NOTE 4 – INVESTMENTS

At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company’s investments were comprised of the following:

Terrace Inc.

In May 2019, the Company issued 500,000 shares of its common stock, valued at $1.59 million on the date of issuance, to purchase an 8.95% interest in Terrace Inc. (“Terrace”), a Canadian entity that develops and acquires international cannabis assets. The Company has no board representation, nor does it have the ability to exert operational or financial control over the entity.

In November 2019, the common stock of Terrace commenced public trading on the Toronto Stock Venture Exchange. In accordance with ASC 321, Investments – Equity Securities, this investment is carried at fair value, with changes to fair value recognized in net income. Prior to Terrace becoming publicly traded, the Company had elected the measurement alternative to value this equity investment without a readily determinable fair value.

At March 31, 2020, the carrying amount of this investment approximated $762,000, based on its publicly traded stock price on such date, which required the Company to record a charge to net income of approximately $687,000.

CVP Worldwide LLC

In August 2018, the Company invested $300,000, of a total contracted cash investment of $500,000, and issued 378,259 shares of its common stock, valued at approximately $915,000, in exchange for a 23% ownership in CVP Worldwide LLC (“CVP”). CVP has developed a customer relationship management and marketing platform, branded under the name Sprout, which is specifically designed for companies in the cannabis industry.

The Company will earn a percentage share of Sprout’s revenues generated from sales (i) to the Company’s clients, and (ii) by the Company to third parties. As of March 31, 2020, no share of Sprout’s revenue was earned by the Company.

The investment is accounted under the equity method. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, CVP broke even, resulting in no change to the carrying value of the investment.

GenCanna Global Inc.

During 2018, in a series of transactions, the Company purchased $30 million of subordinated secured convertible debentures (the “GC Debentures”) of GenCanna. In February 2019, the Company converted the GC Debentures, plus unpaid accrued interest through the conversion date of approximately $229,000, into common stock of GenCanna equal to a 33.5% ownership interest in GenCanna on a fully diluted basis. Concurrent with the conversion, Company’s CEO was appointed to GenCanna’s board and the Company was granted certain rights, including the rights of inspection, financial information, and participation in future security offerings of GenCanna. At conversion, the Company commenced accounting for this investment under the equity method.

In late January 2020, an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding under Chapter 11 was filed against GenCanna USA, GenCanna’s wholly-owned operating subsidiary, with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky (the “Bankruptcy Court”). In the months leading up to the filing, GenCanna had faced several challenges including defaults under its senior credit facility with MGG Investment Group LP (“MGG”), a fire at its main processing and lab facility, the domestic decline of CBD selling prices, and the contraction of the cannabis capital markets. On February 6, 2020, GenCanna USA, under pressure from certain of its creditors and MGG, agreed to convert the involuntary bankruptcy proceeding into a voluntary Chapter 11 proceeding. In addition, GenCanna and GenCanna USA’s subsidiary, Hemp Kentucky LLC (collectively with GenCanna and GenCanna USA, the “GenCanna Debtors”), filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 in the Bankruptcy Court. As a result, the Company recorded a charge to net income of approximately $30.2 million in December 2019, which reduced the carrying value of this investment to zero.

On February 18, 2020, the GenCanna Debtors sought permission from the Bankruptcy Court to sell all or substantially all of their assets under the terms of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. After the entry of various orders to establish the bidding procedures and criteria for such sale, the GenCanna Debtors received only four proposals (including a credit bid from MGG) for the purchase of their assets and a single proposal for a plan of reorganization submitted by the Company.

On May 19, 2020, after an abbreviated solicitation/bid/sale process, the Bankruptcy Court, over numerous objections by creditors and shareholders of the GenCanna Debtors, entered an order authorizing the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the GenCanna Debtors to MGG for its credit bid in the amount of $73.5 million and cash in the amount of $3.5 million.

Based on recent filings with the Bankruptcy Court, the GenCanna Debtors are proposing to file a liquidating plan of reorganization to collect various prepetition payments and commercial claims against third parties, liquidate the remaining assets of the GenCanna Debtors, and make payments to creditors. In connection with this liquidation process, the Company will be filing its proofs of claim for the $33.2 million of hemp seeds sold to GenCanna, which transaction is further discussed in Note 17 – Related Party Transactions.

Iconic Ventures Inc.

In December 2018, the Company purchased 2,500,000 shares of common stock of Iconic Ventures Inc. (“Iconic”) for an aggregate cash payment of $500,000. Iconic has developed DabTabs™, a unique solution for cannabinoid vaporization.

The Company’s investment equates to a current ownership interest in Iconic of approximately 10%. The Company has no board representation, nor does it have the ability to exert operational or financial control over the entity. In 2019, the Company wrote off the investment after an impairment review that considered the viability of the entity in light of the current economic climate.

Chooze Corp.

In January 2019, the entire principal and accrued interest balance of a note receivable from Chooze Corp. of approximately $258,000 was converted into a 2.7% equity interest in Chooze. In accordance with ASC 321, the Company elected the measurement alternative to value this equity investment without a readily determinable fair value. Following the Company’s purchase, there has been no impairment to this investment, nor any observable price changes to investments in the entity. Accordingly, this investment was carried at approximately $258,000 at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

The Company will continue to apply the alternative measurement guidance until this investment does not qualify to be so measured. The Company may subsequently elect to measure this investment at fair value, and if so, shall measure all identical or similar investments in Chooze at fair value. Any subsequent changes in fair value shall be recognized in net income.

Binske^®

In July 2019, the Company entered into a licensing agreement for the exclusive manufacturing and distribution in seven eastern U.S. states of the Binske^® portfolio of products, a brand known for utilizing best-in-class proprietary strains and craft ingredients in its edibles, concentrates, vaporizers, and topicals. In consideration for the license and other rights, the Company agreed to pay a royalty of 10.0% to 12.5% of gross revenue, as defined, derived from the sale of Binske^® products, subject to an annual minimum royalty. No gross revenue was generated as of March 31, 2020.