Ayr Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTC: AYRWF) (“Ayr” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated cannabis multi-state operator, announced today the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (“the HSR Act”) in respect to its proposed acquisition of GSD NJ LLC (“Garden State Dispensary” or “GSD”) in New Jersey. The waiting period expired without a second request for information. The transaction is expected to close in July, subject to certain closing conditions, including final approval from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (“CRC”).
As announced in December 2020, Ayr plans to acquire Garden State Dispensary (GSD), one of the 12 existing vertical permit holders in the State of New Jersey and one of the state’s original six alternative treatment centers (ATCs). GSD has three open dispensaries, the maximum allowed under its permit, at heavily trafficked highway locations throughout the central region of the state, as well as approximately 30,000 sq. ft. of operational cultivation and production facilities. An additional 75,000 sq. ft. of cultivation is under construction.
Total up-front consideration of US$101 million includes US$41 million in cash, US$30 million in exchangeable shares and US$30 million in the form of a promissory note. Earn-outs based on exceeding revenue target thresholds in 2022 will be capped at a maximum of US$97 million and payable in a combination of cash, promissory notes and exchangeable shares. Including the maximum earn-out consideration, the Company estimates this represents a forward multiple of approximately 4x 2022 Adjusted EBITDA1.
In November 2020, New Jersey voters approved a referendum legalizing cannabis for adult use in the state. In February 2021, legislation implementing legalization was enacted that will enable the current 12 medical cannabis permit holders to be first to market when the CRC creates a regulatory framework and permits adult-use sales to commence. BDSA estimates the adult-use market size, once sales commence, to reach US$1 billion in 2022. New Jersey is the 11th most populous state in the U.S. with 9 million residents and currently has 36 approved dispensary licenses (19 of which are operational) and 12 approved cultivators.
Non-GAAP Measures
“Adjusted EBITDA” represents loss from operations, as reported, before interest and tax, adjusted to exclude non-recurring items, other non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization, and further adjusted to remove non-cash stock-based compensation, the accounting for the incremental costs to acquire cannabis inventory in a business combination, acquisition related costs, and start-up costs. A reconciliation of how Ayr calculates Adjusted EBITDA and other disclosures concerning non-GAAP measures is provided in our MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company’s performances and may be useful to investors because they allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. These financial measures are intended to provide investors with supplemental measures of the Company’s operating performances and thus highlight trends in the Company’s core businesses that may not otherwise be apparent when solely relying on the GAAP measures.
