SNBH Sentient Brands Holdings Inc (PK)

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the following material risk factors as well as all other information set forth or referred to in this report before purchasing shares of our common stock. Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. The Company believes all material risk factors have been presented below. If any of the following events or outcomes actually occurs, our business operating results and financial condition would likely suffer. As a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of the money you paid to purchase our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

We are an early-stage company with very limited operating history. Such limited operating history may not provide an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations.

We have a limited operating history. We have limited experience and operating history in which to assess our future prospects as a company, and this limited experience is compounded by our recent shift in business towards product development and sales. In addition, the market for our products is highly competitive. If we fail to successfully develop and offer our products and services in an increasingly competitive market, we may not be able to capture the growth opportunities associated with them or recover our development and marketing costs, and our future results of operations and growth strategies could be adversely affected. Our limited history may not provide a meaningful basis for investors to evaluate our business, financial performance, and prospects.

We may fail to successfully execute our business plan.

Our shareholders may lose their entire investment if we fail to execute our business plan. Our prospects must be considered in light of the following risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, competition, the erosion of ongoing revenue streams, the ability to retain experienced personnel and general economic conditions. We cannot guarantee that we will be successful in executing our business plan. If we fail to successfully execute our business plan, we may be forced to cease operations, in which case our shareholders may lose their entire investment.

We have a history of losses and may have to further reduce our costs by curtailing future operations to continue as a business.

Historically we have had operating losses and our cash flow has been inadequate to support our ongoing operations. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had a net loss of $734,737, and as of December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $3,055,646. Our ability to fund our capital requirements out of our available cash and cash generated from our operations depends on a number of factors, including our ability to gain market acceptance of our products and continue growing our existing operations. If we cannot generate positive cash flow from operations, we will have to reduce our costs and try to raise working capital from other sources. These measures could materially and adversely affect our ability to execute our operations and expand our business.

The Company may suffer from lack of availability of additional funds.

We expect to have ongoing needs for working capital in order to fund operations and to continue to expand our operations. To that end, we may be required to raise additional funds through equity or debt financing. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in securing additional capital on favorable terms, if at all. If we are successful, whether the terms are favorable or unfavorable, there is a potential that we will fail to comply with the terms of such financing, which could result in severe liability for our Company. If we are unsuccessful, we may need to (a) initiate cost reductions; (b) forego business development opportunities; (c) seek extensions of time to fund liabilities, or (d) seek protection from creditors. In addition, any future sale of our equity securities would dilute the ownership and control of your shares and could be at prices substantially below prices at which our shares currently trade. Our inability to raise capital could require us to significantly curtail or terminate our operations. We may seek to increase our cash reserves through the sale of additional equity or debt securities. The sale of convertible debt securities or additional equity securities could result in additional and potentially substantial dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations and liquidity. In addition, our ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms is subject to a variety of uncertainties.

In addition, if we are unable to generate adequate cash from operations, and if we are unable to find sources of funding, it may be necessary for us to sell all or a portion of our assets, enter into a business combination, or reduce or eliminate operations. These possibilities, to the extent available, may be on terms that result in significant dilution to our shareholders or that result in our shareholders losing all of their investment in our Company.

The commercial success of our products is dependent, in part, on factors outside our control.

The commercial success of our products is dependent upon unpredictable and volatile factors beyond our control, such as the success of our competitors’ products. Our failure to attract market acceptance and a sustainable competitive advantage over our competitors would materially harm our business.

We are attempting to launch brands in new markets and with new products. Our inability to effectively execute our business plan in relation to these new brands could negatively impact our business.

We are attempting launch new CBD product brands into the marketplace. The CBD products market is relatively new, and therefore potentially more risky than other, more established product categories. Further, we are attempting to launch new product lines containing CBD products, rather than rely on brands that we have currently launched. Launching new products into new markets is risky and requires extensive marketing and business expertise. There can be no assurances we will have the capital, personnel resources, or expertise to be successful in launching these new business efforts.

Our Business Can be Affected by Unusual Weather Patterns

Hemp cultivation can be impacted by weather patterns and these unpredictable weather patterns may impact our client-customers’ ability to harvest hemp. In addition, severe weather, including drought and hail, can destroy a hemp crop, which could result a shortage of raw materials. If our suppliers are unable to obtain sufficient hemp from which to process CBD, our ability to meet customer demand, generate sales, and maintain operations will be impacted.

Our business and financial performance may be adversely affected by downturns in the target markets that we serve or reduced demand for the types of products we sell.

Demand for our products is often affected by general economic conditions as well as product-use trends in our target markets. These changes may result in decreased demand for our products. The occurrence of these conditions is beyond our ability to control and, when they occur, they may have a significant impact on our sales and results of operations. The inability or unwillingness of our customers to pay a premium for our products due to general economic conditions or a downturn in the economy may have a significant adverse impact on our sales and results of operations.

Changes within the cannabis industry may adversely affect our financial performance.

Changes in the identity, ownership structure and strategic goals of our competitors and the emergence of new competitors in our target markets may harm our financial performance. New competitors may include foreign-based companies and commodity-based domestic producers who could enter our specialty markets if they are unable to compete in their traditional markets.

We are subject to certain tax risks and treatments that could negatively impact our results of operations.

Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, prohibits businesses from deducting certain expenses associated with trafficking-controlled substances (within the meaning of Schedule I and II of the Controlled Substances Act). The IRS has invoked Section 280E in tax audits against various cannabis businesses in the U.S. that are permitted under applicable state laws. Although the IRS issued a clarification allowing the deduction of certain expenses, the scope of such items is interpreted very narrowly, and the bulk of operating costs and general administrative costs are not permitted to be deducted. While there are currently several pending cases before various administrative and federal courts challenging these restrictions, there is no guarantee that these courts will issue an interpretation of Section 280E favorable to cannabis businesses.

The Company’s industry is highly competitive, and we have less capital and resources than many of our competitors which may give them an advantage in developing and marketing products similar to ours or make our products obsolete.

We are involved in a highly competitive industry where we may compete with numerous other companies who offer alternative methods or approaches, who may have far greater resources, more experience, and personnel perhaps more qualified than we do. Such resources may give our competitors an advantage in developing and marketing products similar to ours or products that make our products less desirable to consumers or obsolete. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully compete against these other entities.

We may be unable to respond to the rapid change in the industry and such change may increase costs and competition that may adversely affect our business

Rapidly changing technologies, frequent new product and service introductions and evolving industry standards characterize our market. The continued growth of the Internet and intense competition in our industry exacerbates these market characteristics. Our future success will depend on our ability to adapt to rapidly changing trends and capitalize on them. We may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, introduction or marketing of our products. In addition, any new enhancements must meet the requirements of our current and prospective customers and must achieve significant market acceptance. We could also incur substantial costs if we need to modify our products and services or infrastructures to adapt to these changes. We also expect that new competitors may introduce products or services that are directly or indirectly competitive with us. These competitors may succeed in developing products and services that have greater functionality or are less costly than our products and services and may be more successful in marketing such products and services. Technological changes have lowered the cost of operating, communications and computer systems and purchasing software. These changes reduce our cost of selling products and providing services, but also facilitate increased competition by reducing competitors’ costs in providing similar products and services. This competition could increase price competition and reduce anticipated profit margins.

Our acquisition strategy creates risks for our business.

We expect that we will pursue acquisitions of other businesses, assets or technologies to grow our business. We may fail to identify attractive acquisition candidates, or we may be unable to reach acceptable terms for future acquisitions. We might not be able to raise enough cash to compete for attractive acquisition targets. If we are unable to complete acquisitions in the future, our ability to grow our business at our anticipated rate will be impaired. We may pay for acquisitions by issuing additional shares of our Common Stock, which would dilute our stockholders, or by issuing debt, which could include terms that restrict our ability to operate our business or pursue other opportunities and subject us to meaningful debt service obligations. We may also use significant amounts of cash to complete acquisitions. To the extent that we complete acquisitions in the future, we likely will incur future depreciation and amortization expenses associated with the acquired assets. We may also record significant amounts of intangible assets, including goodwill, which could become impaired in the future. Acquisitions involve numerous other risks, including:

Our management team’s attention may be diverted by recent acquisitions and searches for new acquisition targets, and our business and operations may suffer adverse consequences as a result.

Mergers and acquisitions are time intensive, requiring significant commitment of our management team’s focus and resources. If our management team spends too much time focused on recent acquisitions or on potential acquisition targets, our management team may not have sufficient time to focus on our existing business and operations. This diversion of attention could have material and adverse consequences on our operations and our ability to be profitable.

We may be unable to scale our operations successfully.

Our growth strategy will place significant demands on our management and financial, administrative and other resources. Operating results will depend substantially on the ability of our officers and key employees to manage changing business conditions and to implement and improve our financial, administrative and other resources. If the Company is unable to respond to and manage changing business conditions, or the scale of its operations, then the quality of its services, its ability to retain key personnel, and its business could be harmed.

The Company may suffer from a lack of liquidity.

By incurring indebtedness, the Company subjects itself to increased debt service obligations which could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations and liquidity. This would impair our ability to hire the necessary senior and support personnel required for our business, as well carry out its acquisition strategy and other business objectives.

Economic conditions or changing consumer preferences could adversely impact our business.

A downturn in economic conditions in one or more of the Company’s markets could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, business and prospects – especially in light of the fact that we are selling products generally considered non-essential and/or discretionary. Although we attempt to stay informed of economic and customer trends, any sustained failure to identify and respond to trends could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, business and prospects.

The requirements of remaining a public company may strain our resources and distract our management, which could make it difficult to manage our business.

We are required to comply with various regulatory and reporting requirements, including those required by the SEC. Complying with these reporting and other regulatory requirements are time-consuming and expensive and could have a negative effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

If we secure intellectual property rights in the future, such intellectual property rights will be valuable, and if we are unable to protect them or are subject to intellectual property rights claims, our business may be harmed.

If we secure intellectual property rights, including those rights related to trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, they will be important assets for us. We do not hold any patents protecting our intellectual property at this time. Various events outside of our control may pose a threat to any intellectual property rights that we acquire as well as to our business. For example, we may be subject to third-party intellectual property rights claims, and our technologies may not be able to withstand any such claims. Regardless of the merits of the claims, any intellectual property claims could be time-consuming and expensive to litigate or settle. In addition, if any claims against us are successful, we may have to pay substantial monetary damages or discontinue any of our practices that are found to be in violation of another party’s rights. We also may have to seek a license to continue such practices, which may significantly increase our operating expenses or may not be available to us at all. Also, the efforts we may take to protect our proprietary rights may not be sufficient or effective. Any significant impairment of our potential future intellectual property rights could harm our business or our ability to compete.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets and know-how, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

The Company has not currently filed for any protection of its intellectual property. We expect to rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how protection for our confidential and proprietary information, and we have taken security measures to protect this information. These measures, however, may not provide adequate protection for our trade secrets, know-how, or other confidential information. Among other things, we seek to protect our trade secrets, know-how, and confidential information by entering into confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors, and other third parties. We cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology and processes. Moreover, there can be no assurance that any confidentiality agreements that we have with our employees, consultants, or other third parties will provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets, know-how, and confidential information or will provide adequate remedies in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of such information. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our proprietary technologies will be effective. Accordingly, there also can be no assurance that our trade secrets or know-how will not otherwise become known or be independently developed by competitors.

Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret can be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, trade secrets may be independently developed by others in a manner that could prevent legal recourse by us. If any of our confidential or proprietary information, such as our trade secrets, were to be disclosed or misappropriated, or if any such information was independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be materially and adversely harmed. Trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect as trade secrets and know-how will over time be disseminated within the industry through independent development, the publication of journal articles, and the movement of personnel skilled in the art from company to company or academic to industry scientific positions. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent such competitor from using that technology or information to compete with us, which could harm our competitive position. Because from time to time we expect to rely on third parties in the development, manufacture and distribution of our products and provision of our services, we must, at times, share trade secrets with them. We seek to protect our proprietary technology in part by entering into confidentiality agreements and, if applicable, material transfer agreements, license agreements, collaboration agreements, supply agreements, consulting agreements or other similar agreements with our advisors, employees, collaborators, licensors, suppliers, third-party contractors, and consultants prior to beginning research or disclosing proprietary information. These agreements typically limit the rights of the third parties to use or disclose our confidential information, including our trade secrets and know-how. Despite the contractual provisions employed when working with third parties, the need to share trade secrets, know-how, and other confidential information increases the risk that such trade secrets and know-how become known by our competitors, are inadvertently incorporated into the technology of others, or are disclosed or used in violation of these agreements. Given that our proprietary position is based, in part, on our know-how and trade secrets, a competitor’s discovery of our trade secrets or know-how, or other unauthorized use or disclosure would impair our competitive position and may have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

In addition, these agreements typically restrict the ability of our advisors, employees, collaborators, licensors, suppliers, third-party contractors, and consultants to publish data potentially relating to our trade secrets or know-how, although our agreements may contain certain limited publication rights. Despite our efforts to protect our trade secrets and know-how, our competitors may discover our trade secrets or know-how, either through breach of our agreements with third parties, independent development, or publication of information by any of our third-party collaborators. A competitor’s discovery of our trade secrets or know-how would impair our competitive position and have a material adverse impact on our business.

The auditor included a “going concern” note in its audit report.

As noted in our audited financials for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we’ve sustained recurring operating losses and our accumulated deficit raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We may not have enough funds to sustain the business until it becomes profitable. Even if we obtain financing, we may not accurately anticipate how quickly we may use the funds and whether these funds are sufficient to bring the business to profitability.

We are required to comply with certain provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and if we fail to continue to comply, our business could be harmed, and the price of our securities could decline.

Rules adopted by the SEC pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act require an annual assessment of internal control over financial reporting, and for certain issuers an attestation of this assessment by the issuer’s independent registered public accounting firm. The standards that must be met for management to assess the internal control over financial reporting as effective are evolving and complex, and require significant documentation, testing, and possible remediation to meet the detailed standards. We expect to incur significant expenses and to devote resources to Section 404 compliance on an ongoing basis. It is difficult for us to predict how long it will take or costly it will be to complete the assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for each year and to remediate any deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. As a result, we may not be able to complete the assessment and remediation process on a timely basis. In the event that our Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer determines that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective as defined under Section 404, we cannot predict how regulators will react or how the market prices of our securities will be affected; however, we believe that there is a risk that investor confidence and the market value of our securities may be negatively affected.

Due to the economic hardships presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we obtained a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP Loan”) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). We may not be entitled to forgiveness under the PPP Loan which would negatively impact our cash flow, and our application for the PPP Loan could damage our reputation.

On April 18, 2020, the Company received the proceeds of a loan from a banking institution, in the principal amount of $231,500 (the “Loan”), pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) under Division A, Title I of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), which was enacted on March 27, 2020. The Loan, which was in the form of a Note dated April 18, 2020, matures on April 18, 2022 and bears interest at a fixed rate of 1.00% per annum, payable monthly to KeyBank National Association, as the lender, commencing on November 18, 2020.

Under the terms of the CARES Act, as amended by the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, the Company is eligible to apply for and receive forgiveness for all or a portion of their respective PPP Loan. Such forgiveness will be determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of the Loan proceeds for certain permissible purposes as set forth in the PPP, including, but not limited to, payroll costs (as defined under the PPP) and mortgage interest, rent or utility costs (collectively, “Qualifying Expenses”) incurred during the 24 weeks subsequent to funding, and on the maintenance of employee and compensation levels, as defined, following the funding of the PPP Loan. The Company used the proceeds of the PPP Loan for Qualifying Expenses. However, no assurance is provided that the Company will be able to obtain forgiveness of the PPP Loan in whole or in part. Any amounts that are not forgiven incur interest at 1.0% per annum and monthly repayments of principal and interest are deferred for six months after the date of disbursement. While the PPP Loan currently has a two-year maturity, the amended law permits the borrower to request a five-year maturity from its lender. The Company has applied for forgiveness for the full amount and is waiting for the approval from the bank and the SBA. On December 8, 2021, the Company received notification from Key Bank that our forgiveness application has been approved in full by the Small Business Administration, or SBA.

In order to apply for the PPP Loan, we were required to certify, among other things, that the current economic uncertainty made the PPP Loan request necessary to support our ongoing operations. We made this certification in good faith after analyzing, among other things, our financial situation and access to alternative forms of capital, and believe that we satisfied all eligibility criteria for the PPP Loan, and that our receipt of the PPP Loan was consistent with the broad objectives of the CARES Act. At the time that we had made such certification, we could not predict with any certainty whether we would be able to obtain the necessary financing to support our operations. The certification described above that we were required to provide in connection with our application for the PPP Loan did not contain any objective criteria and was subject to interpretation. However, on April 23, 2020, the SBA issued guidance stating that it is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith. The lack of clarity regarding loan eligibility under the CARES Act has resulted in significant media coverage and controversy with respect to public companies applying for and receiving loans. If, despite our good-faith belief that we satisfied all eligible requirements for the PPP Loan, we are later determined to have violated any of the laws or governmental regulations that apply to us in connection with the PPP Loan, such as the False Claims Act, or it is otherwise determined that we were ineligible to receive the PPP Loan, we may be subject to penalties, including significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, and could be required to repay the PPP Loan in its entirety. In addition, our receipt of the PPP Loan may result in adverse publicity and damage to our reputation, and a review or audit by the SBA or other government entity or claims under the False Claims Act could consume significant financial and management resources.

Risks Related to Government Regulation

Possible yet unanticipated changes in federal and state law could cause any of our current products, containing hemp-derived CBD oil to be illegal, or could otherwise prohibit, limit or restrict any of our products containing CBD.

We distribute certain products containing hemp-derived CBD, and we currently intend to develop and launch additional products containing hemp-derived CBD in the future. Until 2014, when 7 U.S. Code §5940 became federal law as part of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the “2014 Farm Act”), products containing oils derived from hemp, notwithstanding a minimal or non-existing THC content, were classified as Schedule I illegal drugs. The 2014 Farm Act expired on September 30, 2018, and was thereafter replaced by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 on December 20, 2018 (the “2018 Farm Act”), which amended various sections of the U.S. Code, thereby removing hemp, defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, from Schedule 1 status under the Controlled Substances Act, and legalizing the cultivation and sale of industrial-hemp at the federal level, subject to compliance with certain federal requirements and state law, amongst other things. More specifically, industrial hemp is defined as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.” The hemp oil we use comports with this definition of less than 0.3% THC. THC is the psychoactive component of plants in the cannabis family generally identified as marihuana or marijuana. There is no assurance that the 2018 Farm Act will not be repealed or amended such that our products containing hemp-derived CBD would once again be deemed illegal under federal law.

The 2018 Farm Act delegates the authority to the states to regulate and limit the production of hemp and hemp derived products within their territories. Although many states have adopted laws and regulations that allow for the production and sale of hemp and hemp derived products under certain circumstances, currently Idaho, Mississippi and South Dakota have not adopted laws and regulations permitted by the 2018 Farm Act. No assurance can be given that such state laws may not be implemented, repealed or amended such that our products containing hemp-derived CBD would be deemed legal in those states that have not adopted regulations pursuant to the 2018 Farm Act, or illegal under the laws of one or more states now permitting such products, which in turn would render such intended products illegal in those states under federal law even if the federal law is unchanged. In the event of either repeal of federal or of state laws and regulations, or of amendments thereto that are adverse to our intended products, we may be restricted or limited with respect to those products that we may sell or distribute, which could adversely impact our intended business plan with respect to such intended products. Additionally, the FDA has indicated its view that certain types of products containing CBD may not be permissible under the FDCA. The FDA’s position is related to its approval of Epidiolex, a marijuana-derived prescription medicine to be available in the United States. The active ingredient in Epidiolex is CBD. On December 20, 2018, after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued a statement in which he reiterated the FDA’s position that, among other things, the FDA requires a cannabis product (hemp-derived or otherwise) that is marketed with a claim of therapeutic benefit, or with any other disease claim, to be approved by the FDA for its intended use before it may be introduced into interstate commerce and that the FDCA prohibits introducing into interstate commerce food products containing added CBD, and marketing products containing CBD as a dietary supplement, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived. We do not believe that any of our products fall within the FDA’s regulatory authority reiterated by Commissioner Gottlieb in December 2018, as we have not, and do not intend to market any of our products with a claim of therapeutic benefit or with any other disease claim. However, should any regulatory action, including action taken by the FDA, and/or legal proceeding alleging violations of such laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If our hemp oil products are found to violate federal law or if there is negative press from being in a hemp or cannabis-related business, we could be criminally prosecuted or forced to suspend or cease operations.

There is a misconception that that hemp and marijuana are the same thing. This perception drives much of the regulation of hemp products. Although hemp and marijuana are both part of the cannabis family, they differ in cultivation, function, and application. Despite the use of marijuana becoming more widely legalized, it is viewed by many regulators and many others as an illegal product. Hemp, on the other hand, is used in a variety of other ways that include clothing, skin products, pet products, dietary supplements (the use of CBD oil), and thousands of other applications. Hemp may be legally sold, however the inability of many to understand the difference between hemp and marijuana often causes burdensome regulation and confusion among potential customers. Therefore, we may be affected by laws related to cannabis and marijuana, even though our products are not the direct targets of these laws.

Cannabis is currently a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act (“CSA”) and is, therefore, illegal under federal law. Even in those states in which the use of cannabis has been legalized pursuant to state law, its use, possession and/or cultivation remains a violation of federal law. A Schedule I controlled substance is defined as one that has no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of safety for use under medical supervision and a high potential for abuse. The U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) describes Schedule I controlled substances as “the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.” If the federal government decides to enforce the CSA in the states, persons that are charged with distributing, possessing with intent to distribute or growing cannabis could be subject to fines and/or terms of imprisonment, the maximum being life imprisonment and a $50 million fine.

Notwithstanding the CSA, 29 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico allow their residents to use medical cannabis. The states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont (effective July 1, 2018) and Washington, and the District of Columbia, allow cannabis for adult recreational use. Such state and territorial laws are in conflict with the federal CSA, which makes cannabis use and possession illegal at the federal level.

However, cannabis, as mentioned above, is a schedule-I controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Even in those states in which the use of cannabis has been legalized, its production and use remains a violation of federal law. Since federal law criminalizing the use of cannabis preempts state laws that legalize its use, strict enforcement of federal laws regarding marijuana that would apply to the sale and distribution of our hemp oil products could result in criminal charges brought against us and would likely result in our inability to proceed with our business plan.

In addition, any negative press resulting from any incorrect perception that we have entered into the marijuana space could result in a loss of current or future business. It could also adversely affect the public’s perception of us and lead to reluctance by new parties to do business with us or to own our Common Stock. We cannot assure you that additional business partners, including but not limited to financial institutions and customers, will not attempt to end or curtail their relationships with us. Any such negative press or cessation of business could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our product candidates are not approved by the FDA or other regulatory authority, and we face risks of unforeseen medical problems, and up to a complete ban on the sale of our product candidates.

The efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical products is established through a process of clinical testing under FDA oversight. Our products have not gone through this process because we believe that the topical products, we sell are not subject to this process. However, if an individual were to use one of our products in an improper manner, we cannot predict the potential medical harm to that individual. If such an event were to occur, the FDA or similar regulatory agency might impose a complete ban on the sale or use of our products.

Sources of hemp-derived CBD depend upon legality of cultivation, processing, marketing and sales of products derived from those plants under state law.

Hemp-derived CBD can only be legally produced in states that have laws and regulations that allow for such production and that comply with the 2018 Farm Act, apart from state laws legalizing and regulating medical and recreational cannabis or marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law and regulations. We purchase all of our hemp-derived CBD from licensed growers and processors in states where such production is legal. As described in the preceding risk factor, in the event of repeal or amendment of laws and regulations which are now favorable to the cannabis/hemp industry in such states, we would be required to locate new suppliers in states with laws and regulations that qualify under the 2018 Farm Act. If we were to be unsuccessful in arranging new sources of supply of our raw ingredients, or if our raw ingredients were to become legally unavailable, our intended business plan with respect to such products could be adversely impacted.

Because our distributors may only sell and ship our products containing hemp-derived CBD in states that have adopted laws and regulations qualifying under the 2018 Farm Act, a reduction in the number of states having such qualifying laws and regulations could limit, restrict or otherwise preclude the sale of intended products containing hemp-derived CBD.

The interstate shipment of hemp-derived CBD from one state to another is legal only where both states have laws and regulations that allow for the production and sale of such products and that qualify under the 2018 Farm Act. Therefore, the marketing and sale of our intended products containing hemp-derived CBD is limited by such factors and is restricted to such states. Although we believe we may lawfully sell any of our finished products, including those containing CBD, in a majority of states, a repeal or adverse amendment of laws and regulations that are now favorable to the distribution, marketing and sale of finished products we intend to sell could significantly limit, restrict or prevent us from generating revenue related to our products that contain hemp-derived CBD. Any such repeal or adverse amendment of now favorable laws and regulations could have an adverse impact on our business plan with respect to such products.

Risks Associated With Bank And Insurance Laws And Regulations

We and our customers may have difficulty accessing the service of banks, which may make it difficult to sell our products and services and manage our cash flows.

Since the commerce in cannabis, as not strictly defined in the 2018 Farm Bill, is illegal under federal law, federally most chartered banks will not accept deposit funds from businesses involved with cannabis. Consequently, businesses involved in the cannabis industry often have trouble finding a bank willing to accept their business. The inability to open bank accounts may make it difficult for our customers to operate. There does appear to be recent movement to allow state-chartered banks and credit unions to provide banking to the industry, but as of the date of this report there are only nominal entities that have been formed that offer these services. Further, in a February 6, 2018, Forbes article, United States Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, is reported to have testified that his department is “reviewing the existing guidance.” But he clarified that he doesn’t want to rescind it without having an alternate policy in place to address public safety concerns.

Financial transactions involving proceeds generated by cannabis-related conduct can form the basis for prosecution under the federal money laundering statutes, unlicensed money transmitter statute and the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act. Despite guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury suggesting it may be possible for financial institutions to provide services to cannabis-related businesses consistent with their obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks remain hesitant to offer banking services to cannabis-related businesses. Consequently, those businesses involved in the cannabis industry continue to encounter difficulty establishing banking relationships. Our inability to maintain our current bank accounts would make it difficult for us to operate our business, increase our operating costs, and pose additional operational, logistical and security challenges and could result in our inability to implement our business plan. Similarly, many of our customers are directly involved in cannabis sales and further restrictions to their ability to access banking services may make it difficult for them to purchase our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to certain federal regulations relating to cash reporting.

The Bank Secrecy Act, enforced by FinCEN, requires us to report currency transactions in excess of $10,000, including identification of the customer by name and social security number, to the IRS. This regulation also requires us to report certain suspicious activity, including any transaction that exceeds $5,000 that we know, suspect or have reason to believe involves funds from illegal activity or is designed to evade federal regulations or reporting requirements and to verify sources of funds. Substantial penalties can be imposed against us if we fail to comply with this regulation. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, the imposition of a substantial penalty could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Due to our involvement in the cannabis industry, we may have a difficult time obtaining the various insurances that are desired to operate our business, which may expose us to additional risk and financial liability

Insurance that is otherwise readily available, such as general liability, and directors and officer’s insurance, is more difficult for us to find, and more expensive, because we are service providers to companies in the cannabis industry. There are no guarantees that we will be able to find such insurances in the future, or that the cost will be affordable to us. If we are forced to go without such insurances, it may prevent us from entering into certain business sectors, may inhibit our growth, and may expose us to additional risk and financial liabilities.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our stock price has experienced volatility and may continue to experience volatility, and as a result, investors in its common stock could incur substantial losses.

The Company’s stock price has fluctuated in the past, has recently been volatile, and may be volatile in the future. During 2022, the highest bid price for our common stock was $0.76 per share, while the lowest bid price during that period was $0.013 per share. The Company may incur rapid and substantial decreases in its stock price in the foreseeable future that are unrelated to its operating performance or prospects. In addition, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused broad stock market and industry fluctuations. The stock market has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in the Company’s common stock. The trading price of our common stock could continue to fluctuate widely due to:

These broad market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of the Company’s common stock, regardless of its operating performance. Since the stock price of its common stock has fluctuated in the past, has been recently volatile and may be volatile in the future, investors in its common stock could incur substantial losses. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies. Such litigation, if instituted against the Company, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. There can be no guarantee that the Company’s stock price will remain at current prices or that future sales of its common stock will not be at prices lower than those sold to investors.

In addition, the securities markets in general have experienced extreme price and trading volume volatility in the past. The trading prices of securities of many companies at our stage of growth have fluctuated broadly, often for reasons unrelated to the operating performance of the specific companies. These general market and industry factors may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. If our stock price is volatile, we could face securities class action litigation, which could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources and could cause our stock price to fall.

We are be subject to the “penny stock” rules which adversely affect the liquidity of our Common Stock.

The SEC has adopted regulations which generally define “penny stock” to be an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. The market price of our Common Stock is less than $5.00 per share and therefore we are considered a “penny stock” according to SEC rules. This designation requires any broker-dealer selling these securities to disclose certain information concerning the transaction, obtain a written agreement from the purchaser and determine that the purchaser is reasonably suitable to purchase the securities. These rules limit the ability of broker-dealers to solicit purchases of our Common Stock and therefore reduce the liquidity of the public market for our shares should one develop.

Securities which are traded on the OTCPink®, may not provide as much liquidity for our investors as more recognized senior exchanges such as the Nasdaq stock market or other national or regional exchanges.

In 2010, the Company’s Common Stock was approved by FINRA to trade on the OTCBB under the symbol “INTB” on an unpriced basis. There has never been a two-sided quotation for the stock, and it has yet to trade. On December 9, 2020, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation (the “Certificate”) with the State of California to (i) effect a forward stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of 7 for 1 (the “Forward Stock Split”), (ii) increase the number of authorized shares of common stock from 50,000,000 shares to 500,000,000 shares, and (iii) effectuate a name change (the “Name Change”). As a result of the Name Change, the Company’s name changed from “Intelligent Buying, Inc.” to “Sentient Brands Holdings Inc.”. The Certificate was approved by the majority of the Company’s shareholders and by the Board of Directors of the Company. The effective date of the Forward Stock Split and the Name Change was March 2, 2021. In connection with the above, the Company filed an Issuer Company-Related Action Notification Form with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Forward Stock Split and the Name Change was implemented by FINRA on March 2, 2021. As a result of the name change, our symbol was changed to “SNBH”.

The Company’s Common Stock is currently quoted on the Pink Tier of OTC Markets under the symbol of “SNBH”. OTC Markets is a computer network that provides information on current “bids” and “asks”, as well as volume information. As of the date hereof, no active trading market has developed for our Common Stock. Securities traded on OTC Markets are usually thinly traded, highly volatile, have fewer market makers and are not followed by analysts. The SEC’s order handling rules, which apply to NASDAQ-listed securities, do not apply to securities quoted on OTC Markets. Quotes for stocks included on OTC Markets are not listed in newspapers and are often unavailable at many of the online websites which publish stock quotes. Therefore, prices for securities traded solely on OTC Markets may be difficult to obtain and holders of our securities may be unable to resell their securities at or near their original acquisition price, or at any price.

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) sales practice requirements may also limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our Common Stock, which could depress the price of our Common Stock.

FINRA has adopted rules that require a broker-dealer to have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer before recommending an investment to a customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, the FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our Common Stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our shares of Common Stock, have an adverse effect on the market for our shares of Common Stock, and thereby depress our price per share of Common Stock.

The sale of the additional shares of Common Stock could cause the value of our Common Stock to decline.

The sale of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock, or anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish.

The Common Stock constitutes restricted securities and is subject to limited transferability.

The Common Stock should be considered a long-term, illiquid investment. The Common Stock has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and cannot be sold without registration under the Securities Act or any exemption from registration. In addition, the Common Stock is not registered under any state securities laws that would permit their transfer. Because of these restrictions and the absence of an active trading market for our securities, a stockholder will likely be unable to liquidate an investment even though other personal financial circumstances would dictate such liquidation.

Because we will likely issue additional shares of our Common Stock, investment in the Company could be subject to substantial dilution.

Investors’ interests in the Company will be diluted and Investors may suffer dilution in their net book value per share when we issue additional shares. We are authorized to issue 500,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. We anticipate that all or at least some of our future funding, if any, will be in the form of equity financing from the sale of our Common Stock. If we do sell or issue more Common Stock, investors’ investment in the Company will be diluted. Dilution is the difference between what you pay for your stock and the net tangible book value per share immediately after the additional shares are sold by us. If dilution occurs, any investment in the Company’s Common Stock could seriously decline in value.

Our Common Stock is subject to risks arising from restrictions on reliance on Rule 144 by shell companies or former shell companies.

Under a regulation of the SEC known as “Rule 144,” a person who beneficially owns restricted securities of an issuer and who is not an affiliate of that issuer may sell them without registration under the Securities Act provided that certain conditions have been met. One of these conditions is that such person has held the restricted securities for a prescribed period, which would be six months for shares of a company which has never been a shell company. However, Rule 144 is unavailable for the resale of securities issued by an issuer that is a shell company (other than a business combination related shell company) or, unless certain conditions are met, that has been at any time previously a shell company. Because we had been a shell company in the past, shareholders purchasing restricted securities will be unable to publicly resell their shares until one year after this Form 8-K is filed at the earliest, if at all.

The SEC defines a shell company as a company that has (a) no or nominal operations and (b) either (i) no or nominal assets, (ii) assets consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents; or (iii) assets consisting of any amount of cash and cash equivalents and nominal other assets.

As a result of the Closing of the Reorganization as described in Items 1.01 and 2.01, the Company ceased being a shell company as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act.

While we believe that as a result of the Closing of the Reorganization, the Company ceased to be a shell company, the SEC and others whose approval is required in order for shares to be sold under Rule 144 might take a different view.

Rule 144 is available for the resale of securities of former shell companies if and for as long as the following conditions are met:

(i) the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company,

(ii) the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act,

(iii) the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and

(iv) at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current comprehensive disclosure with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company known as “Form 10 Information.”

Shareholders who receive the Company’s restricted securities will not be able to sell them pursuant to Rule 144 without registration until the Company has met the other conditions to this exception and then for only as long as the Company continues to meet the condition described in subparagraph (iii), above, and is not a shell company. No assurance can be given that the Company will meet these conditions or that, if it has met them, it will continue to do so, or that it will not again be a shell company.

Fiduciaries investing the assets of a trust or pension, or profit-sharing plan must carefully assess an investment in our Company to ensure compliance with ERISA.

In considering an investment in the Company of a portion of the assets of a trust or a pension or profit-sharing plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and exempt from tax under Section 501(a), a fiduciary should consider (i) whether the investment satisfies the diversification requirements of Section 404 of ERISA; (ii) whether the investment is prudent, since the Company’s common stock shares are not freely transferable and there may not be a market created in which the Common Stock may be sold or otherwise disposed; and (iii) whether interests in the Company or the underlying assets owned by the Company constitute “Plan Assets” under ERISA.

Our Common Stock price may decrease due to factors beyond our control.

The stock market from time to time has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations, which have particularly affected the market prices for emerging growth companies, and which often have been unrelated to the operating performance of the companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our stock, if a trading market for our stock ever develops. If our shareholders sell substantial amounts of their stock in the public market, the price of our stock could fall. These sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity, or equity-related securities, in the future at a price we deem appropriate.

The market price of our stock may also fluctuate significantly in response to the following factors, most of which are beyond our control:

Any such fluctuations may adversely affect the market price or value of our Common Stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. As a result, stockholders may be unable to sell their shares, or may be forced to sell them at a loss.

FINRA sales practice requirements may also limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.

In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, FINRA has adopted Rule 2111 that requires a broker-dealer to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending the investment. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. The FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our stock and have an adverse effect on the market for our shares.

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our stock and do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the development of our business and for general corporate purposes. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board.

If we are unable to comply with the financial reporting requirements mandated by the SEC’s regulations, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and the price of our common stock, if a market ever does develop for it, could decline.

If we fail to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely, accurate and reliable periodic financial statements could be impaired. If we do not maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy of our periodic reports filed under the Exchange Act. Additionally, our ability to obtain additional financing could be impaired or a lack of investor confidence in the reliability and accuracy of our public reporting could cause our stock price to decline. In the past we have been delinquent in our SEC reporting and have not maintained adequate internal control over financial reporting. We plan remain current with our filing obligations with the SEC after the filing of this Form 8-K. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so.