<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?><InstanceReport xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"><Version>2.4.0.8</Version><ReportLongName>0013 - Disclosure - 7. STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY</ReportLongName><DisplayLabelColumn>true</DisplayLabelColumn><ShowElementNames>false</ShowElementNames><RoundingOption /><HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports><Columns><Column FlagID="0"><Id>1</Id><IsAbstractGroupTitle>false</IsAbstractGroupTitle><LabelSeparator>

</LabelSeparator><CurrencyCode /><FootnoteIndexer /><hasSegments>false</hasSegments><hasScenarios>false</hasScenarios><MCU><KeyName /><CurrencySymbol /><contextRef><ContextID>From2012-12-01to2013-05-31</ContextID><EntitySchema>http://www.sec.gov/CIK</EntitySchema><EntityValue>0001436549</EntityValue><PeriodDisplayName /><PeriodType>duration</PeriodType><PeriodStartDate>2012-12-01T00:00:00</PeriodStartDate><PeriodEndDate>2013-05-31T00:00:00</PeriodEndDate><Segments /><Scenarios /></contextRef><UPS /><CurrencyCode /><OriginalCurrencyCode /></MCU><CurrencySymbol /><Labels><Label Key="CalendarSupplement" Id="0" Label="6 Months Ended" /><Label Key="Calendar" Id="1" Label="May 31, 2013" /></Labels></Column></Columns><Rows><Row FlagID="0"><Id>1</Id><IsAbstractGroupTitle>true</IsAbstractGroupTitle><LabelSeparator>

</LabelSeparator><Level>1</Level><ElementName>us-gaap_EquityAbstract</ElementName><ElementPrefix>us-gaap_</ElementPrefix><IsBaseElement>true</IsBaseElement><BalanceType>na</BalanceType><PeriodType>duration</PeriodType><IsReportTitle>false</IsReportTitle><IsSegmentTitle>false</IsSegmentTitle><IsCalendarTitle>false</IsCalendarTitle><IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow>false</IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow><IsEquityAdjustmentRow>false</IsEquityAdjustmentRow><IsBeginningBalance>false</IsBeginningBalance><IsEndingBalance>false</IsEndingBalance><IsReverseSign>false</IsReverseSign><FootnoteIndexer /><Cells><Cell FlagID="0" ContextID="" UnitID=""><Id>1</Id><IsNumeric>false</IsNumeric><IsRatio>false</IsRatio><DisplayZeroAsNone>false</DisplayZeroAsNone><NumericAmount>0</NumericAmount><RoundedNumericAmount>0</RoundedNumericAmount><NonNumbericText /><FootnoteIndexer /><CurrencyCode /><CurrencySymbol /><IsIndependantCurrency>false</IsIndependantCurrency><ShowCurrencySymbol>false</ShowCurrencySymbol><DisplayDateInUSFormat>false</DisplayDateInUSFormat></Cell></Cells><ElementDataType>xbrli:stringItemType</ElementDataType><SimpleDataType>string</SimpleDataType><IsTotalLabel>false</IsTotalLabel><UnitID>0</UnitID><Label>Equity [Abstract]</Label></Row><Row FlagID="0"><Id>2</Id><IsAbstractGroupTitle>false</IsAbstractGroupTitle><LabelSeparator>

</LabelSeparator><Level>2</Level><ElementName>us-gaap_StockholdersEquityNoteDisclosureTextBlock</ElementName><ElementPrefix>us-gaap_</ElementPrefix><IsBaseElement>true</IsBaseElement><BalanceType>na</BalanceType><PeriodType>duration</PeriodType><IsReportTitle>false</IsReportTitle><IsSegmentTitle>false</IsSegmentTitle><IsCalendarTitle>false</IsCalendarTitle><IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow>false</IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow><IsEquityAdjustmentRow>false</IsEquityAdjustmentRow><IsBeginningBalance>false</IsBeginningBalance><IsEndingBalance>false</IsEndingBalance><IsReverseSign>false</IsReverseSign><FootnoteIndexer /><Cells><Cell FlagID="0" ContextID="From2012-12-01to2013-05-31" UnitID=""><Id>1</Id><IsNumeric>false</IsNumeric><IsRatio>false</IsRatio><DisplayZeroAsNone>false</DisplayZeroAsNone><NumericAmount>0</NumericAmount><RoundedNumericAmount>0</RoundedNumericAmount><NonNumbericText>&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;The Company is authorized to issue 75,000,000
shares of Common Stock with a par value of $0.001 and had 6,553,169 and 6,978,169 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding
as of November 30, 2012 and May 31, 2013, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;The Company is also authorized to issue
10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock with a par value of $0.001 and had no shares of Preferred Stock issued or outstanding as of
November 30, 2012 and May 31, 2013.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;&amp;#160;In the February 2013 Private Placement,
the Company issued 425,000 Units to accredited investors at a price of $4.00 per unit under a private placement and raised net
proceeds of approximately $1.4 million, after deducting the sales commission and fees. Each unit consists of one share of Common
Stock, one Class A Warrant and one Class B Warrant, identical to the securities issued under the IPO. Each Class A and Class B
warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Common Stock at $7.50 and $10.00, respectively, and expires on October 12, 2017.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0"&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;In connection with the issuance of the
Units in the February 2013 Private Placement, the Company issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 42,500 Units, with an exercise
price of $4.20 per Unit, to the placement agents for the February 2013 Private Placement. The fair value of these warrants on the
issuance date was $101,600, which has been recorded to additional paid-in capital. This amount was estimated using the Black-Scholes
option pricing model with an expected life of 5 years, a risk free interest rate of 0.89%, a dividend yield of 0%, and an expected
volatility of 75%.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0"&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;During the six months ended May 31, 2012,
the Company issued 211,787 shares of Common Stock for cash at $7.67 per share and 26,075 Common Stock warrants at an exercise price
of $7.67. The warrants are exercisable for a period of one year commencing from October 25, 2012, the date the Company started
trading publicly on the NASDAQ.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 0.5in"&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style="font: 8pt/normal Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-indent: 45pt"&gt;On November 23, 2011, the Company issued
together with 130,378 shares of Common Stock, 65,189 Common Stock warrants at an exercise price of $7.67. The warrants are exercisable
for a period of one year commencing from October 25, 2012, the date the Company started trading publicly on the NASDAQ. The warrant
holders are generally protected from anti-dilution by adjustments for any stock dividends, stock splits, combinations or other
recapitalizations. In addition, the Company was required to issue or cause to be transferred 52,151 shares of additional Common
Stock as penalty shares should the Company not be listed on the NASDAQ or the NYSE MKT, and did not meet certain operating requirements,
on or before July 1, 2012. As the Company was not listed on the NASDAQ or the NYSE MKT, and did not meet certain operating requirements,
by July 1, 2012,&amp;#160;Softdiffusion SA transferred 52,151 shares of Common Stock with an estimated fair value of $7.67 per share
to a new shareholder as settlement for the penalty share obligation. The estimated fair value of $399,998 for these shares was
recorded by the Company and is included in additional paid-in capital for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.&lt;/p&gt;</NonNumbericText><FootnoteIndexer /><CurrencyCode /><CurrencySymbol /><IsIndependantCurrency>false</IsIndependantCurrency><ShowCurrencySymbol>false</ShowCurrencySymbol><DisplayDateInUSFormat>false</DisplayDateInUSFormat></Cell></Cells><ElementDataType>nonnum:textBlockItemType</ElementDataType><SimpleDataType>na</SimpleDataType><ElementDefenition>The entire disclosure for shareholders' equity comprised of portions attributable to the parent entity and noncontrolling interest, including other comprehensive income. Includes, but is not limited to, balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings, accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and amount of comprehensive income.</ElementDefenition><ElementReferences>Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 210

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section S99

 -Paragraph 1

 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.29-31)

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6877327&amp;loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 6

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6928386&amp;loc=d3e21506-112644



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher SEC

 -Name Regulation S-X (SX)

 -Number 210

 -Section 02

 -Paragraph 29, 30, 31

 -Article 5



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 310

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section S99

 -Paragraph 2

 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.E)

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=27010918&amp;loc=d3e74512-122707



Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section S99

 -Paragraph 4

 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.C)

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=27012166&amp;loc=d3e187143-122770



Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher SEC

 -Name Regulation S-X (SX)

 -Number 210

 -Section 08

 -Article 4



Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher SEC

 -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

 -Number Topic 4

 -Section C



Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher SEC

 -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

 -Number Topic 4

 -Section E



Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 235

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section S99

 -Paragraph 1

 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(d),(e))

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=26873400&amp;loc=d3e23780-122690



Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Glossary Preferred Stock

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6521494



Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher SEC

 -Name Regulation S-X (SX)

 -Number 210

 -Section 04

 -Article 3



Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 2

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6928386&amp;loc=d3e21463-112644



Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section S99

 -Paragraph 1

 -Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=27012166&amp;loc=d3e187085-122770



Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 3

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6928386&amp;loc=d3e21475-112644



Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 11

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6928386&amp;loc=d3e21564-112644



Reference 16: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 5

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6928386&amp;loc=d3e21488-112644



Reference 17: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 4

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6928386&amp;loc=d3e21484-112644



Reference 18: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher SEC

 -Name Regulation S-X (SX)

 -Number 210

 -Section 08

 -Paragraph d

 -Article 4



Reference 19: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 505

 -SubTopic 30

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 2

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6405834&amp;loc=d3e23285-112656



</ElementReferences><IsTotalLabel>false</IsTotalLabel><UnitID>0</UnitID><Label>7. STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY</Label></Row></Rows><Footnotes /><IsEquityReport>false</IsEquityReport><ReportName>7. STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY</ReportName><MonetaryRoundingLevel>UnKnown</MonetaryRoundingLevel><SharesRoundingLevel>UnKnown</SharesRoundingLevel><PerShareRoundingLevel>UnKnown</PerShareRoundingLevel><ExchangeRateRoundingLevel>UnKnown</ExchangeRateRoundingLevel><HasCustomUnits>true</HasCustomUnits><IsEmbedReport>false</IsEmbedReport><IsMultiCurrency>false</IsMultiCurrency><ReportType>Sheet</ReportType><RoleURI>http://methes.com/role/StockholdersEquity</RoleURI><NumberOfCols>1</NumberOfCols><NumberOfRows>2</NumberOfRows></InstanceReport>
