Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. (LIEN) Discusses Lending Strategies and Funding Vehicles in the Cannabis Industry Transcript

Pablo Zuanic
Zuanic & Associates

We continue today with our series of webcast discussing the cannabis industry from the point of view of the various players in the industry. We’re happy to welcome today Peter Sack. He is the Managing Director at Chicago Atlantic Group.

Welcome, Peter.

Peter Sack
Chief Executive Officer

Hi, Pablo. Thanks for having me.

Pablo Zuanic
Zuanic & Associates

So look, I mean, we have a lot to cover, but let’s start with the general introduction. The way — the audience is a mix of investors that follow cannabis very closely, and some of them are more on the finance side, right, following mortgage REITs, BDCs and maybe less cognizant of cannabis.

But let’s start with an introduction about the Chicago Atlantic Group. And the way I understand that the three main components, right, the REIT piece, the Mortgage REIT, the BDC and the private side. And if possible, please explain how the three components interact with each other and why it makes sense for the group to have these three different arms?

And thanks again for joining us, Peter.

Peter Sack
Chief Executive Officer

Absolutely. Thanks for having me. Chicago Atlantic is a private credit direct lender. We launched in 2019 to make investments in idiosyncratic areas of largely the U.S. economy, and to build unique risk/reward within the private credit sector and the industry in which we found particular opportunity and have grown considerably since our founding is in lending to the U.S. cannabis industry.

We’re now, we believe, the largest lender focused on the U.S. cannabis