• California retail stores sold almost $5.3 billion worth of cannabis products in 2021 and reported a total tax revenue of approximately $1.3 billion
• California’s three licensing authorities issued 12,227 commercial cannabis licenses to businesses throughout the state during 2021
• San Diego has approved a social-equity program, joining the ranks of other California cities and counties that have implemented them since 2018, utilizing tax revenues from the cannabis industry
• REZYFi is the first cannabis mortgage company in the United States – a market where most traditional lenders are still reticent to enter

On November 8, 2016, California voters approved cannabis for recreational use. Since then, the market has continued to increase in revenue, and it is expected to make up 61.5% of the overall market, according to the University of California Agricultural Issues Center. In 2021, California retail stores sold almost $5.3 billion of cannabis products, indicating a 20% growth over 2020 and over 20% of legal sales in the United States. The total tax revenue reported by the cannabis industry was about $1,317.6 million in 2021, including approximately $680.4 million in excise tax.

As of December 2021, California’s three licensing authorities issued 12,227 commercial cannabis licenses to businesses throughout the state – including 8,504 cultivators, 915 manufacturers, 842 retailers, 362 delivery services, 1056 distributors, 308 microbusinesses, 152 transporters, 46 event organizers, 42 testing laboratories (https://ibn.fm/e6dbB).

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the San Diego City Council recently approved a social-equity program for the city’s cannabis industry, including start-up loans, fee waivers, and other business assistance. Although San Diego was the first California city to approve an adult-use cannabis licensing plan in 2017, the plan did not include social equity provisions.

The social-equity plan requires that applicants meet various criteria:

• Conviction of a cannabis-related crime or having a family member convicted of a cannabis crime after January 1, 1994, within the San Diego city limits; and be a current or former resident – for at least five cumulative years between 1980 and 2016 – including Barrio Logan, Linda Vista, southeastern San Diego, Encanto, Golden Hill, North Park, City Heights, the College Area, or San Ysidro.
• Applicants must also meet two additional criteria, including a household income below 80% of the area median income ($106,900 for a family of four); lost housing in San Diego through eviction, foreclosure, or subsidy cancellation after 1994; attended school in the San Diego Unified School District for at least five years between 1971 and 2016; or placed in the foster care system at any time between 1971 and 2016.

Since the state started allowing equity plans in 2018, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Palm Springs, Sacramento, and San Francisco have launched such programs, including Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino counties, which have programs funded by state cannabis taxes (https://ibn.fm/3X0ZK).

Despite the massive market growth recently, most traditional lenders are reticent to serve the state-licensed cannabis industry, but one company, REZYFi, is positioned as the first cannabis mortgage banker in the United States. REZYFi services the needs of both traditional and non-traditional consumers and businesses. The company is targeting markets that include licensed and permitted cannabis companies, owners of real estate who lease to cannabis companies, and companies and individual homeowners seeking a variety of real estate-related first and additional mortgage-based financing and project-specific financings, such as solar installations and real estate development projects.

REZYFi operates under two wholly owned subsidiaries – REZYFi Lending and ResMac Inc. REZYFi Lending primarily addresses emerging real estate-related financing opportunities. ResMac is the Company’s traditional mortgage origination, correspondent, and servicing operation. As a whole, REZYFi is using its corporate strengths as a foundation for diversifying its approach to capitalize on growth in multiple verticals in the years to come.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.REZYFi.com. 

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to REZYFi are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/REZY

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