• SinglePoint, a technology and investment company with an extensive portfolio, has announced that it will enable the distribution of raw materials like full spectrum oils and hemp byproducts
• The expansion of the company’s hemp and CBD product line is a result of legislative changes in the U.S., especially the passing of the federal Farm Bill
• The company also announced that it will be working toward strategic partnerships and alliances that will facilitate and secure the distribution of its extended line of products

Private label products and custom offerings formulated for the needs of clients both belong to the SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) hemp and CBD portfolio. The company has now announced an expansion of its portfolio and is already working on the distribution of raw materials like full spectrum oils, isolates and other hemp byproducts required for the creation of CBD lines.

According to a company update, the enhanced product range is in line with SinglePoint’s sales and marketing strategy (http://ibn.fm/o9mT5). Following the approval of the federal Farm Bill on December 11, 2018, companies like SinglePoint have started making strategic moves to benefit from the legislative changes brought on by the Farm Bill.

SinglePoint has already secured opportunities for the bulk distribution of CBD isolate. The company also sees potential for the distribution of CBD and other materials. In the near future, SinglePoint anticipates partnering up with several large purchasers capable of guaranteeing the volume of orders.

CBD isolate is a necessary raw material for the production of various popular products like tinctures and creams. Through its distribution, SinglePoint is establishing itself as a partner that’s capable of delivering comprehensive supply chain solutions – from the inception to the creation of a finished hemp or CBD product.

In addition, SinglePoint is working to help its clients secure extensive distribution via both ecommerce and retail channels.

The consumer demand for reliable suppliers of hemp and CBD products is growing rapidly, as SinglePoint President Wil Ralston noted in a news release. SinglePoint is investing in the infrastructure and the research needed to educate clients and also offer high quality CBD products at an affordable price, he concluded.

One of the most exciting new developments, according to Ralston, is the new SinglePoint water-soluble CBD tincture. The product will soon become available at an introductory price via the company’s online platform, SingleSeed.com (http://ibn.fm/3tJlg).

“We are working quickly to establish our own brand SingleSeed as an innovative solution (…) while also expanding our affiliate network to address retail point of sale in various consumer outlets – from 7/11 markets to specialized nutrition stores to alternative health businesses like chiropractic offices,” Ralston also announced.

Strategic alliances will be of key importance in the future, and SinglePoint is actively working to acquire the right partners. The aim of such alliances will be to position SinglePoint as one of the first public companies to streamline the transaction process. Through such alliances, SinglePoint could become a reliable vendor for all of the companies actively developing consumer solutions.

As per the official company announcement, additional updates and news about strategic developments will be released to the public in the near future.

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

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

• A strategic partnership with HP will enable Aptito to benefit from the tech giant’s massive global sales to deliver a full set of point-of-sale tools to small- and medium-sized clients
• The sales and support partnership will focus on a line of Android-based point-of-sale devices to enable access to affordable, cutting-edge payment technologies
• The innovative payment solutions market is anticipated to continue growing rapidly in 2019 and beyond, providing companies like Aptito with sustainable expansion opportunities

Global technology and value-added solutions group Net Element Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) subsidiary Aptito will be entering into a sales and support partnership with HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) that will focus on the HP line of Android-based point-of-sale devices, the company announced in a press release (http://ibn.fm/EEZle).

“We are excited to work with HP to deliver our SaaS in their IPOS solutions to our existing and new merchants worldwide,” Aptito President Andrey Krotov said in the release. Aptito solutions are currently deployed in 16 countries, and the number is increasing. HP global sales provide opportunities for furthered expansion, he concluded.

Under the terms of the agreement, Aptito will provide its restaurant management SaaS alongside the HP point-of-sale solutions. The collaboration primarily addresses the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses (“SMBs”) that are looking for competitively priced, cutting-edge technologies.

Aptito’s technology, backed by the HP global sales, will aim to deliver a full set of tools to enhance both selling and mobile transactions carried out by SMBs.

Under wholly owned subsidiary Aptito, Net Element is providing comprehensive business management solutions and cloud-based point-of-sale systems for the restaurant industry (http://ibn.fm/x9qc9).

Effective payment solutions have long established themselves as one of the essentials for the sustainable growth of SMBs. Effortless transactions increase customer satisfaction and overall experience (http://ibn.fm/e9LZp). Through the introduction of new technologies, such transactions become simpler and more affordable to carry out than ever before. Aptito already offers a full range of innovative solutions developed for the needs of restaurant owners – Aptito POS, Aptito mPOS, kiosks and digital menus, to name a few.

Attention to detail and the quality of customer service are both of paramount importance in the restaurant business. According to the National Restaurant Association, 10,000 new businesses open each year. As of 2018, the number of restaurants operating in the U.S. has exceeded one million (http://ibn.fm/JIK9K).

Innovative payment solution technologies are shaping up as one of the most demanded innovations. According to the Electronic Transaction Association, U.S. merchants will spend nearly $2 billion on effective payment solutions in 2019.

The global point of sale market will exceed $9.8 billion by 2023, forecasts suggest. That’s a CAGR of 12 percent over the specified period. Both market volume and revenues are anticipated to increase consistently (http://ibn.fm/8kXvP).

Growing digital payment volumes, the widespread adoption of mobile payment solutions and a very high demand from the retail sector will rank among the primary factors driving the expansion in this field.

Net Element operates a payment-as-a-service transactional and value-added services platform for small- and medium-sized enterprises. The NETE solutions are available across the U.S. and in various emerging markets. In the U.S., Net Element works toward innovating productivity for SMBs through reliance on blockchain technology and cloud-based solutions. Internationally, it strives to make the most of an omni-channel platform to deliver flexible solutions to emerging markets.

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

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

• The popularity of vaping is driving analysts to predict a significant CAGR of well over 20 percent during the coming years
• VPR Brands’ vape accessory products, as well as its new cannabidiol product division, have helped the company record a 28 percent revenue increase for the past year
• The year also boosted VPR Brands’ operating loss into positive territory, as well as the company’s gross operating margin

Atomization technology product innovator VPR Brands, LP (OTC: VPRB), celebrating a year of increasing revenues for its vaporizer and essential oils accessories, has announced its year-end financial results.

“Much of 2018 was focused on expanding our sales channels, launching new products and building our brands. We are pleased with the results of these efforts and are excited to continue this course of improving operational efficiencies and expansion,” VPR Brands COO Dan Hoff stated as the company presented its report (http://ibn.fm/7E5c3).

The company’s revenues for the 12 months ended December 31 topped $4.6 million, rising nearly 28 percent on the strength of new product sales during the year. As VPR Brands increased its full-year revenues, it reversed its operating loss into positive territory, crossing the $9,000 threshold. Gross operating margins for the year increased by almost 20 percent to a margin of 41 percent.

As product sales increased, the company also increased its inventory by about $263,000 in anticipation of further success, resulting in a growth of the company’s assets, which were valued at $767,209 as of December 31.

“We have all tirelessly worked to build a strong foundation and prove we are capable of maintaining consistent and sustainable growth and still be mindful of financial performance,” CEO Kevin Frija stated in a news release.

Frija applauded the success of the company’s Goldline cannabidiol (CBD) product division during the year, calling it “a good parallel” to VPR’s vape portfolio and a means of generating a positive vibe in the nutraceuticals and edible supplements sectors.

“We believe that the repeat business frequency in these sectors adds an exponential factor into our growth equation… We expect to continue to add to our product line, while also increasing our supply to meet growing demand,” he told shareholders at year’s end (http://ibn.fm/gM8I7).

VPR Brands specializes in vaporization devices created for medical cannabis and recreational marijuana use. The vaping devices provide a mechanism for using extract oils and concentrates in a discrete and convenient manner, without the distinct and lingering odors that have historically resulted from smoked marijuana use.

Research and Markets analysts anticipate that the multi-billion-dollar global vaping tank market will grow at a CAGR of 28.92 percent during the next five years (http://ibn.fm/3tfuI), while Grand View Research predicts a CAGR of 23.8 percent through 2025 (http://ibn.fm/BLCx7).

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

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

• The company’s annual license for manufacturing recreational and medicinal cannabis products was recently renewed by the State of California
• GCGX’s cannabis mall is under construction in Sacramento, with a goal of beginning production of Infused Edibles products there by the end of the second quarter
• The company’s ultimate goal is to be listed and traded on the Nasdaq

Diversified cannabis holding company Global Consortium Inc. (OTC: GCGX) remains committed to its goal of beginning the registration process to be listed and traded on the Nasdaq by mid- to late-June of this year, CEO Matthew Dwyer said during an investor conference call (http://ibn.fm/gQTKr). The company recently updated shareholders on Twitter, stating that a valuation is underway on an acquisition made last year to ensure that the financial reports meet the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (http://ibn.fm/0Nt7Y).

“Our ultimate goal is to go to Nasdaq and trade on that exchange,” Dwyer reiterated following a shareholder question. Global Consortium’s efforts to uplist to the Nasdaq are being met with enthusiasm, Dwyer said, noting that the stock prices of companies in the cannabis space generally benefit from such a move. Other positive signs of growth by Global Consortium include receiving an annual license from the state of California to manufacture cannabis products for the recreational and medicinal cannabis markets in that state (http://ibn.fm/PMVmi).

Also making progress is Global Consortium’s 64,000-square-foot cannabis mall, currently under construction in the Sacramento, California, area. The mall is designed to house cannabis manufacturing, distribution, delivery, retail, testing and cultivation. 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 – has already been delivered (http://ibn.fm/S6hwC). The cannabis mall will house the largest manufacturing facility of THC and CBD distillates and edibles believed to be operational in the United States.

Fittingly, production of edible cannabis-infused products, sold through the company’s Infused Edibles (http://ibn.fm/MIiNI) division, will be manufactured at the Sacramento location, as well. Infused Edibles sells a wide selection of specialty, CBD-infused edible products and has received 17 first place awards for its dedicated line of U.S. grown, CBD isolate-infused food products.

“We’re moving machinery to Sacramento now and some training will be done,” Dwyer said during the investor call. “I’d say probably by the end of the second quarter, if not sooner, all edible production will be done in Sacramento.”

Edible sales in the U.S. and Canada are expected to reach more than $4.1 billion by 2022, according to a new report released by Arcview Market Research in partnership with BDS Analytics (http://ibn.fm/ZaEhH). More consumers state that they are willing to try cannabis in an edible form, the report detailed, noting the shifting trends in spending by cannabis connoisseurs.

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

• Preclinical and clinical data indicate that Oncoprex immunogene therapy may be effective alone or in combination with targeted small molecule therapies; pre-clinical data also indicate potential effectiveness in combination with immunotherapies
• Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide
• Genprex holds an exclusive license to more than 30 issued patents and several pending applications covering its platform technologies, including patents covering the therapeutic use of the TUSC2 tumor suppressor gene
• The value of the global immunotherapy drugs market is expected to surpass $385 billion by 2025, recording a CAGR of more than 14 percent from 2018 to 2025

Clinical-stage gene therapy company Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) is pioneering a new approach to treating cancer with its lead drug candidate, Oncoprex immunogene therapy, an investigational therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”). Oncoprex is designed to interrupt cell signaling pathways that cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells, to target and kill cancer cells via receptor pathways, and to stimulate natural immune responses against cancer. Oncoprex consists of the TUSC2 tumor suppressor gene encapsulated in a positively charged lipid nanoparticle. It is injected intravenously, specifically targeting cancer cells, which generally have a negative electrical charge. Once Oncoprex is taken up into a cancer cell, the TUSC2 gene is expressed in a protein that is capable of restoring certain defective functions arising in the cancer cell (http://ibn.fm/zkW0b).

Genprex collaborators from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center presented positive preclinical data for use of the TUSC2 gene in combination with the immunotherapy pembrolizumab (marketed as Keytruda by Merck & Co. Inc.) for the treatment of lung cancer in a poster presented at the 2019 American Association of Cancer Research Meeting. The data is available on the Genprex website (http://ibn.fm/rfLpQ).

“These data further support and solidify existing preclinical data showing that Oncoprex immunogene therapy is synergistic with anti-PD1 therapy and could result in a stronger antitumor response compared to either agent alone,” Julien L. Pham, MD, MPH, president and chief operating officer of Genprex, stated in a news release. “It also demonstrates how Oncoprex could be used in combination with other immunotherapies as a viable treatment option for late-stage non-small cell lung cancer.”

According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, killing more people than breast, colon, kidney, liver, prostate and skin cancers combined. Non-small cell lung cancer represents 80 percent of all lung cancers. New lung cancer cases have been maintaining a steady level among men but are increasing more rapidly in women. In the period from 2015 to 2030, standardized lung cancer mortality rates among women are expected to increase from 11.2 to 16.0, marking an increase of over 40 percent (http://ibn.fm/8BboA).

Genprex already holds more than 30 issued patents for its platform technologies. The company is also in the process of conducting research to find biomarkers to identify patients most likely to benefit from Genprex treatments, as well as other drugs that will be synergistic with Genprex’s gene therapies. Given the enormous potential and vast unmet medical need, Genprex plans to apply for Fast Track, Breakthrough or RMAT designation from the FDA (http://ibn.fm/9tWaA).

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

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

• SGMD CEO says that the company is planning to “significantly expand” its operations to provide supplies for growers of hemp
• Jimmy Chan, CEO, estimates that hemp farmers in Kentucky will ultimately require “hundreds of millions” of hemp plant clones
• SGMD, focused on supplying hydroponic and cultivation products, has started to make deliveries of micropropagation supplies to farmers

Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD), focused on hydroponic and hemp growing supplies, plans to significantly expand its supplies of hemp-cultivation products, specifically to farmers in Kentucky who are hard-pressed to meet booming demand. Jimmy Chan, CEO of SGMD, noted in a news release his belief that hundreds of millions of hemp clones will be needed in that state to keep pace (http://ibn.fm/RtJ85).

According to Chan, the hemp industry will require plant clones for cultivation to meet future demand. He cited farmers in Kentucky facing the challenge of a hemp boom, stating, “With at least 42,000 acres of hemp expected to be planted in Kentucky and considering an average plant density per acre of well over 1,000 farmers in Kentucky will need hundreds of millions of clones over the coming years.”

Hemp clones (http://ibn.fm/piJXA) are ready to plant, with the same genetics and phenotypes as the mother plant. The clones need no extra inputs, such as growing first indoors or in a greenhouse setting. SGMD is committed to providing the necessary supplies for supporting the micropropagation process of creating hemp plant clones (http://ibn.fm/W9Nfm).

SGMD has expanded its footprint in hydroponic and cultivation products. The company’s new agreement with Hempistry Inc. reinforces its commitment to supplying growers in the hemp sector. Sugarmade is investing in Hempistry, a privately held corporation, which has begun planting an industrial hemp strain in Kentucky.

In a news release, Chan, now also a director at Hempistry, added, “We have already received our first shipment of micropropagation supplies, and we are in the process of making deliveries.”

Based in Monrovia, California, SGMD is a hydroponics supply company that’s committed to growth through supplying the industrial hemp sector. SGMD is a product and brand-marketing company with numerous operations, such as packaging and paper goods for diverse industries. By delivering products, such as hydroponics, to the industrial hemp market the company is seeking to increase its revenue base.

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

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

• The company’s first 10-K filing with the SEC was recently completed, reporting a 344 percent year-over-year revenue increase
• SING recorded a triple-digit increase in sales and a nearly 10-fold increase in profits in 2018
• Increased interest in funding SING is coming from institutional investors and large family corporations

Technology and investment company SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) is at a significant reflection point in the company’s history as its portfolio investments generate increasing revenues, SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht told shareholders in a sweeping review of the company’s recent successes and plans for the future (http://ibn.fm/l9mmu).

“Since we got our 10-K done, we have had an amazing amount of calls from institutional offices, big family offices, that want to know what we are doing and want to talk to us about funding us,” Lambrecht stated in a video update (http://ibn.fm/uv9ER). “Most of these funders, their minimum is $5 million up to $50 million. So, with this 10-K getting done and our ability to show the public, the shareholders that we’re able to acquire these companies and get profits, it’s really starting to show up. That was a huge step for SinglePoint and kind of separated us from the pack, if you will.”

SinglePoint recently filed its first annual statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a fully reporting issuer. The report shows that sales increased by 344 percent during the year, leading to a total of more than $1.1 million by year’s end (http://ibn.fm/LZdvq). Agreements to acquire Direct Solar and AI Live Transfers, two companies utilizing the Lending Tree model to market products and services in the solar power sector, are expected to significantly increase SinglePoint’s profits (http://ibn.fm/Xkh1o).

“Direct Solar is really good at getting leads and handing them off to other companies that install the solar,” Lambrecht said in a news release. “The auditors are optimistic, hoping the company can do $5 million to $10 million this year.”

SinglePoint is also focused on the sale of CBD products through subsidiary SingleSeed.com, although the company first had to determine how it would invest in the rapidly evolving cannabis space.

“We purposely did not touch the plant. We had the ability to purchase a grow or dispensary, but we decided not to do that. In the end it’s still illegal in the United States,” Lambrecht added. The federal government’s recent legalization of hemp and CBD, however, put SinglePoint in an excellent position to benefit from CBD product sales. The company is finishing up designs for a CBD rack for retail locations, which Lambrecht said will be featured at upcoming trade shows and other locations.

“We have over 40 products on SingleSeed,” Lambrecht continued. “We’ve had the site up for two years and continue to improve it. We’re doing revenues on that and we’re just about ready to launch our CBD product on Amazon.”

“Growth at SinglePoint is on and only going to get bigger,” Lambrecht concluded. “We are getting a lot of attention from our growth and that’s exactly what we’ve been working hard to do. 2019 is really going to be our year to shine.”

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

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

• Spectrum Global Solutions provides leading-edge fiber networks and infrastructure services to a diverse client base
• The company is positioned to leverage the rollout of 5G infrastructure
• Spectrum recently received contracts for carrier network upgrades

Via its subsidiaries, Spectrum Global Solutions Inc. (OTCQB: SGSI) is a foremost single-source provider of end-to-end, next-generation wireless and wireline network infrastructure and professional service solutions. The company owns and operates a number of subsidiaries that allow it to provide wide-ranging services encompassing all facets of fiber, wireline and wireless networks and associated critical infrastructure. With headquarters in Longwood, Florida, Spectrum has completed over 150,000 project activities on wireless, DAS, wireline and fiber networks across the United States using licensed professional engineers, project managers, technicians and general contractors (http://ibn.fm/YX9nn).

Spectrum designs, upgrades, installs and maintains next-generation telecommunication networks. Its subsidiaries include ADEX Corporation, ADEX Puerto Rico LLC, AW Solutions Inc., AW Solutions Puerto Rico, TNS Inc. and Tropical Communications Inc. (http://ibn.fm/hzZrj). Through these subsidiaries, the company provides its services to carriers, aggregators, utilities, enterprises, project management organizations (PMO) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers. Spectrum serves the carrier and corporate enterprise markets across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as internationally.

Spectrum’s experience includes massive-scale programs worth more than $1.5 billion. The company is proactive regarding its acquisition strategy, targeting accretive and organic opportunities to increase its revenue. It has a replicable, scalable-services model that involves industry-leading strategic partnerships (http://ibn.fm/UkEFR).

Spectrum is focusing on 5G upgrades to telecommunication carriers’ cellular networks. Digital Trends notes that 5G technology will shape every kind of technology it touches. The article (http://ibn.fm/ZZuJS) further observes that “5G will revolutionize the future, and companies have already spent billions to set up their networks and to fund new technologies that can use it.” Spectrum is positioning itself to provide more wide-ranging solutions and profit from the estimated $2.3 billion to be spent on 5G mobile infrastructure by 2021 (http://ibn.fm/JLep4).

Over the past year, Spectrum has won contracts valued at $5.8 million. Recently, Spectrum announced that it received greater than $3.7 million in new contract awards (http://ibn.fm/bNo19). These new contracts are to support carrier network upgrades. Spectrum has positioned itself to meet the increasing demand for deep fiber investments (http://ibn.fm/KTLkM).

In a news release, Roger Ponder, Spectrum Global Solutions’ chief executive officer, said, “These work orders from new and existing clients continue to show the accelerated growth predicted as a result of national 5G implementations and on-going network upgrades that has begun this year.”

Spectrum Global Solutions’ commitment is to cost-effective, scalable and strong solutions for U.S. and worldwide clients. With a subsidiary base diversified in numerous aspects of the industry, the company offers investors the potential for ROI with its local, regional, national and international products. Spectrum continues to advance its goals as the company innovates at the forefront of the high-growth telecom market segment.

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

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

• Project offers short transport distance to steel growth markets of Turkey, Egypt and the Middle East, with rail, port and power-access secured
• Premium 68 percent iron content pellet feed generates fewer emissions per ton of steel and at a lower cost due to increased steel blast furnace productivity
• Global crude steel output was up nearly 5 percent in March over the prior year, rising to 155 million tons

Canadian iron ore exploration and development company Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (GR: BIN) is advancing its Shymanivske iron ore deposit located in the historically rich Krivyi Rih region of Ukraine at a time that appears favorable for investors as iron ore prices increase and the global appetite for steel remains strong. Black Iron’s plans to produce an ultra-high-grade, 68 percent iron ore pellet feed with few impurities at very low cost at its Shymanivske project have been independently reaffirmed by highly regarded market intelligence groups CRU and Wood Mackenzie.

Iron ore is essential to steel-making, and Black Iron projects that its 68 percent premium iron, pellet feed product will sell for a significantly higher price than the 62 percent and 65 percent iron benchmark products. Iron ore prices are continuing to rise as ongoing strength in Chinese steel futures and seasonal demand for steel remains strong worldwide, an article published by Business Insider reports (http://ibn.fm/PbEE0).

“Seasonal demand improvement will continue to support steel prices,” Richard Lu, analyst at CRU consultancy in Beijing, told Reuters (http://ibn.fm/MQGeZ). “Construction activities typically pick up in May and June when the weather is usually favourable.”

Black Iron presents an appealing outlook for investors as the World Steel Association reports that global steel output rose to 155 million tons in March 2019, up 4.9 percent from a year earlier (http://ibn.fm/0uSpq). Of the 64 countries reporting crude steel production, China topped the list with an increase of 10 percent at 80.3 million tons, the association reports.

Global iron ore prices are forecast to rise 11.4 percent in 2019 due to supply disruptions from key mines in Brazil and Australia, along with China’s fiscal stimulus that are seen as strengthening steel consumption, according to an article published by HellenicShippingNews.com (http://ibn.fm/YhOlv).

Black Iron recently closed the second and final tranche of an earlier announced private placement of units. The funds generated through the non-brokered private placement are earmarked for securing essential land surface rights and furthering the advancement of the Shymanivske iron ore project, with construction expected to begin later this year (http://ibn.fm/yqIBQ).

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

• Wildflower Brands’ dominance is growing with its proposed acquisition of City Cannabis Co., Vancouver’s first legal cannabis boutique
• A building permit has been issued for a third City Cannabis store, to be located in one of Vancouver’s busiest pedestrian and retail districts
• British Columbia’s legal cannabis market is projected to reach $722 million by 2024
• Wildflower Brands serves cannabis consumers in the U.S. and Canada, with distribution in over 300 stores

Wildflower Brands Inc. (CSE: SUN) (OTCQB: WLDFF) continues to reach numerous significant milestones in its drive to create brands that work in synergy with the company’s slogan of ‘Plants Heal’. Wildflower’s success toward becoming a global wellness brand leader can be seen in its growing distribution network within the United States and its recently announced letter of intent to acquire City Cannabis Co. of Vancouver, British Columbia (http://ibn.fm/p9E3u).

As a cannabis company dedicated to developing and designing brands that focus on plant-based health and wellness products, Wildflower’s reach extends to both the medicinal and recreational sectors. The acquisition of City Cannabis, which already has two retail shops open in Vancouver, includes a third location now that a building permit has been issued by the city. The retail site location on Cambie Street is situated along one of the busiest corners in the city, with pedestrian traffic currently at 12,000-plus per day and growing year-over-year, Wildflower stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/e6POT).

“City Cannabis is the first multiple location operator to come out of British Columbia and has a proven track record in opening and licensing premier cannabis retail locations,” William MacLean, CEO of Wildflower Brands, said in the release. “With the addition of the Cambie Village location, their current 610 Robson Street location will congruently continue to strengthen brand dominance. BC has always been considered the most cultured cannabis market in the world and City Cannabis is building a cohesive network of operations that will provide consumers with the ultimate retail experience anywhere in Canada.”

A new report by Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics estimates that British Columbia’s legal cannabis market will surge to $722 million by 2024 after ringing up $19.1 million in 2018, as the Vancouver Sun reports (http://ibn.fm/ZfQcV). Since the city of Vancouver has the authority to license and zone for a limited number of cannabis businesses, dispensaries and retail shops with proper provincial licenses are expected to flourish.

MacLean said that Wildflower is excited to combine its premier products with the consummate retail experience offered by City Cannabis Co.

“City’s retail consumer data and insight will help shape development of Wildflower’s product line-up while the retail expertise of City will aid Wildflower in its retail expansion,” MacLean added. “The combination of Wildflower and City will form a truly global cannabis company.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.WildflowerBrands.co

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