UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-K

 


 

(Mark One)

ANNUAL REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended: May 31, 20222023

 

TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from to

 

Commission File No.: 000-55546

 

CLS HOLDINGS USA, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Nevada

45-1352286

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

11767 South Dixie Highway,1800 Industrial Road, Suite 115, Miami, Florida 33156100, Las Vegas, NV 89102

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(888) 438-9132888-260-7775

(Registrant’s telephone number)

 

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

 

Title of each class

 

Trading Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

N/A

 

N/A

N/A

 

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

 

Common Stock, par value $.0001

 

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

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). ☒ Yes ☐ No

 

 

 

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer ☐

Accelerated filer ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐

Smaller reporting company ☒

 

Emerging Growth Company ☐

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ☐ Yes ☒ 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: $12,503,655.$5,087,458.

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 128,208,08272,543,141 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001, as of August 19, 2022.22, 2023.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Certain information required by Part III of this Annual report on Form 10-K will be incorporated by reference from the Registrant's definitive proxy statement or included in an amendment on Form 10-K/A that will be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year ended May 31, 2022.

2023.

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

Page

 

 

PART I

 

 

 

Item 1.

Business

6

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

30

Item 1B.

Unresolved Staff Comments

51

50

Item 2.

Properties

5150

Item 3.

Legal Proceedings

5251

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

5251

 

 

 

PART II

 

 

 

Item 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

5352

Item 6.

[Reserved]

5453

Item 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

5453

Item 7A.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

7068

Item 8.

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

7169

Item 9.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

7270

Item 9A.

Controls and Procedures

7270

Item 9B.

Other Information

7270

Item 9C.

Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

72

70

 

 

 

PART III

 

 

 

Item 10.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

7371

Item 11.

Executive Compensation

7371

Item 12.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

7371

Item 13.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

7371

Item 14.

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

7371

 

 

 

PART IV

 

 

 

Item 15.

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

7472

Item 16.

Form 10-K Summary

77

76

 

 

SIGNATURES

7877

 

 

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This annual report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this annual report, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, strategy and plans, and our expectations for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information is contained principally in the sections entitled “Our Business,” “Managements Discussion and Analysis” and “Risk Factors”.

 

We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs.

 

In some cases, the forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as “may”, “might”, “will”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “indicate”, “seek”, “believe”, “predict” or “likely”, or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking information. We have based this forward-looking information on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that it believeswe believe might affect itsour financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs.

These statements relate to, among other things, the impact of the COVID-19 virus on our business, the results of our initiatives to retain our employees and strengthen our relationships with our customers and community during the pandemic, the effect of our initiatives to retain and expand market share and achieve growth following the pandemic, results of operations during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of our business practices during the pandemic. The continued spread of COVID-19 could have, and in some cases already has had, an adverse impact on our business, operations and financial results, including through disruptions in our processing activities, sales channels, and retail dispensary operations as well as a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession. Due to the uncertainties associated with the continued spread of COVID-19 and the timing of vaccinations, it is not possible to estimate its impact on our business, operations or financial results; however, the impact could be material.

 

This forward-looking information also includes, among other things, information and statements relating to:

 

 

our expectations regarding our revenue, expenses and operations

 

our anticipated cash needs, our needs for additional financing, and our need to re-finance our debt

 

our intention to grow our business and our operations including our new joint ventures, grow operation expansion, and the expansion of our production operation for third parties

 

the expected growth in the number of consumers using our products

 

the expected growth of the cannabis industry in Nevada and in the U.S.

 

our ability to finance our planned operations and future acquisitions

 

safety and dosing of cannabis

expectations with respect to future production costs and capacity

 

expectations with respect to the renewal and/or extension of our licenses

expectations with respect to our plan to apply for additional retail store licenses

 

market reception of our current product offerings and other new delivery mechanisms produced by us for use by consumers

 

our competitive position and the regulatory environment in which we operate

 

any commentary or legislative changes related to the legalization of medical or recreational cannabis and the timing related to such commentary or legalization

 

any changes to U.S. federal policies regarding the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act

our ability to monetize our patented production process

 

Although we believe that the assumptions underlying this information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and we cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with this forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including those listed under “Risk Factors”, which include:

 

shutdowns or operational disruptions related to COVID-19

whether the U.S. will experience a recession in the next year

 

ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements relating to our business

 

changes in laws, regulations and guidelines relating to our business

 

difficulties in obtaining bank accounts and transferring money

4

 

risk of prosecution of the cannabis business at the federal level in the U.S. due to the ambiguity of laws in relation to medical cannabis and the cannabis business

adverse interpretation of federal tax laws relating to cannabis

 

accuracy of current research regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis

 

our history of losses

 

failure or delay of our operations, including the addition of retail stores, grow operation expansion, and the expansion of processing operations

 

our ability to utilize or monetize our patented production process

reliance on management and loss of members of management or other key personnel or an inability to attract new management team members

 

inability to raise financing to fund on-going operations, capital expenditures or acquisitions, and to re-finance our debt

 

inability to realize growth targets

4

 

requirements of additional financing

 

competition in our industry

 

inability to acquire and retain new clients

 

inability to develop new technologies and products and the obsolescence of existing technologies and products

 

vulnerability to rising energy costs

 

vulnerability to increasing costs and obligations related to investment in infrastructure, growth and regulatory compliance

 

dependence on third party transportation services to deliver our products

 

unfavorable publicity or consumer perception

 

product liability claims and product recalls

 

reliance on key inputs and their related costs

 

dependence on suppliers and skilled labor

 

difficulty associated with forecasting demand for products

 

operating risk and insurance coverage

 

inability to manage growth

 

conflicts of interest among our officers and directors

 

environmental regulations and risks

 

managing damage to our reputation and third party reputational risks

 

inability to adequately protect our intellectual property due to cannabis being illegal under U.S. federal law

potential reclassification/re-categorization of cannabis as a controlled substance in the U.S.

 

changes to safety, health and environmental regulations

 

exposure to information systems security threats and breaches

 

management of additional regulatory burdens

 

volatility in the market price for our common stock

 

potential imposition of additional sales practice requirements by the SEC

 

no dividends for the foreseeable future

 

future sales of common stock by existing stockholders causing the market price for our common stock to fall

 

the issuance of common stock in the future causing dilution

 

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove to be incorrect, actual results might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information.

 

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. In addition, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report are made as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements.

 

Please read “Risk Factors” herein and in other filings we make with the SEC for a more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties mentioned above and for a discussion of other risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements as well as others made in this annual report, and hereafter in our other SEC filings and public communications. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made by us in the context of these risks and uncertainties. Note that forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this annual report. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement.

 

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

 

We file certain reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Such filings include annual and quarterly reports. The reports we file with the SEC are available on the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov).

 

5

 

PART I

 

Item 1. Business

 

Background

 

We were originally incorporated as Adelt Design, Inc. on March 31, 2011 to manufacture and market carpet binding art. Production and marketing of carpet binding art never commenced. After CLS Labs, Inc. (“CLS LabsLabs”) acquired 55.6% of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, Jeffrey Binder, the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of CLS Labs, was appointed Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Subsequently, we adopted amended and restated articles of incorporation, thereby changing itsour name to CLS Holdings USA, Inc.

 

The Merger

 

On April 29, 2015, we entered into a merger agreement with CLS Labs and a newly-formed, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the Merger Sub“Merger Sub”) and effected the Merger (the Merger“Merger”). Upon the consummation of the Merger, the separate existence of the Merger Sub ceased and CLS Labs, the surviving corporation in the Merger, became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, with the Company acquiring the stock of CLS Labs, abandoning its previous business, and adopting the existing business plan and operations of CLS Labs. CLS Labs is a company that plans to generate revenues through licensing, fee-for-service and joint venture arrangements related to its patented proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into saleable concentrates.

 

Historical Operations

 

SinceIn 2014, one of the founders of CLS Labs has been developingdeveloped a proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into concentrates such as oils, waxes, edibles and shatter. These concentrates may be ingested in a number of ways, including through vaporization via e-cigarettes, and used for a variety of pharmaceutical and other purposes. Internal testing of the cannabinoids extracted through our patent-pending proprietarypatented process versus the cannabinoids resulting from the processes commonly used in the industry, the results of which were reviewed and confirmed by an independent laboratory, has revealed that our process produces a cleaner, higher quality product and a significantly higher yield than the cannabinoid extraction processes currently existing in the marketplace.

 

As CLS Labs was unable to obtain a license in Colorado to operate a cannabis processing facility due to residency requirements, on April 17, 2015, CLS Labs took its first step toward commercializing its then patent pending proprietary methods and processes by entering into agreements with certain Colorado entities. During 2017, we suspended our plans to proceed with the Colorado agreements due to regulatory delays and havewill not yet determined when we will pursuebe pursuing it again.

 

On April 24, 2018, we wereCLS Labs was issued a U.S. patent with respect to our proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into concentrates such as oils, waxes, edibles and shatter. These concentrates may be ingested in a number of ways, including through vaporization via electronic cigarettes, and used for a variety of pharmaceutical and other purposes. Internal testing of this extraction method and conversion process has revealed that it produces a cleaner, higher quality product and a significantly higher yield than the cannabinoid extraction processes currently existing in the marketplace. We have not commercialized our proprietary process. We planprocess and due to generate revenues through licensing, fee-for-service and joint venture arrangements related to our proprietary methodthe current Nevada State laws governing these types of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into saleable concentrates.

Weextraction methods, we do not intend to monetize this extraction method and generate revenues through (i)commercialize the licensing of our proprietary methods and processes to others, (ii) the processing of cannabis for others, and (iii) the purchase of cannabis (or cultivation through our joint venture) and the processing and sale of cannabis-related products. We plan to accomplish this through the acquisition of companies, the creation of joint ventures, through licensing agreements, and through fee-for-service arrangements with growers and dispensaries of cannabis products. We believe that we can establish a position as one of the premier cannabinoid extraction and processing companiesprocess in the industry. Assuming we do so, we then intendfuture. CLSH is actively engaged in attempting to explorefind a buyer for the creation of our own brand of concentrates for consumerpatent who may be able to use which we would sell wholesale to cannabis dispensaries. We believe that we can create a “gold standard” national brand by standardizing the testing, compliance and labeling of our productsit in an industry currently comprised of small, local businesses with erratic and unreliable product quality, testing practices and labeling. Finally, we intend to grow through select acquisitions in secondary and tertiary markets, targeting newly regulated states that we believe offer a competitive advantage. Our goal at this time is to become a successful regional cannabis company.another state or another application.

6

 

Acquisition of Alternative Solutions

 

On June 27, 2018, the Company completed the purchase of all of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions and its three wholly owned subsidiaries, Serenity Wellness Center LLC, Serenity Wellness Products LLC and Serenity Wellness Growers LLC (the three subsidiaries are collectively referred to as the Oasis LLCs from the members of such entities (other than Alternative Solutions)“Oasis LLCs”). The closing occurred pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the Acquisition Agreement“Acquisition Agreement”) entered into between the Company and Alternative Solutions on December 4, 2017, as amended. Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, the Company initially contemplated acquiring all of the membership interests in the Oasis LLCs from Alternative Solutions. Just prior to closing, the parties agreed that the Company would instead acquireacquired all of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions, the parent of the Oasis LLCs, from its members, and the membership interests in the Oasis LLCs owned by members other than Alternative Solutions. The revised structure of the transaction is referenced in the Oasis Note (as defined below), which modified the Acquisition Agreement.

 

Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, the Company paid a non-refundable deposit of $250,000 upon signing, which was followed by an additional payment of $1,800,000 paid in February 2018, for an initial 10% of each of the Oasis LLCs. At that time, the Company applied for regulatory approval to own an interest in the Oasis LLCs, whichLLCs. The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (the “CCB”) granted us this approval was received on June 21, 2018. On June 27, 2018, the Company made the payments to indirectly acquire the remaining 90% of the Oasis LLCs, which were equal to cash in the amount of $6,200,000 (less offsets for assumed liabilities), a $4.0 million promissory note due in December 2019 (the Oasis Note“Oasis Note”), and 22,058,823 shares of common stock. We used the proceeds of the Canaccord Special Warrant Offering to fund the cash portion of the closing consideration. On December 12, 2018, we werethe CCB approved for the transfer of the remaining 90% interest. We receivedinterest in Alternative Solutions. The CCB granted us final regulatory approval to own our interest in the Oasis LLCs through Alternative Solutions under the revised structure of the transaction on April 26, 2022. The Company has paid all amounts owing in connection with the Acquisition Agreement in full.

 

The number

6