Note 3 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

Note 3 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for the United States of America.

The subsidiaries of the Company are: 

GBS Global Biopharma, Inc.

ECRX, Inc.

The PhAROS Institute, LLC

Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The Company regularly evaluates estimates and assumptions related to allowances for doubtful accounts, collectability of notes receivable, valuation of initial right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities, stock-based compensation expense, purchased intangible asset valuations, deferred income tax asset valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions, litigation, other loss contingencies, and impairment of long lived assets.  These estimates and assumptions are based on current facts, historical experience and various other factors that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the recording of costs and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results the Company experiences may differ materially and adversely from these estimates.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company adopted ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosures of fair value measurement and enhances disclosure requirements for fair value measures. The three levels are defined as follows:

- Level 1 inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

- Level 2 inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.

- Level 3 inputs to valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair measurement.

The carrying value of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses are estimated by management to approximate fair value, primarily due to the short-term nature of the instruments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company had no short-term investments classified as cash equivalents at March 31, 2024 and 2023.

Indefinite and Definite-Lived Intangible Assets

Capitalized costs related to our indefinite-lived intangible assets consisted primarily of the value of our patents pending and includes the costs paid to draft and file patent applications. Upon issuance of the patents, the indefinite-lived intangible assets will have finite lives. Intangible assets also historically included the acquisition cost of a cannabis production license with an indefinite life.

We historically amortized our finite-lived intangible assets, which consisted of granted patents, over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method, and we periodically evaluate the remaining useful lives of our finite-lived intangible assets to determine whether events or circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization.

We review all of our intangible assets for impairment indicators throughout the year. Impairment testing for indefinite-lived intangible assets is performed at least annually and we perform testing for definite-lived intangible assets whenever impairment indicators are present. If we determine that the fair value is less than the carrying value of these assets during testing, we record impairment losses equal to the difference between the carrying value of the asset and the fair market value of the asset.

For the years ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded a loss on impairment related to the capitalized patent costs of $42,195 and $2,374,261, respectively. The Company has recorded an impairment of its capitalized patent costs based on the relevant facts and circumstances that existed as of March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, in accordance with ASC 350-30-35. Due to liquidity constraints the Company deemed that the likelihood of realizing value from previously capitalized patent costs was questionable, as a result the associated patents were impaired.

Convertible Notes Payable

ASU 2020-06 simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments. Under ASU 2020-06, the Company accounts for the convertible debt as a single liability measured at amortized cost. The embedded conversion option is not separately accounted for as an equity component,. The Company calculates the fair value of warrants issued with the convertible notes using the Black-Scholes valuation model and uses the same assumptions for valuing any employee options in accordance with ASC Topic 718 Compensation – Stock Compensation. The only difference is that the contractual life of the warrants is used.

The value of the proceeds received from a convertible note is then allocated between the conversion features and warrants on a relative fair value basis. The allocated fair value is recorded in the financial statements as a debt discount (premium) from the face amount of the note and such discount is amortized over the expected term of the convertible note (or to the conversion date of the note, if sooner) and is charged to interest expense.

Revenue Recognition

The FASB issued Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606 as guidance on the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. Revenue recognition depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance also requires disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The guidance permits two methods of adoption: retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented, or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application (the cumulative catch-up transition method). The Company adopted the guidance on April 1, 2018 and applied the cumulative catch-up transition method.

The Company’s only material revenue source is part of discontinued operations and derives from sales of cannabis and cannabis products, distinct physical goods. Under ASC 606, the Company is required to separately identify each performance obligation resulting from its contracts from customers, which may be a good or a service. A contract may contain one or more performance obligations. All of the Company’s contracts with customers, past and present, contain only a single performance obligation, the delivery of distinct physical goods. Because fulfillment of the company’s performance obligation to the customer under ASC 606 results in the same timing of revenue recognition as under the previous guidance (i.e. revenue is recognized upon delivery of physical goods), the Company did not record any material adjustment to report the cumulative effect of initial application of the guidance.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. During the years ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $261,550 and $490,291, respectively, in research and development expense, which is included in operating expenses in the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Equity-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for equity instruments issued to employees and non-employees in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 Stock Compensation (ASC 718). The computation of the expense associated with stock-based compensation requires the use of a valuation model. The FASB-issued accounting guidance requires significant judgment and the use of estimates, particularly surrounding Black-Scholes assumptions such as stock price volatility, expected option lives, and expected option forfeiture rates, to value equity-based compensation. We currently use a Black-Scholes option pricing model to calculate the fair value of our stock options. We primarily use historical data to determine the assumptions to be used in the Black-Scholes model and have no reason to believe that future data is likely to differ materially from historical data. However, changes in the assumptions to reflect future stock price volatility and future stock award exercise experience could result in a change in the assumptions used to value awards in the future and may result in a material change to the fair value calculation of stock-based awards. This accounting guidance requires the recognition of the fair value of stock compensation in net income. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of our estimates and assumptions, significant unanticipated changes in those estimates, interpretations and assumptions may result in recording stock option expense that may materially impact our financial statements for each respective reporting period.

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax items are reflected at the enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Due to the uncertainty regarding the success of future operations, management has valued the deferred tax asset allowance at 100% of the related deferred tax assets.

Because the Company operated in the State-licensed cannabis industry until the December 31, 2021 disposition of the Nevada Subsidiaries (Note 5), revenue from those activities were subject to the limitations of Internal Revenue Code Section 280E (“280E”) for U.S. income tax purposes. Under 280E, the Company is allowed to deduct expenses that are directly related to the production of its products, i.e. cost of goods sold, but is allowed no further deductions for ordinary and necessary business expenses from its gross profit. The Company believes that the deductions disallowed include the deduction of net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs"). The unused NOLs will continue to carry forward and those that do not expire or become subject to other limitations may be used by the Company to offset future taxable income that is not subject to the limitations of 280E.

Loss per Share

The Company’s basic loss per share has been calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year. The Company had 173,992,145 and 167,252,135 potentially dilutive common shares at March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Such common stock equivalents were not included in the computation of diluted net loss per share, as their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Standards Recently Adopted

On June 16, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard requires the use of an “expected loss” model on certain types of financial instruments. The standard also amends the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities and requires estimated credit losses to be recorded as allowances instead of reductions to amortized cost of the securities. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2023. The Company adopted the standard effective April 1, 2023 and it did not have a material impact on its financial statements.

In June 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity. The guidance simplifies the current guidance for convertible instruments and the derivatives scope exception for contracts in an entity’s own equity. Additionally, the amendments affect the diluted EPS calculation for instruments that may be settled in cash or shares and for convertible instruments. This ASU will be effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2023. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments in this update must be applied on either full retrospective basis or modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings/(deficit) in the period of adoption. The Company adopted the standard effective April 1, 2023 and it did not have a material impact on its financial statements.

Standards Not Yet Adopted

All other newly issued accounting pronouncements have been deemed either immaterial or not applicable.