Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

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11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

The Company has non-cancelable operating leases, which expire through 2017. The leases generally contain renewal options ranging from 1 to 3 years and require the Company to pay costs such as real estate taxes and common area maintenance. The following table provides the Company’s lease commitments at March 31, 2016:

 

      Total Operating Leases  
For the years ending December 31,          
             
2016     $ 488,107  
2017       266,675  
        $ 754,782  

 

The Company incurred rent expense of $139,382 and $74,492 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

The Company has two supply arrangements in place with European farmers to supply raw material in future years. The first arrangement contemplates growth and processing of 2,600 kilograms of product and the second contract provides up to 1 million kilograms of raw product to the Company. At March 31, 2016, there was approximately $302,000 remaining to be paid under this second contract related to the 2015 crop. We have contractual rights for the growth and processing of hemp oil for delivery through October 2018 under both of these contracts. We anticipate the cost under both contracts will remain consistent with current year prices.

 

Contingencies

On April 23, 2014, Tanya Sallustro filed a purported class action complaint (the “Complaint”) in the Southern District of New York (the “Court”) alleging securities fraud and related claims against the Company and certain of its officers and directors and seeking compensatory damages including litigation costs. Ms. Sallustro alleges that between March 18-31, 2014, she purchased 325 shares of the Company’s common stock for a total investment of $15,791. The Complaint refers to Current Reports on Form 8-K and Current Reports on Form 8-K/A filings made by the Company on April 3, 2014 and April 14, 2014, in which the Company amended previously disclosed sales (sales originally stated at $1,275,000 were restated to $1,082,375 - reduction of $192,625) and restated goodwill as $1,855,512 (previously reported at net zero). Additionally, the Complaint states after the filing of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K on April 3, 2014 and the following press release, the Company’s stock price “fell $7.30 per share, or more than 20%, to close at $25.30 per share.” Subsequent to the filing of the Complaint, six different individuals filed a motion asking to be designated the lead plaintiff in the litigation.  On March 19, 2015, the Court issued a ruling appointing Steve Schuck as lead plaintiff.  Counsel for Mr. Schuck filed a “consolidated amended complaint” on September 14, 2015. On December 11, 2015, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint.  After requesting several extensions, counsel for Mr. Schuck filed an opposition to the motion to dismiss on March 21, 2016.  The Company’s reply brief was filed on April 25, 2016.  No hearing date has been set by the Court at this time.  Management intends to vigorously defend the allegations and an estimate of possible loss cannot be made at this time.

 

On March 17, 2015, stockholder Michael Ruth filed a shareholder derivative suit in Nevada District Court alleging two causes of action: 1) Breach of Fiduciary Duty, and 2) “Gross Mismanagement.” The claims are premised on the same event as the already-pending securities class action case in New York discussed above – it is alleged that the Form 8-K filings misstated goodwill and sales of the Company, which when corrected, lead to a significant drop in stock price. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the suit on June 29, 2015.  Instead of opposing the Company’s motion, Mr. Ruth filed an amended complaint on July 20, 2015.  Thereafter, Mr. Ruth and the Company agreed to stay the action pending the outcome of the securities class action case in New York discussed above.  Management intends to vigorously defend the allegations.  Since no discovery has been conducted and the case remains stayed, an estimate of the possible loss or recovery cannot be made at this time.

 

Royalties

In addition to the contingent consideration in connection with the CanX Acquisition (Note 2), the Company is obligated to pay a 5% royalty of net sales on each of the first and second CBD drug products respectively, subject to, and commencing with the first commercial release by the Company of each of the first and second CBD drug products by the Company formulated to treat human medical conditions.