iAnthus had few traditional options to bankroll its expansion because marijuana remains illegal under U.S. federal law. To go big, iAnthus’ then-CEO, Hadley Ford, reached out to someone he considered a friend: Jason Adler, founder of Gotham Green Partners, which had emerged as one of the biggest lenders in the cannabis industry.
Gotham Green ultimately agreed to loan iAnthus up to $140 million, but the lender was not obligated to provide the full amount.
While it appeared to be a financial lifeline at the time, the series of deals could ultimately prove catastrophic for iAnthus shareholders, potentially wiping out hundreds of millions of dollars from investors and giving Gotham Green ownership, according to investors and court documents.
“They basically brought us out into the middle of the ocean and then drowned us,” said Beth Stavola, former chief strategy officer of iAnthus, which is a cannabis cultivation, processing and retail company with operations in nearly a dozen states.