Canopy Growth Corp

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

Other than as disclosed below, we are not aware of: (a) any legal proceedings to which we are a party, or to which any of our properties is subject, which would be material to us or of any such proceedings being contemplated, (b) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body against us that would likely be considered important to a reasonable investor making an investment decision, and (c) any settlement agreements that we have entered into before a court relating to securities legislation or with a securities regulatory authority.

On May 23, 2023, an ostensible shareholder commenced a putative class action (Turpel v. Canopy Growth Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-043022-PAE) against the Company and two of its officers in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired the Company’s securities between May 31, 2022 and May 10, 2023, alleging violations of U.S. federal securities laws. Two similar cases were subsequently filed, captioned as Kantner v. Canopy Growth Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-06266-PAE and Allen v. Canopy Growth Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-05891-PAE.

On November 30, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York consolidated the Turpel, Kantner and Allen actions (captioned as “In re Canopy Growth Securities Litigation, No. 23-cv-04302”) and appointed Chen Li as lead plaintiff. On January 22, 2024, the lead plaintiff filed a first amended complaint against the Company and certain of its current and former officers, alleging claims on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired the Company’s securities between November 5, 2021 and June 22, 2023. The first amended complaint alleges that the Company made false or misleading statements and omissions regarding BioSteel’s revenue, performance and operations, and the Company’s internal controls over accounting and financial reporting in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The lead plaintiff seeks an unspecified amount of damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and other relief. On March 7, 2024, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the first amended complaint and briefing on that motion was completed on April 11, 2024. On July 17, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed the first amended complaint against the Company and all individual defendants with prejudice. On July 18, 2024, the district court issued a judgment closing the case. On August 9, 2024, lead plaintiff filed a notice of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On October 8, 2024, the parties filed a stipulation of voluntary dismissal of the appeal with prejudice. On October 9, 2024, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit entered an order dismissing the appeal.

On January 18, 2024, a follow-on derivative shareholder lawsuit, captioned Press v. Schmeling et al., was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York by ostensible shareholder Denise Press on behalf of Canopy Growth against the Company’s directors and certain of its officers alleging misstatements and omissions regarding revenue attributed to BioSteel Canada and the Company’s internal controls over accounting and financial reporting. The complaint asserts claims for breach of fiduciary duties, gross mismanagement, waste of corporate assets, unjust enrichment, and insider trading, and seeks damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and equitable relief. All proceedings in this derivative shareholder lawsuit are currently stayed.

On June 27, 2023, an ostensible shareholder commenced a putative class action (Dziedziejko v. Canopy Growth Corporation et al., Court File No. CV-23-00701769-00CP) in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against the Company, two of its officers, and the Company’s auditor on behalf of a putative class of all persons or entities who acquired Canopy Growth’s securities in the secondary market between June 1, 2021 to June 22, 2023 and held some or all of those securities until the close of trading on May 10, 2023 or June 22, 2023.

The plaintiff alleges that the Company’s disclosures contained misrepresentations within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario), that certain officers authorized, permitted, or acquiesced in the release of the impugned disclosures, that the Company and one of its officers acted in a manner that was oppressive or unfairly prejudicial to the proposed class members by failing to remedy alleged deficiencies in the Company’s internal controls, and that all of the defendants are liable for damages to the putative class. The action seeks an unspecified amount of damages, interest, legal fees, and the costs of administering a plan of distribution of the recovery. The Company was also named in two other putative class proceedings that were commenced between May 2023 and July 2023 in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice alleging that the Company’s disclosures contained misrepresentations. However, on November 10, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice decided a carriage motion staying those actions (Leonard v. Canopy Growth Corporation et al., Court File No. CV-23-00702281-00CP and Twidale v. Canopy Growth Corporation et al., Court File No. CV-23-00700135-00CP), and allowing Dziedziejko v. Canopy Growth Corporation et al., Court File No. CV-23-00701769-00CP to proceed to a class certification hearing.

On June 15, 2023, an ostensible shareholder commenced a putative class action (Asmaro v. Canopy Growth Corporation et al., Court File No. VLC-S-S-234351) against the Company and two of its officers in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on behalf of a putative class of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired securities of the Company between August 6, 2021 and May 10, 2023. The lawsuit alleges that the Company’s disclosures contained misrepresentations within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia), that certain officers authorized, permitted, or acquiesced in the release of the impugned disclosures, and that all of the defendants are liable for damages to the putative class. The plaintiff seeks an unspecified amount of damages.

In May 2023, in connection with the Company’s internal review of the financial reporting matters related to BioSteel Canada, as previously disclosed in the Annual Report (the “BioSteel Review”), the Company voluntarily self-reported to the SEC that the timing and amount of revenue recognition in the BioSteel Canada segment were under review. As a result of self-reporting the BioSteel Review, the Company is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the SEC. Although the Company is fully cooperating with the SEC and continues to voluntarily respond to requests in connection with this matter, it cannot predict when such matters will be completed or the outcome and potential impact. Any remedial measures, sanctions, fines or penalties, including, but not limited to, financial penalties and awards, injunctive relief and compliance conditions, imposed on the Company in connection with this matter could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to the Restatement of the Prior Financial Statements—As a result of self-reporting the BioSteel Review, the Company is the subject of an investigation by the SEC and an ongoing informal inquiry by regulatory authorities in Canada, and it cannot predict the timing of developments, and any adverse outcome of these continuing matters could have a material adverse effect on the Company” under Item 1A of the Annual Report.

The Company denies any alleged misconduct and liability for each of the claims asserted in the above-noted Court, believes that the defendants/respondents have meritorious defenses to the claims, and expects to vigorously defend the claims, although the Company cannot predict when or how they will be resolved or estimate what the potential loss or range of loss would be, if any.

From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are not currently a party to any other legal proceedings other than described above, the outcome of which, if determined adversely to us, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Please refer to “Risk Factors” under Item 1A of the Annual Report for further discussion.