Correspondence 0001193125-23-008525 from Canopy Growth Corp (CGC)
Canopy Growth Corp
Date: Jan. 13, 2023 · CIK: 0001737927 · Accession: 0001193125-23-008525
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 001-38496
Referenced dates: December 27, 2022
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CORRESP
1(212) 318-6393
yarivkatz@paulhastings.com
January 13, 2023
VIA EDGAR
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
Office of Life Sciences
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Attention: Tara Harkins
Lynn Dicker
Alan Campbell
Joe McCann
Re:
Canopy Growth Corporation
Amendment No. 1 to Preliminary Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
Filed December 12, 2022
File No. 001-38496
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are in receipt of the letter dated
December 27, 2022 from the staff (the “Staff”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) with respect to the above-referenced Amendment No. 1 to Preliminary Proxy Statement on
Schedule 14A. We are responding to the Staff’s comments on behalf of Canopy Growth Corporation (“Canopy Growth” or the “Company”) as set forth below. Simultaneously with the submission of this letter, the
Company is publicly filing via EDGAR an Amendment No. 2 to the Preliminary Proxy Statement ( “Amendment No. 2”) responding to the Staff’s comments and updating the Preliminary Proxy Statement.
The Company’s responses set forth in this letter are numbered to correspond to the numbered comments in the Staff’s letter. For ease of reference,
we have set forth each of the Staff’s comments in italics below followed by the Company’s response to each comment. All capitalized terms used herein but not defined herein have the meanings assigned to such terms in Amendment No. 2
and all page number references are to the page numbers of Amendment No. 2.
Amendment No. 1 to Preliminary Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
Letter to Shareholders, page i
1.
Revise the second paragraph of the Overview section of the letter to clarify what it means to
“accelerate entry into the U.S. Cannabis market.” With reference to your disclosures on pages 13, 26 and elsewhere, please revise to explain that the newly formed Canopy USA entity would acquire U.S. cannabis businesses that engage in the
cultivation, processing and/or distribution of cannabis in the United States, which violates U.S. federal laws.
Response:
The Company has revised the disclosure on page i in response to the Staff’s comment.
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2.
We note your revised disclosure in response to prior comment 2 and reissue the comment with respect to the
purpose(s) of the new class of Exchangeable Shares. Clarify why it is important to give all Canopy shareholders the opportunity to “self-assess their level of comfort with the Company’s exposure to the United States cannabis market.”
With reference to the disclosure in the second paragraph on page 27, it is unclear whether the new class of securities is designed to reduce legal risks to shareholders.
Response: The Company advises the Staff that, as a result of the novelty of the structure associated with Canopy USA and the fact that compliance with
Applicable Federal Law by its nature necessitates interpretations of Applicable Federal Law that may differ between legal counsel and/or regulators, it was important for the Company to give all shareholders the opportunity to self-assess their level
of comfort with the Company’s strategy. The Company has revised the disclosure on page i in response to the Staff’s comment.
3.
Please revise the third paragraph of the Overview to explain why it is prudent to provide institutional
shareholders, such as Constellation, with the option to convert their Shares into Exchangeable Shares. With reference to your response to prior comment 26, please identify the “regulatory compliance” sought by Constellation and the
“regulatory reasons” that might force a Canopy shareholder to divest their equity interest in the company. In this regard, it should be clear whether institutional shareholders face different or enhanced risks as compared to retail
investors.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure on pages i and ii in response to the Staff’s comment.
4.
We note your responses to prior comments 6 and 26. Please clarify your disclosure in the third paragraph of
the Overview section by explaining, if true, that Nasdaq has stated its objection to your plan to consolidate the financial results of Canopy USA in the event that Canopy USA closes on the acquisition of Wana, Jetty or the Fixed Shares of Acreage
because listed companies that consolidate revenues from activities that violate federal law cannot continue to list on Nasdaq. Given that these acquisitions are conditioned on shareholder approval of the Amendment Proposal, highlight that
shareholder approval of the Amendment Proposal could facilitate the delisting of your common shares from Nasdaq and describe briefly the negative consequences resulting from such delisting.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure on page ii in response to the Staff’s comment.
5.
We note references to your “interpretation of U.S. law” in the third and fourth paragraphs of the
Overview section of the letter; however, you do not state clearly your interpretation or explain how that interpretation relates to the steps you are taking and the decisions that shareholders will make when voting on the Amendment Proposal and
determining whether to convert their common shares to exchangeable shares.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure
on pages i and ii in response to the Staff’s comment.
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6.
Please revise the disclosure at the bottom of page i and top of page ii to explain briefly the degree of
control that Canopy will have over the Canopy USA entity and its US cannabis operations. With reference to your response to prior comment 28 and your disclosure on page 18, please explain that Canopy has power over Canopy USA even though Canopy does
not have the ability to direct the business operations or activities of Canopy USA while it holds Non-Voting Shares. Clarify that Canopy USA managers do not have any fiduciary duties to the Canopy
shareholders.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure on pages ii and iii in response to the Staff’s comment.
7.
We re-issue prior comment 4. We note your statements here and
elsewhere that this strategy will enable you to realize value in the near term. We further note your disclosure elsewhere that Canopy’s Non-Voting Shares of Canopy USA do not carry voting rights, rights
to receive dividends or other rights. Please revise your disclosure here and throughout, where appropriate, to further explain how this strategy will enable you to realize value in the near term. Also, explain how the disclosure is consistent with
your disclosure that you will have “no economic interest” in Canopy USA. In your revisions, please also explain whether Canopy USA will have the ability to dividend funds to Canopy while the
Non-Voting Share structure is in place, and whether Canopy will have the ability or obligation to provide funds to Canopy USA.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure on pages iv and 26 in response to the Staff’s comment.
8.
We re-issue prior comment 5. We note your statements here and
throughout your document describing the highlights and potential benefits of your strategy. Please clearly clarify throughout whether you believe you can realize the benefits of this strategy while cannabis remains federally illegal in the U.S.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure on pages iv and 26 in response to the Staff’s comment.
Structure of Canopy USA, page 17
9.
We note your responses to prior comments 19 and 23. Please provide us copies of the Protection Agreement and
the Canopy USA Operating Agreement.
Response: The Company is supplementally providing the Staff with these agreements
pursuant to the Commission’s Rule 83. (17 CFR 200.83) and has marked the Protection Agreement to reflect the terms the Company expects to redact when that agreement is publicly filed.
Reasons for the Transaction and Recommendation of the Board, page 22
10.
We note your response to prior comment 24. Please revise to present net income (loss). To the extent that
gross profit is a non-GAAP measure, please either remove this measure or provide a reconciliation.
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Response: The Company has revised the disclosure on page 26 to present net loss. In addition, the
Company has revised the disclosure on page 26 to refer to “gross margin”, which is not a non-GAAP financial measure.
Exchangeable Shares, page 24
11.
Please revise to disclose whether the Exchangeable Shares will be certificated and whether holders can sell
or transfer them.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure on page 28 in response to the Staff’s comment.
Cannabis is a controlled substance in the United States..., page 26
12.
Your disclosure indicates that you believe that Canopy “currently” complies with all applicable
laws and regulations. Please expand the risk factor disclosure to clarify in the event that Canopy USA acquires the U.S. entities whether you believe (i) Canopy would continue to comply with all applicable laws and regulations and
(ii) Canopy USA would comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
Response: The Company has revised the disclosure
on page 30 in response to the Staff’s comment.
Risk Factors Relating to the Amendment Proposal, page 26
13.
We note the disclosure on page i explaining that the reorganization provides an “economic and voting
barrier” between: (i) Canopy and Canopy USA and (ii) Canopy shareholders and Canopy USA. We also note your reference to a “protective layer” on pages ii and 22. With a view to disclosure, please tell what basis, if any,
there is to believe that the economic and voting barriers will reduce legal risk to (i) Canopy and (ii) Canopy holders who elect to convert their common shares into exchangeable shares. In your response, please discuss relevant laws and
legal precedent.
Response: The Company advises the Staff that based on the advice of the Company’s legal advisors, the
transaction structure, which includes Canopy holding non-voting and non-participating Non-Voting Shares was intended to
(i) permit Canopy to remain able to represent that it complies with U.S. federal criminal law, particularly direct or indirect violations of the Controlled Substances Act (collectively, “Applicable Federal Law”); and (ii) ensure
that (a) Canopy does not, directly or indirectly, violate Applicable Federal Law; (b) Canopy will not directly violate U.S. federal law as it does not cultivate, distribute, sell, or possess cannabis in the United States; (c) Canopy
does not violate indirect federal law (such as aiding and abetting, conspiracy, or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act) because it does not control or profit from companies that cultivate, distribute, sell, or possess cannabis
in the United States; and (d) Canopy does not violate anti-money laundering laws because no funds will flow from entities that cultivate, distribute, sell, or possess cannabis in the United States to Canopy. In particular, based on the advice
of the Company’s legal advisors, this will not be impacted in the event that Canopy USA acquires Acreage, Wana or Jetty, exercises the Cultiv8 Option or converts the TerrAscend Exchangeable Shares into common shares of TerrAscend if Canopy
continues to hold the Non-Voting Shares. As a result of the transaction structure vis-à-vis Canopy USA, Canopy is offering
a comparable ownership structure to its shareholders in the event that shareholders believe that Canopy
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violates Applicable Federal Law and would prefer to hold non-voting and non-participating Exchangeable Shares.
Accordingly, based on the advice of its legal advisors, the Company is of the view that the economic and voting barriers reduces legal risk to Canopy and its shareholders and that shareholders who elect to convert their common shares into
Exchangeable Shares are further insulated from any potential legal risk. The Company has revised the disclosure on pages ii, 2, 24 and 25 in response to the Staff’s comment.
General
14.
We note your response to prior comment 26. However, we do not agree with your conclusion that Rule 13e-3 does not apply to the Amendment Proposal. In this regard, both 13e-3(a)(3)(i)(C) and 13e-3(a)(3)(ii)(B) are applicable.
Accordingly, please comply with all requirements of Rule 13e-3, including the filing of a Schedule 13E-3. In addition, we note that safe harbor protections for
forward-looking statements contained in the federal securities laws do not apply to statements made in connection with Rule 13e-3 transactions. Refer to Question 117.05 of the Going Private Transactions,
Exchange Act Rule 13e-3 and Schedule 13E-3 Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (January 26, 2009) available at www.sec.gov. Please revise your disclosure on pages 1-2 accordingly.
Response: The Company respectfully submits that Rule 13e-3 is not applicable to the solicitation of votes to create the Exchangeable Shares because, for the reasons set forth below, it does not believe that the creation of the Exchangeable Shares has a reasonable
likelihood of causing the Shares to be delisted from Nasdaq.
Representatives of Nasdaq have expressed that the exchange was comfortable with the
formation of Canopy USA, the transfer of the Structured U.S. Investments and the holding of Non-Voting Shares and that their concern is solely with respect to the financial consolidation of Canopy USA.
Representatives of Nasdaq have also indicated that Nasdaq Rule 5205(c) requires Nasdaq to determine compliance with the listing standards based on a company’s financial statements. The Company disagrees with Nasdaq’s application of Nasdaq
Rule 5205(c) since Nasdaq Rule 5205(c) merely refers to a company’s initial listing and continued listing qualifications expressly enumerated in the Nasdaq Rules and does not address the matter of the legality of the revenues reported within a
Company’s financial statements.
The Company advises the Staff that based on the advice of the Company’s legal advisors, the transaction
structure was intended to (i) permit the Company to remain able to represent that it complies with Applicable Federal Law; and (ii) ensure that (a) the Company does not, directly or indirectly, violate Applicable Federal Law;
(b) the Company will not directly violate U.S. federal law as the Company does not cultivate, distribute, sell, or possess cannabis in the United States; (c) the Company does not violate indirect federal law (such as aiding and abetting,
conspiracy, or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act) because the Company does not control or profit from companies that cultivate, distribute, sell, or possess cannabis in the United States; and (d) the Company does not
violate anti-money laundering laws because no funds will flow from entities that cultivate, distribute, sell, or possess cannabis in the United States to the Company. Accordingly, the Company intends to continue its dialogue with Nasdaq Regulation
as it believes that the “qualifications” referenced in Nasdaq Rule 5205(c) cannot refer to a standard that does not exist within the Nasdaq Rules nor, intuitively, can accounting treatment form the basis for a conclusion with respect to
compliance with laws.
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The Company is hopeful that another exchange will seek to determine the Company’s compliance with its
listing requirements on the basis of applicable laws. In the event that neither Nasdaq nor another exchange is comfortable with financial consolidation of Canopy USA and Nasdaq initiates a delisting process, the Company intends to vigorously appeal
such a decision.
The Company ad