Stem Holdings, Inc. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

[X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020

Or

[  ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ___________ to ___________

Commission file number: 000-55751

STEM HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

2201 NW Corporate Blvd., Suite 205

Boca Raton, FL 33431

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone Number: (561) 948-5410

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. [  ] Yes [X] No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. [X] Yes [  ] No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. [  ] Yes [X] No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “non-accelerated filer”, and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). [  ] Yes [X] No

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. $15,273,142 at $0.36 per share.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 70,534,167 shares of common stock par value $0.001 as of December 23, 2020.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: NONE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

This Form 10-K contains some forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, (a) our projected sales, profitability, and cash flows, (b) our growth strategies, (c) anticipated trends in our industries, (d) our future financing plans and (e) our anticipated needs for working capital. They are generally identifiable by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plans,” “potential,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “management believes,” “we believe,” “we intend” or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These statements may be found under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business,” as well as in this Form 10-K generally. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions, prospective products or product approvals, future performance or results of current and anticipated products, sales efforts, expenses, the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings, and financial results.

Any or all of our forward-looking statements in this report may turn out to be inaccurate. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks or uncertainties. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Actual future results may vary materially as a result of various factors, including, without limitation, the risks outlined under “Risk Factors” and matters described in this Form 10-K generally. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained in this filing will in fact occur. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except to the extent required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

ITEM 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS.

Corporate Structure

Stem Holdings, Inc. was organized on June 7, 2016 as a Nevada corporation under Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes. The Company’s principal office is located at 2201 NW Corporate Blvd, Suite 205, Boca Raton, FL 33431. The Company has six wholly-owned subsidiaries, Stem Group Oklahoma, Inc., Opco LLC, Stem Holdings, Florida, Inc., Stem Holdings Oregon, Inc. and Stem Holdings, IP Inc. and Stem Agri, LLC.

Overview of the Business

Stem is a multi-state, vertically integrated, cannabis company that, through its subsidiaries and its investments, is engaged in the manufacture, possession, use, sale, distribution or branding of cannabis and/or holds licenses in the adult use and/or medical cannabis marketplace in the states of Oregon, Nevada, California, Oklahoma and Massachusetts. Stem has ownership interests in 22 state issued cannabis and industrial hemp licenses, including ten licenses for cannabis cultivation, four licenses for cannabis processing (including two hemp authorizations), one license for cannabis wholesale distribution, one license for hemp production and processing, five cannabis dispensary licenses, one license that permits both dispensary and cultivation activities.

The Company is also currently working towards acquiring additional entities and assisting certain joint ventures with obtaining licenses and permits for cannabis production, distribution and sale in additional US states and foreign countries. Should it be successful in these endeavors, the Company will transform into a multi-state and worldwide, vertically integrated, cannabis company that purchases, improves, leases, operates and invests in properties for use in the production, distribution and sales of cannabis and cannabis-infused products licensed under the laws of the states of Oregon, Nevada, California and Oklahoma.

Stem’s partner consumer brands are award-winning, nationally known and include: cultivators, TJ’s Gardens, Travis X James, and Yerba Buena; retail brands, Stem and TJ’s; infused product manufacturers, Cannavore and Supernatural Honey; and a CBD company, Dose-ology. As of September 30, 2020, the Company has acquired six commercial properties and leased a seventh property, located in Oregon and Nevada, and has entered into leases to related entities for these properties. As of September 30, 2020, the buildout of these properties to support cannabis related operations was either complete or near completion.

The Company has ten wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Stem Holdings Oregon, Inc., Stem Holdings IP, Inc., Opco, LLC, Stem Agri, LLC., Stem Group Oklahoma, Inc., Opco LLC., Stem Holdings Florida, Inc., Consolidated Ventures of Oregon, Inc., Opco Holdings, Inc., and Stem Holdings Florida, Inc. Stem, through its subsidiaries, is currently in the process of finalizing the investment in and acquisition of entities that engage directly in the production and sale of cannabis, thereby transitioning from a real estate company, with a focus on cannabis industry tenants, to a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operating company.

The Company’s stock is publicly traded and is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol “STEM” and the OTCQX exchange under the symbol “STMH”.

Recent Developments

COVID-19

In December 2019, an outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to a number of other countries, including the United States. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. In addition, as of the time of the Document, several states in the United States have declared states of emergency, and several countries around the world, including the United States, have taken steps to restrict travel. The existence of a worldwide pandemic, the fear associated with COVID-19, or any, pandemic, and the reactions of governments in response to COVID-19, or any, pandemic, to regulate the flow of labor and products and impede the travel of personnel, may impact the Company’s ability to conduct normal business operations, which could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and liquidity. Disruptions to the Company’s supply chain and business operations, disruptions to the Company’s retail operations and its ability to collect rent from the properties which it owns, personnel absences, or restrictions on the shipment of the Company’s products or the Company’s suppliers’ or customers’ products, any of which could have adverse ripple effects throughout the Company’s business. If the Company needs to close any of its facilities or a critical number of its employees become too ill to work, the Company’s production ability could be materially adversely affected in a rapid manner. Similarly, if the Company’s customers experience adverse consequences due to COVID-19, or any other, pandemic, demand for the Company’s products could also be materially adversely affected in a rapid manner. Global health concerns, such as COVID-19, could also result in social, economic, and labor instability in the markets in which the Company operates. Any of these uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Industrial Hemp

Industrial hemp is now legal in the U.S., which advocates hope could eventually loosen laws around the popular marijuana extract CBD.

The 2018 farm bill which legalized hemp including a variety of cannabis that does not produce the psychoactive component of marijuana, paved the way to legitimacy for an agricultural sector that has been operating on the fringe of the law. Industrial hemp has made investors and executives swoon because of the potential multibillion-dollar market for cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-psychoactive compound that has started to turn up in beverages, health products and pet snacks, among other products.

Currently, it appears that CBD will remain largely off-limits for ingestible products. The Food and Drug Administration issued a statement saying that despite the new status of hemp, CBD is still considered a drug ingredient and remains illegal to add to food or health products without the agency’s approval, disappointing many hemp advocates, who said they will continue to work to convince the FDA to loosen its CBD rules. The FDA said some hemp ingredients, such as hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein and hemp seed oil, are safe in food and won’t require additional approvals.

The farm bill places industrial hemp, which is defined as a cannabis plant with under 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, under the supervision of the Agriculture Department and removes CBD from the purview of the Controlled Substances Act, which covers marijuana. The law also “explicitly” preserved the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate products containing cannabis, or cannabis-derived compounds.

Regulation of Cannabis in the United States Federally

Under U.S. federal law, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug. The CSA has five different tiers or schedules. A Schedule I drug means the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) considers it to have a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical treatment, and lack of accepted safety for the use of it even under medical supervision. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD and ecstasy. In June 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, a purified form of CBD derived from the cannabis plant and used to treat two rare, intractable forms of epilepsy. The Company believes cannabis’s categorization as a Schedule I drug is thus not reflective of the medicinal properties of cannabis or the public perception thereof, and numerous studies show cannabis is not able to be abused in the same way as other Schedule I drugs, has medicinal properties, and can be safely administered. In this respect, 33 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have passed laws authorizing comprehensive, publicly available medical cannabis programs, and 15 of those states and the District of Columbia have passed laws legalizing cannabis for adult use (and several other states are actively considering such laws).

In an effort to address incongruities between cannabis prohibition under the CSA and legalization under various state laws, the federal government issued guidance to law enforcement agencies and financial institutions during the Obama Administration through DOJ memorandum. The most recent such memorandum is the Cole Memo. The Cole Memo provided guidance to federal enforcement agencies as to how they should prioritize civil enforcement, criminal investigations and prosecutions regarding cannabis in all states. The Cole Memo shielded individuals and businesses participating in state-legal cannabis operations from prosecution under federal drugs laws, excepting cannabis related conduct that fell into one of the following enumerated prosecution priorities:

On January 4, 2018, then U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum (the “Sessions Memorandum”), which rescinded the Cole Memo. Rather than provide nationwide guidance respecting cannabis-related crimes in jurisdictions where certain cannabis activity was legal under state law, the Sessions Memorandum instructs that “[i]n deciding which cannabis activities to prosecute... with the DOJ’s finite resources, prosecutors should follow the well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions.” Namely, these include the seriousness of the offense, history of criminal activity, deterrent effect of prosecution, the interests of victims, and other principles. Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned in November 2018 and was replaced by Matthew Whitaker as interim Attorney General. In February 2019, William Barr was sworn in as Attorney General. It is unclear what position Attorney General Barr will take with respect to enforcing federal drugs laws in jurisdictions with state-legal cannabis operations. However, in a written response to questions from U.S. Senator Cory Booker in connection with his confirmation, Attorney General Barr stated, “I do not intend to go after parties who have complied with state law in reliance on the Cole Memo.”

Despite rescission of the Cole Memo, the Company remains mindful of the common-sense prosecution priorities set forth therein and has not modified policies or procedures intended to support its underlying safety-focused intent. To this end, the Company and its operating subsidiaries adhere to industry best practices for operations, mandate strict compliance with applicable state and local laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, guidance and like authority, implement procedures designed to ensure operations do not exceed what is authorized under applicable licenses, perform stringent diligence on third-parties with whom it does business, performs background checks on employees, and maintains state-of-the-art inventory tracking and other security infrastructure. Regular reviews of the foregoing and related operations, premises, documentation and the like are performed to ensure compliance with the Company’s safety, security and compliance standards.

Although the Cole Memo has been rescinded, one legislative safeguard for the medical cannabis industry remains in place: Congress has passed a so-called “rider” provision in the FY 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Acts to prevent the federal government from using congressionally appropriated funds to enforce federal cannabis laws against state regulated medical cannabis actors operating in compliance with state and local law (the “Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment”). In signing the 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act, President Trump issued a signing statement noting that the Consolidated Appropriations Act “provides that the DOJ may not use any funds to prevent implementation of medical marijuana laws by various states and territories,” and further stating “[he] will treat this provision consistent with the President’s constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.” While the signing statement can fairly be read to mean that the executive branch intends to enforce the CSA and other federal laws prohibiting the sale and possession of medical cannabis, President Trump did issue a similar signing statement in 2017 and no major federal enforcement actions followed. On September 27, 2019 the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment was temporarily renewed through a stopgap spending bill and was similarly renewed again on November 21, 2019. The FY 2020 omnibus spending bill was ultimately passed on December 20, 2019, making the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment effective through September 30, 2020. In signing the spending bill, President Trump again released a statement similar to the ones he made May 2017 and February 2019 regarding the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment. On October 1, 2020, the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment was temporarily renewed through the signing of a stopgap spending bill, effective through December 11, 2020; however, it is uncertain whether Congress will extend the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment beyond December 11, 2020. Notably, the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment has applied only to medical cannabis programs and has not provided the same protections to enforcement against adult-use cannabis activities.

There is a growing consensus among cannabis businesses and numerous congressmen and congresswomen that guidance is not law and temporary legislative riders, such as the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, are an inappropriate way to protect lawful medical cannabis businesses. Given current political trends, the Company considers recent efforts at comprehensive reform unlikely in the near-term. For the time being, cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance at the federal level, and neither the Cole Memo nor its rescission nor the continued passage of the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment has altered that fact. The federal government of the United States has always reserved the right to enforce federal law regarding the sale and disbursement of medical or adult-use cannabis, even if state law sanctions such sale and disbursement. If the United States federal government begins to enforce United States federal laws relating to cannabis in states where the sale and use of cannabis is currently legal, or if existing applicable state laws are repealed or curtailed, the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects could be materially adversely affected.

Due to the CSA categorization of cannabis as a Schedule I drug, U.S. federal law makes it illegal for financial institutions that depend on the Federal Reserve’s money transfer system to take any proceeds from cannabis sales as deposits. Banks and other financial institutions could be prosecuted and possibly convicted of money laundering for providing services to cannabis businesses under the Bank Secrecy Act. Under U.S. federal law, banks or other financial institutions that provide a cannabis business with a checking account, debit or credit card, small business loan, or any other service could be found guilty of money laundering or conspiracy.

While there has been no change in U.S. federal banking laws to account for the trend towards legalizing medical and adult use cannabis by U.S. states, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department has issued guidance in 2014 to prosecutors handling money laundering and other financial crimes advising them not to focus enforcement efforts on banks and other financial institutions servicing cannabis-related businesses so long as such businesses are legally operating under state law and not engaging in conduct within the scope of a Cole Memo prosecution priority (such as keeping cannabis away from minors and out of the hands of organized crime). The 2014 FinCEN guidance also clarifies how financial institutions can provide services to cannabis-related businesses consistent with their Bank Secrecy Act obligations, including thorough customer due diligence, but makes it clear that they are doing so at their own risk. The customer due diligence steps include:

With respect to information regarding state licensure obtained in connection with such customer due diligence, the 2014 FinCEN guidance allows financial institutions to reasonably rely on the accuracy of information provided by state licensing authorities where states make such information available.

Unlike the Cole Memo, 2014 FinCEN guidance remains effective as of the date of this AIF, and Secretary Mnuchin has publicly voiced his intent to leave such guidance in force and effect. Despite FinCEN’s guidance, most banks and other financial institutions are still unwilling to provide banking or other financial services to cannabis businesses resulting in largely cash-based operations. While the FinCEN guidance decreased some risk for banks and financial institutions that accept cannabis business, it has not increased the industry’s access to banking services because financial institutions are required to perform extensive, continuous customer diligence respecting cannabis customers and are not immune from prosecution based transacting business with such customers. In fact, some banks that had been servicing cannabis businesses have been closing the cannabis businesses’ accounts and are now refusing to open accounts for new cannabis businesses due to cost, risk, or both.

Though there is no guarantee the Trump Administration or a future administrations will not change relevant federal policy, as a practical matter, the legal cannabis industry has not seen a material change in federal enforcement activities since rescission of the Cole Memo. However, it is possible existing appropriation rider protection and existing prosecutorial discretion not to enforce federal drugs laws against state-legal cannabis business could change at any time.

Finally, revenue from the Company cannabis operations is subject to Section 280E of the Code. Section 280E of the Code prohibits cannabis businesses from deducting ordinary and necessary business expenses, resulting in a materially higher effective federal income tax rate than businesses in other industries Therefore, businesses in the legal cannabis industry may be less profitable than they would otherwise be in a different industry.

On December 20, 2018, the Farm Bill became law in the United States. Under the Farm Bill, industrial and commercial hemp is no longer to be classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. Hemp includes the plant cannabis sativa L and any part of that plant, including seeds, derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids and isomers. To qualify under the Farm Bill, hemp must contain no more than 0.3% of delta-9-THC. The Farm Bill explicitly allows interstate commerce of hemp which will enable the transportation and shipment of hemp across state lines, thus, the Farm Bill fundamentally changed how hemp and hemp-derived products (such as those containing CBD extracted from hemp) are regulated in the U.S.

The risk of federal enforcement and other risks associated with the Company’s business are described under “Risk Factors” in this Document.

Regulation of the Cannabis Market at State and Local Levels

The following chart sets out, for each of the subsidiaries and other entities through which the Company conducts is operations, the U.S. state(s) in which it operates, the nature of its operations (adult-use/medicinal), whether such activities carried on are direct, indirect or ancillary in nature (as such terms are defined in Staff Notice 51-352), the number of sales, cultivation and other licenses held by such entity and whether such entity has any operational cultivation or processing facilities.

Notes:

Following the completion of the Merger, the Company will also hold three non-storefront retail licenses and two seller’s permits in the State of California.

California

History

In 1996, California voters passed a medical cannabis law allowing physicians to recommend cannabis for an inclusive set of qualifying conditions including chronic pain and providing immunity/defense to criminal proceedings. The law was amended in 2003 to expand the criminal defense to groups of patients/caregivers, but there was no state licensing authority to oversee the businesses that emerged as a result of the system. In September 2015, the California legislature passed three bills, collectively known as the “Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act” (“MMRSA” later referred to as MCRSA after an amendment changed the word “Marijuana” to “Cannabis”). In 2016, California voters passed the “Adult Use of Marijuana Act” (“AUMA”), which legalized adult-use cannabis for adults 21 years of age and older and created a licensing system for commercial cannabis business. On June 27, 2017, Governor Brown signed SB-94 into law. SB-94 combines California’s medicinal and adult-use regulatory framework into one licensing structure under the Medicinal and Adult-Use of Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (“MAUCRSA”).

Regulatory Summary

Pursuant to MAUCRSA: (i) the California Department of Food and Agriculture, via CalCannabis, issues licenses to cannabis cultivators, (ii) the California Department of Public Health, via the Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch (the “MCSB”) issues licenses to cannabis manufacturers and (iii) the California Department of Consumer Affairs, via the Bureau of Cannabis Control (the “BCC”), issues licenses to cannabis distributors, testing laboratories, retailers, and micro-businesses. These agencies also oversee the various aspects of implementing and maintaining California’s cannabis landscape, including the statewide track and trace system. All three agencies released their emergency rulemakings at the end of 2017 and have begun issuing licenses.

In July, 2017, the State of California established the MCSB to develop statewide standards, regulations, and licensing procedures in relation to cannabis, and is addressing policy issues in support of cannabis manufacturers. MCSB is responsible for issuing licenses to manufacturers of cannabis products.

To operate legally under state law, cannabis operators must obtain the requisite state licensure and local approval. Local authorization is a prerequisite to obtaining state licensure, and local governments are permitted to prohibit or otherwise regulate the types and number of cannabis businesses allowed in their locality. The state license approval process is not competitive and there is no limit on the number of state licenses an entity may hold. Although vertical integration across multiple license types is allowed under the MAUCRSA, testing laboratory licensees may not hold any other licenses aside from a laboratory license. However, a licensee is not prohibited from performing testing on the licensee’s premises for the purposes of quality assurance of a cannabis product in conjunction with reasonable business operations (testing conducted on a licensee’s premises by the licensee does not meet the testing requirements required under the MAUCRSA). There are also no residency requirements for ownership under MAUCRSA.

California License Types

Once an operator obtains local approval, the operator must obtain state licenses before conducting any commercial cannabis activity. There are 12 different license types that cover all commercial activity. License types 1-3 and 5 authorize the cultivation of medical and/or adult use cannabis plants. Type 4 licenses are for nurseries that cultivate and sell clones and “teens” (immature cannabis plants that have established roots but require further vegetation prior to being sent into the flowering period). Type 6 and 7 licenses authorize manufacturers to process cannabis biomass into certain value-added products such as shatter or cannabis distillate oil with the use of volatile or non-volatile solvents, depending on the license type. Type 8 licenses are held by testing facilities who test samples of cannabis products and generate “certificates of analysis,” which include important information regarding the potency of products and whether products have passed or failed certain threshold tests for pesticide and microbiological contamination. Type 9 licenses are issued to “non-storefront” retailers, commonly called delivery services, who bring cannabis products directly to customers and patients at their residences or other chosen deliver location. Type 10 licenses are known as “Transport-Only” distribution licenses, and they allow the distributor to transport cannabis and cannabis products between licensees, but not to retailers. Type 12 licenses are issued to distributors who move cannabis and cannabis products to all license types, including retailers.

Company Licenses

On March 29, 2019, the Company executed a definitive agreement to acquire Western Coast Ventures, Inc. (“WCV”), an arm’s length private corporation incorporated under the laws of Nevada. Other than approximately $2,000,000 in cash, WCV’s sole asset was a 51% ownership interest in ILCA. ILCA was issued a limited conditional use permit for a cannabis production facility by the City of San Diego. Upon issuance of the final cannabis production facility permit and the completed construction of the facility, the ILCA will: (i) operate an advanced cannabis facility to grow and cultivate cannabis; (ii) manufacture cannabis-derived products; and (iii) distribute cannabis and cannabis-derived products state-wide throughout California.

On March 6, 2020, the Company closed the acquisition of Seven Leaf Ventures Corp. (“7LV”), an arm’s length private corporation incorporated under the laws of Alberta, and its subsidiaries, pursuant to the terms of a share purchase agreement dated March 6, 2020. A subsidiary of 7LV, 7LV USA, owns Foothills Health and Wellness, a medical dispensary, in the greater Sacramento, California area.

The table below lists the licences directly and indirectly held by the Company in the State of California:

Note:

Following the completion of the Merger, the Company will hold the following licenses:

Notes:

California Agencies Regulating the Commercial Cannabis Industry

There are three agencies tasked with regulating the cannabis industry in California. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA”) oversees nurseries and cultivators; the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) oversees manufacturers, and the newly created Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) oversees distributors, retailers, delivery services and testing laboratories. Operators must apply to one or more of the agencies for their licenses, and each agency has released regulations specific to the operation of the types of businesses they oversee. The BCC has a number of regulations that apply to all licensees, but the CDFA and CDPH regulations only apply to the licensees in their charge.

California Transportation

Transporting cannabis goods between licensees and a licensed facility may only be performed by persons holding a distributor license. The vehicle or trailer used must not contain any markings or features on the exterior which may indicate or identify the contents or purpose. All cannabis products must be locked in a box, container, or cage that is secured to the inside of the vehicle or trailer. When left unattended, vehicles must be locked and secured. At a minimum, the vehicle must be equipped with an alarm system, motion detectors, pressure switches, duress, panic, and hold-up alarms.

California Inventory/Storage

Each licensee is required to assign an account manager to oversee the track and trace system. The account manager is fully trained on the system and is accountable to record all commercial cannabis activities accurately and completely. The licensee is expected to correct any data that is entered into the track and trace system in error within three business days of discovery of the error. The licensee is required to report information in the track and trace system for each transfer of cannabis or non-manufactured cannabis products to, or cannabis or non-manufactured cannabis products received from, other licensed operators. Licensees must use the track and trace system for all inventory tracking activities at a licensed premise, including, but not limited to, reconciling all on-premise and in-transit cannabis or non-manufactured cannabis product inventories at least once every 14 business days. The licensee must store cannabis and cannabis products in a secure place with locked doors.

California Record-keeping/Reporting

The cultivation, processing, and movement of cannabis within the state is tracked by the METRC system, into which all licensees are required to input their track and trace data (either manually or using another software that automatically uploads to METRC). Immature plants are assigned a Unique Identifier number (UID), and this number follows the flowers and biomass resulting from that plant through the supply chain, all the way to the consumer. Each licensee in the supply chain is required to meticulously log any processing, packaging, and sales associated with that UID.

Retail Compliance in California

California requires that certain warnings, images and content information be printed on all cannabis packaging. BCC regulations also include certain requirements about tamper-evident and child-resistant packaging. Distributors and retailers are responsible for confirming that products are properly labeled and packaged before they are sold to a customer.

Consumers aged 21 and up may purchase cannabis in California from a dispensary with an “adult-use” license. Some localities still only allow medicinal dispensaries. Consumers aged 18 and up with a valid physician’s recommendation may purchase cannabis from a medicinal-only dispensary or an adult-use dispensary. Consumers without valid physician’s recommendations may not purchase cannabis from a medicinal-only dispensary. All cannabis businesses are prohibited from hiring employees under the age of 21.

California Security

Each local government in California has its own security requirements for cannabis businesses, which usually include comprehensive video surveillance, intrusion detection and alarms and limited-access areas where only employees and other authorized individuals may enter. All licensee employees must wear employee badges. The limited-access areas must be locked with “commercial-grade, non-residential door locks on all points of entry and exit to the licensed premises.”

Each licensed premises must have a digital video surveillance system that can “effectively and clearly” record images of the area under surveillance. Cameras must be “in a location that allows the camera to clearly record activity occurring within 20 feet of all points of entry and exit on the licensed premises.” The regulations list specific areas which must be under surveillance, including places where cannabis goods are weighed, packed, stored loaded and unloaded, security rooms and entrances and exits to the premises. Retailers must record point of sale areas on the video surveillance system.

Licensed retailers must hire security personnel to provide on-site security services for the licensed retails premises during hours of operation. All security personnel must be licensed by the Bureau of Security and Investigate Services.

California Inspections

All licensees are subject to annual and random inspections of their premises. Cultivators may be inspected by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Manufacturers are subject to inspection by the California Department of Public Health, and Retailers, Distributors, Testing Laboratories, and Delivery services are subject to inspection by the Bureau of Cannabis Control. Inspections can result in notices to correct, or notices of violation, fines, or other disciplinary action by the inspecting agency.

Cannabis taxes in California

Several taxes are imposed at the point of sale and are required to be collected by the retailer. The State imposes an excise tax of 15%, and a sales and use tax is assessed on top of that. Cities and Counties apply their sales tax along with the State’s sales and use tax, and many cities and counties have also authorized the imposition of special cannabis business taxes which can range from 2% to 10% of gross receipts of the business.

U.S. Attorney Statements in California

To the knowledge of management of Stem, other than as disclosed in this Document, there have not been any statements or guidance made by federal authorities or prosecutors regarding the risk of enforcement action in California. See “Risk Factors”.

Massachusetts

History

The Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program (the “MA Program”) was formed pursuant to the Act for the Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana (the “MA ACT”). The MA Program allows registered persons to purchase medical cannabis and applies to any patient, personal caregiver, Registered Marijuana Dispensary (each, a “RMD”), and RMD agent that qualifies and registers under the MA Program. To qualify, patients must suffer from a debilitating condition as defined by the MA Program. Currently there are eight conditions that allow a patient to acquire cannabis in Massachusetts, including AIDS/HIV, ALS, cancer and Crohn’s disease. The MA Program is administrated by the Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality. In November 2016, Massachusetts voted affirmatively on a ballot petition to legalize and regulate cannabis for adult-use. The Massachusetts legislature amended the law on December 28, 2016, delaying the date adult-use cannabis sales would begin by six months. The delay allowed the legislature to clarify how municipal land-use regulations would treat the cultivation of cannabis and authorized a study of related issues. After further debate, the state House of Representatives and state Senate approved H.3818 which became Chapter 55 of the Acts of 2017, An Act to Ensure Safe Access to Marijuana, and established the Cannabis Control Commission (the “MA CCC”). The MA CCC consists of five commissioners and regulates the Massachusetts Recreational Marijuana Program. Adult-use of cannabis in Massachusetts started in July 2018.

Regulatory Summary (Medical)

Under the MA Program, RMDs are heavily regulated. Vertically integrated RMDs grow, process, and dispense their own cannabis. As such, each RMD is required to have a retail facility as well as cultivation and processing operations, although retail operations may be separate from grow and cultivation operations. A RMD’s cultivation location may be in a different municipality or county than its retail facility. RMD’s are required to be Massachusetts non-profit corporations.

The MA Program mandates a comprehensive application process for RMDs. Each RMD applicant must submit a Certificate of Good Standing, comprehensive financial statements, a character competency assessment, and employment and education histories of the senior partners and individuals responsible for the day-to-day security and operation of the RMD. Municipalities may individually determine what local permits or licenses are required if an RMD wishes to establish an operation within its boundaries.

Each Massachusetts dispensary, grower and processor license is valid for one year and must be renewed no later than 60 calendar days prior to expiration. As in other states where cannabis is legal, the MA CCC can deny or revoke licenses and renewals for multiple reasons, including (a) submission of materially inaccurate, incomplete, or fraudulent information, (b) failure to comply with any applicable law or regulation, including laws relating to taxes, child support, workers compensation and insurance coverage, (c) failure to submit or implement a plan of correction (d) attempting to assign registration to another entity, (e) insufficient financial resources, (f) committing, permitting, aiding, or abetting of any illegal practices in the operation of the RMD, (g) failure to cooperate or give information to relevant law enforcement related to any matter arising out of conduct at an RMD, and (h) lack of responsible RMD operations, as evidenced by negligence, disorderly or unsanitary facilities or permitting a person to use a registration card belonging to another person. Additionally, license holders must ensure that no cannabis is sold, delivered, or distributed by a producer from or to a location outside of this state.

Regulatory Summary (Adult-Use)

Many of the same application requirements exist for a marijuana establishment license as a RMD application, and each owner, officer or member must undergo background checks and fingerprinting with the CCC. Applicants must submit the location and identification of each site, and must establish a property interest in the same, and the applicant and the local municipality must have entered into a host agreement authorizing the location of the adult-use marijuana establishment within the municipality, and said agreement must be included in the application. Applicants must include disclosure of any regulatory actions against it by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the civil and criminal history of the applicant and its owners, officers, principals or members. The application must include the RMD applicant’s plans for separating medical and adult-use operations, proposed timeline for achieving operations, liability insurance, business plan, and a detailed summary describing and/or updating or modifying the RMD’s existing medical marijuana operating policies and procedures for adult-use including security, prevention of diversion, storage, transportation, inventory procedures, quality control, dispensing procedures, personnel policies, record keeping, maintenance of financial records and employee training protocols.

No person or entity may own more than 10% or “control” more than three licenses in each marijuana establishment class (i.e., marijuana retailer, marijuana cultivator, marijuana product manufacturer). Additionally, there is a 100,000 square foot cultivation canopy for adult-use licenses; however, there is no canopy restriction for RMD license holders relative to their cultivation facility.

Company Licenses

The Company holds a minority interest in an entity that holds one cultivation and one dispensary license in the State of Massachusetts. The table below lists the licenses indirectly held by the Company:

Note:

Massachusetts Transportation

A licensee transporting cannabis must ensure the product is in a secure, locked storage compartment. If a cannabis establishment, pursuant to a cannabis transporter license is transporting cannabis products for more than one cannabis establishment at a time, the cannabis products for each cannabis establishment must be kept in separate locked storage compartments during transportation and separate manifests are required for each cannabis establishment. Vehicles transporting cannabis must be equipped with an approved alarm system and functioning heating and air conditioning systems appropriate for maintaining correct temperatures for storage of cannabis products.

Massachusetts Inventory

Through the track and trace system, licensees are required to record all actions related to each individual cannabis plant. This robust inventorying requirement includes tracking how each plant is handled and processed from seed and cultivation, through growth, harvest and preparation of cannabis infused products, if any, to final sale of finished products. To meet this tracking requirement, the inventory tracking process is mandated to utilize unique plant and batch identification numbers. Besides capturing all processes associated with each cannabis plant, licensees must also establish and abide by inventory controls and procedures for conducting inventory reviews and comprehensive inventories of cultivating, finished, and stored cannabis products.

Massachusetts Security

Adequate security systems that prevent and detect diversion, theft, or loss of cannabis are required of each licensee.

To ensure licensees meet the rigorous security standards, use of surveillance cameras is mandated. Video cameras must be appropriate for the lighting conditions of the area under surveillance. Interior video cameras must be directed at all safes, vaults, sales areas, and areas where cannabis is cultivated, harvested, processed, prepared, stored, handled, or dispensed.

Massachusetts Record-keeping/Reporting

Massachusetts uses METRC as the track and trace system. Individual licensees, whether directly or through a third-party application programming interface, are required to push data to the state to meet all reporting requirements.

Massachusetts Inspections

The CCC or its agents may inspect a licensee and affiliated vehicles at any time without prior notice. A licensee shall immediately upon request make available to the CCC information that may be relevant to a CCC inspection, and the CCC may direct a licensee to test cannabis for contaminants.

U.S. Attorney Statements in Massachusetts

On July 10, 2018, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Andrew Lelling, issued a statement regarding the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Massachusetts. Mr. Lelling stated that since he has a constitutional obligation to enforce the laws passed by Congress, he would not immunize the residents of Massachusetts from federal law enforcement. He did state, however, that his office’s resources would be primarily focused on combating the opioid epidemic. He stated that considering those factors and the experiences of other states that have legalized adult-use cannabis, his office’s enforcement efforts would focus on the areas of (i) overproduction, (ii) targeted sales to minors and (iii) organized crime and interstate transportation of drug proceeds.

To the knowledge of management of the Company, other than as disclosed in this Document, there have not been any statements or guidance made by federal authorities or prosecutors regarding the risk of enforcement action in Massachusetts.

Nevada

History

Nevada’s medical cannabis market was introduced in June 2013 when the legislature passed SB374, legalizing the medicinal use of cannabis for certified patients. The first dispensaries opened to patients in August 2015.

The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health licensed medical cannabis establishments up until July 1, 2017 when the State’s medical cannabis program merged with adult-use cannabis enforcement under the State of Nevada Department of Taxation, Marijuana Enforcement Division (the “Nevada Taxation Department”). In 2014, Nevada accepted medical cannabis business applications and a few months later the division approved 182 cultivation licenses, 118 licenses for the production of edibles and infused products, 17 independent testing laboratories, and 55 medical cannabis dispensary licenses. The number of dispensary licenses was then increased to 66 by legislative action in 2015. The application process is merit-based, competitive, and is currently closed. Residency is not required to own or invest in a Nevada medical cannabis business. In addition, vertical integration is neither required nor prohibited. Nevada’s medical law includes patient reciprocity, which permits medical patients from other States to purchase cannabis from Nevada dispensaries. Nevada also allows for dispensaries to deliver medical cannabis to patients.

Each medical cannabis establishment must register with the Nevada Taxation Department and apply for a medical cannabis establishment registration certificate. As noted above, the application process is competitive, and, among other requirements, there are minimum liquidity requirements and restrictions on the geographic location of a medical cannabis establishment as well as restrictions relating to the age and criminal background of employees, owners, officers and board members of the establishment. All employees must be over 21 and all owners, officers and board members must not have any previous felony convictions or had a previously granted medical cannabis registration revoked. Additionally, each volunteer, employee, officer, board member, and owner of an effective 5% or greater interest of a medical cannabis establishment must be individually registered with the Nevada Taxation Department as a medical cannabis agent and hold a valid medical cannabis establishment agent card. The establishment must have adequate security measures and use an electronic verification system and inventory control system. If the proposed medical cannabis establishment will sell or deliver edible cannabis products or cannabis-infused products, the proposed establishment must establish operating procedures for handling such products, which must be preapproved by the Nevada Taxation Department.

In response to the rescission of the Cole Memo, Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt had issued a public statement, pledging to defend the law after it was approved by voters. Then-Governor Brian Sandoval also stated, “Since Nevada voters approved the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2016, I have called for a well-regulated, restricted and respected industry. My administration has worked to ensure these priorities are met while implementing the will of the voters and remaining within the guidelines of both the Cole and Wilkinson federal memos,” and that he would like for Nevada to follow in the footsteps of Colorado, where the U.S. attorneys do not plan to change the approach to prosecuting crimes involving recreational cannabis.

In determining whether to issue a medical cannabis establishment registration certificate pursuant to NRS 453A.322, the Nevada Taxation Department, in addition the application requirements set out, considers the following criteria of merit:

A medical cannabis establishment registration certificate expires 1 year after the date of issuance and may be renewed upon resubmission of the application information and renewal fee to the Nevada Taxation Department.

The sale of cannabis for adult-use in Nevada was approved by ballot initiative on November 8, 2016, and Nevada Revised Statute 453D exempts a person who is 21 years of age or older from state or local prosecution for possession, use, consumption, purchase, transportation or cultivation of certain amounts of cannabis and requires the Nevada Taxation Department to begin receiving applications for the licensing of cannabis establishments on or before January 1, 2018. The legalization of retail cannabis does not change the medical cannabis program.

In February 2017, the Nevada Taxation Department announced plans to issue “early start” recreational cannabis establishment licenses in the summer of 2017. These licenses, which began on July 1, 2017, allowed cannabis establishments holding both a retail cannabis store and dispensary license to sell their existing medical cannabis inventory as either medical or adult-use cannabis, and expired at the end of the year. As of July 1, 2017, medical and adult-use cannabis have incurred a 15% excise tax on the first wholesale sale (calculated on the fair market value) and adult-use cannabis has incurred an additional 10% special retail cannabis sales tax in addition to any general State and local sales and use taxes.

On January 16, 2018, the Nevada Taxation Department issued final rules governing its adult-use cannabis program, pursuant to which up to sixty-six (66) permanent adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses will be issued. Existing adult-use cannabis licensees under the “early start” regulations must re-apply for licensure under the permanent rules in order to continue adult-use sales.

Under Nevada’s adult-use cannabis law, the Nevada Taxation Department licenses cannabis cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, distributors, retail stores and testing facilities. For the first 18 months, applications to the Nevada Taxation Department for adult-use distribution establishment licenses can only be accepted from existing medical cannabis establishments and existing liquor distributors.

In September, 2018, the Nevada Taxation Department accepted applications from existing Nevada medical cannabis establishment certificate owners to be awarded licenses for approximately 65 retail cannabis stores throughout the State. The application period closed on September 20, 2018, and the additional retail store licenses were awarded by the Nevada Taxation Department on December 5, 2018.

Regulatory Overview

The State of Nevada utilizes Metrc as its statewide seed-to-sale tracking system for all cannabis and cannabis products. All licensees within the State system are required, either directly or through third-party software systems that are capable of data integration, to report to the State all creation and transfers of such inventory to other licensees and sales to consumers. CSAC intends to designate a third-party computerized seed-to-sale inventory software tracking system designed to integrate with Metrc via an application programming interface.

Licensing Requirements

There are five certificate/license types issued in the State of Nevada:

“Marijuana cultivation facility” means an entity licensed to cultivate, process, and package cannabis, to have cannabis tested by a cannabis testing facility, and to sell cannabis to retail cannabis stores, to cannabis product manufacturing facilities, and to other cannabis cultivation facilities, but not to consumers. NRS 453D.030(9).

“Marijuana product manufacturing facility” means an entity licensed to purchase cannabis, manufacture, process, and package cannabis and cannabis products, and sell cannabis and cannabis products to other cannabis product manufacturing facilities and to retail cannabis stores, but not to consumers. NRS 453D.030(12).

“Retail marijuana store” means an entity licensed to purchase cannabis from cannabis cultivation facilities, to purchase cannabis and cannabis products from cannabis product manufacturing facilities and retail cannabis stores, and to sell cannabis and cannabis products to consumers. NRS 453D.030(18).

“Marijuana distributor” means an entity licensed to transport cannabis from a cannabis establishment to another cannabis establishment. NRS 453D.030(10).

“Marijuana testing facility” means an entity licensed to test cannabis and cannabis products, including for potency and contaminants. NRS 453D.030(15).

Administration of the regular retail program in Nevada is governed by Nevada Revised Statutes Section 453D and the Adopted Regulation of the Nevada Department of Taxation, LCB File R092-17 (the “Nevada Adult-Use Regulation”). The Nevada Adult-Use Regulation was adopted on February 27, 2018 and is a regulation relating to cannabis responsible for: (i) revising requirements relating to independent testing laboratories; (ii) providing for the licensing of cannabis establishments and registration of cannabis establishment agents; (iii) providing requirements concerning the operation of cannabis establishments; (iv) providing additional requirements concerning the operation of marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana distributors, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities and retail marijuana stores; (v) providing standards for the packaging and labeling cannabis and cannabis products; (vi) providing requirements relating to the production of edible cannabis products and other cannabis products; (vii) providing standards for the cultivation and production of cannabis; (viii) establishing requirements relating to advertising by cannabis establishments; (ix) establishing provisions relating to the collection of excise taxes from cannabis establishments; (x) establishing provisions relating to dual licensees; and (xi) providing other matters properly relating thereto.

In the State of Nevada, only cannabis that is grown or produced in the state by a licensed establishment may be sold in the state. The Nevada regulatory regime does not mandate or prohibit vertically integrated facilities and only permits the holder of a retail dispensary license and registration certificate to purchase cannabis from cultivation facilities, cannabis and cannabis products from product manufacturing facilities and cannabis from other retail stores, for the sale of such products to consumers.

A medical cultivation license permits its holder to acquire, possess, cultivate, deliver, transfer, have tested, transport, supply or sell cannabis and related supplies to medical cannabis dispensaries, facilities for the production of edible medical cannabis products and/or medical cannabis-infused products, or other medical cannabis cultivation facilities.

The medical product manufacturing license permits its holder to acquire, possess, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, supply, or sell edible cannabis products or cannabis infused products to other medical cannabis production facilities or medical cannabis dispensaries.

Medical marijuana establishment certificates and recreational cannabis facility licenses are issued independently to specific owners and at identified locations. Ownership of certificates and licenses is transferable in accordance with the Nevada Taxation Department’s policies and procedures, including completion of a background investigation. Establishment certificates and facility licenses may only be relocated to a new location within the identified local jurisdiction.

All licenses expire one year after the date of issue. The Nevada Taxation Department shall issue a renewal license within 10 days after the receipt of a renewal application and applicable fee if the license is not then under suspension or has not been revoked.

Company Licenses

YMY, in which the Company owns a 50% interest, holds one medical cultivation license and one recreational cultivation license and one medical product manufacturing license and one recreational product manufacturing license in the State of Nevada. The table below lists the licenses indirectly held by the Company:

Note:

Nevada Transportation

In Nevada, cannabis may only be transported from a licensed cultivation or production facility to a licensed retail cannabis establishment by a licensed marijuana distributor. Prior to transporting the cannabis or cannabis products, the distributor must complete a trip plan which includes: the agent name and registration number providing and receiving the cannabis; the date and start time of the trip; a description, including the amount, of the cannabis or cannabis products being transported; and the anticipated route of transportation.

During the transportation of cannabis or cannabis products, the licensed marijuana distributor agent must: (a) carry a copy of the trip plan with him or her for the duration of the trip; (b) have his or her cannabis establishment agent card in his or her immediate possession; (c) use a vehicle without any identification relating to cannabis and which is equipped with a secure lockbox or locking cargo area which must be used for the sanitary and secure transportation of cannabis, or cannabis products; (d) have a means of communicating with the cannabis establishment for which he or she is providing the transportation; and (e) ensure that all cannabis or cannabis products are not visible. After transporting cannabis or cannabis products a licensed marijuana distributor agent must enter the end time of the trip and any changes to the trip plan that was completed.

Each licensed marijuana distributor agent transporting cannabis or cannabis products must report any: (a) vehicle accident that occurs during the transportation to a person designated by the marijuana distributor to receive such reports within two (2) hours after the accident occurs; and (b) loss or theft of cannabis or cannabis products that occurs during the transportation to a person designated by the marijuana distributor to receive such reports immediately after the cannabis establishment agent becomes aware of the loss or theft. A marijuana distributor that receives a report of loss or theft pursuant to this paragraph must immediately report the loss or theft to the appropriate law enforcement agency and to the Nevada Taxation Department. The distributor must report any unauthorized stop that lasts longer than two (2) hours to the Nevada Taxation Department.

A marijuana distributor shall maintain the required documents and provide a copy of the documents required to the Nevada Taxation Department for review upon request. Each marijuana distributor shall maintain a log of all received reports.

Employees of licensed marijuana distributors, including drivers transporting cannabis and cannabis products, must be 21 years of age or older and must obtain a valid cannabis establishment agent registration card issued by the Nevada Taxation Department. If a marijuana distributor is co-located with another type of business, all employees of co-located businesses must have cannabis establishment agent registration cards unless the co-located business does not include common entrances, exits, break room, restrooms, locker rooms, loading docks, and other areas as are expedient for business and appropriate for the site as determined and approved by Nevada Taxation Department inspectors. While engaged in the transportation of cannabis and cannabis products, any person that occupies a transport vehicle when it is loaded with cannabis or cannabis products must have their physical cannabis establishment agent registration card in their possession.

All drivers must carry in the vehicle valid driver’s insurance at the limits required by the State of Nevada and the Nevada Taxation Department. All drivers must be bonded in an amount sufficient to cover any claim that could be brought, or disclose to all parties that their drivers are not bonded. Cannabis establishment agent registration cardholders and the licensed marijuana distributor they work for are responsible for the cannabis and cannabis product once they take control of the product and leave the premises of the cannabis establishment.

There is no load limit on the amount or weight of cannabis and cannabis products that are being transported by a licensed marijuana distributor. Cannabis distributors are required to adhere to Nevada Taxation Department regulations and those required through their insurance coverage. When transporting by vehicle, cannabis and cannabis product must be in a lockbox or locked cargo area. A trunk of a vehicle is not considered secure storage unless there is no access from within the vehicle and it is not the same key access as the vehicle. Live plants can be transported in a fully enclosed, windowless locked trailer or secured area inside the body/compartment of a locked van or truck so that they are not visible to the outside. If the value of the cannabis and cannabis products being transported by vehicle is in excess of $10,000 (the insured value per the shipping manifest), the transporting vehicle must be equipped with a car alarm with sound or have no less than two (2) of the marijuana distributor’s cannabis establishment agent registration cardholders involved in the transportation. All cannabis and cannabis product must be tagged for purposes of inventory tracking with a unique identifying label as required by the Nevada Taxation Department and remain tagged during transport. This unique identifying label should be similar to the stamp for cigarette distribution. All cannabis and cannabis product when transported by vehicle must be transported in sealed packages and containers and remain unopened during transport. All cannabis and cannabis product transported by vehicle should be inventoried and accounted for in the inventory tracking system. Loading and unloading of cannabis and cannabis products from the transporting vehicle must be within view of existing video surveillance systems prior to leaving the origination location. Security requirements are required for the transportation of cannabis and cannabis products.

Nevada Inventory

Each cannabis establishment must maintain an inventory control system to monitor and report on chain of custody of cannabis in real-time, from the point of harvest at a cultivation facility until it is sold at a dispensary, or it is processed at a facility for the production of edible cannabis products or cannabis-infused products. For this purpose, Nevada tracks information through METRC which maintains the name of each person or cannabis establishment to cannabis is sold, for dispensaries, the date of sales, quantity, and potency. Cannabis establishments must exercise vigilance to ensure personal identifying information contained in the inventory control system is encrypted, protected and not divulged for any purpose not specifically authorized by law.

Nevada Security

To prevent unauthorized access to cannabis at a Nevada-licensed cannabis establishment, the cannabis establishment must have security equipment to deter and prevent unauthorized entrance into limited access areas. This includes devices or a series of devices interconnected with a radio frequency, such as cellular or private radio signals, or other mechanical device, covering the entirety of the facility. Exterior lighting to facilitate surveillance, video cameras with a recording rate of at least 15 frames per second covering all entrances and exits of the building, any room or area that hold a vault or point-of-sale location and which records 24 hours per day. Recordings must be accessible remotely by law enforcement in real time upon request. Video quality providing coverage of a point-of-sale location must allow for the identification of any person purchasing cannabis. Video recording must be restored for at least 30 days in a secure off-site location or other service that provides on-demand access to the Department Nevada Taxation Department.

Department Inspections

Each establishment that has been granted a provisional operating certificate by the Nevada Taxation Department must undergo facility and audit inspections by the Nevada Taxation Department prior to the issuance of a final registration certificate. Additionally, the issuance of a registration certificate is considered provisional until the establishment is in compliance with all applicable local government requirements including, without limitation, the issuance of a local business licenses.

After an establishment registration certificate has been issued, the cannabis establishment is subject to reasonable inspection from the Nevada Taxation Department and a licensee must make himself or herself, or an agent, available and present for any inspection required by the Nevada Taxation Department.

Delivery and Online Distribution

There are specific situations in which the delivery of cannabis to customers is allowed under the Nevada Taxation Department regulations. Delivery services to customers may only be carried out by retail stores that are licensed properly by the Nevada Taxation Department. Deliveries can only be brought to the residential addresses of customers and only within the State of Nevada. Delivery was allowed as soon as retail cannabis sales began on July 1, 2017, although those regulations were only temporary. Drivers may not deliver more than the legal amount of cannabis, which is currently one ounce, in compliance with the existing seed-to-sale tracking system. Cannabis or cannabis products may not be shipped via the US Postal Service or via any private courier.

U.S. Attorney Statements in Nevada

In response to the rescission of the Cole Memo, Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt had issued a public statement, pledging to defend the law after it was approved by voters. Then-Governor Brian Sandoval also stated, “Since Nevada voters approved the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2016, I have called for a well-regulated, restricted and respected industry. My administration has worked to ensure these priorities are met while implementing the will of the voters and remaining within the guidelines of both the Cole and Wilkinson federal memos,” and that he would like for Nevada to follow in the footsteps of Colorado, where the U.S. attorneys do not plan to change the approach to prosecuting crimes involving recreational cannabis.

In June 2019, incoming U.S. Attorney of the District of Nevada Nicholas Trutanich stated to the Reno Gazette Journal that he would not rule out the possibility of prosecuting cases related to cannabis, but did emphasize that it also was not a priority. He stated cannabis remains illegal under federal law, and his job is to enforce federal law. He stated, however, that one of his main priorities was to tackle the opioid crisis and human trafficking. He further stated that he is following orders from the DOJ.

To the knowledge of management of Stem, other than as disclosed in this Document, there have not been any statements or guidance made by federal authorities or prosecutors regarding the risk of enforcement action in Nevada. See “Risk Factors”.

New York (Industrial Hemp)

In December 2014, New York State enacted legislation authorizing a research-based industrial hemp program pursuant to authority granted in the Original Farm Bill (as defined herein) (predecessor to the Farm Bill in which industrial hemp was initially legalized in the U.S., though legalization extended to research-related activities only). The state of New York subsequently launched an Industrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program regulated by the New York Department of Agriculture (“NY DOH”). In December 2018, the state of New York opened an application period for “hemp cannabis,” or industrial hemp grown and processed for cannabinoid content, and particularly for CBD. In late 2019, the state of New York enacted legislation that made sweeping, structural changes to the hemp program. As is relevant to the Company, processing hemp for the purpose of extracting cannabinoids and manufacturing hemp-derived cannabinoid products was removed from NY DOA regulatory oversight and moved to the New York Department of Health (“NY DOA”), which regulates medical cannabis. State regulators have initiated the process of transitioning licensees, such as Sound Wellness, from NY DOA to NY DOH. This process is expected to continue through calendar year 2020. Once the transition is complete, NY DOH is expected to promulgate hemp regulations. No significant changes to the hemp program are expected between now and when NY DOH issues new regulations.

Company Licenses

The table below lists the licences directly held by the Company:

Oklahoma

History

Oklahoma’s medical cannabis market was introduced in June 2018 when voters approved State Question 788, with 56.86% of the vote.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health, which is responsible for establishing regulations for the implementation of State Question 788, released a draft of the proposed rules on July 8, 2018. After a series of revisions, Governor Mary Fallin signed and approved the rules on August 1, 2018. Operating under the Oklahoma State Department of health is the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (“OMMA”) which is responsible for licensing, regulation, and administering the program as authorized by state law. On August 25, 2018 the OMMA began accepting online applications for medical cannabis licenses.

Regulatory Summary

There are four licenses available for commercial applicants: (i) a medical cannabis grower license; (ii) a medical cannabis processor license; (iii) a medical cannabis dispensary license; and (iv) a medical cannabis transportation license.

A medical cannabis grower license allows a business to legally grow cannabis for medical purposes in Oklahoma. Licensed growers can sell to licensed processors and licensed dispensaries only.

A medical cannabis processor license allows a business to legally process cannabis for medical purposes in Oklahoma. Licensed processors can sell to licensed dispensaries and other licensed processors. Licensed processors may also process cannabis into a concentrated form for a patient license holder for a fee. All growing and processing of cannabis must take place indoors in a building that has a complete roof enclosure on a foundation or slab that meets standards that ensure that the growing and processing activities contained within are undetectable.

A medical cannabis dispensary license allows a business to legally sell medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, including mature plants and seedlings. Licensed dispensaries can only sell to patient license holders, caregiver license holders, research license holders, and the parent or legal guardian named on a minor patient’s license. Dispensaries must be at least 1,000 feet from schools and may only be open to the public on Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. A single transaction by a dispensary is limited to three ounces of useable cannabis, one ounce of cannabis concentrate, and 72 ounces of medical cannabis products.

Company Licenses

The Company holds a minority interest in an entity that holds one cultivation and one dispensary license in the State of Oklahoma. The table below lists the licences indirectly held by the Company:

Note:

Oklahoma Transportation

A medical cannabis transportation license is issued to qualifying applicants for a commercial license at the time of approval. The transportation license allows the holder to transport cannabis from an Oklahoma licensed dispensary, grower, processor to an Oklahoma licensed dispensary, grower processor or researcher. All medical cannabis must be transported in a locked container shielded from public view and clearly labeled as “Medical Marijuana or Derivative.”

A medical cannabis transportation license will be provided with an approved grower, processor, or dispensary license allowing the licensee to legally transport medical cannabis from a licensed grower, licensed processor, or licensed dispensary to a licensed grower, licensed processor, licensed dispensary, or licensed researcher.

Oklahoma Inventory

Oklahoma uses BioTrack THC as the central trace and tracking system to oversee inventory of licensed cannabis operations across the state. All cultivation and manufacturing facilities and retail dispensaries are required to utilize an inventory management system to record certain information depending on the license type. For a grower, such information includes the amount of cannabis harvested, sold to a process or dispensary, or dried and on hand. For a processor, details on the amount of cannabis purchased from a grower, or sold to a researcher and the amount of cannabis waste must be accounted for in inventory. The licensee must also document with detailed explanations any discrepancies for cannabis that cannot be accounted for or is considered overage.

The licensee is required to document the ‘chain of custody’ of all cannabis and cannabis-related products with frequent on-going inventory reviews in order to detect any diversion, theft or loss in a timely manner. The system must be able to accurately trace the timeline from the time a cannabis plant is propagated to the time it is sold to a patient or caregiver. Traceability is a requirement in the event of a serious adverse event or recall to correctly source the cannabis product.

Oklahoma Record-keeping/Reporting

The state requires all commercial licensees to submit monthly reporting to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Reports are considered untimely if not received by the state by the 15th of each month for activity from the preceding month. The report must include the amount purchased from a licensed process and/or grower, the amount sold to a licensee and the type of licensee, total sales to patients and caregivers as well as taxes collected from sales. If necessary, detailed explanations of inventory discrepancies must be included. Inaccurate reporting may result in fines and failure to report timely or to correct deficiencies within 30 days of department notification may lead to license revocation.

Oklahoma Inspections

Submission of an application for a medical cannabis processing license constitutes permission for entry to and inspection of the processing licensee’s premises during hours of operation and other reasonable times in Oklahoma, and refusal to permit such entry or inspection is grounds for the nonrenewal, suspension, or revocation of a license. The Oklahoma State Department of Health may perform an unannounced on-site inspection of a licensed processor’s operations to determine compliance with these rules and food safety/preparation standards one a year. If the Oklahoma State Department of Health receives a complaint concerning a licensed processor’s noncompliance with this Chapter, the Oklahoma State Department of Health may conduct additional unannounced, on-site inspections beyond an annual inspection. The Oklahoma State Department of Health may review any and all records of a licensed processor and may require and conduct interviews with such persons or entities and persons affiliated with such entities, for the purpose of determining compliance with Oklahoma State Department of Health rules and applicable laws.

U.S. Attorney Statements in Oklahoma

To the knowledge of management of Stem, other than as disclosed in this Document, there have not been any statements or guidance made by federal authorities or prosecutors regarding the risk of enforcement action in Oklahoma. See “Risk Factors”.

Oregon

History

Oregon’s medical cannabis program was introduced in November 1998 when voters approved Measure 67, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, with 55% of the vote. In November 2014, voters approved Measure 91, the ‘Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative,’ which legalized adult-use cannabis in the state. In October 2015, the first adult-use dispensaries opened for sale.

Regulatory Summary

There are four types of adult-use cannabis licenses: producer, processor, wholesaler and retail. Additionally, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (“OLCC”) grants a certificate for research and a hemp certificate. A producer is permitted to cultivate cannabis. A processor is permitted to transform raw cannabis into another product (topicals, edibles, concentrates, or extracts). A wholesaler is permitted to buy cannabis in bulk and sell to licensees but not to consumers. A retailer is permitted to sell cannabis to consumers. A laboratory is permitted to test cannabis based on rules established by the Oregon Health Authority. To receive a laboratory license, the lab must be accredited by the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation program. The hemp certificate allows persons that are registered with the Oregon Department of Agriculture to transfer hemp flower, extracts, or concentrates to OLCC licensed processors who hold an industrial hemp processor endorsement.

Company Licenses

Pursuant to the purchase of the Operating Companies by the Company, Stem has acquired an interest in three retail licenses, four producer licenses, one wholesaler license and two processing licenses.

The table below lists the licenses that are: (i) directly held by the Company; and (ii) held by the Company’s operating partners:

Note:

Oregon Transportation

Licensed producers which transport cannabis to licensed retailers must comply with the following: (a) a licensee must keep cannabis items in transit shielded from public view, (b) the cannabis items must be of secured (locked-up) during transport, (c) the transport must be equipped with an alarm system, (d) the transport must be temperature controlled if perishable cannabis items are being transported, (e) the transport must provide arrival date and estimated time of arrival information, (f) all cannabis items must be packaged in shipping containers and labeled with a unique identifier, and (g) the transport must provide a copy of the printed manifest and any printed receipts for cannabis items delivered to law enforcement officers or other representatives of a government agency if requested to do so while in transit.

Oregon Inventory/Storage

OLCC licensees must report the following to Oregon’s Cannabis Tracking System (“CTS”) (a) a reconciliation of all on-premise and in-transit cannabis item inventories each day, (b) all information for seeds, usable cannabis, CBD concentrates and extracts by weight, (c) the wet weight of all harvested cannabis plants immediately after harvest, (d) all required information for CBD products by unit count, and (e) for retailer license holders, the price before tax and amount of each item sold to consumers and the date of each transaction. The data must be transmitted for each individual transaction before the retailer opens the next business day. All cannabis items on a licensed retailer’s premises must be held in a safe or vault. All usable cannabis, cut and drying mature cannabis plants, CBD concentrates, extracts or products on the licensed premises of a licensee other than a retailer are to be kept in a locked, enclosed area within the licensed premises that is secured with at a minimum, a steel door with a steel frame or equivalent, and a commercial grade, non-residential door lock. All licensees must keep all video recordings and archived required records not stored electronically in a locked storage area. Current records may be kept in a locked cupboard or desk outside the locked storage area during hours when the licensed business is open.

Oregon Record-keeping/Reporting

Oregon uses the METRC trace and tracking system and allows other third-party system integration via an API to track cannabis. The Subsidiaries in Oregon use a third-party trace and tracking system to push the data to the state through an API to meet all reporting requirements. All cannabis products dispensed are documented at point of sale via the track and trace system. License holders must maintain the documentation from the track and trace system in a secure locked location at each dispensing or growing location for three years as required by the OLCC. The OLCC requires all cannabis licensees to have and maintain records that clearly reflect all financial transactions and the financial condition of the business. The following records may be kept in either paper or electronic form and must be maintained for a three year period and be made available for inspection if requested by the OLCC: (a) purchase invoices and supporting documents for items and services purchased for use in the production, processing, research, testing and sale of cannabis items that include from whom the items were purchased and the date of purchase, (b) bank statements for any accounts, (c) accounting and tax records, (d) documentation of all financial transactions, including contracts and agreements for services performed or received, and (e) all employee records, including training.

Oregon Security

A licensed premise must have a fully operational security alarm system, activated at all times when the licensed premises is closed for business. Among other features the security alarm system for the licensed premises must (a) be able to detect unauthorized entry onto the licensed premises and unauthorized activity within any limited access area where mature cannabis plants, usable cannabis, CBD concentrates, extracts or products are present, (b) be programmed to notify the licensee, a licensee representative or other authorized personnel in the event of an unauthorized entry, and (c) either have at least two operational “panic buttons” located inside the licensed premises that are linked with the alarm system that immediately notifies a security company or law enforcement, or have operational panic buttons physically carried by all employees present on the licensed premises that are linked with the alarm system that immediately notifies a security company or law enforcement.

A licensed premise must have a fully operational video surveillance recording system. Among other requirements, a licensed premise must have cameras that continuously record, 24 hours a day, seven days a week: (a) in all areas where mature cannabis plants, usable cannabis, CBD concentrates, extracts or products may be present on the licensed premises; and (b) all points of ingress and egress to and from areas where mature cannabis plants, usable cannabis, CBD concentrates, extracts or products are present. A licensee must keep all surveillance recordings for a minimum of 90 calendar days and have the surveillance room or surveillance area with limited access.

Oregon Inspections

All cannabis licensees may be subject to safety inspections of licensed premises by state or local government officials to determine compliance with state or local health and safety laws. The OLCC also may conduct an inspection at any time to ensure that a registrant, licensee or permittee is in compliance with Oregon state laws. A licensee, licensee representative, or permittee must cooperate with the OLCC during an inspection. If licensee, licensee representative or permittee fails to permit the OLCC to conduct an inspection the OLCC may seek an investigative subpoena to inspect the premises and gather books, payrolls, accounts, papers, documents or records.

U.S. Attorney Statements in Oregon

To the knowledge of management of Stem, other than as disclosed in this Document, there have not been any statements or guidance made by federal authorities or prosecutors regarding the risk of enforcement action in Oregon. See “Risk Factors”.

Compliance with Applicable State Law in the United States

The Company is classified as having both a direct and indirect involvement in the U.S. cannabis industry and is in compliance with applicable state law, licensing requirements and the regulatory framework enacted by each U.S. state in which it operates. The Company is not subject to any citations or notices of violation with applicable licensing requirements and the regulatory framework enacted by each applicable U.S. state which may have an impact on its licenses, business activities or operations.

The Company has in place a detailed compliance program, which oversees, maintains, and implements the compliance program and personnel. In addition to the Company’s robust internal legal and compliance departments, the Company has state and local regulatory/compliance counsel engaged in every jurisdiction in which it operates.

The Company’s compliance department oversees training for all employees, including on the following topics: (i) compliance with state and local laws; (ii) safe cannabis use; (iii) dispensing procedures; (iv) security and safety policies and procedures; (v) inventory control; (vi) quality control; and (vii) transportation procedures. The Company’s compliance department includes the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, as well as the Company’s managers in charge of cultivation, branding and sales.

The Company monitors all compliance notifications from the regulators and inspectors in each market, timely resolving any issues identified. The Company keeps records of all compliance notifications received from the state regulators or inspectors and how and when the issue was resolved.

To ensure compliance with the U.S. federal laws and the regulatory framework enacted by each U.S. state in which the Company operates, the Company adheres to the following procedures and controls:

The Company will continue to monitor compliance on an ongoing basis in accordance with its compliance program and standard operating procedures. While the Company’s operations are in full compliance with all applicable state laws, regulations and licensing requirements, such activities remain illegal under United States federal law. For the reasons described above and the risks further described under “Risk Factors” in this Document, there are significant risks associated with the business of the Company. Readers are strongly encouraged to carefully read all of the risk factors described under “Risk Factors” in this Document

Ability to Access Public and Private Capital

While the Company is not able to obtain traditional bank financing in the U.S. or financing from other U.S. federally regulated entities, the Company currently has access to equity financing through the private markets in Canada and the U.S. Since the use of cannabis is illegal under U.S. federal law, and in light of concerns in the banking industry regarding money laundering and other federal financial crime related to cannabis, U.S. banks have been reluctant to accept deposit funds from businesses involved with the cannabis industry. Consequently, businesses involved in the cannabis industry often have difficulty finding a bank willing to accept its business. Likewise, cannabis businesses have limited access, if any, to credit card processing services. As a result, cannabis businesses in the U.S. are largely cash-based. This complicates the implementation of financial controls and increases security issues.

Commercial banks, private equity firms and venture capital firms have approached the cannabis industry cautiously to date. However, there are increasing numbers of high-net-worth individuals and family offices that have made meaningful investments in companies and businesses similar to the Company. Although there has been an increase in the amount of private financing available over the last several years, there is neither a broad nor deep pool of institutional capital that is available to cannabis license holders and license applicants. There can be no assurance that additional financing, if raised privately, will be available to the Company when needed or on terms which are acceptable to the Company. The Company’s inability to raise financing to fund capital expenditures or acquisitions could limit its growth and may have a material adverse effect upon future profitability. See “Risk Factors”.

History of the Business

The Company was formed to purchase, lease and improve certain real estate properties (the “Properties”), initially in the State of Oregon, which are or will be utilized as either state-licensed cannabis selling retail establishments or state-licensed cannabis growing and processing facilities. The Company previously operated primarily as a real estate holding company, and now engages in direct operations with respect to its properties and activities other than the leasing of properties, funding of capital improvements and administration of its leases and provision of financing to certain lessees.

The initial business of the Company was detailed in a multiparty agreement dated as of August 4, 2016, as revised on October 24, 2016 (“Multiparty Agreement”), by and among the Company and the following entities, which are affiliates of the founders of the Company: Oregon Acquisitions, JV LLC, Gated Oregon Holdings LLC, Kind Care Holdings, LLC, and Never Again Real Estate, LLC.

The Multiparty Agreement contemplated that the initial Properties owned by the Company and identified in the Multiparty Agreement (and as further described below) would be leased by the Company to subsidiaries of OpCo Holdings, Inc. (“OpCo”). Opco is a company formed in 2016 by the Company’s founders and their affiliates for the purpose of operating multiple cannabis-related businesses initially in the State of Oregon, and the Company’s founders and their affiliated entities directly and indirectly collectively own approximately 24.06% of the outstanding stock of Opco.

The following is an overview of acquisitions completed by the Company:

In September 2016, the Company entered into a 10-year lease with respect to certain property located in Springfield, OR (the “42nd Street Property”) with the landlord that commenced in November 2016. In July 2017, the Company entered into a lease agreement for the 42^nd Street Property.

On November 1, 2016, the Company acquired certain property located in Eugene, OR (the “Willamette Property”). In July 2017, the Company entered into an operating lease agreement with a marijuana dispensary to move into the Willamette Property.

On February 6, 2017, the Company acquired certain real property located at 7827 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97206 (the “Powell Property”). In July 2017, the Company entered into a lease agreement for the Powell Property.

In January 2018 the Company consummated a “Contract for Sale” whereby it purchased a Farm Property in Mulino OR (the “Mulino Property”) which will be used for the cultivation of cannabis. In July 2017, the Company entered into a lease agreement with a third party for the Mulino Property.

Investments in Subsidiaries. In April 2018, the Company acquired a 37.5%, which was increased in fiscal 2020 to 50%, interest in NVD RE Corp. (“NVD”). NVD used its available funding to acquire an under- construction cannabis indoor grow building in Nevada and to continue the buildout of the property. NVD leases the property to YMY Ventures LLC (“YMY”).

In September 2018, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire 50% of the membership interest of YMY. YMY is a startup operation located near Las Vegas, Nevada and owns a license to cultivate and produce cannabis products. The purchase was conditioned upon the receipt of approval of the transfer of ownership by the State of Nevada Department of Taxation. On February 21, 2019, YMY received the approval of the transfer of ownership by the State of Nevada Department of Taxation. Thereafter, on March 1, 2019, the Company closed its acquisition of 50% of YMY. YMY has licenses that allow it to cultivate and produce cannabis and related products, but the Company failed in its attempt to acquire a retail sales license. As of March 31, 2020, YMY had commenced operations and begun generating revenues in the wholesale market.

On October 8, 2018, the Company and Yerba Buena Oregon, LLC”) entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement which provided for the Company to purchase certain assets and assume certain liabilities of Yerba. Yerba is a wholesale producer of recreational marijuana flower, by-product and pre-roll product in the state of Oregon.

On June 24, 2019, Stem received regulatory approval from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and closed the previously-announced acquisition of Yerba. Yerba operates an award-winning state-of-the-art cultivation facility equipped with an in-house genetics program and a cannabis library consisting of a few hundred strains.

On March 22, 2019, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with South African Ventures, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“SAV”) and its shareholders pursuant to which the Company acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of SAV, which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. At the closing, SAV had no operations and held approximately $5.75 million cash. In addition, the Company held an additional $2.5 million in escrow for the benefit of SAV, which it delivered to SAV at the closing. These funds were raised by SAV from various investors, who became Company shareholders at the Closing. In 2019, we fully impaired our investment of $5.75 million in Stempro International which was acquired in connection with our acquisition of SAV.

On March 29, 2019, the Company executed a definitive agreement to acquire Western Coast Ventures, Inc. (“WCV”). WCV had a working capital surplus of approximately $2,000,000 and had negotiated a joint venture (the “JV”) with ILCA Holdings, Inc. (“ILCA”). ILCA has been issued a limited Conditional Use Permit for a Marijuana Production Facility (a “MPF”) by the City of San Diego, California, which will only be initially granting a total of 40 MPFs. Upon issuance of the final MPF permit and the completed construction, the JV will: (1) operate an advanced cannabis facility to grow and cultivate cannabis; (2) manufacture cannabis-derived products; and (3) distribute cannabis and cannabis-derived products state-wide throughout California. The Conditional Use Permit expires on August 30, 2023 and is subject to various terms and conditions detailed in the Permit.

The MPF encompasses 10,700 square feet and will feature state-of-the-art technology for cultivation, production and distribution. A complex, sophisticated, portable racking system will create a 10,000 square foot canopy that has the potential to produce over 6,000 pounds of product per year with the help of high efficiency LED lights. The production sector of the MPF will deliver a large variety of cannabis-derived offerings such as flowers, pre-rolls, infused edibles, and topicals.

SOK Management, LLC

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Company advanced approximately $830,000 to a group of companies attempting to start up cannabis operations in Oklahoma. In May 2019, the Company and the group of entities entered into a formal agreement in which $500,000 of the advanced funds would become a 7% ownership interest in SOK Management, LLC. The remaining $330,000 of advanced funds were returned to the Company, and the Company is no longer required to advance further amounts. The Company accounted for its $500,000 investment in SOK Management LLC using the equity method of accounting. As of September 30, 2019, the Company recorded a loss on investment of $500,000, bringing its total investment to zero.

Tilstar Medical, LLC

In April 2019, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire 48% of the membership interest of Tilstar Medical, LLC (“TIL”). TIL is a startup operation located in Laurel, Maryland and owns a project management company which assists in procuring licenses for the production and sale of cannabis. The purchase price for the 48% interest was $550,000 to capitalize TIL which under the operating agreement occurs upon the execution of the agreement. As of September 30, 2019, the Company had funded the $550,000 and accounted for its investment using the equity method of accounting. During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Company recorded a loss on investment of approximately $279,000. The Company was not made aware at time of its investment in the type and magnitude of expenses that would be funded with its investment capital and is currently in the process of renegotiating the terms of the operating agreement. During the year ended September 30, 2019, Tilstar Medical along with its partner, Stem Holdings, Inc, received a letter from the Maryland Medical Cannabis commission with notification that we received stage one pre-approval for a processor license. The Companies application ranked amongst the top nine highest scoring applications for a medical cannabis processor license. Final awards will be issued during calendar year 2020. As of September 30, 2020 and 2019, the difference between the investment and the percentage of net assets attributable to the Company’s investment was approximately $0.28 million

Community Growth Partners, INC

On January 6, 2020, the Company entered into a joint venture with Community Growth Partners, Inc. (“CGP”), a vertically-integrated cannabis company with provisional licensed operations in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission recently awarded CGP three provisional cannabis licenses for cultivation, manufacturing and retail – making CGP one of the Commonwealth’s first women- and minority-founded and owned businesses to become approved as a vertically-integrated cannabis operation. A new state-of-the-art indoor cultivation and manufacturing facility will be constructed in Northampton, MA for completion by Fall 2020, which will provide extraction and distribution capability. The Company intends to commence Dispensary operations during 2020 to begin serving the market with partner cannabis brands.

Stem will acquire 7% of CGP’s common stock and provide CGP with a revolving line of credit for future expansion into Massachusetts. Stem will also provide CGP with administrative, cultivation, and manufacturing support services. Stem will also license and market CGP’s Rebelle™-brand products in its other licensed markets, including California, Oregon, Oklahoma and Nevada. The agreements are subject to approval of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission and other local state authorities.

Seven Leaf Ventures Corp. (“7LV”)

On March 6, 2020, the Company closed the acquisition of Seven Leaf Ventures Corp. (“7LV”), a private Alberta, Canada corporation, and its subsidiaries, pursuant to the terms of a share purchase agreement dated March 6, 2020. 7LV owns Foothills Health and Wellness, a medical dispensary, in the greater Sacramento, California area (the “Sacramento Dispensary”). Company management believes that the Sacramento Dispensary is expected to drive synergies with Stem’s premium branded dispensaries in Oklahoma City, OK, and in Eugene and Portland, OR. Stem also expects that the Sacramento Dispensary will receive its recreational license in the near term. 7LV also has an option to acquire a dispensary in Los Angeles, California.

Company purchase of Opco businesses

As long as the Company has fully satisfied all of its obligations and milestones pursuant to the Multiparty Agreement, the Company had the obligation to acquire the business operations of Opco Holdings and its subsidiaries, and Oregon Acquisitions, Gated Oregon and Kind Care (the “Operating Companies”) has the obligation to sell such operations to the Company, within a reasonable time after the Company receives a legal opinion that the operation of the Opco marijuana businesses in the State of Oregon by Stem will not violate any federal or state laws. On August 12, 2019, the parties agreed to waive this condition with the Company proceeding with the purchase of the operating companies.

Pursuant to the terms of a merger agreement between the parties, Stem will acquire Opco Holdings and its subsidiaries, and Oregon Acquisitions, Gated Oregon and Kind Care for a deemed aggregate purchase price of 12.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock. The purchase price will be satisfied by releasing these shares which are currently being held in escrow, to the beneficial owners of above-mentioned entities. As previously disclosed, certain beneficial owners of these entities are also directors, officers and/or shareholders of Stem. The transaction remains subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals from government entities of the State of Oregon and therefore is outside the control of the Company. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur this calendar year. Definitive agreements have been executed and filed with the regulatory agency. On September 4, 2020, the Company received all of the necessary regulatory approvals from government entities of the State of Oregon and, pursuant to the Merger Agreements, the transaction was consummated on that date.

Merger with Driven

On October 5, 2020, Stem, Driven Deliveries, Inc. (“Driven”) and Stem Driven Acquisition, Inc. (“SDA”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) wherein Driven has agreed to merge with and into SDA, with Driven being the surviving entity. Following completion of the merger transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Merger”), Driven will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stem. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Stem will exchange one newly-issued Share for each issued and outstanding share of Driven. Management of the Company believes that the Merger will close prior to the end of calendar year 2020, subject to satisfaction of all terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and completion of due diligence by all entities.

Driven is an e-commerce and DaaS (delivery-as-a-service) provider with proprietary logistics and omni-channel user experience/customer experience (“UX/CX”) technology. At the closing of the Merger, it is anticipated Stem will be re-named Driven by Stem. Management of both Driven and Stem believe that following completion of the Merger, Driven by Stem will be the first vertically-integrated cannabis company with a DaaS platform. See “Information Concerning Driven” and “Description of the Company – Post-Merger”.

The shares of common stock of Driven trade on the OTCQB market under the symbol “DRVD”. At the effective date of the closing of the Merger, all of the then issued and outstanding shares of Driven will be converted into the right to receive shares of common stock of the Company (the “Merger Consideration”). The Merger Agreement includes interim covenant provisions applicable prior to the earlier of the (i) closing of the Merger, or (ii) termination of the Merger Agreement that, among other things, restrict the Company’s ability to take certain actions with respect to the Company’s organizational documents, including but not limited to amending the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company.

Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Driven shareholders will receive one share of Company common stock for each share of Driven owned at the Effective Date. It is currently anticipated that shareholders of Stem and shareholders of Driven will hold approximately 47.4% and 52.6% of the Company following completion of the Merger. The Merger does not constitute a “significant acquisition” for the Company under Part 8 of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”).

Following the completion of the Merger, management of the Company believes that the combined companies will achieve synergies in sales and operations and reduced sales, general and administrative expense as a percentage of sales. Management of the Company also believes that the Merger will lead to further organic growth and margin expansion. The Merger is an arm’s length transaction. Following the effective date of the Merger, the shares of Driven will be delisted from the OTCQB market. Management of the Company expects the Shares to continue to trade on the OTCQX and on the CSE under Stem’s current symbols (OTCQX: STMH, CSE: STEM) following the closing of the Merger.

The completion of the Merger is subject to satisfaction or waiver of various closing conditions, including (i) the receipt of all required approvals of the stockholders of all merger participants and any required third-party consents and regulatory clearances, (ii) the absence of any governmental order or law that makes consummation of the Merger illegal or otherwise prohibited, (iii) the effectiveness of a registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed by Stem pursuant to which the Shares to be issued in connection with the Merger are registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, (iv) the completion of equity financings by Stem and Driven, and (v) the absence of any material adverse change prior to the effective date of the Merger. The obligation of each party to consummate the Merger is also conditioned upon the other party’s representations and warranties being true and correct (subject to certain materiality exceptions) and the other party having performed in all material respects its obligations under the Merger Agreement. If either party fails to meet its obligations under its equity financing closing conditions, either party may elect to terminate the Merger Agreement or proceed to close the Merger. Further, either party to the Merger could elect to waive certain conditions to the closing of the Merger in order to effect the transaction and, as a result, there can be no assurance that the combined organization will have the benefit of the conditions to closing described above or otherwise set forth in the Merger Agreement. See “Risk Factors”.

Principal Products and Markets

The Company’s principal operations have historically related to the leasing of properties, funding of capital, tenant improvements and administration of its leases and provision of financing to certain lessees, engaged in the production and sale of cannabis. While the Company originally operated primarily as a real estate holding company, it is now engaged in direct operations, primarily the production and sale of cannabis in states where it is legal to do so, with respect to its properties and activities other than the leasing of properties, funding of capital improvements and administration of its leases and provision of financing to certain lessees. Historically, the Company’s principal market has been in the State of Oregon, but it is now engaged in expansion into other markets where sale of marijuana is legal, including California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Maryland and, Oklahoma.

Production and Sales

The Company’s business requires that it possess or be in a position to access specialized knowledge and expertise regarding the state-licensed cannabis industry and those persons and entities who are involved in the industry. The Company believes that its management has such specialized expertise and experience, and the Company retains legal counsel that has recognized expertise in the industry. The Company does not believe that any aspect of its business is either: (i) cyclical or seasonal; or (ii) dependent on any particular franchise or license or other agreement to use a patent, formula, trade secret, process or trade name. The Company has not identified any specific environmental protection issues which will affect its business. The Company does not own significant identifiable intangible properties outside of its cannabis licenses.

The Company does not believe that its operations are dependent on any factors within the general economy. However, any material changes in either U.S. federal law enforcement priorities or the law of the State of California, Oregon, Nevada Massachusetts, Maryland and Oklahoma or other states where the Company operates affecting the cultivation and sale of cannabis could have a material impact on the Company’s business, particularly since the growth, marketing, sale, and use of marijuana is illegal under federal law.

Company Funding

Private Placement Transactions

The Company has sold shares of its common stock in private placement transactions under the exemption provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Regulation D promulgated thereunder and certain exemptions of the laws of the jurisdictions where any offering is made. In the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company raised gross proceeds of approximately $845,000 and $35,000, respectively.

The securities issued in the above-mentioned transactions were issued in connection with private placements exempt from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to the terms of Section 4(2) of that Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D. Investors who acquired shares of our common stock in the foregoing private placement transactions were all accredited investors and were required to complete, execute and deliver a subscription agreement and related documentation, which included customary representations and warranties, certain covenants and restrictions and indemnification provisions.

Promissory Note

In January 2020, the Company issued two promissory notes with a principal balance of $500,000 to accredited investors (the “Note Holders”). The notes mature in July 2020 and has an annual rate of interest of 12%. In connection with the issuance of the promissory notes, the Company issued the Note Holders 100,000 common stock purchase warrants with a five-year term from the issuance date, $0.85 per share. As of July 2020, in consideration of the warrants being amended to $0.45 per share with an extended the term from five to a ten-year term, the maturity date has been extended to December 13, 2020. In May 2020, the Company made a principal payment of $20,000. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $480,000.

In January 2020, the Company issued two promissory notes with a principal balance of $500,000 to accredited investors (the “Note Holders”). The note matures in October 2020 and has an annual rate of interest of 12%. In connection with the issuance of the promissory note, the Company issued the Note Holders 100,000 common stock purchase warrants with a five-year term from the issuance date, $0.85 per. As of July 2020, in consideration of the warrants being amended to $0.45 per share with an extended the term from five to a ten-year term, the maturity date has been extended to December 13, 2020 As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $500,000.

In July 2020, the Company issued a promissory note with a principal balance of $500,000 to the Companies merging entity (the “Note Holders”). The note matures in January 2022 and has interest rate of 6%. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $500,000.

The below Promissory Notes evidencing the PPP Loans are entered into subject to guidelines applicable to the program and contains customary representations, warranties, and covenants for this type of transaction, including customary events of default relating to, among other things, payment defaults and breaches of representations and warranties or other provisions of the Promissory Notes. The occurrence of an event of default may result in, among other things, the Company becoming obligated to repay all amounts outstanding. We continue to evaluate and may still apply for additional programs under the CARES Act, there is no guarantee that we will meet any eligibility requirements to participate in such programs or, even if we are able to participate, that such programs will provide meaningful benefit to our business. The Company plans to use the PPP funds received in a manner to obtain debt forgiveness. The Company will use the funds for payroll, rent, and utilities.

In July 2020, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary in Oregon received loan proceeds of $220,564 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act. The Loan, which was in the form of a promissory note, dated July 09, 2020, between the Company and Cross River Bank as the lender, matures on July 09, 2022 and bears interest at a fixed rate of 1% per annum, payable monthly commencing in six months. Under the terms of the PPP, the principal may be forgiven if the Loan proceeds are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act, such as payroll costs, benefits mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. No assurance can be provided that the Company will obtain forgiveness of the Loan in whole or in part. In addition, details of the PPP continue to evolve regarding which companies are qualified to receive loans pursuant to the PPP and on what terms, and the Company may be required to repay some or all of the Loan due to these changes or different interpretations of the PPP requirements. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $220,564.

The Company received loan proceeds of $266,820 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act. The Loan, which was in the form of a promissory note, dated May 01, 2020, between the Company and Transportation Alliance Bank as the lender, matures on May 01, 2022 and bears interest at a fixed rate of 1% per annum, payable monthly commencing in six months. Under the terms of the PPP, the principal may be forgiven if the Loan proceeds are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act, such as payroll costs, benefits mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. No assurance can be provided that the Company will obtain forgiveness of the Loan in whole or in part. In addition, details of the PPP continue to evolve regarding which companies are qualified to receive loans pursuant to the PPP and on what terms, and the Company may be required to repay some or all of the Loan due to these changes or different interpretations of the PPP requirements. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $266,820.

The Company’s related entity received loan proceeds of $245,400 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act. The Loan, which was in the form of a promissory note, dated June 03, 2020, between the Company and Coastal States Bank as the lender, matures on June 03, 2022 and bears interest at a fixed rate of 1% per annum, payable monthly commencing in six months. Under the terms of the PPP, the principal may be forgiven if the Loan proceeds are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act, such as payroll costs, benefits mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. No assurance can be provided that the Company will obtain forgiveness of the Loan in whole or in part. In addition, details of the PPP continue to evolve regarding which companies are qualified to receive loans pursuant to the PPP and on what terms, and the Company may be required to repay some or all of the Loan due to these changes or different interpretations of the PPP requirements. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $245,400.

The Company’s subsidiary received loan proceeds of $62,500 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act. The Loan, which was in the form of a promissory note, dated June 25, 2020, between the Company and First Home Bank as the lender, matures on June 25, 2022 and bears interest at a fixed rate of 1% per annum, payable monthly commencing in six months. Under the terms of the PPP, the principal may be forgiven if the Loan proceeds are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act, such as payroll costs, benefits mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. No assurance can be provided that the Company will obtain forgiveness of the Loan in whole or in part. In addition, details of the PPP continue to evolve regarding which companies are qualified to receive loans pursuant to the PPP and on what terms, and the Company may be required to repay some or all of the Loan due to these changes or different interpretations of the PPP requirements. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $62,500.

The Company’s subsidiary received loan proceeds of $147,407 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act. The Loan, which was in the form of a promissory note, dated July 15, 2020, between the Company and Cross River Bank as the lender, matures on December 30, 2020 and bears interest at a fixed rate of 1% per annum, payable monthly commencing in six months. Under the terms of the PPP, the principal may be forgiven if the Loan proceeds are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act, such as payroll costs, benefits mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. No assurance can be provided that the Company will obtain forgiveness of the Loan in whole or in part. In addition, details of the PPP continue to evolve regarding which companies are qualified to receive loans pursuant to the PPP and on what terms, and the Company may be required to repay some or all of the Loan due to these changes or different interpretations of the PPP requirements. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $147,407.

Convertible Promissory Notes and Mortgages

Mortgages payable

On January 16, 2018, the Company consummated a “Contract for Sale” for a Farm Property in Mulino Oregon (the “Mulino Property”). The purchase price was $1,700,000 which was reduced by a rental credit of approximately $135,000 which is equivalent to nine months’ rent at $15,000 a month and an additional credit of $9,500 for additional work done on the property. In connection with the purchase of the property, the Company made a cash payment as down payment plus payment of closing costs in the amount of $370,637 and issued a promissory note in the amount of $1,200,000 with a maturity of January 2020. The Company will pay monthly installments of principal and interest (at a rate of 2% per annum) in the amount of $13,500, commencing in July 2018 through the maturity date (January 2020), at which time the entire unpaid principal balance and any remaining accrued interest shall be due and payable in full. No amount was recorded for the premium for the below market rate feature of the note as it was immaterial. The note is secured by a deed of trust on the property. The Company performed an analysis and determined that the rate obtained was below market, however, no premium was recorded as the Company determined it was immaterial. As of September 30, 2020, and 2019, the balance due is $922,500 and $1,027,500, respectively.

On February 28, 2018, the Company executed a $550,000 mortgage payable on the Willamette property to acquire additional funds. The mortgage bears interest at 15% per annum. Monthly interest only payments began March 1, 2018 and continue each month thereafter until paid. The entire unpaid balance is due on March 1, 2020, the maturity date of the mortgage, and is secured by the underlying property. The Company paid costs of approximately $28,000 to close on the mortgage. The mortgage terms do not allow participation by the lender in either the appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project or the results of operations of the mortgaged real estate project. The note has been cross guaranteed by the CEO and Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2019, $550,000 was outstanding under this mortgage. In March 2020, the note was paid in full in conjunction with a refinance agreement. The terms of the refinance are described below under long-term debt mortgages.

On April 4, 2018, the Company executed a $314,000 mortgage payable on the Powell property to acquire additional funds. At closing $75,000 of the proceeds was put into escrow. The mortgage bears interest at 15% per annum. Monthly interest only payments began May 1, 2018 and continue each month thereafter until paid. The entire unpaid balance is due on April 1, 2020, the maturity date of the mortgage, and is secured by the underlying property. The Company plaid costs of approximately $19,000 to close on the mortgage. The mortgage terms do not allow participations by the lender in either the appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project or the results of operations of the mortgaged real estate project. The note has been cross guaranteed by the CEO and Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2019, $314,000 was outstanding under this mortgage. In January 2020, the note was paid in full in conjunction with a refinance agreement. The terms of the refinance are described below under long-term debt mortgages.

Long-term debt, mortgages

In January 2020, the Company refinanced a mortgage payable on property located in Oregon to acquire additional funds. The mortgage bears interest at 15% per annum. Monthly interest only payments began February 1, 2020, and continue each month thereafter until paid. The entire unpaid balance is due on January 31, 2022, the maturity date of the mortgage, and is secured by the underlying property. The mortgage terms do not allow participation by the lender in either the appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project or the results of operations of the mortgaged real estate project. The note has been cross guaranteed by the CEO and Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $400,000.

In March 2020, the Company executed a $1,585,000 mortgage payable on property located in Oregon to acquire additional funds. The mortgage bears interest at 11.55% per annum. Monthly interest only payments began April 1, 2020 and continue each month thereafter until paid. The entire unpaid balance is due on April 1, 2023, the maturity date of the mortgage, and is secured by the underlying property. The Company paid costs of approximately $120,000 to close on the mortgage. The mortgage terms do not allow participation by the lender in either the appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project or the results of operations of the mortgaged real estate project. The note has been cross guaranteed by the CEO and Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $1,585,000.

In March 2020, the Company executed a $400,000 mortgage payable on property located in Oregon to acquire additional funds. The mortgage bears interest at 11.55% per annum. Monthly interest only payments began May 1, 2020 and continue each month thereafter until paid. The entire unpaid balance is due on April 1, 2022, the maturity date of the mortgage, and is secured by the underlying property. The Company paid costs of approximately $38,000 to close on the mortgage. The mortgage terms do not allow participation by the lender in either the appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project or the results of operations of the mortgaged real estate project. The note has been cross guaranteed by the CEO and Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $400,000.

In March 2020, the Company refinanced a mortgage payable on property located in Nevada to acquire additional funds. The mortgage bears interest at 15% per annum. Monthly interest only payments began April 1, 2020 and continue each month thereafter until paid. The entire unpaid balance is due on March 31, 2022, the maturity date of the mortgage, and is secured by the underlying property. The mortgage terms do not allow participation by the lender in either the appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project or the results of operations of the mortgaged real estate project. The note has been cross guaranteed by the CEO and Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $700,000.

In July 2020, the Company executed a mortgage payable on property located in Nevada to acquire additional funds. The mortgage bears interest at 14% per annum. Monthly interest only payments began August 1, 2020 and continue each month thereafter until paid. The entire unpaid balance is due on July 31, 2023, the maturity date of the mortgage, and is secured by the underlying property. The mortgage terms do not allow participation by the lender in either the appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project or the results of operations of the mortgaged real estate project. The note has been cross guaranteed by the CEO and Director of the Company. As of September 30, 2020, the obligation outstanding is $200,000.

In April 2018, the Company received a 37.5% interest in NVD RE Corp. (“NVD”) upon its issuance to NVD of a commitment to contribute $1.275 million to NVD which included the purchase price of $600,000 and an additional commitment to pay tenant improvement costs of $675,000. In the year ended September 30, 2019, NVD obtained $300,000 in proceeds from a mortgage on its property. The funds from this mortgage were advanced to the Company. The advance is undocumented, non-interest bearing and due on demand. As of September 30, 2019, the balance due totals $300,000. In August 2020, the Company refinanced this obligation and paid the $300,000 balance. The refinanced mortgage term is 36 months and includes and interest rate of 14% and monthly interest only payments of $4,666,67. As of September 30, 2020, the balance due totals $400,000.

CD Special Warrant Offering

On December 27, 2018, the Company entered into an Agency Agreement (the “Agency Agreement”) for a private offering of up to 10,000 convertible debenture special warrants of the Company (the “CD Special Warrants”) for aggregate gross proceeds of up to CDN$10,000,000 (the “Offering”). The net proceeds of the Offering were used for expansion initiatives and general corporate purposes. The Company’s functional currency is U.S. dollars.

In December 2018 and January 2019, the Company issued 3,121 CD Special Warrants in the first closing of the Offering, at a price of CDN $1,000 per CD Special Warrant, and received aggregate gross proceeds of CDN $3.1 million or $2.3 million USD. In connection with this offering, the Company issued the agents in such offering 52,430 convertible debenture special warrants (the “Broker CD Special Warrants”) as partial satisfaction of a selling commission.

On March 14, 2019, the Company issued 962 CD Special Warrants in the second and final closing of the Offering, at a price of CDN $1,000 per CD Special Warrant, and received aggregate gross proceeds of CDN $1.0 million or $0.7 million USD. In connection with this offering, the Company issued the agents in such offering 5,600 convertible debenture special warrants (the “Broker CD Special Warrants”) as partial satisfaction of a selling commission.

The total aggregate proceeds of the Offering totaled $4.1 million CDN or $3.1 million USD.

Each CD Special Warrant will be exchanged (with no further action on the part of the holder thereof and for no further consideration) for one convertible debenture unit of the Company (a “Convertible Debenture Unit”), on the earlier of: (i) the third business day after the date on which both (A) a receipt (the “Receipt”) for a (final) document (the “Qualification Document”) qualifying the distribution of the Convertible Debentures (as defined below) and Warrants (as defined below) issuable upon exercise of the CD Special Warrants has been issued by the applicable securities regulatory authorities in the Canadian jurisdictions in which purchasers of the CD Special Warrants are resident (the “Canadian Jurisdictions”), and (B) a registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) registering the resale of the common shares underlying the Convertible Debentures and Warrants has been declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration”); and (ii) the date that is six months following the closing of the Offering. The Company has also provided certain registration rights to purchasers of the CD Special Warrants. The CD Special Warrants were exchanged for Convertible Debenture Units after six months as U.S. and Canadian registrations were not effective at that time.

Each Convertible Debenture Unit is comprised of CDN $1,000 principal amount 8.0% senior unsecured convertible debenture (each, a “Convertible Debenture”) of the Company and 167 common share purchase warrants of the Company (each, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company (each, a “Warrant Share”) at an exercise price of CDN $3.90 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering.

The Company has agreed to use its best efforts to obtain the Receipt and Registration within six months following the closing of the Offering. If the Receipt and Registration have not been obtained on or before 5:00 p.m. (PST) on the date that is 120 days following the closing of the Offering, each unexercised CD Special Warrant will thereafter entitle the holder thereof to receive, upon the exercise thereof and at no additional cost, 1.05 Convertible Debenture Units per CD Special Warrant (instead of 1.0 Convertible Debenture Unit per CD Special Warrant). Until the Receipt and Registration have been obtained, securities issued in connection with the Offering (including any underlying securities issued upon conversion or exercise thereof) will be subject to a 6-month hold period from the date of issue. Since the CD Special Warrants were exchanged for Convertible Debenture Units after 6 months as U.S. and Canadian registrations were not effective at that time, the holders received 1.05 Convertible Debenture Units per CD Special Warrant.

The brokered portion of the Offering (CDN $2.5 million, $1.9 million USD) was completed by a syndicate of agents (collectively, the “Agents”). The Company paid the Agents a cash commission equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds raised in the brokered portion of the Offering. As additional consideration, the Company issued the Agents such number of non-transferable broker convertible debenture special warrants (the “Broker CD Special Warrants”) as is equal to 7.0% of the number of CD Special Warrants sold under the brokered portion of the Offering. Each Broker CD Special Warrant shall be exchanged, on the same terms as the CD Special Warrants, into broker warrants of the Company (the “Broker Warrants”). Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Convertible Debenture Unit at an exercise price of CDN $1,000, until the date that is 24 months from the closing date of the Offering. The distribution of the Broker Warrants issuable upon the exchange of the Broker CD Special Warrants shall also be qualified under the Qualification Document and the resale of the common shares underlying the Broker Warrants will be registered under the Registration Statement. The Company also paid the lead agent a commission noted above of CDN$157,290, corporate finance fee equal to CDN $50,000 in cash and as to $50,000 in common shares of the Company at a price per share of CDN $3.00 plus additional expenses of CDN$20,000. In addition, the Company paid the trustees legal fees of CDN$181,365. In total the Company approx. USD $0.32 million in fees and expenses associated with the offering.

The issuance of the securities was made in reliance on the exemption provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), for the offer and sale of securities not involving a public offering, Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act, Regulation S, in Canada to “accredited investors” within the meaning of National Instrument 45106 and other exempt purchasers in each province of Canada, except Quebec, and/or outside Canada and the United States on a basis which does not require the qualification or registration. The securities being offered have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

Merger Agreement

On October 13, 2020, Stem Holdings, Inc. (“STEM”), Driven Deliveries, Inc. (“DRVD”) and Stem Driven Acquisition, Inc. (“SDA”) and entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) wherein DRVD would merge with and into SDA, with DRVD being the surviving entity and, following closing of the merger transaction, would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of STEM. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, STEM will exchange one newly-issued share of STEM common stock for each issued and outstanding share of DRVD. Management believes that the merger transaction will close prior to the end of calendar year 2020, subject to satisfaction of all terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and completion of due diligence by all entities.

STEM is a vertically-integrated cannabis and hemp branded products company with state-of-the-art cultivation, processing, extraction, retail, and distribution operations throughout the United States. DRVD is an e-commerce and DaaS (delivery-as-a-service) provider with proprietary logistics and omnichannel UX/CX technology. At the closing, STEM would be re-named Driven by Stem and would maintain its corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. Management of both DRVD and STEM believe that following completion of the merger transaction, Driven by Stem will be the first vertically-integrated cannabis company with a DaaS platform, which will meet the needs of all cannabis consumers in markets served.

Presently, STEM is traded on the OTCQX market and Canadian Stock Exchange under the symbols STMH and STEM, respectively. DRVD is presently traded on the OTCQB market. At the effective date of the closing of the merger transaction, all shares of DRVD will be converted into the right to receive shares of STEM Common Stock (the “Merger Consideration”). The Merger Agreement includes interim covenant provisions applicable prior to the earlier of the (i) closing of the Merger or (ii) termination of the Merger Agreement that, among other things, restrict our ability to take certain actions with respect to the Company’s organizational documents, including but not limited to amending the Certificate of Incorporation.

Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, DRVD shareholders will receive (based on closing share prices as of October 13, 2020) an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$27.5M. Based on the October 13, 2020 closing prices of both DRVD and STEM, Driven by Stem would have a combined market capitalization of approximately US$54 million, based on to closing market price of the Stem Shares and Driven Shares on the OTCQX and the OTCQB, respectively, on October 13, 2020 and 65M Stem Shares and 75M Driven Shares being outstanding on October 13, 2020.

The Board of Directors of each of STEM, SDA and DRVD have unanimously approved the Merger and it is expected to close in late 2020, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals, completion of final due diligence and other customary closing conditions. Driven by Stem, the combined entity after giving effect to the Acquisition, will maintain its headquarters at Stem’s current location in Boca Raton, FL.

Following the completion of the merger transaction, management believes that the combined companies will achieve synergies in sales and operations and reduced sales, general and administrative expense as a percentage of sales. Management also believes that the merger transaction will lead to further organic growth and margin expansion. The merger transaction is an arm’s length transaction. Following the effective date of the merger transaction, the shares of common stock of the combined companies are expected to continue to trade under STEM’s current symbols (OTCQX: STMH CSE: STEM).

Driven by Stem will integrate DRVD’s delivery capability and its robust technology in every state in which STEM currently operates and add STEM’s iconic cannabis brands to DRVD’s platform of over 400 cannabis products. Stem’s brand offerings cover multiple cannabis product categories, particularly flower, extracts, edibles and topicals with award-winning brands including TJ’s Gardens^™ and Yerba Buena^™; Cannavore^™ an edible brand; and Doseology™, a CBD mass market brand launching in 2021. As a cannabis technology company, DRVD’s Budee^™ and Ganjarunner^™ e-commerce platforms will also partner with leading cannabis companies in new geographies to meet demand for quick and accurate product deliveries. Initial operations will span nine states.

Management and Corporate Governance

Upon the closing of the merger transaction, the members of senior management of Driven by Stem expected to be:

Synergies

Management of both companies believe that the merger transaction will be accretive to EPS of the combined companies in calendar year 2021. Other expected benefits are: (1) increased scale to drive sales growth, (2) leveraging DRVD’s proprietary technology in new markets to drive market share; (3) cost savings estimated at $1.5M in the first year of combined operations through productivity initiatives, vertical supply chain efficiencies, and reduction and consolidation of overhead and administrative costs.

Both STEM and DRVD have taken steps to commence equity raises of up to $20M on a combined basis. The merger transaction is not expected to increase debt levels.

The completion of the merger transaction is subject to satisfaction or waiver of various closing conditions, including (i) the receipt of all required approvals of the stockholders of all merger participants and any required third-party consents and regulatory clearances, (ii) the absence of any governmental order or law that makes consummation of the merger transaction illegal or otherwise prohibited, (iii) the effectiveness of a Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed by STEM pursuant to which the shares of Common Stock to be issued in connection with the merger transaction are registered with the SEC, (iv) the completion of equity financings by STEM and DRVD and (v). The completion of due diligence by all parties and the absence of any material adverse change prior to the effective date of the merger transaction. The obligation of each party to consummate the merger transaction is also conditioned upon the other party’s representations and warranties being true and correct (subject to certain materiality exceptions) and the other party having performed in all material respects its obligations under the Merger Agreement. If either party fails to meet its obligations under its equity financing closing conditions, either party may elect to terminate the Merger Agreement or proceed to close the merger transaction. Further, the either party to the merger transaction could elect to waive certain conditions to the closing of the Merger in order to effect the transaction and, as a result, there can be no assurance that the combined organization will have the benefit of the conditions to closing described above or otherwise set forth in the Merger Agreement.

Employees

As of September 30, 2020, the Company had approximately one hundred (100) employees, most of whom devote their full time to the Company’s operations. The Company intends to increase staff as warranted by its operations and market conditions. No employee is covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Website.

The Company operates a website at www.stemholdings.com

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Smaller reporting companies are not required to provide the information required by this item.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

In July 2016, the Company entered into a 10-year lease for a commercial building from an unrelated third party in Springfield, Oregon. At the time the original lease was entered into, the Company had expected to close on significant subscriptions from its private placement. However, when those did not immediately materialize, the Company entered into an agreement with the landlord to cancel the lease and in addition, paid the landlord $15,000 not to rent out the property until such time the Company could enter into a new lease. In September 2016, the Company entered into a new 10-year lease with the landlord that commenced in November 2016. The lease requires the Company to pay a starting base rental fee of $7,033 plus an additional estimated $315 per month in real estate taxes in which the base rental fee escalates each year by approximately 2%. All taxes (including reconciling real estate taxes), maintenance and utilities are included at the end of each year as a one-time payment. In addition, the Company also remitted $14,000 for a security deposit to the landlord. No amounts have been recorded for deferred rent in these financial statements as the amount was deemed immaterial by the Company. The Company has subleased this space pursuant to a 10-year lease. On February 22, 2018, both parties executed a lease addendum that adds contiguous property for 12,322 square feet. The term commences November 1, 2017 and continues through November 31, 2026 at a starting rate of $3,525 a month that escalates after the first year. The Company subleases this property to a related party (see disclosures below under “Springfield Suites”). As of September 30, 2020, Company eliminates this rental income in consolidation.

In March 2018, the Company entered into a 3-year lease for the occupancy of the Company’s corporate office located in Boca Raton, Florida. The lease requires the Company to pay a base rental fee of $3,024 per month with yearly increases thereafter. All taxes, maintenance and utilities are billed separately. This space is currently being sub-leased for the reminder, which terminates in February 2021.

In September 2019, the Company entered into a 4-year lease for the occupancy of the Company’s new corporate office located in Boca Raton, Florida. The lease requires the Company to pay a starting base rental fee of $4,285 per month with yearly increases thereafter.

In January 2019, the Company entered into a 5-year lease for the occupancy of real estate and a building located in Hillsboro, Oregon. The lease requires the Company to pay a starting base rental fee of $9,696 per month with yearly increases thereafter.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

D.H. Flamingo, Inc. v. Department of Taxation, et. al.

On February 27, 2020, a subsidiary of the Company (YMY Ventures, LLC) was served with a Summons and Second Amended Complaint in a matter pending in the District Court of Clark County Nevada (Case # A-19-787004-B) which is styled “D.H. Flamingo, Inc. v. Department of Taxation, et. al.” (the DOT Litigation”). In this matter, the Plaintiff is alleging that certain parties (including YMY Ventures, LLC) received Conditional Recreational Marijuana Establishment Licenses, while certain other parties (including Plaintiff) were denied licenses. In the matter, Plaintiff seeks declaratory relief, injunctive relief, relief from violation of procedural and substantive due process, violation of equal protection, unjust enrichment, judicial review of the entire matter, together with a Petition for Writ of Mandamus. The Plaintiff seeks damages in an unspecified amount. Thereafter, on April 20, 2020, YMY Ventures, LLC filed a Notice of Non-Participation and Request for Dismissal. The Company believes it will ultimately be dismissed from the action without any liability exposure. Notwithstanding, there is no guarantee at this time that this will occur, and the ultimate result of the matter could potentially be the loss of YMY Ventures, LLC’s Conditional Recreational Marijuana Establishment License. The Company believes that this result would be highly unlikely and that the matter will be fully resolved as to YMY Ventures, LLC in the near term.

Chord Advisors, LLC v. Stem Holdings, Inc., et. al.

On June 5, 2020 Chord Advisors, LLC (“Chord”) filed a Complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial District in and for Palm Beach County, Florida (Case # 502020CA006097) alleging that Stem Holdings, Inc. owes Chord approximately $260,000 on account of fees for accounting services accrued pursuant to a Letter of Agreement dated October 2019. On July 6, 2020, the Company filed an Answer and Affirmative Defenses to the Complaint. This matter is in its early stages and, while the Company believes that it has meritorious defenses to the matters detailed in the Complaint, it is impossible to predict the outcome of the matter.

Lili Enterprises, LLC adv. YMY Ventures and OPCO, LLC

In July 2020, a dispute arose with the Company’s joint venture partner in connection with the Company’s operations in the State of Nevada. In this regard, the Company’s joint venture partner claims that it is owed certain amounts totaling approximately $307,500 pursuant to the joint venture Operating Agreement. On the other hand, the Company claims that the joint venture partner is in breach of its agreements with the Company and that the Company has heretofore advanced over $1 million in excess of its commitments under the Operating Agreement. The operative agreements require the disputes to be arbitrated. The parties have engaged an arbitrator and the matters are set for an arbitration hearing in February 2021. Ultimately, while the Company believes that a settlement will be reached, it is impossible to predict the outcome of the matter.

Additionally, we are subject from time to time to litigation, claims and suits arising in the ordinary course of business. As of September 30, 2020, we were not a party to any material litigation, claim or suit whose outcome could have a material effect on our financial statements.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

The Company’s common stock commenced trading on the OTCQB on May 23, 2018 under the symbol “STMH” and the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) on July 13, 2018 under the symbol “STEM”. On October 3, 2019, the Company commenced trading on the OTCQX.

The following table shows the high and low prices of our common shares on the OTCQB/OTCQX for each quarter for quarter from May 23, 2018 through September 30, 2020. The following quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions:

The market price of our common stock, like that of other early-stage cannabis-related companies, is highly volatile and is subject to fluctuations in response to variations in operating results, announcements of technological innovations or new products, or other events or factors. Our stock price may also be affected by broader market trends unrelated to our performance.

Holders

As of December 23, 2020, there were 70,534,167 shares of common stock par value $0.001 and there were approximately 250 shareholders of record.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

Our transfer agent is Odyssey Stock Transfer, Inc., located at Suite 702, 67 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5E 1J8.

Dividend Policy

We have never paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. We intend to retain future earnings to fund ongoing operations and future capital requirements of our business. Any future determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements and such other factors as the Board of Directors deems relevant.

RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES

The following table sets forth all securities issued by Stem between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020:

The securities issued in the abovementioned transactions were issued in connection with private placements exempt from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to the terms of Section 4(2) of that Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D.

Below is a list of securities sold by us from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2020 which were not registered under the Securities Act

Share Issuances to Consultants, Employees and Directors for Compensation and Severance

During the year ended September 30, 2020, the Company issued 1,635,422 shares of its common stock and recorded compensation expense of $1.1 million.

During the year ended September 30, 2020, the Company granted options to acquire 2,362,500 shares of its common stock at an exercise prices ranging from $0.29 to $1.25 per share. During the year ended September 30, 2020, the Company granted warrants to acquire 2,872,813 shares of its common stock at exercise prices ranging from $0.36 to $2.96 per share.

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Company issued 18,900 shares of its common stock related to an employee separation agreement with a fair value of approximately $18,000 or $0.97 per share.

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Company issued 7,060,754 shares of its common stock and recorded compensation expense of $10.182 million, which included the issuance of 2,757,002 shares which were the result of the board of directors granting the modification to holders of options that reduced the exercise price of those options.

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Company granted options to acquire 210,000 shares of its common stock at an exercise prices ranging from $.08 to $2.40 per share. During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Company granted warrants to acquire 1,350,000 shares of its common stock at exercise prices ranging from $1.70 to $2.40 per share.

The securities issued in the above-mentioned transactions were issued in connection with private placements exempt from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to the terms of Section 4(2) of that Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Pursuant to permissive authority under Regulation S-K, Rule 301, we have omitted Selected Financial Data.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results

This annual report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements regarding our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) encourages companies to disclose forward-looking information so that investors can better understand a company’s future prospects and make informed investment decisions. This annual report on Form 10-K and other written and oral statements that we make from time to time contain such forward-looking statements that set out anticipated results based on management’s plans and assumptions regarding future events or performance. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “will” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions, future performance or results of current and anticipated sales efforts, expenses, the outcome of contingencies, such as legal proceedings, and financial results. Factors that could cause our actual results of operations and financial condition to differ materially are set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this annual report on Form 10-K

We caution that these factors could cause our actual results of operations and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements we make and that investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all such factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each such factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and the related notes that appear elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following comparative analysis on results of operations was based primarily on the comparative consolidated financial statements, footnotes and related information for the periods identified below and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, which are included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K. The results discussed below are for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands).

Revenues

In years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company engages directly in the cultivation, production and sale of cannabis and related products.

In 2019, all the Company’s revenue originates in the state of Oregon. In 2020, the Company began realizing revenue from the states of Nevada and California.

The Company has also targeted Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and it has also begun working towards its investments obtaining licenses in Eswatini.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues for the year ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 totaled approximately $10.3 million and $2.1 million, respectively. The cost of revenue consisted of cannabis product cost, which includes contracted labor, growing, and trimming expenses, and product testing. The Company expects its cost of revenues to grow in line with its future revenue growth.

Operating Expenses

Consulting Fees

Consulting fees for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 totaled approximately $2.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively. The decrease of $368 thousand is primarily related to stock-based compensation expenses recognized during the year ended September 30, 2019 for restricted stock awards and warrants to acquire the Company’s common stock issued to consultants.

Professional Fees

Professional fees for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 totaled approximately $2.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively. The increase of $1.1 million is primarily related to legal, accounting, and other professional fees incurred as a result of acquisitions during the year ended September 30, 2020. We expect our professional fees to increase as we continue to grow our business.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 totaled approximately $8.3 million and $14.7 million, respectively. The decrease of $6.5 million is primarily related to a decrease in stock-based compensation for employees and officers and a reduction in option expense for employees, directors, and officers.

Impairment of Property and Equipment and Intangibles

The Company did not incur impairment expense for the year ended September 30, 2020. Impairment expenses related to property and equipment totaled approximately $1.7 million for the year ended September 30, 2019. We recorded an expense of $1.0 million related to our property and equipment acquired with our acquisition of Never Again Real Estate and Never Again 2 Real Estate and $0.7 million in other related properties.

Impairment expenses related to intangible assets totaled approximately $0.5 million for the year ended September 30, 2019 and were incurred in connection with our investment in YMY. This impairment is with respect to the granting of an option to effectuate the balance of one hundred percent of an acquisition that never took place.

Loss on Extinguishment of Rent

The Company did not recognize losses on extinguishment of debt related to the year ended September 30, 2020. Loss on extinguishment of rent expense for the year ended September 30, 2019, was approximately $1.1 million and was related to deferred rent.

Other Income (Expense)

Other expenses for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, totaled approximately $1.6 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The increase was primarily the result the change in fair value of derivative liabilities of $1.4 million.

Loss from Equity Method Investees

Related to the year ended September 30, 2020 the Company recognized a loss $0.3 million from equity method investees as compared to a loss of $6.5 million in 2019. The loss in 2019 was primarily the result of fully impairing the investment of $5.7 million in Stempro International acquired from our acquisition of South African Ventures and fully impairing the investment of $0.5 million in SOK Management and related investees.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

At September 30, 2020, we had negative working capital of approximately $9.2 million, which included cash and cash equivalents of $2.1 million. We reported a net loss of approximately $11.5 million and our net cash used in operating expenses totaled $5 million, our cash used in investing activities was $0.5 million and cash flows from financing activities totaled $4.4 million.

Subsequent to September 30, 2020, we received gross proceeds of approximately $1.3 million from the sale of common shares related to an S-1 Regulation.

Going Concern

At September 30, 2020, the Company had approximate balances of cash and cash equivalents of $2.1 million, negative working capital of $9.2 million, total stockholders’ equity of $26.8 million and an accumulated deficit of $51.4 million.

These audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes that the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.

While the recreational use of cannabis is legal under the laws of certain States, where the Company has and is working towards further finalizing the acquisition of entities or investment in entities that directly produce or sell cannabis, the use and possession of cannabis is illegal under United States Federal law for any purpose, by way of Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, otherwise known as the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (the “ACT”). Cannabis is currently included under Schedule 1 of the Act, making it illegal to cultivate, sell or otherwise possess in the United States.

On January 4, 2018, the office of the Attorney General published a memo regarding cannabis enforcement that rescinds directives promulgated under former President Obama that eased federal enforcement. In a January 8, 2018 memo, Jefferson B. Sessions, then Attorney General of the United States, indicated enforcement decisions will be left up to the U.S. Attorney’s in their respective states clearly indicating that the burden is with “federal prosecutors deciding which cases to prosecute by weighing all relevant considerations, including federal law enforcement priorities set by the Attorney General, the seriousness of the crime, the deterrent effect of federal prosecution, and the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community.” Subsequently, in April 2018, President Trump promised to support congressional efforts to protect states that have legalized the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis; however, a bill has not yet been finalized in order to implement legislation that would, in effect, make clear the federal government cannot interfere with states that have voted to legalize cannabis. Further in December 2018, the US Congress passed legislation, which the President signed on December 20, 2018, removing hemp from being included with Cannabis in Schedule I of the Act.

In December 2019, an outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States. On June 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. In addition, as of the time of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, several states in the United States have declared states of emergency, and several countries around the world, including the United States, have taken steps to restrict travel. The existence of a worldwide pandemic, the fear associated with COVID-19, or any, pandemic, and the reactions of governments in response to COVID-19, or any, pandemic, to regulate the flow of labor and products and impede the travel of personnel, may impact our ability to conduct normal business operations, which could adversely affect our results of operations and liquidity. Disruptions to our supply chain and business operations disruptions to our retail operations and our ability to collect rent from the properties which we own, personnel absences, or restrictions on the shipment of our or our suppliers’ or customers’ products, any of which could have adverse ripple effects throughout our business. If we need to close any of our facilities or a critical number of our employees become too ill to work, our production ability could be materially adversely affected in a rapid manner. Similarly, if our customers experience adverse consequences due to COVID-19, or any other, pandemic, demand for our products could also be materially adversely affected in a rapid manner. Global health concerns, such as COVID-19, could also result in social, economic, and labor instability in the markets in which we operate. Any of these uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

These conditions raise substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Should the United States Federal Government choose to begin enforcement of the provisions under the Act, the Company through its wholly owned subsidiaries could be prosecuted under the Act and the Company may have to immediately cease operations and/or be liquidated upon their closing of the acquisition or investment in entities that engage directly in the production and or sale of cannabis.

Management believes that the Company has access to capital resources through potential public or private issuances of debt or equity securities. However, if the Company is unable to raise additional capital, it may be required to curtail operations and take additional measures to reduce costs, including reducing its workforce, eliminating outside consultants, and reducing legal fees to conserve its cash in amounts sufficient to sustain operations and meet its obligations. These matters raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might become necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Future events and their effects cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Therefore, the determination of estimates requires the exercise of judgment. Actual results inevitably will differ from those estimates, and such differences may be material to the financial statements. The most significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of our financial statements include estimates associated with revenue recognition, investments, intangible assets, stock-based compensation and business combinations.

The Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows are impacted by the accounting policies the Company has adopted. In order to get a full understanding of the Company’s financial statements, one must have a clear understanding of the accounting policies employed. A summary of the Company’s critical accounting policies follows:

Revenue Recognition

Cannabis Dispensary, Cultivation and Production

The Company recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are within the scope of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), the entity performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of Topic 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.

Revenue for the Company’s product sales has not been adjusted for the effects of a financing component as the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when the Company’s transfers control of the product and when the Company receives payment will be one year or less. Product shipping and handling costs are included in cost of product sales.

Effective October 1, 2019, the Company adopted the requirements of ASU 2014-09 (ASC 606) and related amendments, using the modified retrospective method. The adoption of ASC 606 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s revenue recognition policy as revenues related to wholesale and retail revenue are recorded upon transfer of merchandise to the customer, which was the effective policy under ASC 605 previously.

The following policies reflect specific criteria for the various revenue streams of the Company:

Revenue is recognized upon transfer of retail merchandise to the customer upon sale transaction.

 The Company’s sales environment is somewhat unique, in that once the product is sold to the customer (retail) or delivered (wholesale) there are essentially no returns allowed or warranty available to the customer under the various state laws.

Revenue related to wholesale products is recognized upon receipt by the customer.

The Company has made an accounting policy election to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price certain taxes assessed by governmental authorities that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the entity from a customer (for example, county cannabis taxes). Taxes assessed on an entity’s total gross receipts and the Company reports revenue as a gross number and the county cannabis tax of approximately $125,000 are included in general and administrative expenses.

Leasing Operations

The Company recognizes rental revenue from tenants, including rental abatements, lease incentives and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related leases when collectability is reasonably assured.

The Company makes estimates of the collectability of its tenant receivables related to base rents, straight-line rent, and other revenues. In the current fiscal year, the Company began significant rental operations. The Company considers such things as historical bad debts, tenant creditworthiness, current economic trends, facility operating performance, lease structure, developments relevant to a tenant’s business, and changes in tenants’ payment patterns in its analysis of accounts receivable and its evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. Specifically, for straight-line rent receivables, the Company’s assessment includes an estimation of a tenant’s ability to fulfill its rental obligations over the remaining lease term.

Stock-based Compensation

The Company accounts for share-based payment awards exchanged for services at the estimated grant date fair value of the award. Stock options issued under the Company’s long-term incentive plans are granted with an exercise price equal to no less than the market price of the Company’s stock at the date of grant and expire up to ten years from the date of grant. These options generally vest on the grant date or over a one- year period.

The Company estimates the fair value of stock option grants using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based awards represent management’s best estimates and involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management’s judgment.

Expected Term - The expected term of options represents the period that the Company’s stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding based on the simplified method, which is the half-life from vesting to the end of its contractual term.

Expected Volatility - The Company computes stock price volatility over expected terms based on its historical common stock trading prices.

Risk-Free Interest Rate - The Company bases the risk-free interest rate on the implied yield available on U. S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with an equivalent remaining term.

Expected Dividend - The Company has never declared or paid any cash dividends on its common shares and does not plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future, and, therefore, uses an expected dividend yield of zero in its valuation models.

Effective January 1, 2017, the Company elected to account for forfeited awards as they occur, as permitted by Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09. Ultimately, the actual expenses recognized over the vesting period will be for those shares that vested. Prior to making this election, the Company estimated a forfeiture rate for awards at 0%, as the Company did not have a significant history of forfeitures.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets, which include property and equipment, for indicators of impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. The Company considers the following to be some examples of important indicators that may trigger an impairment review: (i) significant under-performance or losses of assets relative to expected historical or projected future operating results; (ii) significant changes in the manner or use of assets or in the Company’s overall strategy with respect to the manner or use of the acquired assets or changes in the Company’s overall business strategy; (iii) significant negative industry or economic trends; (iv) increased competitive pressures; (v) a significant decline in the Company’s stock price for a sustained period of time; and (vi) regulatory changes. The Company evaluates assets for potential impairment indicators at least annually and more frequently upon the occurrence of such events. The Company does not test for impairment in the year of acquisition of properties, as long as those properties are acquired from unrelated third parties.

The Company assesses the recoverability of its long-lived assets by comparing the projected undiscounted net cash flows associated with the related long-lived asset or group of long-lived assets over their remaining estimated useful lives against their respective carrying amounts. In cases where estimated future net undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized equal to an amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset or asset group. Fair value is generally determined using the assets expected future discounted cash flows or market value, if readily determinable. If long-lived assets are determined to be recoverable, but the newly determined remaining estimated useful lives are shorter than originally estimated, the net book values of the long-lived assets are depreciated and amortized prospectively over the newly determined remaining estimated useful lives.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess acquisition cost over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to annual impairment testing on or between annual tests if an event or change in circumstance occurs that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. In testing for goodwill impairment, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, the Company concludes that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is not required. If the Company concludes otherwise, the Company is required to perform the two-step impairment test. The goodwill impairment test is performed at the reporting unit level by comparing the estimated fair value of a reporting unit with its respective carrying value. If the estimated fair value exceeds the carrying value, goodwill at the reporting unit level is not impaired. If the estimated fair value is less than the carrying value, further analysis is necessary to determine the amount of impairment, if any, by comparing the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill to the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill.

Intangible Assets. Intangible assets deemed to have finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, where the useful life is the period over which the asset is expected to contribute directly, or indirectly, to our future cash flows. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment on an interim basis when certain events or circumstances exist. For amortizable intangible assets, impairment exists when the carrying amount of the intangible asset exceeds its fair value. At least annually, the remaining useful life is evaluated.

An intangible asset with an indefinite useful life is not amortized but assessed for impairment annually, or more frequently, when events or changes in circumstances occur indicating that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired. Impairment exists when the carrying amount exceeds its fair value. In testing for impairment, the Company has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an impairment exists. If it is determined that it is not more likely than not that an impairment exists, a quantitative impairment test is not necessary. If the Company concludes otherwise, it is required to perform a quantitative impairment test. To the extent an impairment loss is recognized, the loss establishes the new cost basis of the asset that is amortized over the remaining useful life of that asset, if any. Subsequent reversal of impairment losses is not permitted.

During the year ended September 30, 2020, the Company determined that there were not any impairments related to intangible assets.

Principles of Consolidation

The Company’s policy is to consolidate all entities that it controls by ownership of a majority of the outstanding voting stock. In addition, the Company consolidates entities that meet the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which it is the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the party who has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and who has an obligation to absorb losses of the entity or a right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. For consolidated entities that are less than wholly owned, the third party’s holding of equity interest is presented as noncontrolling interests in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity. The portion of net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests is presented as net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.

In August 2016, the Company and certain shareholders of the Company entered into a “Multi Party” Agreement, in which the Company became obligated to lease or acquire three separate real estate assets, and separately, if certain events occur, additional real estate assets held by entities related to those shareholders. The Agreement also gives the Company the right of first refusal in regard to certain properties owned by the persons and entities affiliated with the parties of the Agreement so long as certain targets are met. In the quarter ended June 30, 2019, the Company issued 12,500,000 shares of its common stock (shares are held in escrow) as it is currently attempting to acquire the set of entities that include Consolidated Ventures of Oregon, LLC (“CVO”) and Opco Holdings, LLC (“Opco”) which comprise the entities within the Multi Party Agreement. On September 6, 2020, the Company received the regulatory approval to transfer all the licenses held under both CVO and Opco. Subsequently, the Company has completed the acquisition for the period ended September 30, 2020, as a result, the Company is no longer engaged primarily in property rental operations but has taken over the operations of its primary renters, which is the cultivation, production and sale of cannabis and related productions. Since CVO and Opco are related to the Company, the acquisition, was not accounted for as a business combination at fair value under the codification sections of ASC 805. The assets and liabilities transferred to the Company at their historical cost and the Company has included the operations of Opco for all periods presented and included the operations of CVO for the period of April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020. The Company has therefore recorded the par value of the shares issued of $12,500 as of September 30, 2020. As of September 30, 2020, the Company has consolidated the entities with the Opco Holdings Group and CVO as the Company has determined that they are now material.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stem Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Stem Holdings Oregon, Inc., Stem Holdings IP, Inc., Opco, LLC, Stem Agri, LLC., Stem Group Oklahoma, Inc, Stem Holdings Florida, Inc., Foothills and SAV. In addition, the Company has consolidated YMY Ventures, LLC; WCV, LLC and NVDRE, Inc. under the variable interest requirements. Opco Holdings, Inc. and CVO and its subsidiaries are included in the consolidated financial statements due to its historical related party relationship. All material intercompany accounts, transactions, and profits have been eliminated in consolidation.

Equity Method Investments

Investments in unconsolidated affiliates are accounted for under the equity method of accounting, as appropriate. The Company accounts for investments in limited partnerships or limited liability corporations, whereby the Company owns a minimum of 5.0% of the investee’s outstanding voting stock, under the equity method of accounting. These investments are recorded at the amount of the Company’s investment and adjusted each period for the Company’s share of the investee’s income or loss, and dividends paid.

During the year ended September 30, 2020, the Company recognized losses of approximately $0.25 million. The losses related to its investment in East Coast Packers LLC (“ECP”) of approximately $0.24 million and Tilstar Medical, LLC (“TIL”) of approximately $0.014 million.

Asset Acquisitions

The Company has adopted ASU 2017-01, which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as businesses acquisitions. As a result of adopting ASU 2017-01, acquisitions of real estate and cannabis licenses do not meet the definition of a business combination and were deemed asset acquisitions, and the Company therefore capitalized these acquisitions, including its costs associated with these acquisitions.

Recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements

In June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07 expands the guidance in Topic 718 to include share-based payments for goods and services to non-employees and generally aligns it with the guidance for share-based payments to employees. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. The Company’s adoption of this standard on October 1, 2019 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The standard provides companies with a single model for use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective, including industry-specific revenue guidance. The standard specifically excludes lease contracts. The ASU allows for the use of either the full or modified retrospective transition method and was be effective for the Company on October 1, 2019. The Company adopted the updated standard using the modified retrospective approach. The financial information included in the Company’s 2020 Form 10-K was updated for the October 1, 2019 adoption date; this new guidance was reflected for the first time in the Company’s 2020 Form 10-K but effective as of October 1, 2019 in that filing. The guidance allows for the use of one of two retrospective application methods: the full retrospective method or the modified retrospective method. The Company adopted the standard in fiscal year 2020 using the modified retrospective method. The adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on the recognition of revenue.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases. The standard amends the existing lease accounting guidance and requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset for all leases (except for short-term leases that have a duration of one year or less) on their balance sheets. Lessees will continue to recognize lease expense in a manner similar to current accounting. For lessors, accounting for leases under the new guidance is substantially the same as in prior periods but eliminates current real estate-specific provisions and changes the treatment of initial direct costs. Entities are required to use a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparable period presented, with an option to elect certain transition relief. Full retrospective application is prohibited. The standard will be effective for the Company on October 1, 2020; however, early adoption of the ASU is permitted. The Company is still finalizing its analysis but expects to recognize additional operating liabilities of approximately $2.1 million, with corresponding ROU assets of approximately the same amount as of October 1, 2020 based on the present value of the remaining lease payments.

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

As a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Item 10 of Regulation S-K, the Company is not required to provide this information.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

The financial information required by Item 8 begins on the following page.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors

of Stem Holdings, Inc.

OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Stem Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH – GOING CONCERN

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully explained in Note 1, the Company and its affiliates, had net losses of $11.5 million and $28.985 million, negative working capital of $9.235 million and $2.635 million and accumulated deficits of $51.386 million and $40.384 million as of and for the year ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. In addition, the Company has commenced operations in the production and sale of cannabis and related products, an activity that is illegal under United States Federal law for any purpose, by way of Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, otherwise known as the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (the “ACT”). These facts raises substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH – CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLE

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has adopted the new revenue recognition accounting principle under ASC 606 – Revenue Recognition.

BASIS FOR OPINION

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ LJ Soldinger Associates, LLC

Deer Park, IL

December 24, 2020

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2017.

STEM HOLDINGS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands except for share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited consolidated financial statements.

STEM HOLDINGS, INC. 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 

For the Years Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 

(in thousands except for share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited consolidated financial statements.

STEM HOLDINGS, INC. 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 

For the Years Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 

(in thousands, except for share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited consolidated financial statements.

STEM HOLDINGS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

For the Years Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited consolidated financial statements.

1. Incorporation and Operations and Going Concern

Stem Holdings, Inc. (“Stem” or the “Company”) is a Nevada corporation incorporated on June 7, 2016. The Company is a multi-state, vertically integrated, cannabis company that purchases, improves, leases, operates and invests in properties for use in the production, distribution and sales of cannabis and cannabis-infused products licensed under the laws of the states of Oregon, Nevada, California, Massachusetts and Oklahoma. As of September 30, 2020, Stem had ownership interests in 22 state issued cannabis licenses including nine (9) licenses for cannabis cultivation, three (3) licenses for cannabis production, five (5) licenses for cannabis processing, one (1) license for cannabis wholesale distribution, one (1) license for hemp production and ten (10) cannabis dispensary licenses.

Stem’s partner consumer brands are award-winning and nationally known, and include cultivators, TJ’s Gardens, Travis X James, and Yerba Buena; retail brands, Stem and TJ’s; infused product manufacturers, Cannavore and Supernatural Honey; and a CBD company, Dose-ology. As of September 30, 2020, the Company has acquired nine commercial properties and leased a tenth property, located in Oregon and Nevada, and has entered into leases to related entities for these properties (see Note 18). As of September 30, 2020, the buildout of these properties to support cannabis related operations was either complete or near completion.

The Company has incorporated eight wholly-owned subsidiaries –Stem Holdings Oregon, Inc., Stem Holdings IP, Inc., Opco, LLC, Stem Holdings Agri, Inc., Stem Group Oklahoma, Inc., Opco Holdings, Inc., Foothills and Consolidated Ventures of Oregon, Inc., Stem, through its subsidiaries, is currently in the process of finalizing the investment in and acquisition of entities that engage directly in the production and sale of cannabis, thereby transitioning from a real estate company, with a focus on cannabis industry tenants, to a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operating company.

The Company’s stock is publicly traded and is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol “STEM” and the OTCQX exchange under the symbol “STMH”.

Going Concern

At September 30, 2020, the Company had approximate balances of cash and cash equivalents of $2.1 million, negative working capital of approximately $9.2 million, and an accumulated deficit of $51.4 million.

These audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes that the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.

While the recreational use of cannabis is legal under the laws of certain States, where the Company has and is working towards further finalizing the acquisition of entities or investment in entities that directly produce or sell cannabis, the use and possession of cannabis is illegal under United States Federal law for any purpose, by way of Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, otherwise known as the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (the “ACT”). Cannabis is currently included under Schedule 1 of the Act, making it illegal to cultivate, sell or otherwise possess in the United States.

On January 4, 2018, the office of the Attorney General published a memo regarding cannabis enforcement that rescinds directives promulgated under former President Obama that eased federal enforcement. In a January 8, 2018 memo, Jefferson B. Sessions, then Attorney General of the United States, indicated enforcement decisions will be left up to the U.S. Attorney’s in their respective states clearly indicating that the burden is with “federal prosecutors deciding which cases to prosecute by weighing all relevant considerations, including federal law enforcement priorities set by the Attorney General, the seriousness of the crime, the deterrent effect of federal prosecution, and the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community.” Subsequently, in April 2018, President Trump promised to support congressional efforts to protect states that have legalized the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis; however, a bill has not yet been finalized in order to implement legislation that would, in effect, make clear the federal government cannot interfere with states that have voted to legalize cannabis. Further in December 2018, the US Congress passed legislation, which the President signed on December 20, 2018, removing hemp from being included with Cannabis in Schedule I of the Act.

In December 2019, an outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States. On June 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. In addition, as of the time of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, several states in the United States have declared states of emergency, and several countries around the world, including the United States, have taken steps to restrict travel. The existence of a worldwide pandemic, the fear associated with COVID-19, or any, pandemic, and the reactions of governments in response to COVID-19, or any, pandemic, to regulate the flow of labor and products and impede the travel of personnel, may impact our ability to conduct normal business operations, which could adversely affect our results of operations and liquidity. Disruptions to our supply chain and business operations disruptions to our retail operations and our ability to collect rent from the properties which we own, personnel absences, or restrictions on the shipment of our or our suppliers’ or customers’ products, any of which could have adverse ripple effects throughout our business. If we need to close any of our facilities or a critical number of our employees become too ill to work, our production ability could be materially adversely affected in a rapid manner. Similarly, if our customers experience adverse consequences due to COVID-19, or any other, pandemic, demand for our products could also be materially adversely affected in a rapid manner. Global health concerns, such as COVID-19, could also result in social, economic, and labor instability in the markets in which we operate. Any of these uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

These conditions raise substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Should the United States Federal Government choose to begin enforcement of the provisions under the Act, the Company through its wholly owned subsidiaries could be prosecuted under the Act and the Company may have to immediately cease operations and/or be liquidated upon their closing of the acquisition or investment in entities that engage directly in the production and or sale of cannabis.

Management believes that the Company has access to capital resources through potential public or private issuances of debt or equity securities. However, if the Company is unable to raise additional capital, it may be required to curtail operations and take additional measures to reduce costs, including reducing its workforce, eliminating outside consultants, and reducing legal fees to conserve its cash in amounts sufficient to sustain operations and meet its obligations. These matters raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might become necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation