- Shareholders to vote on the creation of a new class of
Exchangeable Shares, which is expected to be a critical step in
strategy to accelerate Canopy Growth's entry into the over
$50B1 U.S. THC
market.
- For any questions or assistance with voting, shareholders
should contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group at 1-877-452-7184 (North
American Toll Free) or 1‑416‑304‑0211 (Outside North America), or
by email at assistance@laurelhill.com.
SMITHS
FALLS, ON, Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Canopy Growth
Corporation ("Canopy Growth" or the "Company") (TSX: WEED) (Nasdaq:
CGC) announced today that the Company will hold a special meeting
(the "Meeting") of shareholders at 1:00PM ET on Friday, April 12, 2024. The
Meeting will be conducted in virtual format by live audio webcast
at:
www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/WEED2024SM.
At the Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider, and if
deemed appropriate, pass a special resolution authorizing an
amendment (the "Amendment Proposal") to the Company's articles of
incorporation, as amended, in order to: (i) create and authorize
the issuance of an unlimited number of a new class of non-voting
and non-participating exchangeable shares in the capital of Canopy
Growth (the "Exchangeable Shares").
Shareholders will find important information and detailed
instructions about how to participate in the Meeting in the
Company's definitive proxy statement (the "Proxy Statement"), which
is available at:
www.canopygrowth.com/investors/investor-events/special-meeting-2024.
1 MJBiz
market forecast of total US cannabis market by 2026, in USD
currency.
|
Background
On October 25, 2022, Canopy Growth
previously announced a strategy to accelerate its entry into the
U.S. cannabis industry and unleash the value of its full U.S.
cannabis ecosystem through the creation of a new U.S.-domiciled
holding company, Canopy USA, LLC
("Canopy USA"). Canopy
USA holds the Company's U.S.
cannabis investments, which will enable it to exercise rights to
acquire Acreage Holdings, Inc. ("Acreage"), Mountain
High Products, LLC, Wana Wellness, LLC and The Cima Group, LLC
(collectively, "Wana") and Lemurian, Inc. ("Jetty"). Upon Canopy
USA's acquisition of any of these
U.S. THC businesses, Canopy Growth is expected to deconsolidate the
financial results of Canopy USA
and have a non-controlling interest in Canopy USA, which will be accounted for as an equity
method (fair value) investment.
Canopy USA Strategic
Highlights
As the growth of the U.S. cannabis market continues at the state
level, this strategy enables Canopy Growth to capitalize on
the once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity in the largest
cannabis market in the world. These actions are expected to enable
Canopy Growth and Canopy USA to
realize value in the near term prior to federal permissibility of
cannabis in the United States
while positioning the Company for profitable growth and a fast
start upon federal permissibility of cannabis in the United States.
Potential benefits of this strategy include:
- Fast Tracks Entry into the World's Largest and Fastest
Growing Cannabis Market: The U.S. retail cannabis market
is projected to be as high as approximately US$50 billion in
20262, and this strategy aims to unlock the ability to
capture share and return on investments made to date. Through these
"stepping stone" transactions, Canopy Growth will be strategically
repositioned to capitalize on the benefits of complete ownership
and control of its U.S. THC portfolio of assets following the date
that the NASDAQ Stock Market or The New York Stock Exchange permit
the listing of companies that consolidate the financial statements
of companies that cultivate, distribute or possess marijuana (as
defined in 21 U.S.C 802) in the United
States.
- Establishes Industry-Leading, Premium-Focused Brand
Powerhouse: Canopy USA's
portfolio includes some of the most recognized, iconic cannabis
brands in the United States that
we believe are ideally positioned in the fastest growing
categories, such as edibles, vapes, and flower. Canopy USA is expected to leverage the best of each
brand's offerings to accelerate growth and market expansion as key
states across the country continue to allow adult-use cannabis
usage, realizing value in the near term and setting Canopy Growth
up for a fast start upon U.S. federal permissibility of
cannabis.
- Financial Benefit via Revenue and Cost Synergies within
Canopy USA: The combination of
U.S. cannabis assets is expected to generate revenue and cost
synergies within Canopy USA by
leveraging the brands, routes to market and operations of the full
U.S. cannabis ecosystem while eliminating redundancies across
certain of the U.S. THC portfolio of assets and the public company
reporting costs of Acreage. Furthermore, as a result of the various
investments, counterparties and definitive agreements in connection
with the U.S. THC portfolio of assets, the time, complexity and
cost associated with monitoring and valuing each underlying
contract is financially and logistically burdensome. As a result of
the formation of Canopy USA, the
Company has adopted a singular approach to its U.S. strategy. Over
time we expect to realize value as a result of: (i) reduced
operating expenses for Canopy Growth with respect to the monitoring
of the U.S. THC portfolio of assets; and (ii) cost synergies across
Canopy USA, including the
elimination of public company reporting costs for Acreage, all of
which are expected to be realized while cannabis remains federally
illegal in the United States.
- Highlights the Value of Canopy's U.S. THC Investments:
While Canopy Growth will not consolidate the financial results of
Canopy USA, Canopy Growth expects
to highlight the value of Canopy USA's U.S. THC assets to investors following
their acquisition.
For more information on Canopy USA and the requirement for a class of
Exchangeable Shares in the capital of Canopy Growth , please refer
to the Proxy Statement that is available at:
www.canopygrowth.com/investors/investor-events/special-meeting-2024.
2 MJBiz
market forecast of total US cannabis market by 2026, in USD
currency.
|
Voting
Shareholders of record as of the close of business on
February 12, 2024, and shareholders
holding a legal proxy for the Meeting, are eligible to vote at the
Meeting. Shareholders will find important information and detailed
instructions about how to participate in the Meeting in the Proxy
Statement that is available at:
www.canopygrowth.com/investors/investor-events/special-meeting-2024.
Shareholders who are eligible to vote will be mailed a notice of
internet availability in accordance with securities regulations
which will provide instructions on how to access proxy materials
and vote their shares. Shareholders are encouraged to vote and
submit proxies as early as possible in advance of the Meeting by
one of the methods described in the Proxy Statement.
For more information, shareholders should contact the Company's
strategic shareholder advisor and proxy solicitation agent, Laurel
Hill Advisory Group, at 1-877-452-7184 (1-416-304-0211 for collect
calls outside North America) or by
email at assistance@laurelhill.com.
About Canopy Growth
Corporation
Canopy Growth is a leading North American cannabis and consumer
packaged goods ("CPG") company dedicated to unleashing the power of
cannabis to improve lives.
Through an unwavering commitment to our consumers, Canopy Growth
delivers innovative products with a focus on premium and mainstream
cannabis brands including Doja, 7ACRES, Tweed, and Deep Space.
Canopy Growth's CPG portfolio features gourmet wellness products by
Martha Stewart CBD, and category defining vaporizer technology made
in Germany by Storz &
Bickel.
Canopy Growth has also established a comprehensive ecosystem to
realize the opportunities presented by the U.S. THC market through
its rights to Acreage, a vertically integrated multi-state cannabis
operator with principal operations in densely populated states
across the Northeast, as well as Wana
Brands, a leading cannabis edible brand in North America, and Jetty Extracts, a
California-based producer of
high‑quality cannabis extracts and pioneer of clean vape
technology.
Beyond its world-class products, Canopy Growth is leading the
industry forward through a commitment to social equity, responsible
use, and community reinvestment—pioneering a future where cannabis
is understood and welcomed for its potential to help achieve
greater well-being and life enhancement.
For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of applicable securities laws, which involve certain
known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking
statements predict or describe our future operations, business
plans, business and investment strategies and the performance of
our investments. These forward-looking statements are generally
identified by their use of such terms and phrases as "intend,"
"goal," "strategy," "estimate," "expect," "project," "projections,"
"forecasts," "plans," "seeks," "anticipates," "potential,"
"proposed," "will," "should," "could," "would," "may," "likely,"
"designed to," "foreseeable future," "believe," "scheduled" and
other similar expressions. Our actual results or outcomes may
differ materially from those anticipated. You are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which
speak only as of the date the statement was made.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to,
statements with respect to: expectations regarding the Canopy
USA THC platform and the
anticipated timing, occurrence and outcome of the Meeting;
statements regarding the expected size of the U.S. cannabis market;
statements with respect to our ability to execute on our strategy
to accelerate the Company's entry into the U.S. cannabis industry,
capitalize on the opportunity for growth in the U.S. cannabis
sector and the anticipated benefits of such strategy, including the
ability to generate revenues and cost synergies; expectations
regarding the Company's ability to deconsolidate the financial
results of Canopy USA from the
financial results of Canopy Growth; the timing and outcome of the
exercise of rights to acquire Acreage, Wana and Jetty, including
the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions set out in the
underlying agreements and receipt of all regulatory approvals;
expectations regarding the U.S. federal laws and regulations and
any amendments thereto; expectations regarding the potential
success of, and the costs and benefits associated with, our
acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, equity
investments and dispositions; our ability to successfully create
and launch brands and further create, launch and scale
cannabis-based products; our ability to continue as a going
concern; our ability to execute on our strategy and the anticipated
benefits of such strategy; the timing and nature of legislative
changes in the U.S. regarding the regulation of cannabis, including
THC; the future performance of our business and operations; and our
ability to comply with the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock
Market LLC and the Toronto Stock Exchange.
The forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon
certain material assumptions that were applied in drawing a
conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including, without
limitation: (i) management's perceptions of historical trends,
current conditions and expected future developments; (ii) general
economic, financial market, regulatory and political conditions in
which we operate; (iii) anticipated and unanticipated costs; (iv)
government regulation; (v) our ability to realize anticipated
benefits, synergies or generate revenue, profits or value; and
(xiii) other considerations that management believes to be
appropriate in the circumstances. While our management considers
these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently
available to management, there is no assurance that such
expectations will prove to be correct.
By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to
inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific
and which give rise to the possibility that expectations,
forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove
to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that
objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A
variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of
which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements in this press
release. Such factors include, without limitation, our limited
operating history; the diversion of management time on issues
related to Canopy USA; the risks
the risks relating to the conditions precedent to the acquisitions
of Acreage, Wana and Jetty not being satisfied or waived; the risks
related to Acreage's financial statements expressing doubt about
its ability to continue as a going concern; the fact that we have
yet to receive audited financial statements from Jetty; the
adequacy of our capital resources and liquidity, including but not
limited to, availability of sufficient cash flow to execute our
business plan (either within the expected timeframe or at all);
volatility in and/or degradation of general economic, market,
industry or business conditions; compliance with applicable
policies and regulations; changes in regulatory requirements in
relation to our business and products; our reliance on licenses
issued by and contractual arrangements with various federal, state
and provincial governmental authorities; inherent uncertainty
associated with projections; future levels of revenues and the
impact of increasing levels of competition; third-party
manufacturing risks; third-party transportation risks; inflation
risks; our exposure to risks related to an agricultural business,
including wholesale price volatility and variable product quality;
changes in laws, regulations and guidelines and our compliance with
such laws, regulations and guidelines; risks relating to our
ability to refinance debt as and when required on terms favorable
to us and to comply with covenants contained in our debt facilities
and debt instruments; risks related to the integration of acquired
businesses; the timing and manner of the legalization of cannabis
in the United States; business
strategies, growth opportunities and expected investment;
counterparty risks and liquidity risks that may impact our ability
to obtain loans and other credit facilities on favorable terms; the
potential effects of judicial, regulatory or other proceedings,
litigation or threatened litigation or proceedings, or reviews or
investigations, on our business, financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows; the anticipated effects of actions of
third parties such as competitors, activist investors or federal,
state, provincial, territorial or local regulatory authorities,
self-regulatory organizations, plaintiffs in litigation or persons
threatening litigation; consumer demand for cannabis; the
implementation and effectiveness of key personnel changes; risks
related to stock exchange restrictions; the risks related to the
Exchangeable Shares having different rights from our common shares
and the fact that there may never be a trading market for the
Exchangeable Shares; future levels of capital, environmental or
maintenance expenditures, general and administrative and other
expenses; and the factors discussed under the heading "Risk
Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended March 31, 2023 filed with the
SEC on EDGAR and with the Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+
on June 22, 2023, in Item 1A of Part
II of the Company's Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC
on EDGAR and with the Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ on
February 9, 2024, as well as those
disclosed under the heading "Amendment Proposal—Risk Factors
Relating to the Amendment Proposal" in the Proxy Statement .
Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors,
uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue
reliance on forward-looking statements.
While we believe that the assumptions and expectations reflected
in the forward-looking statements are reasonable based on
information currently available to management, there is no
assurance that such assumptions and expectations will prove to have
been correct. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date
they are made and are based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations
and opinions of management on that date. We undertake no obligation
to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or
results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between
subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements,
except as required by law. The forward-looking statements contained
in this press release and other reports we file with, or furnish
to, the SEC and other regulatory agencies and made by our
directors, officers, other employees and other persons authorized
to speak on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by
these cautionary statements.
Participants in the Solicitation
Canopy Growth and its directors and executive officers may be
deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from
shareholders with respect to the solicitation of votes to consider
the Amendment Proposal. A description of the interests of our
directors and executive officers in the Amendment Proposal is
contained in the Proxy Statement and is available free of charge at
the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to
Canopy Growth Corporation, 1 Hershey Drive, Smiths Falls, Ontario, K7A 0A8 or by email to
invest@canopygrowth.com. Investors should read the Proxy
Statement as it contains important information.
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SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation