Item 1.01Item 1.01 - Entry into Material Agreement
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Needham Loan
On October 2, 2026 (the “Closing
Date”), Vireo Property Holdings, LLC (the “Borrower-Agent”), Vireo Property Holdings New York, LLC (“Holdings
NY”), Vireo Property Holdings Florida, LLC (“Holdings FL”), 256 County Route 117 Perth LLC (“NY PropCo”)
and 160 Comfort Road, LLC (“FL PropCo”), each a Delaware limited liability company (Borrower-Agent, Holdings NY, Holdings
FL, NY PropCo, and FL PropCo, collectively, the “Borrowers”) and each an indirect subsidiary of Vireo Growth Inc., a British
Columbia corporation (the “Company”), entered into a Loan Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Needham Bank,
a Massachusetts commercial bank (the “Lender”), and the guarantors from time to time party thereto, providing for a term loan
in the aggregate principal amount of $60,000,000 (the “Needham Loan”).
In connection with the Loan
Agreement, on the Closing Date, (i) NY PropCo issued to the Lender a Gap Note in the principal amount of $11,000,000 (the “Gap Note”),
evidencing a new money advance by the Lender and secured by a Gap Mortgage granted by NY PropCo on the Perth Property (as defined below)
(the “Gap Mortgage”), (ii) in consideration for the repayment of the $49,000,000 Promissory Note dated May 26, 2026 (the “Seller
Note”) made by NY PropCo in favor of IIP-NY 2 LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“IIP-NY”), a subsidiary of
Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc., IIP-NY endorsed to the Lender, without recourse, the Seller Note pursuant to an Allonge to Promissory
Note (the “Allonge”), and IIP-NY assigned to the Lender the mortgage securing the Seller Note pursuant to an Assignment of
Mortgage, and (iii) the Borrowers executed a Consolidated, Amended and Restated Promissory Note in the principal amount of $60,000,000
in favor of the Lender (the “A&R Note”), which amends, restates, consolidates and replaces, without novation, the Gap
Note and the Seller Note into a single debt in the principal amount of $60,000,000 for which the Borrowers are jointly and severally liable.
The Seller Note was previously disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) on May 29, 2026. As a result of the foregoing, IIP-NY is no longer a lender to NY PropCo.
Interest and Fees
The Needham Loan bears interest
at a fixed rate of 8.50% per annum, computed on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed over a 360-day year. Any payment (other
than the payment due on the Maturity Date (as defined below)) not paid within five days after its due date is subject to a late charge
equal to 5% of the amount unpaid. The Borrowers paid the Lender at closing a fully earned, non-refundable commitment fee equal to 1.50%
of the $60,000,000 loan commitment, or $900,000.
The A&R Note requires
monthly payments of interest only for the first six months, beginning one month after the Closing Date, followed by monthly payments of
principal and interest in amounts sufficient to fully amortize the Needham Loan over a ten-year period. The entire outstanding principal
balance, together with accrued and unpaid interest, is due on April 2, 2034 (the “Maturity Date”). The Borrowers may prepay
the Needham Loan in whole or in part at any time upon five (5) Business Days’ (as defined in the Loan Agreement) prior notice to
the Lender, without premium or penalty, except that a premium equal to 3.00% of the outstanding principal amount applies if prepaid with
proceeds of a refinancing with a lender other than the Lender or its Affiliate (as defined in the Loan Agreement) on or before the first
anniversary of the Closing Date, 2.00% if prepaid after the first anniversary but on or before the second anniversary, and 1.00% if prepaid
after the second anniversary but on or before the third anniversary. No premium applies after the third anniversary or if the Needham
Loan is paid in full upon a Change of Control (as defined in the Loan Agreement).
Use of Proceeds
The proceeds of the Needham
Loan were used solely to fund (i) the refinancing of the indebtedness evidenced by the Seller Note, (ii) the acquisition by FL PropCo
of the real property located at 160 Comfort Road, Palatka, Florida 32177 (the “Palatka Property”), and (iii) a portion of
the costs and expenses incurred by the Borrowers in connection with the closing of the Needham Loan.
Security and Guarantees
The obligations of the Borrowers
under the Needham Loan are joint and several and are secured by, among other things, (i) a Consolidated, Amended and Restated Mortgage,
Assignment of Leases and Rents, Financing Statement and Security Agreement dated as of the Closing Date, granted by NY PropCo, encumbering
the approximately 389,000 square foot cannabis cultivation and production facility located at 256 County Route 117, Perth, New York, on
approximately 20.598 acres (the “Perth Property”); (ii) a Multi-State Mortgage, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Financing
Statement and Security Agreement dated as of the Closing Date, granted by FL PropCo, encumbering the Palatka Property; (iii) an Omnibus
Collateral Assignment of Agreements, Permits and Rights dated as of the Closing Date, by NY PropCo and FL PropCo, assigning to the Lender,
among other things, contracts, income, revenues, insurance and condemnation proceeds, permits, governmental approvals, licenses, warranties
and plans relating to the Perth Property and the Palatka Property; (iv) a Security Agreement dated as of the Closing Date, by the Borrowers
in favor of the Lender; (v) an Environmental Indemnity Agreement dated as of the Closing Date, by the Borrowers, as indemnitors, in favor
of the Lender; (vi) a Pledge Agreement dated as of the Closing Date, by the Borrower-Agent, Holdings NY and Holdings FL, pledging their
equity interests in the other Borrowers; and (vii) a Pledge and Hypothecation Agreement dated as of the Closing Date, by Vireo Health,
Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Vireo Health”) pledging its equity interests in
the Borrower-Agent, in favor of the Lender. In addition, Green Dragon Florida LLC, a Florida limited liability company and indirect wholly
owned subsidiary of the Company (“FL Tenant”) guaranteed the obligations of the Borrowers on an unsecured basis pursuant to
an Unconditional Guaranty entered into as of the Closing Date in favor of the Lender (the “Unconditional Guaranty”). The Lender
may also debit the Borrowers’ deposit accounts maintained with the Lender, including an operating account and a reserve account,
for amounts due. The tenants of the Perth Property and the Palatka Property are Ace Heritage LLC, a New York limited liability company
and FL Tenant, respectively.
The liens securing the Needham
Loan on the Perth Property and the Palatka Property are senior to the liens securing the indebtedness (the “Second Lien Debt”)
owed to Chicago Atlantic Financial Services, LLC, as administrative agent (the “Second Lien Agent”), and Chicago Atlantic
Lincoln, LLC, as lender (the “Second Lien Lender”). The Second Lien Debt, in the original principal amount of $41,000,000,
is evidenced by a Subordinated Promissory Note dated May 22, 2026 by NY PropCo in favor of the Second Lien Lender and is secured by a
Mortgage, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement, Financing Statement and Fixture Filing dated as of May 22, 2026 by NY PropCo
in favor of the Second Lien Agent and a Multi-State Mortgage, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement, Financing Statement
and Fixture Filing dated as of October 2, 2026 by FL PropCo in favor of the Second Lien Agent encumbering the Palatka Property, and is
guaranteed on an unsecured basis by FL Tenant pursuant to a General Continuing Guaranty dated as of October 2, 2026 in favor of the Second
Lien Agent. These arrangements are subject to an Intercreditor and Subordination Agreement dated as of the Closing Date (the “Intercreditor
Agreement”) among the Lender, as senior lender, the Second Lien Lender and the Second Lien Agent, as subordinated lender, and the
Borrowers. John Mazarakis, a director and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, is a partner of Chicago Atlantic Group, L.P., an
affiliate of the Second Lien Agent. Mr. Mazarakis disclosed his interest in the transactions, abstained from voting, and recused himself
from the resolutions of the Company’s board of directors approving the Needham Loan.
Covenants and Events of Default
The Loan Agreement contains
customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, financial covenants and events of default for a loan of
this type. The negative covenants address fundamental changes, other indebtedness, liens, investments, restricted payments, changes to
tenant leases and material contracts, negative pledges, amendments of subordinated debt documents and sale-leasebacks, and require the
Borrowers to maintain special purpose entity status. Events of Default include nonpayment of principal or interest within three (3) Business
Days after when due or other sums within five (5) Business Days after when due, failure to pay at maturity, bankruptcy and insolvency
events, and covenant breaches which are generally subject to a 30-day cure but without a cure period for specified covenant breaches,
including breaches of the Debt Service Covenant, the Loan-to-Value Ratio and the Borrower Liquidity covenant (each as defined in the Loan
Agreement). Upon and during the continuance of an Event of Default, (i) the Needham Loan is subject to interest at a default rate equal
to the lesser of the interest rate then in effect plus 4.00% per annum and the maximum rate permitted by applicable law, and (ii) the
Lender may declare the Needham Loan immediately due and payable.
The foregoing descriptions
of the Loan Agreement and the A&R Note do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full
text of those documents, copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated herein
by reference.
Item 2.03Item 2.03 - Creation of Direct Financial Obligation
Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation
under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.
The information set forth
in Item 1.01 above is incorporated herein by reference.
As described in Item 1.01,
the Borrowers, each an indirect subsidiary of the Company, incurred a direct financial obligation under the Needham Loan in the aggregate
principal amount of $60,000,000. Upon an Event of Default under the Loan Agreement, including nonpayment, covenant breaches, material
misrepresentations, invalidity of loan documents or liens, unpermitted transfers, bankruptcy or insolvency, cross-defaults under the documents
governing the Second Lien Debt, material contracts or other indebtedness in excess of $2,000,000, a Change of Control, a Material Adverse
Effect (as defined in the Loan Agreement), certain cannabis-law and governmental forfeiture events, uninsured final judgments in excess
of $2,000,000 in the aggregate, uninsured losses exceeding $2,000,000 in a fiscal year, or opening depository accounts elsewhere without
the Lender’s consent, and subject to applicable cure periods, the Lender may declare the outstanding principal, accrued interest
and all other amounts due under the Needham Loan immediately due and payable. The Lender may also enforce its rights against the collateral
securing the Needham Loan, including the Perth Property and the Palatka Property, against Borrower-Agent, Holdings NY and Holdngs FL under
the Pledge Agreement, against Vireo Health under the Pledge and Hypothecation Agreement and against FL Tenant under the Unconditional
Guaranty.