Staff
The Daily Hit is a recap of the top financial news stories for January 30, 2023.
On the Site
IIP
An investor group is suing Innovative Industrial Properties (IIP) (NYSE: IIPR) for not doing proper due diligence in its Kings Garden investment. Investor Michael Mallozzi originally sued IIP in April 2022, when the Blue Orca Capital report came out. He was then joined by investors Alejandro Handal and Stephen Forrester. They are claiming IIP mislead investors, was incompetent, and broke securities laws. In December, IIP asked the court to dismiss the case, but the latest brief asks the court to deny that request to dismiss because IIP was aware that Kings Garden was a Ponzi scheme while telling investors everything was OK. Read more here.
Akerna
Akerna Corp. (Nasdaq: KERN) said on Friday afternoon that it will merge with a bitcoin mining company and offload its software business to POSaBIT Systems Corporation (CSE: PBIT) (OTC: POSAF) for stock and cash, respectively. Akerna will sell its MJ Freeway business units, including MJ Platform and Leaf Data System brands, and Ample Organics to POSaBIT for $4 million in cash. The company said it plans to use the proceeds of the transaction, after expenses, to pay its remaining outstanding accounts payable and pay down any remaining principal balance on its outstanding senior secured convertible notes, in addition to net cash requirements associated with the proposed merger between Akerna and Gryphon. Read more here.
Flora Growth
Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC) released its revenue guidance for the fiscal year 2023 as the company forecasted a range of $90 million to $105 million. Flora said that its estimates reflect expected organic growth in the House of Brands division and expansion of the Commercial & Wholesale division capabilities. The stock was jumping 18% in early trading on the news and was lately selling at 31 cents. However, it still has a long way to go to regain the Nasdaq’s minimum $1.00 bid price requirement. Read more here.
Ayr Wellness
The acquisition of Chicago marijuana retailer Dispensary 33 went up in smoke amid a cash crunch caused by a steep decline in cannabis stocks and a sharp increase in interest rates. Miami-based Ayr Wellness (OTC: AYRWF) said on Jan. 27 it’s not going to complete the $55 million acquisition of D33, a popular independent marijuana retailer. The deal was announced in November 2021, about a year after Ayr went public. Read more here.
Okay Cannabis
The Chicago restaurant group behind West Town Bakery is teaming up with a new dispensary that’s opening in suburban Wheeling next month, and it’ll be part bakery and cafe, part marijuana shop. The store, called Okay Cannabis, will essentially have a West Town Bakery Cafe & Lounge operating alongside the marijuana shop. The shop will serve Dark Matter coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and cocktails, and it will have an outdoor patio that seats more than 100 people. Instead of staging customers in a waiting area like most dispensaries do, the idea is to let them hang out at the cafe, said Scott Weiner, co-owner of Fifty/50 Restaurant Group. Read more here.
In Other News
IM Cannabis Corp. (NASDAQ: IMCC) (CSE: IMCC)has closed a third tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement offering of units of the company. An aggregate of 1,162,000 Units at a price of $1.25 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,452,500 was issued and sold under the third tranche of the LIFE Offering. To date, the company has also closed during the first and second tranches for aggregate gross proceeds of $3,024,153. Read more here.
CBD of Denver, Inc. (OTC Pink: CBDD) announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Libra 9 GMBH. The company is in the process of relocating its operations to the Libra 9 campus in Berlin, Germany. Libra 9 has the necessary infrastructure in place to scale up manufacturing and warehousing, enabling the company to immediately expand its sales throughout the rest of Europe. Read more here.
