SAN DIEGO, May 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CV Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB:CVSI) (the “Company”, “CV Sciences”, “our”, “us” or “we”), a preeminent supplier and manufacturer of hemp cannabidiol (CBD) products, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

First Quarter 2022 and Recent Financial and Operating Highlights

• Revenue of $4.4 million for first quarter of 2022, compared to $4.8 million for the first quarter of 2021;
• Gross margin of 26.0% for first quarter of 2022, compared to 32.4% for the fourth quarter of 2021;
• Total cash balance of $2.4 million at quarter end, compared to $1.4 million at year end;
• Launched four unique Over-the-Counter (OTC) pain relief topical products formulated to pinpoint sources of minor pain and aches using active ingredients including camphor and menthol along with premium hemp-derived CBD;
• Launched PlusCBD
  
  ^TM
  
  Relief softgels to our wellness line of CBD products joining our successful PlusCBD
  
  ^TM
  
  Sleep and Calm gummies;
• Continued to evaluate strategic review, including consideration of inbound and outbound merger, sale, acquisition or other options for the Company as a whole or for any business segments;
• Continued to implement strategic cost savings initiatives;
• Completed new lease agreement of approximately 6,000 square feet for the Company’s main facility in San Diego; and
• Claimed refundable employee retention credit (ERC) under the CARES Act of $2.0 million.
  

“First quarter results met our expectations and we are encouraged by improvements in the retail channel including an increase in units shipped on a year over year basis, and a very strong consumer response to several new product launches during Q1” said Joseph Dowling, Chief Executive Officer. “Our new OTC products, along with our Reserve Collection and our Wellness Line of products are evidence of our strong pipeline, and demonstrate our ability to develop innovative products that address the need states of our customers. Our flagship brand PlusCBD

^TM

continues to gain market share in the natural product channel, and, with our portfolio of high-quality, proven products, and favorable regulatory momentum, we believe the Company is positioned for growth in 2022.”

Operating Results – First Quarter 2022 Compared to First Quarter 2021


Sales for first quarter of 2022 were $4.4 million, a decrease of 8% from $4.8 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decline is primarily due to lower sales in the retail channel. The total number of units sold during the first quarter of 2022 increased 3% compared to the first quarter of 2021. The volume increase was offset by higher discounts and changes in sales mix in the first quarter of 2022.

The Company reduced its operating loss to $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2022, compared to an operating loss of $3.1 million in the first quarter of 2021. The Company claimed employee retention credits recognized as a reduction to general and administrative expenses of $2.0 million during the first quarter of 2022.

The Company had negative adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2022 of $2.5 million, compared to negative adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Conference Call and Webcast


The Company will host a conference call and webcast to discuss these results today at 10:00 am EDT/7:00 am PDT. The webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://ir.cvsciences.com/news-events or directly at https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=SFq4dd1d. Investors interested in participating in the live call can also dial (877) 407-0784 from the U.S. or international callers can dial (201) 689-8560. A telephone replay will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes, and will be available through Monday, May 23, 2022, by dialing (844) 512-2921 from the U.S. or (412) 317-6671 from international locations, and entering confirmation code 13729877.

About CV Sciences, Inc.


CV Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB:CVSI) operates two distinct business segments: a consumer product division focused on manufacturing, marketing and selling plant-based dietary supplements and CBD products to a range of market sectors; and a drug development division focused on developing and commercializing CBD-based novel therapeutics. The Company’s PlusCBD™ products are sold at select retail locations throughout the U.S. and it is one of the top-selling brands of hemp-derived CBD in the natural products market, according to SPINS, the leading provider of syndicated data and insights for the natural, organic and specialty products industry.  CV Sciences follows all guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the Company’s products are processed, produced, and tested throughout the manufacturing process to confirm strict compliance with company standards and specifications.  With a commitment to science, PlusCBD™ product benefits in healthy people are supported by human clinical research data, in addition to three published clinical case studies available on PubMed.gov.  PlusCBD™ was the first hemp CBD supplement brand to invest in the scientific evidence necessary to receive self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. CV Sciences, Inc. has primary offices and facilities in San Diego, California.  Additional information is available from OTCMarkets.com or by visiting www.cvsciences.com.

Forward Looking Statements


This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risk and uncertainties.

Contact Information


[email protected]

CV SCIENCES, INC.


CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except per share data)

CV SCIENCES, INC.


CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except per share data)

CV SCIENCES, INC.


CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands)

CV SCIENCES, INC.


NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (UNAUDITED)

We prepare our condensed financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for the United States (GAAP). The non-GAAP financial measures such as net loss per share and Adjusted EBITDA included in this press release are different from those otherwise presented under GAAP. We use non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate our performance and make financial and operational decisions that are presented in a manner that adjusts from their equivalent GAAP measures or that supplement the information provided by our GAAP measures. The non-GAAP financial measures exclude non-cash compensation expense for stock options. When evaluating the performance of our business and developing short and long-term plans, we do not consider share-based compensation charges. Although share-based compensation is necessary to attract and retain quality employees, our consideration of share-based compensation places its primary emphasis on overall shareholder dilution rather than the accounting charges associated with such grants. Because of the varying availability of valuation methodologies and subjective assumptions, we believe that the exclusion of share-based compensation allows for more accurate comparison of our financial results to previous periods. In addition, we believe it useful to investors to understand the specific impact of the application of the fair value method of accounting for share-based compensation on our operating results.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined by us as EBITDA (net loss plus depreciation and interest expense), further adjusted to exclude certain non-cash expenses and other adjustments as set forth below. We use Adjusted EBITDA because we believe it more clearly highlights trends in our business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP financial measures, since Adjusted EBITDA eliminates from our results specific financial items that have less bearing on our core operating performance.

We use Adjusted EBITDA in communicating certain aspects of our results and performance, including in this press release, and believe that Adjusted EBITDA, when viewed in conjunction with our GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliation, can provide investors with greater transparency and a greater understanding of factors affecting our financial condition and results of operations than GAAP measures alone. In addition, we believe the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors in making period-to-period comparison of results because the adjustments to GAAP are not reflective of our core business performance.

A reconciliation from our GAAP net loss to non-GAAP net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 is detailed below (in thousands, except per share data):

_____________

(1)   Represents stock-based compensation expense related to stock options awarded to employees, consultants and non-executive directors based on the grant date fair value using the Black-Scholes valuation model.

(2)   Represents amortization of OID/debt issuance costs and interest expense for convertible notes payable.

(3)   Represents expense reduction related to benefit for employee retention credit (ERC).

A reconciliation from our net loss to Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 is detailed below (in thousands):

______________

(1)   Represents stock-based compensation expense related to stock options awarded to employees, consultants and non-executive directors based on the grant date fair value using the Black-Scholes valuation model.

(2)   Represents expense reduction related to benefit for employee retention credit (ERC).