RYTHM, Inc. 10-K

Item 1A. Risk Factors. Investing in our Common Stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes, before making a decision to invest in our Common Stock. The risks and uncertainties described below may not be the only ones we face. If any of the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our Common Stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. Risks Related to Our Business We have a relatively short operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects . We have a relatively short operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects. We have been in existence since June 2016 and much of our revenue growth occurred during 2021 and 2022, with a decrease of revenues noted in 2023 and 2024. In addition, we have entered into a new line of business following the acquisition of Señorita, which has a limited operating history and have discontinued our Cultivation business. We have encountered, and will continue to encounter, risks and difficulties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries, including those related to: ● market acceptance of our current and future products and services; ● changing regulatory environments and costs associated with compliance, particularly as related to our operations in the cannabis- and hemp-related sectors; ● our ability to compete with other companies offering similar products and services; ● our ability to effectively market our products and services and attract new customers; ● the amount and timing of operating expenses, particularly sales and marketing expenses, related to the maintenance and expansion of our business, operations, and infrastructure; ● our ability to control costs, including operating expenses; ● our ability to manage organic growth and growth fueled by acquisitions; ● public perception and acceptance of cannabis- and hemp-related products and services generally; and ● general economic conditions and events. If we do not manage these risks successfully, our business and financial performance will be adversely affected. We may require additional financing to achieve our goals, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, may force us to delay, limit, reduce, or terminate our product manufacturing and development, and other operations. At December 31, 2024, we had approximately $31.2 million of cash and cash equivalents. Our operating plan may change because of factors currently unknown to us, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Even if we are able to substantially increase revenue and reduce operational expenditures, we may need to raise additional capital, either through borrowings, private offerings, public offerings, or some type of business combination, such as a merger or buyout, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in such pursuits. Accordingly, if we are unable to generate adequate cash from operations, and if we are unable to find sources of funding, it may be necessary for us to sell one or more lines of business or all or a portion of our assets, enter into a business combination, or reduce or eliminate operations. These possibilities, to the extent available, may be on terms that result in significant dilution to our shareholders or that result in our investors losing all of their investment in our company. 6 If we are able to raise additional capital, we do not know what the terms of any such capital raising would be. In addition, any future sale of our equity securities would dilute the ownership and control of investors’ shares and could be at prices substantially below prices at which our shares currently trade. Our inability to raise capital could require us to significantly curtail or terminate our operations. We may seek to increase our cash reserves through the sale of additional equity or debt securities. The sale of convertible debt securities or additional equity securities could result in additional and potentially substantial dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations and liquidity, and ability to pay dividends. In addition, our ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms is subject to a variety of uncertainties. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any failure to raise additional funds on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition. We face risks associated with strategic acquisitions. Since our inception, we have strategically acquired several businesses, and plan to continue to make strategic acquisitions, some of which may be material. These acquisitions may involve a number of financial, accounting, managerial, operational, legal, compliance, and other risks and challenges, including the following, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations: ● any acquired business could under-perform relative to our expectations and the price that we paid for it, or not perform in accordance with its anticipated timetable; ● we may incur or assume significant debt in connection with our acquisitions; ● acquisitions could cause our results of operations to differ from our own or the investment community’s expectations in any given period, or over the long term; and ● acquisitions could create demands on our management that they may be unable to effectively address, or for which we may incur additional costs. Additionally, following any business acquisition, we could experience difficulty in integrating personnel, operations, financial and other systems, and in retaining key employees and customers. We may record goodwill and other intangible assets on our consolidated balance sheet in connection with our acquisitions. If we are not able to realize the value of these assets, we may be required to incur charges relating to the impairment of these assets, which could materially impact our results of operations. There can be no assurance that our current and future strategic alliances or expansions of scope of existing relationships will have a beneficial impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We currently have, and may in the future enter into, additional strategic alliances with third parties that we believe will complement or augment our existing business. In particular, we currently rely on Green Thumb for significant legal, accounting and operational support through a shared services agreement. Our ability to complete strategic alliances is dependent upon, and may be limited by, the availability of suitable candidates and capital. In addition, strategic alliances could present unforeseen integration obstacles or costs, may not enhance our business and may involve risks that could adversely affect us, including significant amounts of management time that may be diverted from operations in order to pursue and complete such transactions or maintain such strategic alliances. Future strategic alliances could result in the incurrence of additional debt, costs and contingent liabilities, and there can be no assurance that future strategic alliances will achieve, or that our existing strategic alliances will continue to achieve, the expected benefits to our business or that we will be able to consummate future strategic alliances on satisfactory terms, if at all. Termination of any strategic alliances, including our shared services agreement with Green Thumb, could significantly disrupt our business. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 7 Past and potential future divestitures or other transactions could adversely affect our costs, revenues, profitability and financial position. In order to position our business to take advantage of particular future growth opportunities and/or consolidate our more capable businesses, we have in the past and may in the future pursue a strategy of focusing on one or more specialized facets of our products and services. These actions may require that we abandon or divest certain assets or businesses that no longer fit within our evolving strategic direction, as we did with the sale of our cultivation business. Abandoning or divesting certain assets or businesses may entail engaging in discussions, evaluating opportunities and entering into agreements, potentially resulting in transactions involving significant risks and uncertainties that could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We may not be able to find potential buyers on favorable terms, we may experience disruption to our business and/or we may divert management attention from other business concerns, lose key employees and possibly retain certain liabilities related to these potential transactions. We have substantial debt and other financial obligations, and we may incur even more debt. Any failure to meet our debt and other financial obligations or maintain compliance with related covenants could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations. On November 5, 2024, we issued the Note to the Investor, a subsidiary of Green Thumb for up to $20.0 million in original principal amount, of which $10.0 million has been loaned by the Investor to date. The Note is a secured obligation and ranks senior to all of our current indebtedness. The Note will mature on November 5, 2025 and accrues interest at a rate of 10% per annum. The Note imposes certain customary affirmative and negative covenants upon us, as well as covenants that restrict us and our subsidiaries from incurring any additional indebtedness or suffering any liens, subject to specified exceptions, and restrict the declaration of any dividends or other distributions, subject to specified exceptions. If we are not in compliance with certain of these covenants, in addition to other actions the Investor may require, the amounts outstanding under the Note may become immediately due and payable. This immediate payment may negatively impact our financial condition. In addition, any failure to make scheduled payments of interest and principal on our outstanding indebtedness would likely harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness on acceptable terms. Our cash flow and capital resources may be insufficient to pay interest and principal on our debt in the future. If that should occur, our capital raising or debt restructuring measures may be unsuccessful or inadequate to meet our scheduled debt service obligations, which could cause us to default on our obligations and further impair our liquidity. Our ability to make scheduled payments on our debt and other financial obligations depends on our financial and operating performance. Our financial and operating performance will continue to be subject to prevailing economic conditions and to financial, business, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. Failure within any applicable grace or cure periods to make such payments, or comply with any covenant, would create a default under the Notes. Our cash flow and existing capital resources may be insufficient to repay our debt at maturity, in which case we would have to extend such maturity date, or otherwise repay, refinance, and/or restructure the obligations under the Note, including with proceeds from the sale of assets, and additional equity or debt capital. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining such extension, or entering into such repayment, refinance, or restructure prior to maturity, or any other default existed under the Note, the Investor could accelerate the indebtedness under the Note, foreclose against its collateral, or seek other remedies, which would jeopardize our ability to continue our current operations. 8 We are dependent on key inputs and suppliers; and fluctuations in the cost or availability of materials we use in our products and supply chain could negatively affect our results. Our business is dependent on a number of key inputs and their related costs, including raw materials, parts and supplies. Any significant interruption or negative change in the availability or economics of the supply chain for key inputs could materially impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Some of these inputs may only be available from a single supplier or a limited group of suppliers, or be sourced abroad. If a sole source supplier was to go out of business, we might be unable to find a replacement for such source in a timely manner, or at all. If a sole source supplier were to be acquired by a competitor, that competitor may elect not to sell to us in the future. Manufacturing delays or unexpected transportation delays, particularly from materials we source abroad, can also cause us to incur significantly increased costs. Any of these fluctuations may increase our cost of products and have an adverse effect on our profit margins, results of operations and financial condition. Any inability to secure required supplies and services, or to do so on appropriate terms, could have a materially adverse impact on our business, prospects, revenue, results of operations and financial condition. Our sales are difficult to forecast. Market data for the industries in which we operate is limited and unreliable. We must rely largely on our own market research to forecast sales, as detailed forecasts are not generally obtainable from other sources. Additionally, any market research and our projections of estimated total retail sales, demographics, demand and similar consumer research, are based on assumptions from limited and unreliable market data and a rapidly evolving market. A failure in the demand for our products to materialize as a result of competition, technological change, failure of states to enforce regulations, state or federal adoption of new regulations or enforcement of regulations previously not enforced, or other factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We may be subject to growth-related risks. We may be subject to growth-related risks, including capacity constraints and pressure on our internal systems and controls. Our ability to manage growth effectively will require us to continue to implement and improve our operational and financial systems and to expand, train and manage our employees and contractors. Our inability to deal with this growth may have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenue, results of operation and financial condition. We rely on third parties for certain products sold to our customers, which could limit our control over the quality of the products . The products sold by our Señorita business are co-manufactured by third parties. We do not typically have any direct control over these third-party co-manufacturers. These third-party co-manufacturers could experience quality control issues, equipment problems, data loss, and other events relating to the products they produce that could impact the quality of those products. Should the third-party co-manufacturers we rely upon not deliver at standards we expect and desire, acceptance of our products could suffer, which would have an adverse effect on our business and financial performance. Further, we cannot be assured of entering into agreements with such third-party co-manufacturers on economically favorable terms. We face an inherent risk of product liability and similar claims. As a producer and distributor of products designed to be ingested by humans, we face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims, regulatory action and litigation if our products are alleged to have failed to meet expected standards or to have caused significant loss or injury. In addition, the sale of our products involves the risk of injury to consumers due to tampering by unauthorized third parties or product contamination. Previously unknown adverse reactions resulting from human consumption of our products alone or in combination with other medications or substances could occur. We may be subject to various product liability claims, including, among others, that our products caused injury, illness or death, include inadequate instructions for use or include inadequate warnings concerning possible side effects or interactions with other substances. As an agricultural product, the quality of hemp is inherently variable, and consumers may raise claims that our quality control or labeling processes have not sufficiently ensured that our grown and manufactured processes are sufficient to meet expected standards. A product liability claim or regulatory action against us could result in increased costs, could adversely affect our reputation with our clients and consumers generally and 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 our potential products. 9 Our products may be subject to product recalls. Manufacturers, distributors and retailers of products are sometimes subject to the recall or return of their products for a variety of reasons, including product defects, such as contamination, unintended harmful side effects or interactions with other substances, packaging safety and inadequate or inaccurate labeling disclosure. If any of our products or products sold at our retail stores are recalled due to an alleged product defect or for any other reason, we could be required to incur the unexpected expense of the recall and any legal proceedings that might arise in connection with the recall. We may lose a significant amount of sales and may not be able to replace those sales at an acceptable margin, if at all. In addition, a product recall may require significant management attention. There can be no assurance that any quality, potency or contamination problems will be detected in time to avoid unforeseen product recalls, regulatory action or lawsuits. Additionally, if any of our brands were subject to recall, our image and the image of that brand could be harmed. A recall for any of the foregoing reasons could lead to decreased demand for our products and could have a material adverse effect on the results of our operations and financial condition. Additionally, product recalls may lead to increased scrutiny of our operations by the FDA, or other regulatory agencies, requiring further management attention and potential legal fees and other expenses. The growth and success of our business depends on the continued contributions of personnel employed by Green Thumb, as well as our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel . Our growth and success are dependent upon the continued contributions made by our Chairman of the Board and Interim Chief Executive Officer, Benjamin Kovler, and by other individuals who are employees of Green Thumb and who provide services to us under a shared services agreement. We rely on Mr. Kovler’s expertise in business operations and the cannabis and hemp industries when we are developing or acquiring new products and services. If Mr. Kovler cannot serve us or is no longer willing to do so, or if Green Thumb no longer provides personnel support to us under the shared services agreement, we may not be able to find alternatives in a timely manner or at all. This may have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, our growth and success will depend to a significant extent on our ability to identify, attract, hire, train and retain qualified professional, creative, technical and managerial personnel. Competition for experience and qualified talent can be intense. We may not be successful in identifying, attracting, hiring, training and retaining such personnel in the future. If we are unable to hire, assimilate and retain qualified personnel in the future, such inability could adversely affect our operations. We rely on third parties, including our largest shareholder, to provide numerous capabilities that we depend upon on to operate, and a disruption of these systems could adversely affect our business. We are dependent on vendors and third-party providers, including the services of the employees of Green Thumb, our largest shareholder, under shared services agreements. A serious disruption to any of these could significantly limit our ability to serve our customers. The failure of one or more such providers to provide the expected services, provide them on a timely basis or provide them at the prices we expect, or otherwise meet our performance standards and expectations (including with respect to data security, compliance and data privacy and protection laws) may adversely affect our business. Further, if we found it necessary to replace any such service provider, disruptions arising from the transition of functions to an alternative provider, or the costs developing our own functions if we were unable to find an alternate provider, may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Any disruption could cause adversely impact our results of operations and the trading price of our Common Stock. 10 Protecting and defending against intellectual property claims may have a material adverse effect on our business . Our ability to compete depends, in part, upon the successful protection of our intellectual property relating to our Señorita product line and our extraction products. We seek to protect our proprietary and intellectual property rights through patent applications, common law copyright and trademark laws, nondisclosure agreements, and non-disclosure provisions within our licensing and distribution arrangements with reputable companies in our target markets. Enforcement of our intellectual property rights would be costly, and there can be no assurance that we will have the resources to undertake all necessary action to protect our intellectual property rights or that we will be successful. Any infringement of our material intellectual property rights could require us to redirect resources to actions necessary to protect same and could distract management from our underlying business operations. An infringement of our material intellectual property rights and resulting actions could adversely affect our operations. It is possible that, for any of our patents that may issue in the future, our competitors may design their products around our patented technologies. Further, we cannot assure shareholders that other parties will not challenge any patents granted to us, or that courts or regulatory agencies will hold our patents to be valid, enforceable, and/or infringed. We cannot guarantee shareholders that we will be successful in defending challenges made against our patents and patent applications. Any successful third-party challenge or challenges to our patents could result in the unenforceability or invalidity of such patents, or such patents being interpreted narrowly and/or in a manner adverse to our interests. Our ability to establish or maintain a technological or competitive advantage over our competitors and/or market entrants may be diminished because of these uncertainties. For these and other reasons, our intellectual property may not provide us with any competitive advantage. To the extent our intellectual property offers inadequate protection, or is found to be invalid or unenforceable, we would be exposed to a greater risk of direct or indirect competition. If our intellectual property does not provide adequate coverage over our competitors’ products, our competitive position could be adversely affected, as could our business. Our success depends in part upon our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property . Our success depends in part upon our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. To establish and protect our proprietary rights, we rely on a combination of trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret and unfair competition laws of the U.S. and other countries, as well as contract provisions, license agreements, confidentiality procedures, non-disclosure agreements with third parties, employee disclosure and invention assignment agreements, and other contractual rights, as well as procedures governing internet/domain name registrations. However, there can be no assurance that these measures will be successful in any given case. We may be unable to prevent the misappropriation, infringement or violation of our intellectual property rights, breach of any contractual obligations to us, or independent development of intellectual property that is similar to ours, any of which could reduce or eliminate any competitive advantage we have developed, adversely affecting our revenues or otherwise harming our business. We generally control access to and use of our proprietary technology and other confidential information through the use of internal and external controls, including contractual protections with employees, contractors, customers, and partners, and our software is protected by U.S. copyright laws. Despite efforts to protect our proprietary rights through intellectual property laws, licenses, and confidentiality agreements, unauthorized parties may still copy or otherwise obtain and use our technology. Companies frequently enter into litigation based on allegations of infringement, misappropriation, or violations of intellectual property rights or other laws. From time to time, we may face allegations that we have infringed the trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights of third parties, including competitors. If it became necessary for us to resort to litigation to protect these rights, any proceedings could be burdensome, costly and divert the attention of our personnel, and we may not prevail. In addition, any repeal or weakening of laws or enforcement in the U.S. or internationally intended to protect intellectual property rights could make it more difficult for us to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, negatively impacting their value and increasing the cost of enforcing our rights. We have obtained and applied for U.S. trademark and service mark registrations and will continue to evaluate the registration of additional trademarks and service marks or, as appropriate. We cannot guarantee that any of our pending trademark applications will be approved by the applicable governmental authorities. Moreover, even if the trademark applications are approved, third parties may seek to oppose or otherwise challenge these registrations. A failure to obtain registrations for our trademarks could limit and impede our marketing efforts. 11 We may need to enter into intellectual property license agreements in the future, and if we are unable to obtain these licenses, our business could be harmed . We may need or may choose to obtain licenses and/or acquire intellectual property rights from third parties in connection with our current or future products and brands. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses or intellectual property rights on commercially reasonable terms. Even if we are able to obtain a license, it may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to develop or license replacement technology. If we are unable to do so, we may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected products, which could materially harm our business and the third parties owning such intellectual property rights could seek either an injunction prohibiting our sales, or, with respect to our sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation. Our ability to use our net operating losses to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations . As of December 31, 2024, we had net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes which may be available to offset taxable income in future years. Approximately $0.7 million of federal NOLs will expire if not utilized by 2036 and approximately $193.0 million of federal NOLs carryforward indefinitely. State net operating loss carryforwards in the amount of $115.8 million begin expiring in 2039 and approximately $12.8 million have an indefinite life. A lack of future taxable income would adversely affect our ability to utilize these NOLs before they expire. The utilization of our NOLs could be subject to annual limitations under Section 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC” or the “Code”) of 1986, and similar state tax provisions due to ownership change limitations that may have occurred previously or that could occur in the future. In general, under Section 382, a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” (as defined under Section 382 of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations) is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change NOLs to offset its future taxable income. As of December 31, 2024, we have not conducted an analysis of an ownership change under Section 382. To the extent that a study is completed, and an ownership change is deemed to occur, in the past or future, our NOLs and any NOLs of companies that we have acquired could be limited to offset any future taxable income. There is also a risk that due to regulatory changes, such as suspensions on the use of NOLs or other unforeseen reasons, our existing NOLs could expire or otherwise be unavailable to reduce future income tax liabilities for federal and state income tax purposes. For these reasons, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOLs, even if we attain profitability, which could result in increased future tax liability to us and could adversely affect the results of our operations and overall financial condition. Failure by our co-manufacturers to comply with food safety, environmental or other laws and regulations, or with the specifications and requirements of our products, may disrupt our supply of products and adversely affect our business. If any of our suppliers or co-manufacturers fail to comply with food safety, environmental, health and safety or other laws and regulations, or face allegations of non-compliance, their operations may be disrupted and our reputation could be harmed. Additionally, our suppliers and co-manufacturers are required to maintain the quality of our products and to comply with our standards and specifications. In the event of actual or alleged non-compliance, we might be forced to find alternative suppliers or co-manufacturers and we may be subject to lawsuits and/or regulatory enforcement actions related to such non-compliance by the suppliers and co-manufacturers. As a result, our supply of raw materials or finished inventory could be disrupted or our costs could increase, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The failure of any co-manufacturer to produce products that conform to our standards could adversely affect our reputation in the marketplace and result in product recalls, product liability claims, government or third-party actions and economic loss. Additionally, actions we may take to mitigate the impact of any disruption or potential disruption in our supply of raw materials or finished inventory, including increasing inventory in anticipation of a potential supply or production interruption, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. 12 We may not be able to obtain or maintain necessary permits and authorizations. We may not be able to obtain or maintain the necessary licenses, permits, certificates, authorizations or accreditations to operate our business, or may only be able to do so at great cost. In addition, we may not be able to comply fully with the wide variety of laws and regulations applicable to the hemp-derived products industry. Failure to comply with or to obtain the necessary licenses, permits, certificates, authorizations or accreditations could result in restrictions on our ability to operate in the hemp-derived products industry, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We are dependent on the popularity of consumer acceptance of our brand portfolio. Our ability to generate revenue and be successful in the implementation of our business plan is dependent on consumer acceptance of and demand for our products. Acceptance of our products depends on several factors, including availability, cost, ease of use, familiarity of use, convenience, effectiveness, safety and reliability. If customers do not accept our products, or if such products fail to adequately meet customers’ needs and expectations, our ability to continue generating revenues could be reduced. Additional competition and increased product availability may result in competitors undercutting our prices. From time to time, we may need to reduce our prices in response to competitive and customer pressures and to maintain our market share, which could materially reduce our revenues. We are and may continue to be subject to constraints on marketing our products. States have enacted strict regulations regarding marketing and sales activities on hemp-derived products. There may be restrictions on sales and marketing activities imposed by government regulatory bodies that can hinder the development of our business and operating results. Restrictions may include regulations that specify what, where and to whom product information and descriptions may appear and/or be advertised. Marketing, advertising, packaging and labeling regulations also vary from state to state, potentially limiting the consistency and scale of consumer branding communication and product education efforts. The regulatory environment in the U.S. limits our ability to compete for market share in a manner similar to other industries. If we are unable to effectively market our products and compete for market share, or if the costs of compliance with government legislation and regulation cannot be absorbed through increased selling prices for our products, our sales and operating results could be adversely affected. Our business and asset portfolio are not highly diversified by either industry or geographically. If our business and assets underperform, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be negatively impacted. Our current business is focused on extraction solutions and hemp-derived THC beverages. While we may purchase other assets and make investments not limited to the cannabis and hemp industries, we intend to maintain and continue to acquire businesses, licenses and assets. Thus, we have, and are expected to have, limited industry diversity as to asset type and revenue generation. Additionally, our hemp-derived beverage business is geographically concentrated in the states in which such products are permitted, and new federal, state or local regulations, interpretations, or enforcement actions could limit our ability to manufacture and sell hemp-derived beverages. This lack of industry and geographic diversification increases the risk associated with the revenue stream we expect to receive from our businesses and assets and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We face risks related to our products. We have committed and expect to continue committing significant resources and capital to develop and market existing products and new products and services. These products are relatively untested in the marketplace, and we cannot assure shareholders and investors that we will achieve market acceptance for these products, or other new products and services that we may offer in the future, or that our products that achieve market acceptance will be able to maintain that acceptance over time. Moreover, these and other new products and services may be subject to significant competition with offerings by new and existing competitors in the business. In addition, new products and services may pose a variety of challenges. The failure to successfully develop and market these new products and services could seriously harm our business, prospects, revenue, results of operation and financial condition. Hemp-derived products that exceed the limits in the Farm Bill are federally illegal. Any products we may produce or license that are intended to be Farm Bill compliant but exceed the limits of psychoactive material allowable under the Farm Bill could subject us to action by regulatory authorities and/or to lawsuits by consumers, which may have a material adverse effect on us and the trading price of our Common Stock. 13 Risks Relating to our Industry The 2018 Farm Bill, which federally legalized hemp and hemp products, could be amended to severely restrict or prohibit the Company’s hemp-derived THC products. The 2018 Farm Bill, which has been extended through September 30, 2025 without modification, legally defined hemp as Cannabis Sativa L. containing less than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis, effectively legalizing hemp in the United States. The 2018 Farm Bill is the legal basis for the Company’s entry into the hemp-derived THC product market. Legislators have proposed various amendments to the 2018 Farm Bill in the past that would restrict the production and sale these products, none of which have passed. The provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill governing hemp must be renewed by Congress and are subject to amendment during this reauthorization process. On November 16, 2023, former President Biden signed into law H.R. 6363 (the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024) which extended the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2024. While the 2018 Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2024, Congress passed H.R. 9747 on September 25, 2024, which extended federal spending for some of these programs through December 30, 2024. On December 21, 2024, former President Biden signed H.R. 10545 (the American Relief Act), which further extends the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2025, after which it is set to expire. Proposed amendments to the 2018 Farm Bill prior to its expiration could restrict or prohibit altogether the manufacturing and sale of hemp-derived products sold by the Company which would be likely to have a material adverse effect on us and the trading price of our Common Stock. States are passing their own laws regulating, restricting or prohibiting hemp-derived products, creating a difficult regulatory patchwork within which to operate. State and local authorities have been active over the last few years implementing their own laws regulating the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, marketing, and sale of both intoxicating and non-intoxicating hemp products. Some states ban these products altogether. Other state laws permit hemp-derived products but impose new regulatory frameworks containing licensing and labeling requirements, age gates, amount and potency restrictions, allowable types of products, and restricting where the products may be sold. The varied state regulatory framework for hemp products poses risks to manufacturing, marketing, selling, and shipping hemp-derived products around the country, whether wholesale or direct to consumers via online or brick and mortar retail locations. Additionally, hemp legislation is pending at the state level around the country, creating additional risk to the sale and transport of products already produced under existing laws. Unforeseen regulatory obstacles or compliance costs related to state laws may hinder the Company’s ability to successfully compete in some markets for such products. Further, states in which the Company currently sells its hemp-derived products could decide in the future to ban these products altogether. If these regulatory changes occurred, the revenue streams we expect to receive from our businesses and assets would be at risk and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Hemp-derived THC products are not permitted under the FDCA. The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has taken the position that ingestible products over which it has jurisdiction, including foods, beverages, and dietary supplements, that contain cannabinoids such as THC, including hemp-derived delta-9 THC, are not permitted under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). The FDA has not evaluated THC, and therefore does not consider it to be GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) for use in foods, including beverages. The FDA has also found that because THC is in certain drugs approved by FDA, it cannot be used in foods/beverages or dietary supplements. Accordingly, per the FDA, foods/beverages and dietary supplements containing hemp-derived THC do not comply with the FDCA. FDA enforcement of its position has thus far been minimal and limited to sending warning letters to a relatively small number of companies, primarily those claiming to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat, or cure diseases, or who target toward children. The FDA has issued warnings about products that resemble candy or other items appealing to children, emphasizing that such products could pose a risk of unintentional ingestion and potential harm due to the presence of cannabinoids. The FDA may decide in the future to increase enforcement activities, regardless of whether a company has made health claims related to its products or markets to children, which could impact the Company’s offering of hemp-derived THC beverages and materially impact operations and revenue. The FDA could issue new regulations that prohibit or strictly limit the sale of hemp-derived products. The FDA has previously declined to issue regulations for the manufacture and sale of hemp-derived products. For example, in 2023, the FDA denied three citizen petitions asking the FDA to conduct rulemaking to allow the marketing of CBD, another hemp-derived cannabinoid, as dietary supplements. In conjunction with these denials, the FDA has publicly stated that a new regulatory pathway should be created by Congress to regulate CBD and other cannabinoid products. The FDA could nevertheless decide to regulate hemp products in the future. New FDA regulations could materially and negatively impact operations and revenue. New FDA regulations could also require financial investment in additional compliance mechanisms which could impact our profitability and the market price for our Common Stock. Other federal agencies may take enforcement actions against companies selling hemp-derived products. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and FDA frequently collaborate on enforcement where their jurisdictions overlap, particularly in regulating the advertising, labeling, and promotion of food, cosmetics, medical devices, and OTC drugs. In the CBD market, the FTC has joined the FDA in issuing warning letters to companies whose advertisements lacked competent and reliable scientific evidence, thereby violating the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq. The FTC has also independently issued warning letters to CBD companies for making exaggerated or misleading claims without sufficient scientific backing. While FTC enforcement actions related to CBD were historically limited to warnings, in December 2020, the agency initiated its first formal enforcement action against six CBD companies for allegedly making unsupported health claims, leading to settlement agreements that required them to cease such claims and pay monetary judgments. In 2023 and 2024, the FTC sent cease and desist letters to companies marketing hemp-derived THC products that appealed to children. The regulatory landscape and potential for future FTC enforcement actions could pose an ongoing risk to the Company’s offering of hemp-derived THC products. 14 In addition, while the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) has opined that delta-9 THC complies with the Farm Bill, there is no guarantee that it will maintain this position in the future. Hemp-derived products are federally illegal if they exceed 0.3% delta-9-THC on a dry weight basis. Hemp-derived products which exceed a delta-9 THC concentration of 0.3% on a dry weight basis are federally illegal under the Controlled Substances Act (the “CSA”). The CSA classifies cannabis as an illegal Schedule I drug, meaning it is considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Any failure to keep the delta-9-THC in hemp-derived products below 0.3% on a dry weight basis could subject us to action by regulatory authorities and/or to lawsuits by consumers. In addition, the approval of medical and recreational marijuana by many states has created a situation in which it may be difficult or impossible for regulators and courts to determine whether the delta-9-THC levels reflected in consumers’ blood tests are the result of hemp-derived products or marijuana products. This may result in regulatory actions or lawsuits. Certain hemp-derived products may, over time, gradually increase their delta-9-THC or total THC concentration, and this may ultimately cause such products to exceed the applicable concentration level, making such products illegal in certain jurisdictions. If any of these situations occur, the Company may be subject to regulatory action or lawsuits that could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company is subject to regulations that could impact its ability to sell its product internationally. The Company currently sells its products in Canada and may conduct sales in other international markets in the future. Doing so would subject the Company to the laws, regulations, and international treaties of the countries where it operates or engages in trade. Failure to adhere to existing or evolving regulations in any jurisdiction could materially impact the Company’s business. There is also a risk that authorities in these jurisdictions may determine that the Company was or is not in compliance with local laws. If its past or present activities are found to violate such regulations, the Company could face enforcement actions, including civil or criminal penalties, fines, damages, operational restrictions or restructuring, asset seizures, and the denial of regulatory approvals. Third parties with whom we do business may perceive themselves as being exposed to reputational risk because of their relationship with us due to our cannabis and hemp-related business activities and may as a result, refuse to do business with us. The third parties with whom we do business may perceive that they are exposed to reputational risk because of our cannabis and/or hemp-related business activities. Any third-party service provider could suspend or withdraw its services if it perceives that the potential risks exceed the potential benefits of providing such services to us. Specifically, while we have banking relationships and believe that the services can be procured from other institutions, we may, in the future, have difficulty maintaining existing or securing new bank accounts or clearing services. Our failure to establish or maintain business relationships could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We face competition from the illicit market as well as larger competitors and licensed medical and adult use cannabis dispensaries. The U.S. cannabis industry is, and is expected to continue to be, competitive. A number of other companies engage in, and may in the future engage in, cannabis-related businesses, operate businesses in competition with us and purchase businesses and assets or make investments that we will also seek to purchase or make. We face and expect to continue to face competition from state-licensed medical and adult-use dispensaries. Large chain stores, manufacturers, retailers, beverage and other consumer products companies that also recognize the potential for financial success through acquisitions and investment in the hemp-derived beverage industry could strategically acquire competitors or invest in creating their own brands. In doing so, these larger competitors could produce and sell competing products at a lower price and establish a larger brand presence. We may not have the personnel, products, marketing and distribution capabilities, and/or financial resources to compete effectively against such larger competitors. We also face competition from the illicit market and illegal dispensaries and cultivation operations that are unlicensed, not regulated and that are selling cannabis or hemp products. Any inability or unwillingness of law enforcement authorities to enforce existing laws prohibiting the unlicensed production and sale of cannabis or hemp products could result in increased competition for us. Any or all these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 15 Inconsistent public opinion and perception of the cannabis and hemp industries may hinder market growth and state regulation, which would adversely impact our growth plans and current operations and result in an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Public opinion and support for cannabis and hemp-derived products has traditionally been inconsistent and varies from state to state. While public opinion and support appears to be rising generally in the U.S. for legalizing cannabis and loosening limitations of hemp-derived products, it remains a controversial issue subject to differing opinions surrounding the level of legalization. Inconsistent public opinion and perception of cannabis and hemp hinders growth of the cannabis and hemp industries, which could have a material adverse effect on our business plans, financial condition and results of operations. Consumer perception of our products may be significantly influenced by scientific research or findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention and other publicity regarding the consumption of cannabis and hemp-derived products. There can be no assurance that future scientific research, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other research findings or publicity will be favorable to the cannabis or hemp markets or any particular product, or consistent with earlier publicity. Future research reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity that is perceived as less favorable than, or questions earlier research reports, findings or publicity could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products. Our dependence upon consumer perceptions means that such adverse reports, whether or not accurate or with merit, could ultimately have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Further, adverse publicity reports or other media attention regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of cannabis or hemp-derived products in general, or our products specifically, or associating the consumption of cannabis or hemp-derived products with illness or other negative effects or events, could have such a material adverse effect. A failure or alleged failure of quality control processes and procedures could result in negative consumer perception of our products or legal claims against us. Adverse publicity reports or other media attention could arise even if the adverse effects associated with such products resulted from consumers’ failure to consume such products appropriately or as directed. Hemp-derived products may be shown to have negative health and/or safety impacts upon consumers The health and safety impacts of hemp-derived products have not yet been established via traditional scientific and/or clinical studies. The FDA appears to believe that certain hemp-derived products may have significant adverse health impacts upon human beings, especially in regard to potential liver toxicity or liver damage. If the FDA, scientific research and/or clinical studies ultimately demonstrate negative health and/or safety impacts of hemp-derived products upon consumers, then our business and the trading price of our Common Stock may be materially adversely affected. We face exposure to fraudulent or illegal activity, and our reputation may be negatively impacted by improper conduct by our business partners, employees or agents. We face exposure to the risk that employees, independent contractors or consultants may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activities. Misconduct by these parties could be intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct. There may be disclosure of unauthorized activities that violate government regulations, manufacturing standards, healthcare laws, abuse laws and other financial reporting laws. Further, it may not always be possible for us to identify and deter misconduct by our employees and other third parties, and the precautions taken by us to detect and prevent these activities may not always be effective. As a result, we could face potential penalties and litigation. Furthermore, we cannot provide assurance that our internal controls and compliance systems will protect us from acts committed by our employees, agents or business partners, including Green Thumb, in violation of U.S. federal or state or local laws. Any improper acts or allegations could damage our reputation and subject us to civil or criminal investigations and related shareholder lawsuits, could lead to substantial civic and criminal monetary and non-monetary penalties and could cause us to incur significant legal and investigatory fees. 16 We face risks due to industry immaturity or limited comparable, competitive or established industry best practices. As a relatively new industry, there are relatively few operators in the hemp-derived beverage industry whose business models we can follow or build upon. Similarly, there is no or limited information about comparable companies available for potential investors to review in making a decision about whether to invest in us. Shareholders and investors should consider, among other factors, our prospects for success in light of the risks and uncertainties encountered by companies, like us, that are in their early stages. For example, unanticipated expenses and problems or technical difficulties may occur, which may result in material delays in the operation of our business. We may fail to successfully address these risks and uncertainties or successfully implement our operating strategies. If we fail to do so, it could materially harm our business to the point of having to cease operations and could impair the value of our Common Stock to the extent that investors may lose their entire investment. The cannabis and hemp industries could face strong opposition from other industries We believe that established businesses in other industries may have a strong economic interest in opposing the development of the cannabis and hemp industries. Cannabis and hemp may be seen by companies in other industries as an attractive alternative to their products, including alcohol, and as an alternative to various commercial pharmaceuticals. Many industries that could view the emerging cannabis and hemp industries as economic threats are well established, with vast economic and federal and state lobbying resources. It is possible that companies within these industries could use their resources to attempt to slow or reverse legislation legalizing cannabis and hemp, and to create negative public perception of legalization of cannabis and hemp. Any inroads these companies make in halting or impeding legislative initiatives that would be beneficial to the cannabis and hemp industries could have a detrimental impact on some of our customers and, in turn, on our operations. Our business depends in part on client licensing Our business is partly dependent on certain of our customers obtaining various licenses from various municipalities and state licensing agencies. There can be no assurance that any or all licenses necessary for our customers to operate their businesses will be obtained, retained, or renewed. If a licensing body were to determine that a customer of ours had violated applicable rules and regulations, there is a risk the license granted to that customer could be revoked, which could adversely affect our operations. There can be no assurance that our existing customers will be able to retain their licenses going forward, or that new licenses will be granted to existing and new market entrants. Banking regulations could limit access to banking services Since the use of cannabis is illegal under federal law, there is a compelling argument that banks cannot lawfully accept or deposit funds from businesses involved with cannabis. Consequently, businesses involved in the cannabis industry often have trouble finding a bank willing to accept their business. The inability to open bank accounts may make it difficult for some of our customers to operate and their reliance on cash can result in a heightened risk of theft, which could harm their businesses and, in turn, harm our business. Although the proposal of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act, also referred to as the SAFER Banking Act, would allow banks to work with cannabis businesses and prevent federal banking regulators from intervening or punishing those banks, the legislation still requires the approval of the U.S. House and Senate. There can be no assurance that the SAFER Banking Act or any similar legislation will become law in the U.S. Additionally, most courts have denied cannabis-related businesses bankruptcy protection, thus making it very difficult for lenders to recoup their investments, which may limit the willingness of banks to lend to our customers and to us. 17 We face risks related to our insurance coverage and uninsurable risks. Our business is subject to a number of risks and hazards generally, including adverse environmental conditions, accidents, labor disputes, and changes in the regulatory environment. Such occurrences could result in damage to assets, personal injury or death, environmental damage, delays in operations, monetary losses and possible legal liability. Although we intend to continue to maintain insurance to protect against certain risks in such amounts as we consider to be reasonable, our insurance will not cover all the potential risks associated with our operations. We may also be unable to maintain insurance to cover these risks at economically feasible premiums. Insurance coverage may not continue to be available or may not be adequate to cover any resulting liability. Moreover, insurance against certain hazards encountered in our operations may not be generally available on acceptable terms. We might also become subject to liability for pollution or other hazards which we may not be insured against or which we may elect not to insure against because of premium costs or other reasons. Losses from these events may cause us to incur significant costs that could have a material adverse effect upon our financial performance and results of operations. We participate in an evolving industry The cannabis and hemp industries are not yet well-developed, and many aspects of these industries’ development and evolution cannot be accurately predicted. While we have attempted to identify many risks specific to the cannabis and hemp industries, you should carefully consider that there are other risks that cannot be foreseen or are not described in this report, which could materially and adversely affect our business and financial performance. We expect that the cannabis and hemp markets and our business will evolve in ways that are difficult to predict. Our long-term success may depend on our ability to successfully adjust our strategy to meet the changing market dynamics. If we are unable to successfully adapt to changes in the cannabis and hemp industries, our operations could be adversely affected. Risks Related to Ownership of our Common Stock Concentration of ownership may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions . Our executive officers, directors and their affiliates beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 36% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock. In particular, Green Thumb beneficially owns approximately 34% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock. As a result, Green Thumb exercises a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our articles of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions. Moreover, our bylaws permit stockholders to act by written consent. This control could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in management and will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these stockholders. Conversely, this concentrated control could allow Green Thumb to consummate such transactions that many other shareholders do not support. A large number of shares eligible for public sale could depress the market price of our Common Stock . We have filed a registration statement to register the shares of Common Stock underlying outstanding options and shares reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans. Upon effectiveness of that registration statement, subject to the satisfaction of applicable exercise periods and subject to our insider trading policy, the shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise of outstanding options will be available for immediate resale in the U.S. in the open market. 18 Sales of our Common Stock as restrictions end or pursuant to registration rights may make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. These sales also could cause our stock price to fall and make it more difficult for you to sell shares of our Common Stock. Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in a de-listing of our common stock. If we fail to satisfy the rules and continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the requires relating to corporate governance, shareholder approval, shareholders’ equity or our minimum closing bid price, Nasdaq will take steps to delist our common stock. Such a de-listing would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair stockholders’ ability to sell or purchase our common stock when they wish to do so, as well as adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities and obtain additional financing in the future. In the past, we have received deficiency letters relating to our minimum bid price, committee composition, and shareholders’ equity. While we have regained compliance with those requirements, there can be no assurance that we will remain in compliance or that Nasdaq will interpret shareholder approval requirements consistent with our interpretations. The exercise of all or any number of outstanding warrants or the issuance of stock-based awards may dilute your holding of shares of our Common Stock. We have issued several securities providing for the right to purchase our common stock. Investors could be subject to increased dilution upon the exercise of our warrants. A total of 7.6 million warrants were issued and outstanding as of March 17, 2025. Investors may experience dilution in the value of their investment upon the exercise of the warrants and any equity awards that may be granted or issued pursuant to the 2022 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. Provisions in our articles of incorporation, our by-laws and Nevada law might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our Common Stock . Provisions of our articles of incorporation, our by-laws and Nevada law may have the effect of deterring unsolicited takeovers or delaying or preventing a change in control of our company or changes in our management, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then current market prices. In addition, these provisions may limit the ability of stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interests. These provisions include: ● the inability of stockholders to call special meetings; and ● the ability of our board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could include the right to approve an acquisition or other change in our control or could be used to institute a rights plan, also known as a poison pill, that would work to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, likely preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our board of directors. The existence of the forgoing provisions and anti-takeover measures could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our Common Stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you could receive a premium for your Common Stock in an acquisition. 19 We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and a “smaller reporting company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies will make our Common Stock less attractive to investors. We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including (1) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (2) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this report and our periodic reports and proxy statements and (3) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, as an emerging growth company, we are only required to provide two years of audited consolidated financial statements and two years of selected financial data in this report. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any March 31 before that time or if we have total annual gross revenue of $1.0 billion or more during any fiscal year before that time, after which, in each case, we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31 or, if we issue more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during any three-year period before that time, we would cease to be an emerging growth company immediately. Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited consolidated financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our shares of Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our consolidated financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible. After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur additional management time and cost to comply with the more stringent reporting requirements applicable to companies that are deemed accelerated filers or large accelerated filers, including complying with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. We have not and do not expect to declare any dividends to our shareholders in the foreseeable future . We have not and do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends to holders of our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, investors may need to rely on sales of their Common Stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our Common Stock. As a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting. These internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our Common Stock . We are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to annually furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment includes disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. 20 We may not be able to remediate the material weaknesses that we have identified to date or any future material weaknesses, or to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal controls are effective. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our auditors are unable to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would have a material adverse effect on the price of our Common Stock. We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate these material weaknesses, or if we experience additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely requirements applicable to public companies, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us, and, as a result, the market price of our Common Stock. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our management is likewise required, on a quarterly basis, to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and to disclose any changes and material weaknesses identified through such evaluation in those internal controls. 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 consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As described elsewhere in this Report, we have identified the following material weaknesses: ● lack of technical expertise ● segregation of duties ● accounting for complex financial transactions As a result of these material weaknesses, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2024. To respond to these material weaknesses, we have devoted, and plan to continue to devote, significant effort and resources to the remediation and improvement of our internal control over financial reporting. Our plans currently include rebuilding the internal finance function and engagement of external financial consultants. The elements of our remediation plan can only be accomplished over time, and we can offer no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects. Any failure to maintain internal control could adversely impact our ability to report our financial position and results from operations on a timely and accurate basis. If our consolidated financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our operations and financial position. In either case, there could result a material adverse effect on our business. Ineffective internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock. We can give no assurance that the measures we have taken and plan to take in the future will remediate the material weaknesses identified or that any additional material weaknesses or restatements of financial results will not arise in the future due to a failure to implement and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting or circumvention of these controls. In addition, even if we are successful in strengthening our controls and procedures, in the future those controls, and procedures may not be adequate to prevent or identify irregularities or errors or to facilitate the fair presentation of our consolidated financial statements. 21 General Risk Factors Increases in costs, disruption of supply or shortage of raw materials could harm our business . We may experience increases in the cost or a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of raw materials. Any such an increase or supply interruption could materially negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. We use various raw materials in our business including agricultural products that are subject to supply shortages resulting from, among other factors, weather conditions and tariffs. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on market conditions and global demand for these materials and could adversely affect our business and operating results. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials increase our operating costs and could reduce our margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs through increased prices for our products and services. Litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations . From time to time in the normal course of our business operations, we may become subject to litigation involving intellectual property, data privacy and security, consumer protection, commercial disputes and other matters that may negatively affect our operating results if changes to our business operation are required. Moreover, parties may attempt to file claims against us in connection with lines of business that we have divested, and our ability to recover such amounts through indemnification may be limited. Due to our manufacturing and sale of our products, may also be subject to a variety of claims including product warranty, product liability, and consumer protection claims related to product defects, among other litigation. We may also be subject to claims involving health and safety, hazardous materials usage, other environmental impacts, or service disruptions or failures. The cost to defend such litigation may be significant and may require a diversion of our resources. There also may be adverse publicity associated with litigation that could negatively affect customer perception of our business, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found liable. As a result, litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, insurance may not cover existing or future claims, be sufficient to fully compensate us for one or more of such claims or continue to be available on terms acceptable to us. A claim brought against us that is uninsured or underinsured could result in unanticipated costs, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations and resulting in a reduction in the trading price of our stock. An active, liquid, and orderly trading market for our Common Stock may not develop, the price of our stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment . The trading price of our Common Stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Our stock price could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a variety of factors, which include: ● whether we achieve our anticipated corporate objectives; ● actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results; ● changes in our financial or operational estimates or projections; ● our ability to implement our operational plans; ● changes in the economic performance or market valuations of companies similar to ours; and ● general economic or political conditions in the U.S. or elsewhere. 22 In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for cannabis and hemp-related companies, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market and industry factors may seriously affect the market price of companies’ stock, including ours, regardless of actual operating performance. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources. We incur increased costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies, which could adversely affect our operating results . As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting and corporate governance requirements. These requirements include compliance with Section 404 and other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or (“SEC”), and Nasdaq. We expect complying with these rules and regulations will substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly. The increased costs associated with operating as a public company will decrease our net income or increase our net loss and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business or increase the prices of our products or services. Additionally, if these requirements divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. As a public company, we also expect that it may be more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as our executive officers. Data privacy and security concerns relating to our technology and our practices could damage our reputation, cause us to incur significant liability, and deter current and potential users or customers from using our products and services. Software bugs or defects, security breaches, and attacks on our systems could result in the improper disclosure and use of user data and interference with our users and customers’ ability to use our products and services, harming our business operations and reputation. Concerns about our practices with regard to the collection, use, disclosure, or security of personal information or other data-privacy-related matters, even if unfounded, could harm our reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Our policies and practices may change over time as expectations regarding privacy and data change. Our products and services involve the storage and transmission of proprietary information, and bugs, theft, misuse, defects, vulnerabilities in our products and services, and security breaches expose us to a risk of loss of this information, improper use and disclosure of such information, litigation, and other potential liability. Systems and control failures, security breaches and/or inadvertent disclosure of user data could result in government and legal exposure, seriously harm our reputation and brand and, therefore, our business, and impair our ability to attract and retain customers. We may experience cyber-attacks and other attempts to gain unauthorized access to our systems. We may experience future security issues, whether due to employee error or malfeasance or system errors or vulnerabilities in our or other parties’ systems, which could result in significant legal and financial exposure. We may be unable to anticipate or detect attacks or vulnerabilities or implement adequate preventative measures. Attacks and security issues could also compromise trade secrets and other sensitive information, harming our business. As a result, we may suffer significant legal, reputational, or financial exposure, which could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results. 23 If our shares of Common Stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares . The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain a listing on Nasdaq and if the price of our Common Stock is less than $5.00, our Common Stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our Common Stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares. The financial and operational projections that we may make from time to time are subject to inherent risks . The projections that our management may provide from time to time (including, but not limited to, those relating to potential peak sales amounts, production, and supply dates, and other financial or operational matters) reflect numerous assumptions made by management, including assumptions with respect to our specific as well as general business, economic, market and financial conditions and other matters, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, there is a risk that the assumptions made in preparing the projections, or the projections themselves, will prove inaccurate. There will be differences between actual and projected results, and actual results may be materially different from those contained in the projections. The inclusion of the projections in this report should not be regarded as an indication that we or our management or representatives considered or consider the projections to be a reliable prediction of future events, and the projections should not be relied upon as such. If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about us, our business, or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our stock adversely, our stock price and trading volume could decline . The trading market for our Common Stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.