Charlie's Holdings, Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS   We are subject to various risks that could have a negative effect on the Company and its financial condition. These risks could cause actual operating results to differ from those expressed in certain “forward looking statements” contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as well as in other communications.   Risks Related to the Company   Our operations are now primarily dependent on the business of Charlie’s, and our ability to achieve positive cash flow under our new business plan is uncertain.    As a result of the Share Exchange (see Note 3 of Part 1, Item 1 of this Report), our continued operations are now primarily dependent on the business of Charlie’s. Although Charlie’s generated net revenue of approximately $4.4 million during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and $16.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2020, there can be no guarantee that the Company can continue to grow revenue or achieve positive cash flow in the future.   Our operating results in the past will not reflect our operating results in the future, which makes it difficult to evaluate our future business, prospects, and forecast revenue.   Until recently, our business was comprised primarily of the development, marketing, sale and distribution of all-natural, vitamin-enhanced drinks. As a result of our decision to consummate the Share Exchange, our future revenue will substantially differ from past revenue, and our operating results will vary significantly compared to past operating results. It is too early to predict whether consumers will accept, and continue to use on a regular basis, our new products, due in part to the fact that we have had limited recent operating history as a combined entity with Charlie’s. Factors that will significantly affect our operating results include, without limitation, the following:   ● the expected increase in revenue due to the addition of those products developed and marketed by Charlie’s prior to the Share Exchange, as well as any products that we may release in the future, to our revenue stream;   ● the restructuring of substantially all of our previously outstanding debt and shares of Preferred Stock on April 26, 2019, in connection with the Share Exchange.   Our cash resources are currently insufficient to submit each of our anticipated PMTA applications with the FDA, and otherwise satisfy our projected short-term liquidity and capital requirements.   As of December 31, 2020, we had negative working capital of approximately $6,020,000, which consisted of current assets of approximately $4,723,000 and current liabilities of approximately $10,743,000. In addition, the cost associated with the preparation and submission of Premarket Tobacco Applications (" PMTAs ") with the FDA is approximately $4.4 million to date. As a result, in March 2021 we issued shares of the Company’s Common Stock worth $3.0 million, which provided additional financing in order to reduce debt, further invest in the PMTA application process, and otherwise carry out our business plan. There can be no assurance that the Company will not require additional financing in the future, or that the financing will be available on acceptable terms, or at all, and there can be no assurance that any such arrangement, if required or otherwise sought, would be available on terms deemed to be commercially acceptable and in our best interests.       -24- Table of Contents     The failure of the Company to pay a required one-time dividend on its Series A Preferred, or obtain a waiver of such payment or consent to amend the Series A Preferred to allow the Company to pay such dividend in shares of its Common Stock, may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.   The Company was required to pay a one-time dividend equal to eight percent (8%) of the stated value of its Series A Preferred, equal to $1,560,000 (“ Dividend Amount ”), which Dividend Amount was required to be paid in cash on or before April 25, 2020. The Company failed to pay the required dividend and has requested that holders of more than 50% of the Series A Preferred issued and outstanding (“ Required Holders ”) consent to an amendment to the Series A Preferred to allow the Company to pay such Dividend Amount in shares of the Company’s Common Stock. To date, the Company has not obtained such consent from the Required Holders. In the event the Company is unable to obtain consents from the Required Holders to pay the Dividend Amount in shares of Common Stock in lieu of cash, or does not otherwise pay such Dividend Amount in cash or obtain a waiver, any claims asserted by the holders of the Series A Preferred could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.   On August 13, 2020, the Company received a formal notice of default from a holder of its Series A Preferred requesting full payment of dividends due and payable with respect to the Series A Preferred held by such holder on or before August 23, 2020 (“ Dividend Default ”). As disclosed, the aggregate amount of dividends due and payable to holders of the Series A Preferred is $ 1,560,000 .   Our auditors have issued a going concern opinion on our financial statements as of December 31, 2020.   Our financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company operates in a rapidly changing legal and regulatory environment; new laws and regulations or changes to existing laws and regulations could significantly limit the Company’s ability to sell its products, and/or result in additional costs. Additionally, the Company is required to apply for FDA approval to continue selling and marketing its products used for the vaporization of nicotine in the United States. There is significant cost associated with the application process and there can be no assurance the FDA will approve the application(s). In addition, the outbreak of a novel strain of COVID-19 (“ Coronavirus ”) which was identified in Wuhan, China around December 2019 and continues to spread globally, has had a negative impact on the global economy and markets which could impact the Company’s supply chain and/or sales. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company has incurred losses from operations of $229,000, and a consolidated net loss of approximately $20,137,000. The Company has negative stockholders’ equity of $22,684,000 at March 31, 2021. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments to the carrying amount and classification of recorded assets and liabilities should the Company be unable to continue operations.   Our business is difficult to evaluate because we have recently significantly modified our product offerings and customer base.   As a result of the Share Exchange, we have recently modified our operations, engaging in the sale of new products in a new market through new distributors and new lines of business. There is a risk that we will be unable to successfully integrate the newly acquired businesses with our current structure. Our estimates of capital, personnel and equipment required for our newly acquired businesses are based on the historical experience of management and businesses they are familiar with. Our management has limited direct experience in operating a business of our current size, as well as one that is publicly traded.   Our products could fail to attract or retain users or generate revenue and profits.   As a result of the Share Exchange, our customer base has changed significantly. Our ability to develop, increase, and engage our new customer base and to increase our revenue depends heavily on our ability to continue to evolve our existing products and to create successful new products, both independently and in conjunction with developers or other third parties. We may introduce significant changes to our existing products or acquire or introduce new and unproven products, including using technologies with which we have little or no prior development or operating experience. If new or enhanced products fail to engage our customers, or if we are unsuccessful in our monetization efforts, we may fail to attract or retain customers or to generate sufficient revenue, operating margin, or other value to justify our investments, and our business may be adversely affected.       -25- Table of Contents     Our significant stockholders may have certain personal interests that may affect the Company.   Together, Brandon Stump and Ryan Stump, the founders of Charlie’s and our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, collectively own approximately 39% of our issued and outstanding voting securities. As a result, Ryan Stump and Brandon Stump have the ability to exert influence over both the actions of our Board of Directors, the outcome of issues requiring approval by our stockholders, as well as the execution of management’s plans. This concentration of ownership may have effects such as delaying or preventing a change in control of the Company that may be favored by other stockholders or preventing transactions in which stockholders might otherwise recover a premium for their shares over current market prices.   The loss of one or more of our key personnel or our failure to attract and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could harm our business.    We currently depend on the continued services and performance of key members of our management team, in particular, Brandon Stump and Ryan Stump, Charlie’s founders and our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, Matt Montesano, our Chief Financial Officer, and Henry Sicignano our President.  If we cannot call upon them or other key management personnel for any reason, our operations and development could be harmed. We have not yet developed a succession plan. Furthermore, as we grow, we will be required to hire and attract additional qualified professionals such as accounting, legal, finance, production, market and sales experts. We may not be able to locate or attract qualified individuals for such positions, which will affect our ability to grow and expand our business. We rely on contractual arrangements with Don Polly, our consolidated variable interest entity for our CBD-related business operations, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.   We have relied and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with Don Polly and its shareholders, consisting of entities controlled by Brandon Stump and Ryan Stump, for the operation of our CBD-related operations. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our consolidated variable interest entity. For example, Don Polly and its shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations, including maintaining our website and using the domain names and trademarks, in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests.    If we had direct ownership of Don Polly, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of Don Polly, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by Don Polly, and its shareholders of their obligations under the contracts. The shareholders of Don Polly may not act in the best interests of our Company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate our business through the contractual arrangements with Don Polly. Therefore, our contractual arrangements with Don Polly, our consolidated variable interest entity (" VIE "), may not be as effective in ensuring our control over the relevant portion of our business operations as direct ownership would be.   The shareholders of Don Polly, our consolidated variable interest entity, may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.   The equity interests of Don Polly, our consolidated VIE, are held by entities controlled by Brandon Stump, our Chief Executive Officer, and Ryan Stump, our Chief Operating Officer. Their interests in Don Polly may differ from the interests of our company as a whole. These shareholders may breach, or cause Don Polly to breach, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and Don Polly, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to effectively control Don Polly and receive economic benefits from it. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with Don Polly to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our Company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.   Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and the Company. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of Don Polly, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in the disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.       -26- Table of Contents     We have no commercial manufacturing capacity and rely on third-party contract manufacturers to produce commercial quantities of our products.   We do not have the facilities, equipment or personnel to manufacture commercial quantities of our products and therefore must rely on qualified third-party contract manufactures with appropriate facilities and equipment to contract manufacture commercial quantities of products. Any performance failure on the part of our contract manufacturers could delay commercialization of any of our products, depriving us of potential product revenue.   Failure by our contract manufacturers to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards could result in product recalls or withdrawals, delays or failures in testing or delivery, cost overruns or other problems that could materially adversely affect our business. Contract manufacturers may encounter difficulties involving production yields, quality control and quality assurance. If for some reason our contract manufacturers cannot perform as agreed, we may be required to replace them. Although we believe there are a number of potential replacements, we may incur added costs and delays in identifying and obtaining any such replacements.   The inability of a manufacturer to ship orders of our products in a timely manner or to meet quality standards could cause us to miss the delivery date requirements of our customers for those items, which could result in cancellation of orders, refusal to accept deliveries or a reduction in purchase prices, any of which could have a material adverse effect as our revenue would decrease and we would incur net losses as a result of sales of the product, if any sales could be made.   We are subject to cyber-security risks, including those related to customer, employee, vendor or other company data and including in connection with integration of acquired businesses and operations.   We use information technologies to securely manage operations and various business functions. We rely on various technologies, some of which are managed by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities, including reporting on our business and interacting with customers, vendors and employees. In addition, we collect and store certain data, including proprietary business information, and may have access to confidential or personal information that is subject to privacy and security laws, regulations and customer-imposed controls. Our systems are subject to repeated attempts by third parties to access information or to disrupt our systems. Despite our security design and controls, and those of our third-party providers, we may become subject to system damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to any number of causes, including cyber-attacks, breaches, employee error or malfeasance, power outages, computer viruses, telecommunication or utility failures, systems failures, service providers, natural disasters or other catastrophic events. It is possible for such vulnerabilities to remain undetected for an extended period. We may face other challenges and risks as we upgrade and standardize our information technology systems as part of our integration of acquired businesses and operations. We have contingency plans in place to prevent or mitigate the impact of these events, however, these events could result in operational disruptions or the misappropriation of sensitive data, and depending on their nature and scope, could lead to the compromise of confidential information, improper use of our systems and networks, manipulation and destruction of data, defective products, production downtimes and operational disruptions and exposure to liability. Such disruptions or misappropriations and the resulting repercussions, including reputational damage and legal claims or proceedings, may adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, and the trading price of our Common Stock.   This risk is enhanced in certain jurisdictions with stringent data privacy laws. For example, California recently adopted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“ CCPA ”), which provides new data privacy rights for consumers and new operational requirements for businesses. The CCPA includes a statutory damages framework and private rights of action against businesses that fail to comply with certain CCPA terms or implement reasonable security procedures and practices to prevent data breaches. The CCPA went into effect in January 2020.     -27- Table of Contents     The business that we conduct outside the United States may be adversely affected by international risk and uncertainties.   Although our operations are based in the United States, we conduct business outside of the United States and expect to continue to do so in the future. Any business that we conduct outside of the United States is subject to additional risks that may have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue conducting business in certain international markets, including, without limitation:   ● Potentially reduced protection for intellectual property rights;   ● Unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers and regulatory requirements;   ● Economic weakness, including inflation or political instability, in particular foreign economies and markets;   ● Business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism or natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, floods and fires; and   ● Failure to comply with Office of Foreign Asset Control rules and regulations and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“ FCPA ”).   These factors or any combination of these factors may adversely affect our revenue or our overall financial performance.   The outbreak of COVID-19, or coronavirus, has adversely affected our business.   In the event of a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, our business may be adversely affected. In December 2019, a novel strain of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China which continues to spread globally to, among other countries, the United States. Such events may result in a period of business and travel disruption, and in reduced sales and operations, any of which could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, the spread of COVID-19 in the United States has resulted in travel restrictions impacting our sales professionals and is causing disruptions to our manufacturing supply chain. These conditions have negatively affected our sales and revenue, although the magnitude of such a negative impact cannot be determined at this time. However, if repercussions of the outbreak are prolonged, it will have a further adverse impact on our business.    The outbreak and persistence of COVID-19 in international markets that we have targeted for our international expansion have also delayed the preparation for and launch of such expansion efforts. The spread of COVID-19 has resulted in the inability of certain of our products being delivered and distributed to the overseas markets on a timely basis. If there were a shortage or halt in distribution of our products, the cost of these materials or components may increase which could harm our ability to provide our products on a timely and cost-effective basis.   The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our business will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. The Company will continue to closely monitor new information as it emerges and adjust our operations and sales accordingly.   Regulatory and Market Risks    Our business is primarily involved in the sales of products that contain nicotine and/or CBD, which faces significant regulation and actions that may have a material adverse effect on our business .   As a result of the Share Exchange, our current business is primarily involved in the sale of products that contain nicotine and/or CBD. The general market in which our products are sold faces significant governmental and private sector actions, including efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of use in minors and efforts seeking to hold the makers and sellers of these products responsible for the adverse health effects associated with them. More broadly, new regulatory actions by the FDA and other federal, state or local governments or agencies, may impact the consumer acceptability of or access to our products, including regulations promulgated by the FDA which will require us to file PMTA(s) for any of our products that are identified as “Deemed Tobacco Products” by the FDA that we intend to market and sell after September 9, 2020. See "-The regulation of tobacco products by the FDA in the United States and the issuance of Deeming Regulations may materially adversely affect the Company." Additionally, on January 2, 2020 the FDA issued an enforcement policy effectively banning the sale of flavored cartridge-based e-cigarettes marketed primarily by large manufacturers in the United States without prior authorization from the FDA. According to the FDA, it is expected that the new policy will have minimal impact on small manufacturers, such as vape shops, that sell non-cartridge based products. We believe that any ban on flavored e-cigarettes, or similar enforcement action by the FDA, would have a significant adverse impact on Charlie’s products, which would, in turn, have a material adverse impact on our overall business material.     -28- Table of Contents     Additional regulatory challenges may come in future months and years, including the FDA’s publication of new product standards or additional rule making that may impact vape shops or other small manufacturers, limit adult consumer choices, delay or prevent the launch of new or modified risk tobacco products or products with claims of reduced risk, require the recall or other removal of certain products from the marketplace, restrict communications including marketing, advertising, and educational campaigns regarding the product category to adult consumers, restrict the ability to differentiate products, create a competitive advantage or disadvantage for certain companies, impose additional manufacturing, labeling or packaging requirements, interrupt manufacturing or otherwise significantly increase the cost of doing business, or restrict or prevent the use of specified products in certain locations or the sale of products by certain retail establishments. Any of these actions may also have a material adverse effect on our business. Each of our products are also subject to intense competition and changes in adult consumer preferences, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.   We are affected by extensive laws, governmental regulations, administrative determinations, court decisions and similar other constraints, which can make compliance costly and subject us to enforcement actions by governmental agencies.   The formulation, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, holding, storage, distribution, advertising and sale of our products are affected by extensive laws, governmental regulations and policies, administrative determinations, court decisions and similar constraints at the federal, state and local levels, both within the United States and in any country where we conduct business. Moreover, the current trend is toward increasing regulation of the tobacco industry, which is likely to differ between the various U.S. states in which we currently conduct the majority of our business. Extensive and inconsistent regulation by multiple states and at different governmental levels could prove to be particularly disruptive to our business as we may be unable to accommodate such regulations in a cost-effective manner that allows us to continue to compete in an economically viable way. Regulations are often introduced without the tobacco industry’s input and have been a significant reason behind reduced industry sales volumes and increased illicit trade.   There can be no assurance that we, or our independent distributors, will be in compliance with all of these regulations. A failure by us or our distributors to comply with these laws and regulations could lead to governmental investigations, civil and criminal prosecutions, administrative hearings and court proceedings, civil and criminal penalties, injunctions against product sales or advertising, civil and criminal liability for us and/or our principals, bad publicity, and tort claims arising out of governmental or judicial findings of fact or conclusions of law adverse to us or our principals. In addition, the adoption of new regulations and policies or changes in the interpretations of existing regulations and policies may result in significant new compliance costs or discontinuation of product sales, and may adversely affect the marketing of our products, resulting in decreases in revenue.   In 1986, federal legislation was enacted regulating smokeless tobacco products (including dry and moist snuff and chewing tobacco) by, among other things, requiring health warnings on smokeless tobacco packages and prohibiting the advertising of smokeless tobacco products on media subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission (“ FCC ”). Since 1986, other proposals have been made at the federal, state, and local levels for additional regulation of tobacco products. It is likely that additional proposals will be made in the coming years. For example, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (“ PACT Act ”) initially prohibited the use of the U.S. Postal Service to mail cigarette and smokeless tobacco products and also amended the Jenkins Act, which established cigarette sales reporting requirements for state excise tax collection, to require individuals and businesses that make interstate sales of certain cigarette or smokeless tobacco comply with state tax laws. The PACT Act was recently amended expanding the definition of “cigarette” to include “electronic nicotine delivery systems,” or "ENDS", and requires that the United States Postal Service (" USPS ") promulgate regulations clarifying the applicability of the prohibition on delivery sales of cigarettes to ENDS. This amendment to the PACT Act applies to certain products manufactured and sold by the Company, which has impacts at the federal and state levels. Failure to comply with the PACT Act could result in significant financial or criminal penalties. To the extent we are unable to respond to, or comply with, these new requirements, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.       -29- Table of Contents     On June 22, 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (the “ Tobacco Control Act ”) granted the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products. The Act also amended the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, which governs how cigarettes can be advertised and marketed, as well as the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act (“ CSTHEA ”), which governs how smokeless tobacco can be advertised and marketed. In addition to the FDA and FCC, we are subject to regulation by numerous other federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission (“ FTC ”), the Department of Justice (“ DOJ ”), the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“ TTB ”), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“ EPA ”), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“ USDA ”), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“ CPSC ”), the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“ CBP ”) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (“ CDC ”) Office on Smoking and Health. There have also been adverse legislative and political decisions and other unfavorable developments concerning cigarette smoking and the tobacco industry, which we believe have received widespread public attention. The FDA has, and other governmental entities have, expressed concerns about the use of flavors in tobacco products and an interest in significant regulation of such use, up to and including de facto bans in certain products. There can be no assurance as to the ultimate content, timing or effect of any regulation of tobacco products by governmental bodies, nor can there be any assurance that potential corresponding declines in demand resulting from negative media attention would not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.   The regulation of tobacco products by the FDA in the United States and the issuance of Deeming Regulations may materially adversely affect the Company.   The “Deeming Regulations” issued by the FDA in May 2016 require any e-liquid, e-cigarettes, and other vaping products considered to be Deemed Tobacco Products that were not commercially marketed as of the grandfathering date of February 15, 2007, to obtain premarket approval by the FDA before any new e-liquid or other vaping products can be marketed in the United States. However, any Deemed Tobacco Products such as certain products from our Charlie's Chalk Dust and Pachamama product lines that were on the market in the United States prior to August 8, 2016 have a grace period to continue to market such products, ending on September 9, 2020 whereby a premarket application, likely though the PMTA pathway, must be completed and filed with the FDA. Upon submission of a PMTA, products would then be able to be marketed pending the FDA’s review of the submission. Without obtaining marketing authorization by the FDA prior to September 9, 2020 or having submitted a PMTA by such date, non-authorized products would be required to be removed from the market in the United States until such authorization could be obtained, although such products may continue to be sold if a PMTA is pending as of the September 9, 2020 deadline.   As at the date of this Report, we have submitted PMTAs for certain of our traditional nicotine vapor products, including, but not limited to menthol and/or tobacco products with the assistance of Avail, pursuant to the terms of the Avail Agreement. The costs to date associated with these PMTAs are approximately $4.4 million in total. We are also evaluating the potential market perception and clinical studies that may be required in connection with each PMTA. If we do not submit a PMTA for any Charlie’s products considered to be Deemed Tobacco Products prior to the lapse of the grace period or if any PMTA submitted by the Company is denied, we will be required to cease the marketing and distribution of such Charlie’s products, which, in turn, would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that if the Company were to complete a PMTA for any of the affected Charlie's products, that any application would be approved by the FDA.   Certain of our products contain nicotine, which is considered to be a highly addictive substance.   Certain of our products contain nicotine, a chemical found in cigarettes, e-cigarettes, certain other vapor products and other tobacco products, which is considered to be highly addictive. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act empowers the FDA to regulate the amount of nicotine found in vapor products, but may not require the reduction of nicotine yields of a vapor product to zero. Any FDA regulation may require us to reformulate, recall and or discontinue certain of the products we may sell from time to time, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to market our products and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and or future prospects.       -30- Table of Contents     Recent bans on the sales of flavored e-cigarettes directly impacts the markets in which we may sell Charlie’s products, and significant increases in state and local regulation of Charlie's products have been proposed or enacted and are likely to continue to be proposed or enacted in numerous jurisdictions.   On January 2, 2020 the FDA issued an enforcement policy effectively banning the sale of flavored cartridge-based e-cigarettes marketed primarily by large manufacturers in the United States without prior authorization from the FDA. There has been increasing activity on the state and local levels with respect to scrutiny of Charlie's products, and many states, provinces, and some cities have passed laws restricting or banning the sale of e-cigarettes and certain other nicotine vaporizer products, including flavored e-liquids. State and local governmental bodies across the U.S. have indicated Charlie's products may become subject to new laws and regulations at the state and local levels. Further, some states and cities, have enacted regulations that require obtaining a tobacco retail license in order to sell electronic cigarettes and vaporizer products. If one or more states from which we generate or anticipate generating significant sales of Charlie's products bring actions to prevent us from selling Charlie's products unless we obtain certain licenses, approvals or permits, and if we are not able to obtain the necessary licenses, approvals or permits for financial reasons or otherwise and/or any such license, approval or permit is determined to be overly burdensome to us, then we may be required to cease sales and distribution of our products to those states, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.   Certain states and cities have already restricted the use of electronic cigarettes and vaporizer products in smoke-free venues, imposed excise taxes, or limited sales of flavored Charlie's products. Additional city, state or federal regulators, municipalities, local governments and private industry may enact additional rules and regulations restricting electronic cigarettes and vaporizer products. Because of these restrictions, our customers may reduce or otherwise cease using Charlie's products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Changes to the application of existing laws and regulations, and/or the implementation of any new laws or regulations that may be adopted in the future, at a federal, state, or local level, directly or indirectly implicating or banning flavored e-cigarette liquid and products used for the vaporization of nicotine would materially limit our ability to sell such products, result in additional compliance expenses, and require us to change our labeling and methods of distribution, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.   There is substantial concern regarding the effect of long-term use of vaping products. Despite the recent outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries, the medical profession does not yet definitively know the cause of such injuries. Should vapor products, such as Charlie’s products, be determined conclusively to pose long-term health risks, including a risk of vaping-related lung injury, our business will be negatively impacted.   Because vapor products have been developed and commercialized recently, the medical profession has not yet had a sufficient period of time to fully realize the long-term health effects attributable to vapor product use. On November 8, 2019 officials at the CDC reported a breakthrough in the investigation into the outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries. The CDC's principal deputy director, Dr. Anne Schuchat, stated that "vitamin E acetate is a known additive used to dilute liquid in e-cigarettes or vaping products that contain THC”, suggesting the possible culprit for the series of lung injuries across the U.S. As a result, there is currently no way of knowing whether or not vapor products are safe for their intended use. If the medical profession were to determine conclusively that vapor product usage poses long-term health risks, the use of such products, including Charlie’s products, could decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.   The market for vapor products is a niche market, subject to a great deal of uncertainty, and is still evolving.   Vapor products, having recently been introduced to market, are still at an early stage of development, represent a niche market, are evolving rapidly and are characterized by an increasing number of market entrants. Our future sales and any future profits are substantially dependent upon the widespread acceptance and use of vapor products. Rapid growth in the use of, and interest in, vapor products is recent, and may not continue on a lasting basis. The demand and market acceptance for these products is subject to a high level of uncertainty. Therefore, we are subject to all of the business risks associated with a new enterprise in a niche market, including risks of unforeseen capital requirements, failure of widespread market acceptance of vapor products, in general or, specifically our products, failure to establish business relationships and competitive disadvantages as against larger and more established competitors.     -31- Table of Contents     Possible yet unanticipated changes in federal and state law could cause any of our current products, as well as products that we intend to launch, containing hemp-derived CBD oil to be illegal, or could otherwise prohibit, limit or restrict any of our products containing CBD.     We recently launched and commenced distribution of certain premium vapor products containing hemp-derived CBD, and we currently intend to develop and launch additional products containing hemp-derived CBD in the future. Until 2014, when 7 U.S. Code §5940 became federal law as part of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the “ 2014 Farm Ac t”), products containing oils derived from hemp, notwithstanding a minimal or non-existing THC content, were classified as Schedule I illegal drugs. The 2014 Farm Act expired on September 30, 2018, and was thereafter replaced by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 on December 20, 2018 (the “ 2018 Farm Act ”), which amended various sections of the U.S. Code, thereby removing hemp, defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, from Schedule 1 status under the Controlled Substances Act, and legalizing the cultivation and sale of industrial-hemp at the federal level, subject to compliance with certain federal requirements and state law, amongst other things. THC is the psychoactive component of plants in the cannabis family generally identified as marihuana or marijuana. There is no assurance that the 2018 Farm Act will not be repealed or amended such that our products containing hemp-derived CBD would once again be deemed illegal under federal law.   The 2018 Farm Act delegates the authority to the states to regulate and limit the production of hemp and hemp derived products within their territories. Although many states have adopted laws and regulations that allow for the production and sale of hemp and hemp derived products under certain circumstances, no assurance can be given that such state laws may not be repealed or amended such that our intended products containing hemp-derived CBD would once again be deemed illegal under the laws of one or more states now permitting such products, which in turn would render such intended products illegal in those states under federal law even if the federal law is unchanged. In the event of either repeal of federal or of state laws and regulations, or of amendments thereto that are adverse to our intended products, we may be restricted or limited with respect to those products that we may sell or distribute, which could adversely impact our intended business plan with respect to such intended products.   Additionally, the FDA has indicated its view that certain types of products containing CBD may not be permissible under the FDCA. The FDA’s position is related to its approval of Epidiolex, a marijuana-derived prescription medicine to be available in the United States. The active ingredient in Epidiolex is CBD. On December 20, 2018, after the passage of the 2018 Farm Act, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued a statement in which he reiterated the FDA’s position that, among other things, the FDA requires a cannabis product (hemp-derived or otherwise) that is marketed with a claim of therapeutic benefit, or with any other disease claim, to be approved by the FDA for its intended use before it may be introduced into interstate commerce and that the FDCA prohibits introducing into interstate commerce food products containing added CBD, and marketing products containing CBD as a dietary supplement, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived. Although we believe our existing and planned CBD product offerings comply with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, legal proceedings alleging violations of such laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.   Sources of hemp-derived CBD depend upon legality of cultivation, processing, marketing and sales of products derived from those plants under state law.   Hemp-derived CBD can only be legally produced in states that have laws and regulations that allow for such production and that comply with the 2018 Farm Act, apart from state laws legalizing and regulating medical and recreational cannabis or marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law and regulations. We purchase all of our hemp-derived CBD from licensed growers and processors in states where such production is legal. As described in the preceding risk factor, in the event of repeal or amendment of laws and regulations which are now favorable to the cannabis/hemp industry in such states, we would be required to locate new suppliers in states with laws and regulations that qualify under the 2018 Farm Act. If we were to be unsuccessful in arranging new sources of supply of our raw ingredients, or if our raw ingredients were to become legally unavailable, our intended business plan with respect to such products could be adversely impacted.       -32- Table of Contents     Because our distributors may only sell and ship our products containing hemp-derived CBD in states that have adopted laws and regulations qualifying under the 2018 Farm Act, a reduction in the number of states having such qualifying laws and regulations could limit, restrict or otherwise preclude the sale of intended products containing hemp-derived CBD.   The interstate shipment of hemp-derived CBD from one state to another is legal only where both states have laws and regulations that allow for the production and sale of such products and that qualify under the 2018 Farm Act. Therefore, the marketing and sale of our intended products containing hemp-derived CBD is limited by such factors and is restricted to such states. Although we believe we may lawfully sell any of our finished products, including those containing CBD, in a majority of states, a repeal or adverse amendment of laws and regulations that are now favorable to the distribution, marketing and sale of finished products we intend to sell could significantly limit, restrict or prevent us from generating revenue related to our products that contain hemp-derived CBD. Any such repeal or adverse amendment of now favorable laws and regulations could have an adverse impact on our business plan with respect to such products.   Due to recent expansion into the CBD industry, we may have a difficult time obtaining the various insurances that are desired to operate our business, which may expose us to additional risk and financial liability .   Insurance that is otherwise readily available, such as general liability, and directors and officer’s insurance, may become more difficult for us to find, and more expensive, due to our recent launch of certain products containing hemp-derived CBD. There are no guarantees that we will be able to find such insurances in the future, or that the cost will be affordable to us. If we are forced to go without such insurances, it may prevent us from entering into certain business sectors, may inhibit our growth, and may expose us to additional risk and financial liabilities.   We face significant competition from existing suppliers of products similar to ours. If we are not able to compete with these companies effectively, we may not be able to achieve profitability.   We face intense competition from numerous resellers, manufacturers and wholesalers of e-liquids similar to those developed and sold by us, from both retail and online providers. We face competition from direct and indirect competitors, which arguably includes “big tobacco”, “big pharma”, and other known and established or yet to be formed vapor product manufacturing companies, each of whom pose a competitive threat to our current business and future prospects. We compete against “big tobacco”, who offers not only conventional tobacco cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, but also smokeless tobacco products such as “snus” (a form of moist ground smokeless tobacco that is usually sold in sachet form that resembles small tea bags), chewing tobacco and snuff. “Big tobacco” has nearly limitless resources, global distribution networks in place and a customer base that is fiercely loyal to their brands. Furthermore, we believe that “big tobacco” is likely to devote more attention and resources to developing and offering electronic cigarettes or other vapor products as the market for electronic cigarettes grows. Because of their well-established sales and distribution channels, marketing depth, financial resources, and proven expertise navigating complex regulatory landscapes, “big tobacco” is better positioned than small competitors like us to capture a larger share of the vapor markets. We also face competition from companies in the vapor market that are much larger, better funded, and more established than us.   Companies with greater capital and research capabilities could re-formulate existing products or formulate new products that could gain wide marketplace acceptance, which could have a depressive effect on our future sales. In addition, aggressive advertising and promotion by our competitors may require us to compete by lowering prices because we do not have the resources to engage in marketing campaigns against these competitors, and the economic viability of our operations likely would be diminished.   Adverse publicity associated with our products or ingredients, or those of similar companies, could adversely affect our sales and revenue.   Adverse publicity concerning any actual or purported failure by us to comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding any aspect of our business could have an adverse effect on the public perception of the Company. This, in turn, could negatively affect our ability to obtain financing, endorsers and attract distributors or retailers for our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate sales and revenue.   Our distributors’ and customers’ perception of the safety and quality of our products or even similar products distributed by others can be significantly influenced by national media attention, publicized scientific research or findings, product liability claims and other publicity concerning our products or similar products distributed by others. Adverse publicity, whether or not accurate, that associates consumption of our products or any similar products with illness or other adverse effects, will likely diminish the public’s perception of our products. Claims that any products are ineffective, inappropriately labeled or have inaccurate instructions as to their use, could have a material adverse effect on the market demand for our products, including reducing our sales and revenue.        -33- Table of Contents     Our products may not meet health and safety standards or could become contaminated.   We have adopted various quality, environmental, health and safety standards. We do not have control over all of the third parties involved in the manufacturing of our products and their compliance with government health and safety standards. Even if our products meet these standards, they could otherwise become contaminated. A failure to meet these standards or contamination could occur in our operations or those of our manufacturers, distributors or suppliers. This could result in expensive production interruptions, recalls and liability claims. Moreover, negative publicity could be generated from false, unfounded or nominal liability claims or limited recalls. Any of these failures or occurrences could negatively affect our business and financial performance.   The sale of our products involves product liability and related risks that could expose us to significant insurance and loss expense.   We face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of our products results in, or is believed to have resulted in, illness or injury. Our products contain combinations of ingredients, and there is little long-term experience with the effect of these combinations. In addition, interactions of these products with other products, prescription medicines and over-the-counter drugs have not been fully explored or understood and may have unintended consequences. While our third-party manufacturers perform tests in connection with the formulations of our products, these tests are not designed to evaluate the inherent safety of our products.   Any product liability claim may increase our costs and adversely affect our revenue and operating income. Moreover, liability claims arising from a serious adverse event may increase our costs through higher insurance premiums and deductibles and may make it more difficult to secure adequate insurance coverage in the future. In addition, our product liability insurance may fail to cover future product liability claims, which, if adversely determined, could subject us to substantial monetary damages.   The success of our business will depend upon our ability to create and expand our brand awareness.   The market we compete in is highly competitive, with many well-known brands leading the industry. Our ability to compete effectively and generate revenue will be based upon our ability to create and expand awareness of our products distinct from those of our competitors. It is imperative that we are able to convey to consumers the benefits of our products. However, advertising and packaging and labeling of such products will be limited by various regulations. Our success will be dependent upon our ability to convey to consumers that our products are superior to those of our competitors.   We must develop and introduce new products to succeed.   Our industry is subject to rapid change. New products are constantly introduced to the market. Our ability to remain competitive depends in part on our ability to enhance existing products, to develop and manufacture new products in a timely and cost-effective manner, to accurately predict market transitions, and to effectively market our products. Our future financial results will depend to a great extent on the successful introduction of several new products. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in selecting, developing, manufacturing and marketing new products or in enhancing existing products.   The success of new product introductions depends on various factors, including, without limitation, the following:   ● proper new product selection;   ● successful sales and marketing efforts;   ● timely delivery of new products;   ● availability of raw materials;   ● pricing of raw materials;   ● regulatory allowance of the products; and   ● customer acceptance of new products.       -34- Table of Contents     If we are not able to adequately protect our intellectual property, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and we may not be profitable.   Our existing proprietary rights may not afford remedies and protections necessary to prevent infringement, reformulation, theft, misappropriation and other improper use of our products by competitors. We own the formulations for our products and we consider these product formulations our critical proprietary property, which must be protected from competitors. We do not currently have any patents for our product formulations. Although trade secret, trademark, copyright and patent laws generally provide a certain level of protection, and we attempt to protect ourselves through contracts with manufacturers of our products, we may not be successful in enforcing our rights. In addition, enforcement of our proprietary rights may require lengthy and expensive litigation. We have attempted to protect some of the trade names and trademarks used for our products by registering them with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but we must rely on common law trademark rights to protect our unregistered trademarks. Common law trademark rights do not provide the same remedies as are granted to federally registered trademarks, and the rights of a common law trademark are limited to the geographic area in which the trademark is actually used. Our inability to protect our intellectual property could have a material adverse impact on our ability to compete and could make it difficult for us to achieve a profit.   Compliance with changing corporate governance regulations and public disclosures may result in additional risks and exposures.   Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and new regulations from the SEC, have created uncertainty for public companies such as ours. These laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased expense and significant management time and attention.   Risks Related to Our Common Stock   A limited trading market currently exists for our securities, and we cannot assure you that an active market will ever develop, or if developed, will be sustained.   There is currently a limited trading market for our Common Stock on the OTC Pink Marketplace and an active trading market for our Common Stock may not develop. Consequently, we cannot assure you when and if an active-trading market in our shares will be established, or whether any such market will be sustained or sufficiently liquid to enable holders of shares of our Common Stock to liquidate their investment in our Company. If an active public market should develop in the future, the sale of unregistered and restricted securities by current stockholders may have a substantial impact on any such market.   Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock, or the perception that such sales may occur, may adversely impact the price of our Common Stock .   Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception that such sales may occur, may adversely impact the price of our Common Stock, even if there is no relationship between such sales and the performance of our business. As of March 31, 2021, we had 19,929,645,221 shares of Common Stock outstanding, as well as outstanding options to purchase an aggregate of 750,293,786 shares of our Common Stock at a weighted average exercise price of $0.0044313 per share, up to 5,543,986 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding shares of Series A Preferred and outstanding warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 4,033,769,340 shares of our Common Stock at a weighted average exercise price of $0.0044313 per share. The exercise and/or conversion of such outstanding derivative securities may result in further dilution to our stockholders.   If we issue additional shares of Common Stock in the future, it will result in the dilution of our existing stockholders.   Our Charter currently authorizes the issuance of up to 50.0 billion shares of Common Stock, of which approximately 19.930 billion shares are currently issued and outstanding. In addition, we have reserved approximately 10.3 billion shares for issuance upon conversion and/or exercise of our outstanding shares of Series A Preferred, warrants and stock options, as well as for issuance as awards under our 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan. The issuance of any additional shares of our Common Stock, including those shares issuable upon conversion and/or exercise of our outstanding derivative securities, will result in significant dilution to our stockholders and a reduction in value of our outstanding Common Stock. Further, any such issuance may result in a change of control of our corporation.       -35- Table of Contents     Holders of Series A Convertible Preferred have substantial rights and ranks senior to our Common Stock.   Our Common Stock ranks junior as to dividend rights, redemption rights, conversion rights and rights in any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company to the Series A Preferred. Upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, the holders of the Series A Preferred are entitled to a liquidation preference equal to the original purchase price of Series A Preferred prior to and in preference to any distribution to the holders of our Common Stock. In addition, the holders of the Series A Preferred are also entitled to an annual 8% dividend payable in cash or shares of our Common Stock. Such rights could cause dilution of our Common Stock or limit our cash.   Our outstanding Series A Preferred contains anti-dilution provisions that, if triggered, could cause substantial dilution to our then-existing holders of Common Stock which could adversely affect our stock price .   Our outstanding Series A Preferred contains certain anti-dilution provisions that benefit the holders thereof. As a result, if we, in the future, issue Common Stock or grant any rights to purchase our Common Stock or other securities convertible into our Common Stock for a per share price less than the then existing conversion price of the Series A Preferred, an adjustment to the then current conversion price would occur. This reduction in the conversion price could result in substantial dilution to our then-existing holders of Common Stock as well as give rise to a beneficial conversion feature reported on our statement of operations. Either or both of which could adversely affect the price of our Common Stock.   The price of our securities could be subject to wide fluctuations and your investment could decline in value.   The market price of the securities of a company such as ours with little name recognition in the financial community can be subject to wide price swings. The market price of our Common Stock may be subject to wide changes in response to quarterly variations in operating results, announcements of new products by us or our competitors, reports by securities analysts, volume trading, or other events or factors. In addition, the financial markets have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations for a number of reasons, including the failure of certain companies to meet market expectations. These broad market price swings, or any industry-specific market fluctuations, may adversely affect the market price of our securities.   Companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been the subject of securities class action litigation. If we were to become the subject of securities class action litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a significant diversion of our management’s attention and resources.   Because our Common Stock may be classified as “penny stock”, trading may be limited, and the share price could decline. Moreover, trading of our Common Stock, if any, may be limited because broker-dealers would be required to provide their customers with disclosure documents prior to allowing them to participate in transactions involving our Common Stock. These disclosure requirements are burdensome to broker-dealers and may discourage them from allowing their customers to participate in transactions involving our Common Stock.   We have issued Preferred Stock with rights senior to our Common Stock, and may issue additional Preferred Stock in the future.   Our Charter authorizes the issuance of up to 5.0 million shares of Preferred Stock without stockholder approval and on terms established by our Board of Directors, of which 300,000 shares have been designated as Series A Preferred and 1.5 million shares have been designated as Series B Preferred. We may issue additional shares of Preferred Stock in the future in order to consummate a financing or other transaction, in lieu of the issuance of shares of our Common Stock. The rights and preferences of any such class or series of Preferred Stock would be established by our Board of Directors in its sole discretion and may have dividend, voting, liquidation and other rights and preferences that are senior to the rights of the Common Stock.        -36- Table of Contents     Our Amended and Restated Bylaws designate courts within the state of Nevada as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.   Our Amended and Restated Bylaws (“ Bylaws ”) require that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, and unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, a state court located within the State of Nevada (or, if no state court located within the State of Nevada has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Nevada), will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for each of the following:   ● any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company;   ● any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders;   ● any action asserting a claim against the Company or any director or officer or other employee of the Company arising pursuant to any provision of the Nevada Revised Statutes or the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, or the Amended and Restated Bylaws; or   ● any action asserting a claim against the Company or any director or officer or other employee of the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine.   Because the applicability of the exclusive forum provision is limited to the extent permitted by law, we believe that the exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction, and that federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“ Securities Act ”). We note that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce the provision and that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Nevada law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.   You may not be able to hold our securities in your regular brokerage account.   In the case of publicly traded companies, it is common for a broker to hold securities on your behalf, in “street name” (meaning the broker is shown as the holder on the issuer’s records and then you show up on the broker’s records as the person the broker is holding for). Due to regulatory uncertainties, certain brokers may not agree to hold securities of companies whose products include hemp-derived CBD for their customers, meaning that you may not be able to take advantage of the convenience of having all your holdings reflected in one place.   You should not rely on an investment in our Common Stock for the payment of cash dividends.   Because of our previous significant operating losses and because we intend to retain future profits, if any, to expand our business, we have never paid cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. You should not make an investment in our Common Stock if you require dividend income. Any return on investment in our Common Stock would only come from an increase in the market price of our stock, which is uncertain and unpredictable.