Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of HEXO Corp.
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of HEXO Corp. and its subsidiaries (together, the Company) as of July 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of net loss and comprehensive loss, of changes in shareholders' equity and of cash flows for the years then ended, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the consolidated financial statements). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of July 31, 2021 and 2020, and its financial performance and its cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Also in our opinion, the Company did not maintain, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO because material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting existed as of that date related to the Company's control environment, risk assessment procedures, monitoring activities, anti- fraud control activities, information and communication processes, control activities, period-end financial reporting, non-routine, unusual or complex transactions, transaction-level control activities, and information technology general controls.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses referred to above are described in Management's Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting included in the 2021 Management's Discussion & Analysis. We considered these material weaknesses in determining the nature, timing, and extent of audit tests applied in our audit of the 2021 consolidated financial statements, and our opinion regarding the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting does not affect our opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
Substantial Doubt about the Company's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations, has had cash outflows from operating activities, and has financial liabilities that may require significant cash outflows over the next twelve months, that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are also described in note 2. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
99 Bank Street, Suite 710, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 1E4
T: +1 613 237 3702, F: +1 613 237 3963
"PwC" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in note 4 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases as of August 1, 2019.
Basis for Opinions
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in management's report referred to above. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company's consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
As described in Management's Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting, management has excluded Zenabis Global Inc. from its assessment of internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2021 because it was acquired by the Company in a purchase business combination during 2021. We have also excluded Zenabis Global Inc. from our audit of internal control over financial reporting. Zenabis Global Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary whose total assets and total revenues excluded from management's assessment and our audit of internal control over financial reporting represent 14% and 5%, respectively, of the related consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended July 31, 2021.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Fair value component of biological assets harvested into dried cannabis inventory
As described in notes 4, 9 and 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company measures biological assets using the income approach at fair value less costs to sell at the point of harvest (fair value component), which becomes the basis for the cost of related inventories after harvest. The Company transferred $89.8 million from biological assets to dried cannabis inventory for the year ended July 31, 2021. The dried cannabis inventory cost as of July 31, 2021 includes a fair value component of $24.3 million which represents the fair value less cost to sell of the biological asset at the point of harvest. Determining the fair value component requires management to make significant estimates, judgment and assumptions in the fair value less cost to sell model relating to expected yields for the cannabis plants, sales price and expected post-harvesting costs.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the fair value component of biological assets harvested into dried cannabis inventory is a critical audit matter are the significant judgment by management when determining the fair value less cost to sell of the biological asset at the point of harvest which includes assumptions when determining the fair value less costs to sell. As described in the "Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting" section, material weaknesses were identified related to this matter. This led to a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures to evaluate management's determination of the fair value component and the significant assumptions related to expected yields for the cannabis plants, sales price and expected post-harvesting costs.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included, among others, testing management's process for determining the fair value component; evaluating the appropriateness of the method and model used to calculate the fair value component; testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in the model; and evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions used by management. Evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions used by management related to expected yields for the cannabis plants, sales price and expected post-harvesting costs involved evaluating whether the assumptions used by management were reasonable by considering actual historical information; consistency with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit; recent market data; and considering sensitivities over significant assumptions.
Valuation of the acquired cultivation and processing license as part of the acquisition of Zenabis Global Inc.
As described in notes 4 and 15 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company completed the acquisition of Zenabis Global Inc. (acquired business) for a purchase consideration of $211.8 million. The net assets acquired included a $28.9 million cultivation and processing license. Management applied judgment in estimating the fair value of the acquired cultivation and processing license. The Company recorded the acquired cultivation and processing license at fair value using a discounted cash flow methodology, which involved significant assumptions such as forecasted gross margin and estimated time to obtain a license and complete cultivation and production ramp-up.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the valuation of the acquired cultivation and processing license as part of the acquisition of Zenabis Global Inc. is a critical audit matter are the judgment by management when developing the fair value of the acquired cultivation and processing license, the significant audit effort in evaluating the significant assumptions related to forecasted gross margin and estimated time to obtain a license and complete cultivation and production ramp-up, and the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge. As described in the "Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting" section, a material weakness was identified related to this matter. This led to the high degree of auditor judgment and subjectivity in performing procedures relating to the fair value of the acquired cultivation and processing license and the significant assumptions.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included, among others, reading the purchase agreement, and testing management's process for estimating the fair value of the cultivation and processing license acquired. Testing management's process included evaluating the appropriateness of the valuation method, testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in the valuation method, and evaluating the reasonableness of significant assumptions used by management. Evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumption used by management related to forecasted gross margin involved considering the past performance of the acquired business, other comparable peer data, as well as assessing whether this assumption was consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit. Evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumption used by management related to estimated time to obtain a license and complete cultivation and production ramp- up involved considering the past experience in developing licensed facilities and other comparable peer data. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating the appropriateness of the Company's valuation method and the reasonableness of the forecasted gross margin assumption.
Accounting for the Day 1 loss in the senior secured convertible note
As described in notes 4 and 19 to the consolidated financial statements, on May 27, 2021 the Company issued a US$ denominated senior secured convertible note (the Note) at a principal amount of $434.6 million (US$360.0 million). The Note was sold at a transaction price of $395.5 million (US$327.6 million). The Note includes multiple embedded derivatives and has been designated in its entirety as a financial liability at fair value through profit and loss. Management determined that the fair value of the Note on issuance does not equal the transaction price, which was attributed, among other things, to a premium paid as a result of the limited time available to close the financing required to secure the Redecan acquisition. The fair value of the Note at initial recognition, determined using a valuation technique that includes unobservable inputs, was $491.7 million (US$407.3 million), resulting in a difference between the transaction price and the fair value of $96.2 million (US$79.7 million) (Day 1 loss). Management determined that the Day 1 loss cannot be recognized in the consolidated statement of net loss and comprehensive loss on initial recognition of the Note but should be deferred and recognized as a loss only to the extent that it arises from a change in a factor that market participants would take into account when pricing the Note. Management determined that time is such a factor specific to the Note and the Day 1 loss is recognized on a straight line basis in the consolidated statement of net loss and comprehensive loss over the contractual life of the Note. Management used significant judgment to determine the accounting for the Day 1 loss in the Note.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the accounting for the Day 1 loss in the senior secured convertible note is a critical audit matter are the significant judgment by management in determining the accounting for the Day 1 loss in the Note. As described in the "Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting" section, a material weakness was identified related to this matter. This led to a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity and effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence related to management's assessment of the accounting for the Day 1 loss in the Note.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included, among others, reading the Note agreement; evaluating whether the key terms in management's accounting memorandum have been appropriately identified; evaluating the reasonableness of management's assessment that unobservable inputs in the valuation technique led to the deferral of the Day 1 loss in the Note by considering the limited time available to close the financing required to secure the Redecan acquisition, the factors specific to the transaction and the Note, the inputs applied in the fair value of the Note, and consistency with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit; evaluating the reasonableness of management's assessment that time is the factor that market participants would take into account when pricing the Note by considering the terms of the Note agreement; and evaluating the sufficiency of the Company's consolidated financial statement disclosures related to this matter.
/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants
Ottawa, Canada
October 29, 2021
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2020.