Acreage Holdings, Inc. (“
Acreage”) (CSE: ACRG.U)
(OTCQX: ACRGF) (FSE: 0ZV) today announced that, at a special
meeting of Acreage shareholders (the
“
Shareholders”) held on September 16, 2020 (the
“
Special Meeting”), the Shareholders voted in
favor of a special resolution (the “
Arrangement
Resolution”) authorizing and approving (i) the amended
arrangement (the “
Amended Arrangement”) under
section 288 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia)
between Acreage and Canopy Growth Corporation (“
Canopy
Growth”), (ii) the amending agreement (the
“
Amending Agreement”) which, among other things,
provides for certain amendments to the arrangement agreement
between Acreage and Canopy Growth dated April 18, 2019, as amended
on May 15, 2019 (the “
Arrangement Agreement”),
(iii) the amended and restated plan of arrangement Acreage, and
(iv) the second amended and restated omnibus equity incentive plan
(the “
Amended and Restated Omnibus Equity Incentive
Plan”).
Shareholders carrying an aggregate of
541,135,913 votes, representing approximately 89.63% of votes
entitled to be cast at the Special Meeting, were represented in
person or by proxy at the Special Meeting, with 99.84% such votes
being cast in favor of the Arrangement Resolution, including 97.33%
of the votes cast in favor pursuant to the minority approval
requirement pursuant to MI 61-101 (as defined below) and 97.33% of
the votes cast in favor pursuant to the minority approval
requirement pursuant to Rule 56-501 and NI 41-101 (as such terms
are defined below).
“I am very pleased with the continued
overwhelming support from our Shareholders,” said William Van
Faasen, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Acreage. “The
Amended Arrangement between Acreage and Canopy Growth represents a
significant win for our Shareholders and reaffirms our commitment
to a vibrant future. I would like to thank all of our Shareholders
for their continued support.”
The Arrangement Resolution required approval by
at least 66⅔% of the votes cast at the Special Meeting by the
holders of Acreage’s class A subordinate voting shares (the
“Subordinate Voting Shares”), Class B
proportionate voting shares (the “Proportionate Voting
Shares”) and Class C multiple voting shares (the
“Multiple Voting Shares”, and collectively with
the Subordinate Voting Shares and Proportionate Voting Shares, the
“Acreage Shares”), voting together as a single
class. Additionally, pursuant to: (i) Multilateral Instrument
61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special
Transactions (“MI 61-101”), the Arrangement
Resolution required approval by at least a majority of votes cast
at the Special Meeting by the holders of Subordinate Voting Shares
and Proportionate Voting Shares, voting together as a single class,
and excluding the Acreage Shares held by any “interested party”,
any “related party” of an “interested party” or any “joint actor”
(as such terms are defined in MI 61-101); and (ii) OSC Rule 56-501
(“Rule 56-501”) and National Instrument 41-101 -
General Prospectus Requirements (“NI 41-101”), the
Arrangement Resolution required approval by at least a majority of
the votes cast at the Special Meeting by the holders of Subordinate
Voting Shares and Proportionate Voting Shares, voting together as a
single class, excluding the votes cast by any affiliates of Acreage
and Acreage Shares held directly or indirectly by control persons
of Acreage for the purposes of Rule 56-501 and NI 41-101, all as
more particularly described in Acreage’s proxy statement and
management information circular mailed to Shareholders in
connection with the Special Meeting (the
“Circular”).
Acreage expects that the hearing date for the
application for the final order of the Supreme Court of British
Columbia (the “Final Order”) will take place on
or about September 18, 2020 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Following the satisfaction or waiver of all conditions, including
the receipt of the Final Order, Acreage will implement the Amended
Arrangement as contemplated in the Circular. Acreage
anticipates making a further announcement regarding the anticipated
date for the implementation of the Amended Arrangement and
confirming the record date for fixing the holders of Acreage Shares
(and certain other eligible securities as described in the
Circular) eligible to receive their proportion of the US$37,500,024
amendment option payment to be made by Canopy Growth.
ABOUT ACREAGE
Headquartered in New York City, Acreage is a
vertically integrated, multi-state operator of cannabis licenses
and assets in the U.S. Acreage is dedicated to building and scaling
operations to create a seamless, consumer-focused branded cannabis
experience. Acreage debuted its national retail store brand, The
Botanist in 2018 and its award-winning consumer brands, The
Botanist and Live Resin Project in 2019.
On June 27, 2019, Acreage implemented an
arrangement under section 288 of the Business Corporations Act
(British Columbia) (the “Current Arrangement”)
with Canopy Growth pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement. On June
24, 2020, Canopy Growth and Acreage entered into an agreement (the
“Proposal Agreement”) proposing to implement the
Amended Arrangement. Pursuant to the Current Arrangement, upon the
occurrence of changes to federal laws in the United States to
permit the general cultivation, distribution and possession of
marijuana or to remove the regulation of such activities from the
federal laws of the United States (the “Triggering
Event”) (or waiver of the Triggering Event by Canopy
Growth), Canopy Growth will, subject to the satisfaction or waiver
of certain closing conditions, acquire (the
“Acquisition”) each of Acreage’s Subordinate
Voting Shares (following the automatic conversion of the
Proportionate Voting Shares and Multiple Voting Shares into
Subordinate Voting Shares) on the basis of 0.5818 of a common
share of Canopy Growth (each whole share, a “Canopy Growth
Share”) per Subordinate Voting Share (subject to
adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Arrangement
Agreement), until such time as amended in accordance with the
Amended Arrangement. The proposed Amended Arrangement will
result in, among other things, each Subordinate Voting Share
will be exchanged for 0.7 of a Class E subordinate voting share
(each whole share, a “Fixed Share”) and 0.3 of a
Class D subordinate voting share (each whole share, a
“Floating Share”), each Proportionate Voting
Share will be exchanged for 28 Fixed Shares and 12 Floating Shares
and each Multiple Voting Share will be exchanged for 0.7 of a
Class F multiple voting share (each whole share, a “Fixed
Multiple Share”) and 0.3 of a Floating Share. In addition
to various amendments to the covenants, restrictions and closing
conditions contained in the Arrangement Agreement in accordance
with the Amending Agreement, the Amended Arrangement will provide
(i) that upon the occurrence (or waiver of Canopy Growth) of the
Triggering Event, Canopy Growth will, subject to the satisfaction
or waiver of certain closing conditions (as amended by the Amended
Arrangement), acquire all of the issued and outstanding Fixed
Shares on the basis of 0.3048 of a Canopy Growth Share per Fixed
Share (following the automatic conversion of the Fixed Multiple
Shares and subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of
the Arrangement Agreement, as amended by the Amending Agreement);
and (ii) an option, exercisable at the discretion of Canopy Growth,
to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Floating Shares at
the time that Canopy Growth acquires the Fixed Shares, for cash or
Canopy Growth Shares, as Canopy Growth may determine, at a price
Per Floating Share based upon the 30-day volume-weighted average
trading price of the Floating Shares on the Canadian Securities
Exchange relative to the trading price of the Canopy Growth Shares
at the time of the occurrence or waiver of the Triggering Event,
subject to a minimum price of US$6.41 per Floating Share.
For more information about the Current
Arrangement and the Acquisition please see the respective
information circulars of each of Acreage and Canopy Growth dated
May 17, 2019, which are available on Canopy Growth’s and Acreage’s
respective profiles on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and filed with the
SEC on the EDGAR website at www.sec.gov. For more detailed
information about the Amended Arrangement, please see the Circular
dated August 17, 2020, which was mailed to Acreage shareholders in
connection with the Special Meeting and which was filed with the
SEC and is available on the EDGAR website at www.sec.gov and on
Acreage’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For additional
information regarding Canopy Growth, please see Canopy Growth’s
profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release and each of the documents
referred to herein contains “forward-looking information” and
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable
Canadian and United States securities legislation, respectively.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included
herein are forward-looking information, including, for greater
certainty, statements regarding the Acquisition, including the
likelihood of completion thereof, the Amended Arrangement,
including the timing and likelihood of completion thereof, the
occurrence or waiver of the Triggering Event, the satisfaction or
waiver of the closing conditions set out in the Arrangement (as
amended by the Amended Arrangement), and other statements with
respect to the proposed transactions with Canopy Growth. Often,
but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be
identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or
“does not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”,
“anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or
variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions,
events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be
taken, occur or be achieved.
Forward-looking statements or information
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Acreage or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied
by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this
news release. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with
forward-looking information could cause actual events, results,
performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information,
including, but not limited to risks disclosed in the Circular,
Acreage’s management information circular dated May 17, 2019 filed
on May 23, 2019, Acreage’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2019 dated May 29, 2020 and the amendment
thereto on Form 10-K/A dated August 14, 2020, and Acreage’s other
public filings, in each case filed with the SEC on the EDGAR
website at www.sec.gov and with Canadian securities regulators
and available on the issuer profile of Acreage on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com. Although Acreage has attempted to identify
important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in forward-looking information,
there may be other factors that cause results not to be as
anticipated, estimated or intended.
Although Acreage believes that the assumptions
and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information or
forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable,
undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no
assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed
time frames or at all. The forward-looking information and
forward-looking statements included in this news release are made
as of the date of this news release and Acreage does not undertake
any obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information
or forward-looking information to reflect new information,
subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable
securities laws.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its
Regulation Service Provider has reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this
news release.
Investor
Contacts: |
Media Contact: |
Steve WestVice President, Investor
RelationsInvestors@acreageholdings.com646-600-9181 |
Howard SchacterVice President,
Communicationsh.schacter@acreageholdings.com646-600-9181 |
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