• Company in talks with government officials and agriculture industry leaders in Brazil’s Rondonia State
• Pacific Software’s blockchain technologies designed to increase supply chain transparency, thus impacting consumer confidence
• Brazil likely to soon become world’s top exporter of agricultural products

Pacific Software, Inc. (OTC: PFSF), a company engaged in the development, acquisition and licensing of Hyperledger blockchain-based systems, has announced that it has set plans into motion to tap into the huge Brazilian agriculture market. In a recent news release, the company said that it is in talks with the government of the state of Rondonia (http://ibn.fm/iQm1d) and the state’s biggest exporters of meat and agricultural products to explore ways that the industry can use Pacific Software’s Agri-Blockchain technology (http://ibn.fm/RMfuT).

The move comes in the context of Brazil increasing its market share of global agricultural exports. A current report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), ranks Brazil as the world’s second largest supplier of food and agricultural products. The report, ‘OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2015-2024’, further predicts that Brazil could become the world’s top agricultural exporter in the near future (http://ibn.fm/jLMvC).

At the same time, trend-watchers in the global agricultural industry foresee a huge potential role for blockchain technology (http://ibn.fm/IXFJv). In a world where consumers are increasingly concerned about the origins of their products, blockchain technology will make supply chains more transparent and easier to trace. Large-scale producers will be able to keep better records of their operations, and niche producers, such as organic farmers, will be able to more easily prove and certify every step their products take from field to store shelf.

Pacific Software is developing a cutting-edge trade portal that harnesses the power of blockchain’s ultra-secure databases, and it is now positioning itself to become a key player in the supply of blockchain technology solutions to Brazil’s agricultural industry. This tool will make it possible to track the entire supply chain with blockchain’s solid credibility.

In a news release, Peter Pizzino, president of Pacific Software, said, “We are excited to enter strategic alliances with some of Brazil’s largest agriculture and meat exporters to implement our disruptive blockchain technology-based B2B platform for the supply chain and logistics sectors.”

Pacific Software’s trade platform will be available in Portuguese, English, Cantonese and Mandarin – appropriate options, given that China and the United States are among Brazil’s biggest export markets. The company is developing the B2B and B2C portal in partnership with KBQuest Group Inc., a global IT service provider, and could utilize IBM’s (NYSE: IBM) Blockchain Hyperledger platform (http://ibn.fm/zIO54).

In addition to providing transparency, accountability and trust in the provenance of agricultural products, the Pacific Software platform could also be used in many other key aspects of agricultural recordkeeping. Billing and invoicing can be automated and other records and processes migrated into digital formats. Improving recordkeeping and automating and streamlining processes will lead to improved efficiency which will, in turn, increase profitability.

Pizzino added, “The recent trip to Brazil has strengthened our relationships for building regional market share in order to become a major blockchain technology service provider in the region.”

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

• Lithium Chile is well-positioned to benefit from recent bull run on lithium market and subsequent acquisition race
• Company’s holdings are the largest wholly owned lithium package held by a private operating company in Chile
• Company recently signed an MOU for a joint venture with Prosper One International Holdings Company Limited

Lithium-ion batteries are in greater demand than ever before, powering everyday devices ranging from smartphones and laptops to implantable medical devices and electric vehicles. It is this last item, the electric vehicle, that is largely credited with significantly driving up lithium’s price in recent years. Increasing consumer demand for electric vehicles has had the natural effect of simultaneously driving up the demand for the primary component needed to manufacture their batteries – lithium. This, in turn, has fueled fears of an impending global lithium shortage and sparked a bull run on the lithium market.

The threat of a lithium shortage is something of a phantom menace, because, in fact, the Earth has plenty of lithium to go around. Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports that, even with current demands, less than one percent of the world’s lithium supply will be diminished over the next decade. The true shortage, then, lies not in the metal but in the mining of it.

As discussed in a recent article (http://ibn.fm/slGew), prospective junior miners like Lithium Chile Inc. (TSX.V: LITH) (OTC: LTMCF) are right in line to benefit from the frenzied acquisition race that has commenced among competitors looking to satisfy their lithium needs by procuring lithium miners – whether through joint venture, buy-in or straight acquisition. As the old saying goes, ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’, and these entities – including electric vehicle manufacturers, battery producers and strategic investment companies – are seeking to do just that when it comes to lithium by taking charge of mining operations.

Lithium Chile is poised to become one of the biggest beneficiaries of this acquisition race in the lithium mining space. With its immense tracts of indicated lithium assets in Chile, the world’s lithium epicenter, the company boasts one of that country’s largest lithium exploration portfolios, featuring 152,900 hectares spanning 15 properties. This has, not surprisingly, attracted the notice of players looking for hot lithium acquisition opportunities.

One entity to come courting has been Hong Kong-based Prosper One International Holdings Company Limited, with whom Lithium Chile recently entered into a memorandum of understanding for a joint venture agreement (http://ibn.fm/0lteY). As part of the agreement, Prosper One may earn a 55 percent interest in Lithium Chile’s Pintadas Norte project by incurring $3 million in staged exploration costs and will make a $1 million equity investment in Lithium Chile at a minimum price of $1 per share. Lithium Chile will operate the exploration programs for the Pintadas Norte project in exchange for a management fee paid by Prosper One. As a good-faith token to show serious intent, Prosper One has agreed to pay a C$250,000 break fee to Lithium Chile if a definitive agreement is not signed.

A veritable Cinderella at the ball, Lithium Chile is likely to receive many more purchase, option and joint venture proposals moving forward as drill dates draw nearer for the company and, in particular, if reserves are proven. Indeed, this joint venture could be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Lithium Chile’s holdings include the largest wholly owned lithium package to be held by any private operating company in Chile and feature projects with high-grade lithium brines and outstanding chemistry at shallow depths – all of which boast good access to infrastructure.

Field test results announced in April identified multiple high-priority target areas at the company’s Salar De Atacama and Salar Ollague properties, and multiple large lithium brine targets of 20 to 25 square kilometers were discovered at both properties (http://ibn.fm/8nL94). The company’s Atacama property contains near-surface lithium brine values up to 1,330 mg/L of lithium, and its Ollague Property contains near-surface lithium brine values up to 1,140 mg/L of lithium.

Lithium Chile has additionally identified a high-priority lithium brine target area at its Coipasa project that covers more than 58 square kilometers. Results of field tests conducted at the project in May (http://ibn.fm/FEgo6) returned lithium values in near-surface brines ranging from 310 mg/L to 1,410 mg/L. This zone displays the same geophysical characteristics as the lithium-rich aquifers at Salar de Atacama, where the largest and highest-grade lithium brine producers in the world can be found.

In addition to its lithium assets, Lithium Chile also owns a significant copper, gold and silver property portfolio that consists of 28,124 hectares spanning six properties, which the company intends to spin out to its shareholders (http://ibn.fm/GOyYQ).

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/LTMCF

• Value of cryptocurrencies issued continues to increase at exponential rate
• Market opportunity to bridge exchanges, payments and wallets
• Virtual Crypto’s NetoBit ATM platform increases liquidity of alt-coins

The funny thing about liquidity is that you never need it until it’s gone. With cash in the bank, the world looks rosy, but not spending or investing appears as if you’re passing up opportunity. Indeed, one of the greatest economists and investors of the last century railed against the concept of liquidity, saying “an excessive liquidity-preference was the outstanding evil, the prime impediment to the growth of wealth, in the ancient and medieval worlds.” However, it’s hard to agree with Lord Keynes in a world where cash is king. This is why, with the advent of cryptocurrencies, Virtual Crypto Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: VRCP) is now offering a Bitcoin ATM.

Virtual Crypto Technologies Inc., through wholly owned Israeli subsidiary Virtual Crypto Technologies Ltd., dedicated to the mission of making cryptocurrencies accessible to the public, has developed a platform that is connected to crypto exchanges, allowing cryptocurrencies to be bought and sold with fiat currencies. By linking to numerous exchanges, Virtual Crypto’s NetoBit ATM platform increases bitcoin liquidity. With increased access to buyers and sellers, getting in and out of bitcoin has never been easier.

In March 2017, cryptocurrencies were very close to achieving the important milestone of $25 billion in total market capitalization. A year later, that figure had rocketed to $450 billion, achieving an astonishing growth rate of 1,700 percent in just a year. This trajectory is likely to continue for some time, since bitcoin and other alt-currencies serve not only as money but as investable assets. The increase in cryptocurrency trading has already spurred the establishment of exchanges, such as Coinbase, Bitstamp and Kraken.

These exchanges naturally increase liquidity. However, they are designed to accommodate more formal activity such as trading that typically requires the opening of an account and the submission of personal data. Yet, not all owners of alt-coins hold them for purposes of investment or speculation; many hold for transactional purposes. Like cash, alt-coins offer anonymity, but, unlike cash, they can be transmitted over the internet. Moreover, many current exchange services require extended periods of time, up to 24 hours in some instances, before transactions can be finalized or confirmed. Nevertheless, by using Virtual Crypto Technologies’ proprietary algorithmic technology trading platform, a purchase or sale can be instantaneously confirmed. The NetoBit ATM gets it done as fast as any regular ATM.

The NetoBit ATM is bi-directional, allowing the exchange of bitcoin for regular currency through both purchase and sale. It is also the world’s first and only ATM that allows real time conversion, purchase and sale of bitcoin. The NetoBit ATM incorporates hardware and software with embedded currency exchange transaction validation (CETV), which provides rapid confirmation of transactions, allowing customers to withdraw cash and transfer funds to and from their crypto accounts in seconds. Users also receive attractive exchange rates, since the system has links to several cryptocurrency exchanges. As such, the platform provides a hub that links the three main areas of the cryptocurrency universe: exchanges, payments and wallets. The ATM, which already supports most common currencies, is now available for purchase globally.

It is complemented by NetoBit Pay, a retail point-of-sale solution that allows merchants to receive payments in cryptocurrencies, immediately and securely. Launched in April 2018, NetoBit Pay enables businesses worldwide to securely receive crypto payments in real time, while enjoying protection against exchange rate volatility and guaranteeing transactions up to a value of $3,000 per trade.

Virtual Crypto Technologies has also developed a multi-cryptocurrency trading platform. Using it, cash for cryptocurrency exchanges can be executed much faster. The platform provides a gateway that works simultaneously with several crypto exchanges at once for every transaction. This interaction with several exchanges allows for better exchange rates for crypto-fiat transactions and, once again, improves liquidity. For, as former Chairman of the Federal Reserve System Paul Volcker once remarked, “Remember, there is no such thing as too much liquidity.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Virtual-Crypto.com

• Company stakes nine new claims, covering 4,784 acres
• New holdings form contiguous land package with QMC’s Irgon Mine Project at Cat Lake
• 11,000-acre land tract lies within mineral-rich Cat Lake-Winnipeg River rare-element pegmatite field
• Irgon Mine Project is located just 20 km north of North America’s most prolific lithium mine

Vancouver-based exploration company QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ) (OTC: QMCQF) has expanded its mineral claim holdings within the Irgon Mine Project, Manitoba, and currently holds a land package covering over 11,000 acres (http://ibn.fm/uqJ0T). The company increased its holdings through staking nine new claims, totalling 4,784 acres. QMC is the 100 percent owner of the Cat Lake Irgon Mine Project, historically estimated to hold 1.2 million tons of lithium oxide at 1.51 percent Li2O.

These new claims form a contiguous tract of land with QMC’s existing holdings in the area. All claims lie within Manitoba’s Cat Lake-Winnipeg River rare-element pegmatite field and may potentially share a similar geological profile to the nearby Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada (“TANCO”) mine. TANCO, located 20 km from the Irgon Mine Project, was North America’s most prolific lithium mine.

QMC acquired additional claims in this area following a comprehensive review of historical data which revealed the presence of lithium -bearing spodumene mineralization in additional pegmatite dikes.

According to the historical reports, exploratory drilling was carried out in several locations within the area of QMC’s new claims. Historical drill logs reported “pegmatite with spodumene content” in six of the holes drilled, although no samples were assayed. QMC is already working to identify these locations and will proceed with exploration and sampling work.

Lithium is vital to building batteries that power electric vehicles. Owing to the surge in electric vehicles’ popularity, experts predict a growing demand for lithium, and EV producers are eager to secure supply (http://ibn.fm/ysiJV). Lithium prices have increased threefold over the past three years and are expected to triple again over the next decade.

The acquisition of these new claims is in line with QMC’s aim to secure and develop lithium-rich prospects in Manitoba. This area is a well-established, prolific mining region, ranked as one of the world’s most mining-friendly, with much of the necessary infrastructure already in position.

QMC’s Irgon Mine Project was previously owned by the Lithium Corporation of Canada Ltd., which carried out a large volume of exploration work on the site, including underground development on the dike, development of road and power access, construction of an on-site processing plant and drilling of 25 diamond drill holes through the dike.  It was the assays from this drill core and underground samples which permitted the calculation of the historical resource mentioned above. Despite very promising signs, the work was suspended in the late 1950s due to the low price of lithium at that time.

In addition to the Cat Lake Irgon Mine, QMC is also prospecting for mineral deposits at its project in the Namew Lake District of central Manitoba. This project, covering 57,000 acres, is 100 percent owned by QMC and is close to mines in the prolific Flin Flon volcanic massive sulphide belt that is already producing copper, zinc, gold, silver, nickel, palladium and platinum.

QMC has also announced that it has hired specialized consulting firm Venture Liquidity Providers Inc. to act as a market maker, helping facilitate the trading of company shares. Venture Liquidity Providers will operate through registered broker W.D. Latimer Co. Ltd. For these services, QMC will pay the consultation firm $5,000 per month for an initial 12-month period.

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

• The plant will operate at “ramp up capacity” by the end of July
• $3.86 million in new capital raised so far in 2018
• Other research and development projects underway to increase applicability of company’s patented extraction technology
• New advisory board member Heriberto “Eddie” Gonzalez joins team

With full-on oil production scheduled to begin by the end of July, Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF) (FRANKFURT: A2DYWC) has issued an update for investors on the latest developments at its Asphalt Ridge oil extraction facility, as well as other company operations. According to a company press release (http://ibn.fm/mXt5L), construction has been completed and extraction operations have already begun at Asphalt Ridge in Utah, with plans to ramp up oil extraction and production to full capacity by the end of the month. The facility is expected to yield 1,000 barrels per day at full capacity.

In a news release, Petroteq Chief Executive Office David Sealock said, “The Asphalt Ridge project has surpassed expectations. The facility process trains are coming fully online safely, the production ramp-up plan is on schedule, and the commissioning and start-up activities are set to produce a high-quality heavy oil. We are especially appreciative of the dedication and careful planning and execution that our team and partners have demonstrated in achieving this remarkable result.”

Company chairman Alex Blyumkin said that the timing of the Asphalt Ridge project has been particularly advantageous. “The project was built during a period of low oil prices and has come online just as oil prices have strengthened.”

At the end of June, members of the press were able to view the Asphalt Ridge facility and see for themselves the progress made (http://ibn.fm/hwKbk). Timing the open day with the initiation of production allowed the media to get a first-hand view of the oil extraction process, which experts were on hand to explain. Speaking at the event, company chairman Blyumkin said, “We have developed a comprehensive mining plan and demonstrated that our expanded plant can produce oil. Our dedication and focus on re-launching our facility demonstrates our commitment to our investors who have supported us throughout this journey.”

“We now have a plant that has the level of scale that allows us to be self-sufficient and generate cash flow to add value to our shareholders,” he added. Petroteq held its media day as a prelude to a September 2018 grand opening.

In addition to updating investors on operations at Asphalt Ridge, Petroteq also announced that it has raised new capital of approximately $3.86 million so far in 2018 and that all of its recent operational developments have driven multiple initiatives expected to promote the company’s future growth. More specifically, the company has several research and development projects underway, designed to further increase the applicability and efficiency of its patented extraction technology.

Petroteq’s proprietary environmentally friendly and sustainable technology extracts heavy oil from oil sands, oil shale deposits and shallow oil deposits. This patented process leaves no waste, produces no greenhouse gases and operates without high temperatures. Petroteq holds the mineral lease to 2,541 acres and 87.49 million barrels of mineable oil sands.

The company has also expanded its team and advisory board to handle multiple business development initiatives targeting both domestic and international opportunities. The most recent addition to the advisory board is entrepreneur Heriberto “Eddie” Gonzalez (http://ibn.fm/hWXRQ). Currently managing director of Mayan Energy Limited, Gonzalez has been involved in a number of successful startups. Petroteq is confident that having him on board will further boost its advisory board’s work of handling increasing interest in the company and providing key insight, expertise and guidance to the company’s management.

Speaking about Gonzalez’s appointment, Petroteq CEO David Sealock said, “We are excited to have Eddie on our team. He brings multiple skill sets that will benefit the Company in terms of identification, development and execution of potential business opportunities.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

• Company is targeting $3.8 trillion preventative medicine industry
• Sol-gel delivery system administers CBD-based medicines directly to the brain via nasal passages
• Company R&D includes anti-diabetes and obesity gene therapy and powerful non-addictive painkiller

Health sciences company PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE: 18H) expects to make promising progress in the research and development of a number of exciting products in 2018, according to the company’s chairman, CEO and President Stephen Van Deventer in an audio interview (http://ibn.fm/1SVjY). He explained that, while pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies are well-established, there is a relatively untapped $3.8 trillion a year industry in preventative medicine. Van Deventer said, “We coined the word ‘PreveCeutical’ for preventive medicine, which would be a combination of pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals, but in the direction of preventive health.”

PreveCeutical is involved in researching and developing products aimed at preventing ailments before they start, thus improving people’s lifestyles. It is currently working on a number of promising projects, including Sol-gel, an innovative cannabidiol-based nose to brain delivery system being developed to give relief from epileptic seizures, pain, inflammation and other neurological conditions.

Van Deventer added, “As you’ve seen on YouTube (…), these people that have seizures, they take some cannabis oil and the seizures go away. Well, that’s not preventing; that’s actually stopping a seizure. So, we can now take these cannabinoids and infuse them to our Sol-gel, and people [can] take it once a week because it will sit in your mucosa and slowly time-release over one week. We can now get cannabinoids in your system and prevent these seizures from happening.”

The PreveCeutical CEO also spoke about other promising products in the company’s pipeline, including a powerful, non-addictive pain reliever and gene therapy to possibly prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity. The non-addictive pain reliever will be designed to “be stronger than morphine or any of the other opioids out there,” Van Deventer said. “However, it will have a few key elements: one, you can’t get high; two, you cannot create tolerance to it; and three, you cannot get addicted to it.”

He said that the company’s researchers, led by Chief Research Officer Harry Parekh, are keen for these life-changing technologies to be available to the mass market. While the cost of gene therapy can run into millions of dollars, Van Deventer said, “We hope to be able to deliver these gene therapies for thousands of dollars. You can have a few thousand dollars, rather than half a million or millions of dollars.”

Describing milestones for the near future, Van Deventer explained that PreveCeutical is planning some strategic acquisitions. “It would be nice to acquire some assets that are commercially viable now and start generating some revenues.”

The company is looking forward to releasing promising results on its research and development projects by the end of 2018.

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

• Several cobalt mineralization intervals identified within Kerr Area of Canadian Cobalt Camp contain multiple, closely spaced cobalt-silver veins
• Two surface drilling rigs added to Iron Creek Cobalt Project in Idaho to accelerate drilling results, complement ongoing underground drilling
• Demand for cobalt in vehicle battery materials is expected to grow over 40 percent in 2018
• Cobalt identified as a “critical metal” by U.S. as demand accelerates with global push toward electric vehicles

Cobalt exploration and development company First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) recently reported encouraging drill assay results indicating near surface cobalt mineralization trends in the Kerr area within its Canadian Cobalt Camp location. Trent Mell, president and CEO of First Cobalt, noted that results retrieved from the first six holes of 15 drilled along the strike extent of the historic Kerr Lake and Drummond Mines, where several silver veins are known to occur, reflect cobalt-silver mineralization as closely spaced veins.

“The results reported today are just 400 metres north of the Kerr #2 Zone, providing great encouragement to our vision of large scale open pit mining in the Cobalt Camp,” Mell stated in a July 10 news release (http://ibn.fm/3rUjP). “We are reallocating a larger portion of the 2018 exploration budget to the Kerr area despite having a multitude of prospective targets across our land package. Results from nine drill holes are pending and additional drilling is planned.”

Roughly half of cobalt produced globally today is used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from electric vehicles to smartphones, tablets and laptop computers. The electric vehicle, which requires a large amount of cobalt to produce, is the primary force propelling the cobalt boom. Electric car batteries require between five and 15 kilograms of the metal, roughly a thousand times the amount in smartphone batteries, according to a background report issued on June 15, 2018, by the Council on Foreign Relations (http://ibn.fm/HORap).

First Cobalt also recently announced the addition of two drill rigs at its Iron Creek Cobalt Project site in Idaho to accelerate drilling activities there. Mell said that the company’s confidence level in the growing footprint from results so far from the $9 million work program at Iron Creek warranted the additional equipment and boosted schedule.

“We believe Iron Creek is an important part of the pipeline of cobalt concentrate we intend to feed into the First Cobalt Refinery in Ontario and the addition of two more drill rigs will significantly speed up activities,” Mell stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/hLIOv).

The U.S. Geological Survey’s annual Mineral Commodity Summaries reports that average annual cobalt prices more than doubled in 2017 over the previous year, owing to strong demand from consumers, limited availability of cobalt on the spot market and an increase in metal purchases by investors, a CNBC article states (http://ibn.fm/tuPRY).

First Cobalt Corp., with headquarters in Canada, is a vertically integrated North American pure-play cobalt company. First Cobalt has three significant North American assets: the Iron Creek Project in Idaho, which has a historic mineral resource estimate (non-compliant with NI 43-101) of 1.3 million tons grading 0.59 percent cobalt; the Canadian Cobalt Camp, with more than 50 past producing mines; and the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/FTSSF

• Companies need to focus on optimizing customers’ online experience, redefining their brands in the process
• The UMI platform offers brands and end-users a streamlined, holistic online experience that provides flexibility and security
• Developing software and mobile publishing solutions for a variety of mobile offerings

By the year 2019, the number of mobile phone users worldwide is expected to pass the five billion mark, and mobile advertising is expected to represent 72 percent of all U.S. digital ad spending. With 83 percent of mobile users citing a seamless experience across all devices as very important and 57 percent of users unwilling to recommend a business with a poorly-designed mobile site, brands need to focus more on making sure that their customers’ online experiences are optimal.

A holistic approach is necessary for ensuring that mobile connectivity, secure transactional processing and social connectivity are optimized for users throughout different markets. Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CSRH), a software development and mobile solutions company, has spent the last several years developing relationships and licensing agreements that will enable it to participate in the rapidly developing fintech market and its associated verticals, providing secure mobile content and connectivity to a variety of end users.

The company’s wholly owned subsidiary, 359 Mobile Inc., developed the Universal Mobile Interface™ (UMI) platform to integrate any stream of data onto a mobile platform. UMI has the ability to deliver and manage mobile connectivity, secure transactional processing and social connectivity to create a more personalized mobile experience. The applications of UMI cover e-commerce, banking, mobile gaming, data analytics, entertainment, social media, digital marketing and more. It is a flexible platform designed to meet the diverse needs of the company’s client base within a broad range of vertical markets.

For clients, UMI can be adapted to meet specific needs and redefine the brands’ mobile experiences. The platform provides a seamless connection with customers, anticipating their needs and providing a holistic service from browsing through payment processing to after-sale services.

Consorteum is developing its software and mobile publishing resources for a variety of mobile offerings – including the online and mobile gambling industry. Currently, the company’s focus is on the upcoming release of its first global sports app later this year. This app will offer massive amounts of compiled historical data and updates on cricket teams and players and will be available to the 2.5 billion worldwide cricket fans as the company’s first predictive analytics mobile offering. Within the United States, it is estimated that illegal sports betting is a $150 billion industry (http://ibn.fm/7AgC5). As laws regarding gambling on college and professional sports are removed from federal oversight and placed in the hands of the states, companies such as Consorteum are uniquely positioned to capitalize from a legalized gaming industry.

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

• Highly anticipated legislation to provide legal status for hemp
• Hemp and cannabis industries forecast to reach $22.6 billion by 2021
• Decisions made with eye toward expansion set to bring companies unprecedented growth

Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in Congress, a conference committee has now been charged with finalizing the bill, which must be completed before the current legislation expires on September 30 (http://ibn.fm/stCRt). Part of the thousand-plus-page bill includes the Hemp Farming Act, a top priority of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, a state that hopes to see significant economic benefits from growing the plant. In addition to legalizing hemp, the legislation would remove it from the federal list of controlled substances, allow it to be sold as an agricultural commodity and give states the right to regulate crops grown under their jurisdiction. The bill would also allow hemp researchers to apply for Department of Agriculture grants and make hemp farmers eligible for crop insurance.

This groundbreaking legislation is highly anticipated by many in the hemp industry, from growers and cultivators to manufacturers and producers of hemp plant-based products. Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTC: MCOA) (MCOA Profile) is one of the companies paying close attention as the bill progresses through committee. A pioneer in legal hemp-based product development, manufacture and distribution, MCOA has led out in seed-to-shelf efforts to bring these products to consumers as more and more people — and states — are recognizing the potential that hemp provides.

The hemp and cannabis industries are already seeing unparalleled growth, and experts note that the trend will only continue as these industries gain legal status. North American consumers spent $6.7 billion on legal cannabis products in 2016, up 34 percent from the year before. ArcView Market Research estimated that the industry may reach $22.6 billion by 2021 — extraordinary growth in which savvy companies are poised to play a part (http://ibn.fm/ifznm). Whereas the Hemp Business Journal estimates that the hemp-derived CBD market will grow exponentially over the next few years into a $2.1 billion industry.

MCOA may be one of those companies as it spearheads efforts and stakes claims on multiple legal hemp cultivation projects. Along with joint venture partner Global Hemp Group Inc. (CSE: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF) (FRANKFURT: GHG), MCOA is deeply involved in the New Brunswick hemp project, a joint venture involving the planting of 125 acres of industrial hemp in the northeast portion New Brunswick, Canada. GHG and MCOA are also working together on a hemp farming project in Scio, Oregon, where significant garden operations are well underway. Those operations include the expansion of nursery and propagation rooms, the construction of five additional greenhouses and the purchase of 20,000 high-yielding CBD hemp clones. Finally, MCOA has partnered with Bougainville Ventures, Inc. to complete the setup of a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse in Washington State.

This forward-thinking cultivation of quality hemp is designed to provide the company with the main ingredient for its innovative CBD-based formulations, which use the highest-quality hemp to produce what could be the finest-quality botanical supplements on the market. The CBD-based nutritional and botanical supplement products include a pain relief product called hempSMART™ Pain, which is also available as a cream-based topical, and an ayurvedic nootropic product called hempSMART™ Brain. HempSMART™ also sells Full Spectrum CBD Drops in the form of a sublingual tincture that contains advanced bioavailability, and just last month it announced the launch of a new CBD infused cosmetic product designed to refresh, replenish and restore the skin cells on your face called hempSMART™ Face. The company has also developed an affiliate marketing program for the promotion and sale of its hemp-based, CBD-infused products.

Hemp has a myriad of uses beyond CBD therapeutic, including as a food, natural fiber and even a commodity in the building materials sectors. No part of the plant goes unused, and MCOA’s comprehensive strategy is to capitalize at each profit point — from farm to finished products.

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

• Zenergy Brands focuses on unique offerings in energy efficiency for the business market
• Its platform is a collective offering of energy services and smart controls
• The company offers its innovative Zero-Cost Program™

An energy and technology enterprise, Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY) centers on innovative offerings in energy efficiency for the business market. Its dedication is to enhancing businesses via responsible energy use and management. Zenergy provides its products and services to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal end-use customers. Zenergy Brands has its corporate office in Plano, Texas.

A business-to-business company, Zenergy’s expertise is in helping its customers decrease utility consumption. The company’s platform is a collective offering of energy services and smart controls. Reducing energy consumption is a significant challenge that today’s businesses continually face. Energy World noted in a 2014 report (http://ibn.fm/Y7RRu) that, “In the short term, energy efficiency is the best way to address the rising cost and exploding uncertainty. Perhaps it is the only way.”

Zenergy Brands’ emphasis is furthering energy efficiency for its customers. The company’s unique offering geared to conservation and sustainability is its Zero-Cost Program™. The company equips businesses with the most up-to-date and pioneering energy efficiency technologies (smart controls). As a result, the customer receives considerable economic benefit. Also, this lessens the demand on the nation’s grid and water supply and provides environmental benefits.

SmartMarket Report noted, “Firms have high expectations about the benefits coming from sustainability initiatives, including investments in energy efficiency and other green building efforts. In fact, these expectations are increasing over time…” (http://ibn.fm/pIXYR) (Business Case for Energy Efficient Building Retrofit and Renovation).

Zenergy’s Zero Cost Program™ addresses businesses’ expectations regarding the above. The company’s program is a financing mechanism. As such, it permits customers to lessen water, natural gas and electricity expenses by implementing proven conservation technologies or retrofits.

These retrofits include LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) controls and motor controllers. Zenergy Brands’ business solutions also include building automation, efficient water system solutions, efficient EC motor control systems, demand-side management and load factor correction.

Fundamentally, the program works by way of a “services agreement” model. Zenergy substantially decreases a business’s energy consumption, and, with the services agreement, the business continues to pay the same energy supplier as usual but pays less because of reduced energy use.

Zenergy Brands’ Zero Cost Program™ facilitates the upgrade of older, inefficient energy infrastructure. A primary benefit of the program is that it paves the way for businesses to use their cost savings to further their core business initiatives.

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