RISK FACTORS
Risks Related to the Company’s Business and Industry
To date, we have not generated revenue, do not foresee generating any revenue in the near future and therefore rely on external financing.
We are a startup Company and our business model currently focuses on [fill in focus and cash requirements] rather than generating revenue. While we intend to generate revenue in the future, we cannot assure you when or if we will be able to do so.
We rely on external financing to fund our operations. We anticipate, based on our current proposed plans and assumptions relating to our operations (including the timetable of, and costs associated with, new product development) that, if the Minimum Amount is raised in this Offering, it will be sufficient to satisfy our contemplated cash requirements through approximately [FILL IN], assuming that we do not accelerate the development of other opportunities available to us, engage in an extraordinary transaction or otherwise face unexpected events, costs or contingencies, any of which could affect our cash requirements.
We expect capital outlays and operating expenditures to increase over the next several years as we expand our infrastructure, commercial operations, development activities and establish offices.
Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including but not limited to the following:
* The cost of expanding our operations;
* The financial terms and timing of any collaborations, licensing or other arrangements into which we may enter;
* The rate of progress and cost of development activities;
* The need to respond to technological changes and increased competition;
* The costs of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights;
* The cost and delays in product development that may result from changes in regulatory requirements applicable to our products;
* Sales and marketing efforts to bring these new product candidates to market;
* Unforeseen difficulties in establishing and maintaining an effective sales and distribution network; and
* Lack of demand for and market acceptance of our products and technologies.
We may have difficulty obtaining additional funding and we cannot assure you that additional capital will be available to us when needed, if at all, or if available, will be obtained on terms acceptable to us. If we raise additional funds by issuing additional debt securities, such debt instruments may provide for rights, preferences or privileges senior to the Securities. In addition, the terms of the debt securities issued could impose significant restrictions on our operations. If we raise additional funds through collaborations and licensing arrangements, we might be required to relinquish significant rights to our technologies or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. If adequate funds are not available, we may have to delay, scale back, or eliminate some of our operations or our research development and commercialization activities. Under these circumstances, if the Company is unable to acquire additional capital or is required to raise it on terms that are less satisfactory than desired, it may have a material adverse effect on its financial condition.
We have limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our performance, and accordingly, our prospects must be considered in light of the risks that any new company encounters.
We were incorporated under the laws of Delaware on November 19, 2020. Accordingly, we have no history upon which an evaluation of our prospects and future performance can be made. Our proposed operations are subject to all business risks associated with a new enterprise. The likelihood of our creation of a viable business must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications, and delays frequently encountered in connection with the inception of a business, operation in a competitive industry, and the continued development of advertising, promotions, and a corresponding client base. We anticipate that our operating expenses will increase for the near future. There can be no assurances that we will ever operate profitably. You should consider the Company’s business, operations and prospects in light of the risks, expenses and challenges faced as an early-stage company.
Members of our management team may make decisions detrimental to our business and/or be unable to successfully manage our operations. The ineffective management of our business will have a negative effect on our results of operations.
The development and commercialization of our products is highly competitive.
We face competition with respect to any products that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future. Our competitors include major companies worldwide. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, technical and human resources than we have and superior expertise in research and development and marketing approved [products/services] and thus may be better equipped than us to develop and commercialize [products/services]. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel and acquiring technologies. Smaller or early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Accordingly, our competitors may commercialize products more rapidly or effectively than we are able to, which would adversely affect our competitive position, the likelihood that our products will achieve initial market acceptance and our ability to generate meaningful additional revenues from our products.
We rely on other companies to provide raw materials and finished goods for our products.
We depend on these suppliers and subcontractors to meet our contractual obligations to our customers and conduct our operations. Our ability to meet our obligations to our customers may be adversely affected if suppliers or subcontractors do not provide the agreed-upon supplies or perform the agreed-upon services in compliance with customer requirements and in a timely and cost-effective manner. Likewise, the quality of our products may be adversely impacted if companies to whom we delegate manufacture of major components or subsystems for our products, or from whom we acquire such items, do not provide raw materials and finished goods for our products. which meet required specifications and perform to our and our customers’ expectations. Our suppliers may be less likely than us to be able to quickly recover from natural disasters and other events beyond their control and may be subject to additional risks such as financial problems that limit their ability to conduct their operations. The risk of these adverse effects may be greater in circumstances where we rely on only one or two subcontractors or suppliers for a particular raw material and/or finished good.
We depend on third-party service providers and outsource providers for a variety of services and we outsource a number of our non-core functions and operations.
In certain instances, we rely on single or limited service providers and outsourcing vendors because the relationship is advantageous due to quality, price, or lack of alternative sources. If production or service was interrupted and we were not able to find alternate third-party providers, we could experience disruptions in manufacturing and operations including product shortages, higher freight costs and re-engineering costs. If outsourcing services are interrupted or not performed or the performance is poor, this could impact our ability to process, record and report transactions with our customers and other constituents. Such interruptions in the provision of supplies and/or services could result in our inability to meet customer demand, damage our reputation and customer relationships and adversely affect our business.
Quality management plays an essential role in determining and meeting customer requirements, preventing defects, improving the Company’s products and services and maintaining the integrity of the data that supports the safety and efficacy of our products.
Our future success depends on our ability to maintain and continuously improve our quality management program. An inability to address a quality or safety issue in an effective and timely manner may also cause negative publicity, a loss of customer confidence in us or our current or future products, which may result in the loss of sales and difficulty in successfully launching new products. In addition, a successful claim brought against us in excess of available insurance or not covered by indemnification agreements, or any claim that results in significant adverse publicity against us, could have an adverse effect on our business and our reputation.
In general, demand for our products and services is highly correlated with general economic conditions.
A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from discretionary spending by individuals, which typically falls during times of economic instability. Declines in economic conditions in the U.S. or in other countries in which we operate may adversely impact our consolidated financial results. Because such declines in demand are difficult to predict, we or the industry may have increased excess capacity as a result. An increase in excess capacity may result in declines in prices for our products and services.
The use of individually identifiable data by our business, our business associates and third parties is regulated at the state, federal and international levels.
Costs associated with information security – such as investment in technology, the costs of compliance with consumer protection laws and costs resulting from consumer fraud – could cause our business and results of operations to suffer materially. Additionally, the success of our online operations depends upon the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks, including the use of cashless payments. The intentional or negligent actions of employees, business associates or third parties may undermine our security measures. As a result, unauthorized parties may obtain access to our data systems and misappropriate confidential data. There can be no assurance that advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments will prevent the compromise of our customer transaction processing capabilities and personal data. If any such compromise of our security or the security of information residing with our business associates or third parties were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, operating results and financial condition. Any compromise of our data security may materially increase the costs we incur to protect against such breaches and could subject us to additional legal risk.
Through our operations, we collect and store certain personal information that our customers provide to purchase products or services, enroll in promotional programs, register on our web site, or otherwise communicate and interact with us.
We may share information about such persons with vendors that assist with certain aspects of our business. Security could be compromised and confidential customer or business information misappropriated. Loss of customer or business information could disrupt our operations, damage our reputation, and expose us to claims from customers, financial institutions, payment card associations and other persons, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, compliance with tougher privacy and information security laws and standards may result in significant expense due to increased investment in technology and the development of new operational processes.
Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.
We collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable information of our customers and employees, in our data centers and on our networks. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy. Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and regulatory penalties, disrupt our operations and the services we provide to customers, and damage our reputation, and cause a loss of confidence in our products and services, which could adversely affect our business/operating margins, revenues and competitive position.
An intentional or unintentional disruption, failure, misappropriation or corruption of our network and information systems could severely affect our business.
Such an event might be caused by computer hacking, computer viruses, worms and other destructive or disruptive software, "cyber attacks" and other malicious activity, as well as natural disasters, power outages, terrorist attacks and similar events. Such events could have an adverse impact on us and our customers, including degradation of service, service disruption, excessive call volume to call centers and damage to our plant, equipment and data. In addition, our future results could be adversely affected due to the theft, destruction, loss, misappropriation or release of confidential customer data or intellectual property. Operational or business delays may result from the disruption of network or information systems and the subsequent remediation activities. Moreover, these events may create negative publicity resulting in reputation or brand damage with customers.
The Company’s success depends on the experience and skill of the board of directors, its executive officers and key employees.
In particular, the Company is dependent on Zayn Kalyan and Eric Gripentrog who are President - November 19th, 2020 - Current and CEO - December 10th, 2020 - Current of the Company. The Company has or intends to enter into employment agreements with Zayn Kalyan and Eric Gripentrog although there can be no assurance that it will do so or that they will continue to be employed by the Company for a particular period of time. The loss of Zayn Kalyan and Eric Gripentrog or any member of the board of directors or executive officer could harm the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flow and results of operations.
We rely on third-party suppliers for the materials used in the manufacturing of our products.
In 2020, the following suppliers provided the following percentage of the listed services, inputs or raw materials.
Supplier or Description: Hemptown Organics Corp.
Service: Raw materials and finished product
% of such service: 100.0%
If any of these suppliers changed its sales strategy to reduce its reliance on distribution channels, or decided to terminate its business relationship with us, sales and earnings could be adversely affected until we are able to establish relationships with suppliers of comparable products. Any delay or interruption in manufacturing operations (or failure to locate a suitable replacement for such suppliers) could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, or results of operations. Most of our agreements with suppliers are terminable by either party on short notice for any reason. Although we believe our relationships with these key suppliers are good, they could change their strategies as a result of a change in control, expansion of their direct sales force, changes in the marketplace or other factors beyond our control, including a key supplier becoming financially distressed.
We rely on various intellectual property rights, including licenses in order to operate our business.
Such intellectual property rights, however, may not be sufficiently broad or otherwise may not provide us a significant competitive advantage. In addition, the steps that we have taken to maintain and protect our intellectual property may not prevent it from being challenged, invalidated, circumvented or designed-around, particularly in countries where intellectual property rights are not highly developed or protected. In some circumstances, enforcement may not be available to us because an infringer has a dominant intellectual property position or for other business reasons, or countries may require compulsory licensing of our intellectual property. Our failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights that convey competitive advantage, adequately protect our intellectual property or detect or prevent circumvention or unauthorized use of such property, could adversely impact our competitive position and results of operations. We also rely on nondisclosure and noncompetition agreements with employees, consultants and other parties to protect, in part, trade secrets and other proprietary rights. There can be no assurance that these agreements will adequately protect our trade secrets and other proprietary rights and will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach, that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information or that third parties will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or other proprietary rights.
As we expand our business, protecting our intellectual property will become increasingly important. The protective steps we have taken may be inadequate to deter our competitors from using our proprietary information. In order to protect or enforce our patent rights, we may be required to initiate litigation against third parties, such as infringement lawsuits. Also, these third parties may assert claims against us with or without provocation. These lawsuits could be expensive, take significant time and could divert management’s attention from other business concerns. The law relating to the scope and validity of claims in the technology field in which we operate is still evolving and, consequently, intellectual property positions in our industry are generally uncertain. We cannot assure you that we will prevail in any of these potential suits or that the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, would be commercially valuable.
From time to time, third parties may claim that one or more of our products or services infringe their intellectual property rights.
Any dispute or litigation regarding patents or other intellectual property could be costly and time-consuming due to the uncertainty of intellectual property litigation and could divert our management and key personnel from our business operations. A claim of intellectual property infringement could force us to enter into a costly or restrictive license agreement, which might not be available under acceptable terms or at all, could require us to redesign our products, which would be costly and time-consuming, and/or could subject us to an injunction against development and sale of certain of our products or services. We may have to pay substantial damages, including damages for past infringement if it is ultimately determined that our products infringe on a third party’s proprietary rights. Even if these claims are without merit, defending a lawsuit takes significant time, may be expensive and may divert management’s attention from other business concerns. Any public announcements related to litigation or interference proceedings initiated or threatened against us could cause our business to be harmed. Our intellectual property portfolio may not be useful in asserting a counterclaim, or negotiating a license, in response to a claim of intellectual property infringement. In certain of our businesses we rely on third party intellectual property licenses and we cannot ensure that these licenses will be available to us in the future on favorable terms or at all.
Although dependent on certain key personnel, the Company does not have any key man life insurance policies on any such people.
The Company is dependent on Zayn Kalyan and Eric Gripentrog in order to conduct its operations and execute its business plan, however, the Company has not purchased any insurance policies with respect to those individuals in the event of their death or disability. Therefore, if any of Zayn Kalyan and Eric Gripentrog die or become disabled, the Company will not receive any compensation to assist with such person’s absence. The loss of such person could negatively affect the Company and its operations.
We are subject to income taxes as well as non-income based taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, value-added, net worth, property and goods and services taxes, in both the U.S..
Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe that our tax estimates are reasonable: (i) there is no assurance that the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes will not be different from what is reflected in our income tax provisions, expense amounts for non-income based taxes and accruals and (ii) any material differences could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations in the period or periods for which determination is made.
We are not subject to Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and lack the financial controls and safeguards required of public companies.
We do not have the internal infrastructure necessary, and are not required, to complete an attestation about our financial controls that would be required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. There can be no assurance that there are no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the quality of our financial controls. We expect to incur additional expenses and diversion of management’s time if and when it becomes necessary to perform the system and process evaluation, testing and remediation required in order to comply with the management certification and auditor attestation requirements.
Changes in employment laws or regulation could harm our performance.
Various federal and state labor laws govern our relationship with our employees and affect operating costs. These laws include minimum wage requirements, overtime pay, healthcare reform and the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements, union membership and sales taxes. A number of factors could adversely affect our operating results, including additional government-imposed increases in minimum wages, overtime pay, paid leaves of absence and mandated health benefits, mandated training for employees, increased tax reporting and tax payment changing regulations from the National Labor Relations Board and increased employee litigation including claims relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The Company’s business operations may be materially adversely affected by a pandemic such as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which spread throughout other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” COVID-19 resulted in a widespread health crisis that adversely affected the economies and financial markets worldwide. The Company’s business could be materially and adversely affected. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company’s business will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extended period of time, the Company’s operations may be materially adversely affected.
We face risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt the Company’s operations and could have a material adverse impact on us.
The outbreak of pandemics and epidemics could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. If a pandemic occurs in areas in which we have material operations or sales, the Company’s business activities originating from affected areas, including sales, materials, and supply chain related activities, could be adversely affected. Disruptive activities could include the temporary closure of facilities used in the Company’s supply chain processes, restrictions on the export or shipment of products necessary to run the Company’s business, business closures in impacted areas, and restrictions on the Company’s employees’ or consultants’ ability to travel and to meet with customers, vendors or other business relationships. The extent to which a pandemic or other health outbreak impacts the Company’s results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of a virus and the actions to contain it or treat its impact, among others. Pandemics can also result in social, economic, and labor instability which may adversely impact the Company’s business.
If the Company’s employees or employees of any of the Company’s vendors, suppliers or customers become ill or are quarantined and in either or both events are therefore unable to work, the Company’s operations could be subject to disruption. The extent to which a pandemic affects the Company’s results will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
We face risks relating to public health conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which could adversely affect the Company’s customers, business, and results of operations.
Our business and prospects could be materially adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or recurrences of that or any other such disease in the future. Material adverse effects from COVID-19 and similar occurrences could result in numerous known and currently unknown ways including from quarantines and lockdowns which impair the Company’s business. If the Company purchases materials from suppliers in affected areas, the Company may not be able to procure such products in a timely manner. The effects of a pandemic can place travel restrictions on key personnel which could have a material impact on the business. In addition, a significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that could reduce the demand for the Company’s products and impair the Company’s business prospects including as a result of being unable to raise additional capital on acceptable terms to us, if at all.
The Company may be subject to various product liability claims, including, among others, that its products caused injury or illness, include inadequate instructions for use or include inadequate warnings concerning possible side effects or interactions with other substances.
A product liability claim or regulatory action against the Company could result in increased costs, could adversely affect the Company’s reputation, and could have a material adverse effect on its business and operational results.
The Company’s success and future will depend, to a significant degree, on the continued efforts of its directors, officers and key employees, including certain technical individuals, and sales and marketing personnel, the retention of which cannot be guaranteed.
The loss of key personnel could materially adversely affect the Company’s business. The loss of any such personnel could harm or delay the plans of the Company’s business either while management time is directed to finding suitable replacements (who, in any event, may not be available), or, if not, covering such vacancy until suitable replacements can be found. In either case, this may have a material adverse effect on the future of the Company’s business. Competition for such personnel can be intense, and the Company cannot provide assurance that it will be able to attract or retain highly qualified technical, sales, marketing and management personnel in the future.
The Company is exposed to the risk that any of its employees, independent contractors and consultants may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct or disclosure of unauthorized activities to the Company that violates, (i) government regulations, (ii) manufacturing standards, or (iii) laws that require the true, complete and accurate reporting of financial information or data. It may not always be possible for the Company to identify and deter misconduct by its employees and other third parties, and the precautions taken by the Company to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting the Company from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against the Company, and it is not successful in defending itself or asserting its rights, those actions could have a significant impact on the business of the Company, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment of the operations of the Company, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company.
The success of the Company will depend, in part, on the ability of the Company to maintain and enhance trade secret protection over their existing and potential proprietary techniques and processes.
The Company may be vulnerable to competitors who develop competing technology, whether independently or as a result of acquiring access to the proprietary products and trade secrets of the Company. In addition, effective future patent, copyright and trade secret protection may be unavailable or limited in certain foreign countries and may be unenforceable under the laws of certain jurisdictions. Failure of the Company to adequately maintain and enhance protection over its proprietary techniques and processes could have a materially adverse impact on the business, financial condition and operating results of the Company.
The Company may become party to litigation from time to time in the ordinary course of business which could adversely affect its business.
Should any litigation in which the Company becomes involved be determined against it, such a decision could adversely affect the ability of the Company to continue operating and could use significant resources. Even if the Company is involved in litigation and wins, litigation can redirect significant resources.
The business of the Company is subject to the impact of changes in national or North American economic conditions including, but not limited to, recessionary or inflationary trends, equity market conditions, consumer credit availability, interest rates, consumers’ disposable income and spending levels, job security and unemployment, and overall consumer confidence.
These economic conditions may be further affected by political events throughout the world that cause disruptions in the financial markets, either directly or indirectly. Adverse economic and political developments could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company.
The Company believes its industry is highly dependent upon consumer perception regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of its products and perceptions of regulatory compliance.
Consumer perception of the Company’s products can be significantly influenced by regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention and other publicity. There can be no assurance that future regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other research findings or publicity will be favourable to the CBD market or any particular product, or consistent with earlier publicity. The Company’s dependence upon consumer perceptions means that adverse regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity, whether or not accurate or with merit, could have a material adverse effect on the Company, the demand for products, and the business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the Company. Further, adverse publicity reports or other media attention regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of CBD products in general, or the Company’s products specifically, or associating the consumption of CBD products with illness or other negative effects or events, could have such a material adverse effect. Consumers, vendors, landlords/lessors, industry partners or third-party service providers may incorrectly perceive hemp products as marijuana thereby applying the unfavourable stigma of marijuana to the Company’s products. Such adverse publicity reports or other media attention could arise even if the adverse effects associated with such products resulted from consumers’ failure to consume such products legally, appropriately or as directed.
Risks Associated with Numerous Laws and Regulations:
The production, labeling and distribution of the products that the Company proposes to distribute are regulated by various federal, provincial, state and local agencies. These governmental authorities may commence regulatory or legal proceedings, which could restrict the permissible scope of the Company’s ability to sell its products in the future.
The Company may be subject to regulation by the DEA and other agencies as a result of the manufacture and sale of its CBD products. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust systems to comply with different regulations in multiple jurisdictions increases the possibility that the Company may violate one or more of the requirements. If the Company’s operations are found to be in violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations, the Company may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, the curtailment or restructuring of the Company’s operations, any of which could adversely affect the Company’s business and financial results.
Uncertainty Caused by Recent Changes to Regulatory Framework:
With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp has been permanently removed from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (the “CSA”) and has been deemed an agricultural commodity, no longer mistaken as a controlled substance, like cannabis. By redefining hemp to include its “extracts, cannabinoids and derivatives,” the United States Congress has removed popular hemp products -- such as hemp-derived CBD -- from the purview of the CSA. Accordingly, many believe the DEA no longer has any claim to interfere with the interstate commerce of hemp products. Given the recent passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, it is unclear what impact this development will have on U.S. federal government enforcement policy, the hemp industry and the production and sale of hemp-derived products, including the products the Company is proposing to produce and sell. The hemp and CBD industries are new industries, subject to regulation, and there can be no assurance that it will grow, flourish or continue to the extent necessary to permit the Company to succeed.
The Company is Subject to Applicable Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Regulations:
The Company is subject to a variety of laws and regulations that involve money laundering, financial recordkeeping and proceeds of crime, including the U.S. Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (commonly known 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), the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada), as amended and the rules and regulations thereunder, and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by governmental authorities in the United States and Canada.
In February 2014, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FCEN”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a memorandum providing instructions to banks seeking to provide services to marijuana related businesses (the “FCEN Memo”). The FCEN Memo states that in some circumstances, it may not be appropriate to prosecute banks that provide services to marijuana-related businesses for violations of federal money laundering laws. It refers to supplementary guidance that Deputy Attorney General Cole issued to federal prosecutors relating to the prosecution of money laundering offenses predicated on cannabis related violations of the CSA. It is unclear at this time whether the current administration will follow the guidelines of the FCEN Memo.
If any of the Company’s investments, or any proceeds thereof, any dividends or distributions therefrom, or any profits or revenues accruing from such investments in the United States were found to be in violation of money laundering legislation or otherwise, such transactions may be viewed as proceeds of crime under one or more of the statutes noted above or any other applicable legislation. This could restrict or otherwise jeopardize the ability of the Company to declare or pay dividends, effect other distributions or subsequently repatriate such funds back to Canada.
Constraints on Marketing Products:
The development of the Company’s business and operating results may be hindered by applicable restrictions on sales and marketing activities imposed by government regulatory bodies. The regulatory environment in the United States limits the Company’s ability to compete for market share in a manner similar to other industries. If the Company is unable to effectively market its products and compete for market share, or if the costs of compliance with government legislation and regulation cannot be absorbed through increased selling prices for its products, the Company’s sales and operating results could be adversely affected.
Risks Related to the Securities
The Units of Common Stock will not be freely tradable until one year from the initial purchase date. Although the Units of Common Stock may be tradable under federal securities law, state securities regulations may apply and each Purchaser should consult with his or her attorney.
You should be aware of the long-term nature of this investment. There is not now and likely will not be a public market for the Units of Common Stock. Because the Units of Common Stock have not been registered under the Securities Act or under the securities laws of any state or non-United States jurisdiction, the Units of Common Stock have transfer restrictions and cannot be resold in the United States except pursuant to Rule 501 of Regulation CF. It is not currently contemplated that registration under the Securities Act or other securities laws will be effected. Limitations on the transfer of the Units of Common Stock may also adversely affect the price that you might be able to obtain for the Units of Common Stock in a private sale. Purchasers should be aware of the long-term nature of their investment in the Company. Each Purchaser in this Offering will be required to represent that it is purchasing the Securities for its own account, for investment purposes and not with a view to resale or distribution thereof.
Neither the Offering nor the Securities have been registered under federal or state securities laws, leading to an absence of certain regulation applicable to the Company.
No governmental agency has reviewed or passed upon this Offering, the Company or any Securities of the Company. The Company also has relied on exemptions from securities registration requirements under applicable state securities laws. Investors in the Company, therefore, will not receive any of the benefits that such registration would otherwise provide. Prospective investors must therefore assess the adequacy of disclosure and the fairness of the terms of this Offering on their own or in conjunction with their personal advisors.
No Guarantee of Return on Investment
There is no assurance that a Purchaser will realize a return on its investment or that it will not lose its entire investment. For this reason, each Purchaser should read the Form C and all Exhibits carefully and should consult with its own attorney and business advisor prior to making any investment decision.
A majority of the Company is owned by a small number of owners.
Prior to the Offering the Company’s current owners of 20% or more beneficially own up to 100.0% of the Company. Subject to any fiduciary duties owed to our other owners or investors under Delaware law, these owners may be able to exercise significant influence over matters requiring owner approval, including the election of directors or managers and approval of significant Company transactions, and will have significant control over the Company’s management and policies. Some of these persons may have interests that are different from yours. For example, these owners may support proposals and actions with which you may disagree. The concentration of ownership could delay or prevent a change in control of the Company or otherwise discourage a potential acquirer from attempting to obtain control of the Company, which in turn could reduce the price potential investors are willing to pay for the Company. In addition, these owners could use their voting influence to maintain the Company’s existing management, delay or prevent changes in control of the Company, or support or reject other management and board proposals that are subject to owner approval.
The Company has the right to extend the Offering deadline.
The Company may extend the Offering deadline beyond what is currently stated herein. This means that your investment may continue to be held in escrow while the Company attempts to raise the Minimum Amount even after the Offering deadline stated herein is reached. Your investment will not be accruing interest during this time and will simply be held until such time as the new Offering deadline is reached without the Company receiving the Minimum Amount, at which time it will be returned to you without interest or deduction, or the Company receives the Minimum Amount, at which time it will be released to the Company to be used as set forth herein. Upon or shortly after release of such funds to the Company, the Securities will be issued and distributed to you.
Your ownership of the shares of stock will be subject to dilution.
Owners of do not have preemptive rights. If the Company conducts subsequent Offerings of or Securities convertible into , issues shares pursuant to a compensation or distribution reinvestment plan or otherwise issues additional shares, investors who purchase shares in this Offering who do not participate in those other stock issuances will experience dilution in their percentage ownership of the Company’s outstanding shares. Furthermore, shareholders may experience a dilution in the value of their shares depending on the terms and pricing of any future share issuances (including the shares being sold in this Offering) and the value of the Company’s assets at the time of issuance.
The Securities will be equity interests in the Company and will not constitute indebtedness.
The Securities will rank junior to all existing and future indebtedness and other non-equity claims on the Company with respect to assets available to satisfy claims on the Company, including in a liquidation of the Company. Additionally, unlike indebtedness, for which principal and interest would customarily be payable on specified due dates, there will be no specified payments of dividends with respect to the Securities and dividends are payable only if, when and as authorized and declared by the Company and depend on, among other matters, the Company’s historical and projected results of operations, liquidity, cash flows, capital levels, financial condition, debt service requirements and other cash needs, financing covenants, applicable state law, federal and state regulatory prohibitions and other restrictions and any other factors the Company’s board of directors deems relevant at the time. In addition, the terms of the Securities will not limit the amount of debt or other obligations the Company may incur in the future. Accordingly, the Company may incur substantial amounts of additional debt and other obligations that will rank senior to the Securities.
There can be no assurance that we will ever provide liquidity to Purchasers through either a sale of the Company or a registration of the Securities.
There can be no assurance that any form of merger, combination, or sale of the Company will take place, or that any merger, combination, or sale would provide liquidity for Purchasers. Furthermore, we may be unable to register the Securities for resale by Purchasers for legal, commercial, regulatory, market-related or other reasons. In the event that we are unable to effect a registration, Purchasers could be unable to sell their Securities unless an exemption from registration is available.
The Company does not anticipate paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future.
The Company currently intends to retain future earnings, if any, for the foreseeable future, to repay indebtedness and to support its business. The Company does not intend in the foreseeable future to pay any dividends to holders of its shares of .
In addition to the risks listed above, businesses are often subject to risks not foreseen or fully appreciated by the management. It is not possible to foresee all risks that may affect us. Moreover, the Company cannot predict whether the Company will successfully effectuate the Company’s current business plan. Each prospective Purchaser is encouraged to carefully analyze the risks and merits of an investment in the Securities and should take into consideration when making such analysis, among other, the Risk Factors discussed above.
THE SECURITIES OFFERED INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. ANY PERSON CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF THESE SECURITIES SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE AND OTHER FACTORS SET FORTH IN THIS FORM C AND SHOULD CONSULT WITH HIS OR HER LEGAL, TAX AND FINANCIAL ADVISORS PRIOR TO MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES. THE SECURITIES SHOULD ONLY BE PURCHASED BY PERSONS WHO CAN AFFORD TO LOSE ALL OF THEIR INVESTMENT.
