• The company has filed six patents on hemp extract technologies and delivery systems
• Expanding on development of infusion technologies to include exotic cannabinoids that may improve sleep and control appetite
• Industrial hemp market is expected to grow to $26.6 billion by 2025

Hemp infusion technology innovator MCTC Holdings Inc. (OTC: MCTC) appointed cannabis industry veteran Robert L. Hymers III as its chief financial officer. Previously a director of the company, Hymers has a vast and impressive background in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, treasury, tax, investor relations, risk management, and strategic planning, according to a company press release (http://ibn.fm/dv67W).

Previously, Hymers was CFO and Director of Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA), and brings with him a deep understanding of the hemp and cannabis industries. MCTC and Marijuana Company of America have signed a distribution contract for MCTC’s Hemp You Can Feel(TM) beverage product line, a patent-pending, organic, ultra-clean label line of CBD powdered drink and hemp extract mixes (http://ibn.fm/7S07V).

According to MCTC CEO Arman Tabatabaei, the new appointment will significantly strengthen the company. Hymers “brings a unique combination of financial knowledge, executive insight and managerial talent that will help us not only in financial reporting and compliance, but also relative to both strategic planning and tactical execution,” as Tabatabaei noted in a news release.

On occasion of the appointment, Hymers commented that MCTC is bringing unique intellectual property to the cannabis and hemp extract marketplaces and beginning to introduce highly innovative products based on the company’s intellectual property. “It’s an exciting time in the marketplace and I am looking forward to helping the Company achieve its objectives while seeking to maximize shareholder value,” he added.

MCTC Holdings, which has announced a pending name change to Cannabis Global, is poised to take advantage of opportunities in the cannabis industry while avoiding overcrowded and potentially problematic niches like retail and cultivation. The company was reorganized in June 2019 and its rebranding has focused on developing unique cannabis-related intellectual properties, products and technologies. The company aims to process hemp isolates, distillates, and other refined products using special patent-pending delivery systems and sell them through food, beverage and consumer brands.

Through 2020, the company plans to conduct trials on exotic and lesser-known cannabinoids like cannabinol (CBN) and THC-V, including their potential effects on appetite suppression.

MCTC Holdings recently filed six patents, of which its fourth cannabinoid delivery technology patent is the most important for cannabinoid delivery systems. This patent broadly covers many aspects of nanoparticles and nano fibers comprising one or more cannabinoids disposed at least partially within a water-soluble medium (http://ibn.fm/kw1UC).

As an integrated cannabis business operation and cannabinoid science innovator, MCTC Holdings is primarily focused on high-growth and high-margin sub-sectors of the cannabis and hemp industry, including multiple growing verticals in the global cannabis and industrial hemp markets via acquisitions, partnerships and the development of new intellectual property. According to a Research and Markets report, the global industrial hemp market is poised to grow exponentially, from $4.6 billion in 2019 to $26.6 billion by 2025, recording a CAGR of 34% (http://ibn.fm/ChYAV).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CannabisGlobalInc.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to MCTC are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/MCTC

• Many cannabis companies have struggled with declining investor interest amid product delivery shortfalls and adverse revenue reports
• The distribution obstacles have exacerbated company concerns by creating choking points for inventory, which can quickly lose potency in storage
• Lexaria Bioscience’s trademarked DehydraTECH powder-creating technology helps preserve cannabinoid effectiveness and extend storage potential 2 to 3 years
• The DehydraTECH platform also provides a key benefit in making cannabinoids, nicotine, NSAIDs and other drug products bioavailable as rapidly as inhaled products
• An alternative to inhaled smokes and vapes could provide health and wellness benefits to consumers by eliminating harm to users’ lungs
• Lexaria’s licensing strategy also enables other companies to utilize DehydraTECH’s IP in their products

As the cannabis industry works to weather 2019’s adverse profit and productivity reports (http://ibn.fm/niYkO), consumption drug platform innovator Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) is helping to ensure that product inventories can remain potent and perform at their potential despite a natural tendency for cannabinoids to deteriorate with time.

Public market investors have been short-term allies in a fledgling industry seeking long-term commitment, in large part because of initial sky-high expectations for profits from cannabis-related industries and regulatory hurdles from government oversight of a once-illegal product that have kept the brakes on runaway commerce. As a result, many companies have built up outsized debt-revenue ratios (http://ibn.fm/G29Ig).

Added to those concerns, a European study determined that the potency of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) tends to degrade over time – THC by 20 percent per year while in storage and CBD by 10 percent (http://ibn.fm/3Dj6d), ensuring a need for producers to get their products to market in a timely fashion. Additionally, a study of storage mediums used for THC found that certain types of packaging can contribute to the degradation of the extract’s potency (http://ibn.fm/w0INv).

The adverse factors have combined to create a potential source of caution among consumers as some companies have had to report multi-million-dollar losses due to “congested inventory channels” resulting from production that has exceeded sales (http://ibn.fm/gbogP).

Lexaria’s product-stabilizing DehydraTECH(TM) oral drug delivery IP turns cannabis and hemp oils into powders that preserve the cannabinoid extracts in the products while mitigating microbiological growth to help the products last longer on retail shelves – the company reports (http://ibn.fm/KEyQ4) that products can be stored for two to three years and experience “reduced loss of cannabinoids compared to current industry practices.”

DehydraTECH’s primary benefit is that it enables swallowed drug substances to deliver their intended effects as rapidly and effectively as inhaled products such as smokes or vapes. Many consumers continue to prefer inhaling products containing nicotine-rich tobacco or cannabis-based marijuana and CBD, acknowledging that they get a quicker, better response than if they try to use other medicinal/wellness delivery methods.

The dangers of inhaling drug substances into the lungs have been established over decades, with recent concerns about vape ingredients adding new fuel to the fire (http://ibn.fm/ncC40). Lexaria is committed to combatting the deleterious effects of drug inhalation by making swallowed drug products more rapidly bioavailable in the bloodstream, and thereby as attractive as inhaled products if not more so.

In addition to the DehydraTECH products Lexaria markets, the company also licenses its technology to other companies for them to use in all of their edible and topical cannabis and/or hemp extract processing needs. Lexaria is able to process 250,000 servings of CBD at 10 mg each per day currently for distribution across the country.

Although CBD-based wellness products continue to remain under scrutiny by the federal government, many states have legalized topical and edible uses. A recent licensing agreement between Lexaria and the smokeless Cannadips CBD brand is drawing on DehydraTECH’s IP for a product chain available nationally through Circle K convenience outlets, in about 5,000 stores throughout the United States.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LexariaBioscience.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LXRP are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/LXRP

• PLUS targets new consumer demographics as it eyes wellness/relief and get-high, have-fun spaces
• Company has established reputation for providing top-selling, quality edibles

In the wake of a cannabis competitor losing its license, hemp and cannabis food company Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) (OTCQX: PLPRF) is reiterating its commitment to quality production as it gears up to launch a new line of products to supplement its already top-selling edibles. PLUS has announced plans to expand its brand portfolio in Q1 2020 as the cannabis-savvy company targets consumers outside of its core demographic (http://ibn.fm/Y7ciD).

Plus Products’ commitment to quality is particularly meaningful following the news that California cannabis regulators have revoked the business license of vaporizer brand Kushy Punch after the company was found to be operating from an unlicensed facility (http://ibn.fm/TMgbO). Not only does this news shine a spotlight on the importance of high-quality, compliant operations – a standard PLUS has maintained from day one – the license revocation may open up a void in the recreational cannabis space, which is where one of PLUS’s new product lines is targeting.

According to the company’s investor presentation, PLUS expects to release two new lines this year: one falling in the get-high, have-fun space and one falling in the wellness/relief category. Specific details are still to come, but PLUS has built a reputation for producing superior products that become top sellers within months of release.

Taking the world’s largest legal cannabis market by storm, the company’s flagship iconic gummy product – PLUS Uplift Sour Watermelon – headed up the 2019 list of California’s best-selling cannabis products, according to BDS Analytics. Furthermore, when PLUS released its edibles gummy line in Nevada in October 2019, the brand reached the number two spot in the gummies space in just over a quarter.

Plus Products is well positioned for greater growth in the United States and beyond. In addition to expanding into Nevada, the company is eyeing other U.S. markets, including Michigan, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York and Illinois, as well as actively exploring international partnerships to build a global brand. Of note for investors is that PLUS has a strong management team and a clean capital structure with considerable insider ownership. The company continues to build the world’s largest cannabis brand by taking a successful formula to new markets, products and consumers.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PlusProducts.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PLPRF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/PLPRF

• Cannabis industry saw 45.7% increase in legal cannabis sales last year
• Interview with PLUS highlights strong start to 2020
• Building a brand in largest competitive market has proven company quality and standards; setting up expansion into new markets

Legal cannabis spending worldwide increased from $10.2 billion in 2018 to $14.9 billion in 2019, making for a 45.7% increase driven primarily by the adult-use markets, reports the Arcview Group, a market research firm that specializes in cannabis. Arcview is now forecasting sales worldwide to reach $42.7 billion by 2024. This is exciting news for Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) (OTCQX: PLPRF), an edible cannabis company that has sustained its position of number one gummy brand for more than six quarters in California, one of the most competitive cannabis markets in the world.

“The possibilities are boundless as political progress opens up more markets across the world, and struggling markets sort out their regulatory framework,” Troy Dayton, founder and chief strategy officer at the Arcview Group, stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/ZVAcU).

Blake Brennan, head of investor relations for PLUS, recently spoke with Stuart Smith on NetworkNewsAudio. The interview highlights how 2020 is already proving to be a strong year for the company as it takes proven techniques and expands to new markets (http://ibn.fm/6nvsa).

PLUS was one of the first brands to bring fully compliant products to the California Adult-Use market and quickly grew into one of the leading edible brands in California. The company operates with the belief that everyone deserves access to consistent, doseable and delicious cannabis products. PLUS produces to scale through the thoughtful collaboration of experts that span many fields.

From day one, Plus Products’ strategy for growth was to build a brand and product in the largest competitive market and achieve success before moving to new markets. After six quarters with a product sitting at California’s top spot, PLUS has proven to the consumer its commitment to superior products. PLUS Uplift sour watermelon gummy was the best-selling cannabis product in California, and PLUS was the largest infused-gummy brand over that time period. However, the company has eyes to further prove itself to a larger market. Looking forward, the company has set its sights on becoming the world’s strongest cannabis brand portfolio (http://ibn.fm/Xlp3a).

With that goal in mind and with its products available in over 300 licensed retailers across California, PLUS made its move. In Q3 2019, the company unveiled a website featuring a new product line of 100% hemp, CBD-infused gummies that are available online in more than 40 states, and in Q4 2019, PLUS launched its best-selling product line in Nevada.

When Smith asked Brennan to highlight major milestones for 2019, Brennan responded by mentioning the following:

• Launching into two new markets – Nevada and CBD
• Solidifying PLUS’s position in California
• Sustaining the position of number one gummy brand for over six quarters
• Navigating a hypergrowth industry in a competitive market
• Recruiting key players and a strong management team

“Creating the dominance we have here in California in the new markets that we’ve just entered, Nevada and the hemp CBD market, is at the top of our list,” added Brennan. “Even though we’ve seen some early traction in those markets, we haven’t reached the status of the #1 gummies brand yet, but that is certainly our target with any market that we enter. We want to turn that traction into dominance.”

Expansion efforts into other states where cannabis is recreational is already a topic of conversation for PLUS. Looking forward, PLUS will start looking into further expansion efforts where cannabis is recreational. Michigan, Massachusetts and Illinois currently sit at the top of that list.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PlusProducts.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PLPRF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/PLUS

• POAI subsidiary announces new media for growing ovarian tumors in lab
• Using new product, TumorGenesis partners have identified 25 cell types from ovarian cancers
• New media available as cell-culture market expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2024

Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI), a leader in the cancer precision-medicine field, along with its subsidiary TumorGenesis Inc., has announced an innovative special media for growing ovarian tumors; the companies have also selected US Biological Corporation as a manufacturer and distributor of the groundbreaking media (http://ibn.fm/QjW3K). POAI anticipates the new formulations, which will be developed in a lab, will speed discovery of biomarkers and precision therapies.

“Using these proprietary media, our partners have identified 25 cell types from ovarian tumors, which to a large degree have never been screened or studied by researchers,” TumorGenesis President Richard Gabriel stated in a news release. “The resulting cells have a 95+% match to cells found in patient bodies.”

The timing of POAI’s announcement couldn’t be better. Experts predict that the global cell-culture media market will reach $2.3 billion by 2024. That growth – a steady 8.4% CAGR – is primarily fueled by the increased use of biological-based drugs such as immune therapies, a space where POAI and its subsidiaries are establishing themselves as both leaders and pioneers.

POAI anticipates that the new media will be available Q1 2020 through Massachusetts-based US Biological, a primary brand for the life-science industry. United States Biological’s biochemicals, antibodies, recombinant proteins, cell-culture media and molecular biology kits are used in virtually all scientific applications and settings including genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and the diagnosis of disease.

Traditionally, cell-culture media selects for only one or two fast-growing cell types, so the ability to identify 25 different cell types is a significant advancement. The proprietary media developed by TumorGenesis are designed specifically to assist researchers in isolating and maintaining the unique histological and basic biological signatures of heterogeneous ovarian cell types while growing them in the laboratory.

“We believe by helping researchers develop cells and tumors that more closely mimic cells and tumors found in patient bodies, we can help lower the cost and speed the discovery of drugs and therapies that will approve patient outcomes,” said Gabriel. Acknowledging that specialty media comprises only a small subset of the market, Gabriel explained that TumorGenesis sees this initial ovarian-specific formulation as the first in what the company anticipates being a long line of tools and services it will offer to cancer researchers.

POAI is bringing precision medicine, or tailored medical treatment using the individual characteristics of each patient, to the treatment of cancer. Through its Helomics division, the company leverages its unique, clinically validated patient derived (PDx) smart tumor profiling platform to provide oncologists with a road map to help individualize therapy. In addition, the company is leveraging artificial intelligence and its proprietary database of over 150,000 cancer cases tumors to build AI-driven models of tumor drug repose to improve outcomes for the patients of today and tomorrow.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Predictive-Oncology.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to POAI are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/POAI

• Functional mushrooms are used in a wide variety of health care and pharmaceutical products
• Applications of functional mushrooms are growing in the cosmetics and food and beverage sectors
• Market demand is led by a significant shift in lifestyle and dietary habits of consumers seeking healthier alternatives
• Globally, the functional mushroom market is projected to reach $34.3 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 8.04% during the forecast period (2019-2024)
• Mushrooms are a leading source of the antioxidant nutrient, selenium, which protects body cells from damage that might lead to chronic diseases and help to strengthen the immune system
• Legalization of psilocybin, the psychedelic molecule found in various mushrooms, is gaining momentum now regularly

Champignon Brands Inc. is a research-driven company specializing in the formulation and distribution of a suite of artisanal mushroom health supplements. Dedicated to revolutionizing conventional organic teas, coffees and other consumables with the infusion of a proprietary blend of artisanal mushrooms, Champignon’s expanding portfolio is crafted with the health-conscious consumer in mind.

Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Champignon’s team aims to promote the health and wellness benefits of functional mushrooms, which are used in a wide variety of health care and pharmaceutical products.

Brands

Champignon’s mushroom-derived consumer packaged goods (CPGs) portfolio includes its flagship brand, Vitality Superteas. Each carefully curated Vitality Supertea formulation was developed with the intent of helping individuals enhance and enrich their wellbeing one cup of mushroom-infused tea at a time.

Also in the portfolio are Nourish Force Supertea, a blend of Reishi Ryobus Tea Mix; Mighty Recharge Supertea, created with Lions Mane Tropical Green Ginseng Tea Mix; and Brain Enhance Supertea, a blend of Cordycep Hibiscus and Berries Tea Mix – all of which are formulated with organic ingredients and chosen for their ability to provide unique health and performance benefits.

Champignon’s flagship e-commerce store, VitalitySuperTeas.com, takes advantage of the burgeoning craft mushroom vertical space with a selection of mushroom-infused teas and accessories.

Global Market

Demand for consumer products infused with the nutritional and bioactive benefits of mushrooms is fueling a global market projected to reach $34.3 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.04% from 2019-2024 (ResearchandMarkets), with Europe seen as the fastest growth leader.

According to the market study, in highest demand are products infused with Reishi – a traditional Chinese medicine also known as the “Elixir of Life” and “Mushroom of Immortality – Lions Mane and Cordyceps, followed by other types of medicinal mushrooms.

Advances in Legalization

Legalization of psychedelics for use in medicine is gaining momentum across the United States. Denver, Colorado, and Oakland and Santa Cruz, California, have decriminalized the use of psilocybin, the psychedelic molecule found in various mushrooms, while movements for legalization are gaining ground in Oregon and Iowa, among others. Decriminalize California recently teamed up with the Beckley Foundation to replicate Oakland’s success of decriminalization throughout the state of California.

An increasing number of researchers are turning their attention toward the study of psilocybin as a means to treat otherwise untreatable illnesses. The molecule’s ability to provide landmark treatment options for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), migraines and addiction is gaining widespread acceptance among medical professionals, unicorn investors and accredited institutions.

Potential Application: Mental Illness

According to the World Health Organization, 25% of the world’s populous will be afflicted by mental health and/or neurological disorders. Presently, approximately 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health, productive loss and disability worldwide.

The mental health arena has been frequently neglected over the last 30 years, though new research is beginning to further reinforce that psychedelic compounds have the potential to produce more effective treatments than what is currently available. Psychedelics can be highly effective for treating depression, addiction and PTSD.

Partnerships

Companies worldwide are beginning to incorporate functional mushrooms into their product offerings, taking advantage of growing consumer awareness of known health benefits of the ingredients found in mushrooms.

Champignon in November 2019 entered into a distribution partnership with Eurolife Brands Inc. (CSE: EURO), a leading global markets cannabis brand empowering the medical, recreational and CPG cannabis industry worldwide through a data-driven CBD marketplace supported by exclusive and unbiased physician-backed cannabis education and detailed consumer analytics. Under the agreement, Champignon’s branded products are integrated into Eurolife’s e-commerce platform, along with potential distribution opportunities in select brick-and-mortar retail locations in Europe.

Champignon also has an R&D/production formulation agreement with Drip Coffee Social Ltd., located in Nanaimo, British Columbia, which calls for the infusion of Champignon’s proprietary mushroom extract blend into a suite of cold brew coffee products and signature in-house formulations.

Leadership

Gareth Birdsall, CEO, Corporate Secretary and Director

Gareth Birdsall has more than seven years of experience working in diverse agricultural roles such as the cultivation of various fungi, in particular Cordycepes, Reishi, Lions Mane and Chaga. He is an attendee of the British Columbia Institute of Technology, studying marketing management and finance.

Steven Brohman, CPA, CFO

Steven Brohman has more than 10 years of experience working in a variety of roles with public and private companies. He has had extensive training in the audit of publicly traded companies on the TXS, TSX Venture Exchange and OTC markets, and serves as CFO and director of various public and private companies. Brohman has a bachelor’s degree of business administration and obtained his Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

Jerry Habuda, Director

Jerry Habuda brings to Champignon over 35 years of expertise in law enforcement and specialized units. From 1977 to 2012, he served as a police officer with the Toronto Police Department. During his tenure, he was assigned to the Major Crimes Unit, investigating robberies and home invasions. He was assigned to patrol the Toronto Community Housing projects at Jane/Finch to control drug trafficking and gun violence. Habuda was with the Warrant Unit where he tracked down and arrested wanted criminals. From 1993-1997, he was assigned to the Northwest Drug Squad on undercover and surveillance work, executing narcotic search warrants. Between 2002 and 2004, Habuda headed the Street Violence Task Force, a special unit designed to curb gun and drug violence that was terrorizing the city at the time.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ChampignonBrands.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Champignon are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/Champignon

• Cannabis science innovator MCTC Holdings Inc. (soon to become Cannabis Global, Inc.) has begun production of its new infused coffee line under its Hemp You Can Feel (TM) product brand
• The new infused coffee product will make its debut at the annual White Label World Expo (United States) in Las Vegas on February 26-27 at the city’s Convention Center, booth space 451
• The infused food and beverage industry is growing on a state-by-state basis in the United States, and recently gained national legality in Canada
• MCTC has also developed a pair of white label infusion products – in tablet and powder form – that enable other companies to build their own cannabinoid-infused product profiles

MCTC Holdings Inc. (OTC: MCTC), building on its recent advances in cannabinoid product science, will make a splash with its public debut of the company’s new Hemp You Can Feel(TM) Coffee at the White Label World Expo (United States) in Las Vegas later this month.

The White Label Expo grants MCTC the ideal forum for introducing its patent-pending science-based cannabinoid-infused coffee, given that the company is also introducing new infusion products to help coffee companies and manufacturers of other beverages produce their own clean-label drinks using a process superior to commonly used infusion systems (http://ibn.fm/ErKef).

“We are well into production and will be shipping next week in preparation for the Las Vegas event,” CEO Arman Tabatabaei stated in a February 11 news release about the company’s White Label World Expo appearance, in booth 451 (http://ibn.fm/RaBmu). “Based on only the finest ingredients available anywhere in the marketplace, Hemp You Can Feel(TM) Coffee starts with ultra-premium organic coffee infused with our all-natural, patent pending dual infusion process. 100% organic green coffee beans are imported from South America directly (to the company’s Los Angeles production facility) and we supervise the roasting, grinding, CBD infusion and packaging right at our facility. We then package everything onsite in 100% compostable containers, including the pods and the lids.”

MCTC Holdings, which plans to soon change its name to Cannabis Global, (the expo recognizes the company as CGI), has prioritized the improvement of infusion technologies by developing means of making cannabinoid extracts bio-available at highly efficient, minuscule particulate sizes.

The White Label Expo gathers thousands of online sellers, suppliers and buyers from around the world for an incomparable opportunity to network with other industry leaders while showcasing new products. The expo will take place February 26-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the heart of the neon city’s nexus of entertainment and business activity (http://ibn.fm/D1WwA).

Cannabis-infused foods and beverages are gaining a growing consumer fanbase as such uses gain approval from legal authorities, particularly in Canada where newly permitted infused food products began to hit store shelves in December under sweeping changes in the nation’s drug legislation. As an example of their popularity, when the government-run Ontario Cannabis Store opened its infused edibles product lines last month, they immediately sold out to the chagrin of late-arriving customers (http://ibn.fm/sKqxQ).

Businesses in the industry are anticipating cannabinoids’ reputed wellness-boosting properties can be used effectively in everything from dairy products to alcohol, but in the United States the infused food and beverage industry is only legally accessible on a state-by-state basis as it gradually gains a toehold amid populations unwilling to wait longer for federal food science reviews. California recently opened the first farm-to-table cannabis restaurant in West Hollywood, building on the cafe model prevalent in Amsterdam (http://ibn.fm/L2TTa).

In addition to the 100 percent compostable single-serving coffee pods Tabatabaei mentioned, perhaps the greatest virtue of the company’s Hemp You Can Feel line is that its green, eco-friendly infusion technologies are free of all chemicals, emulsifiers and surfactants, based on only natural ingredients such as trace amounts of organic vegetable oils, honey and agave.

The company plans to continue actively developing research and development programs that deliver cannabinoid-based products for consumption and dermal application, focusing on exotic cannabinoids and enhanced extract effectiveness through use of polymeric solid nanoparticles and nanofibers.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CannabisGlobalInc.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to MCTC are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/MCTC

• Jerrick shows impressive ability to be both pioneer, leader in marketing space evolving from traditional advertising to branded content
• Numbers show Vocal branded-content opportunity outperforms industry competitors
• Vocal allows organizations to partner brands with authentic creators to connect with organic audiences, utilize influencer marketing

In a digital world where a growing number of Internet users resent the intrusive nature of pop-up windows and actively use ad blockers to avoid them, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to share branded messages with key target audiences. Yet building a brand and capturing consumer attention – and dollars – are more important than ever for a company’s survival. Fortunately, Jerrick Media Holdings Inc. (OTC: JMDA) and its exclusive platform for digital creators – Vocal – offer branded-content potential unlike any other.

Organizations across all industries can benefit from the compelling opportunity created by Jerrick. The loyal audiences found on Jerrick’s Vocal network, combined with its Vocal for Brands content capabilities, allow DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands an unparalleled opportunity to partner with real creators and thought leaders who already have engaged audiences.

The future of marketing is clearly noninvasive. A 2019 Statista analysis (http://ibn.fm/umROO) indicated that 25.8% of internet users in the U.S. use some form of ad blocker, increased from 23.6% of users in 2017, and 20.6% of users in 2015, and is expected to continue to grow (http://ibn.fm/y8Sx1). Obviously, an advertising alternative is called for, and the shift seems evident: unlike interruptive advertising, branded content is 22 times more engaging than other content, and customers loyal to a brand spend up to two times as much on branded services. Moreover, brands must adapt to the modern consumer, one whose focus includes not only price and product availability but also a more wholistic interest in a company’s story – its purpose, community, and corporate responsibility efforts (http://ibn.fm/fTxJZ). In short, brands need a way to engage on a more personal level with their consumer audiences to tell their story – and Jerrick’s Vocal platform has provided a solution.

A holding company that develops technology-based solutions, Jerrick has shown an impressive ability to be both a pioneer and leader in a marketing world that is fast evolving from traditional advertising to branded content. Jerrick has created a distinctive technology platform that ranks among the top online creator platforms in the digital world. Designed to develop and engage content creators, Jerrick’s Vocal offering has grown into one of the top platforms of its kind.

Though tech companies come and go, Jerrick’s proof is in the pudding. Vocal’s latest numbers reveal the compelling power of the platform to connect brands with engaged audiences (http://ibn.fm/IuUzj):

• Vocal stories deliver nearly five times higher average click-through rate than the branded-content industry standard.
• Vocal for Brands campaigns offer an average one-third of the cost-per-read compared to other branded-content campaigns.
• Readers spend 110% more time on Vocal’s branded-story pages than the industry’s average piece of branded content, engaging for nearly three minutes on average per story.

The bottom line? Vocal allows an organization to partner its brand with authentic creators to connect with organic audiences. Storytelling with Vocal for Brands reaches already-existing customers without annoying them, helping a company build unmatched brand trust and affinity. Customers, who have already accrued their own readership following within the platform, take on the role of influencers. A recent Forbes article recommended influencer marketing as a top non-interruptive strategy for brands, as marketers are able to “leverage individuals with large social media followings to market their products,” earning consumer trust instead of triggering annoyance.

Jerrick Media Holdings is focused on the development of digital communities, targeted marketing of branded digital content and e-commerce opportunities. To accomplish these objectives, Jerrick envisions, designs and builds modern technology companies that redefine how people interact with technology. As the parent company of Vocal, Jerrick has built and shipped products that have influenced millions of people worldwide.

For more information, visit the company’s website at https://Jerrick.media

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to JMDA are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/JMDA

• SRAX discovers valuable new trend in consumer behavior, a move toward purchasing experiences for Valentine’s Day
• BIGtoken has grown to more than 16.5 million participants who are 100% opted-in
• Consumers may be leaving social media platforms, but they are choosing BIGtoken, where both consumers and marketers benefit

SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX) is building the largest, most valuable opted-in data set in the world while also providing marketers and consumers tools to unlock the value of data. A digital marketing and consumer data management technology company, SRAX recently announced that its BIGresearch efforts uncovered a new trend in consumer behaviors and opinions this Valentine’s Day (http://ibn.fm/87eK1). The company continues to leverage its increasingly valuable opted-in database of consumer information to glean marketable insights into societal trends.

The BIGresearch announcement explained that SRAX compiled research from more than 53,000 individual Americans who opted in to the study. Beginning in January 2020, BIGtoken users were asked what they planned to give their significant others this year for Valentine’s Day. Millennials, who make up the majority of those who celebrate this holiday, responded that they planned to give experiences.

“Changing values and opinions in consumers greatly affect their consumption patterns, and it’s up to marketers to stay ahead of the curve,” SRAX COO Kristoffer Nelson stated in a news release. “We are thrilled to share results from our latest BIGresearch report, highlighting Valentine’s Day, a holiday that’s seen new movements over the past couple decades, like the rise of Galentine’s Day (ladies celebrating ladies), and more people shopping and celebrating anti-valentine’s day.”

SRAX provided the same high-quality data found in this report to advertisers, for a premium, prior to the February holiday, allowing advertisers to better target consumers who had indicated an interest in their specific campaigns. The sample data provided a look at the value marketers and content owners receive when they purchase access to data gathered through BIGtoken.

BIGtoken is the first consumer-managed data marketplace that places control of personal data in the hands of the consumer. Through BIGtoken, individuals can own and earn from their data, making it an optimal platform for conducting accurate primary research. The 100% opted-in audience has rapidly grown, currently numbering more than 16.5 million participating consumers.

Consumers benefit from controlling their personal data, something the average customer is only just beginning to understand the true value of. SRAX is making this control as simple as downloading an app, answering a few questions and receiving payment. Consumers are discovering brands they love and are willing to be loyal to because they have control over opting into targeted messages rather than having to sort through the noise coming from innumerable businesses, many of whom they would never become customers of regardless of the amount of marketing dollars thrown at them.

Every person is a commodity with potential to generate significant revenue, yet in the past, consumers have never seen a penny of that revenue. SRAX believes that digital data should not be traded in without compensation. BIGtoken, a secure platform, empowers consumers to own and monetize their digital information. The platform is available for download on the App Store and Google Play and has grown to more than 16.5 million participating consumers worldwide, each of whom can log in and check their earnings at their convenience. The future of data is in the hands of consumers, and SRAX is making the transition valuable for all.

Traditionally social media has provided a wealth of information for marketers, but that information is often inaccurate. In addition, consumers have become increasingly aware of the value of their information and have rejected typical data mining efforts. Twitter has increased efforts to delete suspicious accounts (http://ibn.fm/TYm1v) while Facebook refused to revise its tracking practices, consequently losing 15 million users since 2017 (http://ibn.fm/7zBr1). The Daily Mail reported that a third of millennials have permanently given up social media (http://ibn.fm/ayRWf).

Meanwhile, SRAX’s BIGtoken platform is only growing worldwide. Millennials chose to share their Valentine’s Day plans knowing that their data was safe with SRAX, that it would only be accessible to companies they had expressed interest in, and that they, the consumers, would directly receive monetization for sharing. Thanks to SRAX, the power of personal data is in the hands of the consumer – right where it should be.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.SRAX.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SRAX are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SRAX

• Emerging alternative methods of obtaining personal income, such as Uber driving and Airbnb property rentals, are demonstrating a growing need for specialized insurance
• InsuraGuest provides fill-the-gap insurance coverage to hotel and vacation rental properties, which they can then pass on to their guests, as a means of dealing with surprise short-term stay emergencies and property damage issues
• The travel accommodations insurer has also entered the European market and expects to find an entry point into Asia by mid-year
• InsuraGuest’s product can help businesses to minimize damaging publicity about adverse events

As people across the country explore an expanding variety of alternatives for generating personal income, establishing protections against liability lawsuits is becoming more of a concern for such non-traditional business operators. Uber-style ride-share drivers who have encroached on licensed taxi companies’ territories, vacation rental properties entering the space historically defined by hotels and bed and breakfasts, and even equipment owners beginning to compete with construction contractors (http://ibn.fm/T4i4a) may have atypical needs for insurance coverage.

InsuraGuest Inc. is responding to the needs of the lodging industry with its expanding reach as an InsurTech innovator, offering hotel and vacation rental clients a platform for providing their guests fill-the-gap insurance coverage during a property stay. The coverage provides a measure of protection against accidental in-room property damage, lost or stolen goods, accidental medical, and accidental death or dismemberment that is not the properties fault and may otherwise be exempted by the property’s insurance or the guest’s regular coverage.

“The InsuraGuest’s Specialized Hotel Guest Protection Policy helps the hotel and the guest with certain mishaps that may happen during the guest’s stay,” stated Roger Bloss, the CEO of national lodging chain company Cal-Vegas Ltd., and an advisory board member and consultant for InsuraGuest during an interview with Hotel Business last year (http://ibn.fm/AEvtz). “These mishaps can be easily filed and processed by the hotel manager on InsuraGuest’s online platform. Hoteliers who invest in InsuraGuest often see a reduction in their overall primary insurance costs.”

The Hotel Business report states that lodging businesses also benefit from offering the insurance by receiving a small percentage of the policy’s price back in revenue, and by potentially minimizing negative publicity about a contested incident.

“Thirty years ago, if there was litigation between a hotel and a guest, any publicity or public knowledge was minimal,” Bloss stated. “Today, because of social media, thousands – if not millions – will know and, regardless of the outcome, the publicity will not be favorable to the hotel. So, not only can liability be financially damaging to a property, it can destroy its reputation.”

The United States alone has over half a million properties that advertise short-term rental use accessible online through sites like Airbnb and Vrbo (http://ibn.fm/luX02), and analysts at the iPropertyManagement.com website are predicting that vacation rentals will overtake the hotel industry’s revenues during the coming year based on the 150 million-plus Airbnb users worldwide already.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.InsuraGuest.com

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to InsuraGuest are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/InsuraGuest