As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 21, 2021
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form S-11
FOR REGISTRATION
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
OF SECURITIES OF CERTAIN REAL ESTATE COMPANIES
NewLake Capital Partners, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its governing instruments)
27 Pine Street
Suite 50
New Canaan, CT 06840
203-594-1402
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrants principal executive offices)
David Weinstein
Chief Executive Officer
27 Pine Street
Suite 50
New Canaan, CT 06840
203-594-1402
(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Robert K. Smith, Esq. | Curt P. Creely, Esq. | |
James V. Davidson, Esq. | Carolyn T. Long, Esq. | |
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP | Foley & Lardner LLP | |
2200 Pennsylvania Ave NW | 100 N. Tampa Street, Suite 2700 | |
Washington, DC 20037 | Tampa, FL 33602 | |
(202) 955-1500 | (813) 229-2300 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If any of the Securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, check the following box: ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement of the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | Non-accelerated filer ☐ | Smaller reporting company ☒ | |||
Emerging growth company ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| ||||
Title of Securities to be Registered |
Proposed Maximum |
Amount of Registration Fee | ||
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share |
$100,000,000 | $10,910 | ||
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(1) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion,
Preliminary Prospectus dated June 21, 2021
PROSPECTUS
Shares
NewLake Capital Partners, Inc.
Common Stock
NewLake Capital Partners, Inc., a Maryland corporation, is an internally-managed real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes (REIT) that provides real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators through sale-leaseback transactions, third-party purchases and funding for build-to-suit projects. As of March 31, 2021, we owned a portfolio of 24 industrial properties and dispensaries utilized in the cannabis industry that were leased to single tenants on a triple-net basis.
This is our initial public offering. We are offering shares of our common stock. All of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus are being sold by us.
We expect the initial public offering price of our common stock to be between $ and $ per share. Currently, no public market exists for our common stock. We have applied to have our common stock quoted on the OTCQX® Best Market operated by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (the OTCQX). Quotation of our common stock will be subject to us fulfilling all of the listing requirements of the OTCQX. Each share will be issued directly to certain institutional investors pursuant to this prospectus and a securities purchase agreement.
We elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our short taxable year ended December 31, 2019. Shares of our common stock are subject to limitations on ownership and transfer that are primarily intended to assist us in maintaining our qualification as a REIT. Our charter generally prohibits any person from actually, beneficially or constructively owning more than 7.5% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our preferred stock or more than 7.5% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the aggregate outstanding shares of all classes and series of our stock. See Description of StockRestrictions on Ownership and Transfer.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company under the federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See Risk Factors beginning on page 21 of this prospectus for a discussion of certain risk factors that you should consider before investing in our common stock.
We have retained Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Compass Point Research & Trading LLC as placement agents for this transaction. The placement agents are not purchasing or selling any of our securities offered by this prospectus, nor are they required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities; however, the placement agents have agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of all of our securities offered hereby. There is no required minimum number of securities that must be sold as a condition to completion of the offering. We have agreed to pay the placement agent the placement agent fees set forth in the table below.
Per Share | Total(2) | |||||||
Public offering price |
$ | $ | ||||||
Placement agent fees(1) |
$ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
$ | $ |
(1) | We have also agreed to reimburse the placement agents for certain of their legal fees and expenses in connection with this offering. For additional information about the compensation paid to the placement agents, see Plan of Distribution on page 182. |
(2) | Assumes that shares are sold in this offering. |
We expect that delivery of shares being offered pursuant to this prospectus will be made on or about . Pursuant to an escrow agreement among us, the placement agents and Cadence Bank, N.A., as escrow agent, all of the funds received in payment for the shares sold in this offering will be wired to a non-interest bearing escrow account and held until we and the placement agents notify the escrow agent that this offering has closed, indicating the date on which the shares are to be delivered to the purchasers and the proceeds are to be delivered to us.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Delivery of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about , 2021.
Ladenburg Thalmann | Compass Point |
The date of this prospectus is , 2021.
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MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF OUR OPERATING PARTNERSHIP |
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CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OF OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS |
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F-1 |
You should rely only on the information contained in this document. We have not, and the placement agents have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the placement agents are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is current as of the date such information is presented. Our business, financial condition, liquidity, funds from operations (FFO), adjusted funds from operations (AFFO), results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
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TRADEMARKS
All brand and trade names, logos or trademarks contained, or referred to, in this registration statement are the property of their respective owners. These references shall not in any way be construed as participation by, or endorsement of, the offering of any of our securities by any of our tenants or their respective parent companies.
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The following summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the section entitled Risk Factors, as well as the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Unless otherwise indicated, the information contained in this prospectus is as of March 31, 2021 and assumes that (i) shares of common stock are sold in this offering and (ii) our common stock to be sold in this offering is sold to the public at $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus.
Our Company
We are an internally-managed Maryland corporation and a leading provider of real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators through sale-leaseback transactions, third-party purchases and funding for build-to-suit projects. Our properties are leased to single tenants on a long-term, triple-net basis, which obligates the tenant to be responsible for the ongoing expenses of a property, in addition to its rent obligations. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT beginning with our short taxable year ended December 31, 2019 and intend to operate our business so as to continue to qualify as a REIT.
Our tenants operate in the fast-growing cannabis industry. We supply necessary real estate capital primarily to companies that cultivate, produce and/or dispense cannabis. We believe we fill a need in an underserved market that has been created by, among other factors, the misalignment of federal and state legislation regarding cannabis. Moreover, we believe the banking industrys general reluctance to finance owners of cannabis-related facilities, coupled with the owners need for capital to fund the growth of their operations, should result in significant opportunities for us to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries that provide stable and increasing rental revenue along with the potential for long-term appreciation in value.
On March 17, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a separate company that owned a portfolio of industrial properties and dispensaries utilized in the cannabis industry (see The Merger below). As of March 31, 2021, we owned a geographically diversified portfolio consisting of 24 properties across nine states with six tenants, comprised of 17 dispensaries and seven cultivation facilities. As of the date of this prospectus, we have aggregate unfunded commitments to invest $18.7 million for the improvement and completion of our existing cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, as well as the development of one dispensary and one cultivation facility in Massachusetts.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have the right to purchase a parcel of land in each of Massachusetts and Arizona for an aggregate purchase price of $3.4 million, pursuant to executed purchase option agreements. If we exercise our rights to purchase these parcels of land, the purchase option agreements require us to fund up to an aggregate of $18.6 million for the construction of a cultivation facility on the site in Arizona and a dispensary on the site in Massachusetts. Furthermore, as of the date of this prospectus, we have a non-binding letter of intent to acquire a parcel of land in Arizona for $2.1 million and provide up to $16.0 million for construction of a cultivation facility on the site. Our letter of intent sets forth only general terms, which are subject to further negotiation and modification, and neither we nor any potential seller has any obligation to negotiate further or pursue a transaction pursuant to any letter of intent.
As of the date of this prospectus, we had no debt and our portfolio had an average yield on invested capital (defined as our annualized 2021 monthly rental revenue divided by the amount of our total investment, which includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any) of %. As of March 31, 2021, our properties had a weighted average remaining lease term of 14.3 years. Our tenants include affiliates of what we believe to be some of the leading and most well-capitalized companies in the
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industry, such as Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (Curaleaf), Cresco Labs, Inc. (Cresco Labs), Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (Trulieve) and Columbia Care, Inc. (Columbia Care). All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
We intend to target regulated state-licensed cannabis properties, particularly those in limited-license jurisdictions (which we define generally as jurisdictions where the number of licenses granted to cannabis operators are limited and requires a rigorous approval process). Furthermore, our focus is on those properties owned or operated by experienced state-licensed cannabis companies, including vertically integrated multi-state businesses involved in cultivation, processing, logistics and retail activities. Columbia Care and Acreage Holdings, Inc. (Acreage), which we believe to be two of the largest and more sophisticated cannabis operators in the U.S., have each granted us rights of first offer with respect to certain property acquisition opportunities through December 22, 2022 and May 31, 2022, respectively. For a more detailed discussion of these rights of first offer see Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer.
We believe that our focus on cannabis properties in limited-license jurisdictions, where the property is an integral part of the license application process and moving the licensees operations from one location to another would require regulatory or other approvals, provides the opportunity to capture rental income on properties with above-market property level cash flows and greater re-leasing probability as these properties are generally in high demand. Generally, a tenants ability to meet rental obligations is strongly correlated to the tenants revenues derived from the property. In our experience, cannabis operations in limited-license jurisdictions generally have less competition and produce a higher revenue per square foot than unlimited-license cannabis jurisdictions, as well as traditional industrial and retail businesses. We believe that our portfolio has a property rent coverage (generally, the ability of the tenant to generate income sufficient to satisfy its rent and other financial obligations) that is significantly greater than the average for the overall commercial real estate industry.
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe that we have the following competitive strengths:
| Experienced Management Team and Board of Directors. Our management team and board of directors have substantial experience in commercial real estate, including investing in cannabis net lease properties and other cannabis operations as well as publicly-traded REIT experience. Our Chairman, Gordon DuGan, most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Gramercy Property Trust, a formerly NYSE-listed triple-net lease REIT, during which time the company grew substantially and was sold to Blackstone Equity Partners VIII, LP for $7.6 billion. Our Chief Executive Officer, David Weinstein, has extensive commercial real estate banking and investment experience and was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of a NYSE-listed office REIT. Anthony Coniglio, our President and Chief Investment Officer, founded a cannabis-related industrial and dispensary REIT that we acquired in March 2021 and has more than 30 years experience in real estate and banking. One of our board members, Peter Kadens, was the Co-Founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Green Thumb Industries, one of the leading cannabis companies, and provides valuable insight into the cannabis industry. |
| Quality Portfolio Net Leased to Well-Capitalized Cannabis Operators. Our tenants include affiliates of what we believe to be some of the leading and most well-capitalized companies in the cannabis industry, such as Curaleaf, Cresco Labs, Trulieve and Columbia Care. As of March 31, 2021, our properties were 100% leased and primarily located in limited-license jurisdictions. Since inception, we have collected 100% of rent due, with no deferrals or abatements. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor. |
| Geographically Diversified Portfolio. Geographic diversification is a core tenet of our underwriting philosophy. As of March 31, 2021, we owned a geographically diversified portfolio consisting of 24 properties across nine states with six tenants, comprised of 17 dispensaries and seven cultivation facilities. As our portfolio grows, we intend to achieve further diversification by geography and tenant. |
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| Focus on Recurring and Dependable Revenue. We seek to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries and enter into long-term triple-net lease arrangements with high-quality licensed medical-use and adult-use cannabis operators after rigorous tenant and asset-level due diligence. We expect our primary focus will be cannabis cultivation, production and dispensary facilities which we believe will support a recurring and dependable revenue base with long-term potential for asset appreciation. Triple-net leases obligate the tenant for the ongoing expenses of a property, including real estate taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, in addition to its rent obligations. Our leases also typically include annual rent escalations (typically within the range of 2-3%) as a set percentage or based on an inflation index, which provides us with contractual revenue growth and inflation-protected returns. |
| Strong Balance Sheet with Significant Financial Flexibility. Following completion of this offering, we and our operating partnership expect to have approximately $ million of capital invested and committed, $ million of uncommitted cash and no debt, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus. While we expect to initially utilize uncommitted cash to fund acquisitions, we expect in the future to seek additional equity capital and various forms of debt financing to increase our growth prospects. |
| Rights of First Offer with Columbia Care and Acreage Provides Acquisition Pipeline Opportunity. Our rights of first offer with Columbia Care and Acreage should allow us to benefit from a potential property acquisition pipeline with what we believe to be two of the largest and more sophisticated cannabis operators in the U.S. Pursuant to these rights of first offer, we have a right of first offer to purchase certain properties owned by Columbia Care through December 22, 2022 and to assume Acreages position as a purchaser with respect to future real estate acquisition opportunities identified by them through May 31, 2022. See Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer. |
Our Business and Growth Strategies
Our principal objective is to maximize stockholder returns through a combination of (i) quarterly distributions to our stockholders, (ii) sustainable long-term growth in cash flows from contractual annual rent increases, and (iii) potential long-term appreciation in the value of our properties. Our focus is to acquire and own a portfolio of properties leased to tenants holding the requisite state licenses to operate in the regulated medical-use and adult-use cannabis industry. Over time, we intend to add leverage to our portfolio, as part of our strategy to seek risk-adjusted returns while generating stable cash distributions on a tax-efficient basis. This strategy includes the following components:
| Owning Cannabis Properties and Related Real Estate Assets for Income and/or Appreciation. We seek to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries that are leased to tenants that are well positioned to benefit from the growth of the cannabis industry and for whom such real estate is operationally strategic to their business. We generally expect to hold acquired properties for investment and to generate stable and increasing rental income from leasing these properties to licensed operators. Although we do not currently have plans to do so, from time to time, we may decide to sell one or more properties if we believe it to be in the best interests of our stockholders. Therefore, we will seek to acquire properties that we believe also have potential for long-term appreciation in value. |
| Investing in Industrial Properties and Dispensaries. Industrial cultivation and processing properties are required to be operated by businesses that have completed a rigorous state licensing process creating substantial barriers to entry for competing facilities. We believe owning these mission-critical industrial facilities with long-term leases will generate highly attractive current yields and above market returns. Dispensaries provide enhanced tenant, geographical and supply chain diversification to our portfolio. Contrary to the decline of general brick and mortar retail stores with the growing shift to |
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online activity, we expect distribution of cannabis products to be primarily through licensed retail locations, similar to alcohol and pharmaceutical products. Additionally, we expect that dispensaries will be an important component of the industrys expansion as operators see education and customer interaction as key to growing the customer base and increasing transaction volume. |
| Expanding as Additional States Enact Regulated Cannabis Programs. We acquire properties in the U.S., with a focus on states that have established regulated cannabis programs. As of March 31, 2021, we owned properties in nine states, and we expect that our acquisition opportunities will continue to expand as additional states (particularly limited-license jurisdictions) establish regulated cannabis programs and license new operators. |
| Providing Expansion Capital to Existing Tenants as an Additional Source of Income. As cannabis sales in the U.S. continue to grow, we believe the industry requires additional cultivation, processing and retail capacity to meet demand. We have provided expansion capital for some of our existing tenants as they expand operations at properties they lease from us. We believe this need for expansion capital provides a captive opportunity for us to grow our portfolio and increase our revenue. We expect to continue to focus on executing on these expansion initiatives with our tenants. |
| Preserving Financial Flexibility on our Balance Sheet. We are focused on maintaining a conservative capital structure, in order to provide us flexibility in financing our growth initiatives. As of March 31, 2021, we had no debt. |
Our Properties
We seek to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries that are strategic profit centers for our tenants and are well positioned for the regulatory evolution of the industry. Licensed industrial and dispensary locations are critical components of the cannabis industry, particularly in limited-license jurisdictions. As of March 31, 2021, we owned 24 properties that are 100% leased to state-licensed cannabis operators, with a weighted average remaining lease term of 14.3 years. Based on invested capital, as of March 31, 2021, our portfolio is comprised of approximately 84.4% cultivation facilities and 15.6% dispensaries. Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot industrial building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded. We define tenant reimbursement commitments as a commitment pursuant to our lease with the tenant to fund alterations, additions or improvements to the premises.
Existing Portfolio. The table below sets forth our property portfolio as of March 31, 2021.
Property Type |
State |
Tenant(1) |
Rentable Square Feet(2) |
Capital Investment(3) |
||||||||
Industrial |
Florida | Curaleaf | 379,435 | $ | 55,000,000 | |||||||
Industrial |
Illinois | Cresco Labs | 222,455 | 50,677,821 | ||||||||
Industrial |
Pennsylvania | Trulieve | 144,602 | 25,365,078 | (4) | |||||||
Industrial |
Massachusetts | Columbia Care | 38,890 | 14,118,174 | (5) | |||||||
Industrial |
Illinois | Columbia Care | 32,802 | 11,469,139 | ||||||||
Industrial |
Pennsylvania | Acreage | 30,625 | 10,158,372 | ||||||||
Industrial |
Massachusetts | Acreage | 38,380 | 9,787,999 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
California | Columbia Care | 2,470 | 4,581,419 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Ohio | Curaleaf | 7,200 | 3,207,605 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 5,040 | 3,152,185 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Connecticut | Curaleaf | 11,181 | 2,773,755 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Pennsylvania | Curaleaf | 3,500 | 2,111,999 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Massachusetts | Columbia Care | 4,290 | 2,108,951 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
North Dakota | Curaleaf | 4,590 | 2,011,530 |
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Property Type |
State |
Tenant(1) |
Rentable Square Feet(2) |
Capital Investment(3) |
||||||||
Dispensary |
Arkansas | Curaleaf | 7,592 | 1,964,801 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Massachusetts | PharmaCann | 11,116 | 1,900,000 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Pennsylvania | Curaleaf | 1,968 | 1,752,788 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 6,100 | 1,567,005 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Pennsylvania | PharmaCann | 3,481 | 1,200,000 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Columbia Care | 4,736 | 1,127,931 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 4,200 | 963,811 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Connecticut | Acreage | 2,872 | 925,751 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Massachusetts | PharmaCann | 3,850 | 743,460 | (6) | |||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 1,851 | 540,700 | ||||||||
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Total |
973,226 | $ | 209,210,274 | |||||||||
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(1) | Lease is with a subsidiary of this entity, for which this entity or an affiliate is a guarantor. |
(2) | Includes estimated rentable square feet at completion of construction. |
(3) | Includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any, as of March 31, 2021. Excludes tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. See footnotes below. |
(4) | Excludes $16,134,922 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(5) | Excludes $720,505 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(6) | Excludes $806,540 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
Geographical Diversification
Geographic diversification is an important component of any real estate portfolio, including ours. Exposure to different states and municipalities mitigates the risk of adverse impacts on our portfolio from economic, environmental, regulatory or demographic changes. Our properties are located in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio and Pennsylvania. These states represent different phases of cannabis market structure and development, as well as diverse regional economic drivers. Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded.
The following table sets forth certain state-by-state information regarding our property portfolio as of March 31, 2021:
State |
Number of Properties |
Capital Investment(1) |
Rentable Square Feet(2) |
Percentage of Annualized Rental Revenue(3) |
||||||||||||
Illinois |
7 | $ | 69,498,592 | 275,184 | 31.93 | % | ||||||||||
Florida |
1 | 55,000,000 | 379,435 | 27.39 | % | |||||||||||
Pennsylvania |
5 | 40,588,236 | (4) | 184,176 | 20.35 | % | ||||||||||
Massachusetts |
5 | 28,658,584 | (5) | 96,526 | 14.01 | % | ||||||||||
California |
1 | 4,581,419 | 2,470 | 1.82 | % | |||||||||||
Connecticut |
2 | 3,699,506 | 14,053 | 1.55 | % | |||||||||||
Ohio |
1 | 3,207,605 | 7,200 | 1.33 | % | |||||||||||
North Dakota |
1 | 2,011,530 | 4,590 | 0.81 | % | |||||||||||
Arkansas |
1 | 1,964,801 | 7,592 | 0.81 | % | |||||||||||
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Total |
24 | $ | 209,210,274 | 973,226 | 100 | % | ||||||||||
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(1) | Includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any, as of March 31, 2021. Excludes tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. See footnotes below. |
(2) | Includes estimated rentable square feet at completion of construction. |
(3) | Annualized rental revenue represents the annualized monthly base rent of executed leases as of March 31, 2021. |
(4) | Excludes $16,134,922 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(5) | Excludes $1,527,045 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
Acquisition/Development Pipeline
At any time, we may have opportunities to invest our capital pursuant to: (a) unfunded commitments under our existing leases to provide for further improvements or expansion at the properties we own; (b) binding agreements to acquire property, and in some instances provide improvement or expansion capital; or (c) non-binding letters of intent to acquire property, and in some instances provide improvement or expansion capital. As of the date of this prospectus, we have committed to invest $18.7 million for the improvement and completion of our existing cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, as well as the development of one dispensary and one cultivation facility in Massachusetts.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have the right to purchase a parcel of land in each of Massachusetts and Arizona for an aggregate purchase price of $3.4 million, pursuant to executed purchase option agreements. If we exercise our rights to purchase these parcels of land, the purchase option agreements require us to fund up to an aggregate of $18.6 million for the construction of a cultivation facility on the site in Arizona and a dispensary on the site in Massachusetts. Furthermore, as of the date of this prospectus, we have a non-binding letter of intent to acquire a parcel of land in Arizona for $2.1 million and provide up to $16.0 million for construction of a cultivation facility on the site. Our letter of intent sets forth only general terms, which are subject to further negotiation and modification, and neither we nor any potential seller has any obligation to negotiate further or pursue a transaction pursuant to any letter of intent.
Our senior management team has also identified and is in various stages of reviewing approximately $720 million of additional potential properties for acquisition, including potential tenant improvements. This amount is estimated based on the sellers asking prices for the properties, preliminary discussions with sellers or our internal assessment of the values of such properties after taking into account the current and expected annualized lease revenue, operating history, age and condition of the property and other relevant factors. We have undertaken limited, if any, due diligence and have not entered into letters of intent or binding agreements with the sellers of any of the properties identified by our senior management team as potential acquisition targets. As a result, we do not deem any of these potential acquisition prospects probable as of the date of this prospectus. There can be no assurance that we will complete the acquisition, development or expansion of any properties in our current pipeline on the terms and timing anticipated, or at all.
Our Tenants
We target companies that have successfully navigated complex state regulation and fulfilled rigorous state-licensing requirements. We believe we have been diligent in partnering with a diverse tenant base of experienced operators in limited licensed jurisdictions that have strong management teams. Our tenants have generally demonstrated access to capital, which is critical to continuing to execute on their respective business plans.
As of March 31, 2021, all of our rental revenues were derived from six tenants. The following table sets forth the tenants in our property portfolio as of March 31, 2021. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
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Tenant(1) |
Capital Investment(2) |
Number of Leases |
Percentage of Annualized Rental Revenue(3) |
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Curaleaf |
$ | 75,046,180 | 11 | 35.62 | % | |||||||
Cresco Labs |
50,677,821 | 1 | 23.68 | % | ||||||||
Columbia Care |
33,405,613 | (4) | 5 | 14.98 | % | |||||||
Trulieve |
25,365,078 | (5) | 1 | 12.95 | % | |||||||
Acreage |
20,872,122 | 3 | 10.63 | % | ||||||||
PharmaCann |
3,843,460 | (6) | 3 | 2.14 | % | |||||||
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Total |
$ | 209,210,274 | 24 | 100 | % | |||||||
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(1) | Lease is with a subsidiary of this entity, for which this entity or an affiliate is a guarantor. |
(2) | Includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any, as of March 31, 2021. Excludes tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. See footnotes below. |
(3) | Annualized rental revenue represents the annualized monthly base rent of executed leases as of March 31, 2021. |
(4) | Excludes $720,505 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(5) | Excludes $16,134,922 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(6) | Excludes $806,540 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
The following sets forth additional information related to our tenants as of March 31, 2021:
Curaleaf
We own ten dispensaries and one cultivation facility that are leased to subsidiaries of Curaleaf, which is, or an affiliate is, the corporate guarantor. Curaleaf is publicly-traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) and Over-the-Counter (OTC) markets under the symbols CURA and CURLF, respectively, and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of approximately $10.5 billion. Curaleaf is one of the largest vertically integrated multistate operators, and as of March 31, 2021 reportedly operated 23 cultivation facilities and 104 dispensaries across 23 states. Curaleafs filings, including their financial information, are electronically available at www.sec.gov and from the Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com, the Canadian equivalent of the SEC electronic document gathering and retrieval system.
Cresco Labs
We own one cultivation facility that is leased to a subsidiary of Cresco Labs, which is the corporate guarantor. Cresco Labs is publicly-traded on the CSE and the OTC markets, and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $4.6 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Cresco Labs reportedly operated 16 cultivation facilities and 24 dispensaries across nine states.
Trulieve
We own one cultivation facility that is leased to a subsidiary of Trulieve, which is the corporate guarantor. Trulieve is publicly-traded on the CSE and the OTC markets, and as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $5.6 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Trulieve reportedly operated nine cultivation and manufacturing facilities and 83 dispensaries across six states. On May 10, 2021, Trulieve announced the acquisition of Harvest Health & Recreation for $2.1 billion, subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
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Columbia Care
We own five properties that are leased to subsidiaries of Columbia Care, which is the corporate guarantor. Columbia Care is publicly-traded on the NEO Exchange and the CSE as well as the OTC markets, and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $2.0 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Columbia Care reportedly operated 27 cultivation facilities and 68 dispensaries across 16 states.
We hold a right of first offer with Columbia Care through December 22, 2022. See Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer.
Acreage
We own three properties that are leased to subsidiaries of Acreage, which is the corporate guarantor. Acreage is publicly-traded on the CSE and the OTC markets and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $546.3 million. During 2019, Acreage entered into an agreement with Canopy Growth Corporation (Canopy), allowing Canopy to acquire 100% of Acreage shares when the production and sale of cannabis becomes federally legal in the U.S. Canopy is publicly-traded on Nasdaq and the Toronto Stock Exchange and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $12.3 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Acreage reportedly operated 18 cultivation facilities and 30 dispensaries across 13 states.
We hold a right of first offer with Acreage through May 31, 2022. See Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer.
PharmaCann
We own three dispensaries leased to subsidiaries of PharmaCann, LLC (PharmaCann) which is the corporate guarantor. PharmaCann is a large privately-held, vertically integrated multi-state operator, and as of March 31, 2021 PharmaCann reportedly owned six cultivation and processing facilities and 20 operational dispensaries across six states.
Mint
Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded. This property is leased to an affiliate of Mint Enterprises LLC (Mint), which is the corporate guarantor, along with other affiliates. Mint is a privately-held, vertically integrated multi-state operator, and as of March 31, 2021 Mint reportedly owned or operated five cultivation facilities and ten dispensaries across four states.
Our Target Markets
As of March 31, 2021, we owned properties in the following nine states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio and Pennsylvania. We focus on states and municipalities where licensed cannabis properties are in high demand and connected to the operating license. This is a critical component of our underwriting methodology due to the fact that approaches to regulation vary significantly by state and municipality. For example, as of March 31, 2021, Oregon had issued over 1,200 cultivator and nearly 300 processor licenses, while Pennsylvania had only issued 25 grower/processor licenses. We believe that states with licensing limitations and more rigorous licensing requirements present more attractive investment opportunities because the operators are likely to be better capitalized and the properties more valuable for remarketing, should the need arise. Additionally, in states that have a more relaxed regulatory environment, strict municipal laws or regulations may present similar locally attractive opportunities.
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Transporting cannabis across state lines remains illegal. As a result, each state has its own supply and demand dynamics that are largely driven by how the state devised its cannabis laws and regulations. For this reason, we prioritize states that present dynamics constructive to the credit risk of the tenant. We focus on population, licensing limits, approved therapies and number of licenses, among other factors. Limited-license jurisdictions typically have more restrictions resulting in fewer licensees and creating a natural barrier to entry. This leads to a more favorable operating environment for our lessees, which we believe reduces their credit risk relative to operators in states with unlimited licenses (e.g., Oregon).
We believe that much has been learned by cannabis industry participants and regulators over the past twenty years about creating a regulatory framework that strikes the right balance of healthy competition, economics, risk and control. We believe that many of the states creating new cannabis markets have observed the shortcomings of unlimited license structures, better understand the operating environment and are developing regulations to better manage the cannabis industry. Since each state takes a different approach to regulation, and in some instances, there are municipal laws layered on top of state laws, our analysis of each opportunity requires significant understanding of the state and local operating environment.
Market Opportunity
The regulated state-legal cannabis industry is rapidly expanding and we believe presents a compelling opportunity to invest in revenue-centric industrial and retail real estate that is mission-critical to the industry. According to BDSA, cannabis sales in the U.S. have grown from $12.1 billion in 2019 to $17.6 billion in 2020, and are expected to grow to $41.2 billion by 2026, representing a projected 15% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for the industry. These data suggest that there is significant need for real estate capital as cannabis licensees pursue an aggressive national expansion strategy and the continued prohibition of cannabis under federal law limits the capital available to operators in the industry, creating a market opportunity for real estate companies like us. We expect that acquisition opportunities will continue to grow as additional states legalize medical-use and adult-use cannabis and license new retail dispensaries and cultivation operations.
According to the Leafly Jobs Report 2021, state-legal cannabis is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. Across the U.S., legalization for both medical-use and adult-use is on the rise. As of May 31, 2021, Business Insider reports that 36 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized medical-use cannabis in some form, and 17 of those states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized cannabis for adult-use. According to the 2019 U.S. Census, approximately 140 million people live in these states.
The historic and projected market growth appears to be fueled by a societal shift in mindset and increased access to a broad array of products and applications that is driving mainstream acceptance of cannabis. This shift is evidenced by recent state legalization efforts. On November 3, 2020, voters approved cannabis legalization initiatives in Arizona (adult-use), Mississippi (medical), Montana (adult-use), New Jersey (adult-use) and North Dakota (medical-use and adult-use). Thus far in 2021, adult-use cannabis was legalized in Connecticut, New York, New Mexico and Virginia, while medical-use cannabis was legalized in Alabama. Polls throughout the U.S. consistently show overwhelming support for the legalization of medical-use cannabis, together with strong majority support for the full legalization of adult-use cannabis. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, more than 90% of Americans support legalizing cannabis for medical-use, while a recent Gallup survey found that 68% of Americans support legalizing cannabis for adult-use.
To date, the status of cannabis under federal law has significantly limited the ability of state-licensed industry participants to fully access the U.S. banking system and traditional financing sources. Due in part to the lack of access to traditional financing sources, we believe that our sale-leaseback solutions are attractive to state-licensed medical-use and adult-use cannabis retailers, cultivators and producers and non-dilutive to their shareholders. We anticipate that future changes in federal and state laws may ultimately open up financing
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options that have not been available in this industry. However, we believe that such changes will take time and that our sale-leaseback solutions will continue to be attractive to industry participants.
We intend to continue to take advantage of this market opportunity by purchasing medical-use and adult-use retail cannabis dispensaries, as well as cannabis cultivation and production facilities. We intend to acquire cannabis dispensaries, cultivation and production facilities in states that permit medical-use and adult-use cannabis. However, we do not consider ourselves to be engaged in the cannabis industry since we are not a plant-touching cannabis business.
Our Financing Strategy
We intend to meet our long-term liquidity needs through cash flow from operations, the issuance of equity and debt securities, including common stock, preferred stock and long-term notes, and asset level financing from financial institutions. Where possible, we also may issue limited partnership interests in our operating partnership (OP units) to acquire properties from existing owners seeking a tax-deferred transaction. We expect to issue equity and debt securities at times when we believe that our stock price or cost of debt capital, respectively, is at a level that allows for the reinvestment of offering proceeds in accretive property acquisitions. We may also issue common stock to permanently finance properties that were previously financed by debt securities. However, we cannot assure you that we will have access to the capital markets at times and on terms that are acceptable to us. Our investment guidelines will initially provide that our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of our tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing, subject to our board of directors discretion.
Competition
The current market for properties that meet our investment objectives is limited. In addition, we believe finding properties that are appropriate for the specific use of allowing adult- and medical-use cannabis operators may be limited as more competitors enter the market, and as regulated cannabis operators obtain greater access to alternative financing sources, including but not limited to equity and debt financing sources. For example according to analysis by Viridian Capital Advisors, North American cannabis companies either closed or announced more than $5.5 billion in capital in 2021 through May 31.
We face significant competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds and other real estate investors, hard money lenders, and cannabis operators themselves, all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for regulated cannabis facilities. In some instances, we will be competing to acquire real estate with persons who have no interest in the cannabis industry but have identified value in a real estate location that we may be interested in acquiring. In particular, we face competition from established companies in this industry, including Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (the largest publicly-traded cannabis-focused REIT listed in the U.S.) as well as local real estate investors, particularly for smaller retail assets. Recently, we have also seen competition from emerging debt funds. We believe that most cannabis cultivation facilities typically require capital in excess of $20.0 million, which could provide some barriers for smaller potential competitors.
These competitors may prevent us from acquiring desirable properties or may cause an increase in the price we must pay for properties. Our competitors may have greater financial and operational resources than we do and may be willing to pay more for certain assets or may be willing to accept more risk than we believe can be prudently managed. In particular, larger companies may enjoy significant competitive advantages that result from, among other things, a lower cost of capital and enhanced operating efficiencies. Our competitors may also adopt transaction structures similar to ours, which would decrease our competitive advantage in offering flexible transaction terms.
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In addition, due to a number of factors, including but not limited to potential greater clarity of the laws and regulations governing regulated cannabis by state and federal governments, the number of entities and the amount of funds competing for suitable investment properties may increase substantially, resulting in increased demand and increased prices paid for these properties. Furthermore, changes in federal regulations pertaining to cannabis could also lead to increased access to U.S. capital markets for our competitors and for regulated cannabis operators (including but not limited to access to the Nasdaq Stock Market and/or the New York Stock Exchange). We compete for the acquisition of properties primarily based on their purchase price and lease terms. If we pay higher prices for properties or offer lease terms that are less attractive for us, our profitability may decrease, and you may experience a lower return on our common stock. Increased competition for properties may also preclude us from acquiring those properties that would generate attractive returns to us.
Risk Management
We are focused on creating a diversified portfolio based on tenants, geographical concentration and license concentration (i.e., dispensary vs. cultivation). In completing rigorous asset-level and tenant due diligence, we draw upon a pool of highly experienced professionals within our management team, investment committee and third parties to underwrite, evaluate and diligence investment opportunities. We obtain third-party property condition reports, environmental reviews and other customary diligence items.
Our underwriting criteria primarily focuses on:
Tenant Character
This criterion focuses on the tenants reputation (as perceived by us) and track record of paying debts. Our evaluation goes beyond these criteria to understand the tenants ability to manage in a highly regulated and complex industry and meet a rigorous set of state licensing requirements. We will continue to target operators that have experience in the industry and have built a positive reputation.
Financial Stability and Capacity
We evaluate a tenant and financial guarantors financial stability and capacity to meet all their respective obligations, including rent, insurance and taxes by evaluating their respective balance sheet, cash flow and net income history and projections. Reviewing these financial statements and projections, inclusive of key assumptions, provides a window into a tenant and financial guarantors ability to meet all financial obligations. In instances of tenants pursuing growth strategies where profitability is delayed, we evaluate a tenants liquidity and capital resources to withstand losses and achieve cash flow necessary to fulfill its obligations.
Ongoing monitoring of tenant credit quality is an important element of our risk management activity. We review, on a quarterly basis, tenant and guarantor financial statements, when available, and perform ongoing monitoring of tenant and guarantor announcements pertaining to their business operations and financial performance. We perform certain financial analysis on tenant and guarantor financial statements, when available, to understand the tenants ability to meet financial obligations when due, as well as the revenue and cash flows derived from the properties we own. We also benchmark financial performance at the properties we own to other cannabis properties, to the extent such information is available.
Access to Capital
Capital and access to capital are critical to the success of high-growth businesses. We assess a tenants ability to withstand varying market conditions, adjust to an evolving market landscape, invest in capabilities necessary to remain competitive and fund operating losses, if applicable.
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Real Estate
We seek to ensure that our facilities are considered mission-critical to our tenants, which positions us high in their cash flow priorities. We focus on states and municipalities where licensed cannabis properties are in high demand and connected to the operating license. Furthermore, we focus on potential non-cannabis alternative uses for properties we own, as well as standard real estate metrics such as the cost-basis, price per square foot and replacement cost-basis to minimize risk from shifts in industry dynamics or regulatory developments. We also focus on the ability of a facility to produce expected revenue based on cultivation capacity, harvest cycles and pricing in each unique market and then evaluate each transaction using rent as a percentage of revenue, in order to underwrite a propertys ability to generate free cash flow for the tenant.
Other Conditions
This category encompasses industry conditions, tenant circumstances and transaction terms. We focus on segments of the legal cannabis industry that present long-term sustainable trends supporting the success of our tenant and security of our contractual cash flow. Additionally, we evaluate the tenants use for the property relative to its other activities, as well as its positioning in the marketplace. We may also negotiate the terms of our leases to provide additional protection for the company when we deem necessary.
Pursuant to our triple-net leases, tenants are responsible for the ongoing expenses of a property (including taxes and insurance), in addition to the tenants rent obligations. We monitor all lease provisions to ensure strict compliance, including any tenant improvement funds that may be distributed. Additionally, our leases typically require tenant financials to be delivered on a regular basis and documentation to demonstrate compliance with all state laws, rules and cannabis regulations. When distributing tenant improvement funds, we engage a third-party to review each reimbursement request for accuracy, completion of work and proof of payment prior to disbursement.
Investment Guidelines
We expect that our board of directors will adopt the following initial investment guidelines:
| No investment will be made that would cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT. |
| No investment will be made that would cause us to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. |
| The proceeds of this offering, any future offering by us or our operating partnership, and cash from operations and capital transactions may be invested in interest-bearing, short-term, investment-grade investments, subject to the requirements for maintaining our qualification as a REIT. |
| Our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of its tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing. |
The investment committee of our board of directors will oversee our investment portfolio and compliance with our investment guidelines and policies. These investment guidelines may be changed or waived by our investment committee or board of directors without the approval of our stockholders.
The Merger
We were incorporated on April 9, 2019 originally under the name GreenAcreage Real Estate Corp. On March 17, 2021, we consummated a merger (the Merger), pursuant to which we combined our company with a separate company (the Target) that owned a portfolio of industrial properties and dispensaries utilized in the
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cannabis industry, and renamed ourselves NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. Immediately prior to the Merger, our company owned a portfolio of five properties among five states. The Target was a Maryland corporation organized in April 2019 under the name New Lake Capital Partners, Inc. that, immediately prior to the Merger, owned a portfolio of 19 properties among eight states.
Upon completion of the Merger, we owned 24 properties across nine states, and became one of the largest REITs in the cannabis industry. We consummated the Merger and combined businesses with the Target to, among other things, benefit from increasing economies of scale as we continue to grow, and as part of our evolution toward entering the public markets. In connection with the Merger, we also entered into various arrangements and agreements with certain of our significant stockholders, including director nomination rights. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsInvestor Rights Agreement for more information about these director nomination rights.
Registration Rights
In connection with the Merger, we entered into the amended and restated registration rights agreement (the Registration Rights Agreement) with certain stockholders of our company and of the Target (collectively, the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders). Pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, we have agreed to, among other things, use commercially reasonable efforts to file, by the date that is 90 days following the earlier of (a) the effective date of a registration statement for an initial public offering filed with the SEC or other securities commission, and (b) the date the shares of our common stock are listed for trading on certain securities exchanges, one or more registration statements registering the issuance and resale of the common stock held by the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, we have also granted to the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders certain separate demand and piggyback registration rights. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsRegistration Rights Agreement.
Government Regulation
Cannabis (with the exception of hemp containing no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight) is illegal under U.S. federal law. In those states in which the use of cannabis has been legalized, its use remains a violation of federal law pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (the CSA). The CSA classifies marijuana (cannabis) as a Schedule I controlled substance, and as such, both medical-use and adult-use cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law. Moreover, on two separate occasions the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the CSA trumps state law. Although internal policies and Congressional actions have placed certain limitations on the federal governments ability to enforce federal cannabis laws against businesses legally operating under the medical marijuana laws of a given state, as discussed below, there exists the possibility that the federal government may enforce U.S. drug laws against companies operating in accordance with state cannabis laws, creating a climate of legal uncertainty regarding the production and sale of cannabis. Unless and until Congress amends or repeals the CSA with respect to medical-use and/or adult-use cannabis and the President approves such action (and as to the timing or scope of any such potential amendment or repeal there can be no assurance), there is a risk that the federal law enforcement authorities responsible for enforcing the CSA, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), may enforce current federal law.
Federal prosecutors have significant discretion to investigate and prosecute suspected violations of federal law and no assurance can be given that the federal prosecutor in each judicial district where we purchase a property will not choose to strictly enforce the federal laws governing cannabis production, processing or distribution. Any change in the federal governments enforcement posture with respect to state-licensed cultivation of medical-use and adult-use cannabis, including the enforcement postures of individual federal prosecutors in judicial districts where we purchase properties, would result in our inability to execute our business plan, and we would likely suffer significant losses with respect to our investment in cannabis facilities
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in the U.S., which would adversely affect the trading price of our securities. Furthermore, following any such change in the federal governments enforcement position, we could be subject to criminal prosecution, which could impact our ability to operate and could lead to imprisonment and/or the imposition of penalties, fines, or forfeiture. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Regulation.
In most states that have legalized medical-use and adult-use cannabis in some form, the growing, processing and/or dispensing of cannabis generally requires that the operator obtain one or more licenses in accordance with applicable state requirements. In addition, many states regulate various aspects of the growing, processing and/or dispensing of medical-use and adult-use cannabis. State and local governments in some cases also impose rules and regulations on the manner of operating cannabis businesses. As a result, applicable state and local laws and regulations vary widely, including, but not limited to, regulations governing medical-use and/or adult-use cannabis programs (such as the type of cannabis products permitted under the program, qualifications and registration of health professionals that may recommend treatment with medical cannabis, and the types of medical conditions that qualify for medical cannabis), product testing, the level of enforcement by state and local authorities on non-licensed cannabis operators, state and local taxation of regulated cannabis products, local municipality bans on operations and operator licensing processes and renewals. As a result of these and other factors, if our tenants default under their leases, we may not be able to find new tenants that can successfully engage in the cultivation, processing or dispensing of medical-use or adult-use cannabis on the properties.
There is no guarantee that state laws legalizing and regulating the growing, processing, sale and use of cannabis will not be repealed, amended or overturned, or that local governmental authorities will not limit the applicability of state laws within their respective jurisdictions. Unless and until Congress amends or repeals the CSA with respect to medical-use and/or adult-use cannabis and the President approves such action (and as to the timing or scope of any such potential amendment or repeal there can be no assurance), there is a risk that federal authorities may enforce current federal law. If the federal government begins to enforce federal laws relating to cannabis in states where the growing, processing, sale and use of cannabis is currently legal, or if existing applicable state laws are repealed or curtailed, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects would be materially and adversely affected.
For more information related to the regulation of cannabis and related matters, see Business and PropertiesGovernment Regulation and Environmental and Related Matters.
Summary Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Prospective investors are urged to carefully consider the matters discussed under Risk Factors prior to making an investment in our common stock. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
| The COVID-19 pandemic, or the future outbreak of any other pandemic, could materially and adversely impact our tenants and their operations, and in turn our business (including our financial performance and condition). |
| We have a limited operating history and may not be able to operate our business successfully or implement our business strategy. |
| We have a very limited number of tenants, and the inability of any single tenant to make its lease payments could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). |
| Our business is subject to risks associated with real estate assets and the real estate industry, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). |
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| Our real estate investments are concentrated in industrial properties suitable for the cultivation and production of cannabis and retail properties suitable for the dispensing of cannabis, and a decrease in demand for such facilities could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). These properties may be difficult to sell or re-lease upon tenant defaults or lease terminations, either of which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). |
| Our properties are, and are expected to continue to be, geographically concentrated in states that permit cannabis cultivation and dispensing, and we will be subject to social, political and economic risks of doing business in these states. |
| We are an emerging growth company, and a smaller reporting company and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies will make shares of our common stock less attractive to investors. |
| We will incur significant new costs as a result of becoming a public company, and such costs may increase if and when we cease to be an emerging growth company. |
| Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, and therefore, strict enforcement of federal laws regarding cannabis would likely result in our inability and the inability of our tenants to execute our respective business plans. |
| Certain of our tenants engage in operations for the adult-use cannabis industry in addition to or in lieu of operations for the medical-use cannabis industry, and such tenants, we and our properties may be subject to additional risks associated with such adult-use cannabis operations. |
| New laws that are adverse to the business of our tenants may be enacted, and current favorable national, state or local laws or enforcement guidelines relating to cannabis operations may be modified or eliminated in the future. |
| We and our tenants may have difficulty accessing the service of banks and other financial institutions, which may make it difficult to contract for real estate needs. |
| Our growth depends on external sources of capital, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all (which such financing source risk may be more pronounced in the cannabis industry due to financial and regulatory constraints). |
| We are dependent on our key personnel for our success. |
| Our charter and certain provisions of Maryland law could inhibit changes in control. |
| Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to take action against or remove our directors and officers are limited, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions not in your best interests. |
| We may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger. |
| The market price and trading volume of our common stock may be volatile. |
| We cannot assure you of our ability to make distributions in the future. |
| Our failure to remain qualified as a REIT would subject us to U.S. federal income tax and applicable state and local taxes, which would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders and have significant adverse consequences on the market price of our common stock. |
| Legislative, regulatory or administrative changes could adversely affect us or our stockholders. |
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Our Operating Structure
Our Company
We were incorporated as a Maryland corporation on April 9, 2019. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership REIT structure, in which properties are owned by an operating partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. Our properties are owned by our operating partnership indirectly through limited liability companies or other subsidiaries of our operating partnership, as described below under Our Operating Partnership. We are the sole general partner of our operating partnership and immediately prior to the consummation of this offering own approximately 98% of the OP units. Upon completion of this offering we will own approximately % of the OP units. Our board of directors oversees our business and affairs.
Our Operating Partnership
Our operating partnership was formed as a Delaware limited partnership and commenced operations in April 2019. Substantially all of our assets are held by, and our operations are conducted through, our operating partnership. We will contribute all of the proceeds from this offering to our operating partnership in exchange for the issuance by our operating partnership of OP units to us. Our interest in our operating partnership generally entitles us to share in cash distributions from, and in the profits and losses of, our operating partnership in proportion to our percentage ownership. As the sole general partner of our operating partnership, we generally have the exclusive power under the partnership agreement to manage and conduct its business and affairs, subject to certain limited approval and voting rights of the limited partners, which are described more fully below in Description of the Partnership Agreement of Our Operating Partnership. In the future, we may issue OP units from time to time in connection with property acquisitions, as compensation, or otherwise.
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Our Structure
The following diagram depicts our expected ownership structure upon completion of this offering. Our operating partnership owns the properties in our portfolio indirectly.
(1) | Represents an aggregate of 17,329,964 shares of our common stock held by our existing stockholders, including our directors and officers. Excludes (a) 125,635 shares of common stock underlying 125,635 restricted stock units; (b) 791,790 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to option agreements; (c) 602,392 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of NLCP Holdings, LLCs purchase rights pursuant to a warrant agreement and (d) 365,103 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the outstanding OP units held by limited partners in our operating partnership other than us. |
(2) | Represents an aggregate of 799,456 shares of our common stock held by our directors and officers, excluding 125,635 shares of common stock underlying 125,635 restricted stock units and 175,952 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to option agreements with certain of our directors. |
Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer
Our charter provides that, subject to certain exceptions, no person may beneficially or constructively own more than 7.5% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our preferred stock, or more than 7.5% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the aggregate outstanding shares of all classes and series of our stock. Our charter also prohibits any person from (i) beneficially owning shares of our capital stock
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to the extent that such beneficial ownership would result in our being closely held within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code), without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of the taxable year, or otherwise failing to qualify as a REIT (including, but not limited to, beneficial ownership or constructive ownership that would result in us owning (actually or constructively) an interest in a tenant that is described in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code if the income derived by us from such tenant would cause us to fail to satisfy any of the gross income requirements of Section 856(c) of the Code) or (ii) transferring shares of our capital stock to the extent that such transfer would result in shares of our capital stock being beneficially owned by less than 100 persons (determined under the principles of Section 856(a)(5) of the Code). The foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify as a REIT.
Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may prospectively or retroactively exempt a person from the limits described above and may establish or increase an excepted holder percentage limit for such person. The person seeking an exemption must provide to our board of directors such representations, covenants and undertakings as our board of directors may deem appropriate in order to conclude that granting the exemption will not cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT. Our board of directors may not grant such an exemption to any person if such exemption would result in our failing to qualify as a REIT.
These ownership limitations could have the effect of discouraging a takeover or other transaction in which holders of our common stock might receive a premium for their shares over the then prevailing market price or which holders might believe to be otherwise in their best interests. For further details regarding stock ownership limits, see Description of Capital StockRestrictions on Ownership and Transfer.
Distribution Policy
We intend to pay regular quarterly cash dividends to holders of shares of our common stock. Actual distributions may be significantly different from expected distributions. Distributions declared by us will be authorized by our board of directors in its sole discretion out of funds legally available therefor and will depend upon a number of factors, including restrictions under applicable law, our results of operations, the capital requirements of our company and the distribution requirements necessary to maintain our qualification as a REIT. See Distribution Policy.
We intend to pay dividends that will enable us to meet the distribution requirements applicable to REITs and to eliminate or minimize our obligation to pay income and excise taxes. Although we have no current intention to pay dividends in shares of our common stock, we may in the future choose to do so. See Material Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsTaxation of Taxable U.S. Stockholders.
Our Tax Status
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our short taxable year ended December 31, 2019. We believe that, commencing with such taxable year, we have been organized and operated in a manner so as to qualify as a REIT under the U.S. federal income tax laws, and we intend to continue to operate in such a manner, but no assurances can be given that we will operate in a manner so as to remain qualified as a REIT. Our continued qualification as a REIT will depend upon our ability to meet, on a continuing basis, through actual investment and operating results, various complex requirements under the Code relating to, among other things, the sources of our gross income, the composition and values of our assets, our distribution levels and the diversity of ownership of our capital stock.
As a REIT, we generally are not subject to federal income tax on our net taxable income that we distribute currently to our stockholders. Under the Code, REITs are subject to numerous organizational and operational
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requirements, including a requirement that they distribute on an annual basis at least 90% of their REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding any net capital gains. If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year and do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, our income for that year will be taxed at regular corporate rates, and we would be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we ceased to qualify as a REIT. As a result, we anticipate that our failure to qualify as a REIT would reduce the cash available for distribution by us to our stockholders. In addition, if we fail to qualify as a REIT, all distributions to stockholders will be taxable as regular corporate dividends to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Even if we maintain our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may still be subject to state and local taxes on our income and assets and to federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed income. Additionally, any income earned by any taxable REIT subsidiary (TRS) we form in the future will be fully subject to federal, state and local corporate income tax.
Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company Status
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the JOBS Act). We are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If we continue to take advantage of any of these exemptions, we do not know if some investors will find shares of our common stock less attractive as a result. The result may be a less active trading market for shares of our common stock and the price of our common stock may be more volatile.
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. An emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of (i) the last day of the fiscal year during which our total annual revenue equals or exceeds $1.07 billion (subject to adjustment for inflation), (ii) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering, (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act).
We are also a smaller reporting company as defined in Regulation S-K under the Securities Act and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. We may be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company.
Corporate Information
NewLake Capital Partners, Inc., a Maryland corporation, was incorporated on April 9, 2019 originally under the name GreenAcreage Real Estate Corp. Our name was changed to NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. in March 2021 in connection with the Merger. Our principal executive offices are located at 27 Pine Street, Suite 50, New Canaan, CT 06840. Our telephone number is 203-594-1402. Information on, or accessible through, our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.
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The Offering
Common stock offered by us |
shares. |
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering |
shares(1) |
Use of proceeds |
We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering, after deducting the placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, will be approximately $ million. We will contribute the net proceeds from this offering to our operating partnership in exchange for OP units. Our operating partnership intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to acquire our target assets in a manner consistent with our investment strategy. |
Risk Factors |
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider the information set forth under the heading Risk Factors beginning on page 21 and other information included in this prospectus before investing in our common stock. |
Registration Rights |
Pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, we have agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to file, by the date that is 90 days following the earlier of (a) the effective date of a registration statement for an initial public offering filed with the SEC or other securities commission, and (b) the date the shares of our common stock are listed for trading on certain agreed securities exchanges, one or more registration statements registering the issuance and resale of the common stock held by the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders. In addition, pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, we granted the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders certain demand and piggyback registration rights. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsRegistration Rights Agreement. |
Proposed OTCQX symbol |
|
(1) | Includes (a) 17,329,964 shares of our common stock outstanding prior to completion of this offering and (b) shares of our common stock to be issued in this offering. Excludes (a) 125,635 shares of common stock underlying 125,635 restricted stock units; (b) 791,790 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to option agreements; (c) 602,392 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of NLCP Holdings, LLCs purchase rights pursuant to a warrant agreement; (d) 365,103 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the outstanding OP units held by limited partners in our operating partnership other than us and (e) shares of our common stock available for future issuance under the Equity Incentive Plan. |
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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, including our historical and pro forma combined financial statements and the notes thereto, before making an investment decision to purchase shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus. The occurrence of any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial, condition, cash flows, funds from operations, results of operations, the per-share trading price of our common stock and our ability to make cash distributions to our stockholders, which could cause you to lose all or a significant part of your investment in our common stock. Some statements in this prospectus, including statements in the following risk factors, constitute forward-looking statements. Please refer to the section titled Forward-Looking Statements.
Summary of Risk Factors
Risks Related to Our Business
| Risks related to COVID-19 |
| Risks related to our very limited operating history |
| Risks related to our limited number of tenants |
| Risks related to the limited operating history of our tenants |
| Risks related to the guarantors of our tenant leases being unable to satisfy their obligations |
| Risks related to real estate assets and the real estate industry |
| Risks related to our ability to consummate future acquisitions |
| Risks related to the limited number of cannabis-related facilities |
| Risks related to the concentration of our properties in states allowing cannabis operations |
| Risks related to the demand for properties suitable for cannabis operations |
| Risks related to our acquisitions of dispensaries and entrance into leases with licensed operators for these properties |
| Risks related to the sale or re-leasing of properties suitable for cannabis operations |
| Risks related to impairment charges |
| Risks related to our tenants ability to maintain their licenses for cannabis operations |
| Risks related to the acquisition of properties as-is |
| Risks related to competition for the acquisition of properties |
| Risks related to potential liability for environmental matters and climate change |
| Risks related to the development and redevelopment of properties we acquire |
| Risks related to our tenants susceptibility to bankruptcy |
| Risks related to Section 280E of the Code and its effects on our tenants |
| Risks related to liability of uninsured losses |
| Risks related to our properties access to adequate water and power supplies |
| Risks related to obtaining various insurance policies |
| Risks related to purchase of properties subject to ground leases |
| Risks related to our status as an emerging growth company and smaller reporting company |
| Risks related to the costs of becoming a public company |
| Risks related to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act |
Risks Related to Regulation
| Risks related to enforcement of federal laws regarding cannabis |
| Risks related to engaging in operations for the adult-use of cannabis |
| Risks related to the potential for new federal, state or local laws |
| Risks related to FDA regulation of cannabis |
| Risks related to the service of banks and other financial institutions |
| Risks related to owners of properties located in close proximity to our properties |
| Risks related to changing laws and regulations affecting the regulated cannabis industry |
| Risks related to the potential forfeit of assets leased to cannabis businesses |
| Risks related to accessing bankruptcy courts |
| Risks related to our properties being subject to extensive regulations |
Risks Related to Financing Our Business
| Risks related to external sources of capital |
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| Risks related to significant debt |
| Risks related to restrictive covenants |
| Risks related to interest rate fluctuations |
| Risks related to bank credit facilities and the need for additional collateral |
Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure
| Risks related to our senior management |
| Risks related to key personnel |
| Risks related to certain stockholders rights to nominate members of our board |
| Risks related to changes to our investment strategies by our board |
| Risks related to certain provisions of Maryland law |
| Risks related to our authorized but unissued shares of common and preferred stock |
| Risks related to severance agreements |
| Risks related to our company structure and structurally subordinated rights of payment |
| Risks related to our operating partnership issuing additional OP units |
| Risks related to conflicts of interest between stockholders and holders of OP units |
| Risks related to limitations on rights to take action against our directors and officers |
| Risks related to the difficulty of removing directors |
| Risks related to ownership limits which may restrict change in control |
| Risks related to operating our business to avoid registration as an investment company |
Risks Related to the Merger
| Risks related to failing to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger |
Risks Related to Our Securities
| Risks related to the volatility of the market price of our common stock |
| Risks related to common stock and preferred stock eligible for future sale on share price |
| Risks related to our ability to make distributions and their reflection of our performance |
| Risks related to the effect of distributions on the price of our common stock |
| Risks related to securities analysts effect on the price of our common stock |
Risks Related to Our Taxation as a REIT
| Risks related to failure to maintain our qualification as a REIT |
| Risks related to REIT distribution requirements |
| Risks related to Section 280E of the Code and the possible effect on our REIT status |
| Risks related to complying with REIT requirements |
| Risks related to the tax on prohibited transactions |
| Risks related to the ability of our board to revoke our REIT election |
| Risks related to dividends payable by REITs and their tax implications |
| Risks related to re-characterization of sale-leaseback transactions |
| Risks related to non-U.S. stockholders |
| Risks related to legislative, regulatory or administrative changes |
Risks Related to General and Other Factors
| Risks related to cyberattacks |
| Risks related to events not discussed herein |
Risks Related to Our Business
The COVID-19 pandemic, or the future outbreak of any other pandemic, could materially and adversely impact our tenants and their operations, and in turn our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Throughout 2020 and to date, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global economic activity and caused significant volatility and negative pressure in financial markets. Many countries, including the U.S., have instituted quarantines, mandated business and school closures and restricted travel. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting almost every
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industry directly or indirectly, including the regulated cannabis industry. COVID-19 (or a future pandemic) could have material and adverse effects on our tenants and their operations, and in turn on our business (including our financial performance and condition) due to, among other factors:
| a complete or partial closure of, or other operational issues at, one or more of our properties resulting from government or tenant actions; |
| the temporary inability of consumers and patients to purchase our tenants cannabis products due to a number of factors, including but limited to illness, dispensary closures or limitations on operations (including but not limited to shortened operating hours, social distancing requirements and mandated curbside only pickup), quarantine, financial hardship, and stay at home orders, could severely impact our tenants businesses, financial condition and liquidity and may cause one or more of our tenants to be unable to meet their obligations to us in full, or at all, or to otherwise seek modifications of such obligations; |
| difficulty accessing financing on attractive terms, or at all, may affect our access to capital necessary to fund business operations and our tenants ability to fund their business operations and meet their obligations to us; |
| workforce disruptions for our tenants, could result in a material reduction in our tenants cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and/or sales capacity; |
| because of the federal regulatory uncertainty relating to the regulated cannabis industry, our tenants may not be eligible for financial relief available to other businesses, including federal assistance programs; |
| restrictions on public events for the regulated cannabis industry limit the opportunity for our tenants to market and sell their products and promote their brands; |
| delays in construction at our properties may adversely impact our tenants ability to commence operations and generate revenues from projects; |
| a general decline in business activity in the regulated cannabis industry would adversely affect our ability to grow our portfolio of regulated cannabis properties; and |
| the potential negative impact on the health of our personnel, particularly if a significant number of them are impacted, would negatively impact our business continuity. |
The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our operations and those of our tenants will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the continued scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the outbreak or mitigate its impact (including the success of any vaccine), and the extent of the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. COVID-19 presents material uncertainty and risks with respect to our business (including our financial performance and condition).
We have a limited operating history and operate in an industry in its very early stages of development.
On March 17, 2021, we consummated the Merger, pursuant to which we combined our company with the Target, which owned a portfolio of industrial properties and dispensaries utilized in the cannabis industry. See Prospectus SummaryThe Merger. Thus, we have a very limited operating history as a combined company and, further, the Target and we were each formed in 2019, and likewise had limited operating histories as standalone companies even prior to the Merger. We are subject to many of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business enterprise. Furthermore, our tenants and properties are concentrated in the regulated cannabis industry, an industry in its very early stages of development with significant uncertainties, and we cannot predict how tenant demand and competition for these properties will change over time. We cannot assure you that we will be able to operate our business successfully or profitably or find additional suitable investments. Our ability to provide attractive risk-adjusted returns to our stockholders over the long term is dependent on our ability both to generate sufficient cash flow to pay an attractive dividend and to achieve capital
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appreciation, and we cannot assure you we will do either. There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to generate sufficient revenue from operations to pay our operating expenses and make distributions to stockholders. The results of our operations and the execution on our business plan depend on several factors, including the availability of additional opportunities for investment, the performance of our existing properties and tenants, the evolution of tenant demand for regulated cannabis facilities, competition, the evolution of alternative capital sources for potential tenants, the availability of adequate equity and debt financing, the federal and state regulatory environment relating to the regulated cannabis industry, conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions.
We have a very limited number of tenants, and the inability of any single tenant to make its lease payments could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
We have a very limited number of tenants. As of March 31, 2021, we owned 24 total properties that were leased to a total of six tenants. Our six tenants each represent aggregate annualized rental revenues (represented by annualized monthly base rent of executed leases which were in effect as of March 31, 2021) for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 as follows: Curaleaf (35.62%); Cresco Labs (23.68%); Columbia Care (14.98%); Trulieve (12.95%); Acreage (10.63%); and PharmaCann (2.14%). Lease payment defaults by any of our tenants or a significant decline in the value of any single property could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). Our lack of tenant diversification also increases the potential that a single underperforming investment or tenant could have a material adverse effect on the price we could realize from the sale of our properties. Any adverse change in the financial condition of any of our tenants, including but not limited to the state cannabis markets not developing and growing in ways that we or our tenants projected, or any adverse change in the political climate regarding cannabis where our properties are located, would subject us to a significant risk of loss.
In addition, failure by any of our tenants to comply with the terms of its lease agreement with us could require us to find another lessee for the applicable property. We may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing that property. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that we will be able to re-lease that property for the rent we currently receive, or at all, or that a lease termination would not result in our having to sell the property at a loss.
The tenant concentration risk (and related risk of tenant defaults) may be more pronounced in the cannabis industry due to the fact that many tenants have limited operating histories. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our BusinessOur tenants have limited operating histories and may be more susceptible to payment and other lease defaults, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). The result of any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Our tenants have limited operating histories and may be more susceptible to payment and other lease defaults, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
As of March 31, 2021, our properties were 100% leased to six tenants. Single tenants currently occupy our properties, and we expect that single tenants will occupy our properties that we acquire in the future. Therefore, the success of our investments will be materially dependent on the financial stability of these tenants. We rely on our management team to perform due diligence investigations of our potential tenants, related guarantors and their properties, operations and prospects, of which there is sometimes little or no publicly available operating and financial information. We may not learn all of the material information we need to know regarding these businesses through our investigations, and these businesses are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to regulatory risks and the rapidly evolving market dynamics of each states regulated cannabis program. As a result, it is possible that we could enter into a sale-leaseback arrangement with tenants or otherwise lease properties to tenants that ultimately are unable to pay rent to us, which could adversely impact our business (including our financial performance and condition).
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Some of our existing tenants are, and we expect that some of our future tenants will be, companies with limited histories of operations that are not profitable when they enter triple-net leasing arrangements with us and therefore, may be unable to pay rent with funds from operations. Some of our current tenants are not profitable and have experienced losses since inception, or have been profitable for only a short period of time. As a result, some of our current tenants have made, and we expect that some of our future tenants will make, initial rent payments to us from proceeds from the sale of the property, in the case of sale-leaseback transactions, or other cash on hand, including cash received from debt financings.
In addition, in general, our tenants are more vulnerable to adverse conditions resulting from federal and state regulations affecting their businesses or industries or other changes in the marketplace for their products, and have limited access to traditional forms of financing. The success of our tenants will heavily depend on the growth and development of the state markets in which the tenants operate, many of which have a very limited history or are still in the stages of establishing the regulatory framework.
We record revenue for each of our properties on a cash basis due to the uncertainty of collectability of lease payments from each tenant due to its limited operating history and the uncertain regulatory environment in the U.S. relating to the cannabis industry (for more information, see Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsCritical Accounting Policies and Significant Estimates).
Some of our tenants are subject to significant debt obligations and may rely on debt financing to make rent payments to us. Tenants that are subject to significant debt obligations may be unable to make their rent payments if there are adverse changes in their business plans or prospects, the regulatory environment in which they operate or in general economic conditions. In addition, the payment of rent and debt service may reduce the working capital available to tenants for the start-up phase of their businesses. Furthermore, we may be unable to monitor and evaluate tenant credit quality on an on-going basis.
Any lease payment defaults by a tenant could adversely affect our cash flows and cause us to reduce the amount of distributions to stockholders. In the event of a default by a tenant, we may also experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property as operators of cannabis cultivation, production and retail facilities are generally subject to extensive state licensing requirements. Furthermore, we will not operate any of the facilities that we purchase.
If the guarantors of our tenant leases are unable to satisfy their obligations to us in connection with a default by the tenant, it could have a material adverse effect on our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Currently, all of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor. Although we seek to obtain a parent or affiliated entity guaranty of the obligations of our tenants under their lease agreements, in some cases, the guarantor may have no material direct operations as a stand-alone entity. For example, in circumstances where the guarantor is a parent holding company, its assets are likely comprised primarily of the equity interests it directly or indirectly holds in its subsidiaries, with such subsidiaries directly holding dispensary, or cultivation and production operations and related operating assets. As a result, those parent holding company guarantors will be dependent on equity and debt financings, loans, and dividends, distributions and other payments from their subsidiaries to generate the funds necessary to meet any future financial obligations as guarantor of a lease of its subsidiary. Furthermore, a subsidiary is legally distinct from its parent company and other affiliated entities and may be prohibited or restricted from paying dividends or distributions, or otherwise making funds available to its parent company under certain conditions. If a parent holding company guarantor is unable to obtain funds from its subsidiaries, it may be unable to meet future obligations, if any, as a guarantor of leases between its subsidiaries and us. If the guarantors of our tenants leases are unable to satisfy their obligations to us as guarantors, it could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
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Our business is subject to risks associated with real estate assets and the real estate industry, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Our ability to pay expected dividends to our stockholders depends on our ability to generate revenues in excess of expenses, scheduled principal payments on debt and capital expenditure requirements. Events and conditions generally applicable to owners and operators of real property that are beyond our control may decrease cash available for distribution and the value of our properties. These events include many of the risks set forth above under Risks Related to Our Business, as well as the following:
| oversupply or reduction in demand in our markets; |
| adverse changes in financial conditions of buyers, sellers and tenants of properties; |
| vacancies or our inability to rent space on favorable terms, including possible market pressures to offer tenants rent abatements, tenant improvements, early termination rights or below-market renewal options, and the need to periodically repair, renovate and re-let space; |
| increased operating costs, including insurance premiums, utilities, real estate taxes and state and local taxes; |
| civil unrest, acts of war, terrorist attacks and natural disasters, including hurricanes, which may result in uninsured or underinsured losses; |
| decreases in the underlying value of our real estate; |
| changes in submarket demographics; and |
| changes in traffic patterns. |
In addition, periods of economic downturn or recession, rising interest rates or declining demand for real estate, or the public perception that any of these events may occur, could result in a general decline in rents or an increased incidence of defaults under existing leases, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Our growth will depend upon future acquisitions of cannabis-related facilities, and we may be unable to consummate acquisitions on advantageous terms or at all.
Our growth strategy is focused on the acquisition of industrial properties and dispensaries that are leased to tenants that are well positioned to benefit from the growth of the cannabis industry and for whom such real estate is operationally strategic to their business. Our ability to acquire these real estate assets on favorable terms is subject to the following risks, among others:
| significantly increased competition from other potential acquirers or increased availability of alternative debt and equity financing sources for tenants may significantly increase the purchase price of a desired property and/or negatively impact the lease terms we are able to secure with our tenants; |
| we may not successfully purchase and lease our properties to meet our expectations; |
| we may be unable to obtain the necessary equity or debt financing to consummate an acquisition on satisfactory terms or at all; |
| agreements for the acquisition of properties are typically subject to closing conditions, including satisfactory completion of due diligence investigations, and we may spend significant time and money and divert management attention on potential acquisitions that we do not consummate; and |
| we may acquire properties without any recourse, or with only limited recourse, for liabilities, whether known or unknown, against the former owners of the properties. |
Our failure to consummate acquisitions on advantageous terms without substantial expense or delay would impede our growth and negatively affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
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There may only be a limited number of cannabis-related facilities located in our target jurisdictions operated by suitable tenants available for us to acquire, which could materially and adversely affect our growth prospects.
We target primarily cannabis cultivation and dispensary facilities for acquisition and leasing to licensed operators under triple-net lease agreements. We also target properties owned by established operators or operators that have been among the top candidates in the rigorous state licensing process and have been granted one or more licenses to operate multiple facilities. In light of the current regulatory landscape regarding cannabis, including but not limited to, the rigorous state licensing processes, limits on the number of licenses granted in certain states and in counties within such states, zoning regulations related to cannabis facilities, the inability of potential tenants to open bank accounts necessary to pay rent and other expenses and the ever-changing federal and state regulatory landscape, we may have only a limited number of cannabis facilities available to purchase that are operated by licensees that we believe would be suitable tenants. These tenants may also have increased access to alternative equity and debt financing sources over time, which may limit our ability to negotiate leasing arrangements that meet our investment criteria. Our inability to locate suitable investment properties and tenants would have a material adverse effect on our growth prospects.
Our properties are, and are expected to continue to be, geographically concentrated in states that permit cannabis cultivation and dispensing, and we will be subject to social, political and economic risks of doing business in these states.
As of March 31, 2021, we owned 24 properties in nine states, and we expect that the properties that we acquire in the future will be geographically concentrated in these states and other states that have established cannabis use programs. See Business and PropertiesDescription of Our Properties for a table of properties owned by us and organized by state as of March 31, 2021. We focus on states and municipalities where licensed cannabis properties are in high demand and connected to the operating license. Circumstances and developments related to operations in these markets that could materially negatively affect our business (including our financial performance and condition) include, but are not limited to, the following factors:
| the state cannabis market fails to develop and grow in ways that we or our tenants projected; |
| the responsibility of complying with multiple and, in some respects, conflicting state and federal laws in the U.S., including with respect to cultivation and distribution of cannabis, licensing, banking and insurance; |
| access to capital may be more restricted, or unavailable on favorable terms or at all in certain locations; |
| difficulties and costs of staffing and managing operations; |
| unexpected changes in regulatory requirements and other laws; |
| the impact of national, regional or state specific business cycles and economic instability; and |
| potentially adverse tax consequences. |
Our real estate investments are concentrated in industrial properties suitable for the cultivation and production of cannabis and retail properties suitable for the dispensing of cannabis, and a decrease in demand for such facilities could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). These properties may be difficult to sell or re-lease upon tenant defaults or lease terminations, either of which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Our portfolio of properties is concentrated in industrial and retail properties used in the regulated cannabis industry. Further, we do not currently and do not expect in the future to invest in non-cannabis related real estate or businesses to hedge against the risk that cannabis industry trends might decrease the profitability of our facilities. Therefore, we are subject to risks inherent in investments in a single industry. A decrease in the demand for cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities would have a greater adverse effect on our rental revenues than if we owned a more diversified real estate portfolio. Demand for cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities has been and could be adversely affected by changes in state or local laws or any change in the federal governments current enforcement posture with respect to state-licensed cannabis
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operations, among others. Additionally, we have funded build-to-suit projects that are specific to our cultivation facilities which may affect the future demand from non-cannabis industry tenants seeking these properties for an alternative use. To the extent that any of these conditions occur, they are likely to affect demand and market rents for cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
We expect that at times we will deem it appropriate or desirable to sell or otherwise dispose of certain properties we own. The types of properties that we own are relatively illiquid compared to other types of real estate assets. This illiquidity could limit our ability to quickly dispose of properties in response to changes in regulatory, economic or other conditions. Therefore, our ability at any time to sell assets may be restricted and this lack of liquidity may limit our ability to make changes to our portfolio promptly, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). We cannot predict the various market conditions affecting the properties that we expect to acquire that will exist in the future. Due to the uncertainty of regulatory and market conditions which may affect the future disposition of the real estate assets we expect to acquire, we cannot assure you that we will be able to sell these assets at a profit in the future, or at all. Accordingly, the extent to which we will realize potential appreciation (or depreciation) on the real estate investments we have acquired and expect to acquire will depend upon regulatory and other market conditions. In addition, in order to maintain our REIT status, we may not be able to sell properties when we would otherwise choose to do so, due to market conditions or changes in our strategic plan.
Furthermore, we may be required to make expenditures to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold and we cannot assure you that we will have funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements. For our properties, if the current lease is terminated or not renewed, we may be required to make expenditures and rent concessions in order to lease the property to another tenant.
In addition, if we are forced to sell or re-lease the property, we may have difficulty finding qualified purchasers who are willing to buy the property or tenants who are willing to lease the property on terms that we expect, or at all. As our tenants and properties are concentrated in the regulated cannabis industry, a shift in property preferences by regulated cannabis operators, including but not limited to changing preferences regarding location and types of improvements, could have a significant negative impact on the desirability of our properties to prospective tenants when we need to re-lease them, in addition to other challenges, such as obtaining the necessary state and local authorizations for a new tenant to commence operations at the property. These and other limitations may affect our ability to sell or re-lease properties, which may materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
The assets we acquire may be subject to impairment charges.
We periodically evaluate the real estate investments we acquire and other assets for impairment indicators. The judgment regarding the existence of impairment indicators is based upon factors such as market conditions, tenant performance and legal structure. For example, the termination of a lease by a tenant may lead to an impairment charge (particularly in the context of properties that have only a single tenant). If we determine that an impairment has occurred, we would be required to make an adjustment to the net carrying value of the asset which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the impairment charge is recorded.
Our tenants may be unable to renew or otherwise maintain their licenses or other requisite authorizations for their cannabis operations, which may result in such tenants not being able to operate their businesses and defaulting on their lease payments to us.
As of March 31, 2021, our properties were 100% leased and primarily located in limited-license jurisdictions. We rely on our tenants to renew or otherwise maintain the requisite state and local cannabis licenses and other authorizations on a continuous basis. If one or more of our tenants are unable to renew or otherwise maintain its licenses or other state and local authorizations necessary to continue its cannabis operations, such tenants may default on their lease payments to us.
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Any such noncompliance by our tenants of state and local laws, rules and regulations may also subject us, as the owner of such properties, to potential penalties, fines or other liabilities.
Any lease payment defaults by a tenant or additional liability on us could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). In the event of a default by a tenant, we may also experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property as operators of cannabis cultivation, production and dispensaries are generally subject to extensive state licensing requirements, including required state and local authorizations for a new tenant to take over operations at a facility.
We acquired some of our properties, and expect to acquire other properties, as-is or otherwise with limited recourse to the prior owner, which significantly increases the risk of an investment.
We acquired some of our properties, and expect to acquire other real estate properties, as is or otherwise with limited recourse to the prior owner and with only limited representations and warranties from such prior owner regarding matters affecting the condition, use and ownership of the property. There may also be environmental or other conditions associated with properties we acquire of which we are unaware despite our diligence efforts or that we have identified during diligence, including with respect to historical heavy industrial uses of the properties. In particular, cannabis facilities may present environmental concerns of which we are not currently aware. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our BusinessPotential liability for environmental matters could adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition) below. If environmental contamination exists on properties we acquire or develops after acquisition, we could become subject to liability for the contamination. If defects in the property (including any building on the property) or other matters adversely affecting the property are discovered or otherwise subject us to unknown claims or liabilities, we may not be able to pursue a claim for any or all damages against the property seller. Such a situation could materially harm our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Competition for the acquisition of properties suitable for the cultivation, production or retail sale of cannabis and alternative financing sources for licensed operators may impede our ability to make acquisitions or increase the cost of these acquisitions, which could materially and adversely affect our growth prospects.
We face significant competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds and other real estate investors, hard money lenders, and cannabis operators themselves, all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for regulated cannabis facilities. In some instances, we will be competing to acquire real estate with persons who have no interest in the cannabis industry, but have identified value in a real estate location that we may be interested in acquiring. In particular, we face competition from established companies in this industry, including Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (the largest publicly-traded cannabis-focused REIT) as well as local real estate investors, particularly for smaller retail assets. Recently, we have also seen competition from emerging debt funds.
These competitors may prevent us from acquiring desirable properties or may cause an increase in the price we must pay for properties. Our competitors may have greater financial and operational resources than we do and may be willing to pay more for certain assets or may be willing to accept more risk than we believe can be prudently managed. In particular, larger companies may enjoy significant competitive advantages that result from, among other things, a lower cost of capital and enhanced operating efficiencies. Our competitors may also adopt transaction structures similar to ours, which would decrease our competitive advantage in offering flexible transaction terms. In addition, due to a number of factors, including but not limited to potential greater clarity of the laws and regulations governing regulated cannabis by state and federal governments, the number of entities and the amount of funds competing for suitable investment properties may increase substantially, resulting in increased demand and increased prices paid for these properties.
Furthermore, changes in federal regulations pertaining to cannabis could also lead to increased access to U.S. capital markets for our competitors and for regulated cannabis operators (including but not limited to access
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to the Nasdaq Stock Market and/or the New York Stock Exchange). We compete for the acquisition of properties primarily based on their purchase price and lease terms. If we pay higher prices for properties or offer lease terms that are less attractive for us, our profitability may decrease, and you may experience a lower return on our common stock.
Increased competition for properties may also preclude us from acquiring those properties that would generate attractive returns to us.
By way of example, Congress has introduced several proposed bills focused on the regulated cannabis industry, including the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (the MORE Act) and the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (the SAFE Banking Act). If it became law, the MORE Act, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2020, would, among other things, remove cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA and make available U.S. Small Business Administration funding for regulated cannabis operators. If it became law, the SAFE Banking Act would, among other things, provide protection from federal prosecution to banks and other financial institutions that provide financial services to state-licensed, compliant cannabis operators, which may include the provision of loans by financial institutions to such operators. If any of the proposed bills in Congress became law, there would be further increased competition for the acquisition of properties that can be leased to licensed cannabis operators, and such operators would have greater access to alternative financing sources with lower costs of capital. These factors may reduce the number of operators that wish to enter into lease transactions with us or renew leases with us, or may result in us having to enter into leases on less favorable terms with tenants, each of which may significantly adversely impact our profitability and ability to generate cash flow and make distributions to our stockholders.
We have acquired and may continue to acquire dispensaries and enter into leases with licensed operators for those properties, which present additional risks and challenges in comparison to properties for the cultivation and production cannabis.
We have acquired and may continue to acquire cannabis dispensaries and enter into leases with licensed operators for those locations. As of March 31, 2021, 17 of our 24 properties were cannabis dispensaries. Cannabis dispensaries entail some risks that are different from risks associated with regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facilities, including but not limited to:
| the impact of the continued evolution of the retail distribution model for cannabis and customer preferences, including the impact of e-commerce and home delivery on demand for cannabis retail space; |
| the handling of significant cash transactions and cannabis inventory at the property, which may increase security risks associated with dispensary operations; |
| local real estate conditions (such as an oversupply of, or a reduction in demand for, cannabis retail space); |
| our and our tenants ability to procure and maintain appropriate levels of property and casualty insurance; and |
| risks associated with data breaches through cyberattacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise that expose customer personal information at dispensaries, which may result in liability and reputational damage to our tenants and our company. |
The realization of any of the risks above, among others, with respect to one or more of our properties or tenants could have a material adverse impact on our business (including our financial performance and condition).
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Potential liability for environmental matters could adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
As an owner of real estate, we are subject to the risk of liabilities under federal, state and local environmental laws. Some of these laws could subject us to:
| responsibility and liability for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous substances released on our properties, generally without regard to our knowledge of or responsibility for the presence of the contaminants; |
| liability for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances at disposal facilities for persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of these substances; or |
| potential liability for claims by third parties for damages resulting from environmental contaminants. |
We will generally include provisions in our leases making tenants responsible for all environmental liabilities and for compliance with environmental regulations, and we will seek to require tenants to reimburse us for damages or costs for which we have been found liable. However, these provisions will not eliminate our statutory liability or preclude third party claims against us. Even if we were to have a legal claim against a tenant to enable us to recover any amounts we are required to pay, there are no assurances that we would be able to collect any money from the tenant. Our costs of investigation, remediation or removal of hazardous substances may be substantial. In addition, the presence of hazardous substances on one of our properties, or the failure to properly remediate a contaminated property, could adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the property or to borrow using the property as collateral. Additionally, we could become subject to new, stricter environmental regulations, which could diminish the utility of our properties and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We face possible risks associated with the physical effects of climate change.
The physical effects of climate change could have a material adverse effect on our business (including our financial performance and condition). To the extent climate change causes changes in weather patterns, our markets could experience increases in storm intensity. These conditions could result in physical damage to our properties or declining demand for space in our buildings or the inability of us to operate the buildings at all in the areas affected by these conditions. Climate change also may have indirect effects on our business by increasing the cost of (or making unavailable) property insurance on terms we find acceptable, increasing the cost of energy and increasing the cost of snow removal or related costs at our properties. Legislation to address climate change could increase utility and other costs of operating our properties which, if not offset by rising rental income, would reduce our net income. Should the impact of climate change in target markets be material in nature, our properties, operations or business would be adversely affected.
We face significant risks associated with the development and redevelopment of properties that we own.
In many instances, we fund build-to-suit projects for our cultivation centers and dispensaries. Development and redevelopment activities that we fund entail risks that could adversely impact our business (including our financial performance and condition), including:
| construction costs, which may exceed our or our tenants original estimates due to increases in materials, labor or other costs, which could make the project less profitable for our tenant, require us or our tenant to commit additional funds to complete the project and adversely impact our tenants business and prospects as a result; |
| permitting or construction delays, which may result in increased project costs, as well as deferred revenue and delayed commencement of operations by our tenant; |
| unavailability of raw materials when needed, which may result in project delays, stoppages or interruptions, which could make the project less profitable; |
| claims for warranty, product liability and construction defects after a property has been built; |
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| health and safety incidents and site accidents; |
| poor performance or nonperformance by, or disputes with, any of our contractors, subcontractors or other third parties on whom we rely; |
| unforeseen engineering, environmental or geological problems, which may result in delays or increased costs; |
| labor stoppages, slowdowns or interruptions; |
| liabilities, expenses or project delays, stoppages or interruptions as a result of challenges by third parties in legal proceedings; and |
| weather-related and geological interference, including hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, floods, drought, wildfires and other events, which may result in delays or increased costs. |
The realization of any of the risks above or other delays in development and redevelopment activities at a property may also materially and adversely impact our tenants ability to commence, continue or expand its operations, which may result in that tenant defaulting on its rent obligations to us. As of the date of this prospectus, we have aggregate unfunded commitments to invest $18.7 million for the improvement and completion of our existing cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, as well as the development of one dispensary and one cultivation facility in Massachusetts.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have the right to purchase a parcel of land in each of Massachusetts and Arizona for an aggregate purchase price of $3.4 million, pursuant to executed purchase option agreements. If we exercise our rights to purchase these parcels of land, the purchase option agreements require us to fund up to an aggregate of $18.6 million for the construction of a cultivation facility on the site in Arizona and a dispensary on the site in Massachusetts. Furthermore, as of the date of this prospectus, we have a non-binding letter of intent to acquire a parcel of land in Arizona for $2.1 million and provide up to $16.0 million for construction of a cultivation facility on the site.
Some of our tenants could be susceptible to bankruptcy, which would affect our ability to generate rents from them and therefore negatively affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
In addition to the risk of tenants being unable to make regular rent payments, certain of our tenants may depend on debt, which could make them especially susceptible to bankruptcy in the event that their cash flows are insufficient to satisfy their debt. Because cannabis remains illegal under federal law, there is no assurance that federal bankruptcy courts will provide relief for parties who engage in cannabis-related businesses. Recent bankruptcy court rulings have denied bankruptcy relief for certain cannabis businesses on the basis that businesses cannot violate federal law and then claim the benefits of federal bankruptcy for such activity and on the basis that courts cannot ask a bankruptcy trustee to take possession of, and distribute cannabis assets, as such action would violate the CSA. Any inability of our tenants to seek bankruptcy protection may impact their ability to secure financing for their operations and prevent our tenants from utilizing the benefits of reorganization of their businesses under bankruptcy protection to operate in a financially sustainable way, thereby reducing the probability that such a tenant would be able to honor its lease obligations with us.
Generally, under bankruptcy law, a tenant who is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings may continue (assume) or give up (reject) any unexpired lease of non-residential real property. If a bankrupt tenant decides to give up (reject) a lease, any claim for breach of the lease is treated as a general unsecured claim in the tenants bankruptcy case, subject to certain exceptions for collateral and guarantees. In the event one of our tenants is permitted to seek bankruptcy protection in the U.S., our general unsecured claim would likely be capped at the amount the tenant owed us for unpaid rent prior to the bankruptcy unrelated to the termination, plus the greater of one year of lease payments or 15% of the lease payments payable under the remaining term of the lease, but in no case more than three years of lease payments. In addition to the cap on our damages for breach of the lease, even if our claim is timely submitted to the bankruptcy court, there is no guaranty that the tenants bankruptcy estate
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would have sufficient funds to satisfy the claims of general unsecured creditors. Finally, a bankruptcy court could re-characterize a net lease transaction as a disguised secured lending transaction. If that were to occur, we would not be treated as the owner of the property, but might have additional rights as a secured creditor. This would mean our claim in bankruptcy court could be limited to the amount we paid for the property, which could adversely impact our business (including our financial performance and condition). Any bankruptcy, if allowed, of one of our tenants would result in a loss of lease payments to us, as well as an increase in our costs to carry the property.
Our tenants may be subject to Section 280E of the Code because of the nature of their business activities, which could have an adverse impact on their financial condition due to a disallowance of certain tax deductions.
Section 280E of the Code provides that, with respect to any taxpayer, no deduction or credit is allowed for expenses incurred during a taxable year in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business (or the activities which comprise such trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled substances (within the meaning of Schedule I and II of the CSA) which is prohibited by federal law or the law of any state in which such trade or business is conducted. Because cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA, Section 280E of the Code by its terms applies to the purchase and sale of cannabis products. Our tenants are engaged in the cultivation, processing and sale of cannabis and cannabis-related products, and therefore may be subject to Section 280E of the Code. Application of the provisions of Section 280E of the Code to our tenants would result in the disallowance of certain tax deductions, including for depreciation or interest expense, which could have an adverse impact on their respective financial condition and ability to make lease payments to us. Any lease payment defaults by a tenant could adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
There are significant tax risks related to controlled substances.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884) passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a 228-164 vote December 4, 2020 and was reintroduced in May 2021. The MORE Act would impose an excise tax on the sale or other disposition of cannabis products. Initially, the excise tax rate would be set at the rate of five percent of the products sale price for the first two years after the law went into effect. After that, the excise tax rate would increase by one percentage point annually until it increased to eight percent in the fifth year after the law went into effect. The MORE Act would also remove marijuana from the CSA so that state-legal cannabis businesses would no longer be subject to Section 280E of the Code. The prior Senate session did not consider this legislation and it is unclear whether the MORE Act will be reintroduced. If reintroduced and enacted into law, it is unclear whether this legislation would negatively impact our tenants resulting in lease payment defaults.
Liability for uninsured losses could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
While the terms of our leases with our tenants generally require property and casualty insurance, losses from disaster-type occurrences, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and weather-related disasters, and other types of insurance, such as landlords rental loss insurance, may be either uninsurable or not insurable on economically viable terms, due in part to our properties locations, construction types and concentration on the regulated cannabis industry. Should an uninsured loss occur, we could lose our capital investment or anticipated profits and cash flows from one or more properties, which could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
If our properties access to adequate water and power supplies is interrupted, it could harm our ability to lease the properties for cannabis cultivation and production, thereby adversely affecting our ability to generate returns on our properties.
In order to lease some of the properties that we own, these properties require access to sufficient water and power to make them suitable for the cultivation and production of cannabis. Although we expect to acquire
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properties with sufficient access to water, should the need arise for additional wells from which to obtain water, we would be required to obtain permits prior to drilling such wells. Permits for drilling water wells are required by state and county regulations, and such permits may be difficult to obtain due to the limited supply of water in areas where we acquire properties. Similarly, our properties may be subject to governmental regulations relating to the quality and disposition of rainwater runoff or other water to be used for irrigation. In such case, we could incur costs necessary in order to retain this water. If we are unable to obtain or maintain sufficient water supply for our properties, our ability to lease them for the cultivation and production of cannabis would be seriously impaired, which would have a material adverse impact on the value of our assets and our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Indoor cultivation of cannabis requires significant power for growing lights and ventilation and air conditioning to remove the hot air generated by the growing lights. While outdoor cultivation is gaining acceptance in many states with favorable climates for such growth, we expect that most of our properties will continue to utilize indoor cultivation methods. Any extended interruption of the power supply to our properties, particularly those using indoor cultivation methods, would likely harm our tenants crops and processing capabilities, which could result in their inability to make lease payments to us for our properties. Any lease payment defaults by a tenant could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Due to our involvement in the regulated cannabis industry, we may have a difficult time obtaining the various insurance policies that are desired to operate our business, which may expose us to additional risks and financial liabilities.
Insurance that is otherwise readily available, such as workers compensation, general liability and directors and officers insurance, is more difficult for us to find and more expensive, because we lease our properties to companies in the regulated cannabis industry. There are no guarantees that we will be able to find such insurance in the future, or that the cost will be affordable to us. If we are forced to go without such insurance or with less insurance than we would prefer, it may prevent us from entering into certain business sectors, may inhibit our growth, and may expose us to additional risk and financial liabilities.
We may purchase properties subject to ground leases that expose us to the loss of such properties upon breach or termination of the ground leases.
A ground lease agreement permits a tenant to develop and/or operate a land parcel (property) during the lease period, after which the land parcel and all improvements revert back to the property owner. Under a ground lease, property improvements are owned by the property owner unless an exception is created and all relevant taxes incurred during the lease period are paid for by the tenant. Ground leases typically have a long duration generally ranging from 50 to 99 years with additional extension options. As a lessee under a ground lease, we would be exposed to the possibility of losing the property upon termination, or an earlier breach by us, of the ground lease, which could have a material adverse effect on our business (including our financial performance and condition).
We are an emerging growth company, and a smaller reporting company and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies will make shares of our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for emerging growth companies, including certain requirements relating to accounting standards and compensation disclosure. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of:
| the last day of the fiscal year during which our total annual revenue equals or exceeds $1.07 billion (subject to adjustment for inflation); |
| the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering; |
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| the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt; or |
| the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the Exchange Act. |
For as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting and other requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including the requirements to:
| provide an auditors attestation report on managements assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404; |
| comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards applicable to public companies until such standards are also applicable to private companies; |
| comply with any new requirements adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the PCAOB), requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditors report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer; |
| comply with any new audit rules adopted by the PCAOB unless the SEC determines otherwise; |
| provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies; or |
| hold stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation. |
Similarly, as a smaller reporting company, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies, including, but not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements.
We cannot predict if investors will find shares of our common stock less attractive because we will not be subject to the same reporting and other requirements as other public companies. If some investors find shares of our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and the per-share trading price of our common stock could decline and may be more volatile.
We have elected to use the extended transition period for adopting new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act and will, therefore, not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, which could make our common shares less attractive to investors.
The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of exemption from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies and an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of these accounting standards until they would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of these exemptions and the extended transition periods for adopting new or revised accounting standards and therefore, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. We intend to take advantage of these options although, subject to certain restrictions, we may elect to stop availing ourselves of these exemptions in the future even while we remain an emerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our stock less attractive as a result of this election. If some investors find our common shares less attractive as a result of this election, there may be a less active trading market for our common shares and our stock price may be more volatile.
We will incur significant new costs as a result of becoming a public company, and such costs may increase if and when we cease to be an emerging growth company.
As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting, insurance and other expenses that we have not incurred as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements of the
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Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the listing requirements of the OTC and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations may significantly increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. As a result, our executive officers attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). Furthermore, the expenses incurred by public companies generally for reporting and corporate governance purposes have been increasing. We expect compliance with these public reporting requirements and associated rules and regulations to increase expenses, particularly after we are no longer an emerging growth company, although we are currently unable to estimate theses costs with any degree of certainty. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five full fiscal years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier as discussed above, which could result in our incurring additional costs applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business (including our financial performance and condition) may be adversely affected.
We will be subject to the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
As long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will be permitted to comply gradually with certain of the ongoing reporting and disclosure obligations of public companies pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our Business We are an emerging growth company, and a smaller reporting company and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies will make shares of our common stock less attractive to investors.
Management will be required to deliver a report that assesses the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may require our auditors to deliver an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in conjunction with their opinion on our audited financial statements as of December 31 subsequent to the year in which the registration statement (of which this prospectus forms a part) relating to this offering becomes effective. Substantial work on our part is required to implement appropriate processes, document the system of internal control over key processes, assess their design, remediate any deficiencies identified and test their operation. This process is expected to be both costly and challenging. We cannot give any assurances that material weaknesses will not be identified in the future in connection with our compliance with the provisions of Sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The existence of any material weakness described above would preclude a conclusion by management and our independent auditors that we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting. Our management may be required to devote significant time and expense to remediate any material weaknesses that may be discovered and may not be able to remediate any material weakness in a timely manner. The existence of any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting could also result in errors in our financial statements that could require us to restate our financial statements, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, all of which could lead to a decline in the per-share trading price of our common stock and significant harm to our reputation.
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Risks Related to Regulation
Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, and therefore, strict enforcement of federal laws regarding cannabis would likely result in our inability and the inability of our tenants to execute our respective business plans.
Cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA. Even in those jurisdictions in which cannabis has been legalized at the state level, the possession, distribution, cultivation, manufacture and use of cannabis all remain violations of federal law that are punishable by imprisonment, substantial fines and forfeiture. U.S. federal law does not differentiate between medical cannabis, retail cannabis, adult-use cannabis and any other designations that state or local law may apply to cannabis. Moreover, individuals and entities may violate federal law if they intentionally aid and abet another in violating federal laws, including those regarding controlled substances, or conspire with another to violate them, and violating the federal cannabis laws is also a predicate for certain other crimes under anti-money laundering laws or the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (the RICO Act). The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers Coop. and Gonzales v. Raich that it is the federal government that has the right to regulate and criminalize the sale, possession and use of cannabis, even for medical purposes. We would likely be unable to execute our business plan if the federal government were to strictly enforce federal law regarding cannabis.
In January 2018, the then-acting U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum (the Sessions Memo) rescinding certain prior memoranda, including the so-called Cole Memo issued on August 29, 2013 under the Obama Administration. The Cole Memo had characterized enforcement of federal cannabis prohibitions under the CSA to prosecute those complying with state regulatory systems allowing the use, manufacture and distribution of medical cannabis as an inefficient use of federal investigative and prosecutorial resources when state regulatory and enforcement efforts are effective with respect to enumerated federal enforcement priorities under the CSA. In rescinding the Cole Memo, DOJ instructed its prosecutors to enforce the laws enacted by Congress and to follow well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions when deciding whether to pursue prosecutions related to cannabis activities. As a result, under the Sessions Memowhich technically remains in effectfederal prosecutors could, and still can, use their prosecutorial discretion to decide to prosecute actors compliant with their state laws. Although there have not been any identified prosecutions of state law compliant cannabis entities, there can be no assurance that the federal government will not enforce federal laws against the regulated cannabis industry generally, including our tenants and us.
Furthermore, President Bidens new Attorney General, Merrick Garland, who was confirmed to that position on March 10, 2021, has not yet provided a clear policy directive for the U.S. as it pertains to state-legal cannabis-related activities. It is not yet known whether the DOJ under President Biden and Attorney General Garland will re-adopt the Cole Memo (or another similar policy) or whether it will announce a substantive cannabis enforcement policy which may result in DOJ increasing its enforcement actions against the regulated cannabis industry, including our tenants and us.
Congress previously enacted an omnibus spending bill that includes a provision prohibiting the DOJ (which includes the DEA) from using funds appropriated by that bill to prevent states from implementing their medical-use cannabis laws. Commonly referred to as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, this so-called rider provision has been appended to the Consolidated Appropriations Acts for fiscal years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Under the terms of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer rider, the federal government is prohibited from using congressionally appropriated funds to enforce federal cannabis laws against regulated medical cannabis actors operating in compliance with state and local law. On December 27, 2020, Congress passed an omnibus spending bill that again included the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, extending its application until September 30, 2021. However, there is no assurance that Congress will approve inclusion of a similar prohibition in future appropriations bills to prevent DOJ from using congressionally appropriated funds to enforce federal cannabis laws against regulated medical cannabis actors operating in compliance with state and local law. In USA vs. McIntosh, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that this provision prohibits the DOJ from spending funds from relevant appropriations acts to prosecute individuals who engage in conduct
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permitted by state medical-use cannabis laws and who strictly comply with such laws. However, the Ninth Circuits opinion, which only applies to the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Idaho, also held that persons who do not strictly comply with all state laws and regulations regarding the distribution, possession and cultivation of medical-use cannabis have engaged in conduct that is unauthorized, and in such instances the DOJ may prosecute those individuals.
Furthermore, while we target the acquisition of medical-use and adult-use cannabis facilities, our leases do not prohibit cannabis cultivation for adult-use that is permissible under the state and local laws where our facilities are located. Consequently, certain of our tenants currently (and additional tenants may in the future) cultivate, process and/or dispense adult-use cannabis as well as medical-use cannabis in our facilities, as permitted by state and local laws now or in the future, which may in turn subject the tenant, us and our properties to greater and/or different federal legal and other risks as compared to facilities where cannabis is cultivated exclusively for medical use, including not providing protection under the Congressional spending bill provision.
Additionally, financial transactions involving proceeds generated by cannabis-related conduct can form the basis for prosecution under the federal money laundering statutes, unlicensed money transmitter statutes and the Bank Secrecy Act. The penalties for violation of these laws include imprisonment, substantial fines and forfeiture. Prior to the DOJs rescission of the Cole Memo, supplemental guidance from the DOJ issued under the Obama administration directed federal prosecutors to consider the federal enforcement priorities enumerated in the Cole Memo when determining whether to charge institutions or individuals with any of the financial crimes described above based upon cannabis-related activity. This supplemental guidance was followed by the February 14, 2014 FinCEN Memorandum outlining the pathways for financial institutions to bank state-sanctioned cannabis businesses in compliance with federal enforcement priorities. Under these guidelines, financial institutions must submit a Suspicious Activity Report in connection with all cannabis-related banking activities by any client of such financial institution, in accordance with federal money laundering laws. These cannabis-related SARs are divided into three categoriescannabis limited, cannabis priority, and cannabis terminatedbased on the financial institutions belief that the business in question follows state law, is operating outside of compliance with state law, or where the banking relationship has been terminated, respectively. The FinCEN Memorandum states that in some circumstances, it is permissible for banks to provide services to cannabis-related businesses without risking prosecution for violation of federal money laundering laws. Although the Sessions Memo rescinded the Cole Memo, the FinCEN Memorandum technically remained intact during President Trumps administration; however, it is unclear whether the current administration will continue to follow the FinCEN Memorandum. The DOJ continues to have the right and power to prosecute crimes committed by banks and financial institutions, such as money laundering and violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, that occur in any state including states that have in some form legalized the sale of cannabis. Further, the conduct of the DOJs enforcement priorities could change for any number of reasons. A change in the DOJs priorities could result in the DOJs prosecuting banks and financial institutions for crimes that were not previously prosecuted.
Federal prosecutors have significant discretion to investigate and prosecute suspected violations of federal law and no assurance can be given that the federal prosecutor in each judicial district where we purchase a property will not choose to strictly enforce the federal laws governing cannabis operations. Any change in the federal governments enforcement posture with respect to state-licensed cannabis operations, including the enforcement postures of individual federal prosecutors in judicial districts where we purchase properties, would result in our inability to execute our business plan, and we would likely suffer significant losses with respect to our investment in cannabis facilities in the U.S., which would adversely affect the trading price of our securities. Furthermore, following any such change in the federal governments enforcement position, we could be subject to criminal prosecution, which could impact our ability to operate and could lead to imprisonment and/or the imposition of penalties, fines, or forfeiture.
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Certain of our tenants engage in operations for the adult-use cannabis industry in addition to or in lieu of operations for the medical-use cannabis industry, and such tenants, we and our properties may be subject to additional risks associated with such adult-use cannabis operations.
Our existing leases at our properties do not, and we expect that leases that we enter into with future tenants at other properties we acquire will not, prohibit cannabis operations for adult-use that is permissible under state and local laws where our facilities are located and certain of our tenants are currently engaged in operations in the adult-use cannabis industry, which may subject our tenants, us and our properties to different and greater risks, including greater prosecution risk for aiding and abetting violation of the CSA and federal laws governing money laundering. For example, the prohibition in the current omnibus spending bill that prohibits the DOJ from using funds appropriated by Congress to prevent states from implementing their medical-use cannabis laws does not extend to adult-use cannabis laws. In addition, while we may purchase properties in states that only permit medical-use cannabis at the time of acquisition, such states may in the future authorize by state legislation or popular vote the legalization of adult-use cannabis, thus permitting our tenants to engage in adult-use cannabis operations at our properties. For example, Arizona, California, Illinois and Massachusetts permit licensed adult-use cannabis operations, and our leases with tenants in those states allow for adult-use cannabis operations to be conducted at the properties in compliance with state and local laws.
New laws that are adverse to the business of our tenants may be enacted, and current favorable national, state or local laws or enforcement guidelines relating to cannabis operations may be modified or eliminated in the future.
We have acquired and are targeting for acquisition properties that are owned by state-licensed cannabis operators. Relevant state or local laws may be amended or repealed, or new laws may be enacted in the future to eliminate existing laws permitting cannabis operations. If our tenants were forced to close their operations, we would need to replace those tenants with tenants who are not engaged in the cannabis industry, who most likely will pay significantly lower rents. Moreover, any changes in state or local laws that reduce or eliminate the ability to conduct cannabis operations would likely result in a high vacancy rate for the kinds of properties that we seek to acquire, which would depress our lease rates and property values. In addition, we would realize an economic loss on any and all improvements made to properties that were specific to the cannabis industry.
For example, in connection with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifying cases of vaping-related lung injuries, certain state and local governments had instituted temporary bans. In addition to litigation and reputational risks surrounding vaping-related lung injuries, bans or heightened regulations could have a material adverse impact on our tenants operations in those states and localities where such a ban or other restrictive regulation has been implemented.
Our ability to grow our business depends on state laws pertaining to the cannabis industry.
Continued development of the medical-use and adult-use cannabis industry depends upon continued legislative authorization of cannabis at the state level. The status quo of, or progress in, the regulated medical-use and adult-use cannabis industry is not assured and any number of factors could slow or halt further progress in this area. While there may be ample public support for legislative action permitting the cannabis operations, numerous factors impact the legislative process. For example, many states that voted to legalize medical-use and/or adult-use cannabis have seen significant delays in the drafting and implementation of industry regulations and issuance of licenses. In addition, burdensome regulation at the state level could slow or stop further development of the medical-use and adult-use cannabis industry, such as limiting the medical conditions for which medical cannabis can be recommended by physicians for treatment, not strictly enforcing regulations for non-licensed cannabis operators, restricting the form in which medical cannabis can be consumed, imposing significant registration requirements on physicians and patients or imposing significant taxes on the growth, processing and/or retail sales of cannabis, which could have the impact of dampening growth of the cannabis industry and making it difficult for cannabis businesses, including our tenants, to operate profitably in those states. Any one of these factors could slow or halt additional legislative authorization of medical-use and adult-use cannabis, which could harm our business prospects.
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FDA regulation of cannabis and the possible registration of facilities where cannabis is grown could negatively affect the cannabis industry, which would directly affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Should the federal government legalize cannabis, it is possible that the FDA would seek to regulate it under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938 or under the Public Health Service Act. Additionally, the FDA may issue rules, regulations, or guidance including certified good manufacturing practices, related to the growth, cultivation, harvesting and processing of cannabis. If regulated by the FDA as a drug, clinical trials may be needed to verify efficacy and safety. It is also possible that the FDA would require that facilities where cannabis is grown register with the FDA and comply with certain federally prescribed regulations. In the event that some or all of these regulations or enforcement actions are imposed, we do not know what the impact this would have on the cannabis industry, including what costs, requirements and possible prohibitions may be enforced. If we or our tenants are unable to comply with the regulations or registration as prescribed by the FDA, we and or our tenants may be unable to continue to operate their and our business in its current form or at all.
We and our tenants may have difficulty accessing the service of banks and other financial institutions, which may make it difficult to contract for real estate needs.
Financial transactions involving proceeds generated by cannabis-related conduct can form the basis for prosecution under the federal money laundering statutes, unlicensed money transmitter statute and the Bank Secrecy Act. Previous guidance issued by FinCEN clarified how financial institutions can provide services to cannabis-related businesses consistent with their obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act. However, this guidance does not provide any safe harbors or legal defenses from examination or regulatory or criminal enforcement actions by the DOJ, FinCEN or other federal regulators. Thus, most banks and other financial institutions in the U.S. do not appear to be comfortable providing banking services to cannabis-related businesses, or relying on this guidance, which can be amended or revoked at any time by the executive branch. In addition to the foregoing, banks may refuse to process debit card payments and credit card companies generally refuse to process credit card payments for cannabis-related businesses. Prior to the DOJs announcement in January 2018 of the rescission of the Cole Memo and related memoranda, supplemental guidance from the DOJ directed federal prosecutors to consider the federal enforcement priorities enumerated in the Cole Memo when determining whether to charge institutions or individuals with any of the financial crimes described above based upon cannabis-related activity. It remains unclear what impact the rescission of the Cole Memo or the recent change in presidential administration will have, but it remains possible that federal prosecutors may increase enforcement activities against institutions or individuals that are conducting financial transactions related to cannabis activities. The uncertainty surrounding financial transactions related to cannabis activities may also result in financial institutions discontinuing services to the cannabis industry.
Consequently, those businesses involved in the regulated medical-use and adult-use cannabis industry continue to encounter difficulty establishing banking relationships, which may increase over time. Our inability to maintain our current bank accounts would make it difficult for us to operate our business, increase our operating costs, and pose additional operational, logistical and security challenges and could result in our inability to implement our business plan.
The terms of our leases require that our tenants make rental payments via check or wire transfer. Only a small percentage of financial institutions in the U.S. currently provide banking services to licensed cannabis operators. The inability of our current and potential tenants to open accounts and continue using the services of banks will limit their ability to enter into triple-net lease arrangements with us or may result in their default under our lease agreements, either of which could materially harm our business (including our financial performance and condition) and the trading price of our securities.
In addition, for our tenants that are publicly-traded companies, securities clearing firms may refuse to accept deposits of securities of those tenants, which may negatively impact the trading and valuations of such tenants and have a material adverse impact on our tenants ability to finance their operations and growth through the capital markets.
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In addition, federal money laundering statutes and Bank Secrecy Act regulations discourage financial institutions from working with any organization that sells a controlled substance, regardless of whether the state it resides in permits cannabis sales. While the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the SAFE Banking Act, which would permit commercial banks to offer services to cannabis companies that are in compliance with state law, it remains under consideration by the Senate, and if Congress fails to pass the SAFE Banking Act, our inability, or limitations on our ability, to open or maintain bank accounts, obtain other banking services and/or accept credit card and debit card payments may make it difficult for us to operate and conduct our business as planned or to operate efficiently.
Owners of properties located in close proximity to our properties may assert claims against us regarding the use of the property as a cannabis cultivation, processing or dispensing facility, which if successful, could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition).
Owners of properties located in close proximity to our properties may assert claims against us regarding the use of our properties for cannabis cultivation, processing or dispensing, including assertions that the use of the property constitutes a nuisance that diminishes the market value of such owners nearby property. Such property owners may also attempt to assert such a claim in federal court as a civil matter under the RICO Act. If a property owner were to assert such a claim against us, we may be required to devote significant resources and costs to defending ourselves against such a claim, and if a property owner were to be successful on such a claim, our tenants may be unable to continue to operate their business in its current form at the property, which could materially and adversely impact the tenants business and the value of our property, our business (including our financial performance and condition) and the trading price of our securities.
Laws and regulations affecting the regulated cannabis industry are constantly changing, which could materially and adversely affect our operations, and we cannot predict the impact that future regulations may have on us.
Local, state and federal cannabis laws and regulations are broad in scope and subject to evolving interpretations, which could require us to incur substantial costs associated with compliance or alter our business plan. In addition, violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our operations. It is also possible that regulations may be enacted in the future that will be directly applicable to our business. We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations or applications, nor can we determine what effect additional governmental regulations or administrative policies and procedures, when and if promulgated, could have on our business.
Assets leased to cannabis businesses may be forfeited to the federal government.
Any assets used in conjunction with the violation of federal law are potentially subject to federal forfeiture, even in states where cannabis is legal. In July 2017, the DOJ issued a new policy directive regarding asset forfeiture, referred to as the equitable sharing program. Under this new policy directive, federal authorities may adopt state and local forfeiture cases and prosecute them at the federal level, allowing for state and local agencies to keep up to 80% of any forfeiture revenue. This policy directive represents a reversal of the DOJs policy under the Obama administration, and allows for forfeitures to proceed that are not in accord with the limitations imposed by state-specific forfeiture laws. This new policy directive may lead to increased use of asset forfeitures by local, state and federal enforcement agencies. If the federal government decides to initiate forfeiture proceedings against cannabis businesses, such as the medical-use and adult-use cannabis facilities that we have acquired and intend to acquire, our investment in those properties may be lost.
We may have difficulty accessing bankruptcy courts.
As discussed above, cannabis is illegal under federal law. Therefore, there is a compelling argument that the federal bankruptcy courts cannot provide relief for parties who engage in the cannabis or cannabis related businesses. Recent bankruptcy rulings have denied bankruptcies for dispensaries upon the justification that businesses cannot violate federal law and then claim the benefits of federal bankruptcy for the same activity and
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upon the justification that courts cannot ask a bankruptcy trustee to take possession of, and distribute cannabis assets as such action would violate the CSA. Therefore, we may not be able to seek the protection of the bankruptcy courts and this could materially affect our business or our ability to obtain credit. In addition, bankruptcy or other similar proceedings are often a complex and lengthy process, the outcome of which may be uncertain and could result in a material adverse effect on us or our tenants.
The properties that we own are subject to extensive regulations, which may result in significant costs and materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition), liquidity and results of operations.
Our properties are and other properties that we expect to acquire will be subject to various laws and regulatory requirements. For example, local property regulations, including restrictive covenants of record, may restrict the use of properties we acquire and may require us to obtain approval from local authorities with respect to the properties that we expect to acquire, including prior to acquiring a property or when developing or undertaking renovations. Among other things, these restrictions may relate to cultivation, processing or dispensing of medical-use and adult-use cannabis, the use of water and the discharge of waste water, fire and safety, seismic conditions, asbestos-cleanup or hazardous material abatement requirements. Our failure to obtain such regulatory approvals could have a material adverse effect on our business (including our financial performance and condition), liquidity and results of operations. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that the regulatory requirements and statutory prohibitions relating to properties used in cannabis operations will not materially and adversely affect us or the timing or cost of any future acquisitions, developments or renovations, or that additional regulations will not be adopted that would increase such delays or result in additional prohibition or costs.
Risks Related to Financing Our Business
Our growth depends on external sources of capital, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all (which such financing source risk may be more pronounced in the cannabis industry due to financial and regulatory constraints).
We expect to acquire additional real estate assets, which we intend to finance primarily through newly issued equity or debt. We may not be in a position to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities for growth if we are unable, due to global or regional economic uncertainty, changes in the state or federal regulatory environment relating to the cannabis industry, changes in market conditions for the regulated cannabis industry, our own operating or financial performance or otherwise, to access capital markets on a timely basis and on favorable terms or at all. In addition, U.S. federal income tax law generally requires that a REIT distribute annually at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain and that it pay U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that it annually distributes less than 100% of its taxable income. Because we intend to grow our business, this limitation may require us to raise additional equity or incur debt at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Our access to capital will depend upon a number of factors over which we have little or no control, including general market conditions and the markets perception of our current and potential future earnings. If general economic instability or downturn leads to an inability to borrow at attractive rates or at all, our ability to obtain capital to finance the purchase of real estate assets could be negatively impacted. In addition, banks and other financial institutions may be reluctant to enter into lending transactions with us, particularly secured lending, because we intend to acquire properties used in the cultivation, production or dispensing of cannabis. If this source of funding is unavailable to us, our growth may be limited.
If we are unable to obtain capital on terms and conditions that we find acceptable, we likely will have to reduce the number of properties we can purchase. In addition, our ability to refinance all or any debt we may incur in the future, on acceptable terms or at all, is subject to all of the above factors, and will also be affected by our future business (including our financial performance and condition), which additional factors are also subject
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to significant uncertainties, and therefore we may be unable to refinance any debt we may incur in the future, as it matures, on acceptable terms or at all. All of these events would have a material adverse effect on our business (including our financial performance and condition), including our growth prospects.
In addition, securities clearing firms may refuse to accept deposits of our securities, which may negatively impact the trading of our securities and have a material adverse impact on our ability to obtain capital.
We may incur significant debt, which may subject us to restrictive covenants and increased risk of loss and may reduce cash available for distributions to our stockholders.
Although we currently have no outstanding indebtedness, subject to market conditions and availability, we may incur significant debt through bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), public and private debt issuances and derivative instruments, in addition to transaction or asset specific funding arrangements. The percentage of leverage we employ will vary depending on our available capital, our ability to obtain and access financing arrangements with lenders, debt restrictions contained in those financing arrangements and the lenders and rating agencies estimate of the stability of our investment portfolios cash flow. Our board of directors may significantly increase the amount of leverage we utilize at any time. In addition, we may leverage individual assets at substantially higher levels. Incurring substantial debt could subject us to many risks that, if realized, would materially and adversely affect us, including the risk that:
| our cash flow from operations may be insufficient to make required payments of principal and interest on the debt or we may fail to comply with all of the other covenants contained in the debt, which is likely to result in (i) acceleration of such debt (and any other debt containing a cross-default or cross-acceleration provision) that we may be unable to repay from internal funds or to refinance on favorable terms, or at all, (ii) our inability to borrow unused amounts under our financing arrangements, even if we are current in payments on borrowings under those arrangements, and/or (iii) the loss of some or all of our assets to foreclosure or sale; |
| we may be unable to borrow additional funds as needed or on favorable terms, or at all; |
| to the extent we borrow debt that bears interest at variable rates, increases in interest rates could materially increase our interest expense; |
| our default under any loan with cross default provisions could result in a default on other indebtedness; |
| our debt may increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions with no assurance that investment yields will increase with higher financing costs; |
| we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing funds available for operations, future business opportunities, shareholder distributions, including distributions currently contemplated or necessary to satisfy the requirements for REIT qualification or other purposes; and |
| we may be unable to refinance debt that matures prior to the investment it was used to finance on favorable terms, or at all. There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful. |
If any one of these events were to occur, our business (including our financial performance and condition) and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders could be materially and adversely affected.
Any lending facilities will likely impose restrictive covenants.
Although we do not have plans to enter into any lending facilities at this time, any lending facilities which we enter into would be expected to contain customary negative covenants and other financial and operating covenants, that among other things, may affect our ability to incur additional debt, make certain investments or acquisitions, reduce liquidity below certain levels, make distributions to our stockholders, redeem debt or equity securities and impact our flexibility to determine our operating policies and investment strategies. If we fail to
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meet or satisfy any such covenants, we would likely be in default under these agreements, and the lenders could elect to declare outstanding amounts due and payable, terminate their commitments, require the posting of additional collateral and enforce their interests against existing collateral. We could also become subject to cross-default and acceleration rights and, with respect to collateralized debt, the posting of additional collateral and foreclosure rights upon default. Further, such restrictions could also make it difficult for us to satisfy the requirements necessary to maintain our qualification as a REIT.
Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure
Our senior management team manages our portfolio subject to very broad investment guidelines.
Our senior management team has broad discretion over our investments, and our stockholders will have no opportunity to evaluate the terms of transactions or other economic or financial data concerning our investments that are not described in periodic filings with the SEC. We rely on the senior management teams ability to execute acquisitions and dispositions of cannabis-related facilities, subject to the oversight and approval of our board of directors. Our senior management team is authorized to pursue acquisitions and dispositions of real estate investments in accordance with very broad investment guidelines, subject to approval of our board of directors.
We are dependent on our key personnel for our success.
We depend upon the efforts, experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of our senior management team, and our success will depend on their continued service. The departure of any of our executive officers or key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business (including our financial performance and condition). If any of our key personnel were to cease their employment, our operating results could suffer. Further, we do not intend to maintain key person life insurance that would provide us with proceeds in the event of death or disability of any of our key personnel.
We believe our future success depends upon our senior management teams ability to hire and retain highly skilled personnel. Competition for such personnel is intense, and we cannot assure you that we will be successful in attracting and retaining such skilled personnel. If we lose or are unable to obtain the services of key personnel, our ability to implement our investment strategies could be delayed or hindered, and the value of our common stock may decline.
Certain of our stockholders have the right to nominate members of our board of directors.
We have entered into an amended and restated investor rights agreement (the Investor Rights Agreement) with certain of our stockholders, pursuant to which the stockholders party thereto have certain rights with respect to the nomination of members to our board of directors. As a result, our other stockholders may have a limited ability to influence the composition of our board of directors. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsInvestor Rights Agreement.
Our board of directors may change our investment objectives and strategies without stockholder consent.
Our board of directors determines our major policies, including with regard to financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. Our board of directors may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. Under our charter and Maryland General Corporation Law (the MGCL), our stockholders generally have a right to vote only on the following matters:
| the election or removal of directors; |
| the amendment of our charter, except that our board of directors may amend our charter without stockholder approval to: |
| change our name; |
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| change the name or other designation or the par value of any class or series of stock and the aggregate par value of our stock; |
| increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock that we have the authority to issue; |
| increase or decrease the number of our shares of any class or series of stock that we have the authority to issue; and |
| effect certain reverse stock splits; |
| our liquidation and dissolution; and |
| our being a party to a merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or statutory share exchange. |
All other matters are subject to the discretion of our board of directors.
Certain provisions of Maryland law could inhibit changes in control.
Under the MGCL, business combinations (including a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or, in certain circumstances, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities) between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is defined as: (a) any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the then-outstanding voting stock of the corporation; or (b) an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then-outstanding stock of the corporation.
A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. A Maryland corporations board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance with any terms and conditions determined by the board of directors prior to the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder.
Thereafter, any such business combination must generally be recommended by the board of directors of such corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
| 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding voting stock of the corporation; and |
| two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation, other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom (or with whose affiliate) the business combination is to be effected, or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder unless, among other conditions, the corporations common stockholders receive a minimum price (as defined in the MGCL) for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares. |
A Maryland corporations board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance with any terms and conditions determined by it. These provisions of the MGCL do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by a Maryland corporations board of directors prior to the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. As permitted by the MGCL, our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting any business combination between us and any other person from the provisions of this statute, provided that the business combination is first approved by our board of directors (including a majority of directors who are not affiliates or associates of such persons).
The control share provisions of the MGCL provide that, subject to certain exceptions, a holder of control shares of a Maryland corporation (defined as shares which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by
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the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), entitle the stockholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a control share acquisition (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of issued and outstanding control shares) has no voting rights with respect to such shares except to the extent approved by our stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding votes entitled to be cast by the acquirer of control shares, our officers and our personnel who are also our directors. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the control share acquisition statute any and all acquisitions by any person of shares of our stock. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the control share acquisition statute any and all acquisitions by any person of shares of our stock. There can be no assurance that such provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future by our board of directors.
The unsolicited takeover provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the MGCL (Subtitle 8), permit the board of directors of a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act to, without stockholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in its charter or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses, including the ability to classify the board of directors. See Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws Subtitle 8, also known as Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act.
These provisions may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us under the circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then current market price.
Our authorized but unissued shares of common and preferred stock may prevent a change in our control.
Our charter permits our board of directors to authorize us to issue additional shares of our authorized but unissued common or preferred stock. In addition, our board of directors may, without stockholder approval, amend our charter to increase the aggregate number of our shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have the authority to issue and classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common or preferred stock and set the terms of the classified or reclassified shares. As a result, our board of directors may establish a class or series of shares of stock that could delay or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for shares of our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.
Severance provisions included in our employment agreements with our executive officers could be costly and prevent a change in our control.
The employment agreements that we entered into with our executive officers include severance provisions, which provide that, if their employment with us terminates under certain circumstances (including after a change in our control), we may be required to pay them significant amounts of severance compensation, including accelerated vesting of equity awards, thereby making it costly to terminate their employment. Furthermore, these provisions could delay or prevent a transaction or a change in our control that might involve a premium paid for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
Because of our holding company structure, we depend on our operating partnership and its subsidiaries for cash flow and we will be structurally subordinated in right of payment to the obligations of such operating subsidiary and its subsidiaries.
We are a holding company with no business operations of our own. Our only significant asset is and will be OP units and the general partnership interests in our operating partnership. We conduct, and intend to continue to conduct, all of our business operations through our operating partnership. Accordingly, our only source of cash to pay our obligations is distributions from our operating partnership and its subsidiaries of their net earnings and cash flows. We cannot assure our stockholders that our operating partnership or its subsidiaries will be able to, or be permitted to, make distributions to us that will enable us to make distributions to our stockholders from cash flows from operations. Each of our operating partnerships subsidiaries is or will be a distinct legal entity and,
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under certain circumstances, legal and contractual restrictions may limit our ability to obtain cash from such entities. In addition, because we are a holding company, your claims as stockholders will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities and obligations of our operating partnership and its subsidiaries. Therefore, in the event of our bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization, our assets and those of our operating partnership and its subsidiaries will be able to satisfy your claims as stockholders only after all of our and our operating partnerships and its subsidiaries liabilities and obligations have been paid in full. Furthermore, U.S. bankruptcy courts have generally refused to grant bankruptcy protections to cannabis businesses.
Our operating partnership may issue additional OP units to third parties without the consent of our stockholders, which would reduce our ownership percentage in our operating partnership and would have a dilutive effect on the amount of distributions made to us by our operating partnership and, therefore, the amount of distributions we can make to our stockholders.
As of the date of this prospectus, we are the sole general partner of our operating partnership and own, directly or through subsidiaries, approximately 98% of the outstanding OP units. We may, in connection with our acquisition of properties or otherwise, cause our operating partnership to issue additional OP units to third parties. Such issuances would reduce our ownership percentage in our operating partnership and affect the amount of distributions made to us by our operating partnership and, therefore, the amount of distributions we can make to our stockholders. Because our stockholders will not directly own any interest in our operating partnership, our stockholders will not have any voting rights with respect to any such issuances or other partnership level activities of our operating partnership.
Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future between the interests of our stockholders and the interests of holders of OP units, which may impede business decisions that could benefit our stockholders.
Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future as a result of the relationships between us and our affiliates, on the one hand, and our operating partnership or any partner thereof, on the other. Our directors and officers have duties to our company under Maryland law in connection with their management of our company. At the same time, we, as the general partner of our operating partnership, have fiduciary duties and obligations to our operating partnership and its limited partners under Delaware law and the partnership agreement of our operating partnership in connection with the management of our operating partnership. Our fiduciary duties and obligations as the general partner of our operating partnership may come into conflict with the duties of our directors and officers to our company.
The partnership agreement provides that, in the event of a conflict between the interests of our operating partnership or any partner, on the one hand, and the separate interests of our company or our stockholders, on the other hand, we, in our capacity as the general partner of our operating partnership, are under no obligation not to give priority to the separate interests of our company or our stockholders, and that any action or failure to act on our part or on the part of our directors that gives priority to the separate interests of our company or our stockholders that does not result in a violation of the contract rights of the limited partners of our operating partnership under its partnership agreement does not violate the duty of loyalty that we, in our capacity as the general partner of our operating partnership, owe to the operating partnership and its partners.
Additionally, the partnership agreement provides that we will not be liable to our operating partnership or any partner for monetary damages for losses sustained, liabilities incurred or benefits not derived by our operating partnership or any limited partner, except for liability for our intentional harm or gross negligence. Our operating partnership must indemnify us, our directors and officers, officers of our operating partnership and our designees from and against any and all claims that relate to the operations of our operating partnership, unless (1) an act or omission of the person was material to the matter giving rise to the action and either was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (2) the person actually received an improper personal benefit in violation or breach of the partnership agreement or (3) in the case of a criminal proceeding, the indemnified person had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. Our operating partnership must also pay or reimburse the reasonable expenses of any such person upon its receipt of a written
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affirmation of the persons good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification has been met and a written undertaking to repay any amounts paid or advanced if it is ultimately determined that the person did not meet the standard of conduct for indemnification. Our operating partnership will not indemnify or advance funds to any person with respect to any action initiated by the person seeking indemnification without our approval (except for any proceeding brought to enforce such persons right to indemnification under the partnership agreement) or if the person is found to be liable to our operating partnership on any portion of any claim in the action.
Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to take action against our directors and officers are limited, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions not in your best interests.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers that provide for indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Maryland law permits us to include in our charter a provision eliminating the liability of our directors and officers and our stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from:
| actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services; or |
| active and deliberate dishonesty that was established by a final judgment and was material to the cause of action. |
Our charter authorizes us to obligate ourselves and our bylaws obligate us, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to:
| any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to or witness in the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; or |
| any individual who, while a director or officer of our company and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, trustee, manager, member or partner of another corporation, REIT, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to or witness in the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. |
Our charter contains provisions that make removal of our directors difficult, which could make it difficult for our stockholders to effect changes to our management.
Our charter provides that, subject to the rights of holders of any series of preferred stock, a director may be removed only upon the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. Upon the effectiveness of our Subtitle 8 election, discussed below in Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws Subtitle 8, also known as Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act, vacancies on the board of directors may be filled only by a vote of the majority of the remaining directors in office, even if less than a quorum. These requirements make it more difficult to change our management by removing and replacing directors and may prevent a change in control of our company that is in the best interests of our stockholders.
Ownership limitations may restrict change in control or business combination opportunities in which our stockholders might receive a premium for their shares.
To qualify as a REIT under the Code, shares of our stock must be owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months (other than the first year for which an election to be a REIT has been made) or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Also, not more than 50% of the value of the outstanding shares of our stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities) during the last half of a taxable year (other than the first year for which an
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election to be a REIT has been made). In order for us to remain qualified as a REIT under the Code, the relevant sections of our charter provide that, subject to certain exceptions, no person or entity may own, or be deemed to own, by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 7.5% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of stock or more than 7.5% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding common stock or any class or series of our outstanding preferred stock. These ownership limits and other restrictions could have the effect of discouraging a takeover or other transaction in which holders of our common stock might receive a premium for their shares over the then prevailing market price or which holders might believe to be otherwise in their best interests.
We plan to continue to operate our business so that we are not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
We engage primarily in the business of investing in real estate and we have not and do not intend to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If our primary business were to change in a manner that would require us register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we would have to comply with substantial regulation under the Investment Company Act which could restrict the manner in which we operate and finance our business and could materially and adversely affect our business operations and results.
Risks Related to the Merger
We may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger.
On March 17, 2021, we consummated the Merger pursuant to which we combined our company with the Target and integrated our business with the Targets operations. See Business and PropertiesThe Merger. The long-term success of the Merger will depend on, among other things, our ability to continue to combine the businesses in a manner that facilitates growth opportunities. We may not successfully combine the businesses in a manner that permits the benefits of the Merger to be realized, including any anticipated growth. If we are not able to successfully achieve these objectives, the anticipated benefits of the Merger may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected.
Specifically, the following issues, among others, must continue to be addressed in integrating the operations in order to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger:
| combining and harmonizing the real estate portfolios, internal controls and other policies, procedures and processes; and |
| maintaining existing agreements with tenants, vendors or other third parties, avoiding delays in entering into new agreements with prospective tenants, vendors or other third parties, and leveraging relationships with such third parties. |
An inability to realize the full extent of the anticipated benefits of the Merger, as well as any delays encountered in the integration process, could have an adverse effect upon our business (including our financial performance and condition). In addition, the actual integration may result in additional and unforeseen expenses, and the anticipated benefits of the integration plan may not be realized. Actual growth, if achieved, may be lower than what we expect and may take longer to achieve than anticipated.
Additionally, at times the attention of our management may be focused on the integration of the businesses and diverted from day-to-day business operations or other opportunities that may have been beneficial to our company.
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Risks Related to Our Securities
The market price and trading volume of our common stock may be volatile.
The market price for our common stock may be volatile. In addition, the trading volume in our common stock may fluctuate, resulting in significant price variations.
Some of the factors that could negatively affect the share price or result in fluctuations in the price or trading volume of our common stock include, among others:
| our actual or projected operating results, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity or changes in business strategy or prospects; |
| changes in government policies, regulations or laws; |
| the performance of our current properties and additional properties that we acquire; |
| our ability to make acquisitions on preferable terms or at all; |
| additional equity issuances by us, or share resales by our stockholders, or the perception that such issuances or resales may occur; |
| actual or anticipated accounting problems; |
| publication of research reports about us, the real estate industry or the cannabis industry; |
| changes in market valuations of similar companies; |
| adverse market reaction to any increased indebtedness we may incur in the future; |
| interest rate changes; |
| additions to or departures of our senior management team; |
| speculation in the press or investment community or negative press in general; |
| our failure to meet, or the lowering of, our earnings estimates or those of any securities analysts; |
| failure to maintain our qualification as a REIT; |
| changes in tax laws; |
| the general reputation of REITs and the attractiveness of our equity securities in comparison to other equity securities, including securities issued by other real estate-based companies; |
| refusal of securities clearing firms to accept deposits of our securities; |
| the realization of any of the other risk factors presented in this prospectus; |
| actions by institutional stockholders; |
| price and volume fluctuations in the stock market generally; and |
| market and economic conditions generally, including the current state of the credit and capital markets and the market and economic conditions. |
Market factors unrelated to our performance could also negatively impact the market price of our common stock and preferred stock. One of the factors that investors may consider in deciding whether to buy or sell our common stock is our distribution rate as a percentage of our stock price relative to market interest rates. If market interest rates increase, prospective investors may demand a higher distribution rate or seek alternative investments paying higher dividends or interest. As a result, interest rate fluctuations and conditions in capital markets can affect the market value of our common stock.
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If we are unable to sell all of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus, we may be limited in the number and type of investments we may make and the value of your investment in us may decline.
This offering is being made on a reasonable best efforts basis, whereby the placement agents participating in the offering are only required to use their reasonable best efforts to sell our shares and have no firm commitment or obligation to purchase any of our shares. As a result, the amount of proceeds we raise in this offering may be substantially less than the amount than we expect. If we are unable to sell the number of shares offered by this prospectus, we will make fewer investments in properties, resulting in less diversification in terms of the number of properties owned and the geographic regions in which our properties are located. In such event, the likelihood of our profitability being affected by the performance of any one of our investments will increase. Additionally, we are not limited in the number or size of our properties or the percentage of net proceeds we may dedicate to a single investment. Your investment in our shares will be subject to greater risk to the extent that we lack a diversified portfolio of investments. In addition, our inability to raise the net proceeds that we expect would increase our fixed expenses as a percentage of gross income, and our financial condition and ability to pay distributions could be adversely affected.
We may face liquidity risks.
There is currently no public market for our common stock. Trading of our common stock on the OTCQX is expected to commence following the pricing of this offering. No assurance can be given as to (i) the likelihood that an active market for common stock will develop, (ii) the liquidity of any such market, (iii) the ability of the stockholders to sell their shares or (iv) the prices that stockholders may obtain for any of their shares. No prediction can be made as to the effect, if any, that future sales of shares, or the availability of shares for future sale, will have on the market price prevailing from time to time. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares of our common stock issued upon the exchange of OP units), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock.
Common stock and preferred stock eligible for future sale may have material and adverse effects on our share price.
Subject to applicable law, our board of directors, without stockholder approval, may authorize us to issue additional shares of our common stock or to raise capital through the issuance of preferred stock (including equity or debt securities convertible into common or preferred stock), options, warrants and other rights, on terms and for consideration as our board of directors in its sole discretion may determine. Any such issuance could result in dilution of the equity of our stockholders. Sales of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales might occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our charter also authorizes our board of directors, without stockholder approval, to designate and issue one or more classes or series of preferred stock (including equity or debt securities convertible into common or preferred stock) and to set or change the voting, conversion or other rights, preferences, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions and qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of each class of shares so issued. If any preferred stock is publicly offered, the terms and conditions of such preferred stock (including any equity or debt securities convertible into preferred stock) will be set forth in a registration statement registering the issuance of such preferred stock or equity or debt securities convertible into preferred stock. Because our board of directors has the power to establish the preferences and rights of each class or series of preferred stock, it may afford the holders of any series or class of preferred stock preferences, powers, and rights senior to the rights of holders of common stock or other preferred stock. If we ever create and issue additional preferred stock or equity or debt securities convertible into preferred stock with a distribution preference over common stock or preferred stock, payment of any distribution preferences of new outstanding preferred stock would reduce the amount of funds available for the payment of distributions on the common stock and junior preferred stock. Further, holders of preferred stock are normally entitled to receive a preference payment if we liquidate, dissolve, or wind up before any payment is made to the common stockholders, likely reducing the amount common stockholders would otherwise receive upon such an occurrence. In addition, under
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certain circumstances, the issuance of additional preferred stock may delay, prevent, render more difficult or tend to discourage a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest, the assumption of control by a holder of a large block of our securities, or the removal of incumbent management.
Additionally, from time to time we also may issue shares of our common stock or OP units in connection with property acquisitions. We may grant additional demand or piggyback registration rights in connection with these issuances. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock or OP units, or the perception that these sales could occur, may adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock or may adversely affect the terms upon which we may be able to obtain additional capital through the sale of equity securities.
Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, shares of our common stock outstanding prior to the completion of this offering, including shares of our common stock issuable in exchange for OP units, may be eligible for future sale without restriction, subject to applicable lock-up arrangements. See Shares Eligible for Future SaleRegistration Rights and Certain Relationships and Related TransactionsRegistration Rights Agreement.
We cannot assure you of our ability to make distributions in the future.
U.S. federal income tax law generally requires that a REIT distribute annually at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain (which does not equal net income as calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)), and that it pay U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that it annually distributes less than 100% of its taxable income. We may not continue our current level of distributions to stockholders. Our board of directors will determine future distributions based on a number of factors, including cash available for distribution, economic conditions, operating results, our financial condition, especially in relation to our anticipated future capital needs, then current expansion plans, the distribution requirements for REITs, and other factors our board deems relevant. In addition, we may borrow money, sell assets or use offering proceeds to make distributions to our stockholders, if we are unable to make distributions from cash flows from operations.
Our charter permits us to pay distributions from any source and, as a result, the amount of distributions paid at any time may not reflect the performance of our properties or as cash flow from operations.
Our organizational documents do not restrict our ability to make distributions from any source. To the extent that our cash available for distribution is insufficient to cover our distributions, we expect to use our cash on hand, the proceeds from the issuance of securities in the future, the proceeds from borrowings or other sources to pay distributions, some of which would constitute a return of capital to our stockholders. If we fund distributions from borrowings, sales of properties, future issuances of securities or cash on hand, we will have fewer funds available for the acquisition of additional properties resulting in potentially fewer investments, less diversification of our portfolio and a reduced overall return to our stockholders. In addition, the value of our shares of common stock and preferred stock may be diluted because funds that would otherwise be available to make investments would be diverted to fund distributions.
The market price of our common stock could be materially and adversely affected by our level of cash distributions.
The market value of our common stock is based upon the markets perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future cash distributions, whether from operations, sales or re-financings, as well as based upon the real estate market value of our underlying assets. If investors primarily focus on growth and cash distributions, our stock may trade at prices that are higher or lower than our net asset value per share. To the extent we retain operating cash flow for investment purposes, working capital reserves or other purposes, these retained funds, while increasing the value of our underlying assets, may not correspondingly increase the market price of our stock. Our failure to meet the markets expectations with regard to future earnings and cash distributions likely would materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
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If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our industry or if they downgrade our common stock or the cannabis real estate sector, the price of our common stock could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will rely in part upon the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or our industry. We have no control over these analysts. Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrades our shares or our industry, or the stock of any of our competitors, the price of our common stock could decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company, we could lose attention in the market which in turn could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
Risks Related to Our Taxation as a REIT
Our failure to remain qualified as a REIT would subject us to U.S. federal income tax and applicable state and local taxes, which would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders and have significant adverse consequences on the market price of our common stock.
We elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2019. We believe that we have been organized and operated in such a manner as to remain qualified for taxation as a REIT under the Code for such taxable year and all subsequent taxable years to date, and intend to continue to operate in such a manner in the future. We have not requested and do not intend to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the Service) that we remain qualified as a REIT, and the statements in this report are not binding on the Service or any court. Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury Department thereunder (Treasury Regulations) for which there are limited judicial and administrative interpretations. Accordingly, we cannot provide assurance that we will remain qualified as a REIT.
To remain qualified as a REIT, we must meet, on an ongoing basis, various tests regarding the nature and diversification of our assets and our income, the ownership of our outstanding stock, and the amount of our distributions to stockholders. Our ability to satisfy these asset tests depends upon the characterization and fair market values of our assets, some of which are not susceptible to a precise determination, and for which we will not obtain independent appraisals. Our compliance with the REIT income and quarterly asset requirements also depends upon our ability to manage successfully the composition of our income and assets on an ongoing basis. Moreover, new legislation, court decisions or administrative guidance, in each case possibly with retroactive effect, may make it more difficult or impossible for us to remain qualified as a REIT. Thus, while we intend to operate in a manner to remain qualified as a REIT, in view of the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, we cannot provide assurance that we will so qualify for any particular year. These considerations also might restrict the types of income we can realize, or assets that we can acquire in the future.
If we fail to remain qualified as a REIT in any taxable year, and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we would be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates (and possibly increased state and local taxes. We will not be able to deduct distributions to our stockholders in any year in which we fail to qualify, nor will we be required to make distributions to our stockholders. In such a case, we might need to borrow money, sell assets, or reduce or even cease making distributions in order to pay our taxes. Our payment of income tax would reduce significantly the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders. If we fail to remain qualified as a REIT, all distributions to stockholders, to the extent of current and accumulated earnings and profits, will be taxable to the stockholders as dividend income (which may be subject to tax at preferential rates) and corporate distributions may be eligible for the dividends received deduction if they satisfy the relevant provisions of the Code. Furthermore, if we fail to remain qualified as a REIT, we no longer would be required to distribute substantially all of our net taxable income to our stockholders. In addition, unless we were eligible for certain statutory relief provisions, we could not re-elect to qualify as a REIT until the fifth calendar year following the year in which we failed to qualify. We might not be entitled to the statutory relief described in this paragraph in all circumstances.
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The REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan, require us to borrow funds during unfavorable market conditions or subject us to tax, which would reduce the cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
To remain qualified as a REIT, we must distribute to our stockholders, on an annual basis, at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain. In addition, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our net taxable income (including net capital gain) and will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount by which our distributions in any calendar year are less than a minimum amount specified under U.S. federal income tax laws. We intend to distribute our net income to our stockholders in a manner intended to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax. However, we can provide no assurances that we will have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet these requirements. Difficulties in meeting the distribution requirements might arise due to competing demands for available funds or timing differences between tax reporting and cash receipts. In addition, if the Service were to disallow certain of our deductions, such as employee salaries, depreciation or interest expense, by alleging that we, through our rental agreements with our state-licensed cannabis tenants, are primarily or vicariously liable for trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (cannabis) under Section 280E of the Code or otherwise, we would be unable to meet the distribution requirements and would fail to remain qualified as a REIT. Likewise, if any governmental entity were to impose fines on us for our business involvement in state-licensed cannabis, such fines would not be deductible and the inability to deduct such fines could also cause us to be unable to satisfy the distribution requirement.
We may also generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year. In such event, we may be required to use cash reserves, incur debt or liquidate assets at rates or times that we regard as unfavorable or, to the extent possible, make a taxable distribution of our stock in order to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax in that year. Under certain circumstances, we may be able to rectify a failure to meet the distribution requirement for a year by paying deficiency dividends to stockholders in a later year, which may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. Thus, we may be able to avoid being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends; however, we will be required to pay penalties and interest based upon the amount of any deduction taken for deficiency dividends. If we do not have sufficient cash to distribute, we may incur U.S. federal income tax, U.S. federal excise tax and/or our REIT status may be jeopardized.
If we are deemed to be subject to Section 280E of the Code because of the business activities of our tenants, the resulting disallowance of tax deductions could cause us to incur U.S. federal income tax and jeopardize our REIT status.
Section 280E of the Code provides that, with respect to any taxpayer, no deduction or credit is allowed for expenses incurred during a taxable year in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business (or the activities which comprise such trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled substances (within the meaning of schedule I and II of the Controlled Substance Act) which is prohibited by federal law or the law of any State in which such trade or business is conducted. Because cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA, Section 280E of the Code by its terms applies to the purchase and sale of medical-use and adult-use cannabis products. Although we will not be engaged in the purchase, sale, growth, cultivation, harvesting, or processing of medical-use and adult-use cannabis products, we will lease our properties to tenants who will engage in such activities, and therefore our tenants likely will be subject to Section 280E of the Code. If the Service were to take the position that, through our rental agreements with our state-licensed cannabis tenants, we are primarily or vicariously liable under federal law for trafficking a Schedule 1 substance (cannabis) under Section 280E of the Code or for any other violations of the CSA, the Service may seek to apply the provisions of Section 280E of the Code to our company and disallow certain tax deductions, including for employee salaries, depreciation or interest expense. If such tax deductions are disallowed, we would be unable to meet the distribution requirements applicable to REITs under the Code, which could cause us to incur U.S. federal income tax and fail to remain qualified as a REIT. Because we are not engaged in the purchase or sale of a controlled
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substance, we do not believe that we will be subject to the disallowance provisions of Section 280E of the Code, and neither we nor our tax advisors are aware of any tax court cases or guidance from the Service in which a taxpayer not engaged in the purchase or sale of a controlled substance was disallowed deductions under Section 280E of the Code. However, there is no assurance that the Service will not take such a position either currently or in the future.
We could face adverse tax consequences if the Target failed to qualify as a REIT prior to the merger.
In connection with the closing of the Merger, we received an opinion of counsel to the effect that the Target qualified as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes through the time of the Merger. However, we did not request a ruling from the Service that the Target qualified as a REIT. Notwithstanding the opinion of counsel, if the Service successfully challenged the Targets REIT status prior to the Merger, we could face adverse tax consequences, including:
| succeeding to the Targets liability for U.S. federal income taxes at regular corporate rates for the periods in which the Target failed to qualify as a REIT (without regard to the deduction for dividends paid for such periods); |
| succeeding to any built-in gain on the Targets assets, for which we could be liable for U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates, if we were to recognize such gain in the five-year period following the merger; and |
| succeeding to the Targets earnings and profits accumulated during the periods in which the Target failed to qualify as a REIT, which we would be required to distribute to our stockholders in order to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements and avoid the imposition of any excise tax. |
As a result, we would have less cash available for operations and distributions to our stockholders, which could require us to raise capital on unfavorable terms or pay deficiency dividends.
Complying with REIT requirements may cause us to forego otherwise attractive business opportunities or liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
To remain qualified as a REIT, we must ensure that we meet the REIT gross income tests annually. In addition, we must ensure that, at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our total assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets, including certain mortgage loans, certain kinds of mortgage-backed securities and certain securities issued by other REITs. The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities, securities of corporations that are treated as TRSs, and qualified REIT real estate assets) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer.
In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, no more than 20% of the value of our total securities can be represented by securities of one or more TRSs, and the aggregate value of debt instruments issued by public REITs held by us that are not otherwise secured by real property may not exceed 25% of the value of our total assets. If we fail to comply with these asset requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we generally must correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification and suffering adverse tax consequences.
To meet these tests, we may be required to take or forego taking actions that we would otherwise consider advantageous. For instance, we may be required to forego investments that we otherwise would make. Furthermore, we may be required to liquidate from our portfolio otherwise attractive investments. In addition, we may be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to our stockholders. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our investment performance.
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In certain circumstances, even if we qualify as a REIT, we and our subsidiaries may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and other taxes, which would reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may be subject to some U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income or property and, in certain cases, a 100% penalty tax, in the event we sell property as a dealer. There is a safe harbor from this penalty tax for property that is held for certain time periods, but there can be no assurance that property sales have qualified or will qualify for this safe harbor. If a sale does not qualify for the safe harbor, then the sale is evaluated based on all of the facts and circumstances. In addition, if we were to sell property that the Target owned as a C corporation prior to January 1, 2025, then we would be required to pay corporate income tax on the built-in gain on such property as of January 1, 2020, which built-in gain is estimated to be less than $35,000. Any U.S. federal, state or other taxes we pay will reduce our cash available for distribution to stockholders.
The ability of our board of directors to revoke our REIT election without stockholder approval may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.
Our charter provides that our board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify as a REIT. If we cease to qualify as a REIT, we would become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our net taxable income and we generally would no longer be required to distribute any of our net taxable income to our stockholders, which may have adverse consequences on our total return to our stockholders.
Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates on dividend income from regular corporations, which could adversely affect the value of our common stock.
The maximum U.S. federal income tax rate for certain qualified dividends payable to U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is 20%. Dividends (other than capital gain dividends) payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the reduced rates. Although the reduced U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to dividend income from regular corporate dividends does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends paid by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate dividends could cause investors who are individuals, trusts and estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of our common stock.
Non-corporate stockholders, including individuals, generally may deduct 20% of dividends from a REIT, other than capital gain dividends and dividends treated as qualified dividend income, for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026. If we fail to remain qualified as a REIT, such stockholders may not claim this deduction with respect to dividends paid by us.
Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge our liabilities effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.
The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge our liabilities. Any income from a hedging transaction we enter into to manage risk of interest rate changes, price changes or currency fluctuations, or to offset such transactions, with respect to borrowings made or to be made to acquire or carry real estate assets, if properly identified under applicable Treasury Regulations, does not constitute gross income for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions likely will be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both of the gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may need to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our TRSs would be subject to tax on gains or expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in a TRS generally will not provide any tax benefit, except for being carried forward against future taxable income of such TRS.
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Re-characterization of sale-leaseback transactions may cause us to lose our REIT status.
We purchase many properties and lease them back to the sellers of such properties. While we will use our best efforts to structure any such sale-leaseback transaction so that the lease will be characterized as a true lease, thereby allowing us to be treated as the owner of the property for federal income tax purposes, the Service could challenge such characterization. In the event that any sale-leaseback transaction is challenged and re-characterized as a financing transaction or loan for federal income tax purposes, deductions for depreciation and cost recovery relating to such property would be disallowed. If a sale-leaseback transaction were so re-characterized, we might fail to satisfy the REIT qualification asset tests or the income tests and, consequently, lose our REIT status effective with the year of re-characterization. Alternatively, the amount of our REIT taxable income could be recalculated which might also cause us to fail to meet the distribution requirement for a taxable year.
Legislative, regulatory or administrative changes could adversely affect us or our stockholders.
At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws or Treasury Regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be changed, possibly with retroactive effect, and may adversely affect us and our stockholders. We cannot predict if or when any new U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective or whether any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively.
Additional changes to the tax laws are likely to continue to occur. We cannot predict the long-term effect of any recent or future tax law changes on REITs and their stockholders. Prospective investors are urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding the effect of potential changes to the federal tax laws on an investment in our stock.
Risks Related to General and Other Factors
The occurrence of cyber incidents or cyberattacks could disrupt our operations, result in the loss of confidential information and/or damage our business relationships and reputation.
We rely on technology to run our business, and as such we are subject to risk from cyber incidents, including cyberattacks attempting to gain unauthorized access to our systems to disrupt operations, corrupt data or steal confidential information, and other electronic security breaches. While we have implemented measures to help mitigate these threats, such measures cannot guarantee that we will be successful in preventing a cyber incident. The occurrence of a cyber incident or cyberattack could disrupt our operations, compromise the confidential information of our employees or tenants, and/or damage our business relationships and reputation.
We cannot predict every event and circumstance that may affect our business, and therefore, the risks and uncertainties discussed herein may not be the only ones you should consider.
We are aware of a limited number of other publicly-traded REITs that focus on the acquisition and ownership of cannabis facilities. Therefore, we may encounter risks of which we are not aware at this time, which could have a material adverse impact on our business (including our financial performance and condition).
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We make statements in this prospectus that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. In particular, statements pertaining to our capital resources, property performance, leasing rental rates, future dividends and results of operations contain forward-looking statements. Likewise, our pro forma financial statements and all of our statements regarding anticipated growth in our funds from operations and anticipated market conditions, demographics and results of operations are forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believe, continue, could, expect, may, will, should, would, seek, approximately, intend, plan, pro forma, estimates forecast, project, or anticipate or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.
Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and you should not rely on them as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements depend on assumptions, data or methods which may be incorrect or imprecise and we may not be able to realize them. We do not guarantee that the transactions and events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements:
| the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or future pandemics, on us, our business, our tenants, or the economy generally; |
| actions and initiatives of the U.S. or state governments and changes to government policies and the execution and impact of these actions, initiatives and policies, including the fact that cannabis remains illegal under federal law; |
| the impact of the Merger, including our ability to integrate businesses; |
| our status as an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company; |
| general economic conditions; |
| adverse economic or real estate developments, either nationally or in the markets in which our properties are located; |
| other factors affecting the real estate industry generally; |
| the competitive environment in which we operate; |
| the estimated growth in and evolving market dynamics of the regulated cannabis market; |
| the expected medical-use or adult-use cannabis legalization in certain states; |
| shifts in public opinion regarding regulated cannabis; |
| the additional risks that may be associated with certain of our tenants cultivating adult-use cannabis in our cultivation facilities; |
| the risks associated with the development of cultivation centers and dispensaries; |
| our ability to successfully identify opportunities in target markets; |
| our lack of operating history; |
| our tenants lack of operating history; |
| the concentration of our tenants in certain geographical areas; |
| our failure to generate sufficient cash flows to service any outstanding indebtedness we may incur in the future; |
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| defaults on, early terminations of or non-renewal of leases by tenants, including significant tenants; |
| our failure to acquire the properties in our identified pipeline successfully, on the anticipated timeline or at the anticipated costs; |
| our failure to properly assess employment growth or other trends in target markets and other markets in which we seek to invest; |
| lack or insufficient amounts of insurance; |
| bankruptcy or insolvency of a significant tenant or a substantial number of smaller tenants; |
| our access to certain financial resources, including banks and other financial institutions; |
| our failure to successfully operate acquired properties; |
| our ability to operate successfully as a public company; |
| our dependence on key personnel and ability to identify, hire and retain qualified personnel in the future; |
| conflicts of interests with our officers and/or directors stemming from their fiduciary duties to other entities, including our operating partnership; |
| our failure to obtain necessary outside financing on favorable terms or at all,; |
| fluctuations in interest rates and increased operating costs; |
| financial market fluctuations; |
| general volatility of the market price of our common stock; |
| changes in GAAP; |
| environmental uncertainties and risks related to adverse weather conditions and natural disasters; |
| our failure to maintain our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes; and |
| changes in governmental regulations or interpretations thereof, such as real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates and taxation of REITs. |
While forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes after the date of this prospectus, except as required by applicable law. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements that are based on information currently available to us or the third parties making the forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could impact our future results, performance or transactions, see the section titled Risk Factors.
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After deducting the placement agent fees and estimated expenses of this offering payable by us, we expect to receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $ million, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus.
We intend to contribute the net proceeds from this offering to our operating partnership in exchange for OP units and our operating partnership intends to use the net proceeds received from us to acquire our target assets in a manner consistent with our investment strategy.
Pending application of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in interest-bearing accounts, money market accounts and interest-bearing securities in a manner that is consistent with our intention to remain qualified for taxation as a REIT. Such investments may include, for example, government and government agency certificates, government bonds, interest-bearing bank deposits, money market accounts and mortgage loan participations.
This offering is being made on a reasonable best efforts basis, whereby the placement agents participating in the offering are only required to use their reasonable best efforts to sell our shares and have no firm commitment or obligation to purchase any of our shares. As a result, the amount of proceeds we raise in this offering may be substantially less than the amount than we expect. Since expected offering proceeds reflect only our best expectations, they may not accurately reflect the actual receipt or application of the offering proceeds.
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We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our short taxable year ended December 31, 2019 and intend to operate our business so as to continue to qualify as a REIT. We intend to pay regular quarterly dividends, but as discussed below, all dividends are subject to the approval of our board of directors consistent with Maryland law and there can be no assurance over the timing, frequency or amount of any dividends. U.S. federal income tax law requires that a REIT distribute annually at least 90% of its net taxable income, excluding net capital gains, and that it pay tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that it annually distributes less than 100% of its net taxable income, including net capital gains. In addition, a REIT is required to pay a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which the distributions that it makes in a calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of its ordinary income, 95% of its capital gain net income and 100% of its undistributed income from prior years. For more information, please see Material Federal Income Tax Considerations. To satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT and generally not be subject to U.S. federal income and excise tax, we generally intend to make quarterly distributions to holders of our common stock, beginning at such time as our board of directors determines that we have sufficient cash flow to do so, over time in an amount equal to our taxable income. Although we anticipate making quarterly distributions to our stockholders over time, our board of directors has the sole discretion to determine the timing, form (including cash and shares of our common stock at the election of each of our stockholders) and amount of any distributions to our stockholders. Although not currently anticipated, in the event that our board of directors determines to make distributions in excess of the income or cash flow generated from our portfolio of assets, we may make such distributions from the proceeds of this or future offerings of equity or debt securities or other forms of debt financing or the sale of assets.
To the extent that in respect of any calendar year, cash available for distribution is less than our taxable income, we could be required to fund distributions from working capital, sell assets or borrow funds to make cash distributions or make a portion of the required distribution in the form of a taxable stock distribution or distribution of debt securities. In addition, we could be required to utilize the net proceeds of this offering to fund our quarterly distributions, which would reduce the amount of cash that we have available for investing and other purposes. For more information, see Material Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsDistribution Requirements.
Our charter allows us to issue preferred stock that could have a preference over our common stock with respect to distributions. We currently have no intention to issue any preferred stock over the short-or intermediate-term, but if we do, the distribution preference on the preferred stock could limit our ability to make distributions to the holders of our common stock.
Dividends and other distributions made by us will be authorized and determined by our board of directors in its sole discretion out of assets legally available therefor and will be dependent upon a number of factors, including restrictions under applicable law and other factors described below. We cannot assure you that our distributions will be made or sustained or that our board of directors will not change our distribution policy in the future. Any dividends or other distributions that we pay in the future will depend upon our actual results of operations, economic conditions, debt service requirements, capital expenditures and other factors that could differ materially from our current expectations. Our actual results of operations will be affected by a number of factors, including our revenue, operating expenses, interest expense and unanticipated expenditures. For more information regarding risk factors that could materially and adversely affect our actual results of operations, see Risk Factors.
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The following table sets forth (i) the historical consolidated capitalization of our company as of March 31, 2021 on an actual basis and (ii) our unaudited pro forma capitalization on an as adjusted basis to give effect to this offering and the use of net proceeds as set forth in Use of Proceeds. You should read this table in conjunction with Use of Proceeds, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
As of March 31, 2021 | ||||||||
Historical (Unaudited) |
Pro Forma as Adjusted |
|||||||
(in thousands) | (in thousands) | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 117,828 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Equity: |
||||||||
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share 100,000,000 shares authorized, 125 shares issued and outstanding actual; no shares outstanding, as adjusted(1) |
$ | 61 | ||||||
Common stock, $0.01 par value per share; 400,000,000 shares authorized; 17,329,964 shares issued and outstanding (historical) and shares issued and outstanding (pro forma as adjusted)(2) |
175 | |||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
358,942 | |||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(17,921 | ) | ||||||
Non-controlling interest in our operating partnership |
7,135 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total Equity and capitalization |
$ | 348,392 |
(1) | The 125 shares of our 12.5% Series A Redeemable Cumulative Preferred Stock were redeemed on April 6, 2021 and are no longer outstanding. |
(2) | Includes (a) 17,329,964 shares of our common stock outstanding prior to completion of this offering and (b) shares of our common stock to be issued in this offering. Excludes (a) 125,635 shares of common stock underlying 125,635 restricted stock units (b) 791,790 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to option agreements; (c) 602,392 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of NLCP Holdings, LLCs purchase rights pursuant to a warrant agreement; (d) 365,103 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the outstanding OP units held by limited partners in our operating partnership other than us and (e) shares of our common stock available for future issuance under the Equity Incentive Plan. |
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Investors in our common stock offered by this prospectus will experience an immediate and substantial dilution of the net tangible book value of our common stock from the initial public offering price. Net tangible book value per share represents the amount of total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the number of outstanding shares of common stock.
At March 31, 2021, we had a net tangible book value of approximately $ million, or $ per share, held by existing stockholders. After giving effect to the sale of our common stock in this offering and the application of the net proceeds received by us from this offering, the pro forma net tangible book value as of March 31, 2021 attributable to common stockholders would have been approximately $ million, or $ per share of common stock. This amount represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in pro forma net tangible book value of $ per share from the assumed public offering price of $ per share of common stock to our new investors. The following table illustrates this per-share dilution.
Assumed initial public offering price per share of our common stock(1) |
$ | |||||||
Net tangible book value per share before this offering, as of March 31, 2021(2) |
$ | |||||||
Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering(3) |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
Pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering(4) |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
Dilution in pro forma net tangible book value per share to new investors(5) |
$ | |||||||
|
|
(1) | Based on a price per share equal to the midpoint of the price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus. |
(2) | Net tangible book value per share of our common stock before this offering, as of March 31, 2021, is determined by dividing the net book value of tangible assets at March 31, 2021 (consisting of total assets less intangible assets, which are comprised of ) by the number of shares of our common stock to be held by the existing stockholders prior to the completion of this offering excludes (a) 125,635 shares of common stock underlying 125,635 restricted stock units; (b) 791,790 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to option agreements; (c) 602,392 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of NLCP Holdings, LLCs purchase rights pursuant to a warrant agreement and (d) 365,103 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the outstanding OP units held by limited partners in our operating partnership other than us). |
(3) | The increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering is determined by subtracting (a) the net tangible book value per share before this offering (see footnote (2) above) from (b) the pro forma net tangible book value per share following this offering (see footnote (5) below). |
(4) | Based on pro forma net tangible book value of approximately $ million divided by the sum of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering, not including (a) 125,635 shares of common stock underlying 125,635 restricted stock units; (b) 791,790 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to option agreements; (c) 602,392 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of NLCP Holdings, LLCs purchase rights pursuant to a warrant agreement; (d) shares of our common stock available for future issuance under the Equity Incentive Plan and (e) 365,103 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the outstanding OP units held by limited partners in our operating partnership other than us. |
(5) | Dilution is determined by subtracting pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock after giving effect to this offering from the initial public offering price per share paid by a new investor in this offering. |
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Differences Between New Investors and Existing Stockholders
The following table summarizes, as of March 31, 2021, the differences between the average price per unit paid by our existing stockholders and by new investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering (at an assumed initial price per share of $ , which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus), before deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us in this offering.
Shares Issued/ Granted |
Total Consideration | Average Price Per Share |
||||||||||||||||||
Number | Percentage | Amount | Percentage | |||||||||||||||||
Existing Stockholders |
% | % | $ | |||||||||||||||||
New Investors |
(1) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
Total |
100 | % | 100 | % |
(1) | Includes shares of common stock to be sold in this offering. |
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MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section above entitled Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements. Certain risk factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see Risk Factors.
Overview
We are an internally-managed REIT and a leading provider of real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators through sale-leaseback transactions, third-party purchases and funding for build-to-suit projects. Our properties are leased to single tenants on a long-term, triple-net basis, which obligates the tenant to be responsible for the ongoing expenses of a property, in addition to its rent obligations.
On March 17, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a separate company that owned a portfolio of industrial properties and dispensaries utilized in the cannabis industry (see The Merger below). As of March 31, 2021, we owned a geographically diversified portfolio consisting of 24 properties across nine states with six tenants, comprised of 17 dispensaries and seven cultivation facilities. Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded.
We derive substantially all of our revenue from rents received from single tenants of each of our properties under triple-net leases. Our triple-net leases obligate the tenant for all of the ongoing expenses of a property, including real estate taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, in addition to its rent obligations. Our leases also typically include annual rent escalations (typically within the range of 2-3%) as a set percentage or based on an inflation index, which provides us with contractual revenue growth and inflation-protected returns. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
Our business strategy includes the acquisition of additional properties utilized in the cannabis industry as well as the provision of capital to our tenants for the development and expansion of our properties. As of the date of this prospectus, we have aggregate unfunded commitments to invest $18.7 million for the improvement and completion of our existing cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, as well as the development of one dispensary and one cultivation facility in Massachusetts.
As of the date of this prospectus, we had no debt and our portfolio had an average yield on invested capital of %. As of March 31, 2021, our properties had a weighted average remaining lease term of 14.3 years. Our tenants include affiliates of what we believe to be some of the leading and most well-capitalized companies in the industry, such as Curaleaf, Cresco Labs, Trulieve and Columbia Care. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
We define yield on invested capital as our annualized monthly rental revenue divided by the amount of our total investment, which includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any. Other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating cash yield on invested capital, and accordingly, the Companys yield on invested capital may not be comparable to other REITs.
Yield on invested capital is used by management internally, and potentially may be used by investors, to evaluate and compare the Companys investment strategy over time and relative to the Companys competitors and REITs generally. The Company believes yield on invested capital provides useful information to investors regarding the Companys financial condition and results of operations because it can be used to determine trends
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in the Companys investment thesis and the Companys ability to identify properties with above-market rental rates. The Company believes that its yield on invested capital is higher than many of other REITs, as yields from cannabis real estate evolve, in connection with the industry maturing, it will be useful to understand how those potential changes in cannabis real estate yields compare to our competitors and other REITs. Yield on invested capital does not measure the Companys performance as a whole and is not a substitute for the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP that are included in this prospectus or any other financial metric derivable therefrom.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have the right to purchase a parcel of land in each of Massachusetts and Arizona for an aggregate purchase price of $3.4 million, pursuant to executed purchase option agreements. If we exercise our rights to purchase these parcels of land, the purchase option agreements require us to fund up to an aggregate of $18.6 million for the construction of a cultivation facility on the site in Arizona and a dispensary on the site in Massachusetts. Furthermore, as of the date of this prospectus, we have a non-binding letter of intent to acquire a parcel of land in Arizona for $2.1 million and provide up to $16.0 million for construction of a cultivation facility on the site. Our letter of intent sets forth only general terms, which are subject to further negotiation and modification, and neither we nor any potential seller has any obligation to negotiate further or pursue a transaction pursuant to any letter of intent. As of March 31, 2021, we had no debt. While we expect to initially utilize uncommitted cash to fund acquisitions, we expect in the future to seek additional equity capital and various forms of debt financing to increase our growth prospects.
We were incorporated in Maryland on April 9, 2019. We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership REIT structure, in which properties are owned by an operating partnership, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our operating partnership and immediately prior to the consummation of this offering, own approximately 98% of the OP units. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our short taxable year ended December 31, 2019 and intend to operate our business so as to continue to qualify as a REIT. As of the date of this prospectus, we have five full- time employees.
The Merger
On March 17, 2021, we consummated a merger pursuant to which we combined our company with a separate company, or the Target, that owned a portfolio of industrial and retail properties utilized in the cannabis industry, and renamed ourselves NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. Upon completion of the Merger, we owned 24 properties across nine states, and became one of the largest REITs in the cannabis industry. We consummated the Merger and combined businesses with the Target to, among other things, benefit from increasing economies of scale as we continue to grow, and as part of our evolution toward entering the public markets. In connection with the Merger, we also entered into various arrangements and agreements with certain of our significant stockholders, including director nomination rights. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsInvestor Rights Agreement for more information about these director nomination rights. The Merger has been treated as an asset acquisition, and we are treated as the accounting acquirer.
Factors Impacting Our Operating Results
Our results of operations are affected by a number of factors and depend on the rental revenue we receive from the properties that we own, the timing of lease expirations, general market conditions, the regulatory environment in the cannabis industry, and the competitive environment for real estate assets that support the cannabis industry.
COVID-19
Throughout 2020 and to date, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global economic activity and caused significant volatility and negative pressure in financial markets. Many countries, including
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the U.S., have instituted quarantines, mandated business and school closures and restricted travel. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting almost every industry directly or indirectly, including the regulated cannabis industry. COVID-19 (or a future pandemic) could have material and adverse effects on our tenants and their operations, and in turn on our business.
Rental Revenues
We receive income from rental revenue generated by the properties that we own and expect to acquire. The amount of rental revenue depends upon a number of factors, including:
| Our ability to enter into leases with increasing or market value rents for the properties that we own; and |
| Rent collection, which primarily relates to each of our current and future tenants or guarantors financial condition and ability to make rent payments to us on time. |
The properties that we own consist of real estate assets that support the cannabis industry. Changes in current favorable state or local laws in the cannabis industry may impair our ability to renew or re-lease properties and the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations and could materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain or increase rental rates for our properties.
Conditions in Our Markets
Positive or negative changes in regulatory, economic or other conditions and natural disasters in the markets where we acquire properties may affect our overall financial performance.
Competitive Environment
We face competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds and other real estate investors, hard money lenders, as well as would-be tenants, cannabis operators themselves, all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for cannabis cultivation, production or dispensary operations. Competition from others may diminish our opportunities to acquire a desired property on favorable terms or at all. In addition, this competition may put pressure on us to reduce the rental rates below those that we expect to charge for the properties that we own and expect to acquire, which would adversely affect our financial results.
Financial Performance and Condition of Our Tenants
As of March 31, 2021, all of our rental revenues were derived from six tenants. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor. Our revenues are, therefore, dependent on our tenants (and related guarantors) to meet their respective obligations to us. Our tenants operate in the regulated cannabis industry, which is an evolving and highly regulated space. Further, because the regulated cannabis industry is a relatively new space, some of our existing tenants have limited operating histories and may be more susceptible to payment and other lease defaults. Thus, our operating results will be significantly impacted by the ability of our tenants to achieve and sustain positive financial results.
Triple-net Leases; Operating Expenses
Our triple-net leases obligate the tenant for all of the ongoing expenses of a property, including real estate taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, in addition to its rent obligations. Our leases also typically include annual rent escalations (typically within the range of 2-3%) as a set percentage or based on an inflation index, which provides us with contractual revenue growth and inflation-protected returns. Since inception, we have collected 100% of rent due, with no deferrals or abatements. Our operating expenses include general and administrative expenses, including personnel costs, legal, accounting, and other expenses related to corporate
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governance. Once publicly-traded, we will experience an increase in expenses related to reporting and compliance with the various provisions of U.S. securities laws. We generally expect to structure our leases so that the tenant is responsible for real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance, and structural repairs with respect to the premises throughout the lease term. Increases or decreases in such operating expenses will impact our overall financial performance.
Our Ability to Integrate the Operations of the Target Acquired in the Merger
The long-term success of the Merger will depend on, among other things, our ability to continue to combine the businesses with the Target in a manner that facilitates growth opportunities. We may not successfully combine the businesses in a manner that permits the benefits of the Merger to be realized, including any anticipated growth. If we are not able to successfully achieve these objectives, the anticipated benefits of the Merger may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. In addition, we could incur higher expenses in the near term, in connection with integrating the combined operations.
Results of Operations
We were formed in April 2019 and acquired four properties in October 2019. We acquired one additional property in each of December 2019 and August 2020. In November 2020, we sold one property that we acquired in October 2019. As a result of the Merger, we acquired 19 properties.
Comparison of the Three Months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
Three Months ended March 31, 2021 |
Three Months ended March 31, 2020 |
Increase / (decrease) |
||||||||||
Rental income |
$ | 4,419 | $ | 2,009 | $ | 2,410 | ||||||
Expenses: |
||||||||||||
Depreciation and Amortization Expense |
1,086 | 462 | 624 | |||||||||
Stock-Based Compensation |
907 | 6 | 901 | |||||||||
General and Administrative Expense |
891 | 1,008 | (117 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total Expenses |
2,884 | 1,476 | 1,408 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Income from Operations |
1,535 | 533 | 1,002 | |||||||||
Other income |
||||||||||||
Interest Income |
2 | 150 | (148 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total other income |
2 | 150 | (148 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net income |
1,537 | 683 | 854 | |||||||||
Preferred stock dividend |
(4 | ) | (4 | ) | | |||||||
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests |
(77 | ) | | (77 | ) | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net income attributable to common shareholders |
$ | 1,456 | $ | 679 | $ | 777 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
Rental income for the three months ended March 31, 2021 increased by approximately $2.4 million, to approximately $4.4 million, compared to approximately $2.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase in rental revenue was primarily attributable to:
| Our Mount Dora, Florida property, which we acquired in August 2020, generated approximately $1.8 million of rental income in 2021. |
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| The nineteen properties we acquired in March 2021 in connection with the Merger generated approximately $0.4 million of rental revenue in 2021, representing the period from Merger closing on March 17, 2021 to March 31, 2021. |
| The expansion of a property that was funded during the second quarter of 2020 generated $0.3 million of rental income in 2021. |
The property we sold in November 2020 generated approximately $0.5 million of rental income for the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Expenses
Stock Based Compensation.
Stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 included approximately $0.9 million and $6,386, respectively, of non-cash stock-based compensation. Through March 31, 2021, we granted 125,635 restricted stock units to an officer and certain of our directors. Amortization of compensation cost relating to the restricted stock units amounted to approximately $0.9 million and $6,386 during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
General and Administrative Expense.
General and administrative expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 decreased by approximately $0.1 million, to approximately $0.9 million, compared to $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease in general and administrative expense was primarily due to the elimination of management fees and reimbursements to our manager, as a result of our July 2020 internalization, partially offset by increased legal and professional fees and payroll.
The following table summarizes general and administrative costs for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
Three Months ended March 31, 2021 |
Three Months ended March 31, 2020 |
|||||||
Legal and professional |
$ | 386 | $ | 292 | ||||
Payroll |
332 | | ||||||
Management fees |
| 329 | ||||||
Reimbursements to our manager |
| 234 | ||||||
Other |
173 | 153 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
$ | 891 | $ | 1,008 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and Amortization Expense.
Depreciation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021, increased by approximately $0.6 million to approximately $1.1 million, compared to $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, due to the acquisition of one property in August 2020, and the impact of the 19 properties acquired in March 2021 in connection with the Merger.
Other.
Interest income declined during the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020, due to lower average cash balances after we acquired our properties and lower interest rates.
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Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2020 and the Period Ended December 31, 2019 (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31, 2020 |
Period Ended December 31, 2019 |
Increase / (decrease) |
||||||||||
Rental Income |
$ | 11,663 | $ | 874 | $ | 10,789 | ||||||
Expenses: |
||||||||||||
Management Internalization Costs |
12,360 | | 12,360 | |||||||||
Stock Based Compensation |
4,721 | 4 | 4,717 | |||||||||
General and Administrative |
4,056 | 1,552 | 2,504 | |||||||||
Depreciation |
2,603 | 192 | 2,411 | |||||||||
Organization Costs |
| 100 | (100 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total Expenses |
23,740 | 1,848 | 21,892 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Loss from Operations |
(12,077 | ) | (974 | ) | (11,103 | ) | ||||||
Other Income: |
||||||||||||
Interest Income |
153 | 537 | (384 | ) | ||||||||
Gain on sale of real estate |
1,491 | | 1,491 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total other income |
1,644 | 537 | 1,107 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net loss and other comprehensive loss |
(10,433 | ) | (437 | ) | (9,996 | ) | ||||||
Preferred stock dividend |
(16 | ) | | (16 | ) | |||||||
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests |
(234 | ) | | (234 | ) | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net loss and other comprehensive loss attributable to common stockholders |
$ | (10,683 | ) | $ | (437 | ) | $ | (10,246 | ) | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
Rental income for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by approximately $10.8 million, to approximately $11.7 million, compared to approximately $0.9 million for the period ended December 31, 2019. The increase in rental revenue was attributable to:
| The five properties we acquired in 2019 generated approximately $8.8 million of rental revenue in 2020, compared to approximately $0.9 million in 2019, an increase of approximately $7.9 million; and |
| Our Mount Dora, Florida property, which we acquired in August 2020, generated approximately $2.9 million of rental income in 2020. |
Expenses
Management Internalization Costs.
Beginning with our formation in April 2019, we were externally managed by GreenAcreage Management LLC (the Manager). On July 15, 2020, our investment management function and business of the Manager were internalized into our operating partnership and we became internally-managed (the Internalization). In connection with the Internalization, we, the Manager and certain other parties entered into a Contribution Agreement (the Contribution Agreement) whereby the Manager contributed the assets comprising its business and function, including the Management Agreement, to our operating partnership in consideration for OP units representing a 5.5% ownership interest in our operating partnership as of the date of the Internalization.
Following the Internalization, we began to compensate our employees directly and no further fees were, or will be, paid to the Manager under the Management Agreement. To effectuate the Internalization, our operating partnership issued an aggregate of 419,798 OP units valued at $8.4 million, using the most recently issued stock
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price at the time of the Internalization, to GreenAcreage Management Owner LLC and incurred $0.9 million in legal, severance and professional costs.
In connection with the closing of the Internalization, HG Vora exercised its right to contribute to us its option to purchase a 26.7% interest in GreenAcreage Management Owner LLC (the sole owner of the Manager) in exchange for 152,654 shares of our common stock, valued at $3.1 million, using the most recently issued stock price at the time of the Internalization, and representing a 2.0% fully diluted ownership interest in our common stock (immediately following the exchange and prior to the completion of this offering).
The following table summarizes costs related to the Internalization for the year ended December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
Noncontrolling OP Units Issued in connection with the Internalization (419,798 OP Units) |
$ | 8,396 | ||
Shares issued to HG Vora in connection with the Internalization (152,654 shares of common stock) |
3,053 | |||
Other legal, severance, and professional costs |
911 | |||
|
|
|||
Total Internalization Costs |
$ | 12,360 | ||
|
|
We are now internally-managed.
Stock Based Compensation.
Stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 included approximately $4.7 million and $4,211, respectively, of non-cash stock-based compensation. In connection with the Internalization, we issued 791,790 nonqualified stock options to purchase shares of our common stock, valued at approximately $3.9 million, in exchange for the termination of an Incentive Agreement with employees of our former Manager. During 2019 and 2020, we granted 3,000 and 84,327 restricted stock units, respectively, to an officer and certain of our directors. Amortization of compensation cost relating to the restricted stock units amounted to approximately $0.8 million and $4,211 during 2020 and 2019, respectively.
General and Administrative Expense.
General and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by approximately $2.5 million, to approximately $4.1 million, compared to $1.6 million for the period ended December 31, 2019. The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily due to increased legal and professional fees and operating for a full year.
The following table summarizes general and administrative costs for the year ended December 31, 2020 and period ended December 31, 2019 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31, 2020 |
Period ended December 31, 2019 |
|||||||
Legal and professional |
$ | 1,894 | $ | 454 | ||||
Payroll |
635 | | ||||||
Management fees |
657 | 509 | ||||||
Reimbursements to our manager |
352 | 322 | ||||||
Other |
518 | 267 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
$ | 4,056 | $ | 1,552 | ||||
|
|
|
|
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Depreciation Expense.
Depreciation expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by approximately $2.4 million, to approximately $2.6 million, compared to $0.2 million for the period ended December 31, 2019, due to the acquisition of five properties in the fourth quarter of 2019 and one property in August 2020.
Other.
Interest income declined during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the period ended December 31, 2019 due to lower cash balances after we acquired our Mount Dora, Florida property in August 2020 and higher interest rates in 2019.
On November 17, 2020, we sold our Sanderson, Florida property back to the tenant in exchange for 200,000 shares of our common stock and 54,695 OP units. The sale price of approximately $5.4 million was based on the fair value of our common stock and OP units. We recognized a gain on sale of approximately $1.5 million.
The preferred stock dividends of approximately $15,625 during the year ended December 31, 2020 relate to dividends on our 12.5% Series A Redeemable Cumulative Preferred Stock (the Series A Preferred Stock), which we issued in December 2019.
Cash Flows
The following summary discussion of our cash flows is based on the consolidated statements of cash flows in our financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and is not meant to be an all-inclusive discussion of the changes in our cash flows for the periods presented below (in thousands):
Three months ended March 31, 2021 |
Three months ended March 31, 2020 |
|||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ | 1,927 | $ | 793 | ||||
Net cash provided by investing activities |
$ | 59,926 | $ | | ||||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
$ | 36,357 | $ | | ||||
Ending cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 117,828 | $ | 67,695 |
Cash flows provided by operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 were approximately $1.9 million and $0.8 million, respectively. Cash flows provided by operating activities primarily related to contractual rent received from our properties, partially offset by the payment of accrued expenses and other liabilities.
Cash flows provided by investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were approximately $59.9 million. In connection with the Merger, we acquired $64.4 million of cash, partially offset by $2.1 million of Merger transaction related costs and $ 2.3 million advanced for tenant improvements. There were no cash flows from investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Cash flows provided by financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were approximately $36.4 million, and were primarily related to approximately $39.6 million in net proceeds from our private issuance of common stock, partially offset by approximately $3.1 million in dividend payments to holders of our common stock, as well as distributions to OP units and restricted stock unit holders and Series A Preferred Stock dividends of $0.2 million. There were no cash flows from financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Year ended December 31, 2020 |
Period ended December 31, 2019 |
|||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ | 7,348 | $ | 587 | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
$ | (65,054 | ) | $ | (65,494 | ) | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
$ | 10,422 | $ | 131,809 | ||||
Ending cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 19,617 | $ | 66,901 |
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Cash flows provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the period ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $7.3 million and $0.6 million, respectively. Cash flows provided by operating activities primarily related to contractual rent and security deposits from our properties, and leases for properties we acquired during these time periods, partially offset by the payment of accrued expenses and other liabilities.
Cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 and period ended December 31, 2019 were utilized to acquire properties and were approximately $65.1 and $65.5 million, respectively. In connection with the acquisition of our Lincoln, Illinois property in December 2019, we entered into a commitment to reimburse the tenant for up to $10 million of building improvements for the build-out of the property to be completed by the tenant. The $10 million commitment was part of the purchase price and is included in buildings on the accompanying balance sheet as of December 31, 2019. We reimbursed the tenant
$10 million for the improvements during 2020.
Cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 were approximately $10.4 million, and were primarily related to approximately $15.7 million in net proceeds from our private issuance of common stock, partially offset by approximately $5.2 million in dividend payments to holders of our common stock, as well as distributions to OP units and restricted stock unit holders and Series A Preferred Stock dividends.
Cash flows provided by financing activities for the period ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $131.8 million, and were primarily related to approximately $131.5 million in net proceeds from the offering of our common stock completed in August 2019.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements. We expect to use significant cash to acquire additional properties, develop and redevelop existing properties, pay dividends to our stockholders, fund our operations, and meet other general business needs.
Sources and Uses of Cash
We derive substantially all of our revenues from the leasing of our properties. This source of revenue represents our primary source of liquidity to fund our dividends, general and administrative expenses and other expenses related to managing our existing portfolio. Currently, all of our tenants are paying their rent on a timely basis. We raise new capital for property development and redevelopment activities and investing in additional properties. We expect to fund our investment activity generally through equity or debt issuances either in the public or private markets. Where possible, we also may issue OP units to acquire properties from existing owners seeking a tax-deferred transaction. We issued 419,798 OP units in 2020 to purchase GreenAcreage Management Owner LLC as part of the Internalization, but we have not issued any OP units to acquire properties to date.
In August 2019 we issued 7,060,250 shares of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $131.5 million. In December 2020 we issued 745,241 shares of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $15.7 million. In January and February 2021, we issued 1,871,932 shares of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $39.6 million. In connection with the Merger we acquired $64.4 million of cash. As of March 31, 2021 we had approximately $117.8 million in cash.
We expect to meet our liquidity needs through cash and cash equivalents on hand, cash flows from operations and cash flows from future capital raises. We believe that our liquidity and sources of capital are adequate to satisfy our short and long-term cash requirements. We cannot, however, be certain that these sources of funds will be available at a time and upon terms acceptable to us in sufficient amounts in the future.
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Dividends
We are required to pay dividends to our stockholders at least equal to 90% of our taxable income in order to maintain our qualification as a REIT. As a result of this distribution requirement, our operating partnership cannot rely on retained earnings to fund its ongoing operations to the same extent that other companies whose parent companies are not REITs can. During 2020, we declared cash dividends on our common stock, dividend equivalents on our restricted stock units and distributions on our OP units totaling approximately $6.2 million ($0.84 per share), and cash dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock totaling approximately $15,625. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, we declared cash dividends on our common stock, dividend equivalents on our restricted stock units and distributions on our OP units totaling approximately $2.3 million ($0.23 per share) and cash dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock totaling approximately $3,906. On June 16, 2021, we declared cash dividends on our common stock, dividend equivalents on our restricted stock units and distributions on our OP units with a record date of June 30, 2021, totaling approximately $4.3 million ($0.24 per share. Our Series A Preferred Stock was redeemed in full on April 6, 2021. Our ability to continue to pay dividends is dependent upon our ability to continue to generate cash flows.
Contractual Obligations
As of March 31, 2021, we had outstanding tenant reimbursement commitments that had not been funded of approximately $17.7 million. (For more information, see Business and PropertiesOur PropertiesAcquisition/ Development Pipeline).
Non-GAAP Financial Information and Other Metrics
Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations
FFO and AFFO are non-GAAP financial measures and should not be viewed as alternatives to net income calculated in accordance with GAAP as a measurement of our operating performance. We believe that FFO and AFFO are useful to investors because they are widely accepted industry measures used by analysts and investors to compare the operating performance of REITs.
We calculate FFO in accordance with the current National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) definition. NAREIT currently defines FFO as follows: net income (loss) (computed in accordance with GAAP) excluding depreciation and amortization related to real estate, gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, and impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by an entity. Other REITs may not define FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition or may interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do and therefore our computation of FFO may not be comparable to such other REITs.
We calculate AFFO by starting with FFO and adding back non-cash and certain non-recurring transactions, including non-cash components of compensation expense and our internalization costs. Other REITs may not define AFFO in the same manner as we do and therefore our calculation of AFFO may not be comparable to such other REITs. You should not consider FFO and AFFO to be alternatives to net income as a reliable measure of our operating performance; nor should you consider FFO and AFFO to be alternatives to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities (as defined by GAAP) as measures of liquidity.
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The table below is a reconciliation of net income attributable to common stockholders to FFO and AFFO for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Three Months ended March 31, 2021 |
Three Months ended March 31, 2020 |
|||||||
Net income attributable to common stockholders |
$ | 1,456 | $ | 679 | ||||
Real estate depreciation and amortization |
1,086 | 462 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
FFO attributable to common stockholders |
2,542 | 1,141 | ||||||
Stock- based compensation |
907 | 6 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
AFFO attributable to common stockholders |
$ | 3,449 | $ | 1,147 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
FFO per share basic |
$ | 0.26 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
FFO per share diluted |
$ | 0.25 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
AFFO per share basic |
$ | 0.35 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
AFFO per share diluted |
$ | 0.34 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Weighted average shares outstanding basic |
9,921,083 | 7,060,250 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Weighted average shares outstanding diluted |
10,022,301 | 7,063,250 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
The table below is a reconciliation of net loss attributable to common stockholders to FFO and AFFO for the year and period ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Year ended December 31, 2020 |
Period ended December 31, 2019 |
|||||||
Net loss attributable to common stockholders |
$ | (10,683 | ) | $ | (437 | ) | ||
Real estate depreciation |
2,603 | 192 | ||||||
Gain on sale of real estate |
(1,491 | ) | | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
FFO attributable to common stockholders |
(9,571 | ) | (245 | ) | ||||
Stock- based compensation |
4,721 | 4 | ||||||
Management internalization costs |
12,360 | | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
AFFO attributable to common stockholders |
$ | 7,510 | $ | (241 | ) | |||
|
|
|
|
|||||
FFO per share basic and diluted |
$ | (1.34 | ) | $ | (0.07 | ) | ||
|
|
|
|
|||||
AFFO per share basic and diluted |
$ | 1.05 | $ | (0.06 | ) | |||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Weighted average shares outstanding basic |
7,123,165 | 3,754,936 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Weighted average shares outstanding diluted |
7,123,165 | 3,754,936 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates and assumptions. Set forth below is a summary of our accounting policies that we believe are critical to the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. Our accounting policies are more fully discussed in our consolidated financial statements.
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Acquisition of Rental Property, Depreciation, Amortization and Impairment
Upon acquisition of property, the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed are initially measured based upon their relative fair values. We estimate the fair value of land by reviewing comparable sales within the same submarket and/or region, the fair value of buildings on an as-if vacant basis and may engage third-party valuation specialists. Acquisition costs are capitalized as incurred since all of our acquisitions to date were recorded as asset acquisitions.
We depreciate each of our buildings and improvements over its estimated remaining useful life, not to exceed 35 years. We depreciate tenant improvements at our buildings where we are considered the owner over the shorter of the estimated useful life or terms of the related leases. We amortize the value of in-place lease costs over the remaining life of the in-place lease.
Long-lived assets are individually evaluated for impairment when conditions exist that may indicate that the carrying amount of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset to be held and used is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. Impairment indicators or triggering events for long-lived assets to be held and used are assessed by project and include significant fluctuations in estimated net operating income, occupancy changes, significant near-term lease expirations, current and historical operating and/or cash flow losses, construction costs, estimated completion dates, rental rates, and other market factors. We assess the expected undiscounted cash flows based upon numerous factors, including, but not limited to, construction costs, available market information, current and historical operating results, known trends, current market/economic conditions that may affect the property, and our assumptions about the use of the asset, including, if necessary, a probability-weighted approach if multiple outcomes are under consideration. Upon determination that an impairment has occurred, a write-down is recognized to reduce the carrying amount to its estimated fair value. We may adjust depreciation of properties that are expected to be disposed of or redeveloped prior to the end of their useful lives.
Revenue Recognition and Leases
Our existing tenant leases and future tenant leases are generally expected to be triple-net leases, an arrangement under which the tenant maintains the property while paying us rent. We account for our leases as operating leases. Operating leases that have fixed and determinable rent increases are recognized on a straight- line basis over the lease term, unless the collectability of lease payments is not reasonably predictable. Rental increases based upon changes in the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), if any, are recognized only after the changes in the indexes have occurred and are then applied according to the lease agreements. Contractually obligated reimbursements from tenants for recoverable real estate taxes, insurance and operating expenses, if any, are included in rental revenue in the period when such costs are incurred. Contractually obligated real estate taxes that are paid directly by the tenant to the tax authorities are not reflected in our consolidated financial statements.
We record revenue for each of our properties on a cash basis due to the uncertainty of collectability of lease payments from each tenant due to its limited operating history and the uncertain regulatory environment in the U.S. relating to the cannabis industry.
Stock-Based Compensation
We account for awards of stock, stock options and restricted stock units in accordance with ASC 718-10, Compensation-Stock Compensation. ASC 718-10 requires that compensation cost for all stock awards be calculated and amortized over the service period (generally equal to the vesting period). The compensation cost for stock option grants is determined using option pricing models, intended to estimate the fair value of the awards at the grant date less estimated forfeitures. The compensation expense for restricted stock is recognized based on the fair value of the restricted stock awards less estimated forfeitures. The fair value of stock awards and restricted stock awards is equal to the fair value of our stock on the grant date.
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We used the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of option awards at the time of their grant on July 15, 2020, with the following weighted-average assumptions for the period indicated:
Year Ended December 31, 2020 |
||||
Risk-free interest rate |
1.56% | |||
Expected dividend yield |
6.0% | |||
Expected term |
4.5 years | |||
Expected volatility |
52.5% | |||
Stock price |
$20.00 | |||
Exercise price |
$24.00 |
The weighted-average valuation assumptions were determined as follows:
| Risk-free interest rate: we base the risk-free interest rate on the interest rate payable on U.S. Treasury securities in effect at the time of grant for a period that is commensurate with the assumed expected option term. |
| Expected annual dividends: we considered our current yield, expected future yield and the average yield on similar stocks in estimating our expected annual dividends at 6.0%. |
| Expected stock price volatility: the expected volatility used is based on historical volatilities of similar entities within our industry which were commensurate with our expected term assumption. |
| Expected term of options: the expected term of options represents the period of time options are expected to be outstanding. The expected term of the options granted is derived from the simplified method as described in Staff Accounting Bulletin 107 relating to stock-based compensation, whereby the expected term is an average between the vesting period and contractual period due to our limited operating history. |
No stock options were issued during the three months ended March 31, 2021 or 2020.
Determination of Fair Value of our Common Stock
As there has been no public market for our common stock to date, the estimated fair value of our common stock has been determined by our board of directors as of the date of each equity grant to be equal to the sales price per share in our most recent equity private placement.
Following the closing of this offering, our board of directors will determine the fair market value of our common stock based on its closing price as reported on the date of grant on the primary stock exchange on which our common stock is traded.
Income Taxes
We have been organized to operate our business so as to qualify to be taxed as a REIT. Under the REIT operating structure, we are permitted to deduct dividends paid to our stockholders in determining our taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As long as our dividends equal or exceed our taxable net income, we generally will not be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on such income.
Adoption of New or Revised Accounting Standards
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the
77
JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We elected to use this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that we (i) are no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, our consolidated financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases; in July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases, and ASU 2018-11, LeasesTargeted Improvements; and in December 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-20, Narrow-Scope Improvements for Lessors. This group of ASUs is collectively referred to as Topic 842 and is expected to be effective for us beginning January 1, 2022. Topic 842 supersedes the existing standards for lease accounting (Topic 840, Leases).
Topic 842 requires lessees to record most leases on their balance sheet through a right-of-use (ROU) model, in which a lessee records a ROU asset and a lease liability on their balance sheet. Leases that are less than 12 months do not need to be accounted for under the ROU model. As of the date of this Prospectus, we are the lessee under two insignificant short term (less than 12 months) office leases. Under Topic 842, lessors will continue to account for leases as a sales-type, direct-financing, or operating. A lease will be treated as a sale if it is considered to transfer control of the underlying asset to the lessee. A lease will be classified as direct financing if risks and rewards are conveyed without the transfer of control. Otherwise, the lease is treated as an operating lease. Topic 842 requires accounting for a transaction as a financing in a sale leaseback in certain circumstances, including when the seller- lessee is provided an option to purchase the property from the landlord at the tenants option. We expect that this provision could change the accounting for these types of leases in the future. Topic 842 also includes the concept of separating lease and non-lease components. Under Topic 842, non-lease components, such as common area maintenance, would be accounted for under Topic 606 and separated from the lease payments. However, we will elect the lessor practical expedient allowing us to not separate these components when certain conditions are met. Upon adoption of Topic 842, we expect to continue to combine tenant reimbursements with rental revenues on its consolidated statement of operations. We have historically not capitalized allocated payroll cost incurred as part of the leasing process, which was allowable under ASC 840 but, will no longer qualify for classification as initial direct costs under Topic 842. Also, the Narrow-Scope Improvements for Lessors under ASU 2018-20 allows us to continue to exclude from revenue, costs paid by our tenants on our behalf directly to third parties, such as property taxes.
Topic 842 provides two transition alternatives. We expect to apply this standard based on the prospective optional transition method, in which comparative periods will continue to be reported in accordance with Topic 840. We also anticipate expanded disclosures upon adoption, as the new standard requires more extensive quantitative and qualitative disclosures as compared to Topic 840 for both lessees and lessors. We are still evaluating the effect to our consolidated financial statements as a Lessor of the adoption of Topic 842 on January 1, 2022.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses, which changes the impairment model for most financial assets and certain other instruments. For trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other instruments, companies will be required to use a new forward- looking expected loss model that generally will result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses, which among other updates, clarifies that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of this guidance and should be evaluated in accordance with Topic 842. We do not expect these standards to be effective for us until January 1, 2023. Since we expect our leases to be operating leases, we do not anticipate these standards will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the U.S. credit markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and U.S. credit markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly. To date, our financial condition and results of operations have not been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
We have not issued any debt and have no debt outstanding, so we are not exposed to interest rate changes. If we were to issue debt or enter into a credit facility in the future, we would be exposed to interest rate changes. At this time, we have no plans to issue debt instruments. It is possible that a property we acquire in the future would be subject to a mortgage, which we may assume.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Upon completion of this offering we will have no off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
Impact of Inflation
We enter into leases that generally provide for annual fixed increases in rent, and in certain cases have entered into leases that provide for annual increases in rent equal to the greater of a fixed increase and the increase in annual CPI. We expect these lease provisions to result in rent increases over time. During times when inflation is greater than increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation.
Seasonality
Our business is not, and we do not expect our business to be subject to material seasonal fluctuations.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
On April 12, 2021, with the approval of our audit committee, we dismissed Davidson & Company LLP (Davidson) as our independent registered public accounting firm. Davidsons audit report on our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor was it qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles. During our existence, there were no (a) disagreements between us and Davidson on any matters of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Davidson, would have caused Davidson to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in its report on our consolidated financial statements, or (b) reportable events as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act.
On April 12, 2021, with the approval of our audit committee, we engaged BDO USA, LLP (BDO) as our new independent registered public accounting firm. Prior to the engagement of BDO, neither we nor anyone acting on our behalf consulted BDO regarding any of the matters or events set forth in Item 304(a)(2) of Regulation S-K.
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INDUSTRY AND MARKET OPPORTUNITY
The regulated state-legal cannabis industry is rapidly expanding and we believe presents a compelling opportunity to invest in revenue-centric industrial and retail real estate that is mission-critical to the industry. According to BDSA, cannabis sales in the U.S. have grown from $12.1 billion in 2019 to $17.6 billion in 2020, and are expected to grow to $41.2 billion by 2026, representing a projected 15% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for the industry. These data suggest that there is significant need for real estate capital as cannabis licensees pursue an aggressive national expansion strategy and the continued prohibition of cannabis under federal law limits the capital available to operators in the industry, creating a market opportunity for real estate companies like us. We expect that acquisition opportunities will continue to grow as additional states legalize medical-use and adult-use cannabis and license new retail dispensaries and cultivation operations.
According to the Leafly Jobs Report 2021, state-legal cannabis is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. Across the U.S., legalization for both medical-use and adult-use is on the rise. As of March 31, 2021, Business Insider reports that 36 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized medical-use cannabis in some form, and 17 of those states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized cannabis for adult-use. According to the the 2019 U.S. Census, approximately 140 million people live in these states.
The historic and projected market growth appears to be fueled by a societal shift in mindset and increased access to a broad array of products and applications that is driving mainstream acceptance of cannabis. This shift is evidenced by recent state legalization efforts. On November 3, 2020, voters approved cannabis legalization initiatives in Arizona (adult-use), Mississippi (medical), Montana (adult-use), New Jersey (adult-use) and North Dakota (medical-use and adult-use). Thus far in 2021, adult-use cannabis was legalized in Connecticut, New York, New Mexico and Virginia, while medical-use cannabis was legalized in Alabama. Polls throughout the U.S. consistently show overwhelming support for the legalization of medical-use cannabis, together with strong majority support for the full legalization of adult-use cannabis. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, more than 90% of Americans support legalizing cannabis for medical-use, while a recent Gallup survey found that 68% of Americans support legalizing cannabis for adult-use.
To date, the status of cannabis under federal law has significantly limited the ability of state-licensed industry participants to fully access the U.S. banking system and traditional financing sources. Due in part to the lack of access to traditional financing sources, we believe that our sale-leaseback solutions are attractive to state-licensed medical-use and adult-use cannabis retailers, cultivators and producers and non-dilutive to their shareholders. We anticipate that future changes in federal and state laws may ultimately open up financing options that have not been available in this industry. However, we believe that such changes will take time and that our sale-leaseback solutions will continue to be attractive to industry participants.
We intend to continue to take advantage of this market opportunity by purchasing medical-use and adult-use retail cannabis dispensaries, as well as cannabis cultivation and production facilities. We intend to acquire cannabis dispensaries, cultivation and production facilities in states that permit medical-use and adult-use cannabis. However, we do not consider ourselves to be engaged in the cannabis industry since we are not a plant-touching cannabis business.
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Our Company
We are an internally-managed Maryland corporation and a leading provider of real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators through sale-leaseback transactions, third-party purchases and funding for build-to-suit projects. Our properties are leased to single tenants on a long-term, triple-net basis, which obligates the tenant to be responsible for the ongoing expenses of a property, in addition to its rent obligations. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our short taxable year ended December 31, 2019 and intend to operate our business so as to continue to qualify as a REIT.
Our tenants operate in the fast-growing cannabis industry. We supply necessary real estate capital primarily to companies that cultivate, produce and/or dispense cannabis. We believe we fill a need in an underserved market that has been created by, among other factors, the misalignment of federal and state legislation regarding cannabis. Moreover, we believe the banking industrys general reluctance to finance owners of cannabis-related facilities, coupled with the owners need for capital to fund the growth of their operations, should result in significant opportunities for us to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries that provide stable and increasing rental revenue along with the potential for long-term appreciation in value.
On March 17, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a separate company that owned a portfolio of industrial properties and dispensaries utilized in the cannabis industry (see The Merger below). As of March 31, 2021, we owned a geographically diversified portfolio consisting of 24 properties across nine states with six tenants, comprised of 17 dispensaries and seven cultivation facilities. As of the date of this prospectus, we have aggregate unfunded commitments to invest $18.7 million for the improvement and completion of our existing cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, as well as the development of one dispensary and one cultivation facility in Massachusetts.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have the right to purchase a parcel of land in each of Massachusetts and Arizona for an aggregate purchase price of $3.4 million, pursuant to executed purchase option agreements. If we exercise our rights to purchase these parcels of land, the purchase option agreements require us to fund up to an aggregate of $18.6 million for the construction of a cultivation facility on the site in Arizona and a dispensary on the site in Massachusetts. As of the date of this prospectus, we had no debt and our portfolio had an average yield on invested capital (defined as our annualized 2021 monthly rental revenue divided by the amount of our total investment, which includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any) of %. As of March 31, 2021, our properties had a weighted average remaining lease term of 14.3 years. Our tenants include affiliates of what we believe to be some of the leading and most well-capitalized companies in the industry, such as Curaleaf, Cresco Labs, Trulieve and Columbia Care. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
We intend to target regulated state-licensed cannabis properties, particularly those in limited-license jurisdictions (which we define generally as jurisdictions where the number of licenses granted to cannabis operators are limited and requires a rigorous approval process). Furthermore, our focus is on those properties owned or operated by experienced state-licensed cannabis companies, including vertically integrated multi-state businesses involved in cultivation, processing, logistics and retail activities. Columbia Care and Acreage, which we believe to be two of the largest and more sophisticated cannabis operators in the U.S., have each granted us rights of first offer with respect to certain property acquisition opportunities through December 22, 2022 and May 31, 2022, respectively. For a more detailed discussion of these rights of first offer see Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer. Furthermore, as of the date of this prospectus, we have a non-binding letter of intent to acquire a parcel of land in Arizona for $2.1 million and provide up to $16.0 million for construction of a cultivation facility on the site. Our letter of intent sets forth only general terms, which are subject to further negotiation and modification, and neither we nor any potential seller has any obligation to negotiate further or pursue a transaction pursuant to any letter of intent.
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We believe that our focus on cannabis properties in limited-license jurisdictions, where the property is an integral part of the license application process and moving the licensees operations from one location to another would require regulatory or other approvals, provides the opportunity to capture rental income on properties with above-market property level cash flows and greater re-leasing probability as these properties are generally in high demand. Generally, a tenants ability to meet rental obligations is strongly correlated to the tenants revenues derived from the property. In our experience, cannabis operations in limited-license jurisdictions generally have less competition and produce a higher revenue per square foot than unlimited-license cannabis jurisdictions, as well as traditional industrial and retail businesses. We believe that our portfolio has a property rent coverage (generally, the ability of the tenant to generate income sufficient to satisfy its rent and other financial obligations) that is significantly greater than the average for the overall commercial real estate industry.
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe that we have the following competitive strengths:
| Experienced Management Team and Board of Directors. Our management team and board of directors have substantial experience in commercial real estate, including investing in cannabis net lease properties and other cannabis operations as well as publicly-traded REIT experience. Our Chairman, Gordon DuGan, most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Gramercy Property Trust, a formerly NYSE-listed triple-net lease REIT, during which time the company grew substantially and was sold to Blackstone Equity Partners VIII, LP for $7.6 billion. Our Chief Executive Officer, David Weinstein, has extensive commercial real estate banking and investment experience and was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of a NYSE-listed office REIT. Anthony Coniglio, our President and Chief Investment Officer, founded a cannabis-related industrial and dispensary REIT that we acquired in March 2021 and has more than 30 years experience in real estate and banking. One of our board members, Peter Kadens, was the Co-Founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Green Thumb Industries, one of the leading cannabis companies, and provides valuable insight into the cannabis industry. |
| Quality Portfolio Net Leased to Well-Capitalized Cannabis Operators. Our tenants include affiliates of what we believe to be some of the leading and most well-capitalized companies in the cannabis industry, such as Curaleaf, Cresco Labs, Trulieve and Columbia Care. As of March 31, 2021, our properties were 100% leased and primarily located in limited-license jurisdictions. Since inception, we have collected 100% of rent due, with no deferrals or abatements. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor. |
| Geographically Diversified Portfolio. Geographic diversification is a core tenet of our underwriting philosophy. As of March 31, 2021, we owned a geographically diversified portfolio consisting of 24 properties across nine states with six tenants, comprised of 17 dispensaries and seven cultivation facilities. As our portfolio grows, we intend to achieve further diversification by geography and tenant. |
| Focus on Recurring and Dependable Revenue. We seek to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries and enter into long-term triple-net lease arrangements with high-quality licensed medical-use and adult-use cannabis operators after rigorous tenant and asset-level due diligence. We expect our primary focus will be cannabis cultivation, production and dispensary facilities which we believe will support a recurring and dependable revenue base with long-term potential for asset appreciation. Triple-net leases obligate the tenant for the ongoing expenses of a property, including real estate taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, in addition to its rent obligations. Our leases also typically include annual rent escalations (typically within the range of 2-3%) as a set percentage or based on an inflation index, which provides us with contractual revenue growth and inflation-protected returns. |
| Strong Balance Sheet with Significant Financial Flexibility. Following completion of this offering, we and our operating partnership expect to have approximately $ million of capital invested and committed, $ million of uncommitted cash and no debt, assuming an initial public offering price |
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of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the front cover of this prospectus. While we expect to initially utilize uncommitted cash to fund acquisitions, we expect in the future to seek additional equity capital and various forms of debt financing to increase our growth prospects. |
| Rights of First Offer with Columbia Care and Acreage Provides Acquisition Pipeline Opportunity. Our rights of first offer with Columbia Care and Acreage should allow us to benefit from a potential property acquisition pipeline with what we believe to be two of the largest and more sophisticated cannabis operators in the U.S. Pursuant to these rights of first offer, we have a right of first offer to purchase certain properties owned by Columbia Care through December 22, 2022 and to assume Acreages position as a purchaser with respect to future real estate acquisition opportunities identified by them through May 31, 2022. See Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer. |
Our Business and Growth Strategies
Our principal objective is to maximize stockholder returns through a combination of (i) quarterly distributions to our stockholders, (ii) sustainable long-term growth in cash flows from contractual annual rent increases, and (iii) potential long-term appreciation in the value of our properties. Our focus is to acquire and own a portfolio of properties leased to tenants holding the requisite state licenses to operate in the regulated medical-use and adult-use cannabis industry. Over time, we intend to add leverage to our portfolio, as part of our strategy to seek risk-adjusted returns while generating stable cash distributions on a tax-efficient basis. This strategy includes the following components:
| Owning Cannabis Properties and Related Real Estate Assets for Income and/or Appreciation. We seek to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries that are leased to tenants that are well positioned to benefit from the growth of the cannabis industry and for whom such real estate is operationally strategic to their business. We generally expect to hold acquired properties for investment and to generate stable and increasing rental income from leasing these properties to licensed operators. Although we do not currently have plans to do so, from time to time, we may decide to sell one or more properties if we believe it to be in the best interests of our stockholders. Therefore, we will seek to acquire properties that we believe also have potential for long-term appreciation in value. |
| Investing in Industrial Properties and Dispensaries. Industrial cultivation and processing properties are required to be operated by businesses that have completed a rigorous state licensing process creating substantial barriers to entry for competing facilities. We believe owning these mission-critical industrial facilities with long-term leases will generate highly attractive current yields and above market returns. Dispensaries provide enhanced tenant, geographical and supply chain diversification to our portfolio. Contrary to the decline of general brick and mortar retail stores with the growing shift to online activity, we expect distribution of cannabis products to be primarily through licensed retail locations, similar to alcohol and pharmaceutical products. Additionally, we expect that dispensaries will be an important component of the industrys expansion as operators see education and customer interaction as key to growing the customer base and increasing transaction volume. |
| Expanding as Additional States Enact Regulated Cannabis Programs. We acquire properties in the U.S., with a focus on states that have established regulated cannabis programs. As of March 31, 2021, we owned properties in nine states, and we expect that our acquisition opportunities will continue to expand as additional states (particularly limited-license jurisdictions) establish regulated cannabis programs and license new operators. |
| Providing Expansion Capital to Existing Tenants as an Additional Source of Income. As cannabis sales in the U.S. continue to grow, we believe the industry requires additional cultivation, processing and retail capacity to meet demand. We have provided expansion capital for some of our existing tenants as they expand operations at properties they lease from us. We believe this need for expansion capital provides a captive opportunity for us to grow our portfolio and increase our revenue. We expect to continue to focus on executing on these expansion initiatives with our tenants. |
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| Preserving Financial Flexibility on our Balance Sheet. We are focused on maintaining a conservative capital structure, in order to provide us flexibility in financing our growth initiatives. As of March 31, 2021, we had no debt. |
Our Properties
We seek to acquire industrial properties and dispensaries that are strategic profit centers for our tenants and are well positioned for the regulatory evolution of the industry. Licensed industrial and dispensary locations are critical components of the cannabis industry, particularly in limited-license jurisdictions. As of March 31, 2021, we owned 24 properties that are 100% leased to state-licensed cannabis operators, with a weighted average remaining lease term of 14.3 years. Based on invested capital, as of March 31, 2021, our portfolio is comprised of approximately 84.4% cultivation facilities and 15.6% dispensaries. Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded. We define tenant reimbursement commitments as a commitment pursuant to our lease with the tenant to fund alterations, additions or improvements to the premises.
Existing Portfolio. The table below sets forth our property portfolio as of March 31, 2021:
Property Type |
State |
Tenant(1) |
Rentable Square Feet(2) |
Capital Investment(3) |
||||||||
Industrial |
Florida | Curaleaf | 379,435 | $ | 55,000,000 | |||||||
Industrial |
Illinois | Cresco Labs | 222,455 | 50,677,821 | ||||||||
Industrial |
Pennsylvania | Trulieve | 144,602 | 25,365,078 | (4) | |||||||
Industrial |
Massachusetts | Columbia Care | 38,890 | 14,118,154 | (5) | |||||||
Industrial |
Illinois | Columbia Care | 32,802 | 11,469,139 | ||||||||
Industrial |
Pennsylvania | Acreage | 30,625 | 10,158,372 | ||||||||
Industrial |
Massachusetts | Acreage | 38,380 | 9,787,999 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
California | Columbia Care | 2,470 | 4,581,419 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Ohio | Curaleaf | 7,200 | 3,207,605 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 5,040 | 3,152,185 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Connecticut | Curaleaf | 11,181 | 2,773,755 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Pennsylvania | Curaleaf | 3,500 | 2,111,999 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Massachusetts | Columbia Care | 4,290 | 2,108,951 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
North Dakota | Curaleaf | 4,590 | 2,011,530 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Arkansas | Curaleaf | 7,592 | 1,964,801 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Massachusetts | PharmaCann | 11,116 | 1,900,000 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Pennsylvania | Curaleaf | 1,968 | 1,752,788 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 6,100 | 1,567,005 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Pennsylvania | PharmaCann | 3,481 | 1,200,000 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Columbia Care | 4,736 | 1,127,931 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 4,200 | 963,811 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Connecticut | Acreage | 2,872 | 925,751 | ||||||||
Dispensary |
Massachusetts | PharmaCann | 3,850 | 743,460 | (6) | |||||||
Dispensary |
Illinois | Curaleaf | 1,851 | 540,700 | ||||||||
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|
|
|
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Total |
973,226 | $ | 209,210,274 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
(1) | Lease is with a subsidiary of this entity, for which this entity or an affiliate is a guarantor. |
(2) | Includes estimated rentable square feet at completion of construction. |
(3) | Includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any, as of March 31, 2021. Excludes tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. See footnotes below. |
(4) | Excludes $16,134,922 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(5) | Excludes $720,505 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(6) | Excludes $806,540 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
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Lease Expirations
The following table sets forth a summary of the lease expirations for leases in place as of March 31, 2021 for each of the ten full calendar years beginning January 1, 2021. The information set forth in the table assumes that tenants exercise no renewal options.
Year of Lease Expiration |
Number of Leases Expiring |
Square Footage of Leases Expiring |
% of Portfolio Net Rentable Square Feet |
Annualized Base Rent(1) |
% of Portfolio Annualized Base Rent |
Annualized Base Rent per Leased Square Foot(2) |
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2021 |
| | | $ | | | $ | | ||||||||||||||||
2022 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2023 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2024 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2025 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2026 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2027 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2028 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2029 |
3 | 11,496 | 1.18 | 814,847 | 3.12 | 70.88 | ||||||||||||||||||
2030 |
| | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
2031 |
3 | 18,447 | 1.90 | 558,452 | 2.14 | 30.27 | ||||||||||||||||||
Thereafter |
18 | 943,283 | 96.92 | 24,732,926 | 94.74 | 26.22 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Total/Weighted Average |
24 | 973,226 | 100 | % | $ | 26,106,225 | 100 | % | $ | 26.82 | ||||||||||||||
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(1) | Annualized base rent is calculated by multiplying (i) rental payments (defined as cash rents without regard to rental abatements) for the month ended March 31, 2021, by (ii) 12. |
(2) | Annualized base rent per leased square foot is calculated by dividing (i) annualized base rent (without regard to rental abatements) by (ii) net rentable square feet. |
Geographical Diversification
Geographic diversification is an important component of any real estate portfolio, including ours. Exposure to different states and municipalities mitigates the risk of adverse impacts on our portfolio from economic, environmental, regulatory or demographic changes. Our properties are located in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio and Pennsylvania. These states represent different phases of cannabis market structure and development, as well as diverse regional economic drivers. Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded. The following table sets forth certain state-by-state information regarding our property portfolio as of March 31, 2021:
State |
Number of Properties |
Capital Investment(1) |
Rentable Square Feet(2) |
Percentage of Annualized Rental Revenue(3) |
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Illinois |
7 | $ | 69,498,592 | 277,184 | 31.93 | % | ||||||||||
Florida |
1 | 55,000,000 | 379,435 | 27.39 | % | |||||||||||
Pennsylvania |
5 | 40,588,236 | (4) | 184,176 | 20.35 | % | ||||||||||
Massachusetts |
5 | 28,658,584 | (5) | 96,526 | 14.01 | % | ||||||||||
California |
1 | 4,581,419 | 2,470 | 1.82 | % | |||||||||||
Connecticut |
2 | 3,699,506 | 14,053 | 1.55 | % | |||||||||||
Ohio |
1 | 3,207,605 | 7,200 | 1.33 | % | |||||||||||
North Dakota |
1 | 2,011,530 | 4,590 | 0.81 | % | |||||||||||
Arkansas |
1 | 1,964,801 | 7,592 | 0.81 | % | |||||||||||
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|
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Total |
24 | $ | 209,210,274 | 973,226 | 100.00 | % | ||||||||||
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(1) | Includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any, as of March 31, 2021. Excludes tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. See footnotes below. |
(2) | Includes estimated rentable square feet at completion of construction. |
(3) | Annualized rental revenue represents the annualized monthly base rent of executed leases as of March 31, 2021. |
(4) | Excludes $16,134,922 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(5) | Excludes $1,527,045 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
Acquisition/ Development Pipeline
At any time, we may have opportunities to invest our capital pursuant to: (a) unfunded commitments under our existing leases to provide for further improvements or expansion at the properties we own; (b) binding agreements to acquire property, and in some instances provide improvement or expansion capital; or (c) non-binding letters of intent to acquire property, and in some instances provide improvement or expansion capital. As of the date of this prospectus, we have committed to invest $18.7 million for the improvement and completion of our existing cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, as well as the development of one dispensary and one cultivation facility in Massachusetts.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have the right to purchase a parcel of land in each of Massachusetts and Arizona for an aggregate purchase price of $3.4 million, pursuant to executed purchase option agreements. If we exercise our rights to purchase these parcels of land, the purchase option agreements require us to fund up to an aggregate of $18.6 million for the construction of a cultivation facility on the site in Arizona and a dispensary on the site in Massachusetts. Furthermore, as of the date of this prospectus, we have a non-binding letter of intent to acquire a parcel of land in Arizona for $2.1 million and provide up to $16.0 million for construction of a cultivation facility on the site. Our letter of intent sets forth only general terms, which are subject to further negotiation and modification, and neither we nor the potential seller has any obligation to negotiate further or pursue a transaction pursuant to this letter of intent.
Our senior management team has also identified and is in various stages of reviewing approximately $720 million of additional potential properties for acquisition, including potential tenant improvements. This amount is estimated based on the sellers asking prices for the properties, preliminary discussions with sellers or our internal assessment of the values of such properties after taking into account the current and expected annualized lease revenue, operating history, age and condition of the property and other relevant factors. We have undertaken limited, if any, due diligence and have not entered into letters of intent or binding agreements with the sellers of any of the properties identified by our senior management team as potential acquisition targets. As a result, we do not deem any of these potential acquisition prospects probable as of the date of this prospectus. There can be no assurance that we will complete the acquisition, development or expansion of any properties in our current pipeline on the terms and timing anticipated, or at all.
Our Tenants
We target companies that have successfully navigated complex state regulation and fulfilled rigorous state-licensing requirements. We believe we have been diligent in partnering with a diverse tenant base of experienced operators in limited licensed jurisdictions that have strong management teams. Our tenants have generally demonstrated access to capital, which is critical to continuing to execute on their respective business plans.
As of March 31, 2021, all of our rental revenues were derived from six tenants. Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded. The following table sets forth the tenants in our property portfolio as of March 31, 2021. All of our leases include a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
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Tenant(1) |
Capital Investment(2) |
Number of Leases |
Percentage of Annualized Rental Revenue(3) |
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Curaleaf |
$ | 75,046,180 | 11 | 35.62 | % | |||||||
Cresco Labs |
50,677,821 | 1 | 23.68 | % | ||||||||
Columbia Care |
33,405,613 | (4) | 5 | 14.98 | % | |||||||
Trulieve |
25,365,078 | (5) | 1 | 12.95 | % | |||||||
Acreage |
20,872,122 | 3 | 10.63 | % | ||||||||
PharmaCann |
3,843,460 | (6) | 3 | 2.14 | % | |||||||
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Total |
$ | 209,210,274 | 24 | 100 | % | |||||||
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(1) | Lease is with a subsidiary of this entity, for which this entity or an affiliate is a guarantor. |
(2) | Includes acquisition costs and tenant reimbursement commitments funded, if any, as of March 31, 2021. Excludes tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. See footnotes below. |
(3) | Annualized Rental Revenue represents the annualized monthly base rent of executed leases as of March 31, 2021. |
(4) | Excludes $720,505 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(5) | Excludes $16,134,922 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
(6) | Excludes $806,540 of tenant reimbursement commitments not funded as of March 31, 2021. |
The following sets forth additional information related to our tenants as of March 31, 2021:
Curaleaf
We own ten dispensaries and one cultivation facility that are leased to subsidiaries of Curaleaf, which is, or an affiliate is, the corporate guarantor. Curaleaf is publicly-traded on the CSE and OTC markets under the symbols CURA and CURLF, respectively, and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of approximately $10.5 billion. Curaleaf is one of the largest vertically integrated multistate operators, and as of March 31, 2021 reportedly operated 23 cultivation facilities and 104 dispensaries across 23 states. Curaleafs filings, including their financial information, are electronically available at www.sec.gov and from the Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com, the Canadian equivalent of the SEC electronic document gathering and retrieval system.
Cresco Labs
We own one cultivation facility that is leased to a subsidiary of Cresco Labs, which is the corporate guarantor. Cresco Labs is publicly-traded on the CSE and the OTC markets, and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $4.6 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Cresco Labs reportedly operated 16 cultivation facilities and 24 dispensaries across nine states.
Trulieve
We own one cultivation facility that is leased to a subsidiary of Trulieve, which is the corporate guarantor. Trulieve is publicly-traded on the CSE and the OTC markets, and as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $5.6 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Trulieve reportedly operated nine cultivation and manufacturing facilities and 83 dispensaries across six states. On May 10, 2021, Trulieve announced the acquisition of Harvest Health & Recreation for $2.1 billion, subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
Columbia Care
We own five properties that are leased to subsidiaries of Columbia Care, which is the corporate guarantor. Columbia Care is publicly-traded on the NEO Exchange and the CSE as well as the OTC markets, and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $2.0 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Columbia Care reportedly operated 27 cultivation facilities and 68 dispensaries across 16 states.
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We hold a right of first offer with Columbia Care through December 22, 2022. See Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer.
Acreage
We own three properties that are leased to subsidiaries of Acreage, which is the corporate guarantor. Acreage is publicly-traded on the CSE and the OTC markets and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of approximately $546.3 million. During 2019, Acreage entered into an agreement with Canopy Growth Corporation (Canopy), allowing Canopy to acquire 100% of Acreage shares when the production and sale of cannabis becomes federally legal in the U.S. Canopy is publicly-traded on Nasdaq and the Toronto Stock Exchange and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $12.3 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Acreage reportedly operated 18 cultivation facilities and 30 dispensaries across 13 states.
We hold a right of first offer with Acreage through May 31, 2022. See Business and PropertiesRights of First Offer.
PharmaCann
We own three dispensaries leased to subsidiaries of PharmaCann, which is the corporate guarantor. PharmaCann is a large privately-held, vertically integrated multi-state operator, and as of March 31, 2021 PharmaCann reportedly owned six cultivation and processing facilities and 20 operational dispensaries across six states.
Mint
Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of a 39,600 square foot building located in Massachusetts for $1.6 million, excluding $3.0 million of tenant reimbursement commitments not yet funded. This property is leased to an affiliate of Mint, which is the corporate guarantor, along with other affiliates. Mint is a privately-held, vertically integrated multi-state operator, and as of March 31, 2021 Mint reportedly owned or operated five cultivation facilities and ten dispensaries across four states.
Additional Information with Respect to Certain of Our Properties
Florida Industrial Property.
This 379,435 square foot industrial property is the largest property in our portfolio by square footage and rental revenue. As of March 31, 2021 this property was 100% leased, with annualized base rent of $7.1 million. The building was constructed in in various stages from 2001 to 2020, and is 100% leased to a subsidiary of Curaleaf through July 31, 2035 with two five-year renewal options. Curaleaf is publicly-traded on the CSE and OTC markets and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $10.5 billion. Curaleaf is one of the largest vertically integrated multistate operators, and as of March 31, 2021 reportedly operated 23 cultivation facilities and 104 dispensaries across 23 states. This lease includes a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
Percent Leased and Revenue Per Rentable Square Foot
As of December 31, 2020, the Florida industrial property was 100% leased, with revenue per rentable square foot of $18.84.
Tax Basis and Depreciation
As of March 31, 2021, our federal tax basis in this property is estimated to be approximately $53.8 million. The life claimed for this property is 40 years. Depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis at a rate of 2.5% per year.
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Illinois Industrial Property.
This 222,455 square foot industrial property is the second largest property in our portfolio by square footage and rental revenue. As of March 31, 2021 this property was 100% leased, with annualized base rent of $6.2 million. Construction of the building was completed in 2020 and is 100% leased to a subsidiary of Cresco Labs through December 31, 2034, with two five-year renewal options. Cresco Labs is publicly-traded on the CSE and the OTC markets, and, as of March 31, 2021, had a market cap of $4.6 billion. As of March 31, 2021, Cresco Labs reportedly operated 15 cultivation facilities and 24 dispensaries across nine states. This lease includes a parent or other affiliate guarantee by what we consider a well-capitalized guarantor.
Percent Leased and Revenue Per Rentable Square Foot
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Illinois industrial property was 100% leased, with revenue per rentable square foot of $27.11 and $21.71, respectively.
Tax Basis and Depreciation
As of March 31, 2021, our federal tax basis in this property is estimated to be approximately $48.8 million. The life claimed for this property is 40 years for the building and 15 years for improvements. Depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis at a rate of 2.5% and 6.67% per year.
Rights of First Offer
Acreage
Under a First Offer Agreement dated May 9, 2019, we have a right of first offer to acquire cannabis related properties valued over $1,000,000 identified for acquisition by Acreage and to provide funding for any build-to-suit construction, expansion, or material alterations of the improvements thereon. This agreement expires May 31, 2022 and will be automatically extended for consecutive one-year terms unless we or Acreage elect to terminate the agreement by giving written notice at least 30 days prior to the expiration date.
The right of first offer generally requires Acreage to notify us in writing of the real estate acquisition opportunity. We will have five days after receipt of the notice to give written notice to Acreage that we desire to enter into negotiations with regard to the acquisition opportunity. We will then have 90 days to negotiate with the owner of the property and enter into a term sheet or letter of intent. If we are unable to reach an agreement within 90 days, Acreage will be free to negotiate an agreement with the property owner in connection with the acquisition opportunity.
Columbia Care
Pursuant to our leases with Columbia Care and its affiliates, we have been granted a right of first offer with respect to certain properties owned by Columbia Care and its affiliates. The right of first offer generally requires Columbia Care and its affiliates, prior to agreeing to sell any property they own located in the U.S., to offer, by written notice, to sell the property to us. We will have 15 days after receipt of the written offer notice to give written notice to Columbia Care as to whether we desire to purchase the property, such written notice setting forth the purchase price and terms and conditions upon which we are willing to purchase the property and (if applicable) lease the property back to Columbia Care and its affiliates. We will then have 45 days to negotiate the principal terms of the transaction. If we are able to come to an agreement on the principal terms of the transaction, we will then have 60 days to negotiate the definitive transaction documents. If we are unable to come to an agreement during either the 45- or 60-day period, then Columbia Care and its affiliates may solicit, market and/or sell the property, provided that the sale closes within 270 days after the date on which Columbia Care was able to market the property pursuant to the terms of this right of first offer. If after the expiration of such 270-day
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period the sale of the property has not closed, then our right of first offer shall be reinstated and such right of first offer shall continue until the expiration of the right of first offer on December 23, 2022.
Until December 23, 2022, we have granted our tenants that are affiliates of Columbia Care a right of first offer. Pursuant to the tenant right of first offer, we must present the tenant with written notice of our intent to sell the property at which they are a tenant. The tenants right of first offer is subject to the same terms as those described in the immediately preceding paragraph.
Property Characteristics
Cultivation and Processing Properties. Cultivation and processing properties are required to be operated by businesses that have completed a rigorous state licensing process. Because interstate commerce involving cannabis is prohibited and the number of licenses granted in a particular state is typically restricted, there are substantial barriers to entry for competing facilities. We believe owning these mission critical industrial facilities with long-term leases will generate highly attractive current yields and above market returns for industrial facilities. We expect to target cannabis cultivation and production facilities that generally are improved with state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment to facilitate optimal growing conditions, including enhanced HVAC systems for climate and humidity control, high-capacity plumbing systems, specialized lighting systems, and sophisticated building management, cultivation monitoring and security systems.
Dispensaries. We believe that dispensaries provide enhanced geographical and supply chain diversification to our portfolio. Contrary to the decline of general brick and mortar retail stores driven by the growing shift to online activity, we expect distribution of cannabis products to primarily be through licensed locations, similar to alcohol and pharmaceutical products. Dispensary locations are difficult to locate because they not only need to be in highly desirable locations, but they also need to satisfy local zoning requirements and not meet local objection. Each city and state have their own requirements and specifications for an entitlement process, but generally these conditional-use permitting processes create barriers to entry for competing locations due to sensitive use restrictions and avoidance of clustering of dispensaries. The dispensaries we intend to acquire will be those that have already been qualified and licensed for retail cannabis sales. This gives strategic defensibility to the business and the real estate. Additionally, we expect that dispensaries will be an important component of the industrys expansion as operators see education and customer interaction as key to growing the customer base and increasing transaction volume.
Our Target Markets
As of March 31, 2021, we owned properties in the following nine states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio and Pennsylvania. We focus on states and municipalities where licensed cannabis properties are in high demand and connected to the operating license. This is a critical component of our underwriting methodology due to the fact that approaches to regulation vary significantly by state and municipality. For example, as of March 31, 2021, Oregon had issued over 1,200 cultivator and nearly 300 processor licenses, while Pennsylvania had only issued 25 grower/processor licenses. We believe that states with licensing limitations and more rigorous licensing requirements present more attractive investment opportunities because the operators are likely to be better capitalized and the properties more valuable for remarketing, should the need arise. Additionally, in states that have a more relaxed regulatory environment, strict municipal laws or regulations may present similar locally attractive opportunities.
Transporting cannabis across state lines remains illegal. As a result, each state has its own supply and demand dynamics that are largely driven by how the state devised its cannabis laws and regulations. For this reason, we prioritize states that present dynamics constructive to the credit risk of the tenant. We focus on population, licensing limits, approved therapies and number of licenses, among other factors. Limited-license jurisdictions typically have more restrictions resulting in fewer licensees and creating a natural barrier to entry. This leads to a more favorable operating environment for our lessees, which we believe reduces their credit risk relative to operators in states with unlimited licenses (e.g., Oregon).
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We believe that much has been learned by cannabis industry participants and regulators over the past twenty years about creating a regulatory framework that strikes the right balance of healthy competition, economics, risk and control. We believe that many of the states creating new cannabis markets have observed the shortcomings of unlimited license structures, better understand the operating environment and are developing regulations to better manage the cannabis industry. Since each state takes a different approach to regulation, and in some instances, there are municipal laws layered on top of state laws, our analysis of each opportunity requires significant understanding of the state and local operating environment.
Our Financing Strategy
We intend to meet our long-term liquidity needs through cash flow from operations, the issuance of equity and debt securities, including common stock, preferred stock and long-term notes, and asset level financing from financial institutions. Where possible, we also may issue OP units to acquire properties from existing owners seeking a tax-deferred transaction. We expect to issue equity and debt securities at times when we believe that our stock price or cost of debt capital, respectively, is at a level that allows for the reinvestment of offering proceeds in accretive property acquisitions. We may also issue common stock to permanently finance properties that were previously financed by debt securities. However, we cannot assure you that we will have access to the capital markets at times and on terms that are acceptable to us. Our investment guidelines will initially provide that our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of our tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing, subject to our board of directors discretion.
Competition
The current market for properties that meet our investment objectives is limited. In addition, we believe finding properties that are appropriate for the specific use of allowing medical-use and adult-use cannabis operators may be limited as more competitors enter the market, and as regulated cannabis operators obtain greater access to alternative financing sources, including but not limited to equity and debt financing sources. For example according to analysis by Viridian Capital Advisors, North American cannabis companies either closed or announced more than $5.5 billion in capital in 2021 through May 31.
We face significant competition from a diverse mix of market participants, including but not limited to, other companies with similar business models, independent investors, hedge funds and other real estate investors, hard money lenders, and cannabis operators themselves, all of whom may compete with us in our efforts to acquire real estate zoned for regulated cannabis facilities. In some instances, we will be competing to acquire real estate with persons who have no interest in the cannabis industry but have identified value in a real estate location that we may be interested in acquiring. In particular, we face competition from established companies in this industry, including Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (the largest publicly-traded cannabis-focused REIT listed in the U.S.) as well as local real estate investors, particularly for smaller retail assets. Recently, we have also seen competition from emerging debt funds. We believe that most cannabis cultivation facilities typically require capital in excess of $20.0 million, which could provide some barriers for smaller potential competitors.
These competitors may prevent us from acquiring desirable properties or may cause an increase in the price we must pay for properties. Our competitors may have greater financial and operational resources than we do and may be willing to pay more for certain assets or may be willing to accept more risk than we believe can be prudently managed. In particular, larger companies may enjoy significant competitive advantages that result from, among other things, a lower cost of capital and enhanced operating efficiencies. Our competitors may also adopt transaction structures similar to ours, which would decrease our competitive advantage in offering flexible transaction terms.
In addition, due to a number of factors, including but not limited to potential greater clarity of the laws and regulations governing regulated cannabis by state and federal governments, the number of entities and the
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amount of funds competing for suitable investment properties may increase substantially, resulting in increased demand and increased prices paid for these properties. Furthermore, changes in federal regulations pertaining to cannabis could also lead to increased access to U.S. capital markets for our competitors and for regulated cannabis operators (including but not limited to access to the Nasdaq Stock Market and/or the New York Stock Exchange). We compete for the acquisition of properties primarily based on their purchase price and lease terms. If we pay higher prices for properties or offer lease terms that are less attractive for us, our profitability may decrease, and you may experience a lower return on our common stock. Increased competition for properties may also preclude us from acquiring those properties that would generate attractive returns to us.
Risk Management
We are focused on creating a diversified portfolio based on tenants, geographical concentration and license concentration (i.e., dispensary vs. cultivation). In completing rigorous asset-level and tenant due diligence, we draw upon a pool of highly experienced professionals within our management team, investment committee and third parties to underwrite, evaluate and diligence investment opportunities. We obtain third-party property condition reports, environmental reviews and other customary diligence items.
Our underwriting criteria primarily focuses on:
Tenant Character
This criterion focuses on the tenants reputation (as perceived by us) and track record of paying debts. Our evaluation goes beyond these criteria to understand the tenants ability to manage in a highly regulated and complex industry and meet a rigorous set of state licensing requirements. We will continue to target operators that have experience in the industry and have built a positive reputation.
Financial Stability and Capacity
We evaluate a tenant and financial guarantors financial stability and capacity to meet all their respective obligations, including rent, insurance and taxes by evaluating their respective balance sheet, cash flow and net income history and projections. Reviewing these financial statements and projections, inclusive of key assumptions, provides a window into a tenant and financial guarantors ability to meet all financial obligations. In instances of tenants pursuing growth strategies where profitability is delayed, we evaluate a tenants liquidity and capital resources to withstand losses and achieve cash flow necessary to fulfill its obligations.
Ongoing monitoring of tenant credit quality is an important element of our risk management activity. We review, on a quarterly basis, tenant and guarantor financial statements, when available, and perform ongoing monitoring of tenant and guarantor announcements pertaining to their business operations and financial performance. We perform certain financial analysis on tenant and guarantor financial statements, when available, to understand the tenants ability to meet financial obligations when due, as well as the revenue and cash flows derived from the properties we own. We also benchmark financial performance at the properties we own to other cannabis properties, to the extent such information is available.
Access to Capital
Capital and access to capital are critical to the success of high-growth businesses. We assess a tenants ability to withstand varying market conditions, adjust to an evolving market landscape, invest in capabilities necessary to remain competitive and fund operating losses, if applicable.
Real Estate
We seek to ensure that our facilities are considered mission-critical to our tenants, which positions us high in their cash flow priorities. We focus on states and municipalities where licensed cannabis properties are in high demand and connected to the operating license. Furthermore, we focus on potential non-cannabis alternative uses for properties we own, as well as standard real estate metrics such as the cost-basis, price per square foot and replacement cost-basis to minimize risk from shifts in industry dynamics or regulatory developments. We also focus on the ability of a facility to produce expected revenue based on cultivation capacity, harvest cycles and pricing in each unique market and then evaluate each transaction using rent as a percentage of revenue, in order to underwrite a propertys ability to generate free cash flow for the tenant.
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Other Conditions
This category encompasses industry conditions, tenant circumstances and transaction terms. We focus on segments of the legal cannabis industry that present long-term sustainable trends supporting the success of our tenant and security of our contractual cash flow. Additionally, we evaluate the tenants use for the property relative to its other activities, as well as its positioning in the marketplace. We may also negotiate the terms of our leases to provide additional protection for the company when we deem necessary.
Pursuant to our triple-net leases, tenants are responsible for the ongoing expenses of a property (including taxes and insurance), in addition to the tenants rent obligations. We monitor all lease provisions to ensure strict compliance, including any tenant improvement funds that may be distributed. Additionally, our leases typically require tenant financials to be delivered on a regular basis and documentation to demonstrate compliance with all state laws, rules and cannabis regulations. When distributing tenant improvement funds, we engage a third-party to review each reimbursement request for accuracy, completion of work and proof of payment prior to disbursement.
Investment Guidelines
We expect that our board of directors will adopt the following initial investment guidelines:
| No investment will be made that would cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT. |
| No investment will be made that would cause us to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. |
| The proceeds of this offering, any future offering by us or our operating partnership, and cash from operations and capital transactions may be invested in interest-bearing, short-term, investment-grade investments, subject to the requirements for maintaining our qualification as a REIT. |
| Our aggregate borrowings (secured and unsecured) will not exceed 50% of the cost of its tangible assets at the time of any new borrowing. |
The investment committee of our board of directors will oversee our investment portfolio and compliance with our investment guidelines and policies. These investment guidelines may be changed or waived by our investment committee or board of directors without the approval of our stockholders.
The Merger
We were incorporated on April 9, 2019 originally under the name GreenAcreage Real Estate Corp. On March 17, 2021, we consummated a merger pursuant to which we combined our company with the Target, and renamed ourselves NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. Immediately prior to the Merger, our company owned a portfolio of five properties among five states. The Target was a Maryland corporation organized in April 2019 under the name New Lake Capital Partners, Inc. that, immediately prior to the Merger, owned a portfolio of 19 properties among eight states.
Upon completion of the Merger, we owned 24 properties across nine states, and became one of the largest REITs in the cannabis industry. We consummated the Merger and combined businesses with the Target to, among other things, benefit from increasing economies of scale as we continue to grow, and as part of our evolution toward entering the public markets. In connection with the Merger, we also entered into various arrangements and agreements with certain of our significant stockholders, including director nomination rights. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsInvestor Rights Agreement for more information about these director nomination rights.
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Registration Rights
In connection with the Merger, we entered into the Registration Rights Agreement with the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders. Pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, we have agreed to, among other things, use commercially reasonable efforts to file, by the date that is 90 days following the earlier of (a) the effective date of a registration statement for an initial public offering filed with the SEC or other securities commission, and (b) the date the shares of our common stock are listed for trading on certain securities exchanges, one or more registration statements registering the issuance and resale of the common stock held by the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, we have also granted to the Registration Rights Agreement Stockholders certain separate demand and piggyback registration rights. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsRegistration Rights Agreement.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. We are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If we continue to take advantage of any of these exemptions, we do not know if some investors will find shares of our common stock less attractive as a result. The result may be a less active trading market for shares of our common stock and the price of our common stock may be more volatile.
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This means that an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of (i) the last day of the fiscal year during which our total annual revenue equals or exceeds $1.07 billion (subject to adjustment for inflation), (ii) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering, (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the Exchange Act.
Insurance
Our tenants are generally required to maintain liability and property insurance coverage for the properties they lease from us pursuant to triple-net leases. These leases generally require our tenants to name us (and any of our lenders that have a mortgage on the property leased by the tenant) as additional insureds on their liability policies and additional named insured and/or loss payee (or mortgagee, in the case of our lenders) on their property policies. We typically obtain title insurance policies when acquiring new properties, which insure fee title to our real properties. Depending on the location of the property, losses of a catastrophic nature, such as those caused by earthquakes and floods, may be covered by insurance policies that are held by our tenant with limitations such as large deductibles or co-payments that a tenant may not be able to meet. In addition, losses of a catastrophic nature, such as those caused by wind, hail, hurricanes, terrorism or acts of war, may be uninsurable or not economically insurable. In the event there is damage to our properties that is not covered by insurance and such properties are subject to recourse indebtedness, we will continue to be liable for the indebtedness, even if these properties are irreparably damaged. Should an uninsured loss arise against us, we would be required to use our own funds to resolve the issue, including litigation costs. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our Business and PropertiesLiability for uninsured losses could materially and adversely affect our business (including our financial performance and condition). In addition to being a named insured on our tenants liability policies, we separately maintain commercial general liability coverage.
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Government Regulation and Environmental and Related Matters
Federal Laws Applicable to the Medical-use and Adult-use Cannabis Industry
Cannabis (with the exception of hemp containing no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight) is illegal under U.S. federal law. In those states in which the use of cannabis has been legalized, its use remains a violation of federal law pursuant to the CSA. The CSA classifies marijuana (cannabis) as a Schedule I controlled substance, and as such, both medical-use and adult-use cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law. Moreover, on two separate occasions the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the CSA trumps state law. Although internal policies and Congressional actions have placed certain limitations on the federal governments ability to enforce federal cannabis laws against businesses legally operating under the medical marijuana laws of a given state, as discussed below, there exists the possibility that the federal government may enforce U.S. drug laws against companies operating in accordance with state cannabis laws, creating a climate of legal uncertainty regarding the production and sale of cannabis. Unless and until Congress amends the CSA with respect to cannabis (and the President approves such amendment), there is a risk that the federal law enforcement authorities responsible for enforcing the CSA, including the DOJ and the DEA, may enforce current federal law.
Under the Obama administration, the DOJ previously issued memoranda, including the so-called Cole Memo on August 29, 2013, providing internal guidance to federal prosecutors concerning enforcement of federal cannabis prohibitions under the CSA. This guidance essentially characterized use of federal law enforcement resources to prosecute those complying with state laws allowing the use, manufacture and distribution of cannabis as an inefficient use of such federal resources where states have enacted laws legalizing cannabis in some form and have also implemented strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis, conduct in compliance with those laws and regulations was not a priority for the DOJ. Instead, the Cole Memo directed U.S. Attorneys Offices discretion not to investigate or prosecute state law compliant participants in the medical cannabis industry who did not implicate certain identified federal government priorities, including preventing interstate diversion or distribution of cannabis to minors.
On January 4, 2018, then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a written memorandum rescinding the Cole Memo and the Sessions Memo. The Sessions Memo instructs federal prosecutors to enforce the laws enacted by Congress and to follow well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutors when deciding whether to pursue prosecutions related to cannabis activities. As a result, federal prosecutors could, and still can, use their prosecutorial discretion to decide to prosecute actors compliant with their state laws. The Sessions Memo states that these principles require federal prosecutors deciding which cases to prosecute to weigh all relevant considerations, including federal law enforcement priorities set by the Attorney General, the seriousness of the crime, the deterrent effect of criminal prosecution, and the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community. The Sessions Memo went on to state that given the DOJs well-established general principles, previous nationwide guidance specific to marijuana is unnecessary and is rescinded, effective immediately. Although there have not been any identified prosecutions of state law compliant cannabis entities, there can be no assurance that the federal government will not enforce federal laws relating to cannabis in the future and it remains unclear what impact the Sessions Memo will have on the regulated cannabis industry, if any.
President Bidens new Attorney General, Merrick Garland, has not provided a clear policy directive for the U.S. as it pertains to state-legal cannabis-related activities. It is not yet known whether the DOJ under President Biden and Attorney General Garland will re-adopt the Cole Memo or announce a substantive cannabis enforcement policy, and there can be no assurances that DOJ or other law enforcement authorities will not seek to vigorously enforce existing laws. During Attorney General Garlands confirmation hearings in February 2021, he noted that non-violent, low-level cannabis enforcement is not an effective use of federal law enforcement resources, and he seemed generally supportive of states rights to legalize and regulate marijuana. He stopped short of confirming that the DOJ would reissue an updated version of the Cole Memo, however.
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One legislative safeguard for the medical cannabis industry, appended to federal appropriations legislation, remains in place. Commonly referred to as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, (or the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment) this so-called rider provision has been appended to the Consolidated Appropriations Acts since 2015. Under the terms of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer rider, the federal government is prohibited from using congressionally appropriated funds to enforce federal cannabis laws against regulated medical cannabis actors operating in compliance with state and local law. On December 27, 2020, Congress passed an omnibus spending bill that again included the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, extending its application until September 30, 2021. There is no assurance that Congress will approve inclusion of a similar prohibition on DOJ spending in the appropriations bills for future years. In USA vs. McIntosh, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that this provision prohibits the DOJ from spending funds from relevant appropriations acts to prosecute individuals who engage in conduct permitted by state medical-use cannabis laws and who strictly comply with such laws. However, the Ninth Circuits opinion, which only applies in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii and Idaho, also held that persons who do not strictly comply with all state laws and regulations regarding the distribution, possession and cultivation of medical-use cannabis have engaged in conduct that is unauthorized, and in such instances the DOJ may prosecute those individuals.
Furthermore, while we target the acquisition of medical-use and adult-use cannabis facilities, our leases do not prohibit cannabis cultivation for adult-use that is permissible under the state and local laws where our facilities are located. Consequently, certain of our tenants currently (and additional tenants may in the future) cultivate, process and/or dispense adult-use cannabis as well as medical-use cannabis in our facilities, as permitted by state and local laws now or in the future, which may in turn subject the tenant, us and our properties to greater and/or different federal legal and other risks as compared to facilities where cannabis is cultivated exclusively for medical use, including not providing protection under the Congressional spending bill provision.
Federal prosecutors have significant discretion to investigate and prosecute suspected violations of federal law and no assurance can be given that the federal prosecutor in each judicial district where we purchase a property will not choose to strictly enforce the federal laws governing cannabis production, processing or distribution. Any change in the federal governments enforcement posture with respect to state-licensed cultivation of medical-use and adult-use cannabis, including the enforcement postures of individual federal prosecutors in judicial districts where we purchase properties, would result in our inability to execute our business plan, and we would likely suffer significant losses with respect to our investment in cannabis facilities in the U.S., which would adversely affect the trading price of our securities. Furthermore, following any such change in the federal governments enforcement position, we could be subject to criminal prosecution, which could impact our ability to operate and could lead to imprisonment and/or the imposition of penalties, fines, or forfeiture. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Regulation.
State Laws Applicable to the Medical-use and Adult-use Cannabis Industry
In most states that have legalized medical-use and adult-use cannabis in some form, the growing, processing and/or dispensing of cannabis generally requires that the operator obtain one or more licenses in accordance with applicable state requirements. In addition, many states regulate various aspects of the growing, processing and/or dispensing of medical-use and adult-use cannabis. State and local governments in some cases also impose rules and regulations on the manner of operating cannabis businesses. As a result, applicable state and local laws and regulations vary widely, including, but not limited to, regulations governing medical-use and/or adult-use cannabis programs (such as the type of cannabis products permitted under the program, qualifications and registration of health professionals that may recommend treatment with medical cannabis, and the types of medical conditions that qualify for medical cannabis), product testing, the level of enforcement by state and local authorities on non-licensed cannabis operators, state and local taxation of regulated cannabis products, local municipality bans on operations and operator licensing processes and renewals. As a result of these and other factors, if our tenants default under their leases, we may not be able to find new tenants that can successfully engage in the cultivation, processing or dispensing of medical-use or adult-use cannabis on the properties.
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There is no guarantee that state laws legalizing and regulating the growing, processing, sale and use of cannabis will not be repealed, amended or overturned, or that local governmental authorities will not limit the applicability of state laws within their respective jurisdictions. Unless and until Congress amends or repeals the CSA with respect to medical-use and/or adult-use cannabis and the President approves such action (and as to the timing or scope of any such potential amendment or repeal there can be no assurance), there is a risk that federal authorities may enforce current federal law. If the federal government begins to enforce federal laws relating to cannabis in states where the growing, processing, sale and use of cannabis is currently legal, or if existing applicable state laws are repealed or curtailed, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects would be materially and adversely affected.
Laws Applicable to Financial Services for Cannabis Industry
All banks are subject to federal law, whether the bank is a national bank or state-chartered bank. At a minimum, all banks maintain federal deposit insurance which requires adherence to federal law. Violation of federal law could subject a bank to loss of its charter. Financial transactions involving proceeds generated by cannabis-related conduct can form the basis for prosecution under the federal money laundering statutes, unlicensed money transmitter statutes and the Bank Secrecy Act. For example, under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks must report to the federal government any suspected illegal activity, which would include any transaction associated with a cannabis-related business. These reports must be filed even though the business is operating in compliance with applicable state and local laws. Therefore, financial institutions that conduct transactions with money generated by cannabis-related conduct could face criminal liability under the Bank Secrecy Act for, among other things, failing to identify or report financial transactions that involve the proceeds of cannabis-related violations of the CSA.
Despite these laws, the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a memorandum on February 14, 2014 (the FinCEN Memorandum) outlining the pathways for financial institutions to bank state-sanctioned cannabis businesses in compliance with federal enforcement priorities. Concurrently with the FinCEN Memorandum, the DOJ issued supplemental guidance directing federal prosecutors to consider the federal enforcement priorities enumerated in the Cole Memo with respect to federal money laundering, unlicensed money transmitter and Bank Secrecy Act offenses based on cannabis-related violations of the CSA. The FinCEN Memorandum sets forth extensive requirements for financial institutions to meet if they want to offer bank accounts to cannabis-related businesses and echoed the enforcement priorities of the Cole Memo. Under these guidelines, financial institutions must submit a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) in connection with all cannabis-related banking activities by any client of such financial institution, in accordance with federal money laundering laws. These cannabis-related SARs are divided into three categories - marijuana limited, marijuana priority, and marijuana termination - based on the financial institutions belief that the business in question follows state law, is operating outside of compliance with state law, or where the banking relationship has been terminated, respectively. FinCEN provides a lengthy (but not exhaustive) list of marijuana-related red flags in the FinCEN Memorandum that banks are obligated to be aware of and monitor for. This is a level of scrutiny that is far beyond what is expected of any normal banking relationship.
As a result, many banks are hesitant to offer any banking services to cannabis-related businesses, including opening bank accounts. While we currently maintain banking relationships, our inability to maintain those accounts or the lack of access to bank accounts or other banking services in the future, would make it difficult for us to operate our business, increase our operating costs, and pose additional operational, logistical and security challenges. Similarly, if our proposed tenants are unable to access banking services, they will not be able to enter into triple-net leasing arrangements with us, as our leases will require rent payments to be made by check or wire transfer.
The rescission of the Cole Memo has not yet affected the status of the FinCEN Memorandum, nor has the Department of the Treasury given any indication that it intends to rescind the FinCEN Memorandum itself. Although the FinCEN Memorandum remains intact, it is unclear whether the current administration will continue
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to follow, modify or retract the guidelines of the FinCEN Memorandum. The DOJ continues to have the right and power to prosecute crimes committed by banks and financial institutions, such as money laundering and violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, that occur in any state including states that have in some form legalized the sale of cannabis. Further, the conduct of the DOJs enforcement priorities could change for any number of reasons. A change in the DOJs priorities could result in the DOJs prosecuting banks and financial institutions for crimes that were not previously prosecuted.
In addition, for our tenants that are publicly-traded companies, securities clearing firms may refuse to accept deposits of securities of those tenants, which may negatively impact the trading and valuations of such tenants and have a material adverse impact on our tenants ability to finance their operations and growth through the capital markets.
The increased uncertainty surrounding financial transactions related to cannabis activities may also result in financial institutions discontinuing services to the cannabis industry. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Regulation.
Agricultural Regulation
The medical-use and adult-use cannabis properties that we own that are used primarily for cultivation and production of medical-use and adult-use cannabis are subject to the laws, ordinances and regulations of state, local and federal governments, including laws, ordinances and regulations involving land use and usage, water rights, treatment methods, disturbance, the environment, and eminent domain.
Each governmental jurisdiction has its own distinct laws, ordinances and regulations governing the use of agricultural lands and water. Many such laws, ordinances and regulations seek to regulate water usage and water runoff because water can be in limited supply, as is the case in certain locations where our properties are located. In addition, runoff from rain or from irrigation is governed by laws, ordinances and regulations from state, local and federal governments. Additionally, if any of the water used on or running off from our properties flows to any rivers, streams, ponds, the ocean or other waters, there may be specific laws, ordinances and regulations governing the amount of pollutants, including sediments, nutrients and pesticides, that such water may contain.
We believe that our existing properties have, and other properties that we acquire in the future will have, sources of water, including wells and/or surface water that provide sufficient amounts of water necessary for the current operations at each location. However, should the need arise for additional water from wells and/or surface water sources, we may be required to obtain additional permits or approvals or to make other required notices prior to developing or using such water sources. Permits for drilling water wells or withdrawing surface water may be required by federal, state and local governmental entities pursuant to laws, ordinances, regulations or other requirements, and such permits may be difficult to obtain due to drought, the limited supply of available water within the districts of the states in which our properties are located or other reasons.
In addition to the regulation of water usage and water runoff, state, local and federal governments also seek to regulate the type, quantity and method of use of chemicals and materials for growing crops, including fertilizers, pesticides and nutrient rich materials. Such regulations could include restricting or preventing the use of such chemicals and materials near residential housing or near water sources. Further, some regulations have strictly forbidden or significantly limited the use of certain chemicals and materials. Licenses, permits and approvals must be obtained from governmental authorities requiring such licenses, permits and approvals before chemicals and materials can be used at grow facilities. Reports on the usage of such chemicals and materials must be submitted pursuant to applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations and the terms of the specific licenses, permits and approvals. Failure to comply with laws, ordinances and regulations, to obtain required licenses, permits and approvals or to comply with the terms of such licenses, permits and approvals could result in fines, penalties and/or imprisonment.
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Because properties we own may be used for growing medical-use and adult-use cannabis, there may be other additional land use and zoning regulations at the state or local level that affect our properties that may not apply to other types of agricultural uses. For example, certain states in which our properties are located require stringent security systems in place at grow facilities, and require stringent procedures for disposal of waste materials.
As an owner of cultivation facilities, we may be liable or responsible for the actions or inactions of our tenants with respect to these laws, regulations and ordinances.
Environmental Matters
Our properties and the operations thereon are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, including laws relating to water, air, solid wastes and hazardous substances. Our properties and the operations thereon are also subject to federal, state and local laws, ordinances, regulations and requirements related to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, as well as comparable state statutes relating to the health and safety of our employees and others working on our properties. Although we believe that we and our tenants are in material compliance with these requirements, there can be no assurance that we will not incur significant costs, civil and criminal penalties and liabilities, including those relating to claims for damages to persons, property or the environment resulting from operations at our properties. Furthermore, many of our properties have been repurposed for regulated cannabis operations, and historically were utilized for other purposes, including heavy industrial uses, which expose us to additional risks associated with historical releases of substances at the properties.
Real Estate Industry Regulation
Generally, the ownership and operation of real properties are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations, including regulations relating to zoning, land use, water rights, wastewater, storm water runoff and lien sale rights and procedures. These laws, ordinances or regulations, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Compensation Liability Act and its state analogs, or any changes to any such laws, ordinances or regulations, could result in or increase the potential liability for environmental conditions or circumstances existing, or created by tenants or others, on our properties. Laws related to upkeep, safety and taxation requirements may result in significant unanticipated expenditures, loss of our properties or other impairments to operations, any of which would adversely affect our cash flows from operating activities.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Our properties must comply with Title III of the ADA to the extent that such properties are public accommodations as defined by the ADA. The ADA may require removal of structural barriers to access by persons with disabilities in certain public areas of our properties where such removal is readily achievable. We believe the existing properties are in substantial compliance with the ADA and that we will not be required to make substantial capital expenditures to address the requirements of the ADA. However, noncompliance with the ADA could result in imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants. Although our tenants are generally responsible for all maintenance and repairs of the property pursuant to our leases, including compliance with the ADA and other similar laws or regulations, we could be held liable as the owner of the property for a failure of one of our tenants to comply with these laws or regulations.
Legal Proceedings
We are currently not a party to any material legal proceedings. From time to time, we may in the future be a party to various claims and routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business.
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Corporate Information
NewLake Capital Partners, Inc., a Maryland corporation, was incorporated on April 9, 2019 originally under the name GreenAcreage Real Estate Corp. Our name was changed to NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. in March 2021 in connection with the Merger. Our principal executive offices are located at 27 Pine Street, Suite 50, New Canaan, CT 06840. Our telephone number is 203-594-1402. Information on, or accessible through, our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.
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Our Directors and Executive Officers
Our board of directors consists of seven members. We have entered into the Investor Rights Agreement with certain of our stockholders, pursuant to which the stockholders party thereto have certain rights with respect to the nomination of members to our board of directors. Each of Mr. Carr, Mr. Coniglio, Mr. DuGan, Ms. Johnson-Miller, Mr. Kadens, Mr. Martay and Mr. Weinstein were nominated to serve on our board of directors pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement and were elected by our stockholders at our annual meeting held on June 9, 2021. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsInvestor Rights Agreement for more information. Our directors will be elected by our stockholders at our annual meeting of stockholders to serve until the next annual meeting of our stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies. See Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and BylawsOur Board of Directors. The first annual meeting of our stockholders after this offering will be held in 2022. Officers serve at the pleasure of our board of directors, subject to the terms and conditions of any employment agreements.
The following table sets forth certain information concerning our directors, executive officers and certain other officers upon completion of this offering:
Name |
Age | Position | ||||
David Weinstein* |
54 | Chief Executive Officer, Director | ||||
Anthony Coniglio* |
52 | President and Chief Investment Officer, Director | ||||
Fredric Starker* |
70 | Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary | ||||
Gordon DuGan |
55 | Chairman of the Board of Directors | ||||
Alan Carr |
51 | Director | ||||
Joyce Johnson-Miller |
54 | Director | ||||
Peter Kadens |
43 | Director | ||||
Peter Martay |
44 | Director |
* | Denotes our named executive officers. |
The following are biographical summaries of the experience of our directors, executive officers and certain other officers.
Name |
Biographical Summary | |
David Weinstein | David Weinstein, 54, is our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors. Mr. Weinstein joined our company as Chief Executive Officer in August 2020, and as a member of our board of directors in August 2019. In addition, Mr. Weinstein serves as a member of the board of directors of Leisure Acquisition Corp., a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition corporation, and as an advisor to a partnership that is focused on the development of a 74-acre maritime port in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Prior to joining NewLake, Mr. Weinstein was a partner at Belvedere Capital, a real estate investment firm based in New York, from 2008 to 2013, and again from 2016 to 2020. Most recently, he focused on Belvederes investment in Industry City, a six million square foot redevelopment project in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Weinstein was a member of the board of directors of Forestar Group, Inc., a NYSE-listed real estate and oil and gas company. Prior to that, Mr. Weinstein served as a member of the board of directors beginning in 2008, and as President and Chief Executive Officer beginning in 2010, of MPG Office Trust, Inc., a NYSE-listed office REIT, until the sale of the company in 2013. From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Weinstein was a Managing Director of Westbridge Investment Group/Westmont Hospitality Group, a real estate investment fund focused on hospitality. Mr. Weinstein worked at |
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Name |
Biographical Summary | |
Goldman, Sachs & Co. from 1996 to 2007, first in the real estate investment banking group (focused on mergers, asset sales and corporate finance) and then in the Special Situations Group (focused on real estate debt investments). Mr. Weinstein received a B.S. in Economics, magna cum laude, with a concentration in finance, from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association. Mr. Weinstein was nominated to our board of directors by HG Vora pursuant to its director nomination right.
We believe that Mr. Weinsteins experience as chief executive officer of a public company, his real estate investment and advisory experience, as well as his experience as a board member of several public companies qualifies him to serve on, and makes him a valuable member of, our board of directors. | ||
Anthony Coniglio | Anthony Coniglio, 52, is our President, Chief Investment Officer, and a member of our board of directors. Mr. Coniglio joined our company and our board of directors upon completion of the Merger in March 2021. Mr. Coniglio previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Target since its inception in April 2019. Prior to joining the Target, Mr. Coniglio was the Chief Executive Officer of Primary Capital Mortgage Company (PCM), a residential mortgage company. Prior to PCM, he was a Managing Director at JPMorgan, leading various businesses, including a start-up platform, to leadership positions and helping grow business line profitability exponentially. During his 14 years at JPMorgan, Mr. Coniglio was named by Dealmaker Magazine as Top 40 under 40 on Wall Street and led complex transactions, such as the financial-crisis restructurings for GMAC and Chrysler Financial, as well as AmeriCredits $3.5 billion sale to General Motors. Mr. Coniglio has led numerous initial public offerings for REITs and corporations, including MasterCards $5.3 billion initial public offering. With more than 30 years of experience, Mr. Coniglio is a proven executive possessing a unique mix of skills that have allowed him to be highly successful in the context of a Fortune 100 company as well as a start-up. Mr. Coniglio is an experienced NYSE board member, serving on the Audit Committee and Special Committee of Atlas Resource Partners as an independent director. In addition, Mr. Coniglio serves on the board of St. Marys Hospital for Children, the largest post-acute care pediatric facility in the tri-state area, as chair of the IT & Cybersecurity Committee and member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Coniglio also serves as an Advisory Board Member, Speaker, Volunteer and coach. He was a recipient of United Hospital Funds 2018 Distinguished Trustee Award. Mr. Coniglio received a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the State University of New York, College at Oneonta. Mr. Coniglio was a Certified Public Accountant during his tenure at Price Waterhouse, LLP.
We believe Mr. Coniglios experience in building a portfolio of cannabis properties, growing businesses to leadership positions, and his previous experience as a director of a public company qualifies him to serve on, and makes him a valuable member of, our board of directors. | |
Fredric Starker | Fredric Starker, 70, is our Chief Financial Officer Treasurer and Secretary. Mr. Starker joined our company in March 2021. Mr. Starker previously served as our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer pursuant to an outside consulting agreement with RESIG from April 2019 until March 2021. Prior to joining NewLake, Mr. Starker joined Imowitz Koenig & Co., LLP (Imowitz), a certified public accounting firm, in 1992, becoming a Partner in 1994. Mr. Starker also served as a Principal of RESIG, a real estate consulting firm and an affiliate of Imowitz, beginning with that companys inception in 1999 until his retirement in 2016. Since |
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Name |
Biographical Summary | |
his retirement, Mr. Starker has acted as a consultant to Imowitz, RESIG and their successor, EisnerAmper LLC. Mr. Starker also served as Chief Financial Officer of New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. a Nasdaq-listed REIT, from 2010 until 2014. Prior to joining Imowitz and RESIG, Mr. Starker served as a Vice President of Integrated Resources, Inc., a publicly-traded real estate and investment company, from 1988 to 1991, and as the Chief Financial Officer of Berg Harmon Associates, a real estate investment company, from 1981 to 1988. Mr. Starker is a certified public accountant and received a B.A. from Queens College and an M.S. in Accounting from the State University of New York at Albany. | ||
Gordon DuGan | Gordon DuGan, 55, is the Chairman of our board of directors and has served as Chairman of our board of directors since April 2019. Mr. DuGan is also the Chairman of Indus Realty Trust, a Nasdaq-listed industrial REIT. Mr. DuGan is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Blackbrook Capital, an investment fund focused on industrial and net lease investments in Europe. Mr. DuGan is the former Chief Executive Officer of Gramercy Property Trust (Gramercy), a formerly NYSE-listed triple-net lease REIT, which was sold to Blackstone Equity Partners VIII, LP for $7.6 billion in October of 2018. After becoming the Chief Executive Officer of Gramercy in 2012, Mr. DuGan oversaw the growth of Gramercy from $300 million in net assets during which time Gramercy became the third best performing REIT in the U.S. Prior to his work for Gramercy, Mr. DuGan was Chief Executive Officer of W.P. Carey & Co., (WPC), a NYSE-listed triple-net lease REIT, from 2003 until 2010. During this time, WPC grew to $10 billion in assets, maintained its dividend during the financial crisis, and significantly outperformed the MSCI US REIT index. Mr. DuGan also founded the European investment business of both WPC and Gramercy during his tenure at those companies, and oversaw over $4 billion in European investments. In addition, Mr. DuGan is a former member of the Board of Governors of NAREIT. Mr. DuGan is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is the Treasurer of the Innocence Project. Mr. DuGan received a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. DuGan was nominated to our board of directors by HG Vora pursuant to its director nomination right.
We believe that Mr. DuGans experience as chief executive officer of two public companies, his experience in net lease investments, as well as his experience as a member and chairman of public company boards, qualifies him to serve on, and makes him a valuable member of, our board of directors. | |
Alan Carr | Alan Carr, 51, is a member of our board of directors, and has served as a member of our board of directors since August 2019. Beginning in 2013, Mr. Carr has served as the Co-Founder, Managing Member and Chief Executive Officer of Drivetrain LLC, Prior to co-founding Drivetrain LLC, Mr. Carr served as a Managing Director at Strategic Value Partners from 2003 to 2013, leading investments in various sectors in North America and Europe. From 1997 until 2003, Mr. Carr was a corporate attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager & Flom and before that, at Ravin, Sarasohn, Baumgarten, Fisch & Rosen. He currently serves as a director of the following public companies: Sears Holdings Corporation, Unit Corporation and Old Copper Company Inc. (f/k/a J.C. Penney Company Inc.). Mr. Carr has previously, and does currently, serve as a director on several other boards in diverse industries and throughout the world. Mr. Carr received a B.A. in Economics from Brandeis University and Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Tulane Law School. Mr. Carr was nominated to our board of directors by HG Vora pursuant to its director nomination right. |
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Name |
Biographical Summary | |
We believe that Mr. Carrs experience as a board member of several public companies qualifies him to serve on, and makes him a valuable member of, our board of directors. | ||
Joyce Johnson-Miller | Ms. Johnson-Miller, 54, is a member of our board of directors. Ms. Johnson-Miller currently serves as Chairman and Chief Investment Officer for Pacific Gate Capital, a value-oriented fund of funds that focuses on U.S. private credit investments. Prior to Pacific Gate Capital, Ms. Johnson-Millers investment experiences include senior management positions at Citibank, ING, Relativity Capital (a women and minority owned firm) and Cerberus Capital Management, a $45.0 billion investment firm where she was the 2nd employee to join the firm. While employed at Cerberus, Ms. Johnson-Miller founded JJM, LLC a $300.0 million distressed private equity fund that successfully invested in women and minority owned companies. An experienced board member for 22 companies, Ms. Johnson-Miller currently serves on the corporate boards of Kymera International, a portfolio company of Palladium Equity Partners, a $3.3 billion private equity fund and SportsTek, a public traded company that invests in sports and sports related technology companies. Ms. Johnson-Miller is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and currently serves on the boards of the Chicago Counsel for Global Affairs, the Chicago Sinfonietta and is Chairman Emeritus of the DuSable Museum. Ms. Johnson-Miller received her BS in Finance from the University of Denver. Ms. Johnson-Miller was nominated to our board of directors by HG Vora pursuant to its director nomination right.
We believe that Ms. Johnson-Millers investment experience, as well as her experience as a director of several companies, qualifies her to serve on, and makes her a valuable member of, our board of directors. | |
Peter Kadens | Mr. Kadens, 43, is a member of our board of directors and previously served as a member of the Targets board of directors beginning in August 2019. Mr. Kadens joined our board of directors upon completion of the Merger in March 2021. Mr. Kadens currently serves as Chairman of Kadens Family Holdings, a single-family office focused on impact investments. Prior to these roles, Mr. Kadens was the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Thumb Industries Inc., one of the largest publicly-traded legal cannabis operators in the U.S. Mr. Kadens also previously served as a director of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) and the Cannabis Trade Federation (CTF), and currently serves as a director of KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCMKTS: KSHB). In 2018, Mr. Kadens was named one of 20 People to Watch in the cannabis industry by Marijuana Business Daily. Prior to serving as Chief Executive Officer of Green Thumb Industries Inc., Mr. Kadens founded SoCore Energy, one of the largest commercial solar companies in the U.S. Under his leadership, SoCore Energy expanded operations into 17 states and was named one of Chicagos most innovative businesses by Chicago Innovation Awards. Mr. Kadens eventually sold SoCore Energy to Edison International, a Fortune 500 energy holding company. In addition, Mr. Kadens currently serves as the Chairman of the Kadens Family Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to closing the pervasive wealth and education gaps in the U.S. Mr. Kadens was nominated to our board of directors by NLCP Holdings, LLC pursuant to its director nomination right.
We believe that Mr. Kadens experience as a Chief Executive Officer of a publicly-traded cannabis company, as well as his experience as a public company director, qualifies him to serve on, and makes him a valuable member of, our board of directors. |
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Name |
Biographical Summary | |
Peter Martay | Mr. Martay, 44, is a member of our board of directors, and previously served as Chairman of the Targets board of directors beginning in August 2019. Mr. Martay joined our board of directors upon completion of the Merger in March 2021. In 2009, Mr. Martay joined Pangea Properties (Pangea Properties) as the companys fifth employee and currently serves as its Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure at Pangea Properties, Mr. Martay has directly overseen the acquisition of over 500 properties, totaling more than 13,000 apartments. Mr. Martay created the lending division at Pangea Properties, Pangea Mortgage Capital, which has completed over $125.0 million in short-term bridge loans on numerous property types across the country. Prior to joining Pangea Properties, Mr. Martay served as Vice President at Bernstein Global Wealth Management from 2005 to 2009. From 2002 until 2004, Mr. Martay also worked as an associate for the Chicago-based private equity firm, Glencoe Capital. Mr. Martay started his career in investment banking at Deutsche Bank, as part of the Leveraged Finance Group, and received his BBA from the University of Michigans Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Mr. Martay was nominated to our board of directors by NL Holdings pursuant to its director nomination right.
We believe that Mr. Martays real estate investment experience as well as his experience as Chief Executive Officer of Pangea Properties qualifies him to serve on, and makes him a valuable member of, our board of directors. |
Corporate Governance Profile
We have structured our corporate governance in a manner we believe closely aligns our interests with those of our stockholders. Notable features of our corporate governance structure include the following:
| our board of directors is not classified, with each of our directors subject to re-election annually; |
| of the seven persons who will serve on our board of directors immediately after the completion of this offering, we expect our board of directors to determine that five of our directors satisfy the listing standards for independence of the OTCQX and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act; |
| at least one of our directors qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined by the SEC; |
| we intend to comply with the requirements of the OTCQX listing standards, including having committees comprised solely of independent directors; |
| we have opted out of the business combination and control share acquisition statutes in the MGCL; and |
| we do not have a stockholder rights plan. |
Our directors will stay informed about our business by attending meetings of our board of directors and its committees and through supplemental reports and communications. Our independent directors will meet regularly in executive sessions without the presence of our corporate officers or non-independent directors.
Director Independence
Our board of directors will review the materiality of any relationship that each of our directors has with us, either directly or indirectly, taking into account the director nomination rights described under Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsInvestor Rights Agreement. We expect that our board of directors will determine that each of Mr. DuGan, Mr. Carr, Ms. Johnson-Miller, Mr. Kadens and Mr. Martay is independent as defined by the listing standards of the OTCQX. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
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Role of the Board in Risk Oversight
One of the key functions of our board of directors is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our board of directors administers this oversight function directly, with support from its standing committees, the audit committee, the nominating and corporate governance committee, the compensation committee and the investment committee, each of which addresses risks specific to their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our audit committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. The audit committee also monitors compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, in addition to oversight of the performance of our internal audit function. Our nominating and corporate governance committee monitors the effectiveness of our corporate governance guidelines, including whether they are successful in preventing illegal or improper liability-creating conduct. Our compensation committee assesses and monitors whether any of our compensation policies and programs has the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking. Our investment committee develops our investment objectives and corporate policies on investing.
Board Committees
Our board of directors has established four standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee, a nominating and corporate governance committee and an investment committee. The principal functions of each committee are described below. We intend to comply with the listing requirements and other rules and regulations of the OTCQX, as amended or modified from time to time, and each of these committees will be comprised exclusively of independent directors. Additionally, our board of directors may from time to time establish certain other committees to facilitate the management of our company.
Audit Committee
Our audit committee is comprised of Mr. Carr, Ms. Johnson-Miller and Mr. Martay. Ms. Johnson-Miller, the chair of our audit committee, qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as that term is defined by the applicable SEC regulations and OTCQX corporate governance requirements. Our board of directors has determined that each of the audit committee members is financially literate as that term is defined by the OTCQX corporate governance requirements. Prior to the completion of this offering, we expect to adopt an amended and restated audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including oversight related to:
| our accounting and financial reporting processes; |
| the integrity of our consolidated financial statements and financial reporting process; |
| our systems of disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; |
| our compliance with financial, legal and regulatory requirements; |
| the evaluation of the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm; |
| the performance of our internal audit function; and |
| our overall risk profile. |
The audit committee is also responsible for engaging an independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the plans and results of the audit engagement, approving professional services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, including all audit and non-audit services, reviewing the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm, considering the range of audit and non-audit fees and reviewing the adequacy of our internal accounting controls. The audit committee also will prepare the audit committee report required by SEC regulations to be included in our annual proxy statement.
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Compensation Committee
Our compensation committee is comprised of Mr. Carr, Mr. DuGan and Mr. Kadens, with Mr. Carr serving as chair. Prior to the completion of this offering, we expect to adopt an amended and restated compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
| reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officers compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officers performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation; |
| reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other officers; |
| reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
| implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
| assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
| producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and |
| reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors. |
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Our nominating and corporate governance committee is comprised of Mr. DuGan, Ms. Johnson-Miller and Mr. Kadens, with Mr. DuGan serving as chair. Prior to the completion of this offering, we expect to adopt an amended and restated nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including:
| identifying and recommending to the full board of directors qualified candidates for election as directors and recommending nominees for election as directors at the annual meeting of stockholders; |
| developing and recommending to the board of directors corporate governance guidelines and implementing and monitoring such guidelines; |
| reviewing and making recommendations on matters involving the general operation of the board of directors, including board size and composition, and committee composition and structure; |
| recommending to the board of directors nominees for each committee of the board of directors; |
| annually facilitating the assessment of the board of directors performance as a whole and of the individual directors, as required by applicable law, regulations and the OTCQX corporate governance listing standards; and |
| overseeing the board of directors evaluation of management. |
In identifying and recommending nominees for directors, the nominating and corporate governance committee may consider diversity of relevant experience, expertise and background.
Investment Committee
We have an investment committee comprised of Mr. DuGan, Mr. Martay, Mr. Coniglio and Mr. Weinstein, and may have up to six non-voting advisory members who are not members of our board. Mr. DuGan and Mr. Martay serve as co-chairs. Prior to the completion of this offering, we expect to adopt an amended and restated investment committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the investment committee, including developing our investment objectives and corporate policies on investing.
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Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Upon completion of this offering, our board of directors expects to establish a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our officers, directors and employees. Among other matters, our code of business conduct and ethics will be designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
| honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; |
| full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in our SEC reports and other public communications; |
| compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations; |
| prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to appropriate persons identified in the code; and |
| accountability for adherence to the code of business conduct and ethics. |
Any waiver of the code of business conduct and ethics for our executive officers or directors must be approved by a majority of our independent directors, and any such waiver shall be promptly disclosed as required by law or OTCQX requirements.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers and Limitation of Liability
For information concerning indemnification applicable to our directors and officers, see Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws.
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Overview
This section provides a discussion of the compensation paid or awarded to our Chief Executive Officer and our other most highly compensated executive officer as of December 31, 2020. Prior to the closing of the Internalization on July 15, 2020, we were externally managed and did not have any employees and therefore did not pay any compensation to our officers (as such compensation was paid by our former Manager). We refer to these individuals as our named executive officers. As noted above, we are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company under the federal securities laws and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain reduced disclosure requirements, including in the area of executive compensation.
Compensation of Named Executive Officers
Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Year 2020
The following table sets forth the compensation paid in fiscal year 2020 to our named executive officers.
Name and Principal Position |
Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards |
Option Awards |
All Other Compensation |
Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
David Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer |
2020 | $ | 154,167 | (1) | $ | 235,000 | $ | 1,688,341 | (2) | $ | | $ | 124,069 | (3) | $ | 2,201,577 | ||||||||||||
Wilson Pringle, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary(4) |
2020 | $ | 250,000 | $ | | $ | | $ | 429,323 | (5) | $ | | $ | 679,323 |
(1) | Mr. Weinstein was appointed Chief Executive Officer on August 1, 2020, with an annual base salary of $370,000. Mr. Weinsteins 2020 base salary was pro-rated based on his start date. |
(2) | Represents the aggregate grant date fair value of 79,827 restricted stock units granted to Mr. Weinstein during 2020 in connection with his service as our Chief Executive Officer. The grant date fair value of the restricted stock units was determined based on the most recently issued stock price at the time of issuance. The aggregate grant date fair value of the restricted stock units was determined in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (FASB ASC 718). Pursuant to SEC rules, the amounts shown exclude the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. |
(3) | Includes (i) $66,750 paid to Mr. Weinstein for his service on our board of directors prior to becoming our Chief Executive Officer. (ii) 1,500 restricted stock units with a grant date fair value of $30,000 awarded to Mr. Weinstein for his service on our board of directors, and (iii) $27,319 paid to Mr. Weinstein for dividend equivalent rights earned on his outstanding restricted stock units The aggregate grant date fair value of the restricted stock units was determined in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (FASB ASC 718). Pursuant to SEC rules, the amounts shown exclude the impact of estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. |
(4) | Mr. Pringle separated from service as our Chief Operating Officer and Secretary on May 31, 2021. |
(5) | Represents the option to purchase 87,976 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Pringle in connection with the Internalization. The fair value of the option award was $429,323, estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model. |
Narrative to Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Year 2020
Discretionary Annual Cash Bonus
Mr. Weinstein received a discretionary cash bonus with respect to 2020 as determined by the compensation committee, based on a qualitative assessment of his individual performance and leadership.
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Stock and Option Awards
Mr. Weinstein received an award of 82,327 restricted stock units in 2020. 66,500 of the restricted stock units were granted to Mr. Weinstein in connection with his appointment as Chief Executive Officer. As of March 31, 2021, 29,554 of these restricted stock units have vested. 2,500 of the restricted stock units were granted to Mr. Weinstein in connection with his service on our board of directors and vest upon either the effective date of the registration statement for our initial public offering or 1,000, 1,000 and 500 restricted stock units vest on each of August 12, 2021, August 12, 2022 and August 12, 2023, respectively. 36,946 of the restricted stock units vest upon either the effective date of the registration statement for our initial public offering or 1,319 restricted stock units on the last day of each month through July 2023. In addition, 13,327 of the restricted stock units were granted upon the successful completion of capital raises. These units were vested at the time of grant.
As of the date of this prospectus, our executive officers are as follows:
| David Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer; |
| Anthony Coniglio, President and Chief Investment Officer; and |
| Fredric Starker, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary. |
In connection with the completion of the Merger, Mr. Weinstein and Mr. Coniglio entered into employment agreements with us to serve in their respective positions. Additionally, Mr. Starker entered into an employment agreement with us to serve as our Chief Financial Officer in March 2021. As detailed below, the e