DENVER – Medicine Man Technologies, Inc., operating as Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ), today announced financial and operational results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.
Management Commentary
“We continued to increase our retail footprint during the quarter to a total of 63 stores in Colorado and New Mexico, while further integrating our recently-acquired assets in both states,” said Nirup Krishnamurthy, CEO of Schwazze. “We also generated a 41% increase in our wholesale business year-over-year as we are gaining momentum in New Mexico and improved penetration in Colorado. When looking at wholesale penetration, Schwazze now sells into 7 of the 10 largest operators in Colorado and New Mexico with its expanding product portfolio.
“In Colorado, we have increased efforts to expand our reach to medical patients through the Standing Akimbo banner with new presence in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. We also opened a new Starbuds store in Lakewood in August and are seeing promising early results. Alongside new store openings, we are currently remodeling and/or relocating certain stores to further enhance the customer experience.
“In New Mexico, cannabis operators are navigating increased competition as a result of new licenses. While legal cannabis sales in the state were up 19% year-over-year in Q3, total store count was up 76%, leading to lower revenue on a per store basis. In response to these market dynamics, we are strategically investing in the retail experience and remain committed to attracting and retaining our customers and patients there. Our strategy is to first, further integrate the Everest assets while refining assortment, in-stock position and standard costs from a combined integrated supply chain. Second, invest in our leading retail position by bringing new products to our shelves while sharpening pricing and promotional efforts. Third, support the state as it implements cannabis regulation and enforcement to heighten testing and safety standards. And finally, continue to expand our wholesale business in the state.
“As we look to 2024, our strategy remains unchanged: leverage our operating playbook and further integrate our acquired assets to drive customer acquisition and sales across our expanded footprint. We will continue to evaluate opportunities that can enhance our geographic footprint and brand portfolio.”
Recent Highlights
- Launched Colorado’s first “store-within-a-store” concept, combining a Star Buds recreational dispensary with the Standing Akimbo medical banner.
- Announced the grand opening of a medical and recreational dispensary under the R. Greenleaf banner in Hobbs, NM, increasing the Company’s New Mexico retail footprint to 33 stores.
- Third quarter ecommerce transactions in New Mexico and Colorado increased a collective 28% compared to the second quarter of 2023.
- Third quarter customer loyalty members increased 16% compared to the second quarter of 2023 with New Mexico loyalty member penetration growing to 78% of total customers.
- Lowell Farms premium pre-roll brand, licensed by the Company, is now in over 130 doors and the #2 pre-roll in Colorado.
Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
Total revenue in the third quarter of 2023 increased 8% to $46.7 million compared to $43.2 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to growth from new stores compared to the prior year period and increased wholesale revenue, partially offset by pricing pressure from the proliferation of new licenses in New Mexico.
Gross profit for the third quarter of 2023 was $21.4 million or 45.9% of total revenue, compared to $22.5 million or 52.0% of total revenue for the same quarter last year. The decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by a year-to-date true-up expense reclassification from SG&A into cost of goods sold, as well as increased lower margin medical sales mix in Colorado and lower initial gross margin from the Company’s acquisition of Everest Apothecary’s inventory. This was partially offset by improvements to product mix across the Company’s retail footprint.
Operating expenses for the third quarter of 2023 were $12.5 million compared to $11.4 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to four-wall SG&A increases associated with 28 additional stores in Colorado and New Mexico that are still ramping.
Income from operations for the third quarter of 2023 was $8.9 million compared to $11.1 million in the same quarter last year. Net loss was $0.3 million compared to net income of $1.8 million for the third quarter of 2022.
Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2023 was $14.1 million or 30.2% of revenue, compared to $15.9 million or 36.7% of revenue for the same quarter last year. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA margin was primarily driven by lower gross margin and the higher four-wall SG&A associated with new stores that are still ramping.
As of September 30, 2023, cash and cash equivalents were $19.6 million compared to $38.9 million on December 31, 2022, while operating working capital decreased by $3.5 million to $0.6 million during this period. Total debt as of September 30, 2023, was $155.1 million compared to $127.8 million on December 31, 2022.
Schwazze CFO Forrest Hoffmaster added, “As we focus on revenue growth, customer acquisition and generating positive cash flow, we are also making steady progress on integrating our recent acquisitions to drive operational efficiencies and cost synergies at scale. In addition, we are in the process of optimizing our inventory through an ERP implementation across our cultivation and manufacturing facilities, which we expect will lead to one-time inventory valuation adjustments as we close out the year. These initiatives will enable us to recognize further improvements across our business as we continue to deepen our presence in the markets we serve.”
About Schwazze
Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale.
Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company’s leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector.
Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze’s former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth. To learn more about Schwazze, visit schwazze.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Such statements may be preceded by the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intends,” “plans,” “strategy,” “prospects,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “approximately,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms or other words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future events or future operating or financial performance, although the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) regulatory limitations on our products and services and the uncertainty in the application of federal, state, and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws; (ii) our ability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (iii) our ability to identify, consummate, and integrate anticipated acquisitions; (iv) general industry and economic conditions; (v) our ability to access adequate capital upon terms and conditions that are acceptable to us; (vi) our ability to pay interest and principal on outstanding debt when due; (vii) volatility in credit and market conditions; (viii) the loss of one or more key executives or other key employees; and (ix) other risks and uncertainties related to the cannabis market and our business strategy. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.
