UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
(Mark
One)
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2024
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from _____ to _____
001-38875
(Commission
file number)
Greenlane
Holdings, Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
83-0806637
State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)
1095
Broken Sound Parkway , Suite 100
Boca
Raton , FL
33487
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
Code)
(877)
292-7660
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name
of each exchange on which registered
Class
A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share
GNLN
Nasdaq
Capital Market
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12 (g) of the Act: None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant
was required to submit such files). Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company,
or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller
reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated
filer
☐
Non-accelerated
filer
☒
Smaller
reporting company
☒
Emerging
growth company
☐
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation
received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The
aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2024, the last business day of the
registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately [$ 1.0 million] based upon the closing price reported
for such date on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
As
of March 19, 2025, Greenlane Holdings, Inc. had 8,336,953
shares of Class A common stock outstanding.
Greenlane
Holdings, Inc.
Form
10-K
For
the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2024
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
Note About Forward-Looking Statements
1
PART I
Item
1.
Business
3
Item
1A.
Risk Factors
13
Item
1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
46
Item
1C.
Cybersecurity
46
Item
2.
Properties
47
Item
3.
Legal Proceedings
47
Item
4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
47
PART II
Item
5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
48
Item
6.
[Reserved]
48
Item
7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
48
Item
7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
60
Item
8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
61
Item
9.
Changes in Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
62
Item
9A.
Controls and Procedures
62
Item
9B.
Other Information
64
Item
9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
64
PART III
Item
10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
65
Item
11.
Executive Compensation
66
Item
12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Related Stockholder Matters
70
Item
13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
71
Item
14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
75
PART IV
Item
15.
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
76
Item
16.
Form 10-K Summary
78
Signatures
79
NOTE
ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT S
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties. Many of the forward-looking statements are located in Part, Item
7 of this Form 10-K under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that
does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology
such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continuing,” “ongoing,”
“expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could”
and similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements include, without limitation:
●
statements
regarding our growth and other strategies, results of operations or liquidity;
●
statements
concerning projections, predictions, expectations, estimates or forecasts as to our business, financial and operational results and
future economic performance;
●
statements
regarding our industry;
●
statements
of management’s goals and objectives;
●
statements
regarding laws, regulations, and policies relevant to our business;
●
projections
of revenue, earnings, capital structure and other financial items;
●
assumptions
underlying statements regarding us or our business; and
●
other
similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.
Forward-looking
statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the
times at, or by, by which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available
at the time those statements are made or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject
to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by
the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed
in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors” and in other documents that we file from time to time
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Forward-looking
statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from any future results, performances, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These
risks include, but are not limited to, those listed below and those discussed in greater detail in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K
under the heading “Risk Factors.”
●
our
strategy, outlook, and growth prospects;
●
general
economic trends, trends in the industry, and the competitive markets in which we operate;
●
our
ability to generate adequate cash from our existing business to support our growth;
●
our
ability to raise capital on favorable terms, or at all, to support the continued growth of the business, including high inflation
and increasing interest rates;
●
our
dependence on, and our ability to establish and maintain business relationships with third-party suppliers and service suppliers,
including vulnerability to third-party transportation risks;
●
our
ability to accurately estimate demand for our products and maintain appropriate levels of inventory;
●
our
ability to maintain or improve our operating margins and meet sales expectations;
●
our
ability to adapt to changes in consumer spending and general economic conditions;
●
our
ability to maintain consumer brand recognition and loyalty of our products;
●
our
ability to protect our intellectual property rights and use or license certain trademarks;
●
our
ability to successfully identify and complete strategic acquisitions and/or dispositions;
●
our
ability to address product defects and contamination of, or damage to, our products;
●
our
exposure to potential various claims, lawsuits, and administrative proceedings;
●
our
and our customers’ ability to establish or maintain banking relationships;
●
the
impact of governmental laws and regulations and the outcomes of regulatory or agency proceedings;
●
fluctuations
in U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign tax obligations and changes in tariffs;
●
any
unfavorable scientific studies on the long-term health risks of vaporizers, electronic cigarettes, or cannabis and hemp-derived products,
including cannabidiol (“CBD”);
●
failure
of our information technology systems to support our current and growing business;
●
our
ability to prevent and recover from Internet security breaches;
●
our
sensitivity to global economic conditions and international trade issues;
1
●
the
onset of an economic recession in the United States or other countries, including the impact of the ongoing wars, and their impact
on the economy generally;
●
natural
disasters, adverse weather conditions, operating hazards, environmental incidents and labor disputes;
●
public
health crises;
●
the
potential delisting of our Class A common stock from Nasdaq;
●
increased
costs as a result of being a public company; and
●
our
failure to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting.
Additional
risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our
business, financial condition or operating results.
The
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation
to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect
the occurrence of unanticipated events. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which
any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
Consequently, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Summary
Risk Factors
Our
business is subject to a number of risks, including risks that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may materially
and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. These risks are discussed more
fully in Item 1A. Risk Factors herein. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
●
Global
economic conditions, including inflation and supply chain disruptions, could materially and adversely our business, prospects, results
of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
●
A
significant percentage of our revenue is dependent on sales of products from a relatively small number of key suppliers, and a decline
in sales of products from these suppliers could materially harm our business.
●
We
do not have long-term agreements or guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with most of our suppliers. The loss of a significant
supplier would require us to rely more heavily on our other existing suppliers or to develop relationships with new suppliers. Such
a loss may have an adverse effect on our product offerings and our business.
●
We
are vulnerable to third-party transportation risks, including governmental laws and common carriers’ policies that prevent
the shipment of the types of products we sell.
●
If
we are unable to successfully execute on our liquidity and strategic initiatives, we may have significant cash constraints, which
would have a material and adverse impact on our business and results of operations and ability to pay our debts as they come due.
●
Complications
and disruptions associated with the design and implementation of our new ERP system have occurred and could adversely impact our
business and operations in the future.
●
We
may be required to seek additional financing sources, which may not be available to us on attractive terms if at all and could restrict
our ability to engage in important business activities.
●
While
we believe that our business and sales do not violate the Federal Paraphernalia Law, legal proceedings alleging violations of such
law or changes in such law or interpretations thereof could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, or
results of operations.
●
Officials
of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (“CBP”) have broad discretion regarding products imported into the United
States, and the CBP has on occasion seized imported products, and seizures of the products we sell could have a material adverse
effect on our business operations or our results of operations.
●
Our
business depends partly on continued purchases by businesses and individuals selling or using cannabis and cannabis ancillary products
pursuant to federal and state laws in the United States and laws in Canada, the European Union, United Kingdom, Mexico, and Latin
America. Because our business is dependent, in part, upon continued market acceptance of cannabis by consumers, any negative trends
could materially and adversely affect our business, financial conditions or results of operations. Additionally, we are subject to
legislative uncertainty that could slow or halt the legalization and use of cannabis, which could negatively affect our business.
●
The
market for vaporizer products and related items is a niche market, subject to a great deal of uncertainty and is still evolving,
including uncertainty related to the regulation of vaporization products and certain other consumption accessories. Increased regulatory
compliance burdens, no matter how they arise, could have a material adverse impact on our business development efforts and our operations.
●
Recently
adopted laws prohibit the mailing of certain vaporizer products through the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) and
place certain regulatory requirements on shipment of those products through other carriers. Additionally, carriers including UPS
and FedEx have imposed policies restricting the shipment of vaporizers. If a significant volume of the products we carry cannot be
shipped by the USPS or private carriers, or we must comply with burdensome policies and regulations, our shipping costs could increase
materially and we could lose our ability to deliver products to customers in a timely and economical matter.
2
●
The
FDA has expressed growing concern about the popularity among youth of certain vaporization products, including electronic nicotine
delivery systems (“ENDS”) and has imposed significant regulation on ENDS products. Additional regulatory actions may
further impact our ability to sell these products, as well as other vaporization products, in the United States or online.
●
Our
narrow margins may magnify the impact of variations in operating costs and of adverse or unforeseen events on operating results.
●
Management
and employee turnover creates uncertainties and could harm our business.
●
We
and our customers may have difficulty accessing the services of banks, which may make it difficult for us and for them to sell our
products.
●
We
have failed, and may continue to fail, to meet the listing standards of Nasdaq, and as a result our Class A common stock may become
delisted, which could have a material adverse effect on the liquidity of our Class A common stock.
●
The
market price of our Class A common stock has been volatile and has declined significantly since our initial public offering and may
face more volatility and price declines in the future. As a result, you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the price
at which you have acquired or will acquire shares of our Class A common stock.
●
Substantial
sales and issuances of our Class A common stock have occurred and may continue to occur, or may be anticipated, which have caused
and could continue to cause our stock price to decline and your percentage ownership may be diluted in the future.
PART
I
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
General
Founded
in 2005, Greenlane is a premier global platform for the development and distribution of premium cannabis accessories, vape devices, and
lifestyle products. With three different mergers in 2021, Greenlane was able to strengthen its leading position as a consumer ancillary
products house-of-brands business, significantly expanding its customer network, bringing strategic relationships with leading cannabis
multi-state operators (“MSOs”), cannabis single-state operators (“SSOs”), and Canadian licensed producers (“LPs”).
Greenlane provides a wide array of consumer ancillary products and industrial ancillary products to thousands of cannabis producers,
processors, brands, and retailers (“Cannabis Operators”). In addition, it serves specialty retailers, smoke shops, head shops,
convenience stores, and consumers directly through its own proprietary web stores and large online marketplaces such as Amazon.
We
have been developing a world-class portfolio of both our own proprietary brands (the “Greenlane Brands”) along with close
partner brands that we believe will, over time, deliver higher margins and create long-term value for our customers and shareholders.
Our Greenlane Brands include our more affordable product line – Groove, our premium smoke shop and ancillary product brand –
Higher Standards, and our child-resistant packaging brand - Pollen Gear. In collaboration with our partner brands, including the innovative
silicone pipes and accessories line, Eyce, and the premium vaporizer brand, DaVinci, Greenlane is strategically positioned to serve as
a comprehensive one-stop shop for all buyers. We also have category exclusive licenses for the premium Marley Natural branded products,
as well as the Keith Haring branded products.
The
Greenlane Brands, along with a curated set of third-party products, are offered to customers through our proprietary, owned and operated
e-commerce platforms which include Wholesale.Greenlane.com, Vapor.com, PuffItUp.com, HigherStandards.com, and MarleyNaturalShop.com.
Additionally, our presence on popular e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Etsy, and eBay enable us to reach customers directly, providing
them with valuable resources and a seamless purchasing experience.
We
merchandise vaporizers, packaging, and other ancillary products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. We
distribute products to retailers through wholesale operations and distribute products to consumers through constantly evolving
e-commerce activities. We operate our own distribution center in the United States, while also utilizing third-party logistics
(“3PL”) locations in Canada. We made tremendous progress consolidating and streamlining our warehouse and distribution
in 2023 and 2024, including the consolidations of our warehouse in Worcester, MA and 3PL location in Hebron, KY to our owned
facility in Moreno Valley, California in 2023.
Greenlane
offers a full spectrum of products, positioning us to meet all our customers’ growing demands. We focus on serving consumers across
wholesale, retail, and e-commerce operations—offering all of our Greenlane Brands, as well as ancillary products and accessories
from select leading third-party brands such as Storz and Bickel, Grenco Science, PAX, Cookies, and more. Our direct to consumer channels
form a central part of our growth strategy, especially as it relates to scaling our own portfolio of higher-margin proprietary owned
brands. In addition we serve Cannabis Operators by providing ancillary products essential to their daily operations and growth, such
as packaging and vaporization solutions, including our Greenlane Brand Pollen Gear.
We
have historically experienced only moderate seasonality in the direct to consumer side of our business, particularly during the fourth
quarter. This coincides with Cyber Monday (the first Monday after Thanksgiving, when online retailers typically offer holiday discounts),
and as our customers build up their inventories in anticipation of the holiday season. We also have related promotional marketing campaigns
during this period.
3
Organization
Greenlane
Holdings, Inc. (“Greenlane” and, collectively with the Operating Company (as defined below) and its consolidated subsidiaries,
the “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our”) was formed as a Delaware corporation on May 2, 2018.
We are a holding company that was formed for the purpose of completing an underwritten initial public offering (“IPO”) of
shares of our Class A common stock on April 23, 2019 and other related transactions in order to carry on the business of Greenlane Holdings,
LLC (the “Operating Company”). The Operating Company was organized under the laws of the state of Delaware on September 1,
2015, and is based in Boca Raton, Florida. Refer to “Note 1—Business Operations and Organization” within Item 8 for
further information on the Company’s organization and the IPO and related transactions. We are the sole manager of the Operating
Company and, as of December 31, 2023, owned a 100% interest in the Operating Company.
Our
Business Relating to the Cannabis Industry
While
we do not cultivate, distribute or dispense marijuana as that term is defined by the Controlled Substances Act, several of the products
we distribute, such as vaporizers, pipes, rolling papers, and packaging solutions, can be used with marijuana or marijuana derivatives,
as well as several other legal substances.
We
believe the global cannabis industry is experiencing a transformation from a state of prohibition toward a state of legalization. We
expect the number of states, countries, and other jurisdictions legalizing cannabis for medical and adult use will continue to increase,
which will create numerous opportunities for market participants, including us.
The
North American Cannabis Landscape
United
States and Territories.
Twenty-four
states, and the District of Columbia, have legalized cannabis for non-medical adult use with additional states, such as New Hampshire, actively considering the legalization of cannabis for non-medical adult use. An additional seventeen states have legalized medical
cannabis in some form, with certain of those states permitting only low tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) oils for a limited class
of patients. Notwithstanding the continued trend toward further state legalization, cannabis continues to be categorized as a Schedule
I controlled substance under the Federal Controlled Substances Act (the “CSA”) and, accordingly, the cultivation, processing,
distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis violate federal law in the United States as discussed further in Item 1A under the heading
“Risk Factors.” However, after President Biden first directed federal agencies in October 2022 to review how cannabis is
scheduled, the Department of Health and Human Services reviewed and made recommendations in August 2023 to reschedule cannabis from a
Schedule I to Schedule III controlled substance. On May 16, 2024, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (the “DEA”) issued
a proposed rule to reclassify marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. Schedule III classification
represents a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence and reclassification of marijuana from a Schedule I
to a Schedule III drug would thereby loosen DEA restrictions. Nonetheless, the DEA has made clear that if reclassification were to take
place, the “regulatory controls applicable to Schedule III controlled substances would apply” which includes controls related
to the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, and possession of marijuana. Our business depends partly on continued purchases by businesses
and individuals selling or using cannabis and cannabis ancillary products pursuant to state laws in the United States.
In
the United States, the legal cannabis market generated $26.5 billion in 2022, which increased to $31.4 billion in 2023, reflecting an
18.5% growth (XYZ Cannabis Market Report 2023). The number of U.S. states with legalized cannabis increased from 18 in 2022 to 23 in
2023, a 27.8% rise in state participation (National Cannabis Industry Association Reports). The cannabis consumers base for legal cannabis
has expanded notably across all regions. In the United States, the number of users grew from 47 million in 2023 to 52.5 million in 2024,
an 11.7% increase ( Cannabis Facts and Stats | Cannabis and Public Health | CDC )
Canada.
Legal
access to dried cannabis for medical purposes was first allowed in Canada in 1999. The Cannabis Act (the “Cannabis Act”)
currently governs the production, sale and distribution of medical cannabis and related oil extracts in Canada.
4
On
April 13, 2017, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-45, which proposed the enactment of the Cannabis Act to legalize and regulate
access to cannabis. The Cannabis Act proposed a strict legal framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession
of medical and recreational adult-use cannabis in Canada. On June 21, 2018, the Government of Canada announced that Bill C-45 received
Royal Assent. On July 11, 2018, the Government of Canada published the Cannabis Regulations under the Cannabis Act, which has been subsequently
amended. The Cannabis Regulations provide more detail on the medical and recreational regulatory regimes for cannabis, including regarding
licensing, security clearances and physical security requirements, product practices, outdoor growing, packaging and labelling, cannabis-containing
drugs, document retention requirements, reporting and disclosure requirements, the new access to cannabis for medical purposes regime
and industrial hemp. The majority of the Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations came into force on October 17, 2018, with additional
Cannabis regulations coming into effect on October 17, 2019.
While
the Cannabis Act provides for the regulation by the federal government of, among other things, the commercial cultivation and processing
of cannabis for recreational purposes, it provides the provinces and territories of Canada with the authority to regulate in respect
of the other aspects of recreational cannabis, such as distribution, sale, minimum age requirements, places where cannabis can be consumed,
and a range of other matters.
The
governments of every Canadian province and territory have implemented regulatory regimes for the distribution and sale of cannabis for
recreational purposes. Most provinces and territories have announced a minimum age of 19 years old, except for Alberta, where the minimum
age will be 18. Certain provinces, such as Ontario, have legislation in place that restricts the packaging of vapor products and the
manner in which vapor products are displayed or promoted in stores.
The
Canadian market declined from CAD 5.5 billion in 2023 to CAD 5.3 billion in 2024, marking a 3.27% decrease (Government of Canada, Cannabis
Market Reports). Despite this decline, the Canadian cannabis market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1% between 2024 and 2030. In
Canada, all ten provinces and three territories have legalized cannabis, with significant improvements in regulatory frameworks and retail
infrastructure between 2022 and 2023, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia (Health Canada Reports).
The
European Cannabis Landscape
Europe’s
population is larger than that of the U.S. and Canadian markets combined, suggesting the potential of a very significant market. The
changes in regulations for cannabis products across Europe are expected to result in a market growth of approximately $6.2 billion in
annual sales in 2024, a significant growth from approximately $3.7 billion in 2023.
Many
European Union countries allow limited cannabis use for medicinal purposes, with some of those countries operating pilot programs. It
has been widely reported that other countries are considering following suit. Additionally, certain countries in Europe, including Germany,
which approved a plan to legalize some recreational cannabis use in August 2023, are considering the adoption of laws that would legalize
cannabis for adult use.
Other
Drivers for the Legal Cannabis Industry
Several
factors have driven the growth of the legal cannabis industry. Legislative changes have been pivotal, with ongoing legalization efforts
in various regions contributing to market expansion. For instance, recent legislation in Germany is set to make it the largest cannabis
market in Europe. Medical advancements have also played a crucial role, with increasing acceptance of cannabis for medical purposes driven
by research and positive patient outcomes, particularly in Europe where medical cannabis programs are rapidly expanding. Consumer trends
towards wellness and natural products have boosted demand for cannabis-based products such as CBD oils, edibles, and topicals. Economic
benefits have been significant, with governments recognizing the potential for job creation, tax revenues, and reduced law enforcement
and incarceration costs related to cannabis offenses. Additionally, technological innovations in cultivation techniques, product development,
and delivery methods have enhanced product quality and consumer experience, further driving market growth.
5
Product
Information
Consumers
of cannabis, herbs, flavored compounds, aromatherapy oils, and nicotine require the types of products we distribute, including vaporizers,
pipes, rolling papers and packaging. Producers of cannabis products are able to source compliant packaging, vape hardware, and other
products needed in the manufacturing and distribution stages of the supply chain. We believe we distribute the “picks & shovels”
for these rapidly growing industries and producers. As the world of cannabis and its respective aesthetic continues to expand, we strive
to keep our product mix relevant, popular, and innovative; offering an array of products from vaporizers, grinders, pipes and other inhalation
devices to storage solutions, to rolling papers and even apparel lines. As our product offerings continue to develop, we expect our revenue
by categories to increase accordingly.
Inhalation
Delivery Methods
There
are two prevalent types of inhalation methods for cannabis and nicotine: combustion and vaporization. Vaporizers are devices that heat
materials to temperatures below the point of combustion, extracting the flavors, aromas and effects of dry herbs and concentrates in
the form of vapor. Measured by revenue, vaporizers are our largest product category.
The
Science and Popularity of Vaporization
Vaporizers
continue to increase in popularity and as a preferred method of consumption among a variety of demographics of consumers. They have elements
that are designed to quickly heat material, causing vaporization to occur without the carbon dioxide that
is typically generated through combustion. The vapor byproduct is then immediately inhaled through the mouthpiece on the device
itself, or through a hose or an inflatable bag. Vaporizers can heat a variety of dry materials, viscous liquids and waxes, and provide
a convenient way for users to consume the active ingredient such as tobacco, nicotine extracts, legal herbs, hemp-derived CBD, aromatherapy
oils, cannabis, and propylene glycol and glycerin blends.
Vaporization
Technology. Consumers have a wide array of vaporization devices at their disposal, which can be broadly categorized into two primary
categories: desktop and portable vaporizers. Our vaporizer portfolio spans just shy of 200 distinct products across 12 brands.
Desktop
Vaporizers. Vaporizers were first developed as desktop models that were powered through traditional electric power sources. Desktop
vaporizers are capable of heating the material to a more precise temperature choice determined by the consumer or as advised by a health
practitioner.
Portable
Vaporizers. With the development of lithium batteries, vaporizers have now become portable. Technological advances are resulting
in lighter, sleeker, and more visually appealing units that are capable of quickly heating material to the user’s desired temperature
setting. Portable vaporizers, of which vape pens are a sub-set, are differentiated by many features, including output, battery life,
recharge time, material, capacity, and design.
Other
Methods of Consumption. In addition to vaporizers, consumers have a wide array of methods of consumption at their disposal, including
hand pipes, water pipes, rolling papers, and oral and topical delivery methods.
Hand
and Water Pipes. We offer a diverse portfolio of over 200 hand and water pipes across five brands, including products within our
Greenlane Brands. Many display iconic, licensed logos and artwork, as pipes have grown into an artistic expression and are available
in countless creative forms and functionality. Hand pipes are small, portable and simple to use, and function by trapping the smoke produced
from burning materials. Water pipes include large table-top models, bubblers and rigs, and incorporate the cooling effects of water to
the burning materials before inhalation.
Rolling
Papers. Rolling papers are a traditional consumption method used to smoke dried plant material in a “roll-your-own” application.
These include papers, cones and wraps. Our rolling papers category is comprised of over 100 products across two unique brands, not including
accessories such as rolling trays or tips.
6
Our
Competitive Strengths
We
attribute our success to the following competitive strengths:
A
Clear Market Leader in an Attractive Industry.
We
are a global platform for the development and distribution of premium cannabis accessories, packaging, vape solutions, and lifestyle
products, reaching thousands of retail locations, including, licensed cannabis dispensaries, smoke shops, head shops, and specialty retailers.
We also own and operate one of the industry’s most visited North American direct-to-consumer e-commerce websites, Vapor.com, as
well as PuffItUp.com.. We also sell our proprietary products direct to consumers via Higherstandards.com, and MarleyNaturalShop.com.
We operate storefronts on Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, and other online high traffic marketplaces.
Market
Knowledge and Understanding.
Because
of our experience and our extensive, long-term industry relationships, we believe we have a deep understanding of customer needs and
desires in our business channels. This allows us to influence customer demand and the pipeline between product manufacturers, suppliers,
advertisers and the marketplace. We have also established strong relationships with a wide array of industry participants including leading
MSOs, SSOs, retailers, and third party ancillary product producers.
Comprehensive
and Best-in-Class Product Offering.
We
offer a curated portfolio of products and accessories across many major categories with diverse, best-in-class offerings that cater to
our customers’ needs. This comprehensive and best-in-class product offering creates a “one-stop shop” for many of our
customers and positively distinguishes us from our competitors. In addition, we have carefully cultivated a portfolio of well-known brands
and premium products and have helped many of the brands we distribute to become established names in the industry.
Entrepreneurial
Culture.
We
believe our entrepreneurial, results-driven culture fosters highly dedicated employees who provide our customers with superior service.
We invest in our talent by providing ongoing training and have successfully developed programs that provide comprehensive product knowledge
and tools needed to have a unique understanding of our customers’ goals and decision-making processes.
Customers.
We believe we offer superior services and solutions due to our comprehensive product offering, proprietary industry data and analytics,
product expertise and quality of service. We deliver products to our customers in a precise, safe and timely manner with complementary
support from our dedicated sales and service teams. In 2022, we launched our new business to business (“B2B”) customer portal
at Wholesale.Greenlane.com which provides our business customers seamless access to our catalog of products for purchase 24-hours a day,
365 days a year. Consumers can access our products easily by purchasing from our e-commerce properties or access many of our products
via large marketplaces such Amazon.
Suppliers .
Our industry knowledge, market reach, and resources allow us to establish trusted relationships with many industry suppliers. Our senior
management team makes tremendous efforts to establish and build these key relationships to help ensure Greenlane has a strong supply
chain established for in-demand products at favorable pricing. Our suppliers can be categorized into two buckets, factories that produce
our Greenlane Brand’s products, as well as some generic products, and other third party branded products (who either manufacture
themselves or outsource production) that Greenlane will, in essence, resell. While we purchase our products from over 150 suppliers,
a significant percentage of our net sales is dependent on sales of products from a small number of key suppliers, which is why strong
relationships are essential to our future success. An important reason we have elected to focus on our Greenlane Brands is, since we
own the brand itself (or license it), we can control which factory produces our products. Generally, there are a variety of capable factory
partners and we are able to leverage our Greenlane Brands to negotiate better pricing and service. When reselling an established third-party
brand’s products, we are somewhat beholden to the one supplier who owns or distributes that brand. However, we do believe there
is a trend of third-party branded suppliers in our industry to consolidate their relationships to do more business with fewer distribution
partners. We believe our established track record, historical relationships, ability to be value-added, and overall size and scale position
us to benefit from this trend.
Employees.
We aim to recruit best-in-class talent to join our Greenlane team. We provide our employees with an entrepreneurial culture, a safe,
fun and fast-paced work environment, financial incentives and career development opportunities.
Experienced
and Proven Management Team Driving Organic and Acquisition Growth.
We
recently revamped our management team to directly align with our strategic goals and initiatives. Our management team features vast relevant
experience in consumer-packaged goods, brand building, and e-commerce. In addition, our management team has expertise in accounting and
finance, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain, information technology, marketing and operations.
7
Our
Operating Strategies
We
intend to leverage our competitive strengths to increase shareholder value through the following core strategies:
Plan
to Accelerate Path to Profitability and Capitalize the Business
In
today’s economic landscape, particularly within the cannabis industry, achieving profitability and preserving working capital are
paramount. At Greenlane, we are intensely focused on making our business profitable and well-capitalized for long-term sustainability.
Our key initiatives include:
1.
Technology
Enhancements: We remain fully committed to improving our technology, particularly our B2B and e-commerce platforms, to provide a
seamless shopping experience for our wholesale and retail customers.
2.
Facility
Footprint Rationalization: In 2023 and 2024, we optimized our facilities footprint by reducing warehouse and office space while increasing
operational efficiency and improving fulfillment practices.
3.
Headcount
Reduction: We have significantly reduced our headcount and associated salary expenses, focusing on maintaining a core group of key
employees as we collectively right-size the business.
4.
Cost
Structure Optimization: We continue to reduce our overall cost structure while improving margins. In April 2023, we formed two strategic
partnerships (described below in greater detail) to increase margins and significantly reduce working capital requirements. Similarly,
we restructured arrangements with several third-party brands to reduce our working capital needs.
5.
Inventory
Management: In 2024, we continued to refine and improve our inventory management and lifecycle strategy that is focused on a quarterly
turn and a regular review of inventory to avoid future write-offs.
6.
Sales
Force Upgrade: We have upgraded and will continue to upgrade our sales force from a solely account management centric team to a skilled
and driven sales team to acquire new customers while maintaining excellent service with our existing customers.
7.
Product
Innovation: In 2024, we expanded our product offering to further enhance our assortment available to our customers to include the
most up to date technology available and launched our health and safety product line promoting safe and responsible consumption.
8.
Capital
Investment: We continue to seek opportunities for securing investment capital to leverage our platform, increase availability and
reduce stockouts of our high demand third-party brands, invest in marketing and sales, and improve our product offerings.
Management
believes that these initiatives will significantly reduce costs, help accelerate the Company’s path to profitability, support business
growth, and allow the Company to reinvest capital into its highest demand and highest potential product lines.
During
2023, 2024 and 2025, the Company received capital from various sources permitting it to right-size the business and position the company for
growth. Such sources are described in greater detail in the Liquidity and Capital Resources Section of this report.
During
2023, 2024 and 2025, the Company also entered into certain arrangements to reduce working capital requirements and improve its balance
sheet.
In
2023 and 2024 we completed several initiatives to optimize our working capital requirements due to our inability to access capital markets
on equitable terms and stock-outs and shortages of higher velocity inventory.
In
April 2023, we entered into two strategic partnerships. First, we entered into a strategic partnership (the “MJ Packaging Partnership”)
with A&A Global Imports d/b/a MarijuanaPackaging.com (“MJ Pack”), a leading provider of packaging solutions to the cannabis
industry. On August 8, 2024 the Company terminated its strategic partnership with MJ Packaging and is resuming its business as a direct
provider of packaging solutions to the cannabis industry. MJ Packaging however, remains a distribution customer of the Company.
8
Second,
we entered into a strategic partnership with an affiliate of one of our existing vape suppliers (“Vape Partner”) to service
certain key customers with vaporizer goods and services (the “Vape Partnership”). As part of the Vape Partnership, we will
introduce our Vape Partner to certain key customers, assist with the promotion and the sale of certain vaporizer goods and services,
and help coordinate the logistics, storage and distribution of such vaporizer products. If our Vape Partner and key customer(s) enter
into a direct relationship, the customers would directly purchase vaporizer goods and services, which we currently sell them, directly
from our Vape Partner and we would no longer need to purchase such vape inventory on behalf of such key customer(s). In exchange we would
earn quarterly and annual commission payments from our strategic partner. While the strategic partnership may result in a decrease in
top line revenue for these vape products, this partnership combined with some of our other restructuring initiatives should allow us
to reduce our overall cost-structure and enhance our margins, thereby improving our balance sheet.
We
have successfully renegotiated many of our vendor and supplier partnership terms and are continuing to improve working capital arrangements
with our vendors and suppliers. We have made progress consolidating and streamlining our office, warehouse, and distribution operations
footprint. We have reduced our workforce significantly to reduce costs and align with our revenue projections.
On
May 6, 2024, the Company, Warehouse Goods and Synergy Imports LLC (“Synergy”) entered into an asset purchase agreement, dated
May 1, 2024 (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which Synergy purchased all of the intellectual property, a specified
amount of inventory, and other assets related to the Eyce and DaVinci brands. In consideration for the acquisition, all parties entered
into a loan modification agreement, effective May 1, 2024 (the “Loan Modification Agreement”) and an amended and restated
secured promissory note, effective May 1, 2024 (the Amended and Restated Secured Promissory Note”), an amendment to the original
Eyce and Davinci Asset Purchase Agreements, a distribution agreement, the termination of a license granted by Eyce, and the termination
of certain consulting and employment agreements.
On
February 19, 2025, Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) consummated a private placement (the “Private Placement”)
pursuant to a securities purchase agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) with institutional investors (the “Purchasers”)
for the purchase and sale of approximately $25.0 million of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock (the “Common Stock”)
and investor warrants at a price of $1.19 per Common Unit. The entire transaction was priced at the market under Nasdaq rules. The offering
consisted of the sale of Common Units (or Pre-Funded Units), each consisting of (i) one (1) share of Common Stock or one (1) Pre-Funded
Warrant, (ii) one (1) Series A PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock per warrant at an exercise price of $1.4875
(the “Series A Warrant”) and (iii) one (1) Series B PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock per warrant
at an exercise price of $2.975 (the “Series B Warrant” and together with the Series A Warrant, the “Warrants”).
The
initial exercise price of each Series A Warrant is $1.4875 per share of Common Stock. The Series A Warrants are exercisable following
stockholder approval and expire five (5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series A Warrant is subject to
adjustment as described in more detail in the Series A Warrant. The initial exercise price of each Series B Warrant is $2.975 per share
of Common Stock or pursuant to an alternative cashless exercise option. The Series B Warrants are exercisable following stockholder approval
and expire two and one-half (2.5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series B Warrant is subject to adjustment
as described in the Series B Warrant.
In
connection with the Private Placement, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with the Purchasers on February 18, 2025
(the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company is required to file a registration statement covering
the resale of the Securities within 30 calendar days of the closing of the offering.
Developing
A World-Class Portfolio of Products.
We
intend to continue to develop a portfolio of brands that includes our Greenlane Brands, exclusively licensed brands and third party brand
products, which over time will help to increase our blended margins and create increased long-term value. Our brand development is based
upon our proprietary industry intelligence that allows us to identify market opportunities for new brands and products. We leverage our
distribution infrastructure and customer relationships to penetrate the market quickly with our proprietary brands and to gain placement
in thousands of retail stores. Currently, we sell such products directly to consumers through our brand websites and our e-commerce properties.
Over time, we expect an increasing percentage of our overall sales to be from our Greenlane Brands, which in turn should allow our gross
margin to trend upwards and should allow for lasting brand value to be built in the marketplace.
9
USPS
PACT Act Exemption
On
January 11, 2022, we announced via press release that the United States Postal Service (the “USPS”) had approved our application
for a business and regulatory exemption to the PACT Act (with respect to the business and regulatory exemption granted by the USPS, the
“PACT Act Exemption”), allowing us to ship vaporizers and accessories classified as electronic nicotine delivery systems
(“ENDS”) products to other compliant businesses. With this approval, over 97% of our total annual sales became eligible for
shipment by freight, USPS and other major parcel carriers. The PACT Act Exemption also enables us to partner with other businesses that
ship ENDS products and had their supply chains disrupted by PACT Act compliance.
On
June 24, 2022, we provided via press release an update on the progress of the PACT Act Exemption, following our successful implementation
of the controls, processes and systems required by the USPS in connection with the shipment of ENDS products. We currently have the ability
to fulfill ENDS orders with the USPS which allows us to reduce shipping costs, decrease fulfillment times and enhance the overall customer
experience for approved wholesale customers.
Enhance
Our Operating Margins.
We
expect to enhance our operating margins as our business expands through a combination of additional product purchasing discounts, reduced
inbound and outbound shipping and handling rates, reduced transaction processing fees, increased operating efficiencies, and realization
of benefits through leveraging our platform, existing assets and consolidated distribution facilities. We are focused on converting more
of our overall sales to be completed through technology platforms such as our e-commerce consumer sites, large marketplace sites like
Amazon, and our proprietary B2B ordering portal at Wholesale.Greenlane.com. Transacting a higher percentage of our sales through automated
technological platforms, versus the manual phone and email efforts in play today, should improve our overall operating margins.
Build
Upon Strong Customer and Supplier Relationships to Expand Organically.
Our
North American footprint and broad supplier relationships, combined with our regular interaction with our large and diverse customer
base, provides us key insights and positions us to be a critical link in the supply chain for premium vaporization products and consumption
accessories. Our suppliers benefit from access to thousands of brick and mortar retail locations as we are a single point of contact
for improved production, planning and efficiency. Our customers, in turn, benefit from our market leadership, talented sales force, broad
product offerings, high inventory availability, timely delivery and exceptional customer service. We believe our strong customer and
supplier relationships will enable us to expand and broaden our market share in the premium vaporization products and consumption accessories
marketplace and expand into new categories.
Be
the Employer of Choice.
When
it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, Greenlane strives to be the employer of choice. At Greenlane we are committed to creating
valuable career opportunities for our employees, supporting them and fostering a culture that invites and encourages diverse opinions
and ideas. This work is grounded in the belief that we are at our best when we create inclusive, supportive and welcoming environments,
where we uplift one another with dignity, respect and kindness. We are focused on ensuring our employees see Greenlane as a home of possibility
with good jobs, a sense of belonging, and a bright future.
10
Business
Seasonality
We
have historically experienced only moderate seasonality in our direct to consumer business, particularly during the fourth quarter, which
coincides with Cyber Monday (the first Monday after Thanksgiving, when online retailers typically offer holiday discounts), and as our
customers build up their inventories in anticipation of the holiday season and for which we have related promotional marketing campaigns.
Human
Capital Resources
As
of March 17,2025, we had 49 full-time employees. Approximately 47 were employed in the U.S., and two were employed in Canada. None of
our employees are represented by a labor union. We have never experienced a labor-related work stoppage.
During
2023 and 2024, we completed a series of reductions in force, which resulted in approximately $10.1 million in annualized cash compensation
cost savings. We believe our current headcount and resources are sufficient to execute our plan of achieving profitability in the near
term, while remaining flexible to scale our hiring as industry demand and our sales grow.
As
we mention in our core operating strategies, we aim to be the employer of choice, as our employees are the key drivers of our success.
We aim to recruit, train, promote and retain the most talented and success-driven personnel in the industry. Our industry knowledge and
scale provide opportunities for our employees to obtain structured training and career path opportunities across all departments and
positions. We are a company that operates with three core values: never settle, never follow, and never disrespect.
Culture
and Engagement
We
exist to elevate all elements of the consumption experience. We are the driving force behind broadening accessibility to best-in-class
ancillary products. We cultivate a passionate culture that empowers our team to thrive within our rapidly evolving industry. Our values
are to: never settle, never follow, and never disrespect. We envision a world where humanity is free to enjoy mother nature’s magic,
and we pledge that each of our employees will play an integral role in helping us make our vision a reality.
Everything
we do is powered by our vision and core values and our culture reflects that. As a result, we enjoy a highly motivated and skilled workforce
committed to our company. We send out regular employee engagement surveys, and in consultation with our employees we have addressed several
opportunities to further improve our culture. By being open, honest, and transparent, our employees feel more actively engaged in our
success.
Total
Rewards, Pay Equity and Retention
We
strive to attract and retain diverse, high caliber employees who raise the talent bar by offering competitive compensation and benefit
packages, regardless of their gender, race, or other personal characteristics. We regularly review and survey our compensation and benefit
programs against the market to ensure we remain competitive in our hiring practices. We provide employee salaries that are competitive
and consider factors such as an employee’s role and experience, the location of their job and their performance. We also encourage,
support, and compensate our employees based on our philosophy of recognizing and rewarding exceptional performance. We believe that performance
and development is an ongoing process in which all employees should be active participants. Individual and company key performance goals
are linked to employee compensation, and we have begun work on a Greenlane Learning and Development curriculum that will include a blended
approach to both in person and virtual learning.
Competition
Business-to-Business .
We operate in an evolving industry in which the market and its participants remain highly fragmented. Although it is difficult to find
reliable independent research, we believe there is a vast number of potential B2B customers in North America comprised of licensed cannabis
dispensaries, smoke shops, and specialty retailers. Our B2B customers compete primarily on the basis of breadth, style, quality, pricing
and availability of merchandise, the level of customer service, brand recognition and loyalty. We successfully reach our B2B customers
through our direct sales force and other marketing initiatives and provide them with our strategically curated mix of brands and products,
merchandise planning strategies and exceptional customer service. Among vaporizer product distributors, we compete against both suppliers
and other distributors. A number of suppliers choose to distribute directly in some sales channels and may also operate their own e-commerce
platforms. We face competition from many small privately-owned regional distributors that carry a narrow range of products. We believe
there are only a select few wholesale distributors carrying a complete line of premium vaporization products and consumption accessories.
This has led to our emphasis on our wholesale business through our business-to-business (B2B) customer portal at Greenlane.Wholesale.com.
This platform provides our business customers with seamless access to our catalog of products for purchase 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. The wholesale website offers customers an improved user experience with an easy-to-use layout that streamlines processes and allows
customers to interact with us at their convenience.
Business-to-Consumer.
A number of suppliers of vaporizers and specialized consumption products and accessories operate their own e-commerce websites through
which they sell their items directly to end consumers. Additionally, there are hundreds of websites that sell products similar to those
we offer in North America, Europe, Australia and other parts of the world. We believe we compete effectively with other e-commerce websites.
Further, we provide fulfillment services to the owners of some of these websites as they do not carry their own inventory, are not able
to ship as efficiently as we do and are unable to meet certain regulatory requirements, such as sales tax collection. Our primary e-commerce
website, Vapor.com, ranks above many of our competitors’ websites in various search engine categories. We believe our market knowledge,
large product selection, relationships with vaporizer brands, in-house search engine optimization teams, social media focus and distribution
facilities will enable us to remain a market leader in e-commerce.
11
Trademarks
We
own a number of registered trademarks and service marks, including without limitation, trademarks in the relevant classes of goods for
Greenlane, Higher Standards, Aerospaced, Groove, and Pollen Gear. We also license certain trademarks and other intellectual property,
most notably those associated with our Marley Natural and Keith Haring brands. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred
to in this Form 10-K may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we
will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks
and trade names. In addition, this Form 10-K contains trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies that we do not own.
We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with,
or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other companies. We believe our largest trademarks are widely recognized throughout the
world and have considerable value. The duration of trademark registrations varies from country to country. However, trademarks are generally
valid and may be renewed indefinitely as long as they are in use and/or their registrations are properly maintained.
Recent
Developments
On
February 19, 2025, Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) consummated a private placement (the “Private Placement”)
pursuant to a securities purchase agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) with institutional investors (the “Purchasers”)
for the purchase and sale of approximately $25.0 million of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock (the “Common Stock”)
and investor warrants at a price of $1.19 per Common Unit. The entire transaction was priced at the market under Nasdaq rules. The offering
consisted of the sale of Common Units (or Pre-Funded Units), each consisting of (i) on e (1) share of Common Stock or one (1) Pre-Funded
Warrant, (ii) one (1) Series A PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock per warrant at an exercise price of $1.4875
(the “Series A Warrant”) and (iii) one (1) Series B PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock per warrant
at an exercise price of $2.975 (the “Series B Warrant” and together with the Series A Warrant, the “Warrants”).
The
initial exercise price of each Series A Warrant is $1.4875 per share of Common Stock. The Series A Warrants are exercisable following
stockholder approval and expire five (5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series A Warrant is subject to
adjustment as described in more detail in the Series A Warrant. The initial exercise price of each Series B Warrant is $2.975 per share
of Common Stock or pursuant to an alternative cashless exercise option. The Series B Warrants are exercisable following stockholder approval
and expire two and one-half (2.5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series B Warrant is subject to adjustment
as described in the Series B Warrant.
In
connection with the Private Placement, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with the Purchasers on February 18, 2025
(the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company is required to file a registration statement covering
the resale of the Securities within 30 calendar days of the closing of the offering.
Regulatory
Developments
Our
operating results and prospects will be impacted, directly and indirectly, by regulatory developments at the local, state, and federal
levels. Certain changes in local, state, national, and international laws and regulations, such as increased legalization of cannabis,
create significant opportunities for our business. However, other changes to laws and regulations result in restrictions on which products
we are permitted to sell and the manner in which we market our products, increased taxation of our products, and negative changes to
the public perceptions of our products, among other effects.
We
believe the ongoing trend of states legalizing medicinal and adult-use cannabis will likely drive increased demand for many of our products.
In the 2020 election, voters approved initiatives for adult-use cannabis in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota, as well as
medical marijuana in Mississippi and South Dakota. Subsequent years saw Connecticut and Virginia (2021), Maryland and Missouri (2022),
and Delaware, Minnesota, and Ohio (2023) legalizing adult-use cannabis. Although we cannot guarantee that state-level legalization will
continue, the Department of Justice’s proposal to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances
Act is a significant indicator of potential regulatory changes. This reclassification could have a profound impact on nationwide regulation,
boosting market confidence.
In
addition, 30 states and the District of Columbia have recently adopted laws imposing taxes on vaping products. Additionally, as of 2022,
at least 31 states have adopted laws imposing taxes on vaporizers. These taxes will result in increased prices to end consumers, which
may adversely impact the demand for our products. We expect these taxes would impact our competitors similarly, assuming their compliance
with applicable laws.
12
The
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, contains provisions that prohibit the mailing
of electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”) through the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) and place
certain regulatory requirements on shipment of ENDS through other carriers. Certain private carriers, including UPS and FedEx, also have
policies restricting or prohibiting the shipment of many vaporization products we sell. On December 30, 2021, the USPS granted us an
exception that permits Greenlane to continue shipping ENDS business to business via the USPS. This exception, combined with our use of
alternative carriers, permits us to continue shipping almost all of our products to the vast majority of our customers, provided that
we continue to meet all regulatory requirements. While we currently retain our ability to ship products to customers, additional legal
or policy changes concerning the shipment of vaporizers could increase our costs materially and deprive us of our ability to timely deliver
certain products to certain types of customers.
Corporate
Information
Our
executive offices are located at 1095 Broken Sound Parkway, Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33487. Our telephone number at our executive
offices is (877) 292-7660.
Available
Information
The
Company’s Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections
13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are filed with the SEC. We are subject
to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and file or furnish reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC.
Such reports and other information filed by us with the SEC are available free of charge at
investor.gnln.com/financial-information/sec-filings when such reports are available on the SEC’s website. The SEC maintains an
Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically
with the SEC at www.sec.gov. We periodically provide other information for investors on our corporate website, www.gnln.com, and our
investor relations website, investor.gnln.com. This includes press releases and other information
about financial performance, information on corporate governance and details related to our annual meeting of shareholders. The information
contained on the websites referenced in this Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this filing. Further, our references to
website URLs are intended to be inactive textual references only.
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
Our
operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those described below,
which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. The following is a description of what we consider
the key challenges and material risks to our business and an investment in our Class A common stock.
Risks
Related to Our Business and Industry
Global
economic conditions, including inflation and supply chain disruptions, could materially and adversely our business, prospects, results
of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.
Our
business and operations are sensitive to global economic conditions. General global economic downturns and macroeconomic trends, including
heightened inflation, volatility in the capital markets, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and
economic slowdown or recession, may result in unfavorable conditions that could negatively affect demand for our products and exacerbate
some of the other risks that affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Both domestic and international markets
experienced significant inflationary pressures in 2023 and 2024 and inflation rates in the U.S. are currently expected to continue at
elevated levels for the near-term. In addition, the Federal Reserve has raised, and is expected to continue to raise, interest rates
in response to concerns about inflation, which, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets, may have
the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks. Interest rate increases or other government actions
taken to reduce inflation could also result in an economic recession.
A
material decline in the economic conditions affecting consumers, which results in a reduction in disposable income for the average consumer,
may change consumption patterns, and may result in a reduction in spending on vaporization products and consumption accessories or a
switch to cheaper products or products obtained through illicit channels. Many of our products are relatively new to the market and may
be regarded by consumers as a novelty item and expendable. As such, demand for our vaporizer products may be particularly sensitive to
economic conditions such as inflation, recession, high energy costs, unemployment, changes in interest rates and money supply, changes
in the political environment and other factors beyond our control, any combination of which could result in a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
13
If
we are required to seek additional financing sources, they may not be available to us on attractive terms if at all and could restrict
our ability to engage in certain business activities .
Due
to limited access to the debt markets, we have been required to issue equity at prices that are dilutive to stockholders. We may be forced
to continue to seek equity capital at dilutive prices through other means if other financing is not available to us to fund our working
capital needs. In the past, because of the nature of our industry, we have had difficulties establishing relationships with certain financial
institutions and may continue to face such difficulties. As a result, indebtedness or other forms of financing may not be available to
us on attractive terms or at all. Furthermore, we may have to seek financing from non-traditional sources such as private equity and
hedge funds, which may require us to give up significant governance or other rights or agree to economic and other terms that are not
favorable.
In
addition, future financing agreements we may enter into in the future may contain customary negative covenants and other financial and
operating covenants that, among other things:
●
restrict
our ability to incur additional indebtedness;
●
restrict
our ability to incur additional liens;
●
restrict
our ability to make certain investments (including capital expenditures);
●
restrict
our ability to merge with another company;
●
restrict
our ability to sell or dispose of assets;
●
restrict
our ability to make distributions to stockholders; and
●
require
us to satisfy minimum financial coverage ratios, minimum net worth requirements, maximum leverage ratios, or other financial covenants.
We
had cash available as of December 31, 2024, of $0.9 million. In addition, our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, was down
from prior years and has declined in recent quarters. If we are unable to access additional liquidity through successful execution of
our cost cutting strategic initiatives and revenue goals, we may have significant cash constraints, which would have a material adverse
impact on our business, results of operations and ability to pay our debts as they come due.
We have failed in the past, and fail in the
future to meet the listing standards of Nasdaq, and as a result our Class A common stock could become delisted, which could have a material
adverse effect on the liquidity of our Class A common stock.
If
we fail to continue to satisfy the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the corporate governance or public float requirements,
or the minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq will take steps to de-list our Class A common stock. Such a de-listing would likely have a negative
effect on the price of our Class A common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our Class A common stock when you wish
to do so, as well as adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities and obtain additional financing in the future.
14
On
August 21, 2023, we received a letter from the staff of Nasdaq indicating that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1)
because the closing bid price per share for our Class A common stock had closed below $1.00 for the previous 30 consecutive business
days (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”). We were given 180 days, or until February 20, 2024 to regain compliance with
the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. We also filed an application to transfer the listing of our Class A common stock from the Nasdaq Global
Market to the Nasdaq Capital Market, which transfer was approved and occurred on February 9, 2024. As a result of the transfer, we became
eligible to request an additional 180-day compliance period.
On
February 21, 2024, Nasdaq notified us in writing that while we had not regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, we
were eligible for an additional 180-day compliance period, or until August 19, 2024, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price
Requirement. Nasdaq’s determination was based on us having met the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held
shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the Minimum Bid
Price Requirement, and on our written notice to Nasdaq of our intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by
effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary.
On
January 24, 2024, Gina Collins gave notice of her resignation from our Board of Directors and from each committee of the Board, effective
immediately. Ms. Collins was an independent director, and as a result of her resignation, we no longer comply with the majority independent
board requirement of Nasdaq as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(b)(1) because independent directors do not comprise a majority of
the Board of Directors, and Nasdaq’s audit committee requirements as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(2)(A) because the
Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is not comprised of at least three independent directors.
On
January 29, 2024, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, we notified Nasdaq of Ms. Collins’ resignation and the resulting non-compliance.
On January 30, 2024, we received a notice from Nasdaq acknowledging the fact that we do not meet the requirements of such rules. In accordance
with Nasdaq Listing Rules 5605(b)(1)(A) and 5605(c)(4), to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules . With the resignation
of Mr. Snyder, we were notified on July 26, 2024 that we had regained compliance with the Independent Director Rule. We regained compliance
with the requirement that the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors be comprised of three independent directors on December 31, 2024
with the addition of Mr. Howe to the Audit Committee.
On
April 18, 2024, we received a notice from Nasdaq stating that because we had not yet filed our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2023, we were no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) requires
listed companies to timely file all required periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We were notified by Nasdaq that we
had regained compliance on July 26, 2024.
On
May 21, 2024, we received a notice from Nasdaq stating that because we had not yet filed our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
quarter ended March 31, 2024, we were no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). We
were notified by Nasdaq that we had regained compliance on July 26, 2024.
The
Company had 60 calendar days from April 18, 2024, or until June 17, 2024, to regain compliance
by filing the Form 10-K and the Form 10-Q or to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules. We
timely submitted the plan to regain compliance to Nasdaq and Nasdaq granted us additional time to file the Form 10K and 10Q.
On
June 26, 2024, we were notified by Nasdaq that a filing extension was granted through July 31, 2024, for our Annual Report on Form 10-K
and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
On
July 26, 2024, we received a notification by Nasdaq that we had regained compliance with the Independent Director Rule, and due to
the filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was back in compliance with the Nasdaq Filing
Rule.
On
August 26, 2024, we received a notice from Nasdaq stating that we had met the minimum bid requirements as of August 23, 2024, and were
back in compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid requirements.
15
Our
narrow margins may magnify the impact of variations in operating costs and of adverse or unforeseen events on operating results.
We
are subject to intense price competition. As a result of this and other factors, our gross and operating margins have historically been
narrow. Narrow margins magnify the impact of variations in operating costs and of gross margin and of unforeseen adverse events on operating
results. Continued increases in costs, such as the cost of merchandise, wage levels, shipping rates, import duties and fuel costs, may
negatively impact our margins and profitability. We are not always able to raise the sales price to offset cost increases or to effect
increased operating efficiencies in response to increasing costs. If we are unable to maintain our margins in the future, it could have
a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we become subject to increased price competition
in the future, we cannot assure you that we will not lose market share, that we will not be forced to reduce our prices and further reduce
our margins, or that we will be able to compete effectively.
Additionally,
promotional activities can significantly increase net sales in the periods in which they are initiated and net sales can be adversely
impacted in the periods after a promotion. Accordingly, based upon the timing of our marketing and promotional initiatives, we have and
may continue to experience significant variability in our month-to-month results, which could affect our ability to formulate strategies
that allow us to maintain our market presence across volatile months. If our monthly sales fluctuations obscure our ability to track
important trends in our key markets, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If
we fail to manage our business and growth effectively, we may be unable to execute our business plan, maintain high levels of service
or address competitive challenges adequately.
Our
success will depend, in part, on our ability to manage our business and its growth, both domestically and internationally. Any growth
in, expansion of, or shift in the focus of our business, is likely to continue to place a strain on our management and administrative
resources, infrastructure and systems. As with other businesses, we expect that we will need to further refine and expand our business
development capabilities, our systems and processes and our access to financing sources. We will also need to hire, train, supervise,
and manage new employees. These processes are time consuming and expensive and will increase management responsibilities and divert management
attention. We cannot assure that we will be able to:
●
optimize
our product offerings effectively or efficiently or in a timely manner, if at all;
●
achieve
expected synergies or other anticipated benefits;
●
allocate
our human resources optimally;
●
meet
our capital needs;
●
identify
and hire qualified employees or retain valued employees;
●
effectively
incorporate the components of any business or product line that we may acquire in our effort to achieve growth; or
●
continue
to grow our business.
Our
inability or failure to manage our business and its growth effectively could harm our business and materially adversely affect our operating
results and financial condition. In addition, we believe that an important contributor to our success has been and will continue to be
our corporate culture, which we believe fosters innovation, teamwork and a passion for our products and customers. As a result of our
rapid growth, we may find it difficult to build and maintain our strong corporate culture, which could limit our ability to innovate
and operate effectively. Any failure to preserve our culture could also negatively affect our ability to retain current and recruit new
personnel, continue to perform at current levels or execute on our business strategy.
Management
and employee turnover creates uncertainties and could harm our business.
We
have experienced significant turnover in our executive leadership in recent years. Changes to strategic or operating goals, which oftentimes
occur with the appointment of new executives and board members, can create uncertainty, may negatively impact our ability to execute
quickly and effectively, and may ultimately be unsuccessful. In addition, executive leadership transition periods are often difficult
as the new executives gain detailed knowledge of our operations, and friction can result from changes in strategy and management style.
Management turnover inherently causes some loss of institutional knowledge, which can negatively affect strategy and execution. Until
we integrate new personnel, and unless they are able to succeed in their positions, we may be unable to successfully manage and grow
our business, and our financial condition and profitability may suffer.
Further,
to the extent we experience additional management turnover, competition for top management is high and it may take months to find a candidate
that meets our requirements. If we are unable to attract and retain qualified management personnel, our business could suffer. Our future
success will also depend on our ability to identify, recruit and retain additional qualified technical and managerial personnel. We operate
in several geographic locations where labor markets are particularly competitive, where demand for personnel with these skills is extremely
high and is likely to remain high. As a result, competition for qualified personnel is intense, particularly in the areas of general
management, finance, engineering and science, and the process of hiring suitably qualified personnel is often lengthy and expensive and
may become more expensive in the future. If we are unable to hire and retain a sufficient number of qualified employees, our ability
to conduct and expand our business could be seriously reduced.
16
The
market for vaporizer products and related items is a niche market, subject to a great deal of uncertainty and is still evolving.
Vaporizer
products comprise a significant portion of our product portfolio. Many of these products have only recently been introduced to the market
and are at an early stage of development. These products represent core components of a niche market that is evolving rapidly, is characterized
by a number of market participants and is subject to regulatory oversight and a potentially fluctuating regulatory framework. Rapid growth
in the use of, and interest in, vaporizer 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, including, but not limited to, changes in governmental regulation, developments
in product technology, perceived safety and efficacy of our products, perceived advantages of competing products and sale and use of
materials that can be vaporized, including in the expanding legal state cannabis markets. Therefore, we are subject to many of the business
risks associated with a new enterprise in a niche market. Continued technical evolution, market uncertainty, evolving regulation and
the resulting risk of failure of our new and existing product offerings in this market could have a material adverse effect on our ability
to build and maintain market share and on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Further, there can be no assurance
that we will be able to continue to compete effectively in this marketplace.
We
depend on third-party suppliers for our products and may experience supply shortages which could have a material adverse effect on our
business.
We
depend on third-party suppliers for our vaporization products and consumption accessories product offerings. Our customers associate
certain characteristics of our products, including the weight, feel, draw, flavor, packaging and other unique attributes, to the brands
we market, distribute and sell. In the future, we may have difficulty obtaining the products we need from our suppliers as a result of
unexpected demand or production difficulties that might extended lead times, as well as due to constraints relating to our low cash position.
Also, products may not be available to us in quantities sufficient to meet our customer demand. Any interruption in supply and/or consistency
of these products may adversely impact our ability to deliver products to our customers, may harm our relationships and reputation with
our customers, and may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Interruptions in
supply or consistency of products could arise for a number of reasons, including but not limited to economic and civil unrest, public
health crises, embargoes, and sanctions.
We
may enter into new markets or lines of business that offer new products and services, or may expand existing lines of business, which
may subject us to additional risks.
From
time to time, we may enter into new markets or lines of business that entail offering new products and services, or may expand existing
lines of business. For example, our merger with KushCo significantly expanded our exposure to the leading MSOs and LPs, as well as a
presence on the west coast. Our historical experience in these markets does not ensure that we will be able to successfully operate expended
lines of business or will be successful in launching new products or entering new markets. In addition, external factors, such as competitive
alternatives, potential conflicts of interest, either real or perceived, and shifting market preferences, in addition to our lack of
experience with or knowledge of new lines of business or markets may impact our implementation, expansion and operation of new and existing
lines of business. Other related risks include:
●
the
potential diversion of management’s attention, available cash, and other resources from our existing businesses;
●
unanticipated
liabilities or contingencies;
●
compliance
with additional regulatory burdens;
●
potential
damage to existing customer relationships, lack of customer acceptance or an inability to attract new customers; and
●
the
inability to compete effectively in the new line or expanded line of business or in a new market.
Failure
to successfully manage these risks in the implementation, expansion or operation of new and existing lines of business and markets or
the offering of new products or services could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations and
financial condition.
17
There
is uncertainty related to the regulation of vaporization products and certain other consumption accessories. Increased regulatory compliance
burdens, no matter how they arise, could have a material adverse impact on our business development efforts and our operations.
United
States
There
is uncertainty regarding whether, in what circumstances, how and when the FDA will seek to enforce the tobacco-related provisions of
the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FFDCA”) relative to vaporizer hardware and accessories that can be used to vaporize
cannabis and other material, including electronic cigarettes, rolling papers and glassware, in light of the potential for dual use with
tobacco.
Through
amendments to the FFDCA, the Tobacco Control Act established, by statute, that the FDA has oversight over specific types of tobacco products
(cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own (“RYO”) tobacco, and smokeless tobacco) and granted the FDA the authority to
“deem” other types of tobacco products as subject to the statutory requirements. In addition to establishing authority, defining
key terminology, and setting adulteration and misbranding standards, the Tobacco Control Act established FDA’s authority over tobacco
products in a number of areas such as: submission of health information to the FDA; registration with the FDA; premarket authorization
requirements; good manufacturing practice requirements; tobacco product standards; notification, recall, corrections, and removals; records
and reports; marketing considerations and restrictions; post-market surveillance and studies; labeling and warnings; and recordkeeping
and tracking. Although the vast majority of our vaporizer products are not subject to these regulations because they are not intended
for use with tobacco or nicotine, changes in law, regulation, or policy that subject a greater portion of our products to these regulations
could occur.
In
a final rule effective August 8, 2016 (“Deeming Rule”), the FDA deemed all products that meet the Tobacco Control Act’s
definition of “tobacco product,” including components and parts but excluding accessories, to be subject to the tobacco control
requirements of the FFDCA and the FDA’s implementing regulations. Accordingly, as of the Deeming Rule’s effective date, deemed
tobacco products that are “new” (i.e., those that were not commercially marketed in the United States as of February 15,
2007) are subject to the premarket authorization requirements. Deemed new tobacco products that remain on the market without authorization
are marketed unlawfully.
Deemed
new tobacco products include, among other things: products such as electronic cigarettes, electronic cigars, electronic hookahs, vape
pens, certain vaporizers and e-liquids and their components or parts (such as tanks, coils and batteries) (“ENDS”). The FDA’s
interpretation of components and parts of a tobacco product includes any assembly of materials intended or reasonably expected to be
used with or for the human consumption of a tobacco product. In a 2017 decision of the D.C. Circuit court, the court upheld the FDA’s
authority to regulate ENDS even though they do not actually contain tobacco, and even if the products could be used with nicotine-free
e-liquids.
The
Tobacco Control Act and FDA’s implementation of regulations require regulatory approvals before certain products may be sold and
restrict the way tobacco product manufacturers, retailers, and distributors can advertise and promote tobacco products, including a prohibition
against free samples or the use of vending machines, requirements for presentation of warning information, and age verification of purchasers.
Newly-deemed
tobacco products are also subject to the other requirements of the Tobacco Control Act, such as that they not be adulterated or misbranded.
The FDA has been directed under the Tobacco Control Act to establish specific good manufacturing practice (“GMP”) regulations
for tobacco products, and could do so in the future, which could have a material adverse impact on the ability of some of our suppliers
to manufacture, and the cost to manufacture, certain of our products. Even in the absence of specific GMP regulations, a facility’s
failure to maintain sanitary conditions or to prevent contamination of products could result in the FDA deeming the products produced
there adulterated.
The
FDA has announced its intention to take enforcement measures related to ENDS products offered for
sale after September 9, 2020, for which the manufacturers had not submitted a PMTA. Following that date, the FDA did in fact take actions
against certain manufacturers of ENDS products for which a PMTA had not been submitted. Accordingly, and in light of the laws
noted above, premarket authorizations will be necessary for us to continue our distribution of any vaporizer hardware and accessories
that meet the FDA’s definition of ENDS. While we do not believe vaporizers intended for use with non-tobacco substances meet the
FDA’s definition of ENDS, it is possible that the FDA could require premarket authorization for such products.
18
Our
suppliers who make vaporizers that are currently, or in the future become, subject to FDA regulation must timely file applications for
the appropriate authorizations so that we may continue selling their products in the United States. We have no control over the content
of those applications, and we have no assurances that the outcome of the FDA’s review will result in authorization of the marketing
of these products. If the FDA establishes or applies review standards or processes that our suppliers are unable or unwilling to comply
with, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects would be adversely affected.
The
anticipated costs to our suppliers of complying with future FDA regulations will be dependent on the rules issued by the FDA, the timing
and clarity of any new rules or guidance documents accompanying these rules, the reliability and simplicity (or complexity) of the electronic
systems utilized by the FDA for information and reports to be submitted, and the details required by the FDA for such information and
reports with respect to each regulated product. Any failure to comply with existing or new FDA regulatory requirements could result in
significant financial penalties to us or our suppliers, which could ultimately have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations, financial condition and ability to market and sell our products. Compliance and related costs could be substantial and
could significantly increase the costs of operating in the vaporization products and certain other consumption accessories markets.
In
addition, failure to comply with the Tobacco Control Act and with FDA regulatory requirements could result in litigation, criminal convictions
or significant financial penalties and could impair our ability to market and sell some of our vaporizer products. At present, we are
not able to predict whether the Tobacco Control Act will impact our business to a greater degree than competitors in the industry, thus
affecting our competitive position.
As
discussed elsewhere in these Risk Factors and under the heading Regulatory Developments, a number of states and cities have implemented
bans or restrictions on the sale of vaporizers and accessories, as well as flavored tobacco products, including vaping liquids and menthol
cigarettes. There may, in the future, also be increased regulation of additives in smokeless products and internet sales of vaporization
products and certain other consumption accessories. The application of either or both of current federal, state, and local, laws, and
of any new laws or regulations which may be adopted in the future at the federal, state, or local level, to vaporization products, consumption
accessories or such additives could result in additional expenses and require us to change our advertising and labeling, and methods
of marketing and distribution of our products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
Canada
On
May 23, 2018, the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (“TVPA”) became effective, and now governs the manufacture, sale, labeling
and promotion of vaping products sold in Canada. The TVPA replaced the former Tobacco Act (Canada) and established a legislative framework
that applies to vaping products, whether or not they contain nicotine. The TVPA prescribes high-level requirements in relation to vaping
products, with regulations governing specific topics such as nicotine concentration and the promotion of vaping products. Other regulations
remain forthcoming and there remains a high degree of uncertainty with respect to the compliance landscape for vaping products. As such,
there can be no assurance that we will initially be in total compliance, remain competitive, or financially able to meet future requirements
administered pursuant to the TVPA. Prior to the TVPA becoming effective, Health Canada had taken the position that electronic smoking
products (i.e., electronic products for the vaporization and administration of inhaled doses of nicotine, including electronic cigarettes,
cigars, cigarillos and pipes, as well as cartridges of nicotine solutions and related products) fell within the scope of the Food and
Drugs Act (Canada) (“Food and Drugs Act”). Vaping products with therapeutic or health-related claims are subject to the Food
and Drugs Act and related regulations. Finally, the TVPA provides the authority to make regulations to collect information from industry
about vaping products, their emissions and any research and development (e.g., sales data and information on market research, product
composition, ingredients, materials, health effects, hazardous properties and brand elements). Health Canada is currently developing
proposed regulations in this area.
On
December 21, 2019, Health Canada issued a Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement titled “Vaping Products Promotion Regulations.”
The Impact Analysis addressed two proposed new regulations that would place stricter limits on the advertising and promotion of nicotine
vaping products and make health warnings on nicotine vaping products mandatory (the “Proposed Regulations”). The Proposed
Regulations would: (1) prohibit the promotion of nicotine vaping products and nicotine vaping product-related brand elements by means
of advertising that is done in a manner that can be seen or heard by youth, including the display of nicotine vaping products a points
of sale where can be seen by youth; and (2) require that all nicotine vaping advertising convey a health warning about the health hazards
of nicotine vaping product use.
On
July 1, 2020, Health Canada’s “Vaping Products Labeling and Packaging Regulations” (the “VPLPR”) came into
effect; requiring (1) all vaping products containing nicotine to display a standardized nicotine concentration statement and health warning
about the addictiveness of nicotine; (2) products containing nicotine to be packaged in child-resistant containers and display a toxicity
warning and first aid treatment statement; and (3) the display of a list of ingredients contained in the vaping substances, regardless
of nicotine content. On July 14, 2020, Health Canada issued a guidance document on vaping products titled, “Industry Guide to vaping
products subject to the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act” (the “CCPA Guidance”). The CCPA Guidance provided clarity
on requirements under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (“CCPSA”) for vaping products that are manufactured, imported,
advertised, or sold in Canada. The CCPA Guidance provided clarity on the requirements of the VPLPR and the authority of the CCPSA to
address safety issues posed by a vaping product not marketed for therapeutic use or by a cannabis accessory (such as a vaporizer represented
to be used in the consumption of cannabis) not marketed for a therapeutic use.
19
In
addition to federal regulations, several provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island (“PEI”),
Quebec, and Saskatchewan, have passed regulations fully restricting or limiting the advertising and sales of certain types of nicotine
vaping products. Many provinces have focused their tobacco and vaping control efforts on retail access and have taken action to go beyond
the minimum requirements in the TVPA. For example, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories, have increased
the minimum age of sale to 19. Notably, in Prince Edward Island, as of March 1, 2020, the minimum age for purchasing nicotine products
increased to age 21. In 2019. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario limited the sales of flavored vaping products with exceptions
for some flavors to specialty stores, whereas some provinces have banned flavored vaping products, with the exception of tobacco flavor
(Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island). By way of example, on August 11, 2020, PEI adopted a regulation to ban the sale of all flavored
vaping products, effective March 1, 2021. Quebec is currently considering a ban on flavored products and effective as of March 25, 2022,
the sale of flavored vapor products was banned in the Northwest Territories.
Moreover,
certain provinces (British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia) have implemented an e-cigarette retail
licensing system or have guidelines for retailers in order to prevent sales to minors (Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador,
Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan).
Finally,
with respect to the taxation of vaping products, the Canadian government introduced amendments to the Excise Act, 2001 to implement a
new excise duty framework on vaping products. These amendments became law on June 23, 2022. The new framework applies to vaping products
that are manufactured in Canada or imported, and that are intended for use in a vaping device in Canada. Manufacturers of vaping products
are required to get a vaping product license from the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”). Importers are required to apply for
registration from the CRA. Manufacturers and importers are also required to register for the vaping stamping regime. All vaping products
entering the Canadian duty-paid market are required to be packaged with an excise stamp affixed to the product. The excise stamps shows
that duties have been paid.
These
developments, together with the passed and proposed federal and provincial regulations may have
a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We
may be unable to identify or contract with new suppliers in the event of a disruption to our supply.
In
the event of a disruption to our supply of products, we would have to identify new suppliers that can meet our needs. Only a limited
number of suppliers may have the ability to produce certain products we sell at the volumes we need, and it could be costly or time-consuming
to locate and approve such alternative sources. Moreover, it may be difficult or costly to find suppliers to produce small volumes of
products in the event we are looking only to supplement our current supply as suppliers may impose minimum order requirements. In addition,
we may be unable to negotiate pricing or other terms with our existing or new suppliers as favorable as those we currently enjoy. We
cannot guarantee that a failure to adequately replace or supplement our existing suppliers would not have a material adverse effect on
our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Demand
for the products we distribute could decrease if the trend of our suppliers selling products directly to consumers or retailers continues
or accelerates.
Retailers
and consumers of vaporization products and consumption accessories have historically purchased certain amounts of these products directly
from suppliers. Recently, direct to consumer sales of vaporization products and consumption accessories have accelerated, consistent
with broader sales trends. If our customers were to increase their purchases of products directly from suppliers, or if suppliers further
increase their efforts to sell such products directly to consumers or retailers, we could experience a significant decrease in our business,
results of operations and financial condition. These, or other developments that remove us from, or limit our role in, the distribution
chain, may harm our competitive position in the marketplace and reduce our sales and earnings and adversely affect our business.
20
We
are vulnerable to third-party transportation risks, including governmental laws and common carriers’ policies that prevent the
shipment of the types of products we sell.
We
depend on fast and efficient shipping services to distribute our products. Any prolonged disruption of these services may have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Rising costs associated with transportation services used
by us to receive or deliver our products, including tariffs, as well as delays as a results of factors outside of our control have had
and may continue to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, contains provisions that prohibit the mailing
of ENDS through the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) and place certain regulatory requirements on shipment of ENDS through
other carriers. Certain private carriers, including UPS and FedEx, also have policies restricting or prohibiting the shipment of certain
vaporization products we sell, requiring us to occasionally rely upon smaller carriers that are more expensive and serve fewer geographic
areas. Although we received USPS approval in December 2021 for a business and regulatory exception to the PACT Act (the “PACT Act
Exception”) permitting us to ship ENDS to other PACT Act compliant businesses, there can be no assurances that we will be able
to maintain the PACT Act Exception or that the USPS will not elect to rescind the PACT Act Exception. Additional legal or policy changes
concerning the shipment of vaporizers could increase our costs materially and deprive us of our ability to timely deliver certain products
to certain types of customers. Additionally, rising costs associated with transportation services used by us to receive or deliver our
products (including tariffs) and prohibitions on the use of certain shipping services for specified products, may have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
do not have long-term agreements or guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with most of our suppliers. The loss of a significant supplier
would require us to rely more heavily on our other existing suppliers or to develop relationships with new suppliers. Such a loss may
have an adverse effect on our product offerings and our business.
While
we have long-term distribution agreements with certain of our suppliers, consistent with industry practice, we do not have guaranteed
price or delivery arrangements with most of our suppliers. We generally make our purchases through purchase orders. As a result, we have
experienced and may in the future experience inventory shortages or price increases on certain products. Furthermore, our industry occasionally
experiences significant product supply shortages, and we sometimes experience customer order backlogs due to the inability of certain
suppliers to make available to us certain products as needed. We cannot provide assurances that suppliers will maintain an adequate inventory
of products to fulfill our orders on a timely basis, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain particular products on favorable terms,
or at all. Additionally, we cannot provide assurances that product lines currently offered by suppliers will continue to be available
to us. A decline in the supply or continued availability of the products of our suppliers, or a significant increase in the price of
those products, could reduce our sales and negatively affect our operating results.
In
addition, some of our suppliers have the ability to terminate their relationships with us at any time, or to decide to sell, or increase
their sales of, their products through other resellers or channels. Although we believe there are numerous suppliers with the capacity
to supply the products we distribute, the loss of one or more of our major suppliers could have an adverse effect on our product offerings
and our business. Such a loss would require us to rely more heavily on our other existing suppliers, develop relationships with new suppliers
or undertake our own manufacturing, which may cause us to pay higher prices for products due to, among other things, a loss of volume
discount benefits currently obtained from our major suppliers. Any termination, interruption or adverse modification of our relationship
with a key supplier or a significant number of other suppliers would likely adversely affect our operating income, cash flow and future
prospects.
If
we fail to maintain proper inventory levels, our business could be harmed.
We
often purchase key products from suppliers prior to the time we receive purchase orders from customers. We do this to minimize purchasing
costs, the time necessary to fill customer orders, and the risk of non-delivery. However, we may be unable to sell the products we have
purchased in advance. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand have previously and may in the future, result in inventory write-downs,
and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices could significantly impair our brand image and have a material adverse effect on
our business, results of operations and financial condition. Conversely, if we underestimate demand for our products or if we fail to
acquire the products that we require at the time we need them, we may experience inventory shortages. Inventory shortages might delay
shipments to customers, reduce revenue, negatively impact customer relationships and diminish brand loyalty, which in turn could have
a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
21
Our
success is dependent in part upon our ability to distribute popular products from new suppliers, as well as the ability of our existing
suppliers to develop and market products that meet changes in market demand or regulatory requirements.
Many
of the products we sell are generally subject to rapid changes in marketplace demand and regulatory requirements. For example, recent
laws and regulations have prohibited the sale of certain types of ENDS products that we previously sold. Our success is dependent, in
part, upon the ability of our suppliers to develop and market products that meet these changes. Our success is also dependent on our
ability to develop relationships with and sell products from new suppliers that address these changes in market demand or regulatory
requirements. To the extent products that address recent changes are not available to us, or are not available to us in sufficient quantities
or on acceptable terms, we could encounter increased competition, which would likely adversely affect our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
We
do not have long-term contracts with many of our customers. The agreements that we do have generally do not commit our customers to any
minimum purchase volume. The loss of a significant customer may have a material adverse effect on us.
Our
customers generally place orders on an as-needed basis. Consistent with industry practice, we do not have long-term contracts with most
of our customers, other than certain retail chains or distributors in Canada and abroad and certain state-licensed cannabis businesses
in the United States. In addition, our agreements generally do not commit our customers to any minimum purchase volume. Accordingly,
we are exposed to risks from potential adverse financial conditions in the vaporization products and consumption accessories industry,
a potentially shifting legal landscape, the general economy, a competitive landscape, a changing technological landscape or changing
customer needs or any other change that may affect the demand for our products. We cannot assure you that our customers will continue
to place orders with us in similar volumes, on the same terms, or at all. Our customers may terminate their relationships with us or
reduce their purchasing volume at any time. Our ten largest customers, in the aggregate, represented approximately 51.1 and 39.0% of
our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The loss of a significant number of customers, or a substantial
decrease in a significant customer’s orders, may have an adverse effect on our revenue.
Changes
in our customer, product or competition mix could cause our product margin and results of operations to fluctuate.
From
time to time, we may experience changes in our customer mix, our product mix or our competition mix. Changes in our customer mix may
result from geographic expansion or contractions, mergers and acquisitions among our customer base, legislative, regulatory or enforcement
priority changes affecting the products we distribute, selling activities within current geographic markets and targeted selling activities
to new customer sectors. For example, our merger with Kushco has shifted our customer mix to include a greater concentration of customers
who engage in the cultivation, processing, and/or sale of cannabis. Changes in our product mix may result from marketing activities to
existing customers, the needs of existing and prospective customers and from regulatory and legislative changes. Changes in our competition
mix may result from new competitors entering into our business segment or existing competitors growing their operations. If customer
demand for lower-margin products increases and demand for higher-margin products decreases, our business, results of operations and financial
condition may suffer.
22
Because
a material portion of our revenues are derived from sales to consumers indirectly through third-party retailers who operate traditional
brick-and-mortar locations, the shift of sales to more online retail business could harm our market share and our revenues in certain
sectors.
Our
current model for consumer goods includes selling our products through third-party retailers. These third-party retailers operate physical
brick-and-mortar locations to sell our product to consumers. The current shift in purchasing demographics due to many factors and the
changing preferences of consumers who are moving from in-store purchases to online purchases creates the additional risks of our current
revenue streams being impacted negatively and an overall decrease of market share.
We
have experienced and may continue to experience difficulty collecting receivables.
If
our customers begin or continue to experience financial challenges, they may not have sufficient funds to pay all amounts owed to us.
Additionally, laws in some jurisdictions in which we operate make collection of receivables difficult, time consuming or expensive. We
generally do not require collateral in support of our trade receivables. While we maintain reserves for expected credit losses, we cannot
assure these reserves will be sufficient to meet write-offs of uncollectible receivables or that our losses from such receivables will
be consistent with our historical performance. Significant write-offs may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
As we begin selling our products indirectly through large retailers, customer credit risks will expand.
Our
ability to distribute certain licensed brands and to use or license certain trademarks may be terminated or not renewed.
We
are reliant upon brand recognition in the markets in which we compete, as the industry is characterized by a high degree of brand loyalty
and a reluctance of consumers to switch to substitute or unrecognizable brands. Some of the brands we distribute and the trademarks under
which products are sold are licensed for a fixed period of time with regard to specified markets.
In
the event that the licenses to use the brand names and trademarks for the products we distribute are terminated or are not renewed after
the end of the term, there is no guarantee we or our suppliers will be able to find suitable replacement brands or trademarks, or that
if a replacement is found, that it will be on favorable terms. Any loss in brand-name appeal to our existing customers as a result of
the lapse or termination of our licenses or the licenses of our suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition.
We
may not be successful in maintaining the consumer brand recognition and loyalty of our products.
We
compete in a market that relies on innovation and the ability to react to evolving consumer preferences. The vaporization products and
consumption accessories industry is subject to changing consumer trends, demands and preferences. Therefore, products once favored may,
over time, become disfavored by consumers or no longer perceived as the best option. Consumers in the vaporizer market have demonstrated
a degree of brand loyalty, but suppliers must continue to adapt their products in order to maintain their status among customers as the
market evolves. Our continued success depends in part on our ability and our supplier’s ability to continue to differentiate the
brand names we represent, own or license and maintain similarly high levels of recognition with target consumers. Trends within the vaporization
products and consumption accessories industry change often and our failure to anticipate, identify or react to changes in these trends
could, among other things, lead to reduced demand for our products. Factors that have previously and may continue to affect consumer
perception of our products include health trends and attention to health concerns associated with herbs, oils, cannabis or other materials
used with vaporizers, price-sensitivity in the presence of competitors’ products or substitute products and trends in favor of
new vaporization products or technology consumption accessories products that are currently being researched and produced by participants
in our industry. For example, in recent years, we have witnessed a shift in consumer purchases from vaporizers designed for dry herbs
to those designed for liquids or wax type concentrates. A failure to react to similar trends in the future could enable our competitors
to grow or establish their brands’ market share in these categories before we have a chance to respond.
Regulations
have recently been and are likely to continue to be enacted in the future that would make it more difficult to appeal to consumers or
to leverage the brands that we distribute, own or license. Furthermore, even if we are able to continue to distinguish our products,
there can be no assurance that the sales, marketing and distribution efforts of our competitors will not be successful in persuading
consumers of our products to switch to their products. Some of our competitors have greater access to resources than we do, which better
positions them to conduct market research in relation to branding strategies or costly marketing campaigns. Any loss of consumer brand
loyalty to our products or in our ability to effectively brand our products in a recognizable way will have a material effect on our
ability to continue to sell our products and maintain our market share, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition.
23
We
may not be able to establish sustainable relationships with large retailers or regional or national chains.
In
connection with efforts to enter new sales channels, including large retailers and chains, we may not be able to develop these relationships
or continue to maintain relationships with these large retailers or national chains. Our inability to develop and sustain relationships
with large retailers and chains may impede our ability to develop brand and product recognition and increase sales volume and, ultimately,
require us to continue to rely on local and more fragmented sales channels, which may have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition. In addition, if we are unable to develop or maintain relationships with large retailers
and national chains and such large retailers or chains take market share from the smaller local and more fragmented sales channels, our
business, results of operations and financial condition will be adversely impacted.
New
products face intense media attention and public pressure.
Many
of our vaporizers and other products are new to the marketplace. Since their introduction, certain members of the media, politicians,
government regulators and advocacy groups, including independent doctors, have called for and driven the adoption of stringent regulation
of the sale of certain products and in some cases, an outright ban of such products pending increased regulatory review and a further
demonstration of safety. For example, local and state governments have banned certain types of vaporization products, such as those containing
flavored liquid nicotine and flavored hemp-derived CBD. Additional bans of this type would likely have the effect of terminating our
sales and marketing efforts of certain products in jurisdictions in which we may currently market or have plans to market such products.
Such bans would also likely cause public confusion as to which products are the subject of bans, which confusion could also have a material
adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our
success depends, in part, on the quality and safety of our products, as well as the perception of quality and safety in the vaporization
products and consumption accessories industry generally.
Our
success depends, in part, on the quality and safety of the products we sell, including manufacturing issues, health concerns about the
substances consumed using the products we sell, and unforeseen product misuse. Even a single incident of product defect or misuse, whether
relating to products sold by us or just to our industry generally, could result in significant harm to our reputation. For example, incidents
of EVALI have, by some metrics, negatively impacted demand for vaporizers. If any of our products are found to be, or are perceived to
be, defective or unsafe, or if they otherwise fail to meet our customers’ standards, our relationship with our customers could
suffer, our reputation or the appeal of our brands could be diminished, and we could lose market share and/or become subject to liability
claims, any of which could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Damage
to our reputation, or that of any of our key suppliers or their brands, could affect our business performance.
The
success of our business depends in part upon the positive image that consumers have of the third-party brands we distribute. Incidents,
publicity or events arising accidentally or through deliberate third-party action that harm the integrity or consumer support of the
products we sell could affect the demand for those products. Unfavorable media, whether accurate or not, related to our industry, to
us, to our customers, or to the products we sell could negatively affect our corporate reputation, stock price, ability to attract high-quality
talent, or the performance of our business. Additional negative publicity or commentary on social media outlets also could cause consumers
to react rapidly by avoiding our products and brands or by choosing brands offered by our competitors, which could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We
are subject to substantial and increasing regulation regarding the vaporization industry.
In
addition to the FDA regulations concerning vaporizer products discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are subject
to regulation by numerous other federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau,
the Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Customs and
Border Protection and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 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 have
received widespread public attention. There can be no assurance as to the ultimate content, timing or effect of any regulation of vaporizer
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.
24
Significant
increases in state and local regulation of our vaporizer products have been proposed and enacted, and are likely to continue to be proposed
and enacted in numerous jurisdictions.
As
discussed under the heading “Regulatory Developments” above, there has been increasing activity on the state, provincial
and local levels with respect to scrutiny of vaporizer products. State and local governmental bodies across the United States have indicated
that vaporization products and certain other consumption accessories may become subject to new laws and regulations at the state and
local levels. For example, in January 2015, the California Department of Health declared electronic cigarettes and certain other vaporizer
products a health threat that should be strictly regulated like tobacco products. Further, many states and cities have enacted regulations
that require retailers to obtain a tobacco retail license in order to sell electronic cigarettes and vaporizer products. Many states,
provinces and some cities have passed laws restricting the sale of electronic cigarettes and certain other vaporizer products. In March
2023, new federal legislation granted the FDA regulatory authority over synthetic nicotine, making all synthetic nicotine products without
a marketing order from the FDA illegal as of July 13th, 2022. If one or more states or provinces from which we generate or anticipate
generating significant sales of vaporizer products bring actions that prevent us from selling certain or all of our vaporizer products,
we would be required to cease sales and distribution of certain products to those states, which could have a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, if one or more states or provinces from which we generate
or anticipate generating significant sales of vaporizer products bring actions that require us to 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, provinces and cities have already restricted the use of electronic cigarettes and vaporizer products in smoke free venues. Additional
city, state, provincial or federal regulators, municipalities, local governments and private industry may enact rules and regulations
restricting the use of electronic cigarettes and vaporizer products in those same places where cigarettes cannot be smoked. Because of
these restrictions, our customers may reduce or otherwise cease using our vaporization products or certain other consumption accessories,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The
Canadian federal government, as well as certain provincial governments have passed or propose to pass legislation which will restrict
the extent to which e-cigarettes, e-liquid and other vaping products may be displayed or sold. Additionally, Canadian laws require health
warnings to be placed on certain vaporizer products, which could reduce the appeal of these products. These regulations and future regulations
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Based
on regulations surrounding health-related concerns related to the use of some of our vaporizer products, possible new or increased taxes
by government entities intended to reduce use of our products or to raise revenue, additional governmental regulations concerning the
marketing, labeling, packaging or sale of some of our products, negative publicity resulting from actual or threatened legal actions
against us or other companies in our industry, all may reduce demand for, or increase the cost of, certain of our products, which could
adversely affect our profitability and ultimate success.
Our
business depends partly on continued purchases by businesses and individuals selling or using cannabis pursuant to state laws in the
United States or Canadian and provincial laws.
Because
some of our B2C customers use some of the items that we sell to consume cannabis and some of our B2B customers operate in the legal national
and state cannabis industry, our business depends partly on federal, state, provincial and local laws, regulations, guidelines and enforcement
pertaining to cannabis. In both the United States and Canada, those factors are in flux.
United
States
Currently,
in the United States, 47 states and the District of Columbia permit some form of cannabis cultivation, sales, and use for certain medical
purposes (“medical states”). Twenty-four of those states and the District of Columbia have also legalized cannabis for adults
for non-medical purposes (sometime referred to as recreational use). Several medical states may extend legalization to adult use.
States’
cannabis programs have proliferated and grown even though the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis is considered illegal under
U.S. federal law. Under the CSA, cannabis is a Schedule I drug, meaning that the Drug Enforcement Administration recognizes no accepted
medical use for cannabis, and the substance is considered illegal under federal law.
In
an effort to provide guidance to U.S. Attorneys’ offices regarding the enforcement priorities associated with cannabis in the United
States, the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) has issued a series of memoranda detailing its suggested enforcement approach.
During the administration of former President Obama, each memorandum acknowledged the DOJ’s authority to enforce the CSA in the
face of state laws, but noted that the DOJ was more committed to using its limited investigative and prosecutorial resources to address
the most significant threats associated with cannabis in the most effective, consistent, and rational way.
25
On
August 29, 2013, the DOJ issued what came to be called the “Cole Memorandum,” which gave U.S. Attorneys the discretion not
to prosecute federal cannabis cases that were otherwise compliant with applicable state law that had legalized medical or adult-use cannabis
and that have implemented strong regulatory systems to control the cultivation, production, and distribution of cannabis. The eight federal
priorities were preventing:
●
The
distribution of cannabis to minors;
●
Revenue
from the sale of cannabis from going to criminal enterprises, gangs, and cartels;
●
The
diversion of cannabis from states where it is legal under state law in some form to other states;
●
State-authorized
cannabis activities from being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;
●
Violence
and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of cannabis;
●
Drugged
driving and exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated with cannabis use;
●
Growing
cannabis on public lands and the attendant public safety and environmental dangers posed by cannabis production on public lands;
and
●
Cannabis
possession or use on federal property.
Accordingly,
the Cole Memorandum provided lawful cannabis-related enterprises a tacit federal go-ahead in states with legal cannabis programs, provided
that the state had adopted and was enforcing strict regulations and oversight of the medical or adult-use cannabis program in accordance
with the specific directives of the Cole Memorandum.
On
January 4, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum that rescinded previous DOJ guidance on the state legal cannabis
industry, including the Cole Memorandum. Attorney General Sessions wrote that the previous guidance on cannabis law enforcement was unnecessary,
given the well-established principles governing federal prosecution that are already in place. As a result, federal prosecutors could
and still can use their prosecutorial discretion to decide whether to prosecute even state-legal cannabis activities.
Since
the Cole Memorandum was rescinded, however, U.S. Attorneys have generally refrained from prosecuting state law compliant marijuana businesses.
Current Attorney General Merrick Garland during his confirmation hearings expressed that “It does not seem to me useful the use
of limited resources that we have to be pursuing prosecutions in states that have legalized and are regulating the use of marijuana,
either medically or otherwise.”
Since
December 2014, companies that are strictly complying with state medical cannabis laws have been protected against enforcement for that
activity by an amendment (originally called the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, now called the Joyce Amendment) to the Omnibus Spending
Bill, which prevents federal prosecutors from using federal funds to impede the implementation of medical cannabis laws enacted at the
state level. Federal courts have interpreted the provision to bar the DOJ from prosecuting any person or entity in strict compliance
with state medical cannabis laws.
While
the protection of the Joyce Amendment prevents prosecutions of state law compliant medical cannabis activities, it does not make cannabis
legal. The protection of the Joyce Amendment depends on its continued inclusion in the federal omnibus spending bill, or in some other
legislation, and entities’ strict compliance with the state medical cannabis laws. While industry observers expect Congress to
extend the protection in future Omnibus Spending Bills, there can be no assurance that it will do so.
Although
several cannabis law reform bills are pending in the U.S. Congress, passage of any of them and ultimately the Biden Administration’s
support and approval remain uncertain. Unless and until the U.S. Government changes the law with respect to cannabis, and particularly
if Congress does not extend the protection of state medical cannabis programs, there is a risk that federal authorities could enforce
current federal cannabis law. An increase in federal enforcement against companies licensed under state cannabis laws would negatively
impact the state cannabis industries and, in turn, our revenues, profits, financial condition, and business model.
Canada
On
April 13, 2017, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-45, which proposed the enactment of the Cannabis Act to legalize and regulate
access to cannabis. The Cannabis Act proposed a strict legal framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession
of medical and recreational adult-use cannabis in Canada. On June 21, 2018, the Government of Canada announced that Bill C-45, received
Royal Assent. On July 11, 2018, the Government of Canada published the Cannabis Regulations under the Cannabis Act. The Cannabis Regulations
provide more detail on the medical and recreational regulatory regimes for cannabis, including regarding licensing, physical security
requirements, product practices, outdoor growing, security, packaging and labelling (including for cannabis accessories), cannabis-containing
drugs, document retention requirements, reporting and disclosure requirements, the new access to cannabis for medical purposes regime
and industrial hemp. The majority of the Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations came into force on October 17, 2018; additional Cannabis
Regulations took effect on October 17, 2019.
26
As
of December 2022, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions has launched the legislative review of the
Cannabis Act. The review is being conducted by a five-member independent, expert panel, who will report their final conclusions and advice
to the Ministers by Spring 2024. In addition, Health Canada announced that amendments to the Cannabis Act and its regulations concerning
cannabis research and testing. Notably, these amendments increase the public possession limit for cannabis beverages to a level that
is similar to other forms of cannabis, such as solid edible cannabis products (i.e. gummies or chocolate) and the amendments change how
Health Canada regulates non-therapeutic cannabis research with human participants. As for proposed amendments, Health Canada is proposing
amendments to the Cannabis Regulations to protect public health and safety, in particular by protecting young persons and others from
inducements to use inhaled cannabis extracts. The proposed amendments would restrict the production, sale, promotion, packaging, or labelling
of inhaled cannabis extracts with certain flavors, other than the flavor of cannabis.
While
the Cannabis Act provides for the regulation by the federal government of, among other things, the commercial cultivation and processing
of cannabis for recreational purposes, it provides the provinces and territories of Canada with the authority to regulate with respect
to the other aspects of recreational cannabis, such as distribution, sale, minimum age requirements, places where cannabis can be consumed,
and a range of other matters.
The
governments of every Canadian province and territory have implemented regulatory regimes for the distribution and sale of cannabis for
recreational purposes. In most provinces and territories, the minimum age is 19 years old, except for Québec, where the minimum
age is 18. Certain provinces, such as Ontario, have legislation in place that restricts the packaging of vapor products and the manner
in which vapor products are displayed or promoted in stores.
The
Cannabis Act is a relatively new regime that has no close precedent in Canadian law. The effect of relevant governmental authorities’
administration, application and enforcement of their respective regulatory regimes and delays in obtaining, or failure to obtain, applicable
regulatory approvals which may be required may significantly delay or impact the development of markets, products and sales initiatives
and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The
federal and state regulatory landscape regarding products containing hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids is uncertain and evolving,
and new or changing laws or regulations relating to hemp and hemp-derived products could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
In
December 2018, the U.S. government changed the legal status of hemp and its derivatives, including hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids.
The 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law by former President Trump on December 20, 2018 (Pub.L. 115-334), established a new framework
for the regulation of hemp production (defined in the Farm Bill as Cannabis sativa L. with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3 percent
on a dry weight basis) and extracts of hemp, including CBD. The law also removed hemp and extracts of hemp from the federal controlled
substances schedules. The section of the Farm Bill establishing a framework for hemp production, however, makes clear explicitly that
it does not affect or modify the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”), section 351 of the Public
Health Service Act (addressing the regulation of biological products), the authority of the Commissioner of the FDA under those laws,
or the Commissioner’s authority to regulate hemp production and sale under those laws.
Since
passage of the Farm Bill, the FDA has expressed multiple times its position that any cannabis product, whether derived from hemp or otherwise,
marketed with a disease claim (e.g., a claim of therapeutic benefit or disease prevention) must be approved by the FDA for its intended
use through one of the drug approval pathways prior to it being introduced into interstate commerce. The FDA has also repeatedly stated
its position that introducing food or dietary supplements with added CBD (or THC), regardless of source, into interstate commerce is
illegal under the FDCA. Although enforcement under the FDCA may be civil or criminal in nature, the FDA has thus far limited its recent
enforcement against companies selling CBD products to warning letters alleging various violations of the FDCA, including that the products
bear claims that render the products unapproved and misbranded new drugs, that CBD is excluded from the FDCA’s definition of “dietary
supplement,” and that the FDCA prohibits the addition of CBD to food. The FDA also tested some of the products, and found that
many did not contain the levels of CBD they claimed to contain, which could be the basis for a separate violation of the FDCA. In addition,
some states have taken actions to restrict or prohibit the sale of CBD products under state law. On January 26, 2023, the FDA issued
a statement that after careful review, the FDA concluded that a new regulatory pathway for CBD is needed that balances individuals’
desire for access to CBD products with the regulatory oversight needed to manage risks. The agency is prepared to work with Congress
on this matter.
27
We
currently distribute very limited products containing hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids. Although the Farm Bill removed hemp and
its derivatives from the definition of “marijuana” under the CSA, uncertainties remain regarding the cultivation, sourcing,
production and distribution of hemp and products containing hemp derivatives. Certain states prohibit the sale of all or certain types
of products containing hemp. The laws and regulations of states that permit the sale of products containing hemp derivatives, such as
CBD, impose various requirements, including requirements to obtain certain permits or licenses, related to the marketing, packaging,
safety, and sale of products containing hemp derivatives. These laws and regulations are rapidly developing. We may have to quickly adapt
our operations to comply with forthcoming and rapidly-shifting federal and state regulations. These regulations could require significant
changes to our business, plans or operations concerning hemp-derived products, and could adversely affect our business, financial condition
or results of operations. Additionally, while we believe our current operations with respect to hemp derived products such as CBD comply
with existing federal and state laws relating to hemp and hemp-derived products in all material respects, legal proceedings alleging
violations of such laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
are subject to legislative uncertainty that could slow or halt the legalization and use of cannabis, which could materially and adversely
affect our business.
Continued
development of the cannabis industry is dependent upon continued legislative authorization of cannabis at the state level, as well as
the U.S. government’s continued non-enforcement of federal cannabis laws against state-law-compliant cannabis businesses. Any number
of factors could slow or halt progress in this area. Further, progress, while generally expected, is not assured. Well-funded interests,
including businesses in the tobacco, alcohol beverage and the pharmaceutical industries, may have a strong economic opposition to the
continued legalization of cannabis. The pharmaceutical industry, for example, is well funded with a strong and experienced lobby that
eclipses the funding of the cannabis movement. Any inroads legalization opponents could make in halting the impending cannabis industry
could have a detrimental impact on our business. While there may be ample public support for legislative action, numerous factors impact
the legislative process. Any one of those factors could slow or halt the continued legalization and use of cannabis, which would negatively
impact our business.
While
we believe that our business and sales do not violate the Federal Paraphernalia Law, legal proceedings alleging violations of such law
or changes in such law or interpretations thereof could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results
of operations.
Under
U.S. Code Title 21 Section 863 (the “Federal Paraphernalia Law”), the term “drug paraphernalia” means “any
equipment, product or material of any kind which is primarily intended or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting,
concealing, producing, processing, preparing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled
substance.” That law exempts “(1) any person authorized by local, State, or Federal law to manufacture, possess, or distribute
such items” and “(2) any item that, in the normal lawful course of business, is imported, exported, transported, or sold
through the mail or by any other means, and traditionally intended for use with tobacco products, including any pipe, paper, or accessory.”
Any nonexempt drug paraphernalia offered or sold by any person in violation of the Federal Paraphernalia Law can be subject to seizure
and forfeiture upon the conviction of such person for such violation, and a convicted person can be subject to fines under the Federal
Paraphernalia Law and even imprisonment.
We
believe our sales do not violate the Federal Paraphernalia Law in any material respect. First, we understand that a substantial majority
of the products we offer and sell were and are not primarily intended or designed for any purpose not permitted by the Federal Paraphernalia
Law. Indeed, many of the manufacturers whose products we sell disclaim that the products are for use with cannabis. Second, we restrict
the sale of certain products — those that may have been primarily intended or designed for use with cannabis — to comply
with the Federal Paraphernalia Law’s exemption for sales authorized by state law. In particular, we (a) do not sell those products
at all into the states that have maintained complete or near complete cannabis prohibition and (b) limit the sale of those products to
licensed cannabis businesses, such as dispensaries, cultivators, and manufacturers, in the states that authorize sales of cannabis paraphernalia
only through state-licensed cannabis businesses. Third, we have been in business for many years without facing even threatened legal
action under the Federal Paraphernalia Law.
While
we believe that our business and sales are legally compliant with the Federal Paraphernalia Law in all material respects, any legal action
commenced against us under such law could result in substantial costs and could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition
or results of operations. In addition, changes in cannabis laws or interpretations of such laws are difficult to predict, and could materially
and adversely affect our business.
28
Officials
of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (“CBP”) have broad discretion regarding products imported into the United
States, and the CBP has on occasion seized imported products on the basis that such products violate the Federal Paraphernalia Law. While
we believe the products that we import do not violate such law, any such seizure of the products we sell could have a material adverse
effect on our business operations or our results of operations.
Officials
of the CBP have broad discretion regarding products imported into the United States. Individual shipments of imported products we distribute,
as well as similar products, have been detained or seized by the CBP for a variety of reasons, including because the CBP officials inspecting
the goods believed such goods were marketed as drug paraphernalia and therefore violated the Federal Paraphernalia Law. Although we and
other suppliers or distributors of such products have at times successfully contested such actions of the CBP, such challenges are costly
and time consuming. While we would disagree with any conclusion of the CBP that our product sales violate the Federal Paraphernalia Law,
we cannot give any assurance that the CBP will not make additional seizures of our imports, or that if the CBP seizes any of our goods
that the CBP would not seek to impose penalties related to such imports. Should we elect to contest any such seizure, the costs of doing
so could be substantial and there are no assurances we would prevail in a contested proceeding. Additionally, the cost and/or results
of any such contest could adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, if the CBP fails
to release seized products, we may no longer be able to ensure a sellable supply of some of our products, which could have a material
adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Because
our business is dependent, in part, upon continued market acceptance of cannabis by consumers, any negative trends could materially and
adversely affect our business, financial conditions or results of operations.
We
are dependent on public support, continued market acceptance and the proliferation of consumers in the legal cannabis markets. While
we believe that the market and opportunity in the space continue to grow, we cannot predict the future growth rate or size of the market.
Any downturns in, or negative outlooks on, the cannabis industry may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We
and our customers may have difficulty accessing the service of banks, which may make it difficult for us and for them to sell our products.
Financial
transactions involving proceeds generated by cannabis-related activities can form the basis for prosecution under the U.S. federal money
laundering statutes, unlicensed money transmitter statutes and the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act. Guidance issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement
Network (“FinCEN”) clarifies how financial institutions can provide services to cannabis-related businesses consistent with
their obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act. Furthermore, since the rescission by former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on January
4, 2018 of the Cole Memorandum, U.S. federal prosecutors have had greater discretion when determining whether to charge institutions
or individuals with any of the financial crimes described above based upon cannabis-related activity. As a result, given these risks
and their own related disclosure requirements, many banks remain hesitant to offer banking services to cannabis-related businesses. Consequently,
those businesses involved in the cannabis industry continue to encounter difficulty establishing banking relationships. Indeed, we have
been asked to close bank accounts due to our activity in the cannabis industry. We may become unable maintain stable banking relationships,
which would create significant challenges in operating our business, increase our operating costs, pose additional operational, logistical
and security challenges, and result in our inability to implement our business plan. Additionally, if our more significant customers
to are unable maintain their current banking relationships, we might not be able to continue transacting with such customers.
Our
payments system and the payment systems of our customers depend on third-party providers and are subject to evolving laws and regulations.
We
and our retail customers have engaged third-party service providers to perform underlying credit and debit card processing, currency
exchange, identity verification and fraud analysis services. If these service providers do not perform adequately or if our relationships,
or the relationships of our retail customers with these service providers, were to terminate, our ability or the ability of such retail
customers to process payments could be adversely affected and our business would be harmed.
The
laws and regulations related to payments are complex and are potentially impacted by tensions between federal and state treatment of
the vaporization, tobacco, nicotine and cannabis industries. These laws and regulations also vary across different jurisdictions in the
United States, Canada and globally. As a result, we are required to spend significant time and effort to comply with those laws and regulations.
Any failure or claim of our failure to comply, or any failure by our third-party service providers to comply, could cost us substantial
resources, could result in liabilities, or could force us to stop offering our customers the ability to pay with credit cards, debit
cards and bank transfers. As we expand the availability of these payment methods or offer new payment methods to our customers in the
future, we may become subject to additional regulations and compliance requirements.
Further,
through our agreement with our third-party credit card processors, we are indirectly subject to payment card association operating rule s
and certification requirements, including restrictions on product mix and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, 02 PCIDSS.
We also are subject to rules governing electronic funds transfers. Any change in these rules and requirements could make it difficult
or impossible for us to comply.
Due
to our acceptance of credit cards in our e-commerce business, we are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, designed
to protect the information of credit card users. We have had a security incident in the past, which we do not believe reached the level
of a breach, that would be reportable under state laws or our other obligations; however there can be no assurance that our determination
was correct. In the event our determination is challenged and found to have been incorrect, we may be subject to claims by one or more
state attorney generals, federal regulators, or private plaintiffs and we may additionally be subject to claims or fines from credit
associations.
29
We
are subject to certain U.S. federal regulations relating to cash reporting.
The
U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, enforced by FinCEN, a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, requires a party in trade or business to
file with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) a Form 8300 report within 15 days of receiving a cash payment of
over $10,000. While we receive very few cash payments for the products we sell, if we fail to comply with these laws and regulations,
the imposition of a substantial penalty could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If
countries, states, and provinces continue the trend of imposing, expanding, and increasing taxes on vaporizer products, it could materially
and adversely affect our business.
Supply
to our customers is sensitive to increased sales taxes and economic conditions affecting their disposable income. Discretionary consumer
purchases, such as of vaporization products and consumption accessories, may decline during recessionary periods or at other times when
disposable income is lower and taxes may be higher.
As
discussed under “Regulatory Developments” above, the sale of vaporization products and certain other consumption accessories
is, in certain jurisdictions, subject to federal, state, provincial and local excise taxes like the sale of conventional cigarettes or
other tobacco products, all of which generally have high tax rates and have faced significant increases in the amount of taxes collected
on their sales. Other jurisdictions are contemplating similar legislation and other restrictions on electronic cigarettes and certain
other vaporizer products. Should federal, state, provincial and local governments and/or other taxing authorities continue to impose
excise taxes similar to those levied against conventional cigarettes and tobacco products on vaporization products or consumption accessories,
it may have a material adverse effect on the demand for those products, as consumers may be unwilling to pay the increased costs, which
in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We
could be required to collect additional sales taxes or be subject to other tax liabilities that may increase the costs our B2C customers
would have to pay for our product offering, which could materially and adversely affect our operating results.
An
increasing number of states have considered or adopted laws that attempt to impose tax collection obligations on out-of-state companies.
Additionally, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. et al , or Wayfair, that online sellers
can be required to collect sales and use tax despite not having a physical presence in the buyer’s state. In response to Wayfair,
or otherwise, states or local governments may adopt, or begin to enforce, laws requiring us to calculate, collect, and remit taxes on
sales in their jurisdictions. A successful assertion by one or more states requiring us to collect taxes where we presently do not do
so, or to collect more taxes in a jurisdiction in which we currently do collect some taxes, could result in substantial tax liabilities,
including taxes on past sales, as well as penalties and interest. The imposition by state governments or local governments of sales tax
collection obligations on out-of-state sellers could also create additional administrative burdens for us, put us at a competitive disadvantage
if they do not impose similar obligations on our competitors and decrease our future sales, which could have a material adverse impact
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
may become involved in regulatory or agency proceedings, investigations, prosecutions, and audits.
Our
business, and the businesses of the suppliers from which we acquire products we sell, requires compliance with many laws and regulations
in many jurisdictions globally across multiple product categories and regulatory regimes. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations
could subject us or such suppliers to regulatory or agency proceedings, investigations, or prosecutions, and could also lead to damage
awards, fines and penalties. We or such suppliers may become involved in a number of government proceedings, investigations and audits.
The outcome of any government proceedings, investigations, prosecutions, audits, and other contingencies could harm our reputation or
the reputations of the brands that we sell, require us to take, or refrain from taking, actions that could harm our operations or require
us to pay substantial amounts of money, harming our financial condition. There can be no assurance that any pending or future regulatory
or agency proceedings, investigations and audits will not result in substantial costs or a diversion of management’s attention
and resources or have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
are subject to increasing international control and regulation.
The
World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (“FCTC”) is the first international public health
treaty that establishes a global agenda to reduce initiation of tobacco use and regulate tobacco in an effort to encourage tobacco cessation.
Over 180 governments worldwide have ratified the FCTC, including Canada. The FCTC has led to increased efforts to reduce the supply of
and demand for tobacco products and to encourage governments to further regulate the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry and others
expect significant regulatory developments to take place over the next few years, driven principally by the FCTC.
30
If
the United States ratifies the FCTC and/or national laws are enacted in the United States that reflect the major elements of the FCTC,
our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, if any of our vaporization
products or consumption accessories become subject to one or more of the significant regulatory initiatives proposed under the FCTC or
any other international treaty, our business, results of operations and financial condition may also be materially adversely affected.
Countries’
laws implementing the European Union Tobacco Products Directive (“TPD”) impose strict regulations on the approval, sale,
and advertising of e-cigarettes. Although we do not sell or market any material quantities of products classified as e-cigarettes in
Europe, countries could enact new laws implementing the TPD or other laws or regulations that re-classify and/or restrict the products
we may sell or market in Europe. Any future measures that limit our ability to market or sell vaporization products or other consumption
accessories in Europe may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
To
the extent our existing or future products become subject to international regulatory regimes that we are unable to comply with or fail
to comply with, they may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Changes
in our credit profile may affect our relationship with our suppliers, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.
Changes
in our credit profile may affect the way our suppliers view our ability to make payments and may induce them to shorten the payment terms
of their invoices. Given the large dollar amounts and volume of our purchases from suppliers, a change in payment terms may have a material
adverse effect on our liquidity and our ability to make payments to our suppliers and, consequently, may have a material adverse effect
on us.
We
face intense competition and may fail to compete effectively.
The
vaporization products and consumption accessories industry is characterized by brand recognition and loyalty, with product quality features,
price, marketing and packaging constituting the primary methods of competition. Substantial marketing support, merchandising display,
competitive pricing and other financial incentives generally are required to introduce a new brand or to improve or maintain a brand’s
market position. Our principal competitors may be significantly larger than us and aggressively seek to limit the distribution or sale
of our products.
Competition
in the vaporization products and consumption accessories industry is particularly intense, and the market is highly fragmented.
We
experience variability in our net sales and net income on a quarterly basis as a result of many factors.
We
experience variability in our net sales and net income on a quarterly basis as a result of many factors. These factors include:
●
the
relative mix of vaporization products and consumption accessories sold during the period;
●
the
general economic environment and competitive conditions, such as pricing;
●
the
timing of procurement cycles by our customers;
●
seasonality
in customer spending and demand for products we provide;
31
●
variability
in supplier programs;
●
the
introduction of new and upgraded products;
●
changes
in prices from our suppliers;
●
changes
to our strategy;
●
trade
show attendance;
●
promotions;
●
the
loss or consolidation of significant suppliers or customers;
●
our
ability to control costs;
●
the
timing of our capital expenditures;
●
the
condition of our industry in general and our customers specifically;
●
regulatory
developments that limit or expand the products we may sell, or the manner in which those products may be transported;
●
any
inability on our part to obtain adequate quantities of products;
●
delays
in the release by suppliers of new products and inventory adjustments;
●
delays
in the release of imported products by customs authorities;
●
our
expenditures on new business ventures and acquisitions;
●
performance
of acquired businesses;
●
adverse
weather conditions, natural disasters, pandemics, or other events that affect supply or customer response;
●
distribution
or shipping to our customers; and
●
geopolitical
events.
Our
planned operating expenditures each quarter are based on sales forecasts for the quarter. If our sales do not meet expectations in any
given quarter, our operating results for that quarter may be materially adversely affected. We believe that period-to-period comparisons
of our operating results are not necessarily a good indication of our future performance. In addition, our results in any quarterly period
are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for a full fiscal year. In future quarters, our operating results may be below
the expectations of public market analysts or investors and, as a result, the market price of our Class A common stock could be materially
adversely affected.
Product
defects could increase our expenses, damage our reputation or expose us to liability.
We
may not be able to adequately address product defects. Product defects in vaporizers and other accessories may harm the health or safety
of our end-consumers. In addition, remedial efforts could be particularly time-consuming and expensive if product defects are only found
after we have sold the defective product in volume. Any actual or perceived defects in our products could result in unsold inventory,
product recalls, repairs or replacements, damage to our reputation, increased customer service costs and other expenses, as well as divert
management attention and expose us to liabilities. Furthermore, a product liability claim brought against us by our customers or end-consumers
could be time-consuming and costly to defend and, if successful, could require us to make significant payments.
Contamination
of, or damage to, our products could adversely impact sales volume, market share and profitability.
Our
market position may be affected through the contamination of our products, as well as the material used during the manufacturing processes
of the products we sell, or at different points in the entire supply chain. For example, we have previously detected low levels of contaminants
in certain extraction gasses sold by us. We keep significant amounts of inventory of our products in warehouses and it is possible that
this inventory could become contaminated prior to arrival at our premises or during the storage period. If contamination of our inventory
or packaged products occurs, whether as a result of a failure in quality control by us or by one of our suppliers, we may incur significant
costs in replacing the inventory and recalling products. We may be unable to meet customer demand and may lose customers who purchase
alternative brands or products. In addition, consumers may lose confidence in the affected product.
Under
the terms of our contracts, we generally impose requirements on our suppliers to maintain quality and comply with product specifications
and requirements, and with all federal, state and local laws. Our suppliers, however, may not continue to produce products that are consistent
with our standards or that are in compliance with applicable laws, and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to identify instances
in which our suppliers fail to comply with our standards or applicable laws. A loss of sales volume from a contamination event may occur,
and such a loss may affect our ability to supply our current customers and to recapture their business in the event they are forced to
switch products or brands, even if on a temporary basis. We may also be subject to legal action as a result of a contamination, which
could result in negative publicity and affect our sales. During this time, our competitors may benefit from an increased market share
that could be difficult and costly to regain. Such a contamination event could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition.
32
We
may not have adequate insurance for potential liabilities, including liabilities arising from litigation.
In
the ordinary course of business, we have and in the future may become the subject of various claims, lawsuits and governmental proceedings
seeking damages or other remedies concerning our commercial operations, the products we distribute, our employees and other matters,
including potential claims by individuals alleging injury or other harm caused by the products we distribute. Some of these claims may
relate to the activities of businesses that we have acquired, even though these activities may have occurred prior to our acquisition
of the businesses. The products we distribute may contain lithium ion or similar type batteries that can explode or release hazardous
substances. In addition, defects in the products we distribute could result in death, personal injury, property damage, pollution, release
of hazardous substances or damage to equipment and facilities. Actual or claimed defects in the products we distribute may give rise
to claims against us for losses and expose us to claims for damages.
We
maintain insurance to cover certain of our potential losses, and we are subject to various self-retentions, deductibles and caps under
our insurance. We face the following risks with respect to our insurance coverage:
●
we may not be able to continue to obtain insurance on commercially reasonable terms;
●
we may incur losses from interruption of our business that exceed our insurance coverage;
●
we may be faced with types of liabilities that will not be covered adequately or at all by our insurance;
●
our insurance carriers may not be able to meet their obligations under the policies; or
●
the dollar amount of any liabilities may exceed our policy limits.
Even
a partially uninsured claim, if successful and of significant size, could have a material adverse effect on us. Finally, even in cases
where we maintain insurance coverage, our insurers may raise various objections and exceptions to coverage that could make uncertain
the timing and amount of any possible insurance recovery.
Due
to our position in the supply chain of vaporization products and consumption accessories, we are subject to personal injury, product
liability and environmental claims involving allegedly defective products.
Our
customers use certain products we distribute in potentially hazardous applications that can result in personal injury, product liability
and environmental claims. A catastrophic occurrence at a location at which consumers use the products we distribute may result in our
company being named as a defendant in lawsuits asserting potentially large claims, even though we did not manufacture such products or
even if such products were not used in the manner recommended by the manufacturer. Applicable law may render us liable for damages without
regard to negligence or fault. Certain of these risks are reduced by the fact that we are, in many instances, a distributor of products
that third-party manufacturers produce, and, thus, in certain circumstances, we may have third-party warranty or other claims against
the manufacturer of products alleged to have been defective. However, there is no assurance that these claims could fully protect us
or that the manufacturer would be financially able to provide protection. There is no assurance that our insurance coverage will be adequate
to cover the underlying claims. Our insurance does not provide coverage for all liabilities (including liability for certain events involving
pollution or other environmental claims).
We
may become subject to significant product liability litigation.
The
tobacco and e-cigarette industries have experienced and continue to experience significant product liability litigation and other claims,
such as those related to marketing of tobacco and e-cigarettes to minors. As a result of their relative novelty, electronic cigarette,
vaporizer product and other consumption product manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and sellers have only recently become subject
to litigation. While we have not been a party to any product liability litigation, several lawsuits have been brought against other manufacturers
and sellers of smokeless products for injuries to health allegedly caused by use of smokeless products. We may be subject to similar
claims in the future relating to our vaporizer products. We may also be named as a defendant in product liability litigation against
one of our suppliers by association, including in class action lawsuits. In addition, we may see increasing litigation over our vaporizer
products or the regulation of our products as the regulatory regimes surrounding these products develop. For example, California’s
Proposition 65 (“Prop 65”) requires the State of California to identify chemicals that could cause cancer, birth defects,
or reproductive harm, and businesses selling products in California are then required to warn consumers of any possible exposure to the
chemicals on the list. The State of California and private plaintiffs have been active in enforcing Prop 65 against companies in the
tobacco, nicotine, cannabis, and vaporization industries. We may face substantial costs due to increased product liability litigation
relating to new regulations or other potential defects associated with our vaporizer and other consumption products, including litigation
arising out of faulty devices or improper usage, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and
financial condition.
There
can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain or maintain product liability insurance on acceptable terms or with adequate coverage
against potential liabilities. Such insurance is expensive and may not be available in the future on acceptable terms, or at all. The
inability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage on reasonable terms or to otherwise protect against potential product liability claims
could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of products.
33
The
scientific community has not yet extensively studied the long-term health effects of the use of vaporizers, electronic cigarettes or
e-liquids products.
Vaporizers,
electronic cigarettes and related products were recently developed and therefore the scientific community has not had a sufficient period
of time to study the long-term health effects of their use. Currently, there is no way of knowing whether these products are safe for
their intended use. If the scientific community were to determine conclusively that use of any or all of these products poses long-term
health risks, market demand for these products and their use could materially decline. Such a determination could also lead to litigation
and significant regulation. Loss of demand for our product, product liability claims and increased regulation stemming from unfavorable
scientific studies on these products could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Reliance
on information technology means a significant disruption could affect our communications and operations.
We
increasingly rely on information technology systems for our internal communications, controls, reporting and relations with customers,
vendors and suppliers, and information technology is becoming a significantly important tool for our sales staff. Our marketing and distribution
strategy is dependent upon our ability to closely monitor consumer and market trends on a highly specified level, for which we are reliant
on our sophisticated data tracking systems, which are susceptible to disruption or failure. In addition, our reliance on information
technology exposes us to cyber-security risks, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete. Security and privacy
breaches may expose us to liability and cause us to lose customers, or may disrupt our relationships and ongoing transactions with other
entities with whom we contract throughout our supply chain. The failure of our information systems to function as intended, or the penetration
by outside parties intent on disrupting business processes, could result in significant costs, loss of revenue, assets or personal or
other sensitive data and reputational harm.
Internet
security poses a risk to our e-commerce sales.
At
present, we generate a portion of our sales through e-commerce sales on our own websites. We manage our websites and e-commerce platform
internally and, as a result, any compromise of our security or misappropriation of proprietary information could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We rely on encryption and authentication technology licensed from
third parties to provide the security and authentication necessary to effect secure Internet transmission of confidential information,
such as credit and other proprietary information. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or
other events or developments may result in a compromise or breach of the technology used by us to protect client transaction data. Anyone
who is able to circumvent our security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or cause material interruptions in our operations.
We may be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against security breaches or to minimize problems caused
by security breaches. To the extent that our activities or the activities of others involve the storage and transmission of proprietary
information, security breaches could damage our reputation and expose us to a risk of loss and/or litigation. Our security measures may
not prevent security breaches. Our failure to prevent these security breaches may result in consumer distrust and may adversely affect
our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Security
and privacy breaches may expose us to liability and cause us to lose customers.
Federal,
provincial and state laws require us to safeguard our customers’ financial information, including credit information, as well as
our employees’ information. Although we have established security procedures to protect against identity theft and the theft of
information of our customers, distributors, consumers, and employees, our security and testing measures may not prevent security breaches
and breaches of privacy may occur, which would harm our business. Typically, we rely on encryption and authentication technology licensed
from third parties to enhance transmission security of confidential information in relation to financial and other sensitive information
that we have on file. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography, inadequate facility security or
other developments may result in a compromise or breach of the technology used by us to protect customer data. Any compromise of our
security could harm our reputation or financial condition and therefore, our business. In addition, a party who is able to circumvent
our security measures or exploit inadequacies in our security measures, could, among other effects, misappropriate proprietary information,
cause interruptions in our operations or expose customers and other entities with which we interact to computer viruses or other disruptions.
Actual or perceived vulnerabilities may lead to claims against us. To the extent the measures we have taken prove to be insufficient
or inadequate, we may become subject to litigation or administrative sanctions, which could result in significant fines, penalties or
damages and harm to our reputation.
34
If
the methodologies of internet search engines are modified, traffic to our websites and corresponding consumer origination volumes could
decline.
We
depend in part on various internet search engines, including Google® and others to direct a significant amount of traffic to our
websites. Our ability to maintain the number of visitors directed to our websites by search engines through which we distribute our content
is not entirely within our control. Our competitors’ search engine optimization (“SEO”) efforts may result in their
websites receiving a higher search result page ranking than ours, or Internet search engines could revise their methodologies, which
could adversely affect the placement of our search result page ranking. If search engine companies modify their search algorithms in
ways that are detrimental to our consumer growth or in ways that make it harder for our customers to access or use our websites, or if
our competitors’ SEO efforts are more successful than ours, our consumer engagement and number of consumers could decline. Any
reduction in the number of consumers directed to our websites could negatively affect our ability to earn revenue. If traffic on our
websites declines, we may need to employ more costly resources to replace lost traffic, and such increased expense could adversely affect
our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We
are a holding company and depend upon our subsidiaries for our cash flow.
We
are a holding company. Our subsidiaries conduct all of our operations and own substantially all of our tangible assets. Consequently,
our cash flow and our ability to meet our obligations or to make other distributions in the future will depend upon the cash flow of
our subsidiaries and our subsidiaries’ payment of funds to us in the form of distributions, dividends, tax sharing payments or
otherwise.
The
ability of our subsidiaries to make any payments to us will depend on their earnings and cash flow, the terms of their current and future
indebtedness, tax considerations and legal and contractual restrictions on their ability to make distributions.
Our
subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities. Any right that we have to receive any assets of or distributions from any of our
subsidiaries upon the bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization, or to realize proceeds from the sale of their assets, will
be junior to the claims of that subsidiary’s creditors, including trade creditors and holders of debt that the subsidiary issued.
Our
intellectual property may be infringed and we may be unable to secure or maintain all the intellectual property required to sell all
of our offerings.
We
currently rely on trademark and other intellectual property rights to establish and protect the brand names and logos we own or license
on the products we distribute. Third parties have in the past infringed, and may in the future infringe, on these trademarks and our
other intellectual property rights. Our ability to maintain and further build brand recognition is dependent on the continued use of
these trademarks, service marks and other proprietary intellectual property, including the names and logos we own or license. Despite
our attempts to ensure these intellectual property rights are protected, third parties may take actions that could materially and adversely
affect our rights or the value of this intellectual property. Any litigation concerning our intellectual property rights or the intellectual
property rights of our suppliers, whether successful or unsuccessful, could result in substantial costs to us and diversions of our resources.
Expenses related to protecting our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of our suppliers, the loss or compromise
of any of these rights or the loss of revenues as a result of infringement could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition, and may prevent the brands we own or license, or are owned or licensed by our suppliers, from
growing or maintaining market share. There can be no assurance that any trademarks or common marks that we own or license, or are owned
or licensed by our suppliers, will not be challenged in the future, invalidated or circumvented or that the rights granted thereunder
or under licensing agreements will provide us or our suppliers competitive advantages. We are dependent on the validity, integrity and
intellectual property of our suppliers and their efforts to appropriately register, maintain and enforce intellectual property in all
jurisdictions in which their products are sold.
We
devote significant resources to the registration and protection of our trademarks and to anti-counterfeiting efforts. Despite these efforts,
we regularly discover products that infringe on our proprietary rights or that otherwise seek to mimic or leverage our intellectual property
or the intellectual property of our suppliers. Counterfeiting and other infringing activities typically increase as brand recognition
increases, especially in markets outside the United States and Canada. Counterfeiting and other infringement of our intellectual property
could divert away sales, and association of our brands with inferior counterfeit reproductions or third party labels could adversely
affect the integrity and reputation of our brands.
Although
we currently hold a number of patents on our products, we generally rely on patents on the products of our suppliers as well as their
efforts in successfully defending third-party challenges to such products. Third parties have in the past infringed, and may in the future
infringe, on our patents and our suppliers’ patents. Our ability to maintain and enforce our patent rights, and the ability of
our suppliers, licensors, collaborators and manufacturers to maintain and enforce their patent rights, against third-party challenges
to their validity, scope or enforceability plays an important role in determining our future. There can be no assurances that we will
ever successfully file or receive any patents in the future, and changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws
in the United States or other countries may diminish the value of the intellectual property rights of the products we distribute, license
or own. Accordingly, we cannot predict with any certainty the range of claims that may be allowed or enforced concerning the products
that we sell.
35
In
addition, there can be no assurance that standard intellectual property confidentiality and assignment agreements with employees, consultants
and other advisors will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach, or that our trade secrets will not otherwise
become known to or independently developed by competitors. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that our efforts to protect our intellectual
property will prevent others from unlawfully using our trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and other intellectual property. Our success
depends in part, on our continued ability to maintain our intellectual property and those of our suppliers, and to protect our trade
secrets. An inability to continue to preserve and protect our intellectual property would likely have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations and financial condition.
We
are subject to the risks of exchange rate fluctuations.
Currency
movements and suppliers’ price increases relating to currency exchange rates are significant factors affecting our cost of sales.
Many of our products are purchased from suppliers located in foreign countries and we make payments for our products in numerous currencies.
Thus, we bear certain foreign exchange rate risk for certain of our inventory purchases. In addition, and as part of our strategy, we
may undertake further international expansion. As a result, in the future, we may be more sensitive to the risks of exchange rate fluctuations,
which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
There
are conflicts of interest among certain of our executive officers and our stockholders.
Certain
of our executive officers are engaged in other activities and have interests in other entities on their own behalf or on behalf of other
persons. Neither we, nor our stockholders will have any rights in these ventures or their income or profits. Specifically, we sold $0.0
million and $0.0 million in products and supplies to Blum Holdings, Inc. (“Blum”) in the years ended December 31, 2024 and
2023, respectively. Total gross accounts receivable due from Blum were approximately $0.4 million and $0.4 million as of December 31,
2024 and 2023, respectively. Nicholas Kovacevich, our former Chief Corporate Development Officer, and a member of our Board until January
6, 2023 is an investor in Blum and a member of its board of directors.
While
we are not aware of any conflict that has arisen or any transaction that has not been conducted on an arm’s length basis to date,
during the year, Mr. Kovacevich may have had conflicting fiduciary duties between us, Blum and his own personal financial interests,
for which he must recuse himself from certain of our decision-making processes.
We
do not allow a conflicted shareholder, director or executive officer to vote on matters wherein a conflict may be perceived. The conflicted
person or entity is not allowed to nominate an alternate person to vote for them either. Other than this safeguard, we do not current
have any policy in place, should such a conflict arise.
In
particular:
●
our
executive officers or directors or their affiliates may have an economic interest in, or other business relationship with, entities
that compete in the same businesses as us; and
●
our
executive officers or directors or their affiliates have interests in entities that we sell products or services to.
In
any of these cases:
●
our
executive officers or directors may have a conflict between our current interests and their personal financial and other interests
in another business venture;
●
our
executive officers or directors may have conflicting fiduciary duties to us and the other entity; and
●
the
terms of transactions with the other entity may not be subject to arm’s length negotiations and therefore may be on terms less
favorable to us than those that could be procured through arm’s length negotiations.
We
are required to comply with laws and regulations in other countries and are exposed to business risks associated with our international
operations.
For
the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we derived 17.9% and 7.1%, respectively, of our net sales from outside the United States,
primarily in Canada and certain European countries. As a result, we are subject to numerous evolving and complex laws and regulations
which apply, among other things, to financial reporting standards, corporate governance, data privacy, tax, trade regulations, export
controls, competitive practices, labor, health and safety laws, laws regarding controlled substances, laws regarding drug paraphernalia,
and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we operate. We are also required to obtain permits and other authorizations or licenses
from governmental authorities for certain of our operations and we or our suppliers must protect our intellectual property worldwide.
In the jurisdictions in which we operate, we need to comply with various standards and practices of different regulatory, tax, judicial
and administrative bodies.
36
There
are a number of risks associated with international business operations, including political instability (e.g., the threat of war, terrorist
attacks or civil unrest), inconsistent regulations across jurisdictions, unanticipated changes in the regulatory environment, and import
and export restrictions. Any of these events may affect our employees, reputation, business or financial results as well as our ability
to meet our objectives, including the following international business risks:
●
negative
economic developments in economies around the world and the instability of governments, or the downgrades in the debt ratings of
certain major economies;
●
social
and political instability;
●
complex
regulations governing certain of our products;
●
potential
terrorist attacks;
●
adverse
changes in governmental policies, especially those affecting trade, tariffs and investment;
●
foreign
currency exchange, particularly with respect to the Canadian Dollar, Euro, British Pound Sterling and Australian Dollar; and
●
threats
that our operations or property could be subject to nationalization and expropriation.
We
may not be in full compliance at all times with the laws and regulations to which we are subject. Likewise, we may not have obtained
or may not be able to obtain the permits and other authorizations or licenses that we need. If we violate or fail to comply with laws,
regulations, permits, labor, health and safety regulations or other authorizations or licenses, we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned
by regulators. In such a case, or if any of these international business risks were to materialize, our business, results of operations
and financial condition could be adversely affected.
New
tariffs and the evolving trade policy dispute between the United States, China and other nations may adversely affect our business.
In
2018, the United States imposed significant tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from a number of countries, including China. These
tariffs and the evolving trade policy dispute between the United States and China may have a significant impact on the industries in
which we participate. Many of the products we sell, including without limitation, certain vaporizer products, aluminum grinders, paper
products and plastic products, are subject to the 25 percent tariff and such tariff, along with resultant price increases, may negatively
impact our pricing and customer demand for these products. A “trade war” between the United States, China and other nations
or other governmental action related to tariffs or international trade agreements or policies has the potential to adversely impact demand
for our products, our costs, customers, suppliers and/or the United States economy or certain sectors thereof and, thus, to adversely
impact our businesses and results of operations.
Our
failure to comply with certain environmental, health and safety regulations could materially and adversely affect our business.
The
storage, distribution and transportation of some of the products that we sell are subject to a variety of federal, state, provincial
and local environmental regulations. We are also subject to operational, health and safety laws and regulations. Our failure to comply
with these laws and regulations could cause a disruption in our business, an inability to maintain our warehousing resources, additional
and potentially significant remedial costs and damages, fines, sanctions or other legal consequences that could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, changes in environmental, employee health and safety
or other laws, more vigorous enforcement thereof or other unanticipated events could require extensive changes to our operations or give
rise to material liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
37
We
are transitioning our business and have engaged, and may continue in engage in, dispositions via sales of our assets or other exit activities
and other strategic initiatives and we may face risks related to such transactions.
We
have engaged in, and expect to continue to pursue, strategic dispositions and initiatives, as we transition our business. Dispositions
present significant challenges and risks relating the separation of disposed businesses. Such risks include: (i) we may incur unanticipated
costs or expenses, (ii) we may not be able to successfully separate divested businesses and related obligations from our operations as
planned, and (iii) we may not be able to realize anticipated reductions in costs attributable to divested businesses or assets. Divestitures
may also involve continued financial involvement in, or liability with respect to, the divested businesses. As a result of divestiture
transactions, we could incur severance charges for personnel and payments for lease and other commitments, charges from the impairment
or write-off of assets, and other financial loss due to the transaction. Furthermore, there is the risk that we might lose customers.
In addition, we may not realize the degree or timing of benefits we anticipate when we first enter into a transaction. There can be no
assurances that we will manage dispositions or other strategic initiatives successfully, that strategic opportunities will be available
to us on acceptable terms or at all, or that we will be able to consummate desired transactions. Any of the foregoing could materially
adversely affect our competitive position, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. For more information on the disposition
activities we have undertaken to date, please see “Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations”.
Our
operations are subject to natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, operating hazards, environmental incidents and labor disputes.
We
may experience earthquakes, floods, typhoons, power outages, labor and trade disputes or similar events beyond our control that would
affect our warehousing and distribution operations. The occurrences of such events could result in shutdowns or periods of reduced operations,
which could significantly disrupt our business operations, cause us to incur additional costs and affect our ability to deliver our products
to our customers as scheduled, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, such
events could result in severe damage to property, personal injuries, fatalities, regulatory enforcement proceedings or in us being named
as a defendant in lawsuits asserting claims for large amounts of damages, which in turn could lead to significant liabilities.
38
We
are subject to risks associated with public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics, which may have a material adverse effect
on our business. The nature and extent of future impacts are highly uncertain and unpredictable.
We
are subject to risks associated with public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics and the emergence of new viruses may result
in new governmental lockdowns, quarantine requirements or other restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. In addition, any such measures
could also impact the global economy more broadly, for example by leading to further economic slowdowns. If we or any of the third parties
with whom we engage, including the suppliers, manufacturers and other third parties in our global supply chain, were to experience shutdowns
or other significant business disruptions, our ability to conduct our business in the manner presently planned could be materially and
negatively impacted.
The
scope and duration of any future public health crisis, the pace at which government restrictions are imposed and lifted, the scope of
additional actions taken to mitigate the spread of disease, global vaccination and booster rates, the speed and extent to which global
markets and utilization rates for our products fully recover from the disruptions caused by such a public health crisis, and the impact
of these factors on our business, financial condition and results of operations, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain
and cannot be predicted with confidence.
To
the extent a new pandemic or other public health crises adversely affect our operations and global economic conditions more generally,
it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described herein.
Risks
Related to Our Organizational Structure
Our
principal asset is our interest in the Operating Company, and, accordingly, we depend on distributions from the Operating Company to
pay our taxes and expenses. The Operating Company’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and
restrictions.
We
are a holding company and have no material assets other than our ownership of all of the Common Units of the Operating Company. As such,
we have no independent means of generating revenue or cash flow. Our ability to pay our operating expenses or declare and pay dividends
in the future, if any, will be dependent upon the financial results and cash flows of the Operating Company and its subsidiaries and
distributions we receive from the Operating Company. There can be no assurance that the Operating Company and its subsidiaries will generate
sufficient cash flow to distribute funds to us or that applicable state law and contractual restrictions, including negative covenants,
in any future debt instruments, will permit such distributions. In addition, because we are a holding company, our stockholders’
claims as a stockholder will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities and obligations of the Operating Company.
Therefore, in the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization, our assets and those of the Operating Company and its subsidiaries
will be available to satisfy the claims of our stockholders only after all of our and Greenlane Holdings, LLC’s and its subsidiaries’
liabilities and obligations have been paid in full.
The
Operating Company is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, is not subject to any entity-level U.S.
federal income tax. Instead, taxable income is allocated to holders of Common Units. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we hold all of
the outstanding Common Units. Accordingly, we will incur income taxes on any net taxable income of the Operating Company. Under the terms
of the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of the Operating Company (the “Operating Agreement”), the Operating Company
is obligated to make tax distributions to holders of Common Units. In addition to tax expenses, we will also incur expenses related to
our operations which we expect could be significant. We intend, as its manager and sole member, to cause the Operating Company to make
cash distributions to us in an amount sufficient to (i) fund our tax obligations in respect of taxable income allocated to us and (ii)
cover our operating expenses. However, the Operating Company’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations
and restrictions, such as restrictions on distributions that would either violate any contract or agreement to which the Operating Company
is then a party, including debt agreements, or any applicable law, or that would have the effect of rendering the Operating Company insolvent.
If we do not have sufficient funds to pay tax or other liabilities or to fund our operations, we may have to borrow funds, which could
materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition and subject us to various restrictions imposed by any such lenders.
39
The
Tax Receivable Agreement (the “TRA”) may require us to make cash payments to the members of the Operating Company in respect
of certain tax benefits to which we may become entitled.
Under
the TRA we entered into with the Operating Company and its members, we are required to make cash payments to the members of the Operating
Partnership equal to 85% of the tax benefits, if any, that we actually realize, or in certain circumstances are deemed to realize, as
a result of (i) the increases in the tax basis of assets of the Operating Company resulting from any redemptions or exchanges of Common
Units from the members and (ii) certain other tax benefits related to our making payments under the TRA. Although we held all of the
outstanding Common Units as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, payments under the TRA are not conditioned on any member’s continued
ownership of Common Units or our Class A common stock.
The
actual amount and timing of any payments under the TRA will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the amount of gain recognized
by prior holders of Common Units, the amount and timing of the taxable income we generate in the future, and the federal tax rates then
applicable.
Fluctuations
in our tax obligations and effective tax rate and realization of our deferred tax assets may result in volatility of our operating results.
We
are subject to taxes by the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax authorities, and our tax liabilities will be affected by the allocation
of expenses to differing jurisdictions. We record tax expense based on our estimates of future earnings, which may include reserves for
uncertain tax positions in multiple tax jurisdictions, and valuation allowances related to certain net deferred tax assets. At any one
time, many tax years may be subject to audit by various taxing jurisdictions. The results of these audits and negotiations with taxing
authorities may affect the ultimate settlement of these matters. We expect that throughout the year there could be ongoing variability
in our quarterly tax rates as events occur and exposures are evaluated. Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility
or adversely affected by a number of factors, including:
●
changes
in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities;
●
expected
timing and amount of the release of any tax valuation allowances;
●
tax
effects of stock-based compensation;
●
changes
in tax laws, regulations or interpretations thereof; or
●
future
earnings being lower than anticipated in countries where we have lower statutory tax rates and higher than anticipated earnings in
countries where we have higher statutory tax rates.
In
addition, our effective tax rate in a given financial statement period may be materially impacted by a variety of factors including but
not limited to changes in the mix and level of earnings, varying tax rates in the different jurisdictions in which we operate, fluctuations
in valuation allowances, deductibility of certain items, or by changes to existing accounting rules or regulations. Further, tax legislation
may be enacted in the future which could negatively impact our current or future tax structure and effective tax rates. We may be subject
to audits of our income, sales, and other transaction taxes by U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign taxing authorities. Outcomes from
these audits could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
If
we were deemed to be an investment company under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as
a result of our ownership of the Operating Company, applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business
as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Under
Sections 3(a)(1)(A) and (C) of the 1940 Act, a company generally will be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes
of the 1940 Act if (i) it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing,
reinvesting or trading in securities or (ii) it engages, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding
or trading in securities and it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total
assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We do not believe that we are an “investment
company,” as such term is defined in either of those sections of the 1940 Act.
As
the sole manager of the Operating Company, we control and operate the Operating Company. On that basis, we believe that our interest
in the Operating Company is not an “investment security” as that term is used in the 1940 Act. However, if we were to cease
participation in the management of the Operating Company, our interest in The Operating Company could be deemed an “investment
security” for purposes of the 1940 Act.
40
We
and the Operating Company intend to continue to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed an investment company. However,
if we were to be deemed an investment company, restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act, including limitations on our capital structure and
our ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material
adverse effect on our business.
Risks
Related to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock
The
market price of our Class A common stock has been volatile and has declined significantly since our initial public offering and may face
more volatility and price declines in the future. As a result, you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the price at which
you have acquired or will acquire shares of our Class A common stock.
The
market price of our Class A common stock has been volatile and has declined significantly since our initial public offering and could
face more volatility and price declines in the future as a result of a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. Furthermore,
volatility in our stock price may occur regardless of our operating performance. As a result, you may not be able to sell your shares
at or above the price you paid and you could lose a substantial part or all of your investment in our Class A common stock. The following
factors could affect our stock price:
●
general
market conditions, including conditions that are outside of our control, such as actions or proposed actions of the current U.S.
Presidential administration and the Federal Reserve to curb inflation or the impact of future public health crises; novel and unforeseen
market volatility and trading strategies, such as the short squeeze rallies caused by retail investors on retail trading platforms;
●
our
financing activities, including the issuance of additional securities;
●
our
operating and financial performance and the performance of other similar companies;
●
the
market perception of our industry;
●
management
turnover;
●
the
impact, or perceived impact, of new regulations applicable to us, our suppliers or our customers;
●
quarterly
variations in the rate of growth of our financial indicators, such as net income, net income per share, net sales and adjusted EBITDA;
●
our
ability to successfully execute our merger and acquisition strategy;
●
significant
acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors;
●
strategic
actions by our competitors or our suppliers;
●
product
recalls or product liability claims;
●
changes
in revenue or earnings estimates, or changes in recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage, by equity research analysts;
●
liquidity
and activity in the market for our Class A common stock;
●
speculation
in the press or investment community;
●
sales
of our Class A common stock by us or other stockholders, or the perception that such sales may occur;
●
the
future incurrence of debt;
●
changes
in accounting principles;
●
additions
or departures of key management personnel;
●
the
de-listing of our Class A common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market;
●
news
reports relating to trends, concerns or competitive developments, regulatory changes and other related issues in our industry or
target markets;
●
investors’
general perception of us and the public’s reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with
the SEC;
●
actions
by our stockholders; and
●
domestic
and international economic, legal and regulatory factors.
The
stock markets in general have experienced extreme volatility, particularly recently, that has often been unrelated to the operating performance
of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Your
percentage ownership will be diluted in the future.
Your
percentage ownership will be diluted in the future as a result of equity awards that we expect will be granted to our directors, officers
and employees, as well as any shares of our Class A common stock, or securities convertible into shares of our Class A common stock,
we issue in connection with future capital raising or strategic transactions at prices that are dilutive to shareholders. Our Second
Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan provides for the grant of equity-based awards to our directors, officers and employees.
The issuance of any shares of Class A common stock will dilute the proportionate ownership and voting power of existing security holders.
Future
securities issuances could result in significant dilution to our stockholders and impair the market price of our common stock.
Future issuances
of shares of our common stock could depress the market price of our common stock and result in dilution to existing holders of our common
stock. Also, to the extent outstanding options and warrants to purchase our shares of our common stock are exercised or options or other
equity-based awards are issued or become vested, there will be further dilution. The amount of dilution could be substantial depending
upon the size of the issuances or exercises. Furthermore, we may issue additional equity securities that could have rights senior to those
of our common stock.
41
Substantial
sales and issuances of our Class A common stock have and may continue to occur, or may be anticipated, which have and could continue
to cause our stock price to decline.
The
market price of shares of our Class A common stock could decline further as a result of substantial sales of our Class A common stock,
issuances of Class A common stock at prices that are dilutive to stockholders, a large number of shares of our Class A common stock becoming
available for sale or the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intend to sell their shares. Additionally,
we expect that we will seek to raise additional capital from time to time in the future, which may involve the issuance of additional
shares of our Class A common stock, or securities convertible into shares of our Class A common stock in subsequent public or private
offerings at dilutive prices if debt is not available to us to fund our working capital needs.
We
cannot predict the effect, if any, that these sales, or anticipation of such sales, will have on the market price of our common stock
or the timing of any redemption of Common Units. Sales or issuances of substantial amounts of our Class A common stock (including shares
issued in connection with an acquisition), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market price
of our Class A common stock.
The
requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract our management, which could make it difficult to manage
our business, particularly now that we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”
As
a public company, we are required to comply with various regulatory and reporting requirements, including those required by the SEC.
Complying with these reporting and other regulatory requirements is time-consuming and expensive and could have a negative effect on
our business, results of operations and financial condition. As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
(“SOX”). The cost of complying with these requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act
requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. SOX requires that we
maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. To maintain and improve the effectiveness
of our disclosure controls and procedures, we must commit significant resources, may be required to hire additional staff and need to
continue to provide effective management oversight. Sustaining our growth also will require us to commit additional management, operational
and financial resources to identify new professionals to join our company and to maintain appropriate operational and financial systems
to adequately support expansion. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have
a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
In
connection with becoming a public company, we obtained Side A directors’ and officers’ insurance coverage, which increased
our annual insurance costs. In the future, it may be more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we
may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more
difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members to our Board in the future, particularly to serve on our audit committee, and
qualified executive officers.
As
we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we must now comply with various reporting
requirements. With these new requirements, we expect to incur additional expenses and devote increased management effort toward
ensuring compliance with them. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur as a result of becoming a
public company or the timing of such costs.
42
As
a public reporting company, we are subject to rules and regulations established from time to time by the SEC regarding our internal control
over financial reporting. In connection with our assessment of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, we identified
certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, which caused our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer to determine that our internal control over financial reporting, as well as our disclosure controls and procedures, were not
effective as of December 31, 2020 and these material weaknesses have not yet been fully remediated as of December 31, 2024
As
a public reporting company, we are subject to the rules and regulations established from time to time by the SEC. These rules and regulations
require that, among other things, we establish and periodically evaluate procedures with respect to our internal control over financial
reporting. Reporting obligations as a public company are likely to place a considerable strain on our financial and management systems,
processes and controls, as well as on our personnel.
Our
management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Legal Officer, is responsible for establishing and maintaining
adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Internal control
over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting
includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only
in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely
detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Under
the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted
an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. Based on this evaluation,
our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that as of December 31, 2020, the Company had not maintained effective
internal control over financial reporting as a result of the existence of material weaknesses. Consequently, management, with the participation
of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, also concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective
as of December 31, 2020 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports filed
or submitted by it under the Exchange Act were recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the
SEC’s rules and forms, and to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company in such reports
was accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer,
as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
A
“material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that
there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely
basis. Although we are implementing measures to remediate the material weaknesses, we cannot give any assurances that the identified
material weaknesses will be remediated on a timely basis or at all or that additional material weaknesses will not be identified in the
future in connection with our compliance with the provisions of Section 404 of SOX. Our management may be required to devote significant
time and expense to remediate these material weaknesses and any other material weaknesses that may be discovered in the future and may
not be able to remediate such material weaknesses in a timely manner. The existence of any future material weakness in our internal control
over financial reporting could also result in errors in our financial statements that could require us to restate our financial statements,
cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, any
of which could lead to a decline in the per share trading price of our common stock.
As
described in Item 9A of Part II of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are continuing to implement our remediation plan to address the
identified material weaknesses, and our management continues to be actively engaged in the remediation efforts. The material weaknesses
will not be considered remediated until the applicable controls operate for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded,
through testing, that these controls are operating effectively.
As
previously disclosed, in 2020, we began a multi-year implementation of a new ERP system, which we completed in 2023. The ERP system serves
as our existing core financial system. Concurrently, in 2023, the re-design of the user access roles and permissions in the new ERP system
were completed, and new controls were put into place. These previously reported material weaknesses related to ineffective user access
controls were not yet remediated as of 12/31/2024.
43
We
have not paid dividends in the past and have no current plans to pay dividends in the future, and any return on investment may be limited
to the value of our common stock.
We
do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends will depend on our earnings, capital requirements,
financial condition, prospects and other factors our Board may deem relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our stock may be less valuable
because a return on your investment will only occur if you sell our Class A common stock after our stock price appreciates above the
price at which you acquired such shares.
If
securities analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading
volume could decline.
The
trading market for our stock depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our
industry. While there are currently securities analysts covering us, we can provide no assurances that the analysts will continue to
publish report or that other securities analysts will initiate coverage. If no securities analysts cover our company, the trading price
for our stock could be negatively impacted. In addition, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our stock or publish inaccurate
or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price could decline as a result. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage
of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our Class A stock could decrease, which might cause the market
price and trading volume of our Class A common stock to decline.
We
have a large number of authorized but unissued shares of stock, which could negatively impact a potential investor if they purchase our
Class A common stock.
On
August 9, 2022 and June 5, 2023, we effected reverse stock splits. The reverse stock splits did not change the par value of our Class
A common stock or the number of shares of Class A common stock or preferred shares authorized by our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation. Because the number of authorized shares of our Class A common stock was not reduced proportionally, the reverse stock
splits increased our Board’s ability to issue authorized and unissued shares without further stockholder action. As of December
31, 2023, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for 600,000,000 shares of authorized Class A common stock, 30,000,000
shares of authorized Class B common stock and 10,000,000 shares of authorized preferred stock and we have approximately 3,726,926 shares
of Class A common stock outstanding, 11,860,201 shares reserved for exercise or vesting
of outstanding warrants and options to purchase shares of Class A common stock and 203,022 shares of Class A common stock reserved for
future grant under the Company’s equity incentive plan. No shares of Class B common stock or preferred stock are outstanding.
On
June 18, 2024, the Board unanimously approved and declared advisable, and recommended that our stockholders approve at a Special Meeting
that took place on July 29, 2024, the adoption of the 2024 Amendment to effect a reverse stock split of our Common Stock at any whole
number between, and inclusive of, one-for-two to one-for-twenty. Approval of the Proposed 2024 Reverse Stock Split at the 2024 Special
Meeting granted the Board the authority, but not the obligation, to file the 2024 Amendment to effect the Proposed 2024 Reverse Stock
Split no later than August 5, 2024, with the exact ratio and timing of the Proposed 2024 Reverse Stock Split to be determined at the
discretion of the Board. On July 23, 2024, the Board approved the reverse split at a ratio of one-for-11 and the Amendment has been filed
with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, that became effective on August 5, 2024 at 12:01 AM Eastern Time, before the opening
of trading on the Nasdaq. For additional information about the July 29, 2024 Special Meeting and the 2024 Reverse Stock Split, see the
Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on June 28, 2024 and Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 31, 2024.
With
respect to authorized but unissued and unreserved shares, we could also use such shares to oppose a hostile takeover attempt or delay
or prevent changes in control or changes in or removal of management. The issuance of additional shares of Class A common stock or securities
convertible into Class A common stock may have a dilutive effect on earnings per share and relative voting power and may cause a decline
in the trading price of our Class A common stock. We could use the shares that are available for future issuance in dilutive equity financing
transactions, or to oppose a hostile takeover attempt or delay or prevent changes in control or changes in or removal of management,
including transactions that are favored by a majority of the stockholders or in which the stockholders might otherwise receive a premium
for their shares over then-current market prices or benefit in some other manner.
44
Anti-takeover
provisions in our certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could discourage a takeover.
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that might enable our management
to resist a takeover. These provisions include:
●
authorizing
the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock that could be issued by our Board to increase the number of outstanding
shares and thwart a takeover attempt;
●
advance notice requirements
applicable to stockholders for matters to be brought before a meeting of stockholders and requirements as to the form and content
of a stockholder’s notice;
●
restrictions on the transfer
of our outstanding shares of Class B common stock;
●
a supermajority stockholder
vote requirement for amending certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated
bylaws;
●
the inability of our stockholders
to act by written consent;
●
a requirement that the
authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the Board;
●
allowing all vacancies,
including newly created directorships, to be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less
than a quorum, except as otherwise required by law;
●
limiting the forum for
certain litigation against us to Delaware; and
●
limiting the persons that
can call special meetings of our stockholders to our Board or the chairperson of our Board.
These
provisions might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or a change in our Board. The existence of these provisions
could adversely affect the voting power of holders of Class A common stock and limit the price that investors might be willing to pay
in the future for shares of our Class A common stock. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions
of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad
range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which
the stockholder became an “interested” stockholder.
We
may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise
adversely affect holders of our Class A common stock, which could depress the market price of our Class A common stock.
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue one or more series of preferred stock. Our Board has the authority
to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting
any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our preferred stock can be issued
with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the rights of our Class A common stock. The potential issuance of preferred
stock may delay or prevent a change in control of us, discourage bids for our Class A common stock at a premium to the market price,
and materially and adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A common stock.
45
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole
and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability
to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent to the selection
of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action
or proceeding brought on our behalf, other than any action or proceeding that, under applicable law, may only be commenced or prosecuted
in another forum, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees
to us or to our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law or our amended
and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our amended
and restated certificate of incorporation.
We
are a “smaller reporting company” under federal securities laws and we cannot be certain whether the reduced reporting requirements
applicable to such companies will make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors.
We
are a “smaller reporting company” under federal securities laws. For as long as we continue to be a smaller reporting company,
we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, including reduced
disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. Generally, we will remain a smaller
reporting company so long as our public float remains less than $250 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed
second fiscal quarter. We cannot predict if investors will find our Class A common stock less attractive because we may rely on these
exemptions. If some investors find our Class A common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for
our Class A common stock and our stock price may decline or be more volatile.
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM
1C. CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity
Risk Management and Strategy
Greenlane
is committed to ensuring the highest standards of cybersecurity to protect our systems, networks, and data from cyber threats. We recognize
the critical importance of safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining the trust of our customers, partners, and stakeholders.
Our
cybersecurity strategy is built on a foundation of proactive risk management, continuous monitoring, and adherence to industry best practices.
We employ a multi-layered approach which leverages cutting-edge technologies to defend against evolving cyber threats.
We
have made significant investments in modernizing, streamlining, and simplifying our technology footprint to both enhance customer experience
and strengthen our internal security controls.
From
time-to-time, we may engage third-party consultants, legal advisors, and audit firms to evaluate and test the Company’s risk management
systems and assess and remediate certain potential cybersecurity incidents, as appropriate. We prioritize the integrity of our data access
controls to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and malicious activities. We regularly assess and enhance our cybersecurity posture
through comprehensive risk assessments, security audits, and vulnerability assessments.
46
Governance
Cybersecurity
is a shared responsibility requiring collaboration and cooperation across all levels of our organization.
Greenlane
recognizes that cybersecurity is not solely a technology issue but also a people and process issue. We invest in ongoing employee training
and awareness programs to empower our staff to recognize and respond to potential security threats effectively.
Cybersecurity
threats are monitored and acted upon by the Company’s information technology security group within the Information Technology team.
The Vice President of Information Technology has over 25 years of IT experience including Fortune 100 public companies. The Vice President
of Information Technology meets regularly with senior management to inform and advise them of the status on all cybersecurity initiatives
as well as all cybersecurity incidents, if any.
In
the event of a cybersecurity incident, we have established incident response plans and protocols to minimize the impact and facilitate
swift recovery. The Company’s Audit Committee oversees cybersecurity risk. The Audit Committee is promptly notified by Information
Technology leadership of any potentially serious incidents including details and recommendations on the detection, mitigation, and remediation
of the same. During the calendar year 2024, there have been no known reported cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected our
operations or financial results.
We
believe in transparency and open communication, promptly informing affected parties and relevant authorities as required by law. Together,
we remain vigilant, adaptive, and resilient in the face of evolving cyber threats, safeguarding the trust and confidence of those we
serve.
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES
We
lease our administrative office space in Boca Raton, Florida and our distribution center and offices in Moreno Valley, California in
the United States, and an administrative office location in Canada. We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current global
operational needs and we are capable of acquiring or leasing additional space as necessary.
ITEM
3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For
information regarding legal proceedings as of December 31, 2024, see “ Note
7—Commitments and Contingencies” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of
this Form 10-K.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not
applicable.
47
PART
II
ITEM
5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market
Information
Our
Class A common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “GNLN”.
Holders
As
of March 19, 2025, there were approximately 91 stockholders of record of our Class A common stock. Since certain of our shares of Class
A common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders
represented by these record holders.
Dividends
We
have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Class A common stock. We intend to retain any future earnings and do not expect
to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities
There
were no unregistered sales of equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2024.
On
June 29, 2023, we entered into securities purchase agreements with certain investors, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell an
aggregate of 560,476 shares of our Class A common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 3,487,143 shares of our Class A common
stock (the “July 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants”) and warrants to purchase up to 8,095,238 shares of our Class A common stock (the
“July 2023 Standard Warrants”). The July 2023 units each consisted of one share of Class A common stock or a July 2023 Pre-Funded
Warrant and two July 2023 Standard Warrants to purchase one share of our Class A common stock. The July 2023 units were offered pursuant
to an effective Registration Statement on Form S-1. The July 2023 Standard Warrants are exercisable immediately at an exercise price
equal to $1.05 per share of Class A common stock for a period of five years. Each July 2023 Pre-Funded Warrant is exercisable immediately
with no expiration date for one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $0.0001. The July 2023 Offering generated gross
proceeds of approximately $4.3 million and net proceeds to the Company of approximately $3.9 million.
As
of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, all July 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants have been exercised, based upon which we issued an
additional 1,911,000 shares of our Class A common stock for de minimis net proceeds in 2024.
In
connection with the July 2023 Offering, we entered into privately negotiated agreements with holders participating in the offering to
amend existing outstanding warrants to purchase up to 1,344,367 shares of Class A common stock that were previously issued in connection
with the June 2022 and October 2022 Offerings at exercise prices per share of $50.00 and $9.00, respectively, and expire on December
29, 2027 and November 1, 2029, respectively (collectively, the “Prior Warrants”), effective upon the closing of the July
2023 Offering to reduce the exercise price of the Prior Warrants to $1.05, the exercise price of the warrants to purchase shares of Class
A common stock offered in the July 2023 Offering. All other terms of the Prior Warrants remained unchanged.
On
August 12, 2024, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with a single institutional investor for aggregate gross cash
proceeds of $6.5 million. In connection with the private placement, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,363,637 units and pre-funded
units. The pre-funded units were sold at the same purchase price as the units, less the pre-funded warrant exercise price of $0.001.
Each unit and pre-funded unit consisted of one share of common stock (or one pre-funded warrant) and two common warrants, each exercisable
for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $2.50 per share. The common warrant are exercisable on the initial exercise date
described in the common warrant and will expire 5.0 years from such date.
On
October 29, 2024, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement with its Senior Subordinated Lender, whereby the Company agreed to exchange
an aggregate of $4,617,307 of debt originally owed to Agile Capital Funding LLC and Cedar Advance LLC in a 3(a)(9) exchange for
new Senior Subordinated Notes in the principal amount of $4,000,000 due one year from issuance (the “Exchange Note”),
reducing outstanding indebtedness by approximately $617,000. The Exchange Note was convertible at the option of the holder at $3.17 per
share. In connection with the Exchange, the Company issued an aggregate of 1,261,830 five year warrants with an exercise
price of $3.04 per share (the “Exchange Warrants”). The Exchange Note was repaid out of the proceeds of the February
2025 Offering.
In
addition, pursuant to the terms of the Exchange Agreement, the Company agreed to issue warrants to the Holders, with an initial exercise
price of $3.04, exercisable 180 days after issuance (the “Exchange Inducement Warrants”). The Exchange Inducement
Warrants were issued to incentivize the holders to exercise some or all of their existing warrants originally issued on August 13, 2024
(the “Existing Warrants”) for cash, which existing warrants have an exercise price of $2.50 per share. The Exchange
Inducement Warrants are initially exercisable for zero shares, but to the extent that the Holders exercise any of such Existing Warrants
during the one-hundred sixty day inducement period, the Exchange Inducement Warrants will become exercisable on April 30, 2025 for 200%
of the number of Existing Warrants exercised for cash during such inducement period. As part of the February 2025 Offering, the exercise
price of these warrants was adjusted to $1.19 per share.
Also,
pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Senior Subordinated Lender agreed that it will exercise its Existing Warrants for cash prior
to exercising any of its outstanding pre-funded warrants, contingent on the market price of the common stock being above $2.50 per
share and certain other conditions.
ITEM
6. [Reserved]
ITEM
7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
Founded
in 2005, Greenlane is the premier global platform for the development and distribution of premium cannabis accessories, vape devices,
and lifestyle products. In 2021, we completed several acquisitions along with a transformative merger with KushCo Holdings, adding a
significant industrial line of business to the Greenlane platform. These acquisitions strengthened our leading position as a consumer
ancillary products business and significantly expanded our customer network, bringing strategic relationships with leading cannabis multi-state-operators
(“MSOs”), cannabis single-state operators (“SSOs”), and Canadian licensed-producers (“LPs”). Greenlane
is a leading ancillary cannabis company, providing a wide array of consumer ancillary products and industrial ancillary products to thousands
of cannabis producers, processors, brands, and retailers (“Cannabis Operators”), in addition to specialty retailers, smoke
shops and head shops, convenience stores, and consumers directly through our own proprietary web stores and large online marketplaces
such as Amazon.
48
We
have been developing a world-class portfolio of our own proprietary brands (the “Greenlane Brands”) and carefully curated
third-party products that we believe will, over time, deliver higher margins and create long-term value for our customers and shareholders.
Our wholly-owned Greenlane Brands includes our recently launched more affordable product line – Groove, innovative silicone pipes
and accessories and premium ancillary product brand – Higher Standards. We also have category exclusive licenses for the premium
Marley Natural branded products, as well as the K Haring Glass Collection. In 2024, we expanded our assortment to include health and safety products and entered into strategic partnerships
with Safety Strips and Swabtek, offering fentanyl and Drink Spike testing products.
Since
the end of 2021, the Company has invested significantly in technology, including its e-commerce platforms, internal ERP systems, and
B2B capabilities. Our world-class product portfolio is offered to customers through our proprietary, owned and operated e-commerce platforms
which include Vapor.com, PuffItUp.com, HigherStandards.com, MarleyNaturalShop.com and Wholesale.Greenlane.com. These platforms allow
us to reach customers directly with helpful resources and a seamless purchasing experience.
We
merchandise vaporizers, packaging, and other ancillary products in the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America. We distribute
products to retailers through wholesale operations and distribute products to consumers through our e-commerce platforms We operate our
own distribution centers in the United States, while also utilizing third-party logistics (“3PL”) locations in Canada. We
have made tremendous progress consolidating and streamlining our warehouse and distribution operations over the last two years.
Plan
to Accelerate Path to Profitability and Capitalize the Business
In
today’s economic landscape, particularly within the cannabis industry, achieving profitability and preserving working capital are
paramount. At Greenlane, we are intensely focused on making our business profitable and well-capitalized for long-term sustainability.
Our key initiatives include:
1.
Technology
Enhancements: We remain fully committed to improving our technology, particularly our B2B and e-commerce platforms, to provide a
seamless shopping experience for our wholesale and retail customers.
2.
Facility Footprint Rationalization:
In 2023 and 2024, we optimized our facilities footprint by reducing warehouse and office space while increasing operational efficiency
and improving fulfillment practices.
3.
Headcount Reduction: We
have significantly reduced our headcount and associated salary expenses, focusing on maintaining a core group of key employees as
we collectively right-size the business.
4.
Cost Structure Optimization:
We continue to reduce our overall cost structure while improving margins. In April 2023, we formed two strategic partnerships (described
below in greater detail) to increase margins and significantly reduce working capital requirements.
5.
Inventory Management: In
2024, we continued to refine and improve our inventory management and lifecycle strategy that is focused on a quarterly turn and
a regular review of inventory to avoid future write-offs.
6.
Sales Force Upgrade: We
have upgraded and will continue to upgrade our sales force from a solely account management centric team to a skilled and driven
sales team to acquire new customers while maintaining excellent service with our existing customers.
7.
Product Innovation: In
2024, we expanded our product offering to further enhance our assortment available to our customers to include the most up to date
technology available and launched our health and safety product line promoting safe and responsible consumption.
8.
Capital Investment: We
continue to seek opportunities for securing investment capital to leverage our platform, increase availability and reduce stockouts
of our high demand third-party brands, invest in marketing and sales, and improve our product offerings.
Management
believes that these initiatives in conjunction with the capital received in the February 2025 Private Placement will significantly
reduce costs, help accelerate the Company’s path to profitability, support business growth, and allow the Company to reinvest
capital into its highest demand and highest potential product lines.
During
2023 and 2024, the Company received capital from various sources permitting it to right-size the business and position the company for
growth and in 2025 the Company received capital from a Private Placement in February. Such sources are described in greater detail in the Liquidity and Capital Resources Section of this report.
49
During
2023 and 2024, the Company also entered into certain arrangements to reduce working capital requirements and improve its balance sheet.
In
April 2023, we successfully entered into two strategic partnerships which management believes will help significantly reduce our overall
cost structure, enhance our margins and further support our facilities consolidation initiatives while also servicing and providing solutions
to our customers. First, we entered into a strategic partnership (the “MJ Packaging Partnership”) with A&A Global Imports
d/b/a MarijuanaPackaging.com (“MJ Pack”), a leading provider of packaging solutions to the cannabis industry. Second, we
entered into a strategic partnership with an affiliate of one of our existing vape suppliers (“Vape Partner”) to service
certain key customers with vaporizer goods and services (the “Vape Partnership”). As part of the Vape Partnership, we will
introduce our Vape Partner to certain key customers, assist with the promotion and the sale of certain vaporizer goods and services,
and help coordinate the logistics, storage and distribution of such vaporizer products. If our Vape Partner and key customer(s) enter
into a direct relationship, the customers would directly purchase vaporizer goods and services, which we currently sell them, directly
from our Vape Partner and we would no longer need to purchase such vape inventory on behalf of such key customer(s). In exchange we would
earn quarterly and annual commission payments from our strategic partners. While the strategic partnerships may result in a decrease
in top line revenue for these packaging and vape products, these partnerships combined with some of our other restructuring initiatives
should allow us to reduce our overall cost-structure and enhance our margins and convert millions of dollars of existing inventory back
into cash, thereby improving our balance sheet.
On
May 6, 2024, the Company, Warehouse Goods and Synergy Imports LLC (“Synergy”) entered into an asset purchase agreement,
dated May 1, 2024 (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which Synergy purchased all of the intellectual property,
a specified amount of inventory, and other assets related to the Eyce and DaVinci brands. In consideration for the acquisition, all
parties entered into a loan modification agreement, effective May 1, 2024 (the “Loan Modification Agreement”) and an
amended and restated secured promissory note, effective May 1, 2024 (the Amended and Restated Secured Promissory Note”), an
amendment to the original Eyce and Davinci Asset Purchase Agreements, a distribution agreement, the termination of a license granted
by Eyce, and the termination of certain consulting and employment agreements. The Loan Modification Agreement was restructured on
October 29, 2024 as part of the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Secured Promissory Note.
USPS
PACT Act Exemption
On
January 11, 2022, we announced via press release that the United States Postal Service (the “USPS”) had approved our application
for a business and regulatory exemption to the PACT Act (with respect to the business and regulatory exemption granted by the USPS, the
“PACT Act Exemption”), allowing us to ship vaporizers and accessories classified as electronic nicotine delivery systems
(“ENDS”) products to other compliant businesses. With this approval, over 97% of our total annual sales became eligible for
shipment by freight, USPS and other major parcel carriers. The PACT Act Exemption also enables us to partner with other businesses that
ship ENDS products and had their supply chains disrupted by PACT Act compliance.
On
June 24, 2022, we provided via press release an update on the progress of the PACT Act Exemption, following our successful implementation
of the controls, processes and systems required by the USPS in connection with the shipment of ENDS products. We currently possess the
ability to fulfill ENDS orders with the USPS which allows us to reduce shipping costs, decrease fulfillment times and enhance the overall
customer experience for approved wholesale customers.
Reverse
Stock Splits
On
June 2, 2023, we filed a Certificate of Amendment to the A&R Charter with the SSSD, which effected a one-for-10 reverse stock split
(the “2023 Reverse Stock Split” and together with the 2022 Reverse Stock Split, the “Reverse Stock Splits”) of
our issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock at 5:01 PM Eastern Time on June 5, 2023. As a result of the 2023 Reverse Stock Split,
every 10 shares of common stock issued and outstanding were converted into one share of common stock. We paid cash in lieu of fractional
shares, and accordingly, no fractional shares were issued in connection with the 2023 Reverse Stock Split.
On
June 18, 2024, the Board unanimously approved and declared advisable, and recommended that our stockholders approve at a Special Meeting
that took place on July 29, 2024, the adoption of the 2024 Amendment to effect a reverse stock split of our Common Stock at any whole
number between, and inclusive of, one-for-two to one-for-twenty. Approval of the Proposed 2024 Reverse Stock Split at the 2024 Special
Meeting granted the Board the authority, but not the obligation, to file the 2024 Amendment to effect the Proposed 2024 Reverse Stock
Split no later than August 5, 2024, with the exact ratio and timing of the Proposed 2024 Reverse Stock Split to be determined at the
discretion of the Board. On July 23, 2024, the Board approved the reverse split at a ratio of one-for-11 and the Amendment has been filed
with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, that became effective on August 5, 2024 at 12:01 AM Eastern Time, before the opening
of trading on the Nasdaq. For additional information about the July 29, 2024 Special Meeting and the 2024 Reverse Stock Split, see the
Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on June 28, 2024 and Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 31, 2024.
The
Reverse Stock Splits did not change the par value of the Common Stock or the authorized number of shares of Common Stock. All outstanding
options, restricted stock awards, warrants and other securities entitling their holders to purchase or otherwise receive shares of our
Common Stock have been adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split, as required by the terms of each security. The number of shares
available to be awarded under our Second Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan have also been appropriately adjusted. See “Note
10 — Compensation Plans” for more information.
50
All
share and per share amounts in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 have been retroactively adjusted
for all periods presented to give effect to the Reverse Stock Split.
Critical
Accounting Estimates
We
prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
(“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements,
and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing
basis. We base our estimates on historical experience, outside advice from parties believed to be experts in such matters, and on various
other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments
about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Judgments and uncertainties affecting
the application of those policies may result in materially different amounts being reported under different conditions or using different
assumptions. See “Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K for a description the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation
of our consolidated financial statements.
Inventories
Inventories,
consisting of finished products, are primarily accounted for using the weighted-average method, and are valued at the lower of cost and
net realizable value. This valuation requires us to make judgments, based on currently available information, about the likely method
of disposition, such as through sales to customers or liquidations. Assumptions about the future disposition of inventory are inherently
uncertain and changes in our estimates and assumptions may cause us to realize material write-downs in the future.
Income
Taxes and TRA Liability
We
are a corporation subject to income taxes in the United States. Certain subsidiaries of the Operating Company are taxable separately
from us. Our proportional share of the Operating Company’s subsidiaries’ provisions are included in our consolidated financial
statements.
As
of December 31, 2022, we held all the outstanding Common Units in the Operating Company and are the sole member. As a result, beginning
2023, 100% of the Operating Company’s US and state income and expenses are included in our US and state tax returns.
Our
deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the tax basis and financial statement amounts that will
result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future. We compute deferred balances based on enacted tax laws and applicable rates for
the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is recognized for deferred tax assets
if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized. In making such a determination,
we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected
future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If we determine we would be able to realize our deferred
tax assets for which a valuation allowance had been recorded, then we would adjust the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which
would reduce our provision for income taxes.
We
evaluate the tax positions taken on income tax returns that remain open and positions expected to be taken on the current year tax returns
to identify uncertain tax positions. Unrecognized tax benefits on uncertain tax positions are recorded on the basis of a two-step process
in which (1) we determine whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits
of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the largest amount of tax benefit
that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized is recognized. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recorded
in income tax benefit. We have no uncertain tax positions that qualify for inclusion in our consolidated financial statements.
51
In
addition to tax expenses, we may incur expenses related to our operations and may be required to make payments under the Tax Receivable
Agreement (the “TRA”), which could be significant. Pursuant to the Greenlane Operating Agreement, Greenlane Holdings, LLC
will generally make pro rata tax distributions to its members in an amount sufficient to fund all or part of their tax obligations with
respect to the taxable income of Greenlane Holdings, LLC that is allocated to them and possibly in excess of such amount.
Legal
Contingencies
In
the ordinary course of business, we are involved in legal proceedings involving a variety of matters. Certain of these matters include
speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. We evaluate the associated developments on a regular basis and
accrue a liability when we believe that it is both probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated.
If we determine there is a reasonable possibility that we may incur a loss and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose
the possible loss in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements to the extent material.
We
review the developments in our contingencies that could affect the amount of the provisions that have been previously recorded, and the
matters and related reasonably possible losses disclosed. We make adjustments to our provisions and changes to our disclosures accordingly
to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and updated information. Significant judgment is
required to determine both the probability of loss and the estimated amount of loss.
The
outcome of these matters is inherently uncertain. Therefore, if one or more legal proceedings were resolved against us for amounts in
excess of management’s expectations, our results of operations and financial condition, including in a particular reporting period
in which any such outcome becomes probable and estimable, could be materially adversely affected. See “Note 7—Commitments
and Contingencies” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional
information regarding these contingencies.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
See
“Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part
II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
52
Results
of Operations
The
following table presents operating results for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
For the Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
% of Net sales
Change
2024
2023
2024
2023
$
%
Net sales
$ 13,275
$ 65,373
100.0 %
100.0 %
(52,098 )
(79.7 )%
Cost of sales
6,993
47,547
52.7 %
72.7 %
(40,544 )
(85.3 )%
Gross profit
6,282
17,826
47.3 %
27.3 %
(11,544 )
(64.8 )%
Operating expenses:
Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes
7,380
17,454
55.6 %
26.7 %
(10,074 )
(57.7 )%
General and administrative
9,764
24,213
73.6 %
37.0 %
(14,449 )
(59.7 )%
Impairment of property and equipment
153
—
1.2 %
0.0 %
153
—
Depreciation and amortization
800
2,243
6.0 %
3.4 %
(1,443 )
(64.4 )%
Total operating expenses
18,097
43,910
136.3 %
67.2 %
(25,813 )
(58.8 )%
Loss from operations
(11,815 )
(26,084 )
(89.0 )%
(39.9 )%
14,269
(54.7 )%
Other income(expense), net:
Interest expense
(5,941 )
(5,450 )
(44.8 )%
(8.3 )%
(491 )
(9.0 )%
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
1,000
—
7.5 %
— %
1,000
— %
Loss on extinguishment of debt
(876 )
—
(6.6 )%
— %
(876 )
— %
Other expense, net
(25 )
(791 )
(0.2 )%
(1.2 )%
766
(96.8 )%
Total other expense, net
(5,842 )
(6,241 )
(44.0 )%
(9.5 )%
399
(6.4 )%
Loss before income taxes
(17,657 )
(32,325 )
(133.0 )%
(49.4 )%
14,668
(45.4 )%
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes
—
—
— %
— %
—
— %
Net loss
(17,657 )
(32,325 )
(133.0 )%
(49.4 )%
14,668
(45.4 )%
Net loss attributable to non-control interest
(17 )
(150 )
(0.1 )%
(0.2 )%
133
(88.7 )%
Net loss attributable to Greenlane Holdings, Inc.
$ (17,640 )
$ (32,175 )
(132.9 )%
(49.2 )%
14,535
(45.2 )%
Consolidated
Results of Operations
Net
Sales
For
the year ended December 31, 2024, total net sales were approximately $13.3 million, compared to approximately $65.4 million for the year
ended December 31, 2023, representing a decrease of $52.1 million, or 79.7%. The year-over-year decrease in net sales was due to a major
restructuring in April of 2023, involving our packaging and industrial vaping product lines; transitioning much of this business from
a gross sales to a commission structure to preserve working capital. Revenues decreased in the Consumer Brands Group due, in part, to
restructuring efforts and shift in strategy to focus on in-house brands that carry a higher margin profile while rationalizing third-party
brand offerings, which generated top line revenue with lower margins. The consumer products were affected by the inability to access
capital markets on equitable terms, resulting in stock-outs and shortages of higher velocity inventory. The Company is continuing to
focus on profitable revenue and as a result top line revenue has significantly been reduced. Concurrently, the Company has continued
its focus on right-sizing the business during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and through present, in an effort to reduce sales
and marketing costs and reduce or eliminate certain administrative functions.
53
Cost
of Sales and Gross Margin
For
the year ended December 31, 2024, cost of sales decreased by $40.6 million, or 85.3%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.
The decrease in cost of sales is aligned with the decrease in revenue of 79.7%.
Gross
margin increased by 20.0% to 47.3% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to gross margin of 27.3% for the same period in 2023.
The increase in gross margins is in part related to transitioning to a commission revenue model for the majority of the vaporizer sales
with 100% margin versus gross revenue with lower margins.
Salaries,
Benefits and Payroll Taxes
Salaries,
benefits and payroll taxes expenses decreased by approximately $10.1 million, or 57.7%, to $7.4 million for the year ended December 31,
2024, compared to $17.5 million for the same period in 2023.
The
decrease is related to the reduction in workforce to right-size the business and focus on profitability.
General
and Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses decreased by approximately $14.4 million, or 59.7 %, for the year ended December
31, 2024 , compared to the same period in 2023 . The
decrease is related to major restructuring effort by the Company to reduce cost and right-size the business. The Company focused on reduction
across the board in general and administrative expenses and drove large decreases in professional and outside services, facility expenses,
outbound freight, other general and administrative, marketing, taxes and licenses, and general insurance.
Depreciation
and Amortization Expense
Depreciation
and amortization expense decreased $1.4 million ,
or 64.4% , for the year ended December 31, 2024 ,
compared to the same period in 2023 . The decrease is related to a major restructuring
effort to reduce cost and right-size the business resulting in the sale and disposal of assets related to reducing our warehousing and
office footprint.
Impairment of property and equipment
Impairment of property and equipment increased $0.2 million, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
The increase is related to the write-off of certain fixed assets during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Other
Income (Expense), Net
Interest
expense .
Interest
expense increased approximately $0.5 million during the fiscal year 2024 versus fiscal year 2023. The increase is primarily related to overall debt financing and refinancing debt on more favorable terms.
Change
in fair value of contingent consideration .
There
was a change in fair value of contingent consideration of approximately $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to
the same period in 2023. The change is primarily related to reductions in earnouts related to Davinci and Eyce products.
Loss
on debt extinguishment
There
was an increase in loss on debt extinguishment of approximately $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the
same period in 2023. The change is primarily related to the October 29, 2024 debt restructuring during the year ended December 31,
2024. For further information, see Note 6, “Debt” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8
of this Form 10-K.
Other
expense, net.
Other
expense, net, decreased by approximately $0.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The change
is primarily due to non-recurring costs during the year ended December 31, 2023.
54
Net
Sales by Geographic Regions
Year Ended December 31,
% of Net sales
Change
2024
2023
2024
2023
$
%
Net sales:
United States
$ 10,900
$ 58,539
82.1 %
89.5 %
$ (47,639 )
(81.4 )%
Canada
157
1,291
1.2 %
2.0 %
(1,134 )
(87.9 )%
Europe
2,218
5,543
16.6 %
8.5 %
(3,325 )
(60.0 )%
Total net sales
$ 13,275
$ 65,373
100.0 %
100.0 %
$ (52,098 )
(79.7 )%
For
the year ended December 31, 2024, our United States net sales to customers in the United States were approximately $10,9 million, compared
to approximately $58.5 million for the same period in 2023 ,
representing a decrease of $47.6 million, or 81.4%. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the Company restructuring as described
above.
For
the year ended December 31, 2024, our Canadian net sales were approximately $0.2 million, compared to approximately $1.3 million for
the same period in 2023 ,
representing a decrease of $1.1 million, or 87.9%. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the Company restructuring as described
above.
For
the year ended December 31, 2024, our European net sales were approximately $2.2 million, compared to approximately $5.5 million for
the same period in 2023 ,
representing a decrease of $3.3 million, or 60.0%. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the Company restructuring as described
above.
Liquidity,
Capital Resources and Going Concern
Our
primary requirements for liquidity and capital are working capital, debt service related to recent acquisitions and general corporate
needs. Our primary sources of liquidity are our cash on hand and the cash flow that we generate from our operations, as well as proceeds
from equity issuances. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $0.9 million of cash, of which none was restricted and $0.1 million
was held in foreign bank accounts, and approximately $1.5 million of working capital, which is calculated as total current assets minus
total current liabilities, as compared to approximately $0.5 million of cash, of which none was restricted and $0.1 million was held
in foreign bank accounts, and approximately $3.7 million of working capital as of December 31, 2023. The repatriation of cash balances
from our foreign subsidiaries could have adverse tax impacts or be subject to capital controls; however, these balances are generally
available to fund the ordinary business operations of our foreign subsidiaries without legal or other restrictions.
We
believe that our cash on hand and the cash flow that we generate from our operations and financing activities from recent equity
fundraisings will be sufficient to fund our working capital and capital expenditure requirements, as well as our debt repayments and
other liquidity requirements associated with our existing operations, for the next 12 months. Based on our cash on hand and working
capital at December 31, 2024, we expect to have sufficient cash to fund planned operations into the second quarter of 2026. This is
largely due to the Company’s Private Placement that occurred on February 19, 2025. See Note 13 for more
information.
Our
primary requirements for liquidity and capital are working capital, equity fundraising, debt service related to recent acquisitions
and general corporate needs. Our primary sources of liquidity are our cash on hand and the cash flow that we generate from our
equity and debt transactions , as well as proceeds from equity issuances, such as our July 2023, August 2024, and February 2025 Offerings, each as
described and defined below.
ATM
Program and Shelf Registration Statement
We
formerly used a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Shelf Registration Statement”) to conduct securities offerings.
In August 2021, we filed a prospectus supplement and established an “at-the-market” equity offering program (the “ATM
Program”) that provided for the sale of shares of our Class A common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50 million,
from time to time.
Since
the launch of the ATM program in August 2021 and through December 31, 2022, we sold shares of our Class A common stock which
generated gross proceeds of approximately $12.7 million and we paid fees to the sales agent of approximately $0.4 million. Due to
the untimely filing of certain of our Quarterly and Annual Reports that was remediated in 2024, we are unable to issue additional
shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the ATM Program or otherwise use the Shelf Registration Statement and once eligible will
be required to file a new S-3 for utilization of our Shelf Registration Statement.
55
Common
Stock and Warrant Offerings
On
June 29, 2023, we entered into securities purchase agreements with certain investors, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell an
aggregate of 560,476 shares of our Class A common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 3,487,143 shares of our Class A Common
Stock (the “July 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants”) and warrants to purchase up to 8,095,238 shares of our Class A common stock (the
“July 2023 Standard Warrants”). The July 2023 units were offered pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “July
2023 Offering”). The July 2023 Offering generated gross proceeds of approximately $4.3 million and net proceeds to the Company
of approximately $3.8 million and closed on July 3, 2023.
On
August 12, 2024, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with three different funds of a single institutional
investor for aggregate gross cash proceeds of $6.5 million. In connection with the private placement, the Company will issue an
aggregate of 2,363,637 units and pre-funded units. The pre-funded units will be sold at the same purchase price as the units, less
the pre-funded warrant exercise price of $0.001. Each unit and pre-funded unit will consist of one share of common stock (or one
pre-funded warrant) and two common warrants, each exercisable for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $2.50 per share.
The common warrant will be exercisable on the initial exercise date described in the common warrant and will expire 5.0 years from
such date.
On
October 29, 2024, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement with its Senior Subordinated Lender, whereby the Company agreed to exchange
an aggregate of $4,617,307 of debt originally owed to Agile Capital Funding LLC and Cedar Advance LLC in a 3(a)(9) exchange for new Senior
Subordinated Notes in the principal amount of $4,000,000 due one year from issuance (the “Exchange Note”), reducing outstanding
indebtedness by approximately $617,000. The Exchange Note was convertible at the option of the holder at $3.17 per share. In connection
with the Exchange, the Company issued an aggregate of 1,261,830 five year warrants with an exercise price of $3.04 per share (the “Exchange
Warrants”). The Exchange Note was repaid out of the proceeds of the February 2025 Offering.
In
addition, pursuant to the terms of the Exchange Agreement, the Company agreed to issue warrants to the Holders, with an initial exercise
price of $3.04, exercisable 180 days after issuance (the “Exchange Inducement Warrants”). The Exchange Inducement Warrants
were issued to incentivize the holders to exercise some or all of their existing warrants originally issued on August 13, 2024 (the “Existing
Warrants”) for cash, which existing warrants have an exercise price of $2.50 per share. The Exchange Inducement Warrants are initially
exercisable for zero shares, but to the extent that the Holders exercise any of such Existing Warrants during the one-hundred sixty day
inducement period, the Exchange Inducement Warrants will become exercisable on April 30, 2025 for 200% of the number of Existing Warrants
exercised for cash during such inducement period. As part of the February 2025 Offering, the exercise price of these warrants was adjusted
to $1.19 per share.
Also,
pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Senior Subordinated Lender agreed that it will exercise its Existing Warrants for cash prior
to exercising any of its outstanding pre-funded warrants, contingent on the market price of the common stock being above $2.50 per share
and certain other conditions. The above agreement will terminate upon the Company receiving certain cash proceeds and prepaying at least
$2,250,000 of Cobra Alternative Capital Strategies LLC (“Cobra”) Notes. The Cobra Note was repaid out of the February 2025
Offering.
56
On
February 18, 2025, the Company entered into definitive agreements with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of approximately
$25.0 million of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock (“Common Stock” and investor warrants at a price of $1.19
per Common Unit. The entire transaction was priced at the market under Nasdaq rules.
The
offering consisted of the sale of Common Units (or Pre-Funded Units), each consisting of (i) one (1) share of Common Stock or one (1)
Pre-Funded Warrant, (ii) one (1) Series A PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock per warrant at an exercise price
of $1.4875 (“Series A Warrant”) and (iii) one (1) Series B PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock
per warrant at an exercise price of $2.975 (“Series B Warrant” and together with the Series A Warrant, the “Warrants”).
The initial exercise price of each Series A Warrant is $1.4875 per share of Common Stock. The Series A Warrants are exercisable following
stockholder approval and expire five (5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series A Warrant is subject to
adjustment as described in more detail in the Series A Warrant. The initial exercise price of each Series B Warrant is $2.975 per share
of Common Stock or pursuant to an alternative cashless exercise option. The Series B Warrants are exercisable following stockholder approval
and expire two and one-half (2.5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series B Warrant is subject to adjustment
as described in the Series B Warrant.
Also,
on February 18, 2025, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement with certain holders (the “Holders”) of three tranches
of warrants to purchase Common Stock previously issued by the Company in August 2024 and October 2024. Under such Exchange Agreement,
such Holders agreed to exchange with the Company such existing warrants for approximately 6.1 million new warrants to purchase common
stock, substantially in the form of the Series B Warrants.
Asset-Based
Loan
On
August 9, 2022, we entered into an asset-based loan agreement dated as of August 8, 2022 (the “Loan Agreement”), which made
available to the Company a term loan of up to $15.0 million. On February 9, 2023, we entered into Amendment No. 2 to the Loan Agreement,
in which we agreed to, among other things, voluntarily prepay approximately $6.6 million (inclusive of early termination fees and expenses)
under the terms provided for under the Loan Agreement and the lenders under the Loan Agreement agreed to release $5.7 million in funds
held in a blocked account pursuant to the terms of the Loan Agreement.
On
August 7, 2023, we repaid the approximately $4.3 million in aggregate principal amount (the “Loan Repayment”) which remained
outstanding under the terms of the Loan Agreement. As a result of the Loan Repayment, the Company has been released from its obligations
under the Loan Agreement, in accordance with the terms of the Loan Agreement. See “Note 6 - Long Term Debt” for more information.
57
ERC
Sale
On
February 16, 2023, two of our wholly owned subsidiaries, Warehouse Goods LLC and KIM International LLC, entered into an agreement with
a third-party institutional investor pursuant to which the investor purchased, for approximately $4.85 million in cash, an economic participation
interest, at a discount, in our rights to payment from the United States Internal Revenue Service for certain periods with respect to
the employee retention credits filed by us under the Employee Retention Credit program.
Future
Receivables Financings
In
July, August, October, and November 2023, the Company received an aggregate of approximately $3.9 million in cash pursuant to the terms
of future receivables financings (collectively, the “Future Receivables Financings”) entered into with two private lenders.
As of December 31, 2024, there were no outstanding balances under this agreement. See “Note 6 - Long Term Debt” for more
information.
Notes
Payable
On
June 7, 2024, the Company entered into a subscription agreement with Cobra Alternative Capital Strategies, LLC. As of December 31, 2024,
the Company has been loaned $3.1 million with net cash proceeds of $2.6 million.
On
October 29, 2024, the Company entered into the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Secured Promissory Note (the “Note
Amendment”) with Cobra Alternative Capital Strategies LLC (“Cobra”). Pursuant to the Note Amendment, Cobra agreed to extend the Maturity Date of its senior promissory
note dated May 1, 2024, which is currently due. The new Maturity Date will be October 29, 2025. In consideration for the extension,
the Company (i) agreed to make such Notes convertible at the option of Cobra with a conversion price of $3.17 per share, (ii) agreed
to prepay Cobra’s debt with 50% of any money raised by the Company from warrant exercise proceeds and from capital raise
transactions, and (iii) issued Cobra an aggregate of 500,000 five year warrants with an exercise price of $3.04 per share which are
identical to the Exchange Warrants. The Note Amendment was repaid out of the February 2025 Private Placement.
58
Management
Initiatives
We
have completed several initiatives to optimize our working capital requirements. We launched Groove, a new, innovative Greenlane Brands
product line, and we also rationalized our third-party brands product offering, which enables us to reduce inventory carrying costs and
working capital requirements.
In
April 2023, we entered into two strategic. First, we entered into a strategic partnership (the “MJ Packaging Partnership”)
with A&A Global Imports d/b/a MarijuanaPackaging.com (“MJ Pack”), a provider of packaging solutions to the cannabis industry.
Second, we entered into a strategic partnership with an affiliate of one of our existing vape suppliers (“Vape Partner”)
to service certain key customers with vaporizer goods and services (the “Vape Partnership”). As part of the Vape Partnership,
we will introduce our Vape Partner to certain key customers, assist with the promotion and the sale of certain vaporizer goods and services,
and help coordinate the logistics, storage and distribution of such vaporizer products. If our Vape Partner and key customer(s) enter
into a direct relationship, the customers would directly purchase vaporizer goods and services, which we currently sell them, directly
from our Vape Partner and we would no longer need to purchase such vape inventory on behalf of such key customer(s). In exchange we would
earn quarterly and annual commission payments from our strategic partners. While the strategic partnerships may result in a decrease
in top line revenue for these packaging and vape products, these partnerships combined with some of our other restructuring initiatives
should allow us to reduce our overall cost-structure and enhance our margins, thereby improving our balance sheet.
We
have successfully renegotiated supplier partnership terms and are continuing to improve working capital arrangements with suppliers.
We have made progress consolidating and streamlining our office, warehouse, and distribution operations footprint. We have reduced our
workforce by approximately 43% throughout fiscal year 2024 to reduce costs and align with our revenue projections.
We
have incurred net losses of $17.7 million and $32.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the year
ended December 31, 2024, cash used in operating activities was $ 6.8
million and cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.8 million. The recent macroeconomic
environment has caused weaker demand than contemplated under our business plan, resulting in a reduction in projected revenue for the twelve-month period included in the going concern evaluation.
We believe that our cash on hand that includes cash raised in the February 2025 Private Placement and the cash flow that we generate from
our operations will be sufficient to fund our working capital and capital expenditure requirements, as well as our debt repayments and
other liquidity requirements associated with our existing operations, for the next 12 months. The Company’s ability to continue
as a going concern is contingent upon successful execution of management’s intended plan over the next twelve months to improve
the Company’s liquidity and profitability, which includes, without limitation:
■
Further reducing operating costs expense by taking additional restructuring actions to align cost with revenue to achieve profitability.
■
Increasing revenue by introducing new products and acquiring new customers.
■
Execute on strategic partnerships accretive to margins and operating cash
■
Seeking additional capital through the issuance of debt or equity securities.
Our
opinions concerning liquidity are based on currently available information. To the extent this information proves to be inaccurate, or
if circumstances change, future availability of trade credit or other sources of financing may be reduced and our liquidity could be
adversely affected. Our future capital requirements and the adequacy of available funds will depend on many factors, including those
described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2024 . Depending on the severity and direct impact of these factors on us, we may be unable
to secure additional financing to meet our operating requirements on terms favorable to us, or at all.
As
of December 31, 2024 ,
we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on our financial
condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources.
59
Cash
Flows
The
following summary of cash flows for the periods indicated has been derived from our consolidated financial statements included in Part
II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K:
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
2024
2023
Net cash used in operating activities
$ (6,750 )
$ (1,793 )
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities
(244 )
30
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
7,427
(10,140 )
Net
Cash Used in Operating Activities
During 2024, net cash used in operating activities of approximately $6.8
million was a result of a net loss of $17.7 million offset by non-cash adjustments to net loss of $6.4 million and a $4.4 million increase
in working capital driven by decreases in inventories of $6.3 million and decreases in other current assets of $3.5 million reduced by
an increase in accounts receivable of $2.8 million, decrease in accrued expenses of $0.8 million and a decrease in accounts payable of
$2.3 million.
During
2023, net cash used in operating activities of approximately $1.8 million was a result of a net loss of $32.3 million offset by non-cash
adjustments to net loss of $6.5 million, including a $24.0 million increase in cash provided by working capital primarily driven by decreases
in our accrued expenses and accounts payable, and decreases in inventories offset by higher other current assets.
Net
Cash (Used In) Provided by Investing Activities
During
2024, net cash provided by investing activities of approximately $0.2 million consisted primarily of capital expenditures.
During
2023, net cash provided by investing activities of approximately $0.1 million from $1.1 million of cash proceeds from the sale of certain
equity securities investments, offset by approximately $1.0 million of cash used for capital expenditures, including development costs
for our new enterprise resource planning system.
Net
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
During 2024, net cash provided by financing activities of $7.4 million
primarily consisted of cash proceeds of approximately $3.0 million from the issuance of debt, $5.6 million from the issuance of Class
A common stock, and $1.8 million from the exercise of stock options and warrants, partially offset by approximately $3.2 million in payments
on notes payable, finance lease obligations and other long-term liabilities.
During
2023, net cash used in financing activities primarily consisted of approximately $3.9 million of cash proceeds from the issuance of Class
A common stock related to our July 2023 Offering, approximately $3.9 million of cash proceeds from our future receivables financing,
$2.1 million of cash proceeds from a secured bridge loan, offset by approximately $0.3 million of cash used for contingent consideration
payments, and approximately $2.1 million of cash used for repayments related to the Eyce and DaVinci promissory notes, and the $15.0
million payoff of asset based lending loans.
ITEM
7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not
required.
60
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Index
to Consolidated Financial Statements
Page
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm PKF O’Connor Davies PCAOB ID: 127
F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Marcum LLP PCAOB ID: 688
F-3
Consolidated Balance Sheets
F-4
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
F-5
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
F-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
F-9
61
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To
the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Greenlane
Holdings, Inc.
Opinion
on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We
have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024,
and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year
ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In
our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as
of December 31, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
As
discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company changed the composition of its segment information in 2024. We have also
audited the adjustments necessary to retrospectively apply the change in the 2023 segment information as provided in Note 12. In our
opinion, such adjustments are appropriate and have been properly applied. We were not engaged to audit, review, or apply any procedures
to the Company’s 2023 financial statements other than with respect to the reclassifications and, accordingly, we do not express
an opinion or any other form of assurance on the 2023 financial statements as whole.
Also,
as discussed in Notes 2 and 12 to the financial statements, the Company adopted the provisions of Accounting Standard Update 2023-07
Segment Information in 2024 on a retrospective basis. We have also audited the adjustments necessary to retrospectively
apply the change in the 2023 segment information as provided in Note 12. In our opinion, such adjustments are appropriate and have been
properly applied. We were not engaged to audit, review, or apply any procedures to the Company’s 2023 financial statements other
than with respect to the adjustment and, accordingly, we do not express an opinion or any other form of assurance on the 2023 financial
statements as whole.
Basis
for Opinion
These
consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion
on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company
in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
and the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company
is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit,
we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion
on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our
audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or
fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding
the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used
and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical
Audit Matters
The
critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements
that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are
material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The
communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements taken as a whole,
and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matters or on the
accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
F- 1
Financial
Instruments
As
described in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements, during 2024, the Company issued shares of its Class A common stock and
related pre-funded and common stock warrants (“Warrants”). As disclosed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements,
the Company classifies its Warrants as equity based on evaluation of terms in the Warrant agreements including, but not limited to, cash
settlement provisions and settlement in shares in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815. Management,
with the assistance of an independent valuation expert, estimates the fair value of the Warrants issued using Black Scholes models, which
take into consideration the volatilities of comparable public companies.
Given
the determination of the warrants as equity classified financial instruments and the fair value of Warrants require management to make
significant estimates and assumptions regarding the relevant valuation calculations, performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness
of these estimates and assumptions required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to
involve professionals in our firm having the expertise in the valuation of financial instruments.
Addressing
the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated
financial statements. These procedures included:
● evaluated
(1) management’s assessment and the Company’s accounting analysis as to the classification
of equity instruments, (2) the identification of any derivatives included in the agreements.
● obtained
the Company’s valuation calculation to gain an understanding of management’s
key assumptions in determining the fair value of the warrants and assessing the source information
underlying the valuation assumptions.
● with
the assistance of our valuation specialists, evaluated the methodologies and assumptions
used to assess the Company’s fair value of warrants, including the selection of the
valuation methodology and other significant assumptions used by the Company.
● performed
independent shadow calculations to test the reasonableness of the fair values for warrants
concluded on by the Company’s specialist. Such calculations assessed the mathematical
accuracy of the valuation model and assessed the source information underlying the valuation
assumptions used in the model to determine the fair value for the warrants at inception.
● Assess
the appropriateness of the disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.
Going
Concern Assessment
As
described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has incurred net losses from operations for each
of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and net cash used in operating activities was approximately $6.8 million
for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company determined these, and other factors which include the Company closing on
a definitive agreement to sell $25.0 million of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock and investor warrants in February
2025, did not raise substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern one year from the
issuance date of the consolidated financial statements. In making this determination, management prepared a cash flow
projection through March 2026. Management used significant assumptions in preparing the cash flow projection, which included
expected revenue and cash receipts, operating costs and other obligations.
The
principal considerations for our determination that the evaluation of management’s going concern assessment was a critical
audit matter are the significant judgment and subjectivity inherent in the Company’s future cash flow estimate and a high
degree of auditor judgment in evaluating management’s forecasts for at least the next twelve months.
Addressing
the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated
financial statements. These procedures included:
● assessed
the overall reasonableness of the Company's future cash flow projections, including
performing sensitivity analysis on the significant assumptions utilized by the Company and
comparison to historical trends and other information obtained during the audit
● compared
actual operating results to forecasted amounts to determine the overall reasonableness
of future operating cash flow projections.
● evaluated
the adequacy of the Company’s financial statement disclosures
/s/
PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP
New
York, New York
March
20, 2025
We
have served as the Company’s auditor since November 20, 2024.
PCAOB
ID No. 127
F- 2
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To
the Stockholders and Board of Directors of
Greenlane
Holdings, Inc.
Opinion
on the Financial Statements
We
have audited, before the effects of the retrospective adjustments to the disclosures for a change in the composition of reportable segments
and the adoption of ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”)
discussed in Notes 2 and 12 to the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) as
of December 31, 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity and cash flows
for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”) (the
2023 financial statements before the effects of the adjustments discussed in Notes 2 and 12 to the financial statements are not presented
herein). In our opinion, the financial statements, before the effects of the retrospective adjustments to the disclosures for a change
in the composition of reportable segments and adoption of ASU 2023-07 discussed in Notes 2 and 12 to the financial statements, present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023, and the results of its operations and
its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of America.
We
were not engaged to audit, review, or apply any procedures to the retrospective adjustments to the disclosures for a change in the composition
of reportable segments and the adoption of ASU 2023-07 discussed in Notes 2 and 12 to the financial statements, and accordingly, we do
not express an opinion or any other form of assurance about whether such retrospective adjustments are appropriate and have been properly
applied. Those retrospective adjustments were audited by PKF O’Connor Davies.
Explanatory
Paragraph – Going Concern
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more
fully described in Note 1, the Company has a significant working capital deficiency, has incurred significant losses and needs to raise
additional funds to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated
financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis
for Opinion
These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s
financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal
securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company
is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit
we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion
on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our
audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or
fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provide
a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/
Marcum LLP
Marcum
LLP
We
have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021 through November 20, 2024.
Costa
Mesa, CA
July
18, 2024
F- 3
GREENLANE
HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(in
thousands, except par value per share amounts)
December 31, 2024
December 31, 2023
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash
$ 899
$ 463
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $ 2,616 and $ 2,209 at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively
4,262
1,693
Inventories, net
14,215
20,529
Vendor deposits
3,091
3,765
Other current assets (Note 8)
1,305
3,319
Total current assets
23,772
29,769
Property and equipment, net
1,420
2,476
Operating lease right-of-use assets
1,043
1,936
Other assets
2,396
3,912
Total assets
$ 28,631
$ 38,093
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
$ 9,787
$ 12,103
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (Note 8)
1,218
3,056
Customer deposits
2,661
2,775
Notes payable
7,674
7,283
Current portion of operating leases
926
866
Current portion of finance leases
—
7
Total current liabilities
22,266
26,090
Operating leases, less current portion
83
1,010
Other liabilities
—
1
Total long-term liabilities
83
1,011
Total liabilities
22,349
27,101
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
-
-
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY*
Preferred stock, $ 0.0001 par value, 10,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding
—
—
Class A common stock, $ 0.01
par value per share, 600,000
shares authorized, 2,267
shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024; 600,000
shares authorized, and 339
shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 *
21
36
Class B common stock, $ 0.0001
par value per share, 30,000
shares authorized, and 0
shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024; 30,000
shares authorized, and 0
shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 *
—
—
Common stock, value
—
—
Additional paid-in capital *
281,074
268,132
Accumulated deficit
( 274,929 )
( 257,289 )
Accumulated other comprehensive income
265
245
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Greenlane Holdings, Inc.
6,431
11,124
Non-controlling interest
( 149 )
( 132 )
Total stockholders’ equity
6,282
10,992
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$ 28,631
$ 38,093
*
After
giving effect to the Reverse Stock Splits - See Note 9 - Stockholders’ Equity.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 4
GREENLANE
HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(in
thousands, except per share amounts)
2024
2023
For the year ended
December 31,
2024
2023
Net sales
$ 13,275
$ 65,373
Cost of sales
6,993
47,547
Gross profit
6,282
17,826
Operating expenses:
Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes
7,380
17,454
General and administrative
9,764
24,213
Impairment of property, plant and equipment
153
—
Depreciation and amortization
800
2,243
Total operating expenses
18,097
43,910
Loss from operations
( 11,815 )
( 26,084 )
Other (expense) income, net:
Interest expense
( 5,941 )
( 5,450 )
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
1,000
—
Loss on extinguishment of debt
( 876 )
—
Other expense, net
( 25 )
( 791 )
Total other expense, net
( 5,842 )
( 6,241 )
Loss before income taxes
( 17,657 )
( 32,325 )
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
—
—
Net loss
( 17,657 )
( 32,325 )
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest
( 17 )
( 150 )
Net loss attributable to Greenlane Holdings, Inc.
$ ( 17,640 )
$ ( 32,175 )
Net loss attributable to Class A common stock per share - basic and diluted (Note 9)*
$ ( 14.56 )
$ ( 8.16 )
Weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding - basic and diluted (Note 9)*
1,212
363
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments
20
190
Comprehensive loss
( 17,637 )
( 32,135 )
Less: comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interest
( 17 )
( 150 )
Comprehensive loss attributable to Greenlane Holdings, Inc.
$ ( 17,620 )
$ ( 31,985 )
*
After
giving effect to the Reverse Stock Splits - See Note 9 - Stockholders’ Equity.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 5
GREENLANE
HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in
thousands)
Shares*
Amount *
Shares*
Amount *
Capital *
Deficit
Income (Loss)
Interest
Equity
Class A
Common Stock
Class B
Common Stock
Additional
Paid-In
Accumulated
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Non-
Controlling
Total
Stockholders’
Shares*
Amount*
Shares*
Amount*
Capital*
Deficit
Income (Loss)
Interest
Equity
Balance December 31, 2022
145
$ 1
—
$ —
$ 264,031
$ ( 225,114 )
$ 55
$ 18
$ 38,991
Net loss
—
—
—
—
—
( 32,175 )
—
( 150 )
( 32,325 )
Equity-based compensation
( 1 )
—
—
—
60
—
—
—
60
Issuance of Class A shares - Amended Eyce APA (Note 3)
—
—
—
—
225
—
—
—
225
Issuance of Class A shares (Note 9)
193
2
—
—
3,849
—
—
—
3,851
Other comprehensive income
—
—
—
—
—
—
190
—
190
Balance December 31, 2023
339
$ 3
—
$ —
$ 268,165
$ ( 257,289 )
$ 245
$ ( 132 )
$ 10,992
Balance
339
$ 3
—
$ —
$ 268,165
$ ( 257,289 )
$ 245
$ ( 132 )
$ 10,992
Net loss
—
—
—
—
—
(- 17,640 )
—
( 17 )
( 17,657 )
Equity-based compensation
17
—
—
—
86
—
—
—
86
Issuance of Class A shares
1,911
18
—
—
7,451
—
—
—
7,469
Issuance of Class A warrants
—
—
—
—
5,372
—
—
—
5,372
Other comprehensive income
—
—
—
—
—
—
20
—
20
Balance December 31, 2024
2,267
$ 21
—
$ —
$ 281,074
$ ( 274,929 )
$ 265
$ ( 149 )
$ 6,282
Balance
2,267
$ 21
—
$ —
$ 281,074
$ ( 274,929 )
$ 265
$ ( 149 )
$ 6,282
*
After
giving effect to the Reverse Stock Splits - See Note 9 - Stockholders’ Equity.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 6
GREENLANE
HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in
thousands)
2024
2023
For the year ended December 31,
2024
2023
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss
$ ( 17,657 )
$ ( 32,325 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
800
2,242
Equity-based compensation expense
86
284
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
( 1,000 )
262
Change in provision for credit losses
245
188
(Gain) loss on disposal of fixed assets
215
118
Loss on extinguishment of debt
876
Impairment of property and equipment
153
—
Unrealized loss on equity investments
—
629
Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount
4,927
2,820
Other
171
—
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of the effects of acquisitions:
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable
( 2,814 )
4,586
Decrease in inventories
6,315
20,113
Decrease in vendor deposits
674
2,531
Decrease in other assets
3,533
7,769
Decrease in accounts payable
( 2,319 )
( 2,770 )
Decrease in accrued expenses and other liabilities
( 841 )
( 7,032 )
Decrease in customer deposits
( 114 )
( 1,208 )
Net cash used in operating activities
( 6,750 )
( 1,793 )
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment, net
( 244 )
( 1,007 )
Proceeds from sale of equity investments
—
1,037
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities
( 244 )
30
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of Class A common stock, net of issuance costs
5,640
3,852
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and warrants, net of costs
1,827
—
Repayment of Asset-Based Loan
—
( 15,000 )
Proceeds from Secured Bridge Loan, net of costs
—
2,090
Debt issuance costs
—
( 751 )
Repayment of loan against future accounts receivable
( 939 )
( 1,721 )
Proceeds from future receivables financing
225
3,894
Payments on Eyce and DaVinci promissory notes
—
( 2,133 )
Repayments of notes payable
( 2,275 )
—
Proceeds from notes payable
2,950
—
Purchase consideration paid for Eyce and DaVinci acquisition
—
( 350 )
Other
( 1 )
( 21 )
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
7,427
( 10,140 )
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash
3
190
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
436
( 11,713 )
Cash and cash equivalents, as of beginning of the year
463
12,176
Cash and cash equivalents, as of end of year
$ 899
$ 463
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 7
GREENLANE
HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)
(in
thousands)
Reconciliation
of cash and restricted cash to condensed consolidated balance sheets:
For the year ended December 31,
2024
2023
Beginning of the period
Cash
$ 463
$ 6,458
Restricted cash
—
5,718
Total cash and restricted cash, beginning of period
$ 463
$ 12,176
End of the period
Cash
$ 899
$ 463
Restricted cash
—
—
Total cash and restricted cash, end of period
$ 899
$ 463
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information
Cash paid during the period for interest
$ 916
$ 4,495
Cash paid during the period for income taxes
$ —
$ —
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
$ —
$ 1,353
Non-cash investing activities and financing activities:
Non-cash purchases of property and equipment
$ —
$ 133
Transfer from contingent consideration to notes payable
$ —
$ 1,650
Transfer from accrued expenses to notes payable
$ —
$ 437
Fair value of common stock warrants issued as a debt discount
$ 1,699
Extinguishment of debt in connection with Synergy Asset purchase agreement
$ 2,658
$ —
Issuance of Class A Warrants
$ 3,673
—
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 8
GREENLANE
HOLDINGS, INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE
1. BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND ORGANIZATION
Organization
Greenlane
Holdings, Inc. (“Greenlane” and, collectively with the Operating Company (as defined below) and its consolidated subsidiaries,
the “Company”, “we”, “us”, and “our”) was formed as a Delaware corporation on May 2,
2018. We are a holding company that was formed for the purpose of completing an underwritten initial public offering (“IPO”)
of shares of our Class A common stock, $ 0.01 par value per share (“Class A common stock”), in order to carry on the business
of Greenlane Holdings, LLC (the “Operating Company”). The Operating Company was organized under the laws of the state of
Delaware on September 1, 2015, and is based in Boca Raton, Florida. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “Company”
refer to us, and our consolidated subsidiaries, including the Operating Company.
We
merchandise premium cannabis accessories, child-resistant packaging, specialty vaporization solutions and lifestyle products in the United
States, Canada, Europe and Latin America, serving a diverse and expansive customer base with thousands of retail locations, licensed
cannabis dispensaries, smoke shops, multi-state operators (“MSOs”), specialty retailers, and retail consumers.
We
have been developing a portfolio of our own proprietary brands (the “Greenlane Brands”) that we believe will, over time,
deliver higher margins and create long-term value for our customers and shareholders. Our wholly-owned Greenlane Brands includes Groove
– our more affordable product line and Higher Standards – our premium smoke shop and ancillary product brand, and our award
winning Vapor.com website and brand. We also have category exclusive licenses for the premium Marley Natural branded products, as well
as the K.Haring branded products.
We
are the sole manager of the Operating Company and our principal asset is Common Units of the Operating Company (“Common Units”).
As the sole manager of the Operating Company, we operate and control all of the business and affairs of the Operating Company, and we
conduct our business through the Operating Company and its subsidiaries. We have a board of directors and executive officers, but no
employees. All of our assets are held and all of the employees are employed by wholly owned subsidiaries of the Operating Company.
We
have the sole voting interest in, and control the management of, the Operating Company, and we have the obligation to absorb losses of,
and receive benefits from the Operating Company that could be significant. We determined that the Operating Company is a variable interest
entity (“VIE”) and that we are the primary beneficiary of the Operating Company. Accordingly, pursuant to the VIE accounting
model, beginning in the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2019, we consolidated the Operating Company in our consolidated financial statements
and reported a non-controlling interest related to the Common Units held by the members of the Operating Company (other than the Common
Units held by us) on our consolidated financial statements.
On
August 31, 2021, we completed our merger with KushCo Holdings, Inc. (“KushCo”) and have included the results of operations
of KushCo in our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss from that date forward. In connection with the merger with
KushCo, the Greenlane Certificate of Incorporation was amended and restated (the “A&R Charter”) in order to (i) increase
the number of authorized shares of Greenlane Class B common stock, $ 0.0001 par value per share (the “Class B Common stock”),
from 10 million shares to 30 million shares in order to effect the conversion of each outstanding share of Class C common stock, $ 0.0001
par value per share (the “Class C common stock”), into one-third of one share of Class B common stock, (ii) increase the
number of authorized shares of Class A common stock from 125 million shares to 600 million shares, and (iii) eliminate references to
the Class C common stock. Pursuant to the terms of an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 31, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”)
with KushCo, immediately prior to the consummation of the business combination, holders of Class C common stock received one-third of
one share of Class B common stock for each share of Class C common stock held immediately prior to the closing of the merger.
Our
corporate structure is commonly referred to as an “Up-C” structure. The Up-C structure allows the Operating Company to continue
to realize tax benefits associated with owning interests in an entity that is treated as a partnership, or “pass-through”
entity. One of these benefits is that future taxable income of the Operating Company that is allocated to its members will be taxed on
a flow-through basis and therefore will not be subject to corporate taxes at the Operating Company entity level. Additionally, because
a member may redeem their Common Units for shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis or, at our option, for cash, the Up-C
structure also provides the member with potential liquidity that holders of non-publicly traded limited liability companies are not typically
afforded.
F- 9
In
connection with the IPO, we entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement (the “TRA”) with the Operating Company and the Operating
Company’s members and a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with the Operating Company’s
members. The TRA provides for the payment by us to the Operating Company’s member(s) of 85.0 % of the amount of tax benefits, if
any, that we may actually realize (or in some cases, are deemed to realize) as a result of (i) the step-up in tax basis in our share
of the Operating Company’s assets resulting from the redemption of Common Units under the mechanism described above and (ii) certain
other tax benefits attributable to payments made under the TRA. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, we have agreed to register
the resale of shares of Class A common stock that are issuable to the Operating Company’s members upon redemption or exchange of
their Common Units.
The
A&R Charter and the Fourth Amended and Restated Operating Agreement of the Operating Company (the “Operating Agreement”)
require that (a) we at all times maintain a ratio of one Common Unit owned by us for each share of our Class A common stock issued by
us (subject to certain exceptions), and (b) the Operating Company at all times maintains (i) a one-to-one ratio between the number of
shares of our Class A common stock issued by us and the number of Common Units owned by us, and (ii) a one-to-one ratio between the number
of shares of our Class B common stock owned by the non-founder members of the Operating Company and the number of Common Units owned
by the non-founder members of the Operating Company.
Reverse
Stock Splits
On
June 2, 2023, we filed a Certificate of Amendment to the A&R Charter with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware (“SSSD”),
which effected a one-for-ten reverse stock split (the “2023 Reverse Stock Split” and together with the 2022 Reverse Stock
Split, the “Reverse Stock Splits”) of our issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock at 5:01 PM Eastern Time on June 5,
2023. As a result of the 2023 Reverse Stock Split, every ten shares of common stock issued and outstanding were converted into one share
of common stock. We paid cash in lieu of fractional shares, and accordingly, no fractional shares were issued in connection with the
2023 Reverse Stock Split.
On
July 23, 2024, the Board approved the reverse split at a ratio of one-for-11 and the Amendment has been filed with the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware, which became effective on August 5, 2024 at 12:01 AM Eastern Time, before the opening of trading on the Nasdaq.
The
Reverse Stock Splits did not change the par value of the Common Stock or the authorized number of shares of Common Stock. All outstanding
options, restricted stock awards, warrants and other securities entitling their holders to purchase or otherwise receive shares of our
Common Stock have been adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Splits, as required by the terms of each security. The number of shares
available to be awarded under our Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan have also been appropriately adjusted. See “Note
10 — Compensation Plans” for more information.
All
share and per share amounts in these consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively adjusted for all periods
presented to give effect to the Reverse Stock Splits, including reclassifying an amount equal to the reduction in par value of Common
Stock to additional paid-in capital.
Liquidity
and Going Concern
Pursuant
to ASC 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern (“ASC 205-40”), management must evaluate whether
there are conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue
as a going concern for one year after the date that these condensed consolidated financial statements are issued. In accordance with
ASC 205-40, management’s analysis can only include the potential mitigating impact of management’s plans that have not been
fully implemented as of the issuance date if (a) it is probable that management’s plans will be effectively implemented on a timely
basis, and (b) it is probable that the plans, when implemented, will alleviate the relevant conditions or events that raise substantial
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
Our
primary requirements for liquidity and capital are working capital, debt service related to recent acquisitions and general corporate
needs. Our primary sources of liquidity are our cash on hand and the cash flow that we generate from our operations, as well as proceeds
from other equity issuances.
We
believe that our cash on hand that includes cash raised in the February 2025 Private Placement and the cash flow that we generate
from our operations will be sufficient to fund our working capital and capital expenditure requirements, as well as our debt
repayments and other liquidity requirements associated with our existing operations, for the next 12 months. Based on our cash on
hand and working capital at December 31, 2024, we expect to have sufficient cash to fund planned operations through the second
quarter of 2026. This is largely due to the Company’s Private Placement that occurred on February 19, 2025. See Note 13 for
more information.
F- 10
ATM
Program and Shelf Registration Statement
We
formerly used a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Shelf Registr ation
Statement”) to conduct securities offerings from time to time in order to meet our liquidity needs. In August 2021, we filed a
prospectus supplement and established an “at-the-market” equity offering program (the “ATM Program”) that provided
for the sale of shares of our Class A common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $ 50 million, from time to time.
Since
the launch of the ATM program in August 2021 and through December 31, 2022, we sold shares of our Class A common stock which
generated gross proceeds of approximately $ 12.7
million and we paid fees to the sales agent of approximately $ 0.4
million. Due to the untimely filing of certain of our Quarterly and Annual Reports, that was remediated in 2024, we are unable to
issue additional shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the ATM Program or otherwise use the Shelf Registration Statement and
once eligible will be required to file a Form S-3.
Common
Stock and Warrant Offerings.
On
June 29, 2023, we entered into securities purchase agreements with certain investors, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell an
aggregate of 560,476 shares of our Class A common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 3,487,143 shares of our Class A Common
Stock (the “July 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants”) and warrants to purchase up to 8,095,238 shares of our Class A common stock (the
“July 2023 Standard Warrants”). The July 2023 units were offered pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “July
2023 Offering”). The July 2023 Offering generated gross proceeds of approximately $ 4.3 million and net proceeds to the Company
of approximately $ 3.8 million and closed on July 3, 2023. See “Note 9 – Stockholders’ Equity” for further information.
On August 7, 2024, the Company issued a note
(the “Note”) in the principal amount of $ 3,237,269 to Cobra. The Note is due the earlier of (i)February 5, 2025; or (ii) the
Company’s receipt of at least $ 3,500,000 of gross proceeds from an offering of their securities (a “Qualified Offering”)
and contain a 20 % original issue discount. The Notes are convertible into common stock after maturity if not paid prior. In connection
with the issuance of the Note, the Company issued the Investor warrants to purchase up to 1,618,635 shares at the Qualified Offering Price.
On
August 12, 2024, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with a single institutional investor for aggregate gross cash
proceeds of $ 6.5 million. In connection with the private placement, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,363,637 units and pre-funded
units. The pre-funded units were sold at the same purchase price as the units, less the pre-funded warrant exercise price of $ 0.001 .
Each unit and pre-funded unit consisted of one share of common stock (or one pre-funded warrant) and two common warrants, each exercisable
for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $ 2.50 per share. The common warrant will be exercisable on the initial exercise
date described in the common warrant and will expire 5.0 years from such date.
On
October 29, 2024, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement with its Senior Subordinated Lender, whereby the Company agreed to exchange
an aggregate of $ 4,617,307 of debt originally owed to Agile Capital Funding LLC and Cedar Advance LLC in a 3(a)(9) exchange for new Senior
Subordinated Notes in the principal amount of $ 4,000,000 due one year from issuance (the “Exchange Note”), reducing outstanding
indebtedness by approximately $ 617,000 . The Exchange Note is convertible at the option of the holder at $ 3.17 per share. In connection
with the Exchange, the Company issued an aggregate of 1,261,830 five year warrants with an exercise price of $ 3.04 per share (the “Exchange
Warrants”). See Note 4 for more information.
In
addition, pursuant to the terms of the Exchange Agreement, the Company agreed to issue warrants to the Holders, with an initial exercise
price of $ 3.04 , exercisable 180 days after issuance (the “Exchange Inducement Warrants”). The Exchange Inducement Warrants
were issued to incentivize the holders to exercise some or all of their existing warrants originally issued on August 13, 2024 (the “Existing
Warrants”) for cash, which existing warrants have an exercise price of $ 2.50 per share. The Exchange Inducement Warrants are initially
exercisable for zero shares, but to the extent that the Holders exercise any of such Existing Warrants during the one-hundred sixty day
inducement period, the Exchange Inducement Warrants will become exercisable on April 30, 2025 for 200 % of the number of Existing Warrants
exercised for cash during such inducement period.
Also,
pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Senior Subordinated Lender agreed that it will exercise its Existing Warrants for cash prior
to exercising any of its outstanding pre-funded warrants, contingent on the market price of the common stock being above $ 2.50 per share
and certain other conditions. The above agreement will terminate upon the Company receiving certain cash proceeds and prepaying at least
$ 2,250,000 of Cobra Alternative Capital Strategies LLC (“Cobra”) Notes.
F- 11
On
February 18, 2025, the Company entered into definitive agreements with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of approximately
$ 25.0 million of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock (“Common Stock” and investor warrants at a price of $ 1.19
per Common Unit. The entire transaction has been priced at the market under Nasdaq rules.
The
offering consisted of the sale of Common Units (or Pre-Funded Units), each consisting of (i) one (1) share of Common Stock or one (1)
Pre-Funded Warrant, (ii) one (1) Series A PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock per warrant at an exercise price
of $ 1.4875 (“Series A Warrant”) and (iii) one (1) Series B PIPE Common Warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock
per warrant at an exercise price of $ 2.975 (“Series B Warrant” and together with the Series A Warrant, the “Warrants”).
The initial exercise price of each Series A Warrant is $ 1.4875 per share of Common Stock. The Series A Warrants are exercisable following
stockholder approval and expire five (5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series A Warrant is subject to
adjustment as described in more detail in the Series A Warrant. The initial exercise price of each Series B Warrant is $ 2.975 per share
of Common Stock or pursuant to an alternative cashless exercise option. The Series B Warrants are exercisable following stockholder approval
and expire two and one-half (2.5) years thereafter. The number of securities issuable under the Series B Warrant is subject to adjustment
as described in the Series B Warrant.
Also,
on February 18, 2025, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement with certain holders (the “Holders”) of three tranches
of warrants to purchase Common Stock previously issued by the Company in August 2024 and October 2024. Under such Exchange Agreement,
such Holders agreed to exchange with the Company such existing warrants for approximately 6.1 million new warrants to purchase common
stock, substantially in the form of the Series B Warrants.
Asset-Based
Loan
On
August 9, 2022, we entered into an asset-based loan agreement dated as of August 8, 2022 (the “Loan Agreement”), which made
available to the Company a term loan of up to $ 15.0 million. On February 9, 2023, we entered into Amendment No. 2 to the Loan Agreement,
in which we agreed to, among other things, voluntarily prepay approximately $ 6.6 million (inclusive of early termination fees and expenses)
under the terms provided for under the Loan Agreement and the lenders under the Loan Agreement agreed to release $ 5.7 million in funds
held in a blocked account pursuant to the terms of the Loan Agreement.
On
August 7, 2023, we repaid the approximately $ 4.3 million in aggregate principal amount (the “Loan Repayment”) which remained
outstanding under the terms of the Loan Agreement. As a result of the Loan Repayment, the Company has been released from its obligations
under the Loan Agreement, in accordance with the terms of the Loan Agreement. See “Note 6 - Long Term Debt” for more information.
ERC
Sale
On
February 16, 2023, two of our wholly owned subsidiaries, Warehouse Goods LLC and Kim International LLC, entered into an agreement with
a third-party institutional investor pursuant to which the investor purchased, for approximately $ 4.9 million in cash, an economic participation
interest, at a discount, in our rights to payment from the United States Internal Revenue Service for certain periods with respect to
the employee retention credits filed by us under the Employee Retention Credit program.
Future
Receivables Financing
In
July, August, October, and November 2023, the Company received an aggregate of approximately $ 3.9 million in cash pursuant to the terms
of future receivables financings (collectively, the “Future Receivables Financings”) entered into with two private lenders.
At December 31, 2024, no such financing remained outstanding. See “Note 6 - Long Term Debt” for more information.
Secured
Bridge Loan
On
September 22, 2023, the Company entered into a secured loan pursuant to a Loan and Security Agreement (the “September 2023 Loan
Agreement”), dated as of September 22, 2023 with Synergy Imports, LLC (the “Secured Bridge Loan Lender”).
F- 12
Pursuant
to the September 2023 Loan Agreement, the Secured Bridge Loan Lender agreed to make available to the Company a six -month bridge loan
of $ 2.2 million in new funds. Additionally, the Secured Bridge Loan Lender agreed to defer payments totaling $ 2,028,604 already owed
by the Company under existing payment obligations and potentially defer up to an additional $ 2,655,778 which may become due pursuant
to existing agreements during the term of the September 2023 Loan Agreement.
Subject
to certain exceptions, the Company agreed to pledge all of its assets, with the exception of deposit accounts and accounts receivable,
as collateral. Additionally, the Company agreed to transfer one US patent and two related foreign patents and a related trademark in
exchange for an exclusive license back of such assets in the area of smoking products and accessories in connection with the September
2023 Loan Agreement.
In
May 2024, the Company modified its debt agreement with Synergy to reduce the principal balance due by $ 2.7 million from $ 5.1 million
as part of the Loan Modification Agreement concurrent with the Asset Purchase Agreement. Synergy acquired certain assets from the Company
in exchange for the reduction in overall principal owed. During 2024 Cobra acquired the Secured Bridge Loan from the Secured Bridge Loan
Lender which was restructured as part of the Note Amendment on October 29, 2024. See “Note 6 - Long Term Debt” for more information
Note
Payable
On
June 7, 2024, the Company entered into a subscription agreement with Cobra Alternative Capital Strategies, LLC (the “Subscription
Agreement”). As of December 31, 2024, the Company has been loaned $ 3.1 million with net cash proceeds of $ 2.6 million pursuant
to the Subscription Agreement. The note was issued with a 20 % original issue discount and is due in full on December 7, 2024 . See “Note
6 - Long Term Debt” for more information. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company repaid the amount in full.
On August 7, 2024, the Company issued a note (the “Note”) in the principal amount of $ 3,237,269 to Cobra. The Note is due
the earlier of (i)February 5, 2025; or (ii) the Company’s receipt of at least $ 3,500,000 of gross proceeds from an offering of their
securities (a “Qualified Offering”) and contain a 20 % original issue discount. The Notes are convertible into common stock
after maturity if not paid prior. In connection with the issuance of the Note, the Company issued the Investor warrants to purchase up
to 1,618,635 shares at the Qualified Offering Price.
On
October 29, 2024, the Company entered into the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Secured Promissory Note (the “Note Amendment”)
with Cobra. Pursuant to the Note Amendment, Cobra agreed to extend the Maturity Date of its Secured Bridge Loan and the Subscription
Agreement (together the “Notes”). The new Maturity Date will be October 29, 2025 . In consideration for the extension, the
Company (i) agreed to make such Notes convertible at the option of Cobra with a conversion price of $ 3.17 per share, (ii) agreed to prepay
Cobra’s debt with 50 % of any money raised by the Company from warrant exercise proceeds and from capital raise transactions, and
(iii) issued Cobra an aggregate of 500,000 five year warrants with an exercise price of $ 3.04 per share which are identical to the Exchange
Warrants. This loan was repaid in full as part of the February 2025 Private Placement.
Management
Initiatives
We
have completed several initiatives to optimize our working capital requirements. We launched Groove, a new, innovative Greenlane Brands
product line, and we also rationalized our third-party brands product offering, which enables us to reduce inventory carrying costs and
working capital requirements.
In
April 2023, we entered into two strategic partnerships. First, we entered into a strategic partnership (the “MJ Packaging Partnership”)
with A&A Global Imports d/b/a MarijuanaPackaging.com (“MJ Pack”), a leading provider of packaging solutions to the cannabis
industry.
Second,
we entered into a strategic partnership with an affiliate of one of our existing vape suppliers (“Vape Partner”) to service
certain key customers with vaporizer goods and services (the “Vape Partnership”). As part of the Vape Partnership, we will
introduce our Vape Partner to certain key customers, assist with the promotion and the sale of certain vaporizer goods and services,
and help coordinate the logistics, storage and distribution of such vaporizer products. If our Vape Partner and key customer(s) enter
into a direct relationship, the customers would directly purchase vaporizer goods and services, which we currently sell them, directly
from our Vape Partner and we would no longer need to purchase such vape inventory on behalf of such key customer(s). In exchange we would
earn quarterly and annual commission payments from our strategic partner. While the strategic partnership may result in a decrease in
top line revenue for these packaging and vape products, this partnership combined with some of our other restructuring initiatives should
allow us to reduce our overall cost-structure and enhance our margins, thereby improving our balance sheet.
We
have successfully renegotiated many of our vendor and supplier partnership terms and are continuing to improve working capital arrangements
with our vendors and suppliers. We have made progress consolidating and streamlining our office, warehouse, and distribution operations
footprint. We have reduced our workforce significantly to reduce costs and align with our revenue projections.
The
Company has incurred net losses of $ 17.7 million and $ 32.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the
years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, cash used in operating activities were $ 6.7 million and $ 1.8 million, respectively. The recent
macroeconomic environment has caused weaker demand than contemplated under the Company’s business plan, resulting in a reduction
in projected revenue and cash flows for the twelve-month period included in the going concern evaluation.
We believe that our cash on hand and the cash flow that we generate from our operations will be sufficient to fund
our working capital and capital expenditure requirements, as well as our debt repayments and other liquidity requirements associated with
our existing operations, for the next 12 months. Moving forward, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is contingent upon successful execution
of management’s intended plan over the next twelve months to improve the Company’s liquidity and profitability, which includes,
without limitation:
■
Further reducing operating costs expense by taking additional restructuring actions to align cost with revenue to achieve profitability.
■
Increasing revenue by introducing new products and acquiring new customers.
■
Execute on strategic partnerships accretive to margins and operating cash
■
Seeking additional capital through the issuance of debt or equity securities.
The
consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this going concern uncertainty.
For a more complete description of our initiatives, see the Management Discussion and Analysis.
F- 13
NOTE
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis
of Presentation
Our
audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and with the instructions to Form 10-K and Article 8 of Regulation S-X.
Principles
of Consolidation
Our
consolidated financial statements include our accounts, the accounts of the Operating Company, and the accounts of the Operating Company’s
consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use
of Estimates
Conformity
with U.S. GAAP requires the use of estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts in our consolidated financial statements
and accompanying notes. These estimates form the basis for judgments we make about the carrying values of our assets and
liabilities, which are not readily apparent from other sources. We base our estimates and judgments on historical information and on
various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and
judgments in several areas. Such areas include, but are not limited to the following: the collectability of accounts receivable; the
allowance for slow-moving or obsolete inventory; the realizability of deferred tax assets; the fair value of contingent
consideration arrangements; the useful lives property and equipment; the calculation of our VAT taxes receivable and VAT taxes,
fines, and penalties payable; our loss contingencies, including our TRA liability; and the valuation and assumptions underlying
equity-based compensation and warrants. These estimates are based on management’s knowledge about current events and expectations about
actions we may undertake in the future. The actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Segment
Reporting
We
manage our global business operations through our operating and reportable business segments. As of December 31, 2024, we determined
that we have one reportable operating business segment. Our reportable segment has been identified based on how our chief
operating decision maker (“CODM”), which is a committee comprised of our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and
our Chief Financial and Legal Officer (“CFO”), manages our business, makes resource allocation and operating decisions, and
evaluates operating performance.
Business
Combinations
Our
business combinations are accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations
(“ASC 805”). Under the acquisition method, we recognize 100% of the assets we acquire and liabilities we assume, regardless
of the percentage we own, at their estimated fair values as of the date of acquisition. Any excess of the purchase price over the fair
value of the net assets and other identifiable intangible assets we acquire is recorded as goodwill. To the extent the fair value of
the net assets we acquire, including other identifiable assets, exceeds the purchase price, a bargain purchase gain is recognized. The
assets we acquire, and liabilities we assume from contingencies, are recognized at fair value if we can readily determine the fair value
during the measurement period. The operating results of businesses we acquire are included in our consolidated statement of operations
from the date of acquisition. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred. See “Note 3— Business Acquisitions.”
Equity-Based
Compensation
We
account for equity-based compensation grants of equity awards to employees in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation — Stock
Compensation. This standard requires us to measure compensation expense based on the estimated fair value of share-based awards on the
grant date and recognize as expense over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. We estimate the fair value
of stock options using the Black-Scholes model on the grant date. The Black-Scholes model requires us to use several variables to estimate
the grant-date fair value of our equity-based compensation awards including expected term, expected volatility and risk-free interest
rates. Our equity-based compensation costs are recognized using a graded vesting schedule. For liability-classified awards, we record
fair value adjustments up to and including the settlement date. Changes in the fair value of our equity-based compensation liability
that occur during the requisite service period are recognized as compensation cost over the vesting period. Changes in the fair value
of the equity-based compensation liability that occur after the end of the requisite service period but before settlement, are recognized
as compensation cost of the period in which the change occurs. We account for forfeitures as they occur. See “Note 10—Compensation
Plans.”
F- 14
Loss
Contingencies
Certain
conditions may exist which may result in a loss to us, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to
occur. Management assesses such contingent liabilities and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. In assessing
loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against us, or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings,
we evaluate the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief
sought or expected to be sought therein.
If
the assessment of a contingency indicates that it is probable that a material loss has been incurred and the amount of the liability
is estimable, the liability would be accrued in our consolidated financial statements. If the assessment indicates that a potentially
material loss contingency is not probable but is reasonably possible, or is probable but cannot be estimated, the nature of the contingent
liability, together with an estimate of the range of possible loss, if determinable and material, would be disclosed.
Loss
contingencies considered remote are generally not disclosed. Unasserted claims that are not considered probable of being asserted and
those for which an unfavorable outcome is not reasonably possible have not been disclosed.
Fair
Value Measurements
We
apply the provisions of ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements , which defines fair value, establishes a framework for its measurement
and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is defined as the exchange price we would receive for an asset or an
exit price we would pay to transfer a liability in the principal, or most advantageous, market for our asset or liability in an orderly
transaction with a market participant on the measurement date. We determine the fair market values of our financial instruments based
on the fair value hierarchy, which requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when
measuring fair value. The following three levels of inputs may be used to measure fair value:
Level
1 — Observable inputs such as unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement
date.
Level
2 — Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets
that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full
term of the assets or liabilities.
Level
3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets
or liabilities.
The
carrying amounts of our financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and short-term
debt, are carried at historical cost basis, which approximates their fair values because of their short-term nature. The fair value of
our long-term debt is the estimated amount we would have to pay to repurchase the debt, inclusive of any premium or discount attributable
to the difference between the stated interest rate and market rate of interest at each balance sheet date. On a recurring basis, we measure
and record contingent consideration using fair value measurements in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. See “Note
4—Fair Value of Financial Instruments.”
We
also own equity securities of private entities, which do not have readily determinable fair values. We elected to measure these equity
securities at cost minus impairment, if any. At each reporting period, we make a qualitative assessment considering impairment indicators
to evaluate whether our investment is impaired. The equity securities are adjusted to fair value when an observable price change can
be identified. See “Note 4—Fair Value of Financial Instruments.”
Cash
For
purposes of reporting cash flows, we consider cash on hand, checking accounts, and savings accounts to be cash. We also consider all
highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. We place
our cash with high credit quality financial institutions, which provide insurance through the Federal Deposit Insurance Company. At times,
the balance in our accounts may exceed federally insured limits. We perform periodic evaluations of the relative credit standing of these
institutions and do not expect any losses related to such concentrations. As of December 31, 2024, and 2023, approximately $ 0.1 million
and $ 0.1 million, respectively, of our cash balances were in foreign bank accounts and uninsured. As of December 31, 2024, and 2023,
we had no cash equivalents.
F- 15
Accounts
Receivable, net
Accounts
receivable represent amounts due from customers for merchandise sales and are recorded when revenue is earned and are carried at the
original invoiced amount less an allowance for any expected credit loss. An account is considered past due when payment has not been
rendered by its due date based upon the terms of the sale. Generally, accounts receivable are due thirty days after the billing date.
We maintain an allowance for credit losses to reserve for potentially uncollectible receivable amounts. In evaluating our ability to
collect outstanding receivable balances, we consider various factors including the age of the balance, the creditworthiness of the customer,
the customer’s current financial condition, current economic conditions, and other factors that may affect our ability to collect
from customers. We write off accounts as uncollectible on a case-by-case basis. We pledge accounts receivable as collateral for our long-term
debt, see “Note 6—Debt.”
Inventories,
net
Inventories
consist of finished goods that we value at the lower of cost or net realizable value on a weighted average cost basis for the majority
of the inventory. We established an allowance for slow-moving or obsolete inventory based upon assumptions about future demands and market
conditions. At December 31, 2024, and 2023, the reserve for obsolescence was approximately $ 9.0 million and $ 9.5 million, respectively.
We pledge inventory as collateral for our long-term debt, see “Note 6— Debt.”
Vendor
Deposits
Vendor
deposits represent prepayments we make to vendors for inventory purchases. A significant number of vendors require us to prepay for inventory
purchases.
Customs
Bonds
The
Company is required to obtain customs bonds to import goods into the United States to provide security for payment of duties, taxes and
other fees incurred as a result of importing goods. Customs bonds are included in “Other current assets” in our consolidated
balance sheets, see “Note 8 - Supplemental Financial Statement Information.”
Assets
Held for Sale
We
generally consider assets to be held for sale when (i) we commit to a plan to sell the assets, (ii) the assets are available for immediate
sale in their present condition, (iii) we have initiated an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to complete the
plan to sell the assets, (iv) consummation of the planned sale transaction is probable, (v) the assets are being actively marketed for
sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to their current fair value, (vi) the transaction is expected to qualify for recognition
as a completed sale, within one year, and (vii) significant changes to or withdrawal of the plan is unlikely. Following the classification
of any depreciable assets within a disposal group as held for sale, we discontinue depreciating the asset and write down the asset to
the lower of carrying value or fair market value less cost to sell, if needed.
Property
and Equipment, net
We
state property and equipment at cost or, if acquired through a business combination, fair value at the date of acquisition. We calculate
depreciation and amortization using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, except for our leasehold
improvements, which are depreciated over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or their related lease term. Upon the sale or retirement
of assets, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from our accounts and the resulting gain or loss is credited or
charged to income. We expense costs for repairs and maintenance when incurred. Property and equipment includes assets recorded under
finance leases, see “Note 5—Leases.” We pledge property and equipment as collateral for our long-term debt, see “Note
6—Debt.”
Impairment
of Long-Lived Assets
We
assess the recoverability of the carrying amount of our long lived-assets, including property and equipment and finite-lived intangibles,
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. An impairment
loss would be assessed when estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the operation and disposition of the asset group are less than
the carrying amount of the asset group. Asset groups have identifiable cash flows and are largely independent of other asset groups.
Measurement of an impairment loss is based on the excess of the carrying amount of the asset group over its fair value.
Changes
in our future operations and business lines could affect the estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the operation of certain long-lived
assets, such as customer relationships, and may give rise to impairment losses in future periods.
Debt
Modifications and Extinguishments
When
the Company modifies or extinguishes debt, it first evaluates whether the modification qualifies as a troubled debt restructuring (TDR)
under ASC Topic 470-60, which requires debt modifications to be evaluated if (1) the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty, and
(2) the lender grants the borrower a concession. If a TDR is determined not to have occurred, the Company evaluates the modification
in accordance with ASC Topic 470-50-40, which requires modification to debt instruments to be evaluated to assess whether the modifications
are considered “substantial modifications”. A substantial modification of terms is accounted for as an extinguishment.
If
there is a conversion feature within the debt instrument, the Company evaluates whether the conversion feature should be bifurcated under
ASC 815 as a derivative. If the Company believes the embedded conversion feature has no fair value on the date of issuance (measurement
date) and the embedded conversion feature has no beneficial conversion feature, the embedded conversion feature does not meet the criteria
in ASC 470-50-40-10 or 470-20-25 and the issuance of the convertible debt is considered a modification, and not an extinguishment that
would require the recognition of a gain or loss. If the Company determines the change in fair value of the derivative meets the criteria
for substantial modification under ASC 470 it will treat the modification as extinguishment and recognize a loss from debt extinguishment.
Investment
in Equity Securities
Our
investment in equity securities without readily determinable fair value consist of ownership interests in Airgraft Inc. We
determined that our ownership interest does not provide us with significant influence over the operations of this investments.
Accordingly, we account for our investment in this entity as equity securities. Airgraft Inc. is a private entity and their equity
securities do not have a readily determinable fair value. We elected to measure these equity securities under the measurement
alternative election at cost minus impairment, if any, with adjustments through earnings for observable price changes in orderly
transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. Investments in equity securities are included within
“Other assets” in our consolidated balance sheets. See “Note 4—Fair Value of Financial
Instruments.”
F- 16
Foreign
Currency Translation
Our
consolidated financial statements are presented in United States (U.S.) dollars. The functional currency of one of the Operating Company’s
wholly-owned, Canada-based, subsidiaries is the Canadian dollar. The functional currency of the Operating Company’s wholly-owned,
Netherlands-based subsidiary is the Euro. The assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at current
exchange rate at each balance sheet date for assets and liabilities and an appropriate average exchange rate for each applicable period
within our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Capital accounts are translated at their historical exchange
rates when the capital transactions occurred. The foreign currency translation adjustments are included in accumulated other comprehensive
loss, a separate component of stockholders’ deficit in our consolidated balance sheets. Other exchange gains and losses are reported
within our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Comprehensive
(Loss) Income
Comprehensive
(loss) income includes net (loss) income as currently reported by us, adjusted for other comprehensive items. Other comprehensive items
consist of foreign currency translation gains and losses and unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments that qualify
as hedges.
Advertising
We
expense advertising costs as incurred and include them in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations
and comprehensive loss. Advertising costs were approximately $ 0.5 million and $ 1.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, and
2023, respectively.
Income
Taxes
We
are a corporation subject to income taxes in the United States. Certain subsidiaries of the Operating Company are taxable separately
from us. Our proportional share of the Operating Company’s subsidiaries’ provisions are included in our consolidated financial
statements.
As
of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we hold all the outstanding Common Units in the Operating Company and are the sole member. As a result,
starting in 2023, 100% of the Operating Company’s US and state income and expenses will be included in our US and state tax returns.
Our
deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the tax basis and financial statement amounts that
will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future. We compute deferred balances based on enacted tax laws and applicable
rates for the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is recognized for
deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized. In
making such a determination, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing
taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If we
determine we would be able to realize our deferred tax assets for which a valuation allowance had been recorded, then we would
adjust the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce our provision for income taxes.
We
evaluate the tax positions taken on income tax returns that remain open and positions expected to be taken on the current year tax returns
to identify uncertain tax positions. Unrecognized tax benefits on uncertain tax positions are recorded on the basis of a two-step process
in which (1) we determine whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits
of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the largest amount of tax benefit
that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized is recognized. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recorded
in income tax benefit. We have no uncertain tax positions that qualify for inclusion in our consolidated financial statements. See “Note
11—Income Taxes.”
F- 17
Tax
Receivable Agreement (TRA)
We
entered into the TRA with the Operating Company and each of the members of the Operating Company that provides for the payment by the
Operating Company to the members of 85 % of the amount of tax benefits, if any, that we may actually realize (or in some circumstances
are deemed to realize) as a result of (i) increases in tax basis resulting from any future redemptions that are funded by us or exchanges
of Common Units as described above in “Note 1—Business Operations and Organization” and (ii) certain other tax benefits
attributable to payments made under the TRA.
We
compute annual tax benefits by calculating the income taxes due, including such tax benefits, and the income taxes due without such benefits.
The Operating Company expects to benefit from the remaining 15 % of any tax benefits that it may actually realize. The TRA payments are
not conditioned upon any continued ownership interest in the Operating Company. The rights of each noncontrolling interest holder under
the TRA are assignable to transferees of its interest in the Operating Company. The timing and amount of aggregate payments due under
the TRA may vary based on a number of factors, including the amount and timing of the taxable income the Operating Company generates
each year and the applicable tax rate.
We
periodically evaluate the realizability of the deferred tax assets resulting from the exchange of Common Units for our Class A common
stock. If the deferred tax assets are determined to be realizable, we then assess whether payment of amounts under the TRA have become
probable. If so, we record a TRA liability equal to 85% of such deferred tax assets. In subsequent periods, we assess the realizability
of all of deferred tax assets subject to the TRA. If we determine that a deferred tax asset with a valuation allowance is realizable
in a subsequent period, the related valuation allowance will be released and consideration of a corresponding TRA liability will be assessed.
The realizability of deferred tax assets, including those subject to the TRA, is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income
during the periods in which those deferred tax assets become deductible and consideration of prudent and feasible tax-planning strategies.
The
measurement of the TRA is accounted for as a contingent liability. Therefore, once we determine that a payment to a member of the Operating
Company has become probable and can be estimated, the estimated payment will be accrued. See “Note 11—Income Taxes.”
Revenue
Recognition
Revenues
from the sale of our merchandise are recognized at a point in time when control of merchandise is transferred to the customer. Revenue
is measured based on the amount of consideration expected to be received in exchange for those goods or services, reduced by promotional
discounts and estimates for return allowances and refunds. Taxes collected from customers for remittance to governmental authorities
are excluded from net sales.
Revenue
is generated primarily from the sale of finished products to customers, whereby each product unit represents a single performance obligation.
Revenue is recognized from product sales when the customer has obtained control of the products, which is either at point of sale or
delivery to the customer, depending upon the specific terms and conditions of the arrangement, or at the point of sale for our retail
store sales. We provide no warranty on products sold. Product warranty is provided by the manufacturers. For certain product offerings
we may receive a deposit from the customer (generally 25 % - 50 % of the total order cost, but the amount can vary by customer contract)
when an order is placed by a customer. We typically complete these orders within one to six months from the date of order, depending
on the complexity of the customization and the size of the order, but the completion timeline can vary by product type and terms of sales
with each customer. See “Note 8—Supplemental Financial Statement Information” for a summary of changes to our customer
deposits liability balance during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Product
returns are estimated based on historical experience and recorded as a refund liability that reduces the net sales for the period. Actual
historical returns, current economic trends and changes in order volume are analyzed when evaluating the adequacy of sales returns allowances
in any reporting period. Liability for returns, which is included within “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities”
in the consolidated balance sheets, was approximately $ 0.1 million and $ 0.1 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. There
were no liabilities related to refunds as of December 31, 2024.
We
elected to account for shipping and handling expenses that occur after the customer has obtained control of products as a fulfillment
activity in cost of sales. Shipping and handling fees charged to customers are included in net sales upon completion of our performance
obligations. We apply the practical expedient provided for by the applicable revenue recognition guidance by not adjusting the transaction
price for significant financing components for periods less than one year. We also apply the practical expedient provided by the applicable
revenue recognition guidance based upon which we generally expense sales commissions when incurred because the amortization period is
one year or less. Sales commissions are recorded within “Salaries, benefits and payroll tax expenses” in the consolidated
statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
F- 18
The
Company transitioned to a commission revenue model for the majority of the sales of industrial vaporizers and packaging products. The
company operates as a sales agent servicing vape customers and receives a commission for these services. The company was previously working
directly with these customers and recognizing gross revenue versus straight commission revenue. The Company recognizes this fee on a
periodic basis when the products have been shipped for the end consumer. In working with their partner, the Company is not responsible
for fulfilling a promise to provide the specified goods, does not establish the pricing with its partners customers, and does not have
control over the goods that will be shipped. As such, the Company is an agent and recognizes its revenue on a net basis for its service.
The partner company pays Greenlane a negotiated percentage-based fee on a quarterly basis.
Two
customers represented approximately 32 %
our net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024. One customer represented approximately 21 % of our net sales for the year ended
December 31, 2023 . As of December 31, 2024 the Company had no customers make up more than 5 %
of its accounts receivable balance. As of December 31, 2023 the Company has a concentration of credit risk with its accounts
receivable balance as one customer represented approximately 11 %
of accounts receivable.
Value
Added Taxes
During
the third quarter of 2020, as part of a global tax strategy review, we determined that our European subsidiaries based in the Netherlands,
which we acquired on September 30, 2019, had historically collected and remitted value added tax (“VAT”) payments, which
related to direct-to-consumer sales to other European Union (“EU”) member states, directly to the Dutch tax authorities.
In connection with our subsidiaries’ payment of VAT to Dutch tax authorities rather than other EU member states, we may become
subject to civil or criminal enforcement actions in certain EU jurisdictions, which could result in penalties.
We
performed an analysis of the VAT overpayments to the Dutch tax authorities, which we expected to be refunded to us, and VAT payable
to other EU member states, including potential fines and penalties. Based on this analysis, we recorded VAT payable of approximately
$ 0.4
million relating to this matter within “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities” in our consolidated balance
sheet as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Pursuant
to the purchase and sale agreement by which we acquired our European subsidiaries, the sellers are required to indemnify us against certain
specified matters and losses, including any and all liabilities, claims, penalties and costs incurred or sustained by the Company in
connection with non-compliance with tax laws in relation to activities of the sellers. The indemnity (or indemnification receivable)
is limited to an amount equal to the purchase price under the purchase and sale agreement.
As
noted above, we have voluntarily disclosed VAT owed to several relevant tax authorities in the EU member states, and believe in doing
so we will reduce our liability for penalties and interest. Nonetheless, we may incur expenses in future periods related to such matters,
including litigation costs and other expenses to defend our position. The outcome of such matters is inherently unpredictable and subject
to significant uncertainties. Refer to “Note 7—Commitments and Contingencies” for additional discussion regarding our
contingencies.
Net
Loss Per Share
Basic
net loss per share of Class A common stock is computed by dividing net loss attributable to Greenlane by the weighted-average number
of shares of Class A common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share of Class A common stock is computed by dividing
net loss attributable to Greenlane by the weighted-average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding adjusted to give effect
to potentially dilutive elements. See “Note 9—Stockholders’ Equity - Net Loss Per Share.”
Recently
Adopted Accounting Guidance
In
June 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions ,
which clarifies that a contractual sale restriction prohibiting the sale of an equity security is a characteristic of the reporting entity
holding the equity security and is not included in the equity security’s unit of account. This standard is effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted. Adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our
consolidated financial statements.
In
November 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2023-07 – Segment Reporting – Improvements to Reportable Segment
Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”). We adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2023-07, which enhances disclosures required for operating segments. ASU
2023-07 expands public entities’ segment disclosures by requiring disclosure of significant segment expenses that are regularly
provided to the chief operating decision maker and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, an amount and description
of its composition for other segment items, and interim disclosures of a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets. All disclosure
requirements of ASU 2023-07 are required for entities with a single reportable segment. Refer to Note 12 in the Notes to the Consolidated
Financial Statements.
F- 19
Recently
Issued Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted
In
December 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”
(“ASU 2023-09”) , amending existing income tax disclosure guidance, primarily requiring more detailed disclosure for income
taxes paid and the effective tax rate reconciliation. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December
15, 2024, with early adoption permitted and can be applied on either a prospective or retrospective basis. We are currently evaluating
the effect of adopting ASU 2023-09 on our income tax disclosures.
In
November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures,
(Subtopic 220-40) (“ASU 2024-03”). ASU 2024-03 improves disclosures regarding the types of expenses included in commonly
presented expense captions, including disaggregating the amounts of employee compensation, depreciation and amortization included within
each income statement expense caption. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods
within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its consolidated
financial statements and disclosures.
NOTE
3. BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSITIONS
EU
Subsidiary Purchase Agreement
In
May 2024, the Company entered into an agreement with a group of individuals to sell 100 %
equity interests of one of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, Shavita B.V. and substantially all of the assets of ARI
Logistics B.V. As of the December 31, 2024, the close of the transaction is in dispute as there was pending consideration
obligations due to be transferred to the Company not met, as well as other monetary obligations of the purchasers that remain
unsatisfied. As a result the Company did not record a sale of the business under ASC 805. Business Combinations . The Company
intends to vigorously pursue its claims against Shavita and the purchaser group. As of December 31, 2024, the Company continues to run the operations. ARI Logistics, B.V. and Shavita B.V. represented 16.7 % of the Company’s
total net sales in 2024.
F- 20
NOTE
4. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
Assets
and Liabilities that are Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The
carrying amounts for certain of our financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and certain accrued
expenses and other assets and liabilities, approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments.
As
of December 31, 2023, we had contingent consideration that is required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis.
SCHEDULE
OF FAIR VALUE, LIABILITIES MEASURED ON RECURRING BASIS
Our
financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows at the dates indicated:
(in thousands)
Caption
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
Fair Value at December 31, 2023
(in thousands)
Caption
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - current
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
$ —
$ —
$ 1,000
$ 1,000
Total Liabilities
$ —
$ —
$ 1,000
$ 1,000
There
were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 and no transfers to or from Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy during the years ended
December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Contingent
Consideration
Each
period we revalue our contingent consideration obligations associated with business acquisitions to their fair value. The estimate of
the fair value of Product Launch Contingent Payments using a form of the scenario-based method, which includes significant unobservable
inputs such as management’s identification of probability-weighted outcomes and a risk-adjusted discount rate over the earn-out
period. Significant increases or decreases in these inputs could result in a significantly lower or higher fair value measurement of
the contingent consideration liability. Changes in the fair value of contingent consideration are included within “Other income
(expense), net” in our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
F- 21
A
reconciliation of our liabilities that are measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs
(Level 3) for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 is as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF FAIR VALUE, LIABILITIES MEASURED ON RECURRING BASIS UNOBSERVABLE INPUT RECONCILIATION
(in thousands)
Contingent Consideration
Balance, December 31, 2022
$ 2,738
Cash payments for earn contingent consideration
( 350 )
Transfer to notes payable
( 1,650 )
Loss from fair value adjustments included in results of operations
262
Balance, December 31, 2023
$ 1,000
Gain from fair value adjustments included in results of operations
( 1,000 )
Balance, December 31, 2024
$ —
Equity
Securities Without a Readily Determinable Fair Value
Our
investment in equity securities without readily determinable fair value consists of ownership interest in Airgraft Inc. We determined
that our ownership interests do not provide the Company with significant influence over the operations of this investment. Accordingly,
we account for our investment in this entity as equity securities.
Airgraft
Inc. is a private entity and their equity securities do not have a readily determinable fair value. We elected to measure these
equity securities under the measurement alternative election at cost minus impairment, if any, with adjustments through earnings for
observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. We did not identify any
fair value adjustments related to these equity securities during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
As
of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the carrying value of our investment in equity securities without a readily determinable fair value was
approximately $ 1.9 million, included within “Other assets” in our consolidated balance sheets.
NOTE
5. LEASES
Greenlane
as a Lessee
As
of December 31, 2024, we had facilities financed under operating leases consisting of a warehouses and offices, with lease term expirations
in 2026. Lease terms are generally three to seven years for warehouses and office space. Our lease agreements do not contain any material
residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
F- 22
The
following table provides details of our future minimum lease payments under operating lease liabilities recorded in our consolidated
balance sheet as of December 31, 2024. The table below does not include commitments that are contingent on events or other factors that
are currently uncertain or unknown.
SCHEDULE
OF LESSEE OPERATING LEASE LIABILITY MATURITY
(in thousands)
Operating Leases
2025
$ 942
2026
81
2027
—
2028
—
2029 and thereafter
—
Total minimum lease payments
$ 1,023
Less: imputed interest
14
Present value of minimum lease payments
1,009
Less: current portion
926
Long-term portion
$ 83
Rent
expense under operating leases was approximately $ 1.4 million and $ 2.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The
following expenses related to our operating leases were included in “general and administrative expenses” within our consolidated
statements of operations and comprehensive loss:
SCHEDULE
OF LEASE COST
(in thousands)
2024
2023
For the year ended December 31,
(in thousands)
2024
2023
Operating lease cost
$ 912
$ 1,613
Variable lease cost
440
461
Total lease cost
$ 1,352
$ 2,074
The
table below presents the terms and discount rates of the Company’s operating leases as of December 31, 2024:
2024
2023
Weighted average remaining lease terms
1.0 years
1.9 years
Weighted average discount rate
2.3 %
2.2 %
NOTE
6. DEBT
Our
debt balance, excluding operating lease liabilities and finance lease liabilities, consisted of the following amounts at the dates indicated:
SCHEDULE
OF DEBT
(in thousands)
2024
2023
As of December 31,
(in thousands)
2024
2023
Future Receivables Financing
—
2,174
Secured Bridge Loan
—
5,109
Secured Bridge Loan 2
3,674
—
Secured Bridge Loan 3
4,000
—
Loan
4,000
—
Total long term debt
7,674
7,283
Less unamortized debt issuance costs
—
—
Less current portion of debt
( 7,674 )
( 7,283 )
Debt, net, excluding operating and finance leases and liabilities
$ —
$ —
F- 23
Future
Receivables Financings
In
July, August, October, and November 2023, the Company received an aggregate of approximately $ 3.9 million in cash pursuant to the terms
of future receivables financings (collectively, the “Future Receivables Financings”) entered into with two private lenders
the “Future Receivables Financings”). During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company’s financings were in a series
of transactions refinanced as they were not able to make the proscribed monthly payments for the repayment of cash advances. As such
the refinancings and the payment schedule was restructured and the total balance increased to $ 4.6 million which included deferred financing
fees of approximately $ 2.8 million.
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, the Future Receivables Financings were purchased by the Senior Subordinated Lender and paid down to
$ 0 during the October 29, 2024 restructuring.
On
October 29, 2024, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement with its Senior Subordinated Lender, whereby the Company agreed to exchange
an aggregate of $ 4,617,307 of debt originally owed to Agile Capital Funding LLC and Cedar Advance LLC in a 3(a)(9) exchange for new Senior
Subordinated Notes in the principal amount of $ 4,000,000 due one year from issuance (the “Exchange Note”), reducing outstanding
indebtedness by approximately $ 617,000 . The Exchange Note is convertible at the option of the holder at $ 3.17 per share. In connection
with the Exchange, the Company issued an aggregate of 1,261,830 five year warrants with an exercise price of $ 3.04 per share (the “Exchange
Warrants”).
The
Company evaluated the Exchange Agreement under ASC 470-50, Debt – Modifications and Extinguishment. As a result, the Company determined
that the Exchange Agreement should be accounted for as an extinguishment and the Company recorded the Exchange Agreement debt instrument
at fair value which included the consideration in common stock warrants transferred. The resulting loss on extinguishment of $ 2.0 million
is included in loss on extinguishment of debt in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31,
2024.
As
noted above, the Company issued 1,261,830 common stock warrants which were deemed to classified as equity as the warrants were exercisable
for a fixed price of $ 3.04 and for a fixed number of shares with no potential for cash redemption. The Company determines the value of
the warrants using an appr
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