Court approves combination of transactions
resulting in the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of
Biosteel Canada and Biosteel Manufacturing
Elimination of funding obligation to BioSteel
consistent with Canopy Growth's cannabis focus and transformation
to a simplified, asset-light operating model.
SMITHS
FALLS, ON, Nov. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Canopy Growth
Corporation ("Canopy Growth" or the "Company") (TSX: WEED) (NASDAQ:
CGC) today provided an update that pursuant to the proceedings
under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (the "CCAA")
involving BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc. ("BioSteel Canada"), the
Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) ("CCAA Court")
has approved two transactions to sell all or substantially all of
the assets of BioSteel Canada and BioSteel Manufacturing, LLC
("BioSteel Manufacturing") and that pending the closing of the
transactions, Canopy Growth expects to realize proceeds which will
improve the Company's balance sheet.
On September 21, 2023, the CCAA
Court granted an order (the "SISP Order") authorizing BioSteel
Canada to conduct, under the oversight of KSV Restructuring Inc.,
in its capacity as court-appointed monitor of BioSteel Canada, a
sale and investment solicitation process (the "SISP") in accordance
with the terms and conditions relating thereto (the "SISP
Procedures").
Pursuant to the SISP, two transactions were identified as the
Successful Bids (as defined in the SISP):
a) a sale of substantially all of
the assets of BioSteel Canada (the "BioSteel Canada Transaction")
as contemplated by an asset purchase agreement dated November 9, 2023 (the "BioSteel Canada Asset
Purchase Agreement"); and
b) a sale of all or substantially
all of the assets (the "BioSteel Manufacturing Transaction" and
together with the BioSteel Canada Transaction, the "Sale
Transactions") of BioSteel Canada's U.S. affiliate, BioSteel
Manufacturing as contemplated by an asset purchase agreement dated
November 9, 2023 (the "BioSteel
Manufacturing Purchase Agreement").
The CCAA Court has approved the Successful Bids and granted
authority to consummate the transactions contemplated therein
pursuant to the terms of approval and vestings order issued by the
CCAA Court in respect of each of the Sale Transactions.
"We are pleased that this process has identified two qualified
buyers for the BioSteel brand and assets. The elimination of
the operating loss and cash burn as a result of ceasing to fund
BioSteel has already significantly enhanced Canopy Growth's
financial position, and the anticipated proceeds of the Sale
Transactions are expected to improve Canopy Growth's balance sheet
upon completion," said Judy Hong,
Chief Financial Officer, Canopy Growth.
Overview of BioSteel Canada
Transaction
- Pursuant to the BioSteel Canada Asset Purchase Agreement,
BioSteel Canada has agreed to sell substantially all of the assets
of BioSteel Canada (other than certain inventory, accounts
receivable and contracts), including: (a) all intangible assets and
intellectual property; (b) all of BioSteel Canada's formulas and
recipes; (c) all inventory of BioSteel Canada, other than Excluded
Inventory (as defined in the BioSteel Canada Purchase Agreement);
and (d) certain specified fixed assets, furniture and
fixtures.
- The closing of the BioSteel Canada Transaction is subject to
customary closing conditions and an order of the US Bankruptcy
Court recognizing the approval of the BioSteel Canada
Transaction.
Overview of BioSteel Manufacturing
Transaction
- Pursuant to the BioSteel Manufacturing Purchase Agreement,
BioSteel Manufacturing has agreed to sell substantially all of the
assets of BioSteel Manufacturing, including: (a) the property,
plant and equipment and other fixed assets listed in the exhibits
to the BioSteel Manufacturing Purchase Agreement; (b) all
inventories of BioSteel Manufacturing, including spare parts
located at the leased facility located in Verona, Virginia (the "Property"); and (c) all
production reports and records, equipment logs, operating guides
and manuals relating to the foregoing assets.
- The closing of the BioSteel Manufacturing Transaction is
conditional upon, among other things, (i) an assignment of the
lease agreement in respect of the Property (to the extent that
another resolution is not reached with the landlord), and (ii)
orders of the US Bankruptcy Court recognizing, inter alia,
the CCAA proceedings of BioSteel Manufacturing and the approval of
the BioSteel Manufacturing Transaction by the CCAA Court.
Canopy Growth remains as BioSteel Canada's largest creditor and
shareholder.
About Canopy Growth
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
targeted 24-hour skincare and wellness solutions from This Works,
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 Holdings, Inc., 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 our 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 wellbeing and life enhancement.
For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com.
References to information included on, or accessible through,
our website do not constitute incorporation by reference of the
information contained at or available through our website, and you
should not consider such information to be part of this press
release.
Notice Regarding Forward Looking
Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the
meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. 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 the Company 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. Examples of such statements and uncertainties include
statements with respect to the closing of the Sale Transactions;
the expected proceeds of the Sale Transactions; and the resulting
improvements to the Company's balance sheet.
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 BioSteel's ability to complete the Sale Transactions;
risks relating to the CCAA process, including uncertainty of any
residual value for BioSteel's stakeholders under the CCAA process;
negative operating cash flow; uncertainty of additional financing;
use of proceeds; volatility in the price of the Company's common
shares; inherent uncertainty associated with projections;
expectations regarding future investment, growth and expansion of
operations; regulatory and licensing risks; changes in general
economic, business and political conditions, including changes in
the financial and stock markets and the impacts of increased rates
of inflation; legal and regulatory risks inherent in the cannabis
industry, including the global regulatory landscape and enforcement
related to cannabis; additional dilution; political risks and risks
relating to regulatory change; risks relating to anti-money
laundering laws; compliance with extensive government regulation
and the interpretation of various laws regulations and policies;
public opinion and perception of the cannabis industry; and such
other risks contained in the public filings of the Company filed
with Canadian securities regulators and available under the
Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the
Securities and Exchange Commission through EDGAR at
www.sec.gov/edgar, including under the heading "Risk Factors" in
the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended
March 31, 2023 and its subsequently
filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
In respect of the forward-looking statements and information,
the Company has provided such statements and information in
reliance on certain assumptions that they believe are reasonable at
this time. Although the Company 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. Should one or more of the foregoing risks or
uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the
forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may
vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned,
anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company
has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and
factors which could cause actual results to differ materially,
there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated,
estimated or intended. The forward-looking information and
forward-looking statements included in this news release are made
as of the date of this news release and the Company 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.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canopy-growth-announces-that-biosteel-obtains-court-approval-of-successful-bids-in-sale-and-investment-solicitation-process-301991456.html
SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation