UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended
or
For the transition period from______ to______
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Shares
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. ☐ Yes ☒
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 ☒
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.
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).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a 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.
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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.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No
Indicate by check mark whether the financial statements included in the filing reflects a correction of an error to previously issued financial statements:(1) Yes ☐ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements requiring a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation under the registrant’s clawback policies:(1) Yes ☐ No ☐
Aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing price of a common share of the registrant on June 30, 2022 as reported on the Canadian Stock Exchange on that date: $
As of March 23, 2023, there were
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None.
COLUMBIA CARE INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” regarding Columbia Care Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “Columbia Care,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”). We make forward-looking statements related to future expectations, estimates, and projections that are uncertain and often contain words such as, but not limited to, “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” or other similar words or phrases. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to be materially different from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include those listed below:
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The list of factors above is illustrative and by no means exhaustive. Additional information regarding these risks and other risks and uncertainties we face is contained in Part I of this Form 10-K under, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.” Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended.
We urge readers to consider these risks and uncertainties in evaluating our forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Background
Columbia Care Inc.’s common shares are listed on the Aequitas NEO Exchange (the “NEO”) under the symbol “CCHW”, on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) under the symbol “CCHW”, and are quoted on the OTCQX Best Market (the “OTCQX”) under the symbol “CCHWF” and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “3LP”.
The Company’s principal business activity is the production and sale of cannabis as regulated by the regulatory bodies and authorities of the jurisdictions in which it operates.
The Company, through its subsidiaries, currently owns or manages interests in several state-licensed medical and/or adult use marijuana businesses in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia. The Company has exited its prior operations in the Missouri, European Union and Puerto Rico markets.
The following organizational chart describes the organizational structure of the Company as of December 31, 2022. See Exhibit 21.1 to this annual report on Form 10-K for a list of subsidiaries of the Company. All lines represent 100% ownership of outstanding securities of the applicable subsidiary unless otherwise noted in Exhibit 21.1 or in the chart below.
Notes:
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The registered office of the Company is 666 Burrard St., #1700, Vancouver, BC V6C 2X8. The head office is located at 680 Fifth Ave., 24th Floor, New York, New York 10019.
History of the Company
The Company was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “OBCA”) on August 13, 2018 under the name “Canaccord Genuity Growth Corp.” as a special purpose acquisition corporation for the purpose of effecting an acquisition of one or more businesses or assets, by way of a merger, amalgamation, arrangement, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or any other similar business combination.
On October 17, 2018, the Company announced that it had entered into a letter of intent with Columbia Care LLC (“Old Columbia Care”) to exclusively negotiate a business combination between the two companies. On November 21, 2018, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”) with Old Columbia Care pursuant to which, among other things, the Company would acquire all of the membership interests of Old Columbia Care by way of a merger between Old Columbia Care and a newly-formed Delaware subsidiary of the Company (the “Business Combination”). The Business Combination constituted the Company’s qualifying transaction.
The Business Combination was completed on April 26, 2019, at which point Old Columbia Care became a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, the Company was continued out of the jurisdiction of Ontario under the OBCA and into the jurisdiction of British Columbia under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (“BCBCA”).
Arrangement Agreement
On March 23, 2022, the Company entered into an arrangement agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) with Cresco Labs Inc. (“Cresco”), pursuant to which, Cresco has agreed, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares and proportionate voting shares (“Proportionate Shares” and together with the Common Shares, the “Columbia Care Shares”) of Columbia Care, pursuant to a statutory plan of arrangement (the “Plan of Arrangement”) under the BCBCA (the “Arrangement”).
Consideration
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Arrangement Agreement and Plan of Arrangement, holders of Columbia Care Shares will receive 0.5579 of a subordinate voting share of Cresco (each a “Cresco Labs Subordinate Voting Share”), subject to adjustment as described below (the “Exchange Ratio”), for each Columbia Care Share (on an as converted to Common Share basis) outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Arrangement (the “Effective Time”), with the Proportionate Shares treated on an as if converted basis to Common Shares pursuant to their respective terms; provided, the Exchange Ratio is subject to adjustment in the event that Columbia Care is required to issue shares in satisfaction of an earn-out payment for a prior acquisition, with the potential adjustment in proportion to the additional dilution from such potential issuance relative to Columbia Care’s current fully diluted in-the-money outstanding shares. The Arrangement is intended to qualify as a reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
At the Effective Time, (i) all Columbia Care equity awards granted under Columbia Care’s equity incentive plan or otherwise that are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be exchanged for replacement equity awards such that, upon exercise (with respect to options) or vesting (with respect to performance share units or restricted share units), as applicable, the holder will be entitled to receive Cresco Labs Subordinate Voting Shares, with the number of shares underlying such award and, in the case of options, the exercise price of such award adjusted based on the Exchange Ratio; (ii) each of the warrants to acquire Common Shares issued by Columbia Care that are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be exercisable, in accordance with the terms of such warrants, for the number of Cresco Labs Subordinate Voting Shares that the holder of such warrants would have been entitled to receive as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Arrangement if, immediately prior to the date upon which the Arrangement becomes effective pursuant to the Plan of Arrangement (the “Effective Date”), such holder had been the registered holder of the number of Common Shares to which such holder would have been entitled if such holder had exercised such holder’s warrants immediately prior to the Effective Time; and (iii) each of the convertible notes issued by Columbia Care that are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be convertible, in accordance with the terms of such convertible notes, into the number of Cresco Labs Subordinate Voting Shares that the holder of such convertible notes would have been entitled to receive as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Arrangement if, immediately prior to the Effective Date, such holder had been the registered holder
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of the number of Common Shares to which such holder would have been entitled if such holder had converted such holder’s convertible notes immediately prior to the Effective Time.
Conditions to the Arrangement
The Arrangement is subject to a number of conditions, including the approval by Columbia Care shareholders holding at least 66 2/3% of the votes cast on the Arrangement resolution by Columbia Care shareholders voting as a single class present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, and if required by applicable law, approval by Columbia Care shareholders holding a simple majority of the votes attached to Columbia Care Shares voting as a single class present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, excluding the votes of those persons whose votes are required to be excluded under Multilateral Instrument 61-101—Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. The aforementioned approvals were obtained at a Special Meeting of the Company’s shareholders on July 8, 2022. It is a condition to closing in favor of Cresco that holders of less than 5% of the outstanding Columbia Care Shares shall have validly exercised dissent rights with respect to the Arrangement that have not been withdrawn as of the effective date of the Arrangement.
In addition, the Arrangement is subject to approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia (or any other court with appropriate jurisdiction) at a hearing upon the procedural and substantive fairness of the terms and conditions of the Arrangement, which approval was granted through a final order issued on July 15, 2022, and certain regulatory approvals, including but not limited to the approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended. The Arrangement is also conditioned upon neither a delisting from the Canadian Securities Exchange having occurred nor a cease trade order having been issued by any governmental entity in respect of the Cresco Labs Subordinate Voting Shares since the date of this Agreement and that remains in effect. The Arrangement Agreement may be terminated by mutual written consent of Columbia Care and Cresco and by either party in certain circumstances as more particularly set forth in the Arrangement Agreement.
Certain Other Terms of the Arrangement Agreement
The Arrangement Agreement includes customary representations, warranties and covenants of Cresco and Columbia Care and each party has agreed to customary covenants, including, among others, covenants relating to the conduct of its business during the interim period between execution of the Arrangement Agreement and the Effective Time.
The Arrangement Agreement provides for customary non-solicitation covenants, subject to the right of the board of directors of Columbia Care (the “Board”) to consider and accept a superior proposal (as defined in the Arrangement Agreement), and the right of Cresco to match any such proposal within five business days. The Arrangement Agreement also provides for the payment by Columbia Care to Cresco of a $65.0 million termination fee if the Arrangement Agreement is terminated in certain specified circumstances, including, among other things, in the event of (i) a Change in Recommendation, whereby the Board’s recommendations or determinations with respect to the Arrangement are modified in a manner adverse to Cresco; (ii) Columbia Care, in accordance with certain procedures set forth in the Arrangement Agreement, accepts, recommends, approves or enters into an agreement to implement a Superior Proposal; or (iii) the Arrangement Agreement is terminated in certain circumstances, including in the event the resolution approving the Arrangement is not approved by Company Shareholders, the Arrangement is not consummated on or prior to March 31, 2023 (subject to modification by the parties and extension in certain circumstances, which date the parties have mutually agreed to extend to June 30, 2023), or in the event Columbia Care breaches any representation or warranty or fails to perform any covenant or agreement that causes the closing conditions related to Columbia Care’s representations and warranties and covenants not to be satisfied, and such breach or failure is incapable of being cured on or prior to March 31, 2023 (now June 30, 2023) or is not cured and Cresco is not then in breach of the Arrangement Agreement so as to directly or indirectly cause any closing condition related to Cresco’s representations and warranties and covenants not to be satisfied, and if (x) prior to the date of termination an acquisition proposal meeting certain requirements has been publicly announced or otherwise communicated to Columbia Care, and (y) within 12 months of the date of such termination the acquisition proposal transaction is completed or Columbia Care has entered into a definitive agreement with respect to such transaction and such transaction is later consummated or effected (whether or not within such 12 month period).
On February 27, 2023, Cresco and Columbia Care announced that they had mutually agreed to extend the Arrangement Agreement to complete the acquisition by a further 90 days to June 30, 2023. This extension is intended to give the parties additional time to complete the divestitures required for Regulatory purposes.
Voting Support Agreements and Lock-up Agreements
Pursuant to certain voting support agreements (the “Voting Support Agreements”), certain Columbia Care shareholders holding an aggregate of more than 20% of the voting power of the issued and outstanding Columbia Care Shares as of March 23, 2022 have entered into Voting Support Agreements with Cresco, pursuant to which they have agreed to vote in favor of the Arrangement at the Meeting. The Voting Support Agreements terminate in certain circumstances, including upon the termination of the Arrangement
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Agreement in accordance with its terms. Under the Arrangement Agreement, Columbia Care has agreed to hold the Meeting as soon as reasonably practicable and, in any event, on or before June 15, 2022 (or such later date as may be agreed to by Columbia Care and Cresco in writing, which the parties agreed to be July 8, 2022). In addition, pursuant to certain lock-up agreements (the “Lock-up Agreements”), certain Columbia Care shareholders holding an aggregate of more than 20% of issued and outstanding Columbia Care Shares (on an as converted to Common Share basis) as of March 23, 2022 agreed to restrict the sale or other transfer of 90% of the Cresco Labs Subordinate Voting Shares to be received by such Company Care shareholders pursuant to the Arrangement. The Lock-up Agreements provide for the release of the restrictions on the sale or other transfer of such Cresco Labs Subordinate Voting Shares in four equal installments on the date that is (i) 60 days following the Effective Date; (ii) 120 days following the Effective Date; (iii) 180 days following the Effective Date; and (iv) 240 days following the Effective Date.
General Development of the Business
Columbia Care has grown primarily by submitting responses to state-issued requests for proposals and obtaining cannabis licenses pursuant to such processes throughout the United States, where such activity is legal at the state-level. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, Columbia Care also grew significantly from acquiring other leading cannabis operations. The Company also provides management services to licensed entities. As of March 23, 2023, Columbia Care holds, directly or indirectly, 113 licenses with 126 discrete facilities that are operational or in development.
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2014 |
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2016 |
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2017 |
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2018 |
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2019 |
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2020 |
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2021 |
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2022 |
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2023(1) |
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Employees |
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19 |
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59 |
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219 |
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279 |
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418 |
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697 |
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1,775 |
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2,586 |
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2,505 |
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2,278 |
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Facilities |
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10 |
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18 |
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21 |
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25 |
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54 |
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70 |
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107 |
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132 |
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131 |
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126 |
Jurisdictions |
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4 |
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7 |
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10 |
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11 |
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15 |
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16 |
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16 |
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18 |
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Notes:
Excluding industrial hemp products, Columbia Care’s cannabis license portfolio allows for an aggregate of approximately 2.039 million square feet of cultivation and manufacturing space within its currently leased or owned facilities and the potential to produce over 150,000 kilograms of dry flower annually, based on an assumed 65 grams per square foot of cultivation space and 5.2 harvests per year.
As a vertically-integrated company in the cannabis sector, where there may be material relationships or transactions that involve conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived, Columbia Care will disclose any commissions, incentives, or other fees earned by Columbia Care, its pharmacists or other consultants. Columbia Care will also disclose risks associated with conflicts of interest, including but not limited to situations where Columbia Care, its clinics, pharmacists, or other consultants are paid a commission or education grant from a licensed producer or dispensary that is, or is related to, Columbia Care. Columbia Care does not currently have any material relationships or transactions that involve conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived.
Recent Events
Development of Columbia Care’s Portfolio of Licenses
The following is a summary of the more recent material developments of Columbia Care’s growing portfolio of licenses. Columbia Care, through its respective subsidiaries, primarily entered these markets after being selected by state governments through competitive processes. Please refer to prior public filings for details of material licenses since inception.. Further details regarding Columbia Care’s licenses and regulatory framework are set out under “United States Regulatory Environment.”
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Missouri
Columbia Care entered the Missouri market in 2020 and operated through a management services arrangement with Columbia Care MO LLC (“Columbia Care MO”). Columbia Care MO is licensed to operate a medical marijuana dispensary and a medical marijuana manufacturing facility. Columbia Care provided management services to both the medical marijuana dispensary and the medical marijuana manufacturing facility of Columbia Care MO for a fee. On March 13, 2023, the Company executed a Definitive Agreement to sell the Missouri assets which are considered non-core.
Utah
Columbia Care entered the Utah market in 2020 and operates through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CCUT Pharmacy LLC (“CCUT”) and Columbia Care UT LLC (“Columbia Care UT”). CCUT operates a dispensary in Springville, which opened in the second quarter of 2021. In 2020, CCUT also received an industrial hemp license from the Department of Agriculture and Food.
West Virginia
Columbia Care Hemp West Virginia LLC was awarded a Research and Marketing Cultivation of Industrial Hemp from the State of West Virginia in 2020. This allows Columbia Care to cultivate industrial hemp in the State of West Virginia as well as to perform research.
In 2020, Columbia Care WV LLC (“Columbia Care WV”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Care, was awarded a medical cannabis grower license and medical cannabis processor license in West Virginia. Columbia Care WV operates a co-located cultivation and processing facility in Falling Waters. Columbia Care WV received final approval for cultivation operations in July 2021 and received final approval for processing operations in November 2021. In January 2021, Columbia Care WV was awarded 5 dispensary permits in Williamstown, Fayetteville, Morgantown, Beckley and St. Albans. As of December 31, 2022, Columbia Care had 4 active dispensaries in the state, located in Beckley, Morgantown, St Albans, and Williamstown.
Colorado
In September 2020, Columbia Care acquired The Green Solution (“TGS”), one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis operators in Colorado, through a transaction initially valued at approximately $140 million, excluding certain performance-based milestone payments.
Founded in 2010, TGS operated twenty-three dispensaries, one manufacturing facility and four cultivation locations. In Denver, TGS operated a manufacturing facility, three cultivation facilities and three dispensaries. TGS operates one dispensary and one cultivation facility (consisting of five cultivation licenses) in Trinidad. TGS operates five dispensaries in Aurora, one dispensary in Sheridan and dispensaries in Adams County, Black Hawk, Edgewater, Fort Collins, Glendale, Glenwood Springs, Northglenn, Silver Plume, and Pueblo. In November 2021, Columbia Care acquired Futurevision 2020, LLC and Futurevision Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Medicine Man (“Medicine Man”). Medicine Man operated one dispensary and cultivation location in Denver, one dispensary in Aurora, and one dispensary in Thornton. Columbia Care also exercised its option to acquire Medicine Man Longmont, LLC and its one dispensary in Longmont.
Development of Columbia Care’s Other Business Elements
2020
March 2020 Private Placement of Units
In March 2020, the Company completed the first tranche of a non-brokered private placement (the “March 2020 Private Placement”) of units (the “March 2020 Private Placement Units”) for gross proceeds of US$14,250,000. Each March 2020 Private Placement Unit was comprised of: (i) US$1,000 principal amount of 9.875% senior secured first-lien notes (the “March 2020 Private Placement Notes”); and (ii) 113 common share purchase warrants (the “March 2020 Private Placement Warrants”) of the Company. On April 23, 2020, the Company completed the second and final tranche of the March 2020 Private Placement for additional gross proceeds of US$1,000,000. In total, the gross proceeds under the March 2020 Private Placement totaled US$15,250,000.
The March 2020 Private Placement Notes were governed by the terms of a trust indenture dated March 31, 2020 between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as trustee. The March 2020 Private Placement Warrants are governed by the terms of a
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warrant indenture (the “March 2020 Warrant Indenture”) dated March 31, 2020 between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as warrant agent.
Launch of Virtual.Care Platform
In April 2020, the Company announced the launch of Virtual.Care (the “Platform”), an online educational and informational tool for patients, designated caregivers, and adult use purchasers, in those states where adult use cannabis is legalized. The Platform is accessed via the Company’s age-gated website and was initially launched in three states: California, Illinois and Massachusetts and has now expanded to five additional jurisdictions: Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Prior to launching the Platform, the Company’s compliance team and external counsel undertook a review of the applicable federal and state privacy, advertising and cannabis laws and launched the Platform in a manner to comply with those laws. The Company’s Platform is not intended to be used in advertising activities but is intended to be used solely as a virtual educational tool, allowing users to understand the products that the Company offers. There are no sales of products completed over the Platform.
A user may pre-order products but to complete an order, the user must physically visit the applicable Columbia Care dispensary. This requirement furthers compliance since no orders will be completed for residents of jurisdictions where medical and/or recreational cannabis is illegal, as applicable.
In jurisdictions where medical cannabis is legal, upon arrival of the user, the dispensary staff person will verify the user’s medical marijuana card, government-issued identification and confirm the user’s allotment to ensure the user is not exceeding the state’s allotment limits. Once all of the foregoing is verified, the user will pay for the product to complete the purchase. The Platform does not allow medical users to obtain online certifications and any such certifications must be obtained through the normal channels.
In jurisdictions where recreational use is legal, upon arrival at the Columbia Care dispensary, the dispensary staff will verify that the user is at least 21 years of age by verifying the user’s government-issued identification. Once the identification is verified, the user will pay for the product to complete the transaction. If the user does not have valid identification, the user will not be able to purchase cannabis at the Company’s dispensaries. This process also allows monitoring of sales to non-residents and only allow sales where the state regulatory schemes allow an out-of-state resident to purchase product if he or she is present in the legal jurisdiction.
May 2020 Private Placement
In May 2020, the Company completed a concurrent brokered and non-brokered private placement (the “May 2020 Private Placement”) of units (the “May 2020 Private Placement Units”) for gross proceeds of US$19,115,000. Each May 2020 Private Placement Unit was comprised of: (i) US$1,000 principal amount of 13.00% senior secured first-lien notes (the “May 2020 Private Placement Notes”); and (ii) 120 common share purchase warrants (the “May 2020 Private Placement Warrants”) of the Company.
The May 2020 Private Placement Notes are governed by the terms of a trust indenture (the “May 2020 Trust Indenture”) dated May 14, 2020 between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as trustee. The May 2020 Private Placement Warrants are governed by the terms of a warrant indenture (the “May 2020 Warrant Indenture”) dated May 14, 2020, between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as warrant agent.
The May 2020 Private Placement Units were issued pursuant to the terms of certain subscription agreements (the “May 2020 Private Placement Subscription Agreements”) entered into between the Company and the subscribers of the May 2020 Private Placement Units and pursuant to an agency agreement dated as of May 11, 2020, between the Company and Canaccord Genuity Corp., as agent for the May 2020 Private Placement.
As part of the May 2020 Private Placement, the March 2020 Private Placement Notes were cancelled and exchanged for an equivalent number of May 2020 Private Placement Notes. Subscribers of March 2020 Private Placement Units were issued an additional 8.55 May 2020 Private Placement Warrants for each March 2020 Private Placement Unit held by such subscribers. On March 28, 2023, the term date of the May 2020 Private Placement Notes was extended to May 14, 2024.
Roll-Up of Better-Gro
In June 2020, the Company acquired (the “Better-Gro Acquisition”) the remaining 30% of the issued and outstanding equity interests of Better-Gro not already owned by the Company for aggregate consideration of US$15,500,000, of which US$14,500,000 was satisfied through the issuance by the Company of Common Shares.
Following closing of the Better-Gro Acquisition, the Company now indirectly owns 100% of the equity Interests of Better-Gro.
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June 2020 Private Placement of Convertible Notes
In June 2020, the Company completed the first tranche of a non-brokered private placement (the “June 2020 Convertible Note Private Placement”) of 5.00% senior secured convertible notes (the “June 2020 Convertible Notes”) for gross proceeds of US$12,800,000. In July 2020, the Company completed the second tranche of the June 2020 Convertible Note Private Placement for additional gross proceeds of US$3,960,000. Later in July 2020, the Company completed the third and final tranche of the June 2020 Convertible Note Private Placement for additional gross proceeds of US2,000,000. In total, the gross proceeds under the June 2020 Convertible Note Private Placement amounted to US$18,760,000. The June 2020 Convertible Notes are governed by the terms of the May 2020 Trust Indenture, as supplemented by a first supplemental indenture (the “June Supplemental Indenture”) dated as of June 19, 2020, between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as trustee.
July 2020 Private Placement of Units
In July 2020, the Company completed a brokered private placement (the “July 2020 Unit Private Placement”) of units (the “July 2020 Private Placement Units”) for gross proceeds of US$4,000,000. Each July 2020 Private Placement Unit was comprised of: (i) US$1,000 principal amount of May 2020 Private Placement Notes; and (ii) 75 common share purchase warrants (the “July 2020 Private Placement Warrants”) of the Company.
The July 2020 Private Placement Warrants are governed by the terms of a warrant indenture (the “July 2020 Warrant Indenture”) dated July 2, 2020, between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as warrant agent.
Sale-Leaseback Transaction with Innovative Industrial Properties
In July 2020, Columbia Care announced that it had closed a sale-leaseback with Innovative Industrial Properties (the “IIP Sale-Leaseback”) valued at approximately $14 million. The IIP Sale-Leaseback involved two properties totaling 54,000 square feet in Vineland, New Jersey.
October 2020 Private Placement of Units
In October 2020, Columbia Care completed a brokered private placement of units (the “October 2020 Private Placement Units”) for gross proceeds of approximately US$20.4 million. Each October 2020 Private Placement Unit was comprised of: (i) US$1,000 principal amount of 13.00% senior secured first-lien notes (the “October 2020 Private Placement Notes”); and (ii) 60 common share purchase warrants of the Company (the “October 2020 Private Placement Warrants”).
The October 2020 Private Placement Notes are governed by the terms of the May 2020 Trust Indenture, as supplemented, between the Company and Odyssey Trust Company, as trustee. The October 2020 Private Placement Warrants are governed by the terms of a warrant indenture (the “October 2020 Warrant Indenture”) dated October 29, 2020, between the company and Odyssey Trust Company, as warrant agent.
November 2020 Private Placement of Units
In November 2020, Columbia Care completed a non-brokered private placement of October 2020 Private Placement Units for gross proceeds of approximately US$8.4 million. Also in November 2020, Columbia Care completed a non-brokered private placement of October 2020 Private Placement Units for gross proceeds of approximately US$3.3 million.
Later in November 2020, Columbia Care completed a non-brokered private placement of units (the “November 2020 Private Placement Units”) for gross proceeds of approximately US$200,000. Each November 2020 Private Placement Unit was comprised of: (i) US$1,000 principal amount of October 2020 Private Placement Notes; and (ii) 125 October 2020 Private Placement Warrants.
The Green Leaf Transaction
In December 2020, Columbia Care announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement (the “Green Leaf Medical Agreement”) to acquire Green Leaf Medical (the “Green Leaf Transaction”), a privately held, multi-state operator. The Green Leaf Medical Agreement contemplates upfront consideration of approximately US$240,000,000, comprised of US$45,000,000 in cash and US$195,000,000 payable in Common Shares, in addition to potential performance-based milestone payments in 2022 and 2023.
The Green Leaf Transaction closed on June 11, 2021, following receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including, but not limited to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, as well as state level approvals.
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2021
January 2021 Offering of Common Shares
In January 2021, Columbia Care completed a bought deal public offering of Common Shares (the “January 2021 Offering”) for gross proceeds of C$149,508,625, which included the exercise in full of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters, before deducting the underwriters’ fees and estimated offering expenses. The January 2021 Offering was conducted in each of the provinces of Canada, other than Québec, pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the Company’s base shelf prospectus dated September 2, 2020, and elsewhere outside of Canada on a private placement basis.
February 2021 Private Placement of Common Shares
In February 2021, Columbia Care completed a bought deal private placement of Common Shares (the “February 2021 Offering”) for gross proceeds of C$28,980,000, which included the exercise in full of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters, before deducting the underwriters’ fees and estimated offering expenses. The February 2021 Offering was conducted in certain provinces of Canada pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirements of Canadian securities laws. The Common Shares were also sold in the United States and in certain jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States, in each case in accordance with applicable laws.
April 2021 Conversion of June 2020 Convertible Notes
In April 2021, Columbia Care offered an incentive program to the holders of its June 2020 Convertible Notes, pursuant to which, the Company issued to each holder of the June 2020 Convertible Notes that surrendered such June 2020 Convertible Notes for conversion on or before May 28, 2021, 20 Common Shares for each $1,000 aggregate principal amount of June 2020 Convertible Notes surrendered for conversion. The Company issued 4,550,139 Common Shares in connection with the conversion of the June 2020 Convertible Notes.
July 2021 Private Placement
In July 2021, Columbia Care completed a private placement (the “July 2021 Convertible Note Private Placement”) of 6.00% secured convertible notes for gross proceeds of US$74,500,000.
2022
February 2022 Private Placement
On February 3, 2022, Columbia Care closed a private placement of US$185,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 9.50% senior-secured first-lien notes due 2026 (the “2026 Notes”). The 2026 Notes are senior secured obligations of the Company and were issued at 100% of face value. The 2026 Notes accrue interest payable semi-annually in arrears and mature on February 3, 2026, unless earlier redeemed or repurchased. The Company may redeem the 2026 Notes at par, in whole or in part, on or after February 3, 2024, as more particularly described in the fourth supplemental trust indenture governing the 2026 Notes. In connection with the offering of the 2026 Notes, the Company received binding commitments to exchange approximately $31,750,000 of the Company’s existing 13% senior secured notes due 2023, pursuant to private agreements in accordance with the trust indenture, for an equivalent amount of 2026 Notes plus accrued but unpaid interest and any negotiated premium thereon. As a result of the note exchanges, the Company received aggregate gross proceeds of $153,250,000 in cash pursuant to the offering of the 2026 Notes.
VentureForth Acquisition and Settlement
On April 18, 2022, in connection with the acquisition and settlement of preexisting relationships, the Company issued 18,755,802 common shares (the “VentureForth Shares”) and, on April 18, 2022 and April 24, 2022 paid approximately $26,000,000 to acquire, by merger, VentureForth Holdings, LLC, which is the owner of VentureForth, LLC (“VentureForth”). VentureForth holds two licenses from the Washington D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (“ABRA”), specifically, one license to cultivate and manufacture medical cannabis and one license to dispense medical cannabis. The Company previously had a management services agreement with VentureForth. The shares issued and amounts paid also amicably resolved, with no admissions of liability and in exchange for releases, certain direct, indirect, derivative and indemnification claims relating to a confidential arbitration to which VentureForth, a separate subsidiary of the Company and certain members of the Company’s management team were respondent parties.
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Description of the Business
Overview of the Company
Columbia Care is a U.S.-based, vertically-integrated consumer product, health and wellness cannabis company with cultivation, product development, production, home delivery and dispensary operations. The Company has built one of the broadest and longest operational records of any licensee in publicly administered medicinal and adult-use cannabis programs in the United States. It has developed proprietary branded products with intellectual property comprised of a variety of medical and adult-use form factors, including but not limited to proprietary formulations, precision manufactured dosing and cannabis flower and flower-derived products. The Company’s mission is to improve lives through product innovation, research and development and outstanding patient and consumer experience. Columbia Care’s vision is to address the world’s health and wellness needs through plant-based medicine and products.
Columbia Care is one of the largest and most experienced cultivators, manufacturers and providers of cannabis products and services in the United States.
Figure 1: Columbia Care Footprint
Columbia Care actively operates or has under development, cultivation and/or production assets in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Columbia Care’s existing U.S. license portfolio allows for (i) an aggregate of approximately 2,278,710 square feet of indoor cultivation and production footprint (including operational, in development and optioned space) within its currently leased or owned facilities (including options to expand within such facilities), with the potential to produce more than 150,000 kg of dry flower on an annual basis and (ii) an aggregate of approximately 143.8 acres of outdoor cultivation and production footprint (including operational and optioned space). This capacity does not include the potential yield from Columbia Care’s outdoor marijuana and industrial hemp acreage, which will vary seasonally. Since Columbia Care currently has operating facilities and projects under development across multiple jurisdictions in the United States, Columbia Care is not substantially dependent on any individual cultivation facility or dispensary.
The table below describes each jurisdiction’s indoor and greenhouse cultivation and/or production operations as of December 31, 2022:
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Jurisdiction |
|
Approximate / |
|
|
Status |
|
Approximate Expansion |
|
||
Arizona |
|
28,000 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
|
California |
|
45,572 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
|
Colorado(1) |
|
20,295 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
|
Delaware |
|
20,000 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
|
Florida |
|
13,845 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
168,000 |
|
|
Illinois |
|
|
32,802 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
Maryland |
|
42,000 |
|
|
Operational |
|
0 |
|
||
Massachusetts |
|
|
38,890 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
Missouri(2) |
|
|
12,630 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
New Jersey |
|
50,274 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
|
||
New York |
|
58,346 |
|
|
Operational |
|
149,997 200,000 |
|
||
Ohio |
|
110,521 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
|
Pennsylvania |
|
100,000 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
|
||
Puerto Rico(4) |
|
|
25,486 |
|
|
Operations |
|
|
— |
|
Virginia |
|
65,765 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
|
Washington, D.C. |
|
7,100(5) |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
|
West Virginia |
|
|
39,293 |
|
|
Operational |
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
|
2,347,389 |
|
|
|
|
|
517,997 |
|
Notes:
The table below describes each jurisdiction’s outdoor cultivation and/or production operations:
Jurisdiction |
Approximate Size (acres) |
|
Status |
|
Approximate Expansion Capacity |
Colorado |
11.5(1) |
|
Non-Operational |
|
32.3(3) |
|
50(2) |
|
Non-Operational |
|
74.9 |
Total |
61.5 |
|
|
|
107.2 |
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Notes:
Columbia Care’s refined cultivation practices have experienced several iterations since its inception. Its cultivation expertise reflects years of operating experience and specialized input from agricultural, manufacturing, scientific and security experts. The Company has implemented the best practices employed at its nationwide locations in each new facility that it develops and expects to continue to improve and optimize its methods and infrastructure to ensure competitiveness and excellence.
Columbia Care’s production platform is designed to cultivate and manufacture cannabinoid-based products that are used specifically for medical use or consumer wellness, and health and lifestyle products produced to assure consistency and quality. Columbia Care engages national engineering consultants to design bespoke systems that follow industry best practices in order to produce its products. Columbia Care does all of this to optimize product quality, minimize the risk of exposing patients and consumers to potentially harmful contaminants while maximizing the effectiveness and consistency of the approved products delivered.
Columbia Care believes that a clean and sanitized growing and processing environment is key to ensuring the integrity of products. These self-imposed disciplines are more resource intensive, but are designed to yield a safe, consistent, contaminant-free product that will lead the market in quality, safety and, where applicable, efficacy.
Columbia Care’s growing process is designed to maximize quality, consistency and yield, while limiting contamination by fungal and bacterial diseases, insect and vertebrate pests, non-organic pesticides and other harmful contaminants. Each step in Columbia Care’s cultivation process, including (i) germination/propagation; (ii) vegetation; (iii) bloom; and (iv) harvest is carefully executed using refined standard operating procedures and training protocols. Columbia Care has standardized nutrient protocols, growing environments, water and irrigation strategies, growing mediums, climate controls, plant tracking, and staffing programs among other components of its cultivation and manufacturing operations. Its ultimate goal is to maximize the biomass output (grams per square foot) across all Columbia Care-operated facilities at the lowest cost possible without sacrificing product quality.
Extraction
Columbia Care utilizes a number of well-established, regulatory-approved methods for cannabinoid extraction and performs extraction of the leaves, trimmings and flowers of female cannabis plants to produce an approved cannabinoid product form. Once extracted, Columbia Care’s expert formulation staff formulates proprietary extracts into easily administered consumer products and medications for patient and consumer delivery by following protocol and state regulations.
Dispensaries
Columbia Care has, manages or is developing dispensaries in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia. All of Columbia Care’s dispensaries have either licensed pharmacists or trained personnel on staff to ensure that customers and patients have access to knowledgeable personnel that can advise on the responsible use of cannabis including delivery formats and dosing schedules. The table below describes each jurisdiction’s dispensary operations as of December 31, 2022.
Jurisdiction
|
City
|
Status
|
Arizona |
Prescott Tempe |
Operational Operational |
|
|
|
California |
North Hollywood San Diego (2 locations) San Francisco Studio City |
Operational Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Colorado |
Adams County Aspen Aurora (6 locations) Black Hawk Denver (4 locations) Edgewater |
Operational Non-Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational |
16
Jurisdiction
|
City
|
Status
|
Arizona |
Prescott Tempe |
Operational Operational |
|
Fort Collins Glendale Glenwood Springs Longmont Northglenn Sheridan Silver Plume Pueblo Trinidad Thornton |
Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Delaware |
Rehoboth Beach Smyrna Wilmington |
Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Florida |
Bonita Springs Bradenton Brandon Cape Coral Delray Beach Gainesville Jacksonville Longwood Melbourne Miami Orlando Sarasota St. Augustine Stuart |
Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Illinois |
Chicago Villa Park |
Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Maryland |
Chevy Chase Frederick Rockville(2) Prince George’s County |
Operational Operational Operational Under Development |
Massachusetts |
Boston Greenfield Lowell |
Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Missouri(3)(4) |
Hermann |
Operational |
|
|
|
New Jersey |
Vineland Deptford May’s Landing |
Operational Operational Under development |
|
|
|
New York |
Brooklyn Manhattan Riverhead Rochester |
Operational Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Ohio |
Dayton Logan Marietta Monroe Warren |
Operational Operational Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
Pennsylvania |
Allentown Scranton Wilkes-Barre |
Operational Operational Operational |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Utah |
Springville |
Operational |
|
|
|
17
Jurisdiction
|
City
|
Status
|
Arizona |
Prescott Tempe |
Operational Operational |
Virginia |
Portsmouth (co-located with cultivation and manufacturing operations) Richmond (co-located with cultivation and manufacturing operations) Short Pump Virginia Beach Carytown Williamsburg Colonial Heights Hampton 4 Additional Locations |
Operational
Operational
Operational Operational Operational Operational Under development Under development Under development |
|
|
|
Washington, D.C. |
Washington, D.C. |
Operational |
|
|
|
West Virginia |
Beckley Morgantown St. Albans Williamstown |
Operational Operational Operational Operational |
Notes:
Performance Indicators
As Columbia Care seeks to manage its development, management currently uses key performance indicators (“KPIs”) to assess its rate of growth and performance. These KPIs, which are subject to change, include top-line revenue, growth in gross margin and Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP measure). These KPIs are further discussed under “Non-GAAP Measures” in Item 2.
Branding and Marketing
Columbia Care employs a diverse and knowledgeable staff of pharmacists and trained personnel for its dispensaries that reflect and embody its brand. Columbia Care has built its reputation on providing trusted, high-quality medical cannabis products to improve patients’ wellness journeys, which are also now available for adult-use consumption. The Company believes that Columbia Care has become known in the jurisdictions in which it operates as a trusted mark for health and wellness cannabis by constantly innovating to provide the best solutions for its patients and customers.
In 2021, Columbia Care launched its Cannabist retail ecosystem. The Cannabist retail experience is centered on making shopping for cannabis as simple and approachable as possible, accommodating the vast range of experience levels among patients and customers. Merchandising set-ups and store layouts are organized to help customers move through the space with intent and become more comfortable in the process. Additionally, retail spaces are designed to encourage employees and customers to engage in conversations that enhance the shopping experience, whether through product recommendations or general education. To fully realize this goal, Cannabist staff undergo extensive training. Beyond the in-store experience, technology serves as a bridge across the retail ecosystem that enables a seamless shopping experience. Cannabist locations will continue to leverage existing solutions, such as Virtual.Care, the personal shopping platform, and a proprietary web-based application called Forage to help customers on their product discovery journey. Several dispensary locations in Utah, Arizona, Illinois, California, Massachusetts, Florida and New York were transformed into Cannabist locations during 2021 and 2022. A number of new store openings in Virginia and West Virginia since 2021 are also Cannabist locations.
Cannabis-based Product Selection and Offerings
Columbia Care has continually been at the forefront of developing and introducing innovative and safe products to serve patients’ and customers' unique needs. Columbia Care offers a competitive product portfolio in the jurisdictions in which it operates. Depending on the jurisdiction, Columbia Care offers a variety of products, including, without limitation, flower, concentrates, edibles and/or
18
accessories. As shown below, the product mix varies between jurisdictions. As such, Columbia Care benefits from its diverse and expanding product portfolio.
The Company’s products have similar characteristics due to the same raw material ingredient (cannabis), similar nature of cultivation process, the type or class of customer and the regulatory nature of our industry. Revenues from transactions with no single external customer exceed 10% of the consolidated revenues. Revenue earned outside of the United States of America is immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020. Long-lived assets located outside of the United States of America are immaterial as at December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
Columbia Care has begun to bring its family of branded products to all jurisdictions where it has manufacturing operations. Columbia Care’s focus is to develop proprietary formulations and delivery technologies that provide patients and adult-use customers with high quality and differentiated products.
In 2016, Columbia Care announced the launch of its line of controlled-dose, solid-fill medicinal cannabinoid capsules. Formulated using the full range of active cannabinoid ingredients from plants grown in its cultivation facilities, these proprietary capsules offer a variety of concentrations in a more accessible and convenient delivery form to patients and customers.
Columbia Care introduced proprietary, controlled-dose, hard-pressed tablets in New York State. The tablets are manufactured by segregating and formulating precise combinations of active compounds derived from targeted strains of cannabis plants. From the formulation of these tablets, Columbia Care introduced additional products to provide a spectrum of cannabinoid profiles to address the continuum of patient and consumer needs. This precisely engineered diversity of optimized cannabinoids includes the Company’s patent pending Ceed line of medicinal cannabis products, including TheraCeed tablets, EleCeed sublingual tinctures and ClaraCeed vaporization oil.
In 2020, the Company launched Seed & Strain, its first lifestyle cannabis brand. Available in a number of markets, products include flower, pre-rolls and concentrates. Other product and branded categories include but are not limited to confections, chocolate, drink mixes, condiments, kief, shatter, and wax/crumble. Columbia Care launched Classix in five markets simultaneously in October 2021, and has since brought the brand to additional markets. Triple Seven has also been expanded from California to other operational markets.
Columbia Care intends to continue launching national brands across its medical and adult-use markets in order to maintain the consistency and quality of products that all patients and customers have come to expect from the Company.
None of Columbia Care’s products have been shown to effectively treat or cure any disease. None of Columbia Care’s products require approval by the FDA, and none of Columbia Care’s products have been approved, reviewed or cleared by the FDA for any purpose.
Product Pricing
Columbia Care’s prices vary based on market conditions and product pricing from non-cannabis suppliers. As a result of different tastes, preferences and customer demographics across its core markets, average dispensary sales differ significantly from state to state.
Caring for The Community We Serve
Having completed over 10 million sales transactions in multiple medicinal and adult-use cannabis markets since its inception, Columbia Care’s team has accumulated significant experience in the treatment of large consumer and specialized patient populations, addressing a wide range of unique combination of qualifying conditions, symptoms and risks. Columbia Care has dedicated funding for research collaborations and initiatives with leading academic medical centers across the country to enhance patient care, inform the policy debate and empower healthcare and wellness professionals with data on best practices and safe and efficacious cannabinoid use. Through its public policy efforts, Columbia Care is also at the forefront of ensuring that social equity is a large part of legalization efforts across the United States.
Columbia Care has launched extensive patient care initiatives including utilizing anonymized patient data to facilitate product optimization and innovation on behalf of patient and consumer needs. Columbia Care’s proprietary database is an important aspect of Columbia Care’s product development as it invests in branded formulations and administration types that best respond to patient and consumer needs.
Columbia Care has distinguished itself by establishing research collaborations with renowned medical and research institutions globally. The collaborations are designed to improve product efficacy and assess the medical utility in its products while enhancing
19
patient safety. Columbia Care has developed innovative and collaborative working relationships with a number of leading academic, patient advocacy, research and healthcare organizations as well as partnerships with private, academic, agricultural, policy, sustainability and economic programs at various institutions in the pursuit of expanding the body of scientific knowledge related to cannabis. This focus is one of the principal foundations of Columbia Care’s corporate culture and has materially contributed to Columbia Care’s position as one of the most qualified and experienced operators in certain regulated markets in the U.S. Some of the collaboration partners include but are not limited to researchers affiliated with the following institutions: Mount Sinai Hospital, Columbia University, Arizona State University, Brandeis University, The Center for Discovery in New York, The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, New York University, Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center, Stanford University and King’s College London.
Banking and Processing
Columbia Care deposits funds from its dispensary operations into bank accounts established with various banking partners. The Company ensures that the banks used are fully aware of the nature of the business and industry in which the Company operates. Columbia Care currently accepts cash, cashless ATMs, and in certain locations the CNC card. The CNC card is the first store credit card in the cannabis industry, providing Columbia Care customers an alternative payment method in participating markets, increasing access to the Company’s products. Payment methods currently vary by market.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, Columbia Care earned retail revenues of approximately $4.5 million and $4.5 million, respectively, from the CNC program. Columbia Care does not consider the CNC program to be a material revenue stream.
Real Estate Strategy
In each market that Columbia Care enters, it spends a significant amount of time and resources selecting real estate in highly desirable locations with convenient access to customers, healthcare communities and health and wellness providers and public transit, close proximity to major interstates and other traffic routes, ample parking, and the potential for significant foot traffic. Columbia Care typically targets retail spaces with a footprint of 2,500 to 7,500 square feet and cultivation/manufacturing facilities with a footprint of 20,000 to 65,000+ square feet, depending on the market and available real estate inventory. Columbia Care’s practice is to secure leases with a base term of five to ten years with extension options for renewal terms of five years.
In-Store Pickup and Delivery
Columbia Care is currently associated with certain third-party platforms that offer pre-ordering for in-store pickup, online payment processing and home delivery services, where allowed by law. Where required, patients are offered educational material and/or consultations regarding route of administration and dosing format.
Inventory Management
In the jurisdictions where Columbia Care is operational, it has comprehensive inventory management practices that are compliant with applicable state laws and regulations. Such practices ensure control over Columbia Care’s cannabis and cannabis product inventory using seed to sale tracking software. See “Columbia Care Compliance Program – Inventory and Security Policies”. Columbia Care’s practices are designed to avoid contamination and to ensure the safety and quality of the products dispensed.
Information Technology
Columbia Care strategically invests in information technology infrastructure. In fiscal year 2022, Columbia Care has initiated an effort to consolidate its operational systems, to provide national governance over business process and intelligence across merchandise planning, inventory management, production, costing, order management, accounting, reporting and analysis. These systems will provide the flexibility to support global and multi-channel expansion. Columbia Care has invested in information technology security platforms which are designed to protect patient and customer records and personal information in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Research and Development
Columbia Care has been tracking consented patient outcomes since 2013, and now has a research database of more than 20 million sales transactions across all sales locations. It is working with experts to analyze this anonymized data to devise new genetics and new products tailored to individual patient conditions and wellness states.
20
Columbia Care has operated a product development and process development center in its Rochester, New York cultivation and manufacturing location since 2014, and now also conducts these activities in San Diego, California and Denver, Colorado. At these facilities, unit-dose formulations of proprietary cannabinoid combinations are created, and methods of extraction and separation are scaled. Additional work to add automation to these efforts and commercial manufacturing is ongoing.
Employees
As of December 31, 2022, Columbia Care had 2,505 employees across its operating jurisdictions, versus 2,586 employees as of December 31, 2021. As of March 23, 2023, Columbia Care had approximately 2,278 employees.
Columbia Care is committed to:
Columbia Care is committed to all of the above without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, color, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, uniform service member and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, disability, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws.
Columbia Care employees are highly talented individuals who have educational achievements ranging from doctorates to masters to undergraduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines, as well as staff who have been trained on the job to uphold the highest standards as set by Columbia Care. It is currently a requirement that all of Columbia Care’s employees pass background checks.
In addition, the safety of Columbia Care’s employees is a priority and Columbia Care is committed to the prevention of illness and injury through the provision and maintenance of a healthy workplace. Columbia Care takes all reasonable steps to ensure staff are appropriately informed and trained to ensure the safety of themselves as well as others around them.
Columbia Care strives to provide an equal opportunity for all its employees to pursue career advancement and to consistently look within its organization for potential job candidates prior to posting employment offerings externally. Importantly, it does not embrace these policies solely out of altruism or an obligation under state requirements, but because it has learned from experience that the organization thrives and becomes more productive by maintaining a culture of inclusion where everyone feels valued and their individual contributions are appreciated and rewarded.
Competition
Columbia Care competes with other retail, manufacturing and cultivation license holders across the states in which it operates, as well as additional states. Many of Columbia Care’s competitors are smaller, local operators, as well as an increasing number of operators with a significant presence in multiple states that compete directly with Columbia Care for regional market share. In certain markets, a number of dispensaries and cultivators operate illegally and compete directly with Columbia Care. However, Columbia Care expects that law enforcement will increasingly respond to illicit market operators. In addition to physical dispensaries, Columbia Care also competes with third-party delivery services, which provide direct-to-consumer delivery services.
Further, as more U.S. jurisdictions pass legislation allowing adult-use of cannabis, Columbia Care expects an increased level of competition in the U.S. market. A number of publicly-traded companies are expanding operations to states that have decriminalized cannabis consumption. The increasingly competitive U.S. state markets may adversely affect the financial condition and operations of Columbia Care.
See “United States Regulatory Environment” for additional details as to the regulatory environment in which Columbia Care operates. See Item 1A—“Risk Factors” with respect to competition.
21
Intellectual Property
Columbia Care pursues patent and trademark protection around the world directed to its product and product candidates in an effort to establish intellectual property positions regarding cannabinoid products and devices. Patent prosecution is a lengthy process, during which the scope of the claims initially submitted for examination to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or foreign equivalents is often significantly narrowed by the time they are issued, if issued at all. Columbia Care expects this may be the case with respect to its pending patent applications referenced below.
Columbia Care’s intellectual property strategy seeks to provide protection for its product and product candidates, through the prosecution of different types of patent and trademark applications in the U.S. and worldwide.
Columbia Care’s patent portfolio covers a number of its products and product candidates. As of March 3, 2023, this portfolio included 1 issued U.S. patent and at least 12 pending patent applications owned by Columbia Care, filed in one or more of three jurisdictions, including Canada and the U.S., which have strong patent systems. The issued U.S. patent is projected to expire in 2037. The patent applications, if granted, are projected to expire between 2037 and 2040, excluding any extension of patent term that may be available in a particular country.
Our patent portfolio includes:
While the USPTO has granted many patents for cannabis-related technologies, none have yet been successfully enforced in court. Until U.S. courts definitively address the enforceability of cannabis-related patents, or cannabis products are legalized federally in the U.S., we cannot be certain that any of our patents can be effectively enforced against our competitors, even if their products infringe our patents, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The USPTO may deny federal trademark registration if the trademark application covers goods or services that violate federal law, including cannabis products. However, certain hemp-derived goods, including hemp-derived CBD products with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis, as well as ancillary products or services, are considered lawful under federal law and may be eligible for federal trademark registration. Additionally, the USPTO may accept trademark applications for consulting services or goods that do not directly involve the cannabis flower, such as computer software, educational platforms, and brand apparel. Trademarks covering these lawful goods and services are generally enforceable in federal court. Cannabis goods and services that do not meet the USPTO standard for trademark registration may qualify for state trademark registration in states where such goods and services have been legalized, and are generally enforceable in state courts in those states.
No guarantee can be given that Columbia Care will be able to successfully assert its trademark rights, nor can the company guarantee that its trademark registrations will not be invalidated, circumvented or challenged. Any such invalidity, particularly with respect to a product name, or a successful intellectual property challenge or infringement proceeding against the company, could have a material
22
adverse effect on Columbia Care’s business.
In addition to patents and trademarks, Columbia Care relies upon unpatented trade secrets and know-how to develop and maintain its competitive position. Columbia Care has developed numerous proprietary technologies and processes. While actively exploring the patentability of these techniques and processes, Columbia Care relies on non- disclosure/confidentiality arrangements and trade secret protection.
Columbia Care seeks to protect its proprietary information, in part, by executing confidentiality agreements with third parties, its collaborators, and scientific advisors, and as well as non-disclosure and invention assignment agreements with its employees and consultants. The confidentiality agreements it enters into are designed to protect its proprietary information and the agreements or clauses requiring assignment of inventions to the Company are designed to grant it ownership of technologies that are developed through its relationship with the respective counterparty. Columbia Care cannot guarantee, however, that these agreements will afford it adequate protection of its intellectual property and proprietary information rights.
Trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect. In particular, some of Columbia Care’s trade secrets and know-how for which it decides to not pursue additional patent protection may, over time, be disseminated within the industry through independent development and public presentations describing the methodology.
UNITED STATES REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
Federal Regulatory Environment
Under U.S. federal law, marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug. The Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 811) (the “CSA”) classifies drugs in five different schedules. As a Schedule I drug, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) considers marijuana to have a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. In October of 2022, President Joseph R. Biden announced that marijuana scheduling under federal law would be reviewed, directing federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to review the scheduling status of marijuana under the CSA. In his announcement, the president noted that marijuana is scheduled as more dangerous than fentanyl which has contributed to a nationwide epidemic of overdose deaths. Following the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (popularly known as the “2018 Farm Bill”), cannabis with a tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) content below 0.3% dry weight volume is classified as hemp and has been removed from the CSA. Hemp and products derived from it lawfully cultivated or manufactured in accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill, U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations and applicable state laws may now be sold into commerce and transported across state lines. The 2018 Farm Bill explicitly preserves the authority of the FDA to regulate certain products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds such as CBD under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FD&C Act”) and Section 351 of the Public Health Service Act. In conjunction with the enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill, the FDA released a statement about the regulatory status of CBD, noting the FDA’s position that it is unlawful to introduce food containing added CBD into interstate commerce, or to market CBD products as, or in, dietary supplements, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived. In January of 2023, the FDA issued a statement in connection with its denial of three citizen petitions requesting that the agency engage in rulemaking to establish regulations under which CBD derived from hemp could be legally marketed as a dietary ingredient in foods and dietary supplements. FDA stated that it is seeking assistance from Congress to create a new regulatory pathway that is better designed to regulate products that contain hemp derived cannabanoids, including CBD. In the interim, FDA stated that products (including dietary supplements, conventional foods, and animal foods) on the market are at risk of FDA enforcement as the agency deems “appropriate.” To date, the FDA’s enforcement actions against companies manufacturing CBD products has primarily been limited to the issuance of warning letters to companies whose products have made prohibited, misleading, and unapproved drug claims. Various states have also enacted state-specific laws pertaining to the handling, manufacturing, labeling, and sale of CBD and other hemp consumable products. While some states explicitly authorize and regulate the production and sale of hemp-derived CBD consumable products or otherwise provide legal protection for authorized individuals to engage in such activities, other states restrict the sale of CBD products or prohibit such products outright.
Under federal law, cannabis having a concentration of THC greater than 0.3% by dry weight volume is marijuana. The scheduling of marijuana as a Schedule I drug is inconsistent with what Columbia Care believes to be many valuable medical uses for marijuana accepted by physicians, researchers, patients, and others. As evidence of this, the FDA on June 25, 2018 approved Epidiolex (CBD) oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, in patients two years of age and older. This is the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified drug substance derived from marijuana. In this case, the substance is cannabidiol, or CBD, a cannabinoid found in both hemp and marijuana, which does not contain the intoxication properties of THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana. Columbia Care believes the CSA categorization as a Schedule I drug is not reflective of the medicinal properties of marijuana or the public perception thereof, and
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numerous studies show cannabis is not able to be abused in the same way as other Schedule I drugs, has medicinal properties, and can be safely administered. Moreover, while certain published studies show that marijuana may be less harmful than alcohol, alcohol is not classified under the CSA. This disparity may reflect the comparative stigma associated with marijuana that factors into scheduling decisions by the DEA.
The federal position is also not necessarily consistent with democratic approval of marijuana at the state government level in the United States. As of December 31, 2022, 37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands have passed laws broadly legalizing marijuana for medicinal use by eligible patients. In the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and 21 of these states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington – marijuana is legal for adult-use regardless of medical condition, although not all of those jurisdictions have fully implemented their legalization programs. As more and more states legalized medical and/or adult-use marijuana, the federal government attempted to provide clarity on the incongruity between federal prohibition under the CSA and these state-legal regulatory frameworks. Until 2018, the federal government provided guidance to federal law enforcement agencies and banking institutions through a series of United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) memoranda. One significant memorandum was drafted by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole in 2013 (the “Cole Memo”).
The Cole Memo offered guidance to federal enforcement agencies as to how to prioritize civil enforcement, criminal investigations and prosecutions regarding marijuana in all states. The Cole Memo put forth eight prosecution priorities:
On January 4, 2018, former United States Attorney General Jefferson Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo by issuing a new memorandum to all United States Attorneys (the “Sessions Memo”). Rather than establish national enforcement priorities particular to marijuana-related crimes in jurisdictions where certain marijuana activity was legal under state law, the Sessions Memo instructs that “[i]n deciding which marijuana activities to prosecute... with the DOJ’s finite resources, prosecutors should follow the well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions.” Namely, these include the seriousness of the offense, history of criminal activity, deterrent effect of prosecution, the interests of victims, and other principles.
The former Attorneys General who succeeded former Attorney General Sessions following his resignation did not provide a clear policy directive for the United States as it pertains to state-legal marijuana-related activities. It is still not yet known whether the Department of Justice under President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland will re-adopt the Cole Memo or announce a substantive marijuana enforcement policy. Justice Garland stated at a confirmation hearing in 2021 before the United States Senate that “It does not seem to me a useful use of limited resources that we have, to be pursuing prosecutions in states that have legalized and that are regulating the use of marijuana, either medically or otherwise. I don’t think that’s a useful use.” [1] Recently, in testimony in February of 2023 before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Garland said the DOJ is “still working on a marijuana policy” and that policy – when issued – “will be very close to what was done in the Cole Memorandum.”[2]
[1] John Schroyer, (2021 February 22) Attorney general nominee Garland signals friendlier marijuana stance, available at https://mjbizdaily.com/attorney-general-nominee-merrick-garland-signals-friendlier-marijuana-stance/
[2] Ben Adlin, (March 1, 2023) Biden’s Attorney General says DOJ is ‘still working on’ federal marijuana policy approach. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bidens-attorney-general-says-doj-is-still-working-on-federal-marijuana-policy-approach/
Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that state laws legalizing and regulating the sale and use of marijuana will not be repealed or overturned, or that local governmental authorities will not limit the applicability of state laws within their respective jurisdictions.
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Unless and until the United States Congress amends the CSA with respect to marijuana (and as to the timing or scope of any such potential amendments there can be no assurance), there is a risk that federal authorities may enforce current U.S. federal law. Currently, in the absence of uniform federal guidance, as had been established by the Cole Memo, enforcement priorities are determined by respective United States Attorneys, and notwithstanding public statements to the contrary, federal law enforcement could enforce the CSA – and its criminal prohibition on commercial cannabis activity -- vigorously.
Due to the CSA categorization of marijuana as a Schedule I drug, federal law also makes it illegal for financial institutions that depend on the Federal Reserve’s money transfer system to take any proceeds from marijuana sales as deposits. Banks and other financial institutions could be prosecuted and possibly convicted of money laundering for providing services to cannabis businesses under the United States Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (the “Bank Secrecy Act”). Therefore, under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks or other financial institutions that provide a cannabis business with a checking account, debit or credit card, small business loan, or any other service could be charged with money laundering or conspiracy.