Harkness’ extensive experience as a senior executive and director and her lengthy history of value creation with companies at both early and later stages of their development qualify her to serve as a member of our Board.

 

William Anton has served as an independent director of the Company since April 2019. Mr. Anton has served as Chairman and CEO of Anton Enterprises, Inc. since 2005 and Managing Partner of Anton Venture Capital Fund LLC since 2004. Prior to Anton Enterprises he was Chairman of Anton Airfood, Inc. from 1989 to 2005, the airport foodservice company he founded. Mr. Anton is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Media Research Corporation, the Board of Directors of QSpex Technologies Inc., and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Thalians Foundation for Mental Health at Cedars-Sinai. Mr. Anton formerly served on the Board of Directors of Air Chef Corporation, a leading private aviation catering firm in North America, the Board of Directors for Morton's Restaurant Group, the Board of the British Restaurant Association, the Board of Trustees of the William F. Harrah College - University of Nevada in Las Vegas, and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. The Company believes that Ms. Anton’s extensive experience as a senior executive and director and his lengthy history of value-creation as a founder and entrepreneur qualify him to serve as a member of our Board.

 

Kevin McGrath has served as an independent director of the Company since April 2020. Mr. McGrath holds stakes in privately held medical cannabis companies such as Theraplant LLC and Leafline Labs LLC as well as being an early investor and former special advisor to GrowGeneration. Mr. McGrath is a member of the board of directors of NextGen Pharma/Bwell Group. Prior to joining Indus’ board Mr. McGrath was a founding partner of Merus Capital Partners, a New York City-based Hedge Fund. Mr. McGrath has held portfolio manager titles at Millennium Capital Management, Quad Capital Advisors and First New York securities. Mr. McGrath is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. The Company believes that Ms. McGrath’s experience as a director, his expertise in corporate finance and his deep knowledge of the cannabis industry qualify him to serve as a member of our Board.

 

Brian Shure has served as a director of the Company since April 2020 and was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in November 2020. Mr. Shure leads Ambrose Capital Partners, an investment management firm, directing public and private investments where he has served as President since 2008. Mr. Shure served as Chief Financial Officer of MedData, a revenue cycle management company in the healthcare industry, where he oversaw significant organic and M&A growth. Mr. Shure joined MedData following the company’s acquisition of Cardon Outreach, where he led finance and M&A strategy as Chief Financial Officer. The Company believes that Mr. Shure’s extensive experience as a financial executive and his expertise in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance qualify him to serve as a member of our Board.

 

Bruce Gates has served as an independent director of the Company since October 2020. Mr. Gates founded and since November 2017 has served as the President of Three Oaks Strategies, LLC, a multi-disciplined consultancy firm, and of Three Oaks Asset Management, LLC, a family office and venture capital firm. Mr. Gates was the Senior Vice President, External Affairs for Altria Group, Inc. from 2008 until October 2017. Mr.Gates served as a directors of Cronos Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CRON) and as the Chair of its compensation committee from March 2019 to March 2020.   Mr. Gates received his B.A. from the University of Georgia. The Company believes that Mr. Gates’ extensive experience as a senior executive and director qualifies him to serve as a member of our Board.

 

 

Jenny Montenegro joined the Company leadership team in June 2020. Previously Ms. Montenegro served as Vice President of Commercialization from August 2019 to June 2020, where she was responsible for planning and managing the timeline of launch of brand products into the market. Prior to joining Lowell Farms, Ms. Montenegro served as the Founding Vice President of Consumer Packaged Goods and Operations. Ms. Montenegro served as Vice President – Operations and Marketing of The Organic Coop from April 2016 to August 2019. Prior to that, Ms. Montenegro served as a regional buyer at Costco Wholesale, where she worked from October 2001 to April 2016.

 

Kelly McMillin has served as Chief Compliance Officer of the Company since October 2017. As Chief of the Salinas Police Department beginning June 2012, Mr. McMillin served as a board member of the California Cities Violence Prevention Network and a representative to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. Mr. McMillin holds a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Master of Public Policy from the Panetta Institute at Cal State University, Monterey Bay. He is a 2003 graduate of the 213th session of the FBI National Academy at Quantico.

 

Family Relationships

 

There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers or directors.

 

Arrangements between Officers and Directors 

 

Except as set forth in this Form 10, to our knowledge, there is no arrangement or understanding between any of our officers or directors and any other person pursuant to which such officer or director was selected to serve as an officer or director of the Company.

 

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings 

 

To the best of the Company’s knowledge, no director or executive officer of the Company has been involved in any legal proceedings in the past ten years relating to any matters in bankruptcy, insolvency, criminal proceedings (other than traffic and other minor offenses), or being subject to any of the items set forth under Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K.