While the Cannabis Act provides for the regulation by the Canadian federal government of, among other things, the commercial cultivation and processingproduction of cannabis and the sale of medical cannabis, the various provinces and territories of Canada regulate certain aspects of adult-use cannabis, such asincluding the distribution, sale, minimum age requirements and places where cannabis can be consumed, and a range of other matters.consumed.

The governments of each Canadian province and territory have implemented their regulatory regimes for the distribution and sale of cannabis for adult-use purposes which continue to evolve over time. Most provinces and territories have announced a minimum age for possession and consumption of 19 years old, except for Québec and Alberta, where the minimum age is 21 and 18, respectively. In addition, provinces and territories may impose additional licensing requirements and restrictions on sales, distribution and promotion which are more stringent than those at the federal level. For example, the SQDC,Société Quebécoise du Cannabis (the “SQDC”), the exclusive distributor of cannabis in the province and the sole retail and online vendor in Québec, does not permit cannabis vaporizers or other high THC non-edible cannabis products to be sold through its channels. The SQDC has also placed significant restrictions on the types of edibles that may be sold through its channels, prohibiting edibles that are sweet, confectionary, dessert, chocolate or any other product SQDC considers attractive to persons under 21 years of age. Similarly, the Prince Edward Island Cannabis Management Corporation and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador also dodoes not allow cannabis vaporizers to be sold through theirits channels. Provincial distributors may also take different positions on the sale and distribution of products with various cannabinoids (including tetrahydrocannabivarin and cannabinol).

In Israel, cannabis is subject to the Israeli Dangerous Drugs Ordinance [New Version], 5733 -– 1973 (the “Ordinance”), and its sale and use are prohibited unless applicable licenses have been obtained. Licenses to cultivate, produce, possess and use cannabis for medical or research purposes in Israel are granted by the Israel Medical Cannabis Agency within the Israeli Ministry of Health (the “Yakar” and the “Israeli MOH”,MOH,” respectively). PatientsUntil the Reform Regulations (as described below) take effect, patients must also must obtain licenses either directly from physicians who have been authorized to grant patient licenses or from the Yakar following a request from the patient’s physician in order to purchase and consume medical cannabis.

In January 2019, the Israeli government approved, in principle, the export from Israel of medical cannabis products that meet applicable quality standards under the strict supervision of the Israeli authorities. Only products that can be directly marketed to patients (including smoking products, oils, and vaporizer products) may be exported, and only to those countries that have signed the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and that have explicitly approved the import of cannabis. The export of plant substances, including seeds and tissue cultures, is not permitted. In October 2020, the Israeli MOH initiated a pilot program in which certain medical cannabis companies were permitted to export their products, and the Yakar issued guidelines relating to the export of medical cannabis products. These guidelines set forth the process and conditions for obtaining an export license, which can only be issued to an applicant already holding a valid Yakar license.

DuringCronos Israel maintains the first quarter of 2020, the Yakar granted Cronos Israel:following certificates and corresponding permits: (1) full Good Agricultural Practices (“GAP”) certification, including a permit to propagate and cultivate at the full capacity of the greenhouse; and (2) GMPGood Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”) and Good Distribution Practices (“GDP”) certificates and permits to produce and distribute dried flower. During the third quarter of 2020, Cronos Israel also received GMP and GDP certificates and permits to produce and distributeflower, cannabis oils and pre-rolls.

We and our joint venture partners, strategic investments and strategic investmentspartners are subject to comprehensive and evolving regulations in each jurisdiction in which we and they operate. All aspects of the production, manufacture and distribution of cannabis products are

regulated and subject to licensing regimes. These regulations and licensing regimes vary by jurisdiction and we, our joint venture partners, strategic investments and strategic investmentspartners spend significant time, effort and money to comply with the applicable requirements. We seek to comply with export laws in connection with distributing our products in other jurisdictions by obtaining export permits from Health Canada. Our strategic partners are responsible for compliance with import laws and local regulatory requirements (including laws related to distribution of medical products) in jurisdictions in which they operate.

From time to time, we use our website, as well as the following social media sites, as an additional means of disclosing public information to investors, the media and others interested in the Company.

It is possible that certain information we post on our website or these social media sites could be deemed to be material information, and we encourage investors, the media and others interested in the Company to review the business and financial information we or our officers post on our website or these social media sites. None of the information on our website or disclosed through these social media sites is incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.

We have incurred significant losses in recent periods. We hadperiods and have negative operating cash flow for the last five fiscal years ending December 31, 2020, December 31, 2019, December 31, 2018, December 31, 2017, December 31, 2016, December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.years. We may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability and may continue to incur significant losses in the future.future even in light of our Realignment, the pending sale-leaseback transaction and change in the nature of operations at the Peace Naturals Campus, the exit of our U.S. operations and the wind-down and exit of our operations at Cronos Fermentation. In addition, we expect to continue to increaseincur significant operating expenses as we implement initiatives to continue to grow our business. If our revenues do not increase to offset these expected increases in costs and operating expenses, we will not be profitable. If our revenue declines or fails to grow at a rate faster than our operating expenses, and we are unable to secure funding under terms that are favorable or acceptable to us, or at all, we will not be able to achieve and maintain profitability in future periods. As a result, we may continue to generate losses. We may not achieve profitability in the future and, even if we do become profitable, we might not be able to sustain that profitability.

We are currently in an early development stage and may be subject to growth-related risks, including capacity constraints and pressure on our internal systems and controls, which may place significant strain on our operational and managerial resources. While our revenue has generally grown in recent years, our ability to manage and sustain revenue growth will depend on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to, changes in laws and regulations respecting the production of U.S. hemp and cannabis products, competition from other license holders, the size of the illegal market and the adult-use market in Canada, and our ability to produce sufficient volumes of our products to meet clientcustomer demand. In addition, we are subject to a variety of business risks generally associated with developing companies. Our ability to manage growth effectively will require us to continue to implement and improve our operational and financial systems and to expand, train and manage our employee base. There can be no assurances that we will be able to manage growth successfully. Any inability to manage growth successfully could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have identifiedbegun to further leverage our strategic joint venture with Cronos GrowCo. Our winddown of the cultivation and certain production activities at year-end 2020the Peace Naturals Campus as well as the previously-announced sale-leaseback of the Peace Naturals Campus and the Company’s intention to pursue a sale of Cronos Fermentation have increased the importance of Cronos GrowCo to our business and operations. Cronos GrowCo’s production facilities are our principal source of raw materials. Therefore, our performance in Israel is reliant on our ability to acquire such raw materials on a timely and cost-effective basis from Cronos GrowCo and to continue to import such raw materials and cannabis products to Israel from Cronos GrowCo’s production facilities. There is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully execute our strategy to expand production at Cronos GrowCo or that we will be able to obtain the regulatory approvals, licenses and permits required for both the export of cannabis from Canada and the import of cannabis into Israel. Further, there can be no assurance that the anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Israel Ministry of Economy and Industry will not result in the imposition of an anti-dumping duty on us or limit our imports into Israel, the impact of which could have a material weaknessadverse effect on our business in Israel.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) and for evaluating and reporting on the effectiveness of our system of internal control. Effective internal controls arecontrol is necessary for us to provide timely, reliable and accurate financial reports, identify and proactively correct any deficiencies, material weaknesses or fraud and meet our reporting obligations. As disclosedWe had two restatements and seven material weaknesses in Part II, Item 9A,the last five years and have had significant turnover, both voluntary and involuntary, in our accounting and financial reporting functions as well as in our internal audit function. Moreover, we identifiedhad a material weakness in the fourth quarterour control environment existing as of 2020.December 31, 2022. Remediation efforts have placed, and will continue to place, a significant burden on management and add increased pressure on our financial reporting resources and processes. If we are unable to successfully remediate this material weakness in a timely manner, or if any additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting are identified, theThe accuracy of our financial reporting and our ability to timely file with the SEC and the applicable securities regulatory authorities in Canada have in the past been, and may in the future be, adversely impacted.impacted if any additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting are identified. In addition, if our remedial efforts are insufficient, or if additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal controlscontrol occur in the future, we could be required to restate our financial statements again, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, restrict our ability to access the capital markets, require us to expend significant resources to correct the material weaknesses, or deficiencies, subject us to regulatory investigations and penalties, harm our reputation, cause a decline in investor confidence or otherwise cause a decline in our stock price.

We are subject to civil litigation relating to the restatements and we cannot predict the outcome of this litigation, but we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs and expenses in defending against this civil litigation. For more information on this

We may not be successful in executing our strategy to expand production capacity at certain of our facilities and joint ventures.ventures and wind down of cultivation and certain production activities at the Peace Naturals Campus. Continuing and expanding operations at the productionour facilities of Cronos Israel and Natuerajoint ventures will be subject to obtaining and maintaining the appropriate licenses from the relevant regulatory agencies in those jurisdictions. In addition,particular, continuing and expanding operations at Cronos GrowCo’s production facilities will be subject to obtaining and maintaining the appropriate licenses from Health Canada. Construction delays or cost over-runs in respect of such operations, howsoever caused, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, with the pending sale-leaseback transaction and change in the nature of operations at the Peace Naturals Campus, the continued operations of the Cronos GrowCo production facilities will be more important to us. Additionally, we must obtain approval from Health Canada for changes to our site perimeter on the Peace Naturals Campus prior to closing the sale-leaseback transaction and there can be no assurance as to whether or when we might obtain such approval. Cronos GrowCo’s production facilities are our principal source of raw materials.

In addition, we may not be successful in obtaining the necessary approvals required to export or import our products to or from the jurisdictions in which we or our joint ventures operate. If we are unable to secure necessary production licenses in respect of our facilities and those of our joint ventures, the expectations of management with respect to the increased future cultivation and growing capacity may not be borne out, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The cannabismedical and U.S. hempadult-use cannabis industries and markets in which we operate are relatively new, can beare highly speculative, are rapidly expanding and may ultimately not be successful. In addition to being subject to general business risks, we need to continue to build brand awareness in these industries and markets through significant investments in our strategy, our production capacity, quality assurance and compliance with regulations. These activities may not promote our brand and products as effectively as intended, or at all. Competitive conditions and consumer tastes, or client requirements, as applicable, and spending patterns in these new industries and markets are relatively unknown and may have unique circumstances that differ from existing industries and markets. We are subject to all of the business risks associated with a new business in a niche market, including risks of unforeseen capital requirements, failure of widespread market acceptance of our products, failure to establish business relationships and competitive disadvantages against larger and more established competitors.

Accordingly, there are no assurances that these industries and markets will continue to exist or grow as currently estimated or anticipated, or function and evolve in a manner consistent with management’s expectations and assumptions, and a failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have entered into various supply arrangements for cannabis products with various provincial and territorial purchasers and have secured listings with various private retailers in thosecertain provinces. We have entered into such supply arrangements with eightall provinces in Canada (where the relevant provincial body is the sole wholesale distributor and retailer of cannabis and cannabis products in the province) and the Yukon Territory and with private retailers in Saskatchewan. Our supply arrangements with provincial and territorial purchasers each of which we understand to be substantially similar in all material respects with the supply arrangements entered into with the other license holders in the Canadian cannabis industry, do not contain any binding minimum purchase obligations on the part of the relevant provincial or territorial purchaser.

We expect purchase orders to be primarily driven by end-consumer demand for our products and the relevant provincial, territorial or private purchaser supply at the relevant time. Accordingly, we cannot predict the quantities of our products that will be purchased by the provincial, territorial and private purchasers, or if our products will be purchased at all. Provincial and territorial purchasers may change the terms of the supply agreements at any time during the supply relationship including pricing, have broad rights of return of products and are under no obligation to purchase our products or maintain any listings of our products for sale. As a result, provincial and territorial purchasers have a significant amount of control over the terms of the supply arrangements.

As a result of the recent implementation of the Cannabis Act and the legalization of adult cannabis use, numerousNumerous additional cannabis producers have and may continue to enter the Canadian adult-use market. We and such other cannabis producers have in the past produced and may in the future produce more cannabis than is needed to satisfy the collective demand of the Canadian medical and adult-use markets, and we may be unable to export that over-supply into other markets. As a result, the available supply of cannabis could exceed demand, which couldhas in the past, and may in the future, result in a significant declineinventory write downs and decreases in the market price for cannabis, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.prices.

We face competition from existing license holders licensed under the Cannabis Act. Certain of these competitors may have significantly greater financial, production, marketing, R&D and technical and human resources than we do. As a result, our competitors may be more successful than us in gaining market penetration and market share in the adult-use cannabis industry in Canada. Our commercial opportunity in the adult-use market could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors produce and commercialize products for the adult-use market that, among other things, are safer, more effective, more convenient or less expensive than the products that we may produce, have greater sales, marketing and distribution support than our products, enjoy enhanced timing of market introduction and perceived effectiveness advantages over our products and receive more favorable publicity than our products. If our adult-use products do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by the adult-use market, we may not generate sufficient revenue from these products, and our adult-use business may not become profitable.

We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent contractors, manufacturers and consultants may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct or disclosure ofengaging in unauthorized activities to us that violates:violate: (i) applicable laws and regulations; (ii) manufacturing standards; (iii) federal and provincial healthcare fraud and abuse of federal, state and provincial laws and regulations; or (iv) laws and regulations that require the true, complete and accurate reporting of financial information or data. It is not always possible for us to identify and deter misconduct by our employees and other third parties, and the precautions taken by us to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliancecomply with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are brought against us, and we are not successful in defending the Company or asserting our rights,them, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, loss or suspension of licenses and the curtailment of our operations, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Many jurisdictions place restrictions on or prohibit commercial activities involving cannabis and U.S. hemp. Such restrictions or prohibitions may make it impossible or impractical for us to enter or expand our operations in such jurisdictions unless there is a change in law or regulation. For example, U.S. Schedule I cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal law and may never become legal under U.S. federal law.

We must rely largely on our own market research and internal data to forecast sales as detailed market researchdata is not generally obtainable from other sources at this early stage of the cannabis or U.S. hemp industries. Our market research andindustry. If our sales forecasts together with factors such asand our expectations regarding market conditions, including prices, influence capital expenditure levels, inventory levels, production and supply chain capacity and operating expenses, and if such forecasts and expectations prove to be inaccurate, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, our forecastforecasts for product demand and market conditions waswere impacted by a decline in market prices for cannabis products in the Canadian market, which contributed to our inventory write-down in the second and fourth quarters of 2020.

The Company has been and may in the future be required to write down intangible assets, including goodwill, due to impairment, which would reduce earnings. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are reviewed annually or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets have been reduced to less than their carrying amount. We periodically calculate the fair value of our reporting units and intangible assets to test for impairment. This calculation may be affected by several factors, including general economic conditions, regulatory developments, changes in category growth rates as a result of changing adult consumer preferences, success of planned new product introductions, and competitive activity. Certain events can also trigger an immediate review of goodwill and intangible assets. If the carrying amount of our reporting unit and other intangible assets exceed their fair value, the goodwill and other intangible assets are considered impaired, which would result in impairment losses and could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Research in Canada, the U.S. and internationally regarding the benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing and social acceptance of cannabis, U.S. hemp or isolated cannabinoids (such as CBD and THC) inhaled, in dietary supplements, food, or cosmetic products remains in early stages. There have been relatively few clinical trials on the potential benefits of cannabis, U.S. hemp or isolated cannabinoids in dietary supplements, food, or cosmetic products and there is limited long-term data with respect to efficacy, sidepotential benefits, effects and/or interaction of these substances with human or animal biochemistry. As a result, our products could have unexpected side effects or safety concerns, the discovery of which could lead to civil litigation, regulatory actions and even possibly criminal enforcement actions. In addition, if the products we sell do not or are not perceived to have the effects intended by the end user, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The statements made by the Company, including in this Annual Report, concerning the potential benefits of cannabis, U.S. hemp and isolated cannabinoids are based on published articles and reports and therefore are subject to the experimental parameters, qualifications and limitations in such studies that have been completed. Although we believe that the existing public scientific literature generally supports our beliefs regarding the benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing and social acceptance of cannabis, U.S. hemp and cannabinoids in dietary supplements, food, or cosmetic products, future research and clinical trials may cast doubt or disprove such beliefs, or could raise or heighten concerns regarding, and perceptions relating to, cannabis, U.S. hemp and cannabinoids, which could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products with the potential to lead to a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, undue reliance should not be placed on such literature. In particular, the FDA has raised several questions regarding the safety of CBD and other cannabinoids, particularly in food and dietary supplements and gaps in the public scientific literature supporting the use of CBD and other cannabinoids by the general population.

Any of the foregoing could cause our products or treatments not to be commercially viable.viable, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

There have been a number of highly publicized cases involving lung and other illnesses and deaths that appear to be related to vaporizer devices and/or products used in such devices (such as vaporizer liquids). The focus is currentlyhas been on the vaporizer devices, the manner in which the devices were used and the related vaporizer device products –THC,– THC, nicotine, other substances in vaporizer liquids, possibly adulterated products and other illegal unlicensed cannabis vaporizer products. Some states, provinces, territories and citiesmunicipalities in the U.S. and Canada have already taken steps to prohibit the sale or distribution of vaporizers, restrict the sale and distribution of such products or impose restrictions on flavors, substances and concentration of substances used, or use of such vaporizers. This trend may continue, accelerate and expand.

There can be no assurance that thesethe jurisdictions in which we operate will allow the sale of cannabis vaporizers in the future, that other jurisdictions will not prohibit the sale of cannabis vaporizers, that we will be able to meet any additional compliance requirements or regulatory restrictions, or that we will remain competitive in face of unexpected changes in market conditionsconditions.

An extension of this controversy to non-nicotine vaporizer devices and other product formats could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity, cash flow and operational performance. In February 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that federal and state agencies were investigating an outbreak of over 2,807 lung injury cases associated with the use of vaporizer products, including non-nicotine containing products. Litigation pertaining to vaporizer products is acceleratingongoing and that litigation could potentially expand to include our products, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity, cash flow and operational performance.

Vaporizers, electronic cigarettes and related products were recently developed and therefore the scientific or medical communities have had a limited period of time to study the long-term health effects of their use. Currently, there is limited scientific or medical data on the safety of such products for their intended use and the medical community is still studying the health effects of the use of such products, including the long-term health effects. If a consensus were to develop among the scientific or medical community were to determine conclusively that the use of any or all of these products pose long-term health risks, market demand for these products and their use could materially decline. Such a determinationdevelopment could also lead to litigation, reputational harm and significant regulation. Loss of demand for our product,products, product liability claims and increased regulation stemming from unfavorable scientific studies on cannabis vaporizer products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity, cash flow and operational performance.

We believe the cannabis and U.S. hemp industries are highly dependent upon broad social acceptance and consumer perception regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of the cannabis and U.S. hemp products, as well as consumer views concerning regulatory compliance. Consumer perception of our products can be significantly influenced by scientific research or findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention, market rumors or speculation and other publicity regarding the consumption or effects thereof of cannabis and U.S. hemp products. There can be no assurance that future scientific research, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other research findings or publicity will be favorable to the cannabis or U.S. hemp markets or any particular product, or consistent with earlier publicity. Future research reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity that are perceived as less favorable than, or that question, earlier research reports, findings or publicity could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products and our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our dependence upon consumer perceptions means that adverse scientific research reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity, whether or not accurate or with merit, could have a material adverse effect on the demand for products, and our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Further, adverse publicity reports or other media attention regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of U.S. hemp or cannabis in general, or our products specifically, or associating the consumption or use of U.S. hemp or cannabis with illness or other negative effects or events, could have such a material adverse effect. Such adverse publicity reports or other media attention could arise even if the adverse effects associated with such products resulted from consumers’ failure to consume such products legally, appropriately or as directed.

The increased usage of social media, artificial intelligence and other web-based tools used to generate, publish and discuss user-generated content and to connect with other users has made it increasingly easier for individuals and groups to communicate and share opinions and views, whether or not true, on our operations and activities whether true or not, and the U.S. hemp and cannabis industries in general, whether true or not. Social media permits user-generated content to be distributed to a broad audience which can respond or react, in near real time, with comments that may be generated by automation and are often not filtered or checked for accuracy. In many cases, we do not have the ability to filter such comments or verify their accuracy. Accordingly, the speed with which negative publicity (whether true or not) can be disseminated has increased dramatically with the expansion of social media.media and artificial intelligence. The dissemination of negative or inaccurate posts, comments or other user-generated content about us on social media (including those published by third-parties) could damage our brand, image and reputation or how the U.S. hemp or cannabis industries are perceived generally, which could have a detrimental impact on the market for our products and thus on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Certain well-funded and significant businesses may have strong economic opposition to the U.S. hemp or cannabis industries. Lobbying by such groups, and any resulting inroads they might make in halting or rolling back the U.S. hemp and cannabis movements, could affect how the U.S. hemp or cannabis industries are perceived by others and could have a detrimental impact on the market for our products and thus on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Although we take care in protecting our image and reputation, we do not ultimately have control over how we or the U.S. hemp or cannabis industries are perceived by others. Reputation loss may result in decreased investor confidence, increased challenges in developing and maintaining community relations and an impediment to our overall ability to advance our business strategy and realize on our growth prospects, thereby having a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

There can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain or maintain product liability insurance on acceptable terms or with adequate coverage against potential liabilities. Such insurance is expensive and may not be available in the future on acceptable terms, or at all. The inability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage on reasonable terms or to otherwise protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of products.

Manufacturers and distributors of products are sometimes subject to the recall or return of their products for a variety of reasons, including, among other things, product defects, such as contamination, unintended harmful side effects or interactions with other substances, packaging safety and inadequate or inaccurate labelling disclosure. For example, on May 5, 2017, Peace Naturals announced a voluntary recall withSome of our products have been subject to recalls in the support of Health Canada for products sold between November 26, 2015 and March 13, 2017. Peace Naturals was notified by Health Canada that upon testing a random cannabis leaf sample, trace levels of Piperonyl Butoxide (“PBO”) were discovered at 0.78 parts per million (ppm). PBO is an organic compound known as a synergist. Root cause analysis conducted by Peace Naturals concluded that this was the result of cross-contamination. The source of the PBO was a Pest Management Regulatory Agency approved product that was used to sanitize empty rooms between harvests and which is no longer used.

If one or more of our products are recalled due to an alleged product defect or for any other reason, we could be required to incur the unexpected expense of the recall and any legal proceedings that might arise in connection with the recall. We may lose a significant amountnumber of sales and may not be able to replace those sales at an acceptable margin, or at all. In addition, a product recallrecalls have in the past and may in the future require significant management attention. Although we have detailed procedures in place for testing finished products, there can be no assurance that any quality, potency or contamination problems will be detected in time to avoid unforeseen product recalls, regulatory action or lawsuits. If one or more of our products were subject to recall, the public perception of that product and us could be harmed. A recall for any of the foregoing reasonsone of our products could lead to decreased demand for that product and our other products produced by us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, product recalls may lead to increased scrutiny of our operations by Health Canada, the FDA, the California Department of Public Health (the “CDPH”), the DEA or other regulatory agencies, requiring further management attention and potential legal fees and other expenses. Furthermore, any product recall affecting the cannabis or U.S. hemp industries more broadly could lead consumers to lose confidence in the safety and security of the products sold by participants in these industries generally, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Some of our products that are intended to primarily contain U.S. hemp-derived CBD, or other products,U.S. hemp-derived cannabinoids, may contain trace amounts of THC. THC is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions, including under the federal laws of the U.S. if it exceeds the cut-off established in the U.S. definition of hemp. Whether or not ingestion of THC (at low levels or otherwise) is permitted in a particular jurisdiction, there may be adverse consequences to consumers of our U.S. hemp products who test positive for any amounts of THC because of the presence of trace amounts of THC in our U.S. hemp products. In addition, certain metabolic processes in the body may negatively affect the results of drug tests. Positive tests for THC may expose us to litigation from our consumers, adversely affect our reputation, our ability to obtain or retain customers and impact individuals’ participation in certain athletic, employment or other activities. A claim or regulatory action against us based on such positive test results could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity, cash flow and operational performance.

The legal cannabis and U.S. hemp industries are in their early stages of development and it is likely that we, and our competitors, will seek to introduce new products, including products that contain cannabinoids other than THC and CBD, in the future. In attempting to keep pace with any new market developments, we may need to spend significant amounts of capital in order to successfully develop and generate revenues from new products we introduce. In addition, we may be required to obtain additional regulatory approvals from Health Canada, the FDA andand/or any other applicable regulatory authority, which may take significant amounts of time. We may not be successful in developing effective and safe new products, bringing such products to market in time to be effectively commercialized, or obtaining any required regulatory approvals, and, in the event we are successful, it is possible that there may be little or no demand for the products we develop (including products containing cannabinoids other than THC and CBD with which consumers may not be familiar or have significant reservations), which, together with any capital expenditures made in the course of such product development and regulatory approval processes, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Canada’s excise duty framework imposes an excise duty and various regulatory-like restrictions on certain cannabis products sold in Canada. We currently hold licenses issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) required to comply with this excise framework. Any change in the rates or application of excise duty to cannabis products sold by us in Canada, and any restrictive interpretations by the CRA or the courts of the regulatory-like restrictions contained inprovisions of the Excise Act, 2001 (which may be different than those contained in the Cannabis Act) may affect our profitability and ability to compete in the market.

Our activities and resources are focused on various production and manufacturing facilities including in the U.S. (for U.S. hemp products), Canada and Israel.Israel and, prior to our exit of our U.S. operations, the U.S. Some licenses are specific to those facilities. Adverse changes or developments affecting our facilities and the facilities of our joint venture partners, including but not limited to a breach of security, an inability to successfully grow cannabis plants or produce finished goods, unanticipated cost overruns in growing or producing products, an outbreak of a communicable illness (such as COVID-19) or a force majeure event, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As we proceed to complete the pending sale-leaseback of, and effect the change in the nature of operations at, the Peace Naturals Campus, the production and manufacturing facilities that we continue to use have become increasingly important to our business. Any breach of the security measures and other facility requirements, including any failure to comply with recommendations or requirements arising from inspections by regulatory agencies, could also have an impact on our ability to continue operating under our licenses or the prospect of renewing our licenses or could result in a revocation of our licenses.

We bear the responsibility for all of the costs of maintenance and upkeep at our facilities and our operations and financial performance may be adversely affected if our facilities are unable to keep up with maintenance requirements.

Given the nature of our products and our lack of legal availability outside of certain legalized or regulated retail or distribution channels, as well as the concentration of inventory in our facilities, despite meetingwe are subject to the applicable security requirements under applicable law, there remains a risk of theft. A security breach at one of our facilities could expose us to additional liabilityscrutiny from regulators, increased expenses and to potentially costly litigation, increase expensesbusiness disruptions relating to the resolution and future prevention of these breachesbreaches.

A privacycybersecurity incident or breach may occur throughin a variety of sources,ways, including, without limitation, a procedural or process failure, information technology malfunction, inadvertent disclosure of sensitive or private information, deliberate unauthorized intrusions,intrusion, computer viruses, cyber-attacksvirus, and direct or indirect cyberattack or other electronic security breaches.breach. Theft of data for competitive or fraudulent purposes, such as customer lists and preferences and other consumer and employee personal information, and trade secrets and other confidential intellectual property is an ongoing risk whether perpetrated via employee collusion or negligence or through deliberate cyber-attack.and growing risk. Any such theft or privacycybersecurity incident or breach wouldmay have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are dependent upon information technology systems in the conduct of our operations, and we collect, store and use certain sensitive data, intellectual property, our proprietary business information and certain personally identifiablepersonal information of our employees and customers on those systems, including cloud-based systems. We have been, and expect to continue to be, subject to various cyberattacks and phishing schemes. Additionally, we are undertaking an effort to modernize our networks.information technology systems, which could expose us to additional risks relating to our collection, storage and use of certain data on our systems.

There have been many highly publicized cyber-attacks over the last several years and we expect those to continue. Any fraudulent, malicious or accidental breach of our data securitysystems could result in unintentionalunintended disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, third-party, customer, vendor, employee or other confidential or sensitive data or information, whichand could potentially result in additional costs and business disruption to us, including without limitation, to repair or replace damaged systems, enhance security or to respond to occurrences, lost sales, violations of data privacy, security or other laws and regulations and subsequent penalties, fines, regulatory action or litigation. We also rely on third-party service providers, including cloud-based systems, for certainmost of our information technology systems, such as payment processing, and any data security breach at a third-party service provider could have similar effects. In addition, media or other reports of perceived security vulnerabilities to our systems or those of our third-party suppliers,providers, even if no breach has been attempted or occurred, could adversely impact our brand and reputation, and customers could lose confidence in our security measures and reliability, which would harm our ability to retain customers and gain new ones. If any of these were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

In recent years, our Information Systems department, which oversees our cybersecurity systems and processes, has experienced high turnover, creating opportunities for knowledge and skill gaps, which can result in operational errors and security oversights. In addition, cybersecurity is not the sole focus of our Information Systems department, and no individual employee is specifically dedicated solely to cybersecurity; competing responsibilities may divert their attention from cybersecurity matters.

Our business and that of our joint venture partners and third-party suppliers involves the growing of cannabis, an agricultural product, in certain jurisdictions where that activity is permitted. As such, the business is subject to the risks inherent in the agricultural business, such as insects, plant diseases and similar agricultural risks that may create crop failures and supply interruptions for our customers. Although our current operational production facilities, and those of our joint venture partners and third-party suppliers, grow products indoors (including in greenhouses) under climate-controlled conditions and we and our joint venture partners and third-party suppliers carefully monitor the growing conditions with trained personnel, there can be no assurance that natural elements will not have a material adverse effect on the production of our products.

We face exposure to our third-party cannabis suppliers that may face financial difficulties which would impact our supply of cannabis material.products. For example, supply chains throughout the world have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and this has increased the costs of products and shipping. We have in the past, and may in the future, have disruptions in our supply chain.

We rely on third-party distributors, including pharmaceutical distributors and other courier services, and may in the future rely on other third parties, to distribute our products. We also rely on third-party manufacturers to manufacture certain of our products. If these distributors or manufacturers do not successfully carry out their contractual obligations or terminate or suspend their contractual arrangements with us, if there is a delay or interruption in the distribution or manufacturing of our products or if these third parties damage our products, it could negatively impact our revenue.revenue and may require significant management attention. In addition, any damage to our products due to acts or omissions of our third-party distributors or manufacturers, such as product spoilage or improper storage or handling, could expose us to potential product liability, damage our reputation and the reputation of our products or brands or otherwise harm our business.

The ownership and protection of our intellectual property rights is a significant aspect of our future success. Currently we rely on trade secrets, technical know-how, proprietary information, trademarks, copyrights, designs and certain patent filings to maintain our competitive position. We try to protect our intellectual property by strategically seeking and obtaining registered protection where possible,appropriate, developing and implementing standard operating procedures to protect trade secrets, technical know-how and proprietary information, and entering into agreements with parties that have access to our inventions, trade secrets, technical know-how and proprietary information, such as our partners, collaborators, employees and consultants, to protect confidentiality and ownership. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our inventions, trade secrets, technical know-how and proprietary information by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems, and we seek to protect our trademarks and the goodwill associated therewith by monitoring and enforcing against unauthorized use of our trademarks.

It is possible that we will inadvertently disclose or otherwise fail or be unable to protect our inventions, trade secrets, technical know-how or proprietary information, or will fail to identify our inventions or trademarks as patentable or registrable intellectual property, or fail to obtain patent or registered trademark protection therefor. Any such disclosure or failure could have a material adverse effect on our business.

In relation to our agreements with parties that have access to our intellectual property, any of these parties may breach their obligations to us, and we may not have adequate remedies for such breach. In relation to our security measures, such security measures may be breached and we may not have adequate remedies for such breach. In addition, our intellectual property that has not yet been applied for or registered may otherwise become known to, or be independently developed by, competitors, or may already be the subject of applications for intellectual property registrations filed by our competitors, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We cannot provide any assurances that our inventions, trade secrets, technical know-how and other proprietary information will not be disclosed in violation of agreements, or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to our intellectual property or independently develop and file applications for intellectual property rights in a manner that adversely impacts our intellectual property rights. For example, we have had employees misappropriate the Company’s confidential information, including intellectual property, including at least one employee who was subsequently employed by a competitor. Unauthorized parties may attempt to replicate or otherwise obtain and use our inventions, trade secrets, technical know-how and proprietary information. Policing the unauthorized use of our current or future intellectual property rights could beis difficult, expensive, time-consuming and unpredictable, as may beis enforcing these rights against unauthorized use by others. Identifying unauthorized use of intellectual property rights is difficult asdifficult. For example, we may be unable to effectively monitor and evaluate the products being distributed by our competitors, including parties such as unlicensed dispensaries, and the processes used to produce such products. If the steps taken to identify and protect our trade secrets are inadequate, we may be unable to enforce our rights in them against third parties.

The laws and positions of intellectual property offices administering such laws regarding intellectual property rights relating to cannabis and cannabis-related products, and the positions of intellectual property offices administering such laws, are constantly evolving, and there is uncertainty regarding which countries will permit the filing, prosecution, issuance, registration and enforcement of intellectual property rights relating to cannabis and cannabis-related products.

Specifically, we have sought trademark protection in many countries, including Canada, the U.S. and others. Our ability to obtain registered trademark protection for cannabis and cannabis-related goods and services (including U.S. hemp and U.S. hemp-related goods and services) may be limited in certain countries outside of Canada, including the U.S., where registered federal trademark protection is currently unavailable for trademarks covering the sale of U.S. Schedule I cannabis products or certain goods containing U.S. hemp-derived CBD (such as dietary supplements and foods) until the FDA provides clearer guidance on the regulation of such products;products, and including Europe, where laws on the legality of cannabis use are not uniform, and trademarks cannot be obtained for products that are “contrary to public policy or accepted principles of morality.” Accordingly, our ability to obtain intellectual property rights or enforce intellectual property rights against third-party uses of similar trademarks may be limited in certain countries.

Moreover, in any infringement proceeding, some or all of our current or future trademarks, patents or other intellectual property rights or other proprietary know-how, or arrangements or agreements seeking to protect the same for our benefit, may be found invalid, unenforceable, anti-competitive or not infringed. An adverse result in any litigation or defense proceedings could put one or more of our current or future trademarks, patents or other intellectual property rights at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and could put existing intellectual property applications at risk of not being issued. Any or all of these events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

There is no guarantee that any patent or other intellectual property applications that we file will result in registration or any enforceable intellectual property rights or the breadth of any such protection. Further, with respect to any patent applications that we file, there is no assurance that we will find all potentially relevant prior art relating to any patentsuch applications, that we file, which may prevent a patent from issuing from a patentsuch application or invalidate any patent that issues from such application. Even if patents do successfully issue, and cover our products and processes, third parties may challenge their validity, enforceability or scope, which may result in such patents being narrowed, found unenforceable or invalidated. Even if they are unchallenged, any patent applications and future patents may not adequately protect our intellectual property rights, provide exclusivity for our products or processes or prevent others from designing around any issued patent claims. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Other parties may claim that our products infringe on their intellectual property rights, including with respect to patents, and our operation of our business, including our development, manufacture and sale of our goods and services, may be found to infringe third-party intellectual property rights. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to products or processes related to the manufacture, use or sale of our products and processes. There may be currently pending patent applications, some of which may still be confidential, that may later result in issued patents that our products or processes may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our inventions, trade secrets, technical know-how and proprietary information, or the manufacture, use or sale of our products, infringes upon those patents. Third parties may also claim that our use of our trademarks infringes upon their trademark rights. Such claims, whether or not meritorious, may result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, legal fees, injunctions, temporary restraining orders, other equitable relief, and/orand require the payment of damages, any or all of which may have an adverse impact on our business.business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may need to obtain licenses from third parties who allege that we have infringed on their lawful rights.purported rights, whether or not such allegations have merit. Such licenses may not be available on terms acceptable to us, and we may be unable to obtain any licenses or other necessary or useful rights underto such third-party intellectual property.

Germplasm, including seeds, clones and cuttings, is the genetic material used in new cannabis varieties and hybrids. We use advanced breeding technologies to produce cannabis germplasm (hybrids and varieties) with superior performance.. We rely on parental varieties for the success of our breeding program. Although we believe that the parental germplasm is proprietary to us, we may need to obtain licenses from third parties who may allege that we have appropriated their germplasm or their rights to such germplasm.germplasm, whether or not such allegations have merit. Such licenses may not be available on terms acceptable to us, and we may be unable to obtain any licenses or other necessary or useful rights under third-party intellectual property. We may seek to protect our parental germplasm, as appropriate, relying on intellectual property rights, including rights related to inventions (patents and plant breeders’ rights), trade secrets, technical know-how, and proprietary information. There is a risk that we will fail to protect such germplasm or that we will fail to register rights in relation to such germplasm. We have also licensed certain of our germplasm strains to Cronos GrowCo and may be unable to maintain control of these strains if we do not purchase all product derived from such strains.

We also seek to protect our parental germplasm, hybrids and varieties from pests and diseases and enhance plant productivity and fertility, and we research products to protect against crop pests and fungus. There are several reasons why new product concepts in these areas may be abandoned, including greater than anticipated development costs, technical difficulties, regulatory obstacles, competition, inability to prove the original concept, lack of demand and the need to divert focus, from time to time, to other initiatives with perceived opportunities for better returns.initiatives. The processes of breeding, development and trait integration are lengthy, and the germplasm we test may not be selected for commercialization. The length of time and the risk associated with breeding may affect our business. Our sales depend, in part, on our germplasm. Commercial success frequently depends on being the first company to the market, and many of our competitors are also making considerable investments in similar new and improved cannabis germplasm products. Consequently, there is no assurance that we will successfully develop and deliver new cannabis germplasm products to the point of commercial viability in the markets we serve on a timely basis.

Finally, we seek to protect our germplasm, hybrids and varieties from accidental release, theft, misappropriation and sabotage by maintaining physical security of our premises and through contractual rights with our employees and certain of our suppliers, independent contractors, consultants and licensees. However, such security measures may be insufficient or breached, and our employees, independent contractors, consultants and licensees may engage in the inadvertent disclosure, theft, misappropriation or sabotage. We may not have adequate remedies in the case of any such security breach, inadvertent disclosure, theft, misappropriation or sabotage.

We are party to licenses granted by third parties, including with actress Kristen Bell and through the Ginkgo Strategic Partnership, thatwhich give us rights to use third-party intellectual property and germplasm that is necessary or useful to our business. Our success will depend, in part, on the ability of the applicable licensor to maintain and enforce its licensed intellectual property, including intellectual property underlying licensed germplasm, against other third parties, particularly intellectual property rights to which we have secured exclusive rights. Without protection for the intellectual property we have licensed, or underlying germplasm that we have licensed, as the case may be, other companies might be able to offer substantially similar products for sale or utilize substantially similar processes, or publicity and marketing rights or other intellectual property, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our success will also depend, in part, on our ability to obtain licenses to certain intellectual property and germplasm that we believe are necessary or useful for our business. Such licenses may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which could adversely affect our ability to commercialize our products or services, as well as have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any of our licensors may allege that we have breached our license agreements with those licensors, whether with or without merit, and accordingly seek to terminate our applicable licenses. If successful, this could result in our loss of the right to use applicable licensed intellectual property or germplasm, which could adversely affect our ability to commercialize our products or services, as well as have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Rapidly changing markets, technology, emerging industry standards and frequent introduction of new products characterize our business. The introduction of new products embodying new technologies, including new manufacturing processes or formulations, and the emergence of new industry standards may render our products obsolete, less competitive or less marketable. The process of developing our products is complex and requires significant continuing costs, development efforts and third-party commitments, including licensees, researchers, collaborators and lenders.collaborators. Our failure to develop new technologies and products and the obsolescence of existing technologies or processes could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may be unable to anticipate changes in our potential customer preferences or requirements that could make our existing technology, processes or formulations obsolete. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to continue to enhance our existing technologies, develop new technology that addresses the increasing sophistication and varied newsviews of the market, and respond to technological advances and emerging industry standards and practices on a timely and cost-effective basis. The development of our proprietary technology, processes and formulations entails significant technical and business risks. We may not be successful in using our new technologies or exploiting our niche markets effectively or adapting our business to evolving customer or medical requirements or preferencepreferences or emerging industry standards.

Approximately 250 substances, including cannabis, are listed in the Schedules annexed to the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (New York, 1961), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (Vienna, 1971) and the Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (introducing control on precursors) (Vienna, 1988). The purpose of these listings is to control and limit the use of these drugs according to a classification of their therapeutic value, risk of abuse and health dangers, and to minimize the diversion of precursor chemicals to illegal drug manufacturers. The 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended in 1972 classifies cannabis as a Schedule I (“substances with addictive properties, presenting a serious risk of abuse”) narcotic drug. In December 2020, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV (“the most dangerous substances, already listed in Schedule I, which are particularly harmful and of extremely limited medical or therapeutic value”). The 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances classifies tetrahydrocannabinols, which includes delta-9 THC, as a Schedule I psychotropic substance (substances presenting a high risk of abuse, posing a particularly serious threat to public health which are of very little or no therapeutic value). Many countries are parties to these conventions, which govern international trade and domestic control of these substances, including cannabis. They may interpret and implement their obligations in a way that creates legal obstacles to our obtaining manufacturing and/or marketing approval for our products in those countries. These countries may not be willing or able to amend or otherwise modify their laws and regulations to permit our products to be manufactured and/or marketed, and achieving such amendments to the laws and regulations may take a prolonged period of time. There can be no assurance that any market for our products will develop in any jurisdiction in which we do not currently have operations. We may face new or unexpected risks or significantly increase our exposure to one or more existing risk factors, including economic instability, political instability, changes in laws and regulations and the effects of competition. These factors may limit our capability to successfully expand our operations into such jurisdictions and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Much of our exposure to markets in jurisdictions outside of Canada and the U.S. is through investments and joint ventures. These investments and joint ventures are subject to the risks normally associated with any conduct of business in foreign and/or emerging countries including political risks; civil disturbance risks; changes in laws, regulations or policies of particular countries, including those relating to royalties, duties, imports, exports and currency; the cancellation or renegotiation of contracts; the imposition of royalties, net profits payments, tax increases or other claims by government entities, including retroactive claims; a disregard for due process and the rule of law by local courts; the risk of expropriation and nationalization; delays in obtaining or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits or the reimbursement of refundable tax from fiscal authorities.

Threats or instability in a country or region caused by political events including elections, change in government, changes in personnel or legislative bodies, foreign relations or military control present serious political and social risk and instability causing interruptions to the flow of business negotiations and influencing relationships with government officials. Changes in policy or law may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The risks include increased “unpaid” state participation, higher energy costs, higher taxation levels and potential expropriation.

There is also the risk of increased disclosure requirements; currency fluctuations; restrictions on the ability of local operating companies to hold Canadian dollars, U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies in offshore bank accounts; import and export regulations;restrictions; increased regulatory requirements and restrictions; increased health-related regulations; limitations on the repatriation of earnings or on our ability to assist in minimizing our expatriate workforce’s exposure to double taxation in both the home and host jurisdictions; and increased financing costs.

These risks may limit or disrupt our joint ventures, strategic alliances or investments, restrict the movement of funds, cause us to have to expend more funds than previously expected or required or result in the deprivation of contract rights or the taking of property by nationalization or expropriation without fair compensation, and may materially adversely affect our businesses,business, financial position and/or results of operations. In addition, the enforcement by us of our legal rights in foreign countries, including rights to exploit our properties or utilize our permits and licenses and contractual rights may not be recognized by the court systems in such foreign countries or enforced in accordance with the rule of law.

We currently do, and may in the future, invest in companies, or engage in joint ventures, in countries with developing economies. It is difficult to predict the future political, social and economic direction of the countries in which we or our joint ventures operate, and the impact government decisions may have on our business. Any political or economic instability in the countries in which we operate could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business and activities are heavily regulated in all jurisdictions where we carry on business. Our operations are subject to various laws, regulations and guidelines by governmental authorities (including, in Canada, Health Canada and analogousother federal, provincial and local regulatory agencies and, in the U.S., the FDA, the USDA, CDPH, DEA, PTO and FTC and analogousother federal and state agencies) relating to the cultivation, manufacture, processing, marketing, labeling, packaging, management, transportation, distribution, import, export, storage, sale, pricing and disposal of cannabis and U.S. hemp, and also including laws, regulations and guidelines relating to health and safety, insurance coverage, the conduct of operations and the protection of the environment (including relating to emissions and discharges to water, air and land, and the handling and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous materials and wastes). Our operations may also be affected in varying degrees by government regulations with respect to, but not limited to,among other things, price controls, import or export controls, controls on currency remittance, increased income taxes, restrictions on foreign investment and government policies rewarding contracts to local competitors or requiring domestic producers or vendors to purchase supplies from a particular jurisdiction. Laws, regulations and guidelines, applied generally, grant government agencies and self-regulatory bodies broad administrative discretion over our activities, including the power to limit or restrict business activities as well as impose additional disclosure requirements on our products and services.services, as well as on our personnel (including management and our board of directors).

Achievement of our business objectives is contingent, in part, upon compliance with regulatory requirements enacted by these governmental authorities and obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals for the cultivation, production, processing storage, transportation, distribution, sale, import and export, as applicable, of our products. The cannabis and U.S. hemp industries are still new, industries and in Canada in particular, the Cannabis Act is a new regime that has no close precedent in Canadian law. Similarly, the regulatory regimes in the jurisdictions in which we and our joint ventures operate outside of the U.S. and Canada the regulatory environments in jurisdictions legalizing the import, cultivation, production and sale of cannabis and cannabis products are new and are still being developed without close precedent in such jurisdictions. The effect of relevant governmental authorities’ administration, application and enforcement of their respective regulatory regimes and delays in obtaining, or failure to obtain, applicablenecessary regulatory approvals which may be required may significantly delay or impact the development of markets, products and sales initiatives and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The regulatory environment for our products is rapidly developing, and the need to build and maintain robust systems to comply with different and changing regulations in multiple jurisdictions increases the possibility that we may violate one or more applicable requirements. While we endeavor to comply with all relevant laws, regulations and guidelines, any failure to comply with the regulatory requirements applicable to our operations could subject us to negative consequences, including, but not limited to, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, asset seizures, revocation or imposition of additional conditions on licenses to operate our business, the denial of regulatory applications (including, in the U.S., by other regulatory regimes that rely on the positions of the DEA and FDA in the application of their respective regimes), the suspension or expulsion from a particular market or jurisdiction of our key personnel, or the imposition of additional or more stringent inspection, testing and reporting requirements, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and financial results.results of operations. Additionally, scheduled or unscheduled inspections of our facilities or facilities of our joint ventures or third-party suppliers by applicable regulatory agencies could result in adverse findings that could require significant remediation efforts and/or temporary or permanent shutdown of our facilities or those of our joint ventures or third-party suppliers. In the U.S., failure to comply with FDA requirements (and analogous state agencies) may result in, among other things, injunctions, product withdrawals, recalls, product seizures, fines and criminal prosecutions. The outcome of any regulatory or agency proceedings, investigations, inspections, audits, and other contingencies could harm our reputation, require us to take, or refrain from taking, actions that could harm our operations or require us to pay substantial amounts of money, harming our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. There can be no assurance that any pending or future regulatory or agency proceedings, investigations, inspections and audits will not result in substantial costs or a diversion of management’s attention and resources, negatively impact our future growth plans and opportunities or have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

IfThough the Company exited its U.S. operations in 2023, if the Company’s previous U.S. hemp business activities are found to be in violation of any of U.S. federal, state or local laws or any other governmental regulations, in addition to the items described above:

As it relates to U.S. Schedule I cannabis, in the U.S., despite cannabis possession and use having been legalized at the state level for medical use in many states and for adult-use in a number of states, marijuana as defined by the CSA continues to be categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA and subject to the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (“CSIEA”). Although we do not engage in any activities related to marijuana as defined by the CSA in the U.S., violations of any U.S. federal laws and regulations, including the CSA and the CSIEA, whether intentional or inadvertent, could result in civil, criminal and/or administrative enforcement actions, which could result in fines, penalties, and other sanctions, including but not limited to, cessation of business activities. Additionally, U.S. border officials could deny entry into the U.S. to those employed at or investing in legal and licensed non-U.S. cannabis companies and such persons could face detention, denial of entry or lifetime bans from the U.S. for their business associations with cannabis businesses.

Our ability to grow, process, store and sell cannabis in Canada is dependent on our licenses from Health Canada, and in particular the licenses currently held by Peace Naturals.Naturals, Cronos Fermentation and Cronos GrowCo. Failure to comply with the requirements of the licenses or failure to maintain the licenses would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we believe Peace Naturals, Cronos Fermentation and Cronos GrowCo will meet the requirements of the Cannabis Act for extension of its license,their licenses, there can be no guarantee that Health Canada will extend or renew the licenses or, if they are extended or renewed, that they will be extended or renewed on the same or similar terms or that Health Canada will not revoke the licenses. Should we fail to comply with requirements of the licenses, should Health Canada not extend or renew the licenses, should we renew the licensesthey be renewed on different terms (including not allowing for anticipated capacity increases) or should the licenses be revoked or suspended, our business, financial condition and results of the operations will be materially adversely affected.

Our ability to grow, process, store and sell cannabis in Israel is dependent on maintaining our cannabis cultivation, production and productiondistribution licenses and our ability to export products to, or import products from, Cronos Israel is also dependent on obtaining the relevant export permits. Cronos GrowCo’s ability to grow, process, store and sell cannabis at its cannabisproduction facility in Kingsville, Ontario depends on obtaining and maintaining the appropriate licenses from Health Canada. Natuera’s ability to grow, process, store and sell cannabis in Colombia is dependent on obtaining and maintaining and being granted the appropriate licenses from the Ministry of Health and Social Security and Natuera’s ability to export products from Colombia is dependent on its ability to obtain the relevant export permits. Should we or our joint ventures fail to comply with the requirements of the licenses, or should they not be extended or renewed by the applicable regulatory authorities, or should they be renewed on different terms (including not allowing for anticipated capacity increases) or should the licenses be revoked, the business, financial condition and results of our and our joint ventures’ operations will be materially adversely affected. There is no assurance that we or our joint ventures will be able to obtain additionalnecessary permits or licenses on commercially reasonable terms or within expected time periods, if at all. Moreover, the pending sale-leaseback transaction of, and the change in the nature of operations at, the Peace Naturals Campus will require approval from Health Canada for changes to our site perimeter on the Peace Naturals Campus and will increase the importance of the licenses of Cronos GrowCo for our business and operations. We cannot provide any assurance that the required approval will be obtained from Health Canada on commercially reasonable terms or within expected time periods, if at all. Additionally, given Peace Naturals will no longer own the Peace Naturals Campus following the completion of the pending sale-leaseback transaction, if Future Farmco’s assistance is necessary to comply with the requirements of our Health Canada licenses, there can be no assurance that Future Farmco will assist us on commercially reasonable terms or at all, which could result in the revocation or suspension of such licenses.

In addition, Ginkgo’s ability to conduct certain R&D activities in the U.S. under the Ginkgo Collaboration Agreement is conditional on Ginkgo continuing to maintain all necessary licenses, permits and approvals required for Ginkgo to perform such R&D activities. There are no assurances that Ginkgo will be able to maintain required licenses, permits and approvals and, to the extent such licenses, permits and approvals are not maintained, we may not realize the expected benefits of the Ginkgo Strategic Partnership.

We may also be required to obtain and maintain certain permits, licenses and approvals in the jurisdictions where we source, process, or sell products derived from U.S. hemp. We may be unable to obtain or maintain any necessary licenses, permits or approvals. Additional government licenses are currently, and in the future may be required in connection with our operations, in addition to other unknown permits and approvals which may be required, including with respect to our other Rest of World operations.required. To the extent such permits, and approvals are required and not obtained, we may be prevented from operating and/or expanding our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our current operations are and have been subject to various laws, regulations and guidelines promulgated by governmental authorities (including, in Canada, Health Canada and other federal, provincial and local regulatory agencies and, in the U.S., the FDA, the USDA, CDPH, DEA, FTC and PTO)PTO and other federal and state agencies) relating to the cultivation, processing, marketing, acquisition, manufacture, packaging/labeling, management, transportation, distribution, import, export, storage, sale and disposal of cannabis or U.S. hemp but also including laws and regulations relating to health and safety, the conduct of operations and the protection of the environment. Additionally, our growth strategy continues to evolve as regulations governing the cannabis industry in the jurisdictions other than Canada and the U.S. in which we and our joint ventures operate become more fully developed. Interpretation of these laws, rules and regulations and their application to our operations and those of our joint ventures is ongoing. No assurance can be given that new laws, regulations and guidelines will not be enacted or that existing laws, regulations and guidelines will not be amended, repealed or interpreted or applied in a manner which could require extensive changes to our operations, increase compliance costs, give rise to material liabilities or a revocation of our licenses and other permits, restrict the growth opportunities that we currently anticipate or otherwise limit or curtail our operations. For example, the Cannabis Act requires the Canadian federal government to conduct a review of the Cannabis Act beginningafter three years, which commenced in October 2021. ThisSeptember 2022. The scope of this statutory review is required to include,includes, among other things, consideration of (i) the administration and operation of the Cannabis Act, (ii) the impact of the Cannabis Act on public health, (iii) the health and consumption habits of young persons, (iv) the impact of cannabis on Indigenous persons and communities and (v) the impact of cultivation of cannabis plants in a dwelling-house. This report resulting from the statutory review may recommend and/or lead to the amendment, removal or addition of provisions in or to the Cannabis Act which could adversely affect our business. Amendments to current laws, regulations and guidelines governing the production, sale and use of cannabis and cannabis-based products, more stringent implementation or enforcement thereof or other unanticipated events, including changes in political regimes or political instability, currency controls, fluctuations in currency exchange rates and rates of inflation, labor unrest, changes in taxation laws, regulations and policies, restrictions on foreign exchange and repatriation, governmental regulations relating to foreign investment and the cannabis business more generally, and changes in attitudes toward cannabis, are beyond our control and could require extensive changes to our operations, which in turn may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

While the production of cannabis in Canada, among other things, is under the regulatory oversight of the federal government of Canada, the distribution and retail sale of adult-use cannabis in Canada falls within the jurisdiction of the provincial and territorial governments. The impact of the legislation regulating adult-use cannabis passed in the provinces and territories on the cannabis industry and our business plans and operations is uncertain. Provinces and territories have announced certain restrictions that are more stringent than the federal rules or regulations such as retail sale and marketing restrictions, bans on certain types of cannabis edibles,products, raising minimum age of purchase and flavor restrictions. For example, Québec Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island do not currently permit sales of cannabis vaporizers, and Québec limits the sale of other high THC non-edible cannabis products. In April 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the provinces’ power to enact regulations that are more restrictive than the federal regime. In addition, the distribution and retail channels and applicable rules and regulations in the provinces continue to evolve, and our ability to distribute and retail cannabis and cannabis products in Canada is dependent on the ability of the provinces and territories of Canada to establish licensed retail networks and outlets. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, various provinces and territories have introduced a variety of regulatory changes to their respective cannabis regimes, which include in certain jurisdictions, forced store closures, restrictions or bans on in-store shopping experiences, and the authorization of private delivery services. There is no guarantee that the applicable legislation regulating the distribution and sale of cannabis for adult-use purposes including as amended to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, will allow for the growth opportunities we currently anticipate.anticipate and may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Furthermore, additional countries continue to pass laws that allow forwith respect to the production and distribution of cannabis in some form or another. We have subsidiaries, investments, joint ventures and strategic alliances in place outside of the U.S. and Canada, which may be affected if more countries legalize cannabis. Increased international competition and limitations placed on us by Canadian regulations might lower the demand for our products on a global scale. We also face competition in each jurisdiction outside of the U.S. and Canada where we have subsidiaries, investments, joint ventures and strategic alliances with local companies that have more experience, more in-depth knowledge of local markets or applicable laws, regulations and guidelines or longer operating histories in such jurisdictions.

Our common shares are listed on the TSX and Nasdaq. We must comply with the TSX and Nasdaq requirements or guidelines when conducting business.

On October 16, 2017, theThe TSX has provided clarity regarding the application of Section 306 (Minimum Listing Requirements), Section 325 (Management) and Part VII (Halting of Trading, Suspension and Delisting of Securities) of the TSX Company Manual (collectively, the “Requirements”) to TSX-listed issuers with business activities in the cannabis sector. In TSX Staff Notice 2017- 0009, the TSX notes that issuers with ongoing business activities that violate U.S. federal law regarding U.S. Schedule I cannabis are not in compliance with the Requirements. The TSX reminded issuers that, among other things, should the TSX find that a listed issuer is engaging in activities contrary to the Requirements, the TSX has the discretion to initiate a delisting review. Although we do not conduct any operations in the U.S. with respect to U.S. Schedule I cannabis, failure to comply with the Requirements could result in a delisting of our common shares from the TSX or the denial of an application for certain approvals, such as to have additional securities listed on the TSX, which could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common shares and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.shares.

While Nasdaq has not issued official rules specific to the cannabis or U.S. hemp industry, stock exchanges in the U.S., including Nasdaq, have historically refused to list certain U.S. Schedule I cannabis related businesses, including U.S. Schedule I cannabis retailers, that operate primarily in the U.S. Failure to comply with any requirements imposed by Nasdaq could result in the delisting of our common shares from Nasdaq or denial of any application to have additional securities listed on Nasdaq which could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common shares.

On December 20, 2018, the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law. The 2018 Farm Bill, among other things, removes “hemp” (which we refer to as “U.S. hemp” in this Annual Report, defined as the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis and its derivatives) from the U.S. federal Controlled Substances Act and amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to permit the production and sale of U.S. hemp in the U.S. The 2018 Farm Bill tasks the USDA with promulgating regulations in relation to the cultivation and production of U.S. hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill also directs the USDA to promulgate federal regulations that would apply to the production of U.S. hemp in every state which does not put forth a state U.S. hemp plan for approval by the USDA.certain uses under certain conditions. The USDA issued a final rule in January 2021 that becomes effective March 2021. Various states are in the process of applying to the USDA for approval of their U.S. hemp production regulations which impose different levels of regulation and costs on the production of U.S. hemp, and certain state plans have been approved by the USDA. The USDA’s recently issued final rule, requires hemp producers to use a laboratory that is registered with the DEA for analytical testing of hemp plants; however, the USDA is delaying enforcement of this requirement until December 31, 2022. The final rule does provide some flexibility for producers to dispose or remediate non-compliant plants, subject to additional documentation requirements, without requiring the use of a DEA-registered reverse distributor or law enforcement to dispose of non-compliant plants. Moreover, the 2018 Farm Bill provides that its provisions do not preempt or limit state laws that regulate the production of U.S. hemp. Accordingly, some states may choose to restrict or prohibit some or all U.S. hemp production or sales within the state, and variances in states’ laws and regulations on U.S. hemp are likely to persist. Further, each state has discretion to develop and implement its own laws and regulations governing the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, and sale of U.S. hemp products, which has created a patchwork of different regulatory schemes applicable to such products. To the extent a farm bill enacted in the future changes the definition of “hemp” or the regulation thereof, including product format or type, our ability to re-enter the U.S. market and launch competitive U.S. hemp products could be negatively impacted.

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, the FDA has retained authority over the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-regulatedFFDCA-regulated products (e.g., drugs (human and animal), food (human and animal), dietary supplements and cosmetics) containing U.S. hemp and U.S. hemp-derived ingredients, including CBD. The FDA has consistently taken the position that CBD, whether derived from U.S. hemp or U.S. Schedule I cannabis, is prohibited from use as an ingredient in food and dietary supplements. This stems from its interpretation of the exclusionary clauses in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActFFDCA because CBD is the active ingredient in a drug that has been approved as a prescription drug and is the subject of substantial clinical investigations as a drug, which have been made public. The exclusionary clauses under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActFFDCA provide that a substance that has been approved or has been subject to substantial clinical investigations as a drug may not be used in a food or dietary supplement, unless the substance was first marketed in a food or dietary supplement prior to the initiation of substantial clinical investigations of the substance as a drug.

Until the FDA formally adopts regulations with respect to CBD or other U.S. hemp-derived cannabinoid products or announces an official position with respect to CBD or other U.S. hemp-derived cannabinoid products, there is a risk that the FDA could take enforcement action (e.g., a “Warning Letter,” seizure, or injunction) against the Company’sCompany in respect of its U.S. hemp-derived CBD products sold in the U.S.

Moreover, states have retained regulatory authority through their own analogues to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,FFDCA, and the states may diverge from the federal treatment of the use of U.S. hemp as, or in, food, dietary supplements or cosmetic products. The FDA or applicable states (under their CSA or Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act analogues) may ultimately not permit the sale

Even if the exclusionary clause issue discussed above is resolved in a manner favorable to us and we decide to re-enter the U.S. hemp market, we could be required to submit a New Dietary Ingredient Notification (“NDIN”)NDIN to the FDA with respect to U.S. hemp-derived ingredients, including CBD and other cannabinoids we intend to include in our products, used in dietary supplement products. This could depend on whether we can establish that a particular ingredient was marketed as a dietary ingredient in a dietary supplement prior to October 15, 1994, or is otherwise currently in the food supply in the same chemical form as used in our dietary supplement products. If the FDA objects to oursuch an NDIN, notification, this could prevent us from producing, marketing and selling ingestible U.S. hemp products which would have a material adverse impact onproducts. Such an NDIN submitted by one of our business, financial condition and results of operations.

There is substantial uncertainty concerning the legal status of U.S. hemp and U.S. hemp products containing U.S. hemp-derived ingredients, including CBD.CBD and other cannabinoids. The status of products derived from the cannabis or hemp plant, under both federal and state law can depend on the THC content of the plant or derivative (including whether the plant meets the statutory definition of “industrial hemp” or “hemp”), the part of the plant from which an individual or entity produces the derivative (including whether the plant meets the statutory definition of “marihuana” under the CSA), the THC concentration during the manufacturing process, whether the cultivator, processor, manufacturer or product marketer engages in cannabis-related activities for research versus purely commercial purposes, as well as the form and intended use of the product. The mere presence of a cannabinoid (such as CBD) is not dispositive as to whether the product is legal or illegal. Under U.S. federal law, products containing CBD may be unlawful if derived from U.S. Schedule I cannabis (including hemp with a concentration greater than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis), or if derived from U.S. hemp grown outside the parameters of an approved U.S. hemp pilot program or U.S. hemp cultivated in violation of the 2018 Farm Bill. Even after enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill, the DEA may not treat all products containing U.S. hemp-derived ingredients, including CBD and other cannabinoids, as exempt from the CSA. In September 2020, the DEA issued an interim final rule that purported to align the DEA’s regulations with the statutory changes to the CSA made effective by the 2018 Farm Bill. The DEA received a number of comments objecting to the interim final rule, and the interim final rule ishas been the subject of ongoing litigation. However, the litigation was dismissed by the D.C. Circuit Court in June 2022. If the DEA takes action against us or other participants in the U.S. hemp industry, this could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition operating results, liquidity, cash flow and operational performance.

In various provinces in Canada, cannabis retailers have been reducing opening hours, staff onsiteAugust 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) recommended that the DEA move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the CSA. There can be no assurance that the DEA will ultimately adopt HHS’s recommendation and the numberimpacts of customers allowed in-store for cannabis retailers that continueany such adoption on our business and competitive position are unclear. For example, rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III may be open. Further, retailers of our productsaccompanied by additional regulatory obligations as prerequisite to participate in the U.S. market, and Canada have in some cases determined to, andit may in other cases be required to close or choose to suspend or significantly curtail their operations due to health and safety concerns for their employees. Even if our production facilities remain open, mandatory or voluntary self-quarantines and travel restrictions may limit our employees’ ability to get to our facilities, and this, together with impacts on our supply chain and the uncertainty produced by the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, may result in reduced or suspended production. Those type of restrictions could also impact the abilities of customers in the U.S. or certain Canadian provinces to continue to have access to our products. Quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar government orders, or the perception that such orders, shutdowns or other restrictions on the conduct of business operations could occur, could impact personnel at third-party manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Canada and other countries, or the availability or cost of materials, which would disrupt our supply chain, in particular in relation to our supply of masks, gowns and other protective equipment used at our GMP facilities dueprovide a greater benefit to the global shortage of such protective equipment and materials. As a result of COVID-19, we have implemented work-from-home policies for certain employees and the effectsbusinesses of our work-from-home policies may negatively impact productivity, disrupt access to books and records, increase cybersecurity risks and the risk of inadvertent disclosure of confidential information and disrupt our business. In addition, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may delay our R&D programs and our ability to execute on certain of our new product launches, line extensions and strategic plans involving construction or the receipt and installation of new equipment.

The marketsmarket for cannabis and U.S. hemp areis competitive and evolving and we face strong competition from both existing and emerging companies that offer similar products. Some of our current and potential competitors may have longer operating histories, greater financial, marketing and other resources and larger customer bases than us.we have. In addition, there is potential that the cannabis and U.S. hemp industriesindustry will undergo consolidation, creating larger companies with financial resources, manufacturing and marketing capabilities and product offerings that are greater than ours. As a result of this competition, we may be unable to maintain our operations or develop them as currently proposed on terms we consider acceptable, or at all. Increased competition byfrom larger, better-financed competitors with geographic advantages could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Given the rapid changes affecting global, national and regional economies generally, and the U.S. hemp industry in particular, we may not be able to create and maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Our success will depend on our ability to respond to, among other things, changes in the economy, regulatory conditions, market conditions and competitive pressures. Any failure by us to anticipate or respond adequately to such changes could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity, cash flow and operational performance.

In Canada, the number of licenses granted by Health Canada could also have an impact on our operations. We expect to face additional competition from new market entrants that are granted licenses under the Cannabis Act or existing license holders which are not yet active in the industry. If a significant number of new licenses are granted by Health Canada in the near term, we may experience increased competition for market share and may experience downward price pressure on our products as new entrants increase production. If the number of users of cannabis in Canada increases, the demand for products will increase and we expect that competition will become more intense, as current and future competitors begin to offer an increasing number of diversified products. To remain competitive, we will require a continued high level of investment in R&D, sales and customer support. We may not have sufficient resources to maintain R&D, sales and customer support efforts on a competitive basis which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the Canadian federal authorization of home cultivation, outdoor grow, and the easing of other barriers to entry to the Canadian adult-use cannabis market, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face competition from illegal market operatorsparticipants that are unlicensed and unregulated. As these illegal market participants do not comply with the regulations governing the cannabis industry, their operations may also have significantly lower costs.costs and they may be able to sell products with significantly higher cannabinoid potencies or which include ingredients that are prohibited by law. The perpetuation of the illegal market for cannabis may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition as well as the perception of cannabis use.

In addition to competition from illegal market participants, we may also face competition from licensed cannabis competitors that fail to comply with the regulations governing the cannabis industry when developing and selling cannabis products. These competitors may be able to produce and sell products with significantly higher cannabinoid potencies or which include ingredients that are prohibited by law. If regulatory authorities are delayed in, or fail to, effectively restrict the sale and distribution of such non-compliant cannabis products by our competitors, there may be a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, as well as the perception of cannabis use.

We may be unable to attract or retain employees with sufficient experience in the cannabis industry, and may prove unable to attract, develop and retain additional employees required for our development and future success.

Our success is currently largely dependent on the performance of our skilled employees. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees. Qualified individuals are in high demand, and we may incur significant costs to attract and retain them. In 2022, we announced a Realignment to, among other things, centralize functions under common leadership to increase efficient distribution of resources, optimize collaboration and strategic alignment and eliminate duplication of roles and costs, including a reduction in headcount impacting a number of employees. In 2023, we exited our U.S. operations, announced our intention to list the Cronos Fermentation facility for sale and entered into a transaction for the sale and leaseback of the Peace Naturals Campus. Any or all of the Realignment, the U.S. exit, the planned sale of the Cronos Fermentation facility and the pending sale-leaseback transaction could lead to increased attrition amongst those employees who were not directly affected by the associated reductions in headcount, and we may not be successful at retaining such employees or attracting new employees, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Further, certain shareholders, directors, officers, employees and employeescontractors in our Canadian operations may require security clearance from Health Canada.Canada or require analogous clearance by various provincial agencies. Under the Cannabis Act, a security clearance cannot be valid for more than five years and must be renewed before the expiry of a current security clearance. There is no assurance that any of our existing personnel who presently or may in the future require a security clearance will be able to obtain or renew such clearances or that new personnel who require a security clearance will be able to obtain one. A failure by an employeeany of our existing personnel to maintain or renew his or her security clearance may impair our business operations. In addition, if an employeeindividual with security

clearance leaves the service of the Company and we are unable to find a suitable replacement who has a security clearance required by the Cannabis Act in a timely manner, or at all, there could occur a material adverse effect on our business operations. Similar risks and potential effects apply to analogous security clearances required by various provincial agencies.

Accordingly, Altria currently has significant influence over us and has the ability to increase this influence at any time upon the exercise of the Altria Warrant.us. There can be no assurance that Altria’s interests will align with our interests or the interests of other shareholders. In addition, such influence could limit the price that an acquirer might be willing to pay in the future for our common shares and it may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us, such as a merger or take-over.

Under the Subscription Agreement, we have discretion in the use of net proceeds from the Altria Investment, subject to our obligation to consult with Altria, in certain circumstances, seek the approval of Altria (such approval not to be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed) and certain other limitations regarding the use of net proceeds set forth in the Subscription Agreement. Accordingly, shareholders may not agree with the manner in which management chooses to allocate and spend the net proceeds. Our failure to apply the funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have cash on hand, including short-term investments, of approximately $1.3 billion$861 million as of December 31, 2020.2023. There can be no assurance that we will be able to deploy the available cash in an effective manner that is accretive to us, or at all. Until such time as we are able to deploy the cash available to us, we anticipate holding the net proceeds as cash balances in our bank account oraccounts, investing in certificates of deposit and other instruments issued by banks or obligations of or guaranteed by the Government of Canada or any province thereof, or investing in U.S. Treasury securities or other obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Based on the level of current interest rates, we will not earn any material revenue from such invested cash.

We believe that the strategic partnership between us and Altria provides us with additional financial resources, product development and commercialization capabilities, and deep regulatory expertise to better position us to compete, scale and lead the rapidly growing global cannabis industry. We believe that the growth opportunities for us are significant and could extend across the globe as new markets open. With Altria’s resources, we expect to be even better positioned to support cannabinoid innovation, create differentiated products and brands across medical and adult-use categories and expand our global footprint and growing production capacity. Nevertheless, a number of risks and uncertainties are associated with the expansion into such markets and the pursuit of these other growth opportunities. The successful implementation of the Altria Investment is critical to our growth and capital position. The failure to successfully implement or reap the anticipated benefits of Altria’s resources and expertise to realize growth and expansion opportunities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our common shares may be less liquid and trade at a discount relative to the trading that could occur in circumstances where Altria did not have the ability to significantly influence or determine matters affecting us. Additionally, Altria’s significant voting interest in us may discourage transactions involving a change of control of us, including transactions in which an investor, as a shareholder, might otherwise receive a premium for its common shares over the then-current market price.

Sales of a substantial number of our common shares by Altria could occur at any time. Such sales, or the market perception of such sales, could significantly reduce the market price of our common shares. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that future public sales of our common shares beneficially owned by Altria or the availability of these common shares for sale will have on the market price of our common shares. If the market price of our common shares were to drop as a result, this might impede our ability to raise additional capital and might cause a significant decline in the value of the investments of our other shareholders.

The intentions of Altria regarding its long-term economic ownership of our common shares are subject to change as a result of changes in the circumstances of Altria or its affiliates, changes in our management and operation and changes in laws and regulations, market conditions and our financial performance.

We may be subject to various potential conflicts of interest because of the fact that some of our directors and officers may be engaged in a range of business activities, or have relationships with or are employed by Altria. One of our directors, Jason Adler, is the co-founder and Managing Member of Gotham Green Partners, a private equity firm focused primarily on early-stage investing in companies in the cannabis industry, and Michael Gorenstein, our Chairman, President, and Chief Executive ChairmanOfficer, is a co-founder and non-managing Member of Gotham Green Partners. Three of our directors, Jody Begley, Murray GarnickKamran Khan, Dominik Meier and Heather Newman,Elizabeth Seegar, are employed by Altria as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, ExecutiveAssociate General Counsel, Vice President of Consumer & Marketplace Insights & Innovation, and General Counsel, and Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy,Financial Planning & Analysis , respectively. As a result of these relationships, conflicts of interests may arise between us and them, as described below.

No dividends on theour common shares have been paid to date. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, for future operationoperations and expansion. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of the Board and will depend on, among other things, financial results, cash requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors that the Board may deem relevant. Any changes to our policy with respect to the declaration and payment of any dividends requires Altria’s approval. As a result, investors may not receive any return on an investment in our common shares unless they sell their shares for a price greater than that which such investors paid for them.

For example, reports by industry analysts, investor perceptions, market rumors or speculation could trigger a sell-off in our common shares. Any sales of substantial numbers of theour common shares in the public market or the perception that such sales might occur may cause the market price of theour common shares to decline. In addition, to the extent that other large companies within our industries experience declines in their stock price, the share price of our common shares may decline as well. Moreover, if the market price of our common shares drops significantly, shareholders may institute securities class action lawsuits against us. Lawsuits against us could cause us to incur substantial costs and could divert the time and attention of our management and other resources.

Securities class action litigation often has been brought against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. We have been the target of such litigation and may in the future be the target of similar litigation. Regardless of merit, such litigation could result in substantial costs and damages and divert management’s attention and resources, which could adversely affect our business. Any adverse determination in litigation against us could also subject us to significant liabilities.

We may be required to issue additional common shares pursuant to the Ginkgo Collaboration Agreement or to Kristen Bell pursuant to a publicity rights agreement entered into with the Company (the “Publicity Rights Agreement”).Agreement. Pursuant to the Ginkgo Collaboration Agreement, upon Ginkgo’s demonstration that the microorganisms they develop are capable of producing thecertain target cannabinoids above a minimum productivity level, we will issue to Ginkgo up to approximately 14.7 million common shares in the aggregate. TranchesTo date, we have issued approximately 7.1 million common shares to Ginkgo in respect of thesecertain Equity Milestone Events that have occurred. Additional tranches of common shares will be issued as each of theif and when additional Equity Milestone Events isare reached. The issuance of such common shares, if any, would dilute holders of our common shares. PursuantIn addition, Altria has pre-emptive rights to the Publicity Rights Agreement, if certain performance milestones are achieved, up to ansubscribe for additional $2 million common shares in us following any issuances we make to Ginkgo pursuant to the aggregate may be issued.Ginkgo Collaboration Agreement, and the issuance of such common shares, if any, would further dilute holders of our common shares.

Holders of common shares will have no pre-emptive rights in connection with such further issuances. Our Board has the discretion to determine if an issuance of common shares is warranted, the price at which such issuance is effected and the other terms of issue of common shares. Any additional capital raised through the sale of equity will dilute the percentage of ownership of holders of our common shares. Capital raised through debt financing would require us to make periodic interest payments and may impose restrictive covenants on the conduct of our business.

Our management, directors and employees own a substantial number of our outstanding common shares (on a fully diluted basis). In addition, as of December 31, 2020,2023, Altria beneficially owned approximately 43.5%41.1% of our outstanding common shares (calculated on a non-diluted basis). As such, our management, directors and employees, as a group, and Altria each are in a position to exercise significant influence over matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors and the determination of significant corporate actions. In addition, these shareholders could delay or prevent a change in control that could otherwise be beneficial to holders of common shares.

We are incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and our head office is located in the Province of Ontario. Some of our directors and officers and some of the experts named in this Annual Report are residents of Canada or otherwise reside outside of the U.S., and a substantial portion of their assets and our assets are located outside the U.S. Consequently, it may be difficult for investors in the U.S. to bring an action against such directors, officers or experts or to enforce against those persons or us a judgment obtained in a U.S. court predicated upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal securities laws or other laws of the U.S. In addition, while statutory provisions exist in British Columbia for derivative actions to be brought in certain circumstances, the circumstances in which a derivative action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect of any such action, may be different than those of shareholders of a company incorporated in the U.S.

We will be classified as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for any taxable year for U.S. federal income tax purposes if for a taxable year, (i) 75% or more of our gross income is passive income, or (ii) 50% or more of the value of our assets either produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income, based on the quarterly average of the fair market value of such assets. The determination of PFIC status depends on interpretive rules and computational conventions that are often unclear. In particular, in making our determination, we are relying on the application of certain “look-through” rules, taking into account certain intercompany items.items (including our interests in subsidiaries). There is, however, no direct legal authority applying these look-through rules to our particular situation (including to what extent, they apply to intercompany items). Likewise, in light of the volatility of our common share price, we intend to take the position that the spot trading price of our stock at each quarter end, as adjusted by liabilities, does not dictate the determination of the fair market value of our assets. Based on current business plans and financial expectations, an independent valuation reportanalysis in respect of our assets, and the application of certain look-through rules (including the taking into account ofto certain intercompany items)items and to our interests in our subsidiaries), we do not expect to be a PFIC for the taxable year ending December 31, 2020 and do not expect to become a PFIC in the foreseeable future.2024. However, PFIC status is determined annually and depends upon the composition of our gross income and assets, both of which are subject to change. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the IRSInternal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or a court will agree with our interpretation of fair market value or its computation, or with our interpretation of the PFIC rules (including the “look-through” rules and the scope of their application, including in respect of intercompany items). Therefore, there can be no assurance as to our PFIC status for the current taxable year or for future taxable years, nor any assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with our determination of our PFIC status.

The trading market for our common shares depends, in part, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common shares or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the trading price of our common shares would likely decline. In addition, if our results of operations fail to meet the forecastforecasts of analysts, the trading price of our common shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common shares could decrease, which might cause our trading price and trading volume to decline.

Our success is dependent upon the ability, expertise, judgment, discretion and good faith of our senior management. While employment agreements are customarily used as a primary method of retaining the services of key employees, these agreements cannot assure the continued services of our senior management team. Qualified individuals are in high demand, and we may incur significant costs to attract and retain them. The loss of the services of a member of senior management, or an inability to attract other suitably qualified persons when needed, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to execute on our business plan and strategy, and we may be unable to find adequate replacements on a timely basis, or at all. We do not maintain key-person insurance on the lives of any of our officers or employees.

We have insurance to protect our assets, operations and employees. While we believe ourOur insurance coverage, addresses all material risks to which we are exposed in our current state of operations, such insurancehowever, is subject to deductibles, coverage limits and exclusions and may not be available or adequate for the risks and hazards to which we are exposed. For example, certain wholesalers, distributors, retailers and other service providers may require suppliers of U.S. hemp products to provide an indemnification from liability in connection with such products, which may not be covered by insurance. In addition, noNo assurance can be given that such insurance will be adequate to cover our liabilities or will be generally available in the future or, if available, that premiums and deductibles will be commercially justifiable. If we were to incur substantial liability claims and such damages were not covered by insurance or were in excess of policy limits, or if we were to incur such liability at a time when we are not able to obtain liability insurance, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our insurers have in the past and may in the future deny us coverage, whether or not such denial is with merit, and we have in the past and may in the future need to commence litigation against such insurers, which could be time consuming and expensive and divert significant management resources, with no assurance that we will be successful in any resulting proceedings.

We are subject to numerous tax and accounting requirements, and changes in existing accounting or taxation rules or practices, or varying interpretations of current rules or practices, could have a significant adverse effect on our financial results, the manner in which we conduct our business or the marketability of any of our products. In many countries, including the U.S., we are subject to transfer pricing and other tax regulations designed to ensure that appropriate levels of income are reported as earned and are taxed accordingly. Although we believe that we are in substantial compliance with all applicable regulations and restrictions, we are subject to the risk that governmental authorities could audit our transfer pricing and related practices and assert that additional taxes are owed.owed or that various jurisdictions could assert that we should file tax returns in jurisdictions where we do not file and subject us to additional tax. In the future, the geographic scope of our business may expand, and such expansion will require us to comply with the tax laws and regulations of additional jurisdictions. Requirements as to taxation vary substantially among jurisdictions. Complying with the tax laws and regulations of these jurisdictions can be time consuming and expensive and could potentially subject us to penalties and fees in the future if we failed to comply. In the event that we failed to comply with applicable tax laws and regulations, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The occurrence of one or more natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, unusually adverse weather, pandemic outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 virus, influenza and other highly communicable diseases or viruses, boycotts and geo-politicalgeopolitical events, such as civil unrest in countries in which our or our joint ventures’ operations are located and acts of terrorism, or similar disruptions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These events could result in physical damage to one or more of our or our joint ventures’ properties, increases in fuel or other energy prices, the temporary or permanent closure of one or more of our or our joint ventures’ facilities, the temporary lack of an adequate workforce in a market, the temporary or long-term disruption in the supply of products from suppliers, the temporary disruption in the transport of goods, delay in the delivery of goods to our or our joint ventures’ facilities, and disruption to our information systems. Such events could also negatively impact consumer sentiment, reduce demand for consumer products like ours and cause general economic slowdown.

The Company is subject to various legal proceedings in the ordinary course of its business and in connection with its marketing, distribution and sale of its products. Many of these legal proceedings are in the early stages of litigation and seek damages that are unspecified or not quantified. Although the outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company does not believe these legal proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial condition but could be material to its results of operations for any particular reporting period depending, in part, on its results for that period.

Our common shares are traded on Nasdaq and the TSX under the symbol “CRON.”

As of February 25, 2021,23, 2024, there were approximately 71131 holders of record of our common shares. This number of holders of record does not represent the actual number of beneficial owners of our common shares because shares are frequently held in “street name” by securities dealers and others for the benefit of individual owners who have the right to vote their shares.

As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not declared any dividends or made any distributions on our common shares. Furthermore, we have no current intention to declare dividends on our common shares in the foreseeable future. Any decision to pay dividends on our common shares in the future will be at the discretion of the Board and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, current and anticipated cash requirements and surplus, financial condition, any future contractual restrictions and financing agreement covenants, our ability to meet solvency tests imposed by corporate law and other factors that the Board may deem relevant.

Information concerning securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans will be set forth in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for its 20212024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or an amendment to this Annual Report to be filed within 120 days of our fiscal year end.

None.

None.

The following performance graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return of our common shares as listed on Nasdaq with the cumulative total return of the S&P 500 Index and twoa market-weighted indicesindex of publicly traded peers over the 34-month60-month period beginning on February 27,December 31, 2018, and ending on December 31, 2020. Because the Company changed the composition of the2023. The new peer group for 2020 as described below, the peer group used for the corresponding disclosures in 2019 is shown for comparison.includes Aurora Cannabis Inc., Canopy Growth Corporation, Green Thumb Industries, Inc., Organigram Holdings Inc., Tilray Inc., and Trulieve Cannabis Corp., (the “New Peer Group”). The graph assumes that $100 is invested in each of our common shares, the S&P 500 Index, and the indices of publicly traded peers on February 27, 2018 and that all dividends, if applicable, were reinvested.