Operator

Good day, and welcome to the Joint Chicago Atlantic BDC Inc. and Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc. Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please note that this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Lisa Kampf of SCR Partners. Please go ahead.

Lisa Kampf
SCR Partners, LLC

Thank you, and good morning, everyone. Welcome to the joint conference call to discuss the proposed merger between Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc., herein referred to by its ticker LIEN; and Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc., herein referred to by its ticker REFI. On the call today are Peter Sack, Chief Executive Officer of LIEN and Co-Chief Executive Officer of REFI; Scott Gordon, Executive Chairman of LIEN; Dino Colonna, President of LIEN; Thomas Jeffrey, Interim Chief Financial Officer of LIEN; Phil Silverman, Chief Financial Officer of REFI; and David Kite, President and Chief Operating Officer of REFI.

Today, both companies issued a joint press release announcing a definitive merger agreement. The presentation accompanying this call is posted on both companies' Investor Relations website. Before we begin, I'd like to remind listeners that today's remarks and the accompanying investor presentation contain forward-looking statements that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the ability to complete the merger on the anticipated time line, to obtain shareholder and regulatory approvals, to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction and developments in the cannabis regulatory environment as well as other risks described in our SEC filings and in the legends in today's filed materials.