• City View Green Holdings, formerly Icon Exploration on the TSX Venture Exchange, is entering the Canadian Securities Exchange with an emphasis on new leadership
• CVGR will focus on seed-to-sale verticals in the cannabis industries as Canada’s expanding opportunities through nationwide legalization become apparent
• Highlighting the company’s potential, a master grower and founding partner of WeedMD will lead CVGR’s cultivation plan

New Canadian Securities Exchange listing City View Green Holdings Inc. (CSE: CVGR) is rapidly building an experienced leadership team as part of its aggressive efforts to become ascendant in the medicinal and adult recreational use cannabis industries.

“The cannabis space is very synergistic with the alcohol and beverage market,” CEO Rob Fia stated in a news release about the company’s team-building plan (http://ibn.fm/5nQGi). “In the end we are confident we can impress executive talent to join CVG as we set out to be a truly vertically integrated cannabis operation from seed to sale. They will see the company as the best opportunity to achieve the potential inherent in the Canadian cannabis market.”

City View Green Holdings opened on the Canadian Securities Exchange last week after moving the company, formerly known as Icon Exploration Inc., from the TSX Venture Exchange. City View Green’s new leadership includes the following:

Mario Meek, Master Grower

Mario Meek brings 10 years of networking, growing and cultivation experience in the medical cannabis industry to the City View Green team. Mario was an original founding partner of WeedMD, one of the federally licensed commercial facilities in Canada. He is currently president of 420 Consulting and has provided consulting services to Shoppers Drug-Mart, Canada’s largest pharmacy network, as well as providing numerous award-winning medical cannabis strains to licensed commercial cannabis producers. He is an experienced master grower in hydro gardens, aquaponics, aeroponics, flood and drain, ebb and flow techniques, organic grow methods and pest management techniques. He is licensed as a designated producer under the current legislation with Health Canada. Meek is experienced in every aspect of growing marijuana from seed to the finished product and has a deep understanding of the art of growing great medicinal cannabis.

Michael Hagopian, COO, Extractions

Michael Hagopian is an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry within the United States and Canada. For the past three years, Hagopian served as COO at Dose Oil, a licensed processor of cannabis extracts located in Seattle. During those years, Hagopian was responsible for building-out the facility and producing cannabis extracts that are currently available in licensed retail stores throughout the state. Hagopian developed standard operating procedures and implemented best practices for sales and production employees while also overseeing the day-to-day operations of a CO2 extraction facility in the state-regulated industry. Sales increased rapidly for Dose’s products, and it has become known for high quality and customer demand.

Prior to his relocation to Seattle, Hagopian was employed in the communications industry for 15 years as an account executive, market development representative, sales engineer and sales manager. He was employed by Comcast Communications and Time Warner Cable in South Carolina and Florida.

Yan Hai, Quality Assurance Specialist

Yan Hai is an accomplished quality assurance professional with 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, medical device, medical cannabis and natural health product industries. She holds a master of applied science degree in chemical engineering and applied chemistry & biomaterials and biomedical engineering from the University of Toronto. Hai has experience as a senior quality assurance consultant, quality assurance manager/specialist, quality control analyst, R&D chemist and data reviewer. She has thorough knowledge and extensive experience in quality and compliance; cGxPs; regulatory standards, including Health Canada and FDA drug, cannabis and medical device regulations; and ISO standards.

Hai currently holds a position as a senior quality assurance consultant at Innova Medipharm Inc. In her role as a senior quality assurance consultant, she carries out quality system development and improvement, auditing, inspection readiness, ACMPR/CTLS application, batch record review, deviation and complaint investigation and method validation. She has successfully conducted a GMP auditing project for ABcann Medicinals Inc. — a well-known licensed medical cannabis producer. Yan brings with her many transferrable skills, such as experience with quality systems, auditing, batch record review, method transfer and validation, microbiology, chemical testing and sampling techniques.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CityViewGreen.ca

• City View Green Holdings has completed a move to the Canadian Securities Exchange to boost its worldwide potential for cannabis production
• CVGR will focus on growing high-quality flower in the pursuit of creating top-notch extracts for edibles, distillates and water-soluble products
• The company has acquired the professional experience of a master grower who formerly founded a TSX Venture Exchange-listed cannabis issuer

City View Green Holdings Inc. (CSE: CVGR), a company focused on establishing a diverse portfolio as it assesses entities in the cannabis space for potential acquisition, is crafting a formidable strategy for world markets in which medicinal and adult recreational use cannabis have been granted legal acceptance.

City View Green, on March 5, 2019, opened on the Canadian Securities Exchange as part of a broader effort to move the company, formerly known as Icon Exploration Inc., from the TSX Venture Exchange to a location where it can better grow according to its vision of producing high-quality edible products, distillates and water-soluble brands, including those for the cannabidiol (CBD)-infused beverage market.

“Moving to the CSE market was strategic for our company as we believe it gives us greater flexibility to pursue opportunities around the world in various jurisdictions where cannabis is increasingly becoming legal,” CEO Rob Fia stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/bp8TJ).

The company is completing a review of several CEO candidates as part of its new identity. The company’s website states that elements of its developing plan include:

• The company’s focus will be to grow high-quality flower and to create superior extracts. CVGR has secured an expert extraction team having worked in the Seattle market over the last three years.
• CVGR has secured a master grower formerly with a top publicly listed cannabis issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.
• The company will produce high-quality medicinal products and recreational cannabis products for the adult-use market. The future in cannabis is in recreational cannabis products. Once legalized, the company is well positioned to produce high-quality edible products, distillates and water-soluble product for the beverage market.
• CVGR is currently interviewing top talent from the alcohol and beverage industry for the CEO role.
• The company’s subsidiary owns a 19.9 percent stake in a private retail-focused cannabis company with access to retail store licenses in Alberta and other retail opportunities across Canada, securing shelf space and distribution for City View Green Holdings’ products.

CVGR is an applicant for Canada’s licensed producer designation and expects to complete a 40,000-square-foot cultivation facility near Toronto for pharmaceutical-grade cannabis once the government green lights the application. Another 4.3 acres at the location is being held for possible exponential upscaling with an additional 125,000 square feet of farm and extraction facilities.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CityViewGreen.ca

• Lexaria Bioscience is focusing on its unique technology for the delivery of bioactive compounds
• The company’s concentration on oral ingestion results in an option that often healthier than other delivery methods
• Its DehydraTECH technology has potential applications for nicotine absorption

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) focuses on technology for the improved delivery of bioactive compounds. Its DehydraTECH drug delivery platform fosters healthier administration methods, lower overall dosing and higher effectiveness of ingestible drugs and other beneficial molecules. The company’s process changes the way edible cannabinoids enter the body (http://ibn.fm/CB41E). A drug delivery innovator, Lexaria Bioscience is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Lexaria’s technology has been shown to be effective in numerous global studies, significantly assisting rapidity and quantity of absorption for a range of lipophilic (fat-soluble), bioactive molecules. In essence, the company disrupts the manner in which cannabinoids enter the bloodstream through the gastrointestinal tract (http://ibn.fm/CsUCz). Lexaria’s emphasis on oral ingestion provides a practical and often healthier option to other delivery methods for bioactive substances used extensively today. This includes inhalational delivery via smoking.

The DehydraTECH platform masks taste, lessens the time of onset and increases bio-absorption by 5-10 times. The technology is patent protected for cannabidiol and all other non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Lexaria has patents pending for THC, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), nicotine, other psychoactive cannabinoids and other molecules. These patents apply to manifold consumer/pharma product dosage forms and include food liquid emulsions, capsules, tablets and more.

The Lexaria Hemp Co. holds exclusive international rights to the Lexaria patent portfolio related to hemp-based applications. Moreover, its Canadian subsidiary, Lexaria CanPharm Corp., owns exclusive international rights to Lexaria’s intellectual property that’s applicable to psychotropic bioactive molecules, which act upon human CB1 and CB2 receptors in those global geographic areas where it is permissible to do so (http://ibn.fm/d2roZ).

Lexaria Bioscience’s business model involves developing and out-licensing its DehydraTECH platform to third-party partners/distributors (http://ibn.fm/Bx1uI). In addition, its business model involves the sale of Lexaria-developed and joint venture products. The company’s product sales include hemp oil-based CBD (cannabidiol) offerings. Its TurboCBD hemp oil capsules contain ginseng and ginkgo to promote better focus and memory and have been evaluated in clinical tests.

Lexaria’s product sales additionally include ViPova-branded premium teas. These teas deliver cannabidiol in a number of flavors and have been available for several years, showcasing Lexaria’s leadership position in beverage formulations.

Lexaria Bioscience has a collaborative research agreement with Canada’s National Research Council. This research agreement is to investigate opportunities associated with bioavailability enhancement of lipophilic active ingredient compositions (http://ibn.fm/UP5RO).

Lexaria Bioscience has engaged in research regarding the use of its technology for nicotine absorption, relating to the nicotine industry. It has partnered, via wholly owned subsidiary Lexaria Nicotine LLC, with one of the world’s largest tobacco companies to drive innovation in oral, reduced risk nicotine consumer products using the patented DehydraTECH drug delivery platform (http://ibn.fm/IHDmy). Lexaria Nicotine aims to perform a wide-ranging series of clinical investigations of oral forms of nicotine delivery, funded by its partner, employing Lexaria’s patented DehydraTECH technology.

Lexaria Bioscience continues its R&D for the improved delivery of bioactive compounds. The company offers investors the potential to earn ROI from its disruptive technology in the emerging market of low cost edibles. Lexaria continues to advance its technology that enables consumer benefits and the lowest cost-per-serving.

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

• The company has announced an increase in the potency of its lead immunotherapy candidate, Bria-IMT, through cryopreservation
• The frozen formula simplifies logistics and makes it possible for the immunotherapy to reach patients across long distances without a compromise in the safety or efficiency of the treatment
• The same cryopreservation approach will be utilized in the case of Bria-OTS, BriaCell’s off-the-shelf personalized immunotherapy for advanced breast cancer

The use of a novel Bria-IMT frozen formulation is one of the exciting new developments that BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT) announced recently. Bria-IMT is the company’s lead immunotherapy candidate. It is a novel treatment that works by providing breast cancer antigens that directly stimulate T-cell activity and boost the immune system’s cancer-fighting capabilities in advanced breast cancer patients.

According to BriaCell President and CEO Dr. William Williams, the freezing of Bria-IMT in a viable form through the use of well-established cryopreservation technologies enables the creation of a much more potent immunotherapy than the previous version. Apart from resulting in a more powerful formulation, the cryopreservation of Bria-IMT also enables easier management of logistics processes that make the delivery of the immunotherapy to breast cancer patients possible. Because of the combined benefits, the development of the frozen formulation can be considered a big plus for the program, and it will be the one that BriaCell will be using going forward, Williams said in an interview (http://ibn.fm/KSPa5).

Cryopreservation simplifies the storage of ready-to-inject Bria-IMT. Once delivered to a clinical facility, the formulation will simply need to be thawed prior to patient administration. In the long run, this frozen formulation is expected to reduce the per-dose cost in comparison to the old Bria-IMT delivery and administration model.

Williams explained in a news release that preparation of Bria-IMT through the previous approach was cumbersome and complex. Through cryopreservation, the viability of the formulation is better preserved than that of the previous version. Bria-IMT can be transported to distant locations in its frozen state, without any compromise in its safety or effectiveness.

The new frozen formulation technology is also applicable to Bria-OTS – BriaCell’s off-the-shelf personalized immunotherapy for advanced breast cancer. Bria-OTS is currently being developed and is expected to enter the clinic in the latter half of 2019.

Information about the new formulation and additional findings pertaining to the Bria-IMT clinical trials are expected to be announced during several industry events over the course of 2019.

BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. Founder and Director Dr. Charles L. Wiseman will be a keynote speaker at the 10th Euro Breast Cancer Summit, which will take place in Paris on March 21-22, 2019. The summit’s theme for 2019 is rediscovering novel approaches toward a cure for breast cancer and women’s health (http://ibn.fm/zbzMJ).

BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. will also be presenting a poster at the prestigious American Association of Cancer Research’s (“AACR”) annual meeting that will be taking place from March 29 to April 3, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia.

These presentations will summarize results and comprehensive data analysis of the completed phase I/IIa monotherapy trial of Bria-IMT in advanced breast cancer. The monotherapy study involved 23 advanced breast cancer patients. So far, Bria-IMT’s safety has been established, and the lead candidate has achieved proof of concept in terms of expected efficacy in certain patient populations.

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

• Black Iron and subsidiary of Glencore plc sign MOU to finance construction of Shymanivske Iron Ore Deposit
• Excellent infrastructure, with paved road to site, confirmed power and rail and port capacity, allows for a relatively low cost and phased build
• Project is expected to produce an ultra-high-grade, 68-percent iron ore concentrate with few impurities at very low cost
• Black Iron’s iron pellet feed product is expected to sell for a significantly higher price than benchmark iron ore

Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (GR: BIN), a Canadian iron ore exploration and development company, is optimistic that construction could begin at its ultra-high-grade Shymanivske Iron Ore Project in Ukraine toward the end of the year. In an upbeat discussion with NNW’s Stuart Smith last month, CEO Matt Simpson, P.Eng., reminded stakeholders of the great strides that Black Iron made in 2018 and the huge leaps that the company is making this year (http://ibn.fm/MMAPI).

“We had some major milestones … with our real focus on relaunching the company,” Simpson said in the NNW interview, adding that Black Iron is looking at an ideal construction start date by the end of 2019. Discussions to secure the surface rights for the project are “well advanced,” he added.

One of the biggest milestones came in the form of a signed memorandum of understanding for the purpose of securing funds for construction of the Shymanivske Iron Ore Project with a subsidiary of commodities giant Glencore plc (OTC: GLCNF) (OTC: GLNCY). The non-binding MOU contemplates Glencore making an investment to help fund construction in exchange for securing the offtake of up to the full phase one planned annual production of four million tons, with terms and amount still to be negotiated (http://ibn.fm/foEdf).

“I am excited to welcome Glencore as an offtake investor for construction of the Shymanivske Project as well as their agreement to work with us to help secure additional financing,” Simpson said in a news release. “Glencore’s involvement significantly strengthens our capability and draws on their extensive international network, experience and market knowledge.”

Black Iron’s Shymanivske iron ore deposit is situated in the southern part of the historic KrivBass iron ore mining district, a highly developed iron ore mining region with well-established infrastructure and nearby skilled labor forces. Surrounded by seven producing iron ore mines, the Shymanivske project will produce an ultra-high-grade, 68-percent iron ore concentrate with few impurities at very low cost. Use of ultra-high-grade 68-percent iron content product in the production of steel is a value-added offering to customers, since it increases blast furnace productivity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions generated per ton of steel produced (http://ibn.fm/nZ1XO).

Black Iron’s Shymanivske iron ore deposit is a true turnaround investment, Simpson said in his interview with NNW’s Smith.

“One thing that’s really unique and rare with this project … is that it’s almost agnostic to whatever the commodity price of iron ore is,” Simpson stated. “It’s very, very rare that you find a project, even in the 10-year downside pricing scenario, that still provides an after-tax rate of return in excess of 20 percent … we’re sitting on almost 70 percent after-tax return on this project at today’s iron ore prices. So very, very robust economics.”

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

The technical and scientific contents of this article have been reviewed and approved by Matt Simpson, P.Eng., CEO of Black Iron, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

• Pursuing dual listing of common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange
• Engaged a full-service law firm and consultant to manage compliance
• Lots of opportunity in 2019 with increased product lines, increased distribution and new partnerships

Earth Science Tech Inc. (OTCQB: ETST), an innovative biotech company based in Florida, is actively pursuing a dual listing of its common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”). In December 2018, ETST engaged the counsel of Fasken, a full-service law firm with offices in Canada and worldwide, to assist with the process, including preparing and filing the required documentation (http://ibn.fm/Ui1o2).

In addition, ETST has engaged consultant Derek Lindsay to manage compliance while the company moves toward dual listing (http://ibn.fm/yTlbe). Along with managing compliance, Lindsay will be tasked with implementing an investor relations program and improving communications with investors.

“Dual listing is a major achievement and one that can provide ETST access to new investors and capital,” Lindsay, who has solid experience in accelerating the growth of both private and public companies, stated in a news release. Lindsay has served in various capacities and is well-versed in capital raising, strategic advising, investor relations and risk management.

Actively working toward dual listing is not halting the company’s continued work in the CBD, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields; nor is it slowing its advancement of medical devices or research and development activities. Preparations are in place for the launch of three new CBD products. The first commercial batch of Hygee medical devices is nearing completion and will be launched in Vietnam, which will act as a proving ground for the introduction of the device into other countries (http://ibn.fm/bAg6i).

Already distributing products to 40 countries, ETST recently expanded its sales reach into Mexico and South America through a distribution partnership agreement with Forzagen (http://ibn.fm/57cke). In addition to global distribution expansion, the company is increasing its markets in the United States. Thanks to a recent agreement with CannaBiz and Desert Sun Distribution, ETST’s CBD product line will soon be available to chiropractors, dispensaries, pharmacies, health care practitioners, athletic clubs and clinics.

In a news release (http://ibn.fm/B91JM), ETST Chairman Nickolas S. Tabraue said, “We have a lot of opportunity on deck for 2019, and we look forward to sharing the results of our strategies, which include our Latin American distribution partnership and upcoming High Grade Full Spectrum Iq2 Cannabinoids shot.”

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

• The cannabis sector is set for exponential growth in the years to come, which has driven numerous companies to initiate large-scale production; the scope, however, is far less important than the cost-efficiency of the process
• Companies like Green Hygienics Holdings have competitive advantage due to proprietary high-tech cultivation technologies; these maximize yield and reduce the cost per unit
• Because of its investment in innovative cultivation methods, Green Hygienics has established an excellent position within the premium cannabis market

As the regulatory framework has changed dramatically over the past few years, the number of companies entering the cannabis sector has increased exponentially. In 2017 alone, there were 28,000 companies active in the field in the United States (http://ibn.fm/o0Jyf). Growth continued throughout 2018, when the legal marijuana industry reached $10.4 billion and created over a quarter of a million jobs (http://ibn.fm/VsXVb).

Large-scale U.S. and Canadian producers are building massive greenhouses and cultivation facilities to position themselves favorably in anticipation of future industry growth. Large-scale production is already driving prices down in the states that lack license limitations. As a result, experts have concluded that cost-efficient cannabis cultivation will be the primary driver for success, rather than the scope of facilities (http://ibn.fm/tTfaR).

As large producers bring the cost of cannabis down, companies that have a high yield and a low production price will be the ones that will rise to the surface. Sustainable, high yield production is heavily dependent on cultivation method and the utilization of the right technology.

Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: GRYN) is already capitalizing on its proprietary cultivation technique. New developments have turned the company into a science-driven cultivation leader as it employs aeroponics-based techniques.

Aeroponics-based cultivation has nutrients delivered directly to the exposed roots of the cannabis plant. The root does not touch soil, rocks or a growth medium, which enhances control over every aspect of cannabis cultivation. This method significantly increases growing efficiency, with the cost per unit being brought down to less than one dollar. In comparison, indoor cultivation competitors have a cost per unit in the range of two to four dollars.

Green Hygienics Holdings also aims to obtain a better quality cannabis plant, enabling the company to establish itself as a leader on the premium market. The company targets the high-end medical and recreational cannabis markets through the creation of first-rate products and distinctive brands.

Finally, aeroponics allows for the conservation of resources – a factor that establishes the company’s green image and contributes to the reduction of production costs. Aeroponical cannabis cultivation preserves approximately 90-95 percent of the water that would be required in traditional production settings.

On top of relying on its proprietary cultivation method, Green Hygienics also focuses on quality control equipment that improves its market position even further. Green Hygienics employs commercial cultivation equipment and software solutions that enable constant monitoring of product growth and an immediate intervention in the event of a problem.

Green Hygienics Holdings is a full-scope premium cannabis cultivation company with headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company is establishing its operations in San Diego to benefit from the lucrative, $5-billion California cannabis market.

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

• Cannabis industry job postings rose 445 percent in 2017
• Cannabis Strategic Ventures poised to meet this growing demand through multiple diverse subsidiaries
• PureOrganix, one such subsidiary, offers top-quality products that meet strict health and safety specifications

Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. (OTC: NUGS), a company focused on supporting entrepreneurial growth in the legal cannabis sector, offers personnel solutions to equip cannabis industry purveyors with the staffing resources that they need to achieve continued growth. Serving all vertical layers of the cannabis industry, Cannabis Strategic Ventures customizes its staffing services to each company’s individual needs, servicing cultivators, manufacturers, dispensaries and others in the cannabis marketplace.

The company aims to garner a corner of the $10 billion cannabis and $900 million hemp industries. In its approach, Cannabis Strategic Ventures has cultivated a diverse brand portfolio to broaden its industry reach.

One of its major subsidiaries, Pure Applied Sciences Inc., has cultivated a rich portfolio of ultra-high quality products. Its main brand is PureOrganix, a line of organic and pure cannabis oils and related accessories. The brand is responsible for noteworthy products like a “redefined” vape pen made from environmentally friendly materials, which features 400 percent more battery power than similar offerings from competitors. All PureOrganix products, also including batteries and apparel, conform to the most stringent current good manufacturing practices (“cGMP”) and meet FDA guidelines for active pharmaceuticals ingredients (“API”), an achievement that most small companies find extremely difficult to attain.

Additionally, another of the company’s subsidiaries, BudHire, is an outsourced employment service which uses a proven recruiting formula to help clients find the strongest candidates for positions within the cannabis industry. Through BudHire, Cannabis Strategic offers a variety of services to professionals, including temporary, seasonal and permanent staffing solutions, as well as human resources consulting.

Subsidiary Worldwide Staffing Group operates within the company as an independent wholly owned subsidiary. Its purpose is to provide non-cannabis-related employment and staffing services. As Worldwide continues to develop its operations into more vertical sectors of the cannabis industry, Cannabis Strategic plans to utilize the subsidiary’s aptitude and experience to move further into the cannabis staffing arena, focusing specifically on California’s markets.

As the cannabis industry continues to thrive, Cannabis Strategic has seen a dramatic increase in companies’ need for increased outsourced staffing. Specifically, cannabis industry job postings increased by 445 percent in 2017, a shocking increase from the prior year-over-year growth of 18 percent in 2016. The company feels well-positioned to meet this staffing demand through its diversified brands and strong industry presence.

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

• An estimated 64 percent of American adults report drinking coffee on a regular basis, with the majority preparing coffee at home
• Youngevity International is focused on field-to-cup distribution in the coffee market through wholly owned subsidiary CLR Roasters
• Youngevity and CLR Roasters announced on March 6 that they plan to introduce two cannabidiol-infused coffee brands in May
• CBD-infused beverages are becoming a popular new market space, with the potential for between $900 million and $4.4 billion in revenues by 2024

Youngevity International Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) is cultivating a market that appeals to the more than 100 million Americans who drink coffee, as well as consumers in the burgeoning cannabis industries, thanks largely to a breakthrough in its efforts to infuse coffee with consistent dosing of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) for wellness lifestyle interests.

Youngevity announced plans to launch two brands of cannabidiol-infused coffees on March 6, stating that sales are expected to begin in May. The HempFX brand is expected to roll out as a direct sales product through YGYI’s large sales network early in the month, followed by full-scale distribution by the end of the month. The company’s CLR Roasters subsidiary also anticipates a late-May rollout of its Javalution brand for retail store shelf distribution, and it has already begun retail sales presentations (http://ibn.fm/uq7ih).

“We have been perplexed in delivering CBD to a cup of coffee at consistent doses, but now we have a solution that passes the scrutiny of laboratory testing and we are excited to bring these products to market. Our team at Khrysos has cracked the code on the production of water-soluble CBDs,” Youngevity President and CFO Dave Briskie stated in a news release about the project.

Khrysos Global is a Florida-based manufacturer of hemp-based CBD extraction equipment that was acquired by Youngevity in February (http://ibn.fm/3pDY4). The deal included ownership of INX Labs and its testing facilities, which Briskie hailed as “a cornerstone” of the company’s developing CBD market strategy.

Both brands will be available in four profiles – Donut Shop, Dark Roast, House Blend and French Vanilla – according to the announcement. They will all come in a single-serve format that provides 10 milligrams of CBD per cup, and, since the company’s water-soluble CBD technology is deliverable in both powders and liquids, YGYI has a wide range for potential product development.

Youngevity is an omni-direct lifestyle company that gathers a virtual Main Street of products and services under one corporate entity with a hybrid direct sales business model that values e-commerce and social selling. Wholly owned subsidiary CLR Roasters produces gourmet coffees under its own boutique brands and manufactures a variety of private labels for major national chains, as well as Youngevity’s direct sales channel. The company remains one of North America’s largest suppliers to the cruise line industry.

CLR Roasters recently began filling a five-year contract to process and ship its first containers of green coffee, primarily comprised of high grown, washed Nicaraguan conventional coffees, as well as some naturals (http://ibn.fm/NaPPF). The company is also in the process of constructing one of Central America’s largest processing mills to expand its coffee plantation and processing operation in Nicaragua (http://ibn.fm/WWNWN) and increase its participation with its Nicaraguan-based partners from 50 percent to 75 percent of profits in the green coffee distribution business. The facility, when complete, is expected to house 28,000 square feet of office space and a 160,000-square-foot warehouse capable of holding 48 million pounds of green coffee with the ability to process over 53 million pounds of green coffee on an annual basis.

An estimated 64 percent of American adults drink coffee on a regular basis, according to a 2018 study with a sample of about 3,000 respondents commissioned by the National Coffee Association (“NCA”) (http://ibn.fm/TYemO). About 79 percent of those who reported drinking coffee said that they made it at home. Coffee is just the latest beverage market entry to anticipate CBD infusion, following on the heels of alcoholic drinks and sodas. Analysts at Deloitte foresee the potential revenues for the cannabis-infused beverages market at somewhere between $900 million and $4.4 billion by 2024, depending on the percentage of the cannabis products market that infusion captures (http://ibn.fm/HOT1X).

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

• Marijuana Company of America receives patent for hempSMART Brain

Warren Buffett, ‘the Oracle of Omaha’, famously said, “A truly great business must have an enduring ‘moat’ that protects excellent returns on invested capital.” By a moat, the legendary investor meant some competitive advantage that would sustain the enterprise by protecting its market from rival firms. A patent, like the one issued to Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA), can work just as well, he said (http://ibn.fm/qDB6Y).

A patent stops others from counterfeiting products or manufacturing replicas and knockoffs. It is particularly essential when the stakes are high, as they are in the U.S. hemp-based product market, which is forecast to approach $2 billion in three years. So the recent award of a U.S. patent puts MCOA in a decidedly stronger market position. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted MCOA a patent for the formulation of its flagship CBD product, hempSMART Brain, a wellness product formulated with a proprietary composition of natural ingredients and cannabidiol (CBD) for the enhancement of brain function (http://ibn.fm/90pwL).

MCOA’s hempSMART Brain is a unique product in that it utilizes a synergistic blend of natural neuroprotective and neuro-regenerative compounds, including CBD, in clinically researched and verified therapeutic amounts. Clinical studies indicate that CBD facilitates brain recovery by aiding in normal cell production. The human brain is “fitted” with natural specialized receptors for CBD, part of the endocannabinoid system that maintains homeostasis, or a stable internal environment in the body, as the external environment changes. Spurred by changes in the legislative environment, research into the use of cannabinoids to supplement neurologic and neurodegenerative concerns has been increasing, with encouraging results.

MCOA is an industrial hemp company that conducts and participates in product research and the development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name ‘hempSMART’. The company distributes and sells its products through an affiliate marketing program. It intends to continue expanding its footprint in ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry.

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