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US cannabis industry poised for massive expansion

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The U.S. cannabis industry is poised for massive expansion over the next decade, which will require big money – as $130.7 billion – to fund it, according to a new industry report. But absent federal banking legislation and greater institutional involvement, the odds a sustainable source of capital panning out are slim.

The study, conducted by research firm Whitney Economics with support from cannabis credit agency CTrust and fintech firm Green Check, projects that the cannabis industry could add 25,000 to 30,000 new business licenses to the existing 40,000 licenses over the next 12 years.

“There are tremendous opportunities for the banking industry in the United States cannabis sector,” said Beau Whitney, founder and chief economist at Whitney Economics. “These opportunities are matched by significant risks. All risks can be mitigated, at least to some extent, by expertise.”

Currently, the U.S. cannabis industry generates an estimated $28.8 billion in retail sales, a figure that is projected to grow to $87 billion by 2035, according to the report. The firms said that California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas “are among the top states for financial funding opportunities over the next decade.”

Whitney noted that that kind of growth “cannot be supported solely by friends and families.”

The total addressable lending opportunity for financial institutions could range from $65.6 billion to $130.7 billion over the next 10 years, the report posits. That capital could be used to launch new cannabis businesses and help refinance existing operations. In turn, it could generate between $1 billion and $2.4 billion per year in interest revenue for lenders.

But financial institutions have to be willing to enter that market to get their piece of that pie.

“Banks have long been cautious about entering the cannabis industry due to regulatory and financial risks, though when they do, they have to rely on non-cannabis specific underwriting and due diligence,” Dotan Y. Melech, CEO and co-founder of CTrust, said.

Melech added that the report “should pave the way for conversations with financial institutions to develop more informed lending partnerships with the cannabis industry.”

That said, “not every state market presents an equally high-quality opportunity,” the report’s executive summary warned. “Some states are saturated with businesses, while other state markets have plenty of room for growth.”

Help on the federal front?

Last month, the Congressional Budget Office published an analysis of the SAFER Banking Act, projecting that, if enacted, it would increase federally insured deposits from cannabis businesses by billions of dollars. The CBO estimated that by 2026, banks could see insured deposits increase by about $1.5 billion and credit unions by $125 million, rising to $2.9 billion and $475 million, respectively, by 2034.

CBO also estimated that the bill – which would require federal mortgage programs to treat income from state-legal cannabis businesses the same as other legal sources of income – would, on average, increase the number of VA loan guarantees by about 950 and increase loan volume by about $450 million per year. For the government-sponsored Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, CBO estimated an average annual increase of 350 loans and $150 million in loan volume.

However, the office acknowledged “significant uncertainty” around the guidance federal agencies would issue and the responses of financial institutions and cannabis businesses, which could impact the actual economic effects.

In the meantime, some states are taking matters into their own hands. For example, Delaware Gov. John Carney recently signed a bill protecting financial institutions and other service providers working with cannabis businesses from state-level prosecution. Other states have considered doing the same.



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Banking

Safe Harbor Financial, FundCanna team up to tackle cannabis banking headaches

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The new partnership wants to solve the typical cannabis cash crunch for businesses through a referral deal.

Safe Harbor Financial (Nasdaq: SHFS) and FundCanna are joining forces to help cannabis businesses break through persistent banking and money barriers, the companies announced Thursday.

The new referral deal between Safe Harbor and fellow lender FundCanna creates a one-stop solution for marijuana operators who’ve been largely shut out of traditional banking services.

The setup: Safe Harbor will send clients to FundCanna when they need loans or equipment financing, while FundCanna will direct its borrowers to Safe Harbor’s banking services. All loan money will flow through Safe Harbor-managed accounts, keeping everything above board, according to the news release.

“This partnership delivers a practical, scalable solution that puts the financial needs of cannabis operators first,” said Terry Mendez, Safe Harbor’s new CEO, who’s trying to breathe new life into the company after a rough financial stretch.

Safe Harbor recently posted mixed results for 2024 – its lending business is booming – up 123% for the year – but the company still recorded a hefty $48.3 million loss. Still, Mendez, who took over earlier this year after Sundie Seefried’s retirement, has big plans to overhaul the company.

In March, he told shareholders he wants to transform Safe Harbor from just a cannabis banking operation into a comprehensive business services hub – including expanded lending, which the FundCanna deal supports.

FundCanna’s founder Adam Stettner says the partnership “brings together two trusted platforms dedicated to solving persistent financial barriers in cannabis.” His team has pumped $20 billion into various underserved businesses over two decades.

The collaboration comes as cannabis companies continue to struggle with cash constraints while traditional banks keep them at arm’s length due to federal prohibition. For Safe Harbor, which has already processed $25 billion in cannabis transactions since its 2015 founding, it says, the deal represents a key piece of Mendez’s vision to serve not just cannabis but eventually other “debanked” industries like crypto and gaming.



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Safe Harbor Financial lending income soars in 2024, but company still lands in the red

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Safe Harbor Financial (NASDAQ: SHFS) reported mixed financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 that ended Dec. 31, with revenue declines offset by growth in its lending business.

The company noted that its loan interest income increased 82% to approximately $1.8 million in the fourth quarter and jumped 123% to $6.6 million for the full year versus 2023.

Despite the growth in the lending segment, overall revenue declined to $15.2 million for 2024, down from $17.6 million in 2023. The company attributed the decrease primarily to reduced deposit activity and client onboarding income related to its previous Abaca acquisition.

“Throughout 2024, the lending arm of Safe Harbor was a driving force for the company,” said Terry Mendez, who joined as CEO earlier this year following the retirement of Sundie Seefried. “We continue to be an innovator in this sector as we instituted a new small business line of credit program while also originating several debt and credit facilities at market-competitive terms for numerous clients across the U.S.”

The company posted a sizable net loss of $48.3 million for 2024, versus a $17.3 million loss in 2023. That included around $43.9 million in non-cash valuation allowance on deferred tax assets and $9.1 million in goodwill and intangible asset impairment expenses.

Safe Harbor also said it had fully written down its goodwill and intangible assets to zero on its balance sheet as of the end of December.

Operating expenses fell significantly to $22.3 million in 2024, versus $38.3 million in 2023 – a 42% reduction. The company noted that compensation and employee benefits expenses decreased 25% due to lower stock-based compensation and headcount reductions.

In addition, Safe Harbor and Partner Colorado Credit Union (PCCU) entered into an amended commercial alliance agreement at the end of December that eliminates Safe Harbor’s indemnification obligations for any loan losses. The company also reported successfully modifying its debt obligation with PCCU in March, which it claims will unlock $6.4 million in cash flow over the next two years.

“This modification greatly improves our financial stability as we are able to unlock over $6 million in cashflow over the next two years and push the term of the debt obligation out to October 2030,” Mendez said.

Adjusted EBITDA was $2.9 million for 2024, down from $3.6 million in 2023. Safe Harbor also reported that its adjusted working capital stood at $2 million at year-end.

Cash and cash equivalents declined to $2.3 million at the end of 2024, versus $4.9 million at the end of 2023.

Safe Harbor noted that in January it had processed more than $25 billion in cannabis-related funds through its network of partner banks since its founding, a milestone the company reached on its 10th anniversary.

“One of the major reasons I joined Safe Harbor is the tremendous opportunity I see to build upon our strong foundation, to evolve from a single compliance solution into a provider of a broad array of services focused on addressing the needs of our clients,” Mendez said.

The company filed a notification of late filing with the SEC on Monday, saying it would need additional time to complete its annual report on Form 10-K. Safe Harbor cited the need to evaluate subsequent events including its debt modifications and valuation of deferred tax assets among the reasons for the delay.



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Chicago Atlantic BDC posts fourth-quarter profit jump, triples assets

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Chicago Atlantic BDC (NASDAQ: LIEN), formerly known as Silver Spike Investment Corp., reported $8 million in fourth-quarter profit on its investment income, the cannabis lender’s first financial results since its October loan portfolio deal.

The business development company recorded total investment income of $12.6 million and maintained its recently increased dividend of $0.34 per share. Total net assets reached $301.2 million by year-end, up from $82.5 million before the acquisition.

“We have continued to create a scaled, diversified portfolio of senior secured investments, generate highly attractive yields, and leverage our industry leading expertise in cannabis and other underserved lending markets,” CEO Peter Sack said in a statement.

Chicago Atlantic BDC acquired a $219.6 million portfolio from affiliate Chicago Atlantic Loan Portfolio LLC in October in exchange for 16.6 million newly issued shares. The deal gave CALP roughly 73% ownership of the company’s outstanding shares.

The company’s total investment portfolio reached $275.2 million across 28 companies by the end of December. No loans were on nonaccrual status at year-end.

Net asset value per share dipped slightly to $13.20 from $13.28 the previous quarter and $13.77 a year earlier, which the company attributed to dividend payments and transaction expenses.

Chicago Atlantic BDC continues to deploy capital rapidly, funding $24.8 million in new investments in the fourth quarter and another $20.8 million in early 2025 – about $45.6 million in new loans in total. The company in February nabbed a new $100 million revolving credit facility.

“We are quite proud of our achievements to date, including declaring two quarterly dividends of $0.34 per share, a 36% increase from the $0.25 per share dividend for the quarter,” Sack noted.

In the full year 2024, Chicago Atlantic BDC reported profit of $9.5 million on total investment income of $21.7 million. When excluding the $5.3 million in expenses related to the portfolio acquisition, the adjusted net investment income for the year was $14.8 million.



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