• GCGX is a diversified cannabis holding company with $100 million in projected revenue for 2019
• The company’s nutraceuticals division is to be overseen by medical physicians and veterinarians focused on diverse specialties
• GCGX’s product line is developed with proprietary infused formulas to include lotions, balms, ointments, liquids, pills and powders
• Discussions are underway to take one of the company’s divisions public in Canada in order to raise capital and open up growth potential

From its headquarters in Florida, Global Consortium Inc. (OTC: GCGX), a diversified cannabis holding company expanding its reach nationwide with several subsidiaries, is evaluating an opportunity to take one of its divisions public in Canada. Cannabis businesses listed in Canada have historically thrived after going public on the Canadian Stock Exchange (“CSE”), which also allows firms to dual list in the United States, as the company noted in a news release (http://ibn.fm/qmT6F).

The benefits of taking one of Global Consortium’s divisions public on the CSE include the possibility of receiving a higher multiple and potentially gaining easier access to capital for expansion, as the news release states. The Canadian government’s passage of the Cannabis Act, legalizing adult-use recreational cannabis in October 2018, included a provision allowing the sale of cannabis edibles, extracts and topicals once regulations were created. Sales of edibles, oils, topicals and other infused products are now expected to be legal in Canada by mid-October 2019, according to an article published by Forbes (http://ibn.fm/m9VI3).

Global Consortium’s decision to add a medical-grade nutraceutical division under its Infused Edibles subsidiary (http://ibn.fm/doSOa) is therefore well-timed, with the first tested products expected to reach market by June 2019 (http://ibn.fm/JaxXn). The nutraceutical division is expected to be overseen by medical doctors and veterinarians from different specialties, ensuring that every proprietary formula is designed with a holistic approach for human or animal use.

Each new formula will be compounded and tested by a lab in California prior to being made available to the public, per company announcements. The nutraceutical line will likely consist of lotions, balms, ointments, liquids, pills and powders, with some of the formulations marketed to medical practices as “white labeled,” which allows products to be custom-tailored.

Global Consortium’s Cannabis Mall, which is currently under construction in the Sacramento, California, area, is designed to house cannabis manufacturing, distribution, delivery, retail, testing and cultivation – all under one 64,000-square-foot building that showcases various cannabis operations ranging from seed to shelf. The company stated on its Twitter feed on April 8 (http://ibn.fm/oVMTi) that it will soon be taking delivery of a machine capable of processing 600 pounds of product every eight hours, producing around 23 liters of oil per day at a forecast minimum of $8,000 per liter for large contract orders. The Cannabis Mall will aim to showcase various cannabis operations, such as processing cannabis extractions.

Global Consortium has acquired several companies in the cannabis space, with several subsidiaries, partnerships and licensing agreements. Among its assets are the award-winning Infused Edibles product line; premium medical marijuana oils provider Infused Oils; and CO Hemp, a licensed 600-acre hemp farm in Colorado.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GCGX.org

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

• Kontrol Energy Corp. specializes in disruptive technology acquisitions that focus on energy use applications
• The company has expanded its reach from facilities management to automotive industry productivity and cannabis farm emissions control
• Amid Canada’s developing governmental regulations in the wake of nationwide cannabis legalization, cultivators are facing complaints about their environmental impact
• The market for global industrial emissions control is expected to grow, with a forecast CAGR of 7.8 percent through 2024 and sales of $21.1 billion by 2022

Efforts to “save the planet” have for decades turned worries about changes in our natural environment into a variety of climate-friendly endeavors, once leading comedian George Carlin to complain, “Save the planet?! We don’t even know how to take care of ourselves yet!” Smart energy efficiency platform developer Kontrol Energy Corp. (CSE: KNR) (OTCQB: KNRLF) (FSE: 1K8) is helping businesses take care of themselves and care for their neighbors while making the earth’s climate a little friendlier for humanity in the process.

Kontrol Energy is a Canadian company focused on developing market-disrupting digital technologies, specifically working to help customers reduce their overall energy-consumption costs while establishing a corresponding reduction of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Initially intent on helping building managers monitor, assess and control electrical usage in their facilities, Kontrol’s functionality has grown from acquiring companies in the sector encompassing building automation systems, although that part of its mission continues, with its seventh acquisition currently pending, as announced on March 14, in support of the goal of adopting further electrical efficiency retrofit services (http://ibn.fm/P31c8).

The company announced recently that it will be working with Toyota Tsusho Canada, Inc. (“TTCI”) in a joint venture aimed at applying its digitized, real-time data analysis and machine learning capabilities toward real-time energy management in the automotive industry, providing technological solutions and services to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) clients to help them get the most efficiency from their production operations (http://ibn.fm/BQS8I).

Kontrol followed that announcement with a news release on April 1 stating that the company will be advising cannabis industry clients in Canada on analysis of their emissions as government regulations continue to coalesce in the wake of the nation’s legalization of full adult-use options for the drug last year (http://ibn.fm/aVIfd).

“We offer turn-key odour and emission services designed to scientifically identify, measure and mitigate VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and help our customers be at the leading edge of compliance. We can assess applicable odour control technologies such as carbon filtration, ionization, etc. and then provide the turn-key technology solution and other critical systems required that are best suited for the specific facility,” Kontrol Energy CEO Paul Ghezzi stated in a news release. “Further, solutions to continuously monitor the effectiveness of odour control equipment or the ambient air outside of the facility can be the early warning system required to reduce the frequency of odour complaints. We are well positioned to add new customers in the Cannabis industry and grow our footprint in this significant new market.”

Elevated VOC levels can be produced during the cannabis plant flowering and harvesting process. Kontrol Energy and its operating subsidiary, ORTECH Consulting, have more than 40 years of history working with issues surrounding emissions in multiple industry sectors, according to the company.

Analysts at Research and Markets predict that the global industrial emission control systems market will grow at a CAGR of 7.8 percent between 2018 and 2024 (http://ibn.fm/1NPZ6). Allied Market Research foresees the sector reaching $21.1 billion in sales by 2022 (http://ibn.fm/nSnxo). The cannabis industry clearly has a role to play in the global emissions trends, as cultivators are being hit with a growing incidence of complaints over their environmental impact (http://ibn.fm/oyxNy). Kontrol Energy is aiming to help those growers be good corporate citizens.

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

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

• Company plans to enter the cannabis edible and beverage markets
• CVGR recently entered into a partnership with a leading Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee company
• Company has appointed an alcohol beverage industry veteran as its new CEO

Focused on seed-to-retail, City View Green Holdings Inc. (CSE: CVGR) is a vertically integrated cannabis company whose primary objective is to diversify, with an aim of assessing and potentially acquiring targets in the cannabis industry. Once the company has acquired its Cannabis Act license, its plans include the production of high-quality edible products, distillates and water-soluble products for domestic and international CBD-infused beverage markets. The company will incorporate growing, extraction, production and retail operations at its 40,000-square-foot facility in Brantford, Ontario.

City View Green has entered into a partnership with Blue Bean Coffee Ltd., a global representative of the leading Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee farms (http://ibn.fm/hQcvN). Coffee has the potential to play a large role in the edible and consumable cannabis space, and CVGR wanted to partner with Blue Bean Coffee because of the company’s focus on delivering the finest tasting and highest quality coffee products possible.

Five coffee farms with boutique roasting capability make up the network of Blue Bean Coffee’s suppliers, which are nestled in the highest elevations of the Blue Mountains. Only the finest handpicked beans are selected, ensuring that each cup delivers the highest quality of aroma and taste. The goal is to develop and provide the highest-quality and best-tasting THC- and/or CBD-infused coffee in the industry.

In addition to this partnership, CVGR is assembling a highly qualified management team with extensive contacts that will set the company apart from the competition. CVGR’s new CEO, Ian MacDonald, brings with him proven leadership in the international alcohol beverage industry. MacDonald has repeatedly transformed companies in the alcohol beverage space into award-winning, industry-leading organizations.

MacDonald did not come to City View Green lightly. Before making the move, he spent time with the organization to ensure that it was equipped to deliver the type of success toward which he works. Only after meeting the CVGR team, vetting the business model and assessing the company’s ability to differentiate itself from the competition did MacDonald agree to join the team.

“City View Green has arguably the best team in the business,” MacDonald said in a news release when asked what sets the company apart in the cannabis industry. “Our master grower is a former founder of Weed MD, our extraction specialist is one of the most experienced extraction professionals in North America, our QA person has actual cannabis experience, which is rare in a market that is still in its infancy. It’s the team that will set us apart from everyone else.”

Rob Fia, who has led the company from concept to realization, will step down as CEO of CVGR and will be appointed president, working alongside MacDonald to take the company to the next level (http://ibn.fm/S5OiE).

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

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

• Offers a proprietary web-based platform that enables trade among healthcare buyers and sellers of pharmaceuticals, accessories and services
• Significant first-mover advantage over competitors operating similar e-commerce platforms
• Targeting the 24,000 U.S. independent pharmacies with combined pharmaceutical purchases of $93 billion per year
• Currently adding 100+ pharmacies per month to the TRxADE platform
• Revenue growth driven by increases in the number of registered users and increase in utilization rate of the trading platform

Trxade Group Inc. (OTCQB: TRXD) is an integrated pharmaceutical services company that offers a unique combination of a web-based purchasing platform (www.Trxade.com) for transactions between independent pharmacists and drug distributors (B2B); a network of pharmacies with E-Hub software; a mail order pharmacy; and warehouse and drug delivery services. This synergistic combination of product offerings and superior data analytics is poised to benefit all stakeholders and consumers within the pharmaceutical industry.

Trxade will leverage and scale its fully integrated model to execute the following growth strategies:

• Increase share of pharmacist drug purchasing
• Additional SKUs and expand product breath
• Partner with Specialty and International Mfg.
• Expand mail order licenses to all 50 states
• Scale Delivmeds for consumer delivery nationwide
• Integration with telemedicine
• M&A Opportunities within drug value chain

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Trxade’s overarching corporate strategy is to penetrate the existing retail independent pharmacy marketplace and diversify the company’s pharmaceutical mix with additional specialty and acute care products. Trxade is advancing on this mission by focusing on three key niches in the health care market.

Business-to-Business (B2B)

The $330 billion U.S. pharmaceutical industry is comprised of more than 65,000 pharmacy facilities and 1,500 state-licensed suppliers. Roughly 24,000 of these facilities are independent pharmacies, which collectively spend approximately $93 billion a year on branded and generic drugs.

Trxade targets these independent pharmacies, leveraging a robust, “E-Bay/Kayak-like” technology platform with optimum buyer/seller pricing algorithms, product availability, and predictive data analytics features.

Trxade currently serves and transacts with more than one-third (10,250) of these independent pharmacies and facilitates over $10 million of drug purchases a month!

Consumer

Trxade also targets the “consumer side” of the pharmaceutical industry, aiming to lower prescription drug costs by attacking the inefficient value chain; offering drug price transparency and efficient buying; and, delivering drugs DIRECT to independent pharmacists and consumers.

The company operates a full-service mail order pharmacy for U.S. consumers, as well as a mobile app called “Delivmeds” (www.Delivmeds.com) which enables SAME DAY home delivery of dispensed prescriptions.

Retail

Trxade’s Managed Services Organization (“TrxadeMSO”) enables its member independent retail pharmacies to get patients, process orders, and deliver or ship prescriptions to patients. TrxadeMSO provides access to encompassing network of pharmacies through the E-Hub software, allowing for timely and comprehensive medication fulfillment.

These offerings ensure the best-suited pharmacy receives the patient’s information, thereby ensuring appropriate medication coverage based on the patient’s location, payor coverage, and medication access/inventory. This will save the clinicians and their staff time as they benefit from efficiency and enhanced workflow management in script processing and fulfillment.

Health Care Market 

The U.S. health care market currently hovers near $4 trillion and is expected to grow as the general population ages. This growth will have greater impact on consumers as out-of-pocket expenses also rise. Additionally, drug costs are paced to increase faster than the overall health care and well above inflation.

Drug pricing is variable, and reimbursement is squeezing profits. This provides significant opportunity for the Trxade model of price visibility and profit optimization.

Trxade’s fair online market platform targets the nation’s retail community and independent pharmacies, of which there are approximately 24,000 nationwide. TRxADE has found that independent pharmacies, in order to be cost-effective, often operate with minimal staff and conduct up-to-the minute price checks. The TRxADE S2P platform gives these pharmacists the ability to easily compare the price of drugs offered by various suppliers and select the most favorable deals, saving money by taking advantage of best purchase pricing.

TRxADE’s programs include:

• TRxADE Exchange, which opens and widens the distribution channel to the retail, community pharmacy. A purchasing pharmacy can view products from manufacturers, buying groups, and wholesalers on a real-time and continuous basis. This approach significantly enhances the competitive spirit of the exchange where the lowest price exists for each product at any given point in time. TRxADE has become a competitive tool for all progressive entities and is recognized for its easy searching of hard-to-find generic pharmaceuticals at substantially reduced prices.
• RX Guru is an industry-leading price prediction model that integrates product shortage insight into pharmacy acquisition benchmarks (“PAC”) to ascertain trends and pricing variances that result in significant purchasing opportunities. RX Guru affords members the opportunity to continuously benefit from real price purchasing opportunities that are concealed from the rest of the industry.
• Product Shortage Database – TRxADE maintains the most comprehensive retail, specialty and acute care pharmaceutical product shortage database in the country. Other industry competitors mainly restrict their efforts to specialty and acute care product shortages and narrowly research oral generic products. TRxADE’s advanced prediction tools help members source those hard-to-find products at affordable costs in a timely and easy-to-search process.

Management Team 

Trxade’s management team is rich in expertise within the pharmaceutical supply chain and is supported by a base of advisors and contractors who are experts in related fields of the pharmaceutical sector.

Suren Ajjarapu – Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary
Suren Ajjarapu has served as Trxade’s chairman of the board, CEO and secretary since 2014, and as the chairman of the board, chief executive officer and secretary of Trxade Nevada since its inception. Ajjarapu also serves as a chairman of the board for Feeder Creek Group Inc., since March 2018. Ajjarapu formerly was a founder, CEO and chairman of Sansur Renewable Energy Inc., a company involved in developing wind power sites in the Midwest, United States; a founder, president and director of Aemetis Inc., a biofuels company (AMTX.OB); a founder, chairman and CEO of International Biofuels, a subsidiary of Aemetis Inc.; and a co-founder, COO, and director at Global Information Technology Inc., an IT outsourcing and systems design company. Ajjarapu holds an M.S. in environmental engineering from South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, and an MBA from the University of South Florida, specializing in international finance and management. Ajjarapu is also a graduate of the Venture Capital and Private Equity program at Harvard University.

Prashant Patel – Director, President and Chief Operating Officer
Prashant Patel has served as Trxade’s full-time president and COO, and as a director since the company’s acquisition of Trxade Nevada in 2014, and as the COO and president and as a director of Trxade Nevada since its inception. He has been a president and member of the board of Trxade since August 2010. Patel is a registered pharmacist and pharmaceutical consultant with over 10 years of experience in retail pharmacy and pharmaceutical logistics. He is the founder of several pharmacies in the Tampa Bay area, in Florida. Since 2008, Patel has been managing member of the APAA LLC pharmacy. Since 2007, Patel has been a vice president of Holiday Pharmacy Inc. Patel graduated from Nottingham University School of Pharmacy and practiced in the United Kingdom before obtaining his masters in Transport, Trade and Finance from Cass Business School, City University, UK.

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

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

• Since its offerings are derived from hemp and not marijuana, Earth Science Tech’s products are fully compliant with the 2018 Farm Bill
• Earth Science Tech offers medical, recreational and industrial hemp through its wholly owned subsidiaries
• Each batch of the company’s CBD oil meets the strictest quality standards, positioning its offerings among the highest-quality products on the market

Earth Science Tech Inc. (OTCQB: ETST), an innovative biotechnology company operating in the fields of hemp cannabinoid, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medical device research and development, is securing a commanding position in the burgeoning cannabis sector through its innovative approach and overall compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill.

Because the company’s offerings are derived from hemp and not marijuana, the products are fully compliant with the federal Farm Bill. This compliance allows the company a significant edge over competitors, because it can legally ship its Full Spectrum CBD products to all 50 states.

Earth Science Tech pairs this availability with a laser-like focus on product quality. Each batch of CBD oil is tested to ensure pharmacy-grade quality standards. As a result, the company offers some of the highest-purity and quality full-spectrum cannabinoids on the market.

Widening its distribution and industry reach, Earth Science Tech offers medical, recreational and industrial hemp through its multiple wholly owned subsidiary companies. Canna Inno Laboratories Inc. allows Earth Science Tech access to Canadian government funding and advancements gleaned from product research and development via grants offered to pharmaceutical innovators. Cannabis Therapeutics Inc. was formed as an emerging biotechnology company and is poised to become a global leader in cannabinoid research and development.

Earth Science Tech offers several variations of its High Grade Full Spectrum Cannabinoid products, including CBD Hemp Oil, CBD Capsules and CBD Pets. These products use hemp obtained through the company’s super-critical CO2 extraction to ensure the highest quality of cannabinoids and maintain all naturally occurring therapeutic properties. In the health and wellness industry, hemp products are increasingly sought-after for their incredible health benefits.

Hemp seeds (http://ibn.fm/4l3W2) are “exceptionally nutritious and rich in healthy fats, protein, and various minerals.” They make for an excellent protein source, as well as a great source of vitamin E and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc. Earth Science Tech’s hemp products offer consumers many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, digestive aid and dry skin relief.

Because of its increased revenues and income stream opportunities, Earth Science Tech is ideally poised in multiple markets that are experiencing rapid growth. The company’s diverse portfolio and pipeline encompass a wide range of cutting-edge products and devices set to expand its leadership in various market sectors.

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

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

• Trading symbol change to ‘SHRG’ comes on the heels of a corporate name change and reflects expansion plans for a global market
• Elepreneur Founder Robert Oblon was recently profiled in a cover article in Networking Times, a publication focused on the direct selling industry
• CEO John “JT” Thatch credits continued sales gains to the performance of the firm’s Elepreneur and Elevacity Global subsidiaries

Sharing Services Global Corporation (OTCQB: SHRG), in another move to signal its international growth strategy, has changed its ticker symbol on the OTCQB Venture Market from ‘SHRV’ to ‘SHRG’. The move follows a corporate name change to Sharing Services Global Corporation. The company also says that it will pursue opportunities abroad (http://ibn.fm/aRU2p).

In a news release, CEO John “JT” Thatch said, “We are pleased to have our trading symbol changed to better reflect our name change, which more closely aligns with our mission to expand globally. Since our launch into the marketplace almost a year ago, product sales for our incredible health and wellness division of Elevacity Global have dramatically increased and continue to grow.”

The company plans to expand via acquisition and organic growth initiatives, in addition to seizing international opportunities. Thatch credited the company’s Elepreneur and Elevacity Global subsidiaries for performance gains.

In another move that raised the company’s profile further, Networking Times, a direct-selling industry publication, published a cover article on Robert Oblon, founder of the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Elepreneur. Titled ‘Elevating Health, Wealth & Happiness’, the article tells of Oblon’s passion for creating direct selling and marketing models (http://ibn.fm/wQyCc).

In this special issue, several members of the independent Elepreneurs sales force are profiled (www.NetworkingTimes.com). The issue also explains how the company’s subsidiary, Elepreneur, was born and details Oblon’s personal mission for Elepreneur as it promotes successful home-based business opportunities within the global online retail and gig economy.

SHRG is a Plano, Texas-based diversified holdings company that owns, operates or controls a variety of companies engaged in direct selling through independent sales representatives. SHRG also offers services such as energy, technology and insurance. The company’s divisions include Elevacity Global and Elepreneur.

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

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

• NGTF secured distribution in 15 states during Q1; company’s goal is to reach 10,000 retail outlets by mid-2020
• A second ice cream production run of all eight flavors has been completed; back orders have shipped, and e-commerce shipping is returning to normal
• Nightfood ice cream won the 2019 ‘Product of the Year’ award in a Kantar survey of more than 40,000 consumers

Nightfood Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: NGTF), owner of Nightfood ice cream, secured distribution in 15 states and recorded greater than $150,000 in revenue in Q1 2019, the three months ended March 31, 2019. The majority of the reported revenue came from wholesale sales of the ice cream.

The company recently announced that e-commerce shipping will return to normal, and online back orders are also being shipped. In addition, NGTF’s second production run of all eight flavors has been completed.

Nightfood Vice President of Ice Cream Sales Jim Christensen said in a news release (http://ibn.fm/JWo6J), “It’s important to point out that we were never on back order for our wholesale customers, which is the focus of our business. In fact, we shipped several pallets to a new distributor last week when this run was just getting underway.”

Within three months of the manufacture of its first pint, NGTF established distribution in 15 states. The company estimated that, if its national rollout goal of selling into 10,000 retail doors by March 31, 2020, is reached, revenues could approach or exceed $10 million per quarter by mid-2020 (http://ibn.fm/KoIzo).

In a news release, Nightfood CEO Sean Folkson said, “We won our 2019 Product of the Year Award in the ice cream category on the strength of consumers viewing Nightfood as both unique and exciting. Those attributes, along with a great-tasting and better-for-you product, have allowed us to expand distribution so rapidly.” The company won the ice cream category award in February 2019 after a Kantar survey of over 40,000 consumers.

Referring to the company’s e-commerce shipping issues, Folkson added, “Our focus is on making Nightfood available locally across the country, and mail order ice cream has never been a primary focus. Management reminds investors there is plenty of untapped production capacity already available through existing relationships.”

NGTF is focused on solving America’s $50 billion nighttime snacking problem, and its new ice cream line is sleep-friendly and formulated by sleep and nutrition experts. Based in Tarrytown, New York, Nightfood Holdings Inc. owns Nightfood Inc., along with MJ Munchies Inc.  MJ Munchies was formed in 2018 as a new, wholly owned subsidiary of Nightfood Holdings Inc. in an effort to capitalize on legally compliant opportunities in the CBD and marijuana edibles and related spaces.  The company intends to market some of these new products under the brand name ‘Half-Baked’, a moniker for which it has successfully secured trademark rights.

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

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

• Sproutly Canada is building its operations to take advantage of the expected legalization of cannabis-infused edible and beverage products
• Health Canada recently awarded Sproutly’s wholly owned subsidiary, Toronto Herbal Remedies, a processing license to advance its beverage-production strategy
• Deloitte analysts foresee cannabis-infused beverages capturing market revenues between $900 million and $4.4 billion by 2024
• Sproutly touts unique aspects of its patent-pending, water-soluble cannabis oils for quick assimilation by the human physique and effective recreational use

Sproutly Canada Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G) recently achieved a “major milestone” as it continues to build its operations in preparation for Canada’s legalization of cannabis-infused edibles and beverages, which is anticipated to occur later this year as a follow-up to the opening of legal cannabis markets for adult recreational use last fall.

Sproutly announced on April 1 that its wholly owned subsidiary, Toronto Herbal Remedies Inc. (“THR”), was granted a processing license from Health Canada that allows THR to produce cannabis oil and related products (http://ibn.fm/PB7Kk). Toronto Herbal Remedies was already a licensed producer under the country’s Cannabis Act, and the new license sets the stage for Sproutly’s plans to become a “world-class cannabis beverage and infused product company,” specifically in an attempt to establish an alternative to alcoholic beers (http://ibn.fm/RTrLb).

“For cannabis beverages, we can now continue to advance our formulation work at our own production facility,” Sproutly CEO and Director Keith Dolo stated in a news release. “Our plan is to deliver cannabis beverages that will not only look and taste great, but also where consumers will feel the cannabis effects within five minutes and dissipate within 90 minutes. With Infuz2O’s fast onset and fast offset characteristics, the experience is more similar to drinking a beer, compared to traditional cannabis oils that have an unpredictable, multi-hour experience.”

THR has already completed a large amount of work toward a formulation for a CBD-infused beverage line utilizing the company’s Infuz2O proprietary, naturally produced, water-soluble cannabinoids.

“With the grant of our Processing License, we can extend formulation development work with the cannabis strains which we plan on utilizing in our cannabis beverages in Canada,” Chief Science Officer and Director Dr. Arup Sen added. “It also allows us to perform the required shelf-stability and other necessary testing to be ready for the legalization of cannabis beverages later this year.”

Sproutly is also preparing to commercialize edible products containing its Bio Natural Oils, Sen said. The company’s Bio Natural Oils deliver a full-spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes of the strains from which they are made.

“We developed and have, a patent-pending process that is unique in that we are able to find and recover naturally water-soluble forms of these oils, kind of like cholesterol in our blood, the good and bad cholesterol, not free cholesterol or free oils,” Sen told Investor Ideas (http://ibn.fm/gBzzs). “They are water soluble; that’s why they flow through the blood. With that discovery we embarked on a path of founding Infusion Biosciences, developed the technology further and were able to show that we could recover commercially feasible amounts of these unique naturally water-soluble forms of the entire plant/cannabinoid/terpene profile.”

Sproutly also announced, on March 28, that it is negotiating with a beverage company regarding a potential partnership to jointly develop and market cannabis-infused beverages, in response to a request from the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (“IIROC”) following questions about recent trading activity in the company’s stock (http://ibn.fm/9YQy2).

Analysts at Deloitte believe that the cannabis-infused beverages market will climb to somewhere between $900 million and $4.4 billion by 2024, depending on the percentage of the market it captures (http://ibn.fm/OPuRH).

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

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

• Black Iron is working to secure financing and land to start construction of its low-cost Ukraine iron ore project
• The mine site is surrounded by other producing iron ore mines and located in close proximity to a railway, powerlines, five ports and skilled labor, allowing for a phased build
• Unexpected incidents in Brazil and Australia have caused significant market players to cut their yearly outlooks for iron ore production, leading to higher price forecasts

The rise in commodity benchmark prices in the iron ore market on the heels of devastating industry setbacks in Brazil and Australia is indicating a corresponding opportunity for mine developer Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (GR: BIN) as the Canadian firm pushes toward funding construction and securing essential land for its Shymanivske iron ore project in the historically rich Kryvyi Rih region of Ukraine.

Bloomberg reported, on April 3, that shortages in supply and questions about when the disruptions will be moderated had driven the benchmark price to $91 after a three-day, 7.3 percent advance (http://ibn.fm/EVIWh), capping a much larger climb from just over $67, where prices stood a year earlier (http://ibn.fm/H1FP6). Importantly, some ore is still in transit, meaning that the real effect of shortages on the iron ore price is yet to be fully felt.

Most of the price change has come as a result of curtailed output by Vale SA (NYSE: VALE), which declared force majeure on fulfillment of its contracts and cut its iron ore plan for the year by about 75 million metric tons after a Brazilian tailings dam failed in January (http://ibn.fm/zt2iq), killing hundreds of people and driving a regulatory crackdown on 56 other dams whose stability is compromised or in question, 20 of which are owned by Vale, according to Bloomberg.

The 2019 shipping-to-market outlet was further quieted when a cyclone hammered Australia’s shipping operations for Rio Tinto Group and BHP Group, leading Rio Tinto to also declare force majeure on parts of its global operations. The global miner reported that the cyclone and a screening plant fire in January would cost it about 14 million metric tons in lost shipping output this year (http://ibn.fm/Nf0WB).

While some of the shortages should be moderated during the coming months, especially those resulting from the Australia cyclone, Bloomberg noted that futures were above $90 a ton and the contract for high-grade ore had continued its rise above $100 a ton, with UBS Group AG analysts forecasting an average price of $83 a ton this year.

Black Iron has been pushing to begin construction at its Shymanivske project by the end of the year and is focused on raising capital to fund construction and securing essential land surface rights for the central Ukraine site. The company recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Glencore, one of the world’s largest commodity traders, to make an investment toward funding construction of the project in exchange for securing the offtake of up to the full phase one planned annual production of four million tons. Additionally, the MOU outlines cooperation between Black Iron and Glencore to leverage their relationships to source the balance of funds required to construct the project. Debt finance discussions are ongoing with international financial institutions and Europe-based banks, which have shown interest in the projected robust economics of Black Iron’s project due to its low operating cost and construction capital intensity.

Solid progress is also being made to secure land that’s essential for construction of the processing plant, tailings and waste rock stockpiles. On March 14, Black Iron announced that Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has developed a plan to transfer the land being sought.

The company closed a non-brokered private placement financing on April 5 that was upsized and fully subscribed. Black Iron noted, on March 29, that a new strategic investor participated in this financing and has expressed an interest in potentially participating in future construction financing and may also be able to assist in negotiations with other parties that could make an investment toward construction of Black Iron’s Shymanivske project (http://ibn.fm/4auLm).

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.

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

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

• Diversified product lines, new sales channels and distributors, an expanded sales team, and increasing social awareness of VPR Brands has increased profit margins
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• Private label (white label) business is a growth sector; in 2018 VPR Brands white labeled several award-winning vaporizers for prominent companies
• Required testing and certification to allow all VPR Brand products to be imported and sold in the European Union is underway
• International sales efforts are ongoing and supported by a company representative who attends trade fairs and works to build relationships with distributors in each territory

Florida-based VPR Brands, LP (OTC: VPRB) is an innovative technology holding company whose assets include patented atomization-related products and technology. VPR Brands’ current lineup of products includes accessories and vaporizers for cannabidiol (CBD), cannabis concentrates and extracts. The company is also engaged in product development within the vaping market and partners with top international brands to elevate their products within the vaping industry.

VPR Brands employs a growth strategy centered on high-performance, high-quality products that build exponential brand equity, awareness and loyalty. The company’s current product portfolio is comprised of the following:

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• Vapor Store Direct in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is one of the largest vaporizer and e-liquid wholesalers in the United States. Vapor Store Direct stocks internationally elite brands, vaporizers, tanks/atomizers, coils, e-liquid, e-cigarettes, batteries, glass and accessories.

Management Team

CEO Kevin Frija is a veteran entrepreneur with nearly 30 years of experience in sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain management, marketing, advertising and brand licensing. In 2009, Frija became the president and chief executive officer of Vapor Corp., one of the first U.S. importers and publicly traded electronic cigarette companies. In 2016, Frija purchased the brands and wholesale business assets from Vapor Corp., which is now owned by VPR Brands. Under his leadership, VPR Brands is pivoting toward cannabis products which is increasing sales and profit margins.

Dan Hoff, chief operating officer, has worked in the vaporizer and e-cigarette industry, serving in various positions at Vapor Corp., including overseeing the financial management, accounting functions, supply chain management, product design and development, and key vendor relations. He has played a pivotal role in building and expanding the cannabis-based products division at VPR Brands, which includes a turnkey OEM vapor solutions program available to farmers, cultivators and extractors. Hoff received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami School of Business.

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