• LXRP is putting its growth plan into effect, adding a new corporate controller, a head of its legal division and more office staff; in 2019, it will also be increasing its lab personnel
• As a result of the latest positions created, the company is issuing 240,000 new stock options with an exercise price of $1.06 that will vest as to 80,000 per year until April 15, 2021
• LXRP has a growing IP portfolio of 10 patents granted in the U.S. and Australia; it has filed for more than 50 patents worldwide across 10 patent families

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP), a drug delivery platform innovator, has announced aggressive growth plans, including the addition of key personnel, a special focus on its lab R&D activities in 2019 and the issue of new stock options.

It has added a new corporate controller, a head of its legal division and additional office staff. In addition, LXRP anticipates adding more lab personnel next year as it intensifies its R&D activities. As a result of the latest positions created, LXRP is issuing 240,000 new stock options with an exercise price of $1.06 that will vest as to 80,000 per year until April 15, 2021, it announced.

Based in British Columbia, Canada, LXRP is a biotechnology company that out-licenses its disruptive delivery technology that promotes healthier ingestion methods. LXRP holds a patent for oral delivery of all cannabinoids and has a growing IP portfolio. DehydraTECH is its proprietary absorption technology platform.

LXRP has received $110,000 from exercised warrants (http://ibn.fm/9vz2Y). The company has also received for exercise a total of 250,000 previously granted warrants with an exercise price of $0.44. Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, the company said. No commissions or placement fees were paid related to the funds received from these warrants. LXRP added that the warrants were exercised by third parties, not officers or directors of the company.

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

• The safety of a novel combined advanced breast cancer treatment has proven to be excellent, BriaCell announced at a major breast cancer conference
• The monotherapy (i.e. drug on its own) clinical trial showed positive anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced breast cancer and metastases
• Further information about the efficiency of the Bria-IMT/KEYTRUDA combined treatment will be provided in the first quarter of 2019

Initial data from a combination study of Bria-IMT and KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) demonstrated an excellent safety profile, BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT) announced at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (http://ibn.fm/ehRA0). During the conference, the immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company also presented positive proof of concept data for Bria-IMT as a monotherapy for the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

“The robust biological activity of Bria-IMT demonstrated through the trials is very exciting,” BriaCell’s president and CEO, Dr. William Williams, said in a news release. “The findings also reinforce the product development strategy for Bria-OTS – BriaCell’s off-the-shelf personalized immunotherapy solution.”

Studies so far have demonstrated the ability of Bria-IMT to promote a powerful immune response that causes tumor regression in patients with advanced stage breast cancer. “We are highly confident of our strategy to use Bria-IMT in combination with KEYTRUDA, an approved treatment for multiple cancer indications, and expect synergistic activity of this combination in patients with advanced breast cancer. We look forward to additional clinical data and expect to share details at upcoming scientific meetings,” Dr. Williams added.

Presenting the poster was Saveri Bhattacharya (http://ibn.fm/k4uAG), DO, assistant professor of medical oncology at Thomas Jefferson University (http://ibn.fm/fVi7N), researcher at the NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (http://ibn.fm/2T9hs) at Jefferson Health (http://ibn.fm/7nxXg) and principal investigator (PI) of the study.

In the combination therapeutic study, five patients were treated with Bria-IMT and Merck & Co., Inc.’s (NYSE: MRK) KEYTRUDA. The combination was tolerated very well, and the study is still ongoing to provide further data on the safety of the therapeutic approach. More information about the efficacy of the combination is to be presented in the first quarter of 2019.

Additionally, examination of Bria-IMT’s efficacy in the treatment of advanced breast cancer is ongoing. The Bria-IMT phase I/IIa monotherapy study involved 23 patients who were very heavily pre-treated (a median of four previous systemic therapy regiments per patient). The treatment with Bria-IMT was well-tolerated, with minor local irritation at the injection site being reported as the most common adverse effect.

More importantly, Bria-IMT contributed to tumor shrinkage in three of the patients. The top respondent previously received seven rounds of chemotherapy and had tumor metastases at various sites. The patient’s three-month follow-up showed shrinkage in all 20 metastatic formations in the lungs. After six months, the response was still maintained. Two other patients also showed tumor reduction. All of the patients with tumor reduction matched Bria-IMT at one or more HLA types, validating BriaCell’s approach to selecting patients most likely to respond (BriaDx). Biological activity was observed in several other of the patients, and there was a noted decrease in circulating cancer-associated cells.

Bria-IMT works by stimulating T-cell activity. T-cells are an important immune response component, and their activation is expected to increase the body’s natural ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

BriaCell is also focusing on the development of Bria-OTS – a personalized immunotherapy solution that matches the needs of the patient without a specialized manufacturing process. This personalized treatment is expected to be safe and highly effective while avoiding the high costs of creating personalized treatments for advanced cancer patients. In addition, Bria-OTS is created to produce a selective immune response that’s tailored to the specific needs of the cancer patient. Bria-OTS is expected to cover approximately 90 percent of the patient population.

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

• Global legal marijuana market to reach $146.4 billion by 2025
• Aeroponic systems produce higher quality at lower cost
• Green has low-cost aeroponic cannabis cultivation system

The global cannabis market is proving to be a precocious new kid on the block. In 2010, respected Harvard economist Jeffery Miron conservatively estimated the U.S. marijuana market to be around $14 billion. Back then, just 11 states – Arizona, California, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington – had legalized medical marijuana, and no state had legalized adult recreational use. However, in April 2018, a report from Grand View Research estimated that the value of the global legal marijuana market – medical and recreational – would reach $146.4 billion by the end of 2025 (http://ibn.fm/7Ylht). Such growth, if realized, would certainly merit the marker of maturity. As the market grows and competition intensifies, efficiency in cultivation and production methods will be a crucial aspect of the value chain, making cost-effective grow solutions like those offered by Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (OTC: GRYN) increasingly important.

Green Hygienics is a full-scope, premium cannabis cultivation company targeting the high-end medical and adult-use recreational markets. Its strategy revolves around hygienics, the science of preserving and promoting the health of individuals, communities and the planet. Green Hygienics entered the commercial indoor cultivation industry in 2015 and is currently seeking contracts to build marijuana-growing operations utilizing aeroponics, the optimal method for cultivating cannabis.

Essentially, there are three distinct methods of indoor cultivation. For flowers and shrubs, peat-based soil mixtures for roots are best. For wet-weight produce, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, hydroponics, where the roots are immersed in nutrient-rich liquids, is ideal. However, for dry-weight produce, such as leafy greens, herbs and cannabis, aeroponics, where the roots hang in air permeated by a mist of nutrients, is best. This is Green Hygienics’ forte. The company has developed expertise in aeroponics, and its proprietary aeroponics cultivation system provides a direct feed to plant roots in an enclosed system. A centralized monitoring system ensures that the right temperature and the optimal mix of nutrients is delivered continuously and consistently to plants. This results in benign growing conditions, superior quality and superior yields.

There are many advantages to aeroponics systems. Since they operate in a controlled, protected environment, they escape attack from pests and contamination from toxic agents. In addition, they typically enable faster growth, higher yields and superior quality; are easily scalable; and provide crops that are easier to harvest. They also reduce labor cost, costs of nutrients, grow area and water requirements. Through Green Hygienics’ earlier acquisition of some very important technology, the company has the capacity to become a low-cost producer. Its production cost per gram is estimated to be under $1, while direct competitors cultivating a higher-end indoor product will generally have costs in the range of $2 to $4.

Green Hygienics is establishing itself as a leader in the advancement of science-driven cannabis cultivation systems with the objective of providing the medical and recreational markets with the best possible product and experience. The company aims to grow by generating revenues from the cultivation and sales of premium grade cannabis and derived products, developing and licensing valuable intellectual property assets, making strategic acquisitions and creating trusted global consumer brands.

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

• Net Element recognized as Payment Solutions Provider of the Year and Scale-up Company of the Year (Payment Solutions) by industry leaders
• Company CEO Oleg Firer received news magazine ACQ5’s ‘Gamechanger of the Year’ award
• Net Element’s quarterly report shows growing revenues as company provides specialized payment solutions to varied industries

Mobile payment technology innovators at Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) were recognized for their visionary approach to the global payment services industry this month when international corporate magazine news site ACQ5 announced its annual Global Awards (http://ibn.fm/ykmUB) honoring companies “whose activities set the standard for their markets.”

Net Element, a Miami, Florida-based company with global reach, was honored as ‘Payment Solutions Provider of the Year’ for the Americas and ‘Scale-up Company of the Year (Payment Solutions)’ for the Americas. Net Element CEO Oleg Firer was honored as ‘Gamechanger of the Year’ for the Americas.

“Our goal at Net Element is to be exactly as represented by the award we won — a gamechanger for the payments services industry by providing our merchants with seamless multi-channel payment solutions, value added services and creating value for our shareholders,” Firer stated in a news release recognizing the honors (http://ibn.fm/4YPlI).

ACQ5 is an English-language magazine news portal for corporate executives that boasts 168,000 subscribers and is in its 13th year of recognizing industry leaders through its Global Awards, which draw on readers’ insight and experience during the nomination process to return a graded analysis of companies’ market performance, responsiveness, value for money and experience.

Net Element’s VIP Payments solution supports hotel and tourism industry enterprises with specialized payment procession technology (http://ibn.fm/59BA0). Its subscription-based, online solution supports the e-commerce and B2B networking needs of brick and mortar businesses (http://ibn.fm/H86rR). The company’s Aptito program serves the restaurant industry (http://ibn.fm/KYJQH), and its Unified Mobile Payments division is catered to the needs of the kiosk and truck vendor market (http://ibn.fm/j4yc9).

Net Element is also positioned as the only Nasdaq-listed U.S. company ready to benefit from growth in electronic payment services in Russia, thanks to its partnership with Sputnik Bank to offer third-party bank processing to other banking institutions throughout the country (http://ibn.fm/0G0go). Russian banks have relied on personal, in-house systems that are showing their age as they continue to operate on technological standards established in the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution in the early 1990s.

The company’s quarterly report, issued on November 14, noted year-over-year revenue growth of $2.3 million for the most recent quarter and nearly $5 million in year-to-date growth. Operating expenses remained flat (http://ibn.fm/tunsc). At an annual meeting of the company on November 27, stockholders approved an amendment to the company’s 2013 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of available common stock shares by 178,900 in order to attract new investment with a long-term outlook for the company (http://ibn.fm/3Evs3).

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

• Uses heat and light energy to provide non-invasive and pain-free skin care
• InterceptCS™ provides cold sore prevention with controlled topical heat
• TherOZap™ relieves symptoms caused by insect and marine life bites and stings, holds potential for inhibiting mosquito-borne viruses
• A third product is in development to treat joint pain through the combination of cannabis and thermal technology

Therma Bright, Inc. (TSX.V: THRM) (OTC: THRBF) is a progressive medical device technology company focused on serving the $21 billion cosmeceutical industry by providing products, devices and treatments that address dermatological needs. The company believes that clear and healthy skin should not be a privilege for those who can afford costly procedures and treatments, but rather a possibility that is accessible for all.

Heat and light energy are used by ThermaBright to provide non-invasive and pain-free skin care. This proprietary technology has received Class II medical device status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Patent and trademark protection have also been initiated for products developed to incorporate medicinal cannabis into the use of the company’s thermal therapy tech.

InterceptCS is ThermaBright’s cold sore prevention device*. This device treats cold sores at their earliest appearance through the application of topical thermal technology with no risk of burning the skin. Used at the first sign of a cold sore, InterceptCS can prevent further symptoms from developing by killing cells that have been infected by the herpes simplex Type 1 virus.

The market potential for InterceptCS is high, with a reported 20-40 percent of the Canadian and United States population experiencing recurrent cold sore outbreaks. No prescription to use this device is required, making it more accessible to a larger market. Plans are in place to bring various models to market beyond the current single-use activator, further elevating the value for the customer.

Another of ThermaBright’s revolutionary products is TherOZap. This device uses thermal therapy as a second line of defense against insect bites. The device is used to relieve the pain, itch and swelling that can result from more than 20,000 types of insect and marine life bites and stings. These includes bees, wasps, hornets, mosquitos, black flies and jellyfish. Plans are in place to test the technology’s effectiveness in inhibiting mosquito-borne diseases such as the Zika and Dengue viruses.

A third product is in the works for a new pain relief device. This novel device is for the relief of back, knee or other joint pain. It combines the company’s thermal therapy tech with medical grade cannabis or cannabidiol (CBD) used as a cream or gel.

In preparation for this unique device, ThermaBright is in the process of creating a wholly owned subsidiary, according to a recent press release (http://ibn.fm/5ySjg). The company has indicated that an acquisition will be sought to further the development of this new product. The cannabis related device acquisitions, along with any products created, will be held in this new subsidiary.

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

• Based on double blind placebo study the InterceptCS™ is approved for the claim “For prevention of cold sores when used within 3 hours of the onset of the prodrome.” by Health Canada. The InterceptCS™ is not approved by the United States FDA for any claim of clinical indication, clinical efficacy, and/or cure or prevention of disease.

• Sharing Services utilizes the direct selling channel to produce 100 percent organic growth
• The company continues to promote its Blue Ocean Strategy
• Sharing Services is currently introducing its products in select Canadian provinces
• Company continues to experience steady growth in sales volume and assets reported

A diversified holding company based in Plano, Texas, Sharing Services, Inc. (OTCQB: SHRV) specializes in the direct selling industry. The company leverages a Blue Ocean Strategy, which combines diverse keys together to implement Sharing Services’ vision. These keys include elevating home-based entrepreneurs (Elepreneurs) and using the direct selling channel to generate 100 percent organic growth.

Sharing Services is experiencing substantial sales increases this year (http://ibn.fm/9lIte). As of July 2018, the company’s sales volume was $12.93 million. On November 2, 2018, Sharing Services held its annual shareholder meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. This meeting was before the opening of the third major conference for its subsidiary, Elepreneurs, LLC (http://ibn.fm/X2o2Q).

Elepreneurs, LLC is a 100 percent wholly owned subsidiary of Sharing Services. Its particular structure is focused on contracting with companies to promote and sell products through a direct selling model. In 2017, 18.6 million people were involved in direct selling in the U.S. – the world’s largest direct selling market (http://ibn.fm/2PkWT). One reason for this significant involvement is that direct selling provides accommodating hours, as well as entrepreneurial opportunities to all age groups.

Sharing Services owns, operates or controls an interest in an array of companies specializing in the direct selling industry. These companies either sell products to the consumer directly, via independent representatives, or provide offerings ranging from health and wellness, energy, technology and insurance services to training, media and travel benefits.

Sharing Services is working to mesh Eleprenuers with the Sharing Service brand to create mutual benefits. Elevating home-based entrepreneurs, called Elepreneurs, is a primary emphasis of the company. Sharing Services is utilizing the direct selling channel to produce 100 percent organic growth. The goal is to create as many successful, independent business leaders as possible. In the last few months, the company has grown by 10,000 independent sales representatives.

Sharing Services also has its new Elevacity Global product. Elevacity offers patented nutritional consumer products and virtual success training – all integrated with an innovative rewards program. The Elevacity Brand consists of core products in the nutritional beverage category, supplements and unique skin care offerings (http://ibn.fm/66P5s). Products include Elevate Brew, XanthoMax (a flavonoid), and Choclevate (a Nootropic Hot Chocolate), among others.

Recently, the company announced that its wholly-owned Elevacity Global subsidiary will launch its line of nutraceutical products in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. Presently, it is awaiting approvals for enrollment opportunities in all other Canadian provinces (http://ibn.fm/jwgZD).

The Elevacity Global brand undergoes distribution through the Elepreneurs independent sales team. Elepreneurs continue to promote the company’s Blue Ocean Strategy philosophy globally.

In a news release, John “JT” Thatch, chief executive officer of Sharing Services, stated, “We have placed a concentrated effort to complete the regulatory process in Canada over the past several months and are excited to start processing orders and quickly fulfill consumer demand in those provinces.”

Re-configuring how entrepreneurs succeed, Sharing Services continues to innovate with products and the direct selling model. The company’s dedication is to sharing its collective products and services by way of home-based Elepreneurs. Sharing Services offers opportunities to creative entrepreneurs and shareholders alike.

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

• Before it was easy, REFG was building a customer base, loyalty and trust by providing a service that was necessary but non-existent
• Company aims to make cash-only a business model of the past, allowing licensed providers to easily apply for a bank account online
• Keys to success include transparency and compliance

The legal cannabis industry now has simple banking options thanks to Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG). According to the company, it is the only one offering licensed providers the ability to apply for a bank account online. In an industry with limited to no banking options, REFG is providing the accessibility and protection necessary for licensed cannabis companies to succeed.

In addition to the convenience of an online application, the company’s state-of-the-art system tracks sales and taxes and provides client management to dispensaries. Thanks to REFG, cash-only is a business model of the past for licensed distributors. Now, they can utilize ‘Go!’, an end-to-end payment processing system, for their banking needs.

Due to federal regulations, traditional banks are often unwilling to provide full services to the cannabis industry. REFG, on the other hand, is able to provide legal banking and secure payment processing while remaining compliant to ever-changing federal regulations. The company believes that the solution to success is being transparent and complying with regulations rather than working around them. Now averaging 60 million transactions per month along with one million new cards issued, REFG takes the security and safety of every transaction seriously.

When customers of a dispensary sign up for a Go! Card, they are creating a link between their banks – any checking accounts from any U.S. bank – and the dispensaries. When businesses create a Go account, they are providing their customers with convenience and redefining the culture of dispensaries. What was once a dangerous, risky, cash-only store front becomes a safe, convenient place to do business.

The company is positioned to grow as the laws in the U.S. surrounding the legalization of cannabis begin to change. Up until now, legalization has been determined on a state-by-state level. However, Reps. David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) have made remarks citing the “STATES” Act (Strengthening the 10th Amendment Through Entrusting States), a bill exempting states with legal cannabis from federal cannabis law enforcement, as likely to pass. Due to public support, the STATES Act and other cannabis-related bills are expected to be introduced and are “likely to pass” in 2019. This move will put REFG ahead of the game.

REFG has been establishing itself as an expert, willing to take risks where other banks were not. The company has already grown a loyal customer base and is proving itself trustworthy before its competition even enters the game.

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

• Supreme Cannabis’ flagship brand, 7ACRES, selected by panel of industry professionals across variety of sectors in cannabis space
• Award recognizes 7ACRES’ enormous effort in creating a brand, strategy, culture, image and impact that resonate in the public consciousness
• Canadian Cannabis Awards ceremony hailed as world’s first for a federally regulated recreational cannabis market
• Supreme is Canada’s only licensed cannabis producer principally focused on premium brands and products with coast-to-coast distribution

Premium cannabis producer 7ACRES, a wholly-owned subsidiary and flagship brand of The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1), now wears the mantle of ‘Brand of the Year’ after being recognized on December 3 at the 2018 Canadian Cannabis Awards presented by Lift & Co. (TSX.V: LIFT) in Toronto, Canada. 7ACRES was selected for the honor by a panel of industry professionals across a variety of sectors in the cannabis space, a news release states (http://ibn.fm/NihYR).

“We are extremely honored to have been recognized as Brand of the Year by the Canadian Cannabis Awards. The Team at 7ACRES works incredibly hard and are very proud of the products and the culture we have cultivated since day one,” John Fowler, president and founder of Supreme Cannabis, said in the release. “Since our founding, our organization has been dedicated to ensuring the highest quality product and innovation, developing an industry-leading team, and incredible corporate culture.”

The 2018 Canadian Cannabis Awards (“CCAs”), a black-tie gala attended by nearly 600 industry leaders, celebrated excellence in Canada’s burgeoning world-class cannabis industry. It was also heralded as the world’s first award program dedicated to a federally regulated recreational cannabis market. 7ACRES received top honors with ‘Brand of the Year’, as determined by a committee of qualified judges, the CCAs stated in a separate release (http://ibn.fm/yNRDm).

“The most powerful brands seem to spring into public consciousness, capturing hearts and minds as if they’ve always existed,” explains the descriptor for ‘Brand of the Year’ on the CCAs website. “This award recognizes the enormous effort behind such apparent effortlessness, awarding brand strategy, culture, image, and impact. This award recipient is voted on by the judging committee. Nominations for this award are open to industry professionals only.”

The 7ACRES cultivation facility, one of the first 40 federally licensed cannabis producers in Canada, is focused on building a core competency in scaled cannabis production, which will give 7ACRES the needed flexibility to maintain leadership in the industry as the Canadian market grows and matures. 7ACRES operates from a 342,000-square-foot cultivation facility in Kincardine, Ontario, and has been federally licensed since 2016. Current capacity is 13,333 kilograms of dried cannabis annually, with plans to ramp up production by mid-2019 to a rate of 50,000 kilograms per year.

Supreme identifies the quality of the 7ACRES product as the company’s primary strength and says a shared “passion for the plant” is the driver of company culture. Six Canadian provinces have signed supply agreements with Supreme, a fact that the company credits to the high quality of 7ACRES cannabis (http://ibn.fm/CqdNp). The 7ACRES brand is already listed as premium cannabis product in all provinces that disclose their cannabis listing categories, and 7ACRES, on average, wholesales for up to one-third higher in price than other brands in the Canadian cannabis market.

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

• 2018 farm bill approved by Congressional vote earlier this week
• Bill removes industrial hemp from Schedule I under Controlled Substances Act
• Hemp market expected to hit $1 billion in 2018

With floor votes passing this week in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the chances that the Farm Bill – H.R.2, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 – will be law before Yuletide have improved considerably. Such a development augurs well for Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD), a company focused on supplying equipment and technologies to support the legal cultivation, processing and storage of cannabis and other agricultural products, which recently made a substantial investment in the hemp space. The 2018 Farm Bill includes provisions to unshackle hemp from restrictions imposed by the Control Substances Act of 1970 and the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

Things are looking up for the hemp industry. On Monday, December 10, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tweeted (http://ibn.fm/fb8hR), “Making it official with my hemp pen! … With today’s signature, my provision to legalize industrial hemp is 1 step closer to reality. Looking forward to voting YES on this bill & sending to POTUS.” If the bill is approved by President Trump, as expected, McConnell, who has been a passionate promoter of reform, would return the hemp industry to its legal status, more or less, from before the 1937 passage of the Marihuana Tax Act.

That infamous statute did not directly criminalize the possession or usage of hemp, marijuana or cannabis. However, it instituted certain regulations, violation of which could result in fines of up to $2,000 and five years’ imprisonment (http://ibn.fm/gJz23). For example, one provision required every person who sells, deals in, dispenses or gives away marihuana to register with the Internal Revenue Service and pay a special occupational tax. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 went further, criminalizing hemp by making only negligible distinction between marijuana and hemp. Consequently, hemp ended up, alongside marijuana, as a Schedule I Controlled Substance, the most restricted category of drugs.

The Farm Bill 2018 attempts to reverse those prohibitions. Importantly, it removes industrial hemp from the CSA’s definition of “marijuana” and from Schedule I. It also repeals section 7606 of the Agricultural Act within the 2014 Farm Bill, which only allowed cultivation of hemp under the auspices of a state agricultural pilot program or institution of higher education. Products made from industrial hemp, including CBD oil, would now be legal under the CSA, provided they contain no more than 0.3 percent THC. Henceforth, regulation of hemp will be like any other agricultural crop (http://ibn.fm/sQYF5).

This sets the stage for rapid expansion – projected at a CAGR of 14 percent – of an industry that is already flourishing. In 2017, the total hemp market reached $820 million, according to the Hemp Business Journal; of that, $190 million came from hemp-derived CBD products. The market is on track to hit $1 billion for 2018.

Sugarmade is expecting substantial payoff for its commitment to the industry. The company intends to invest in Hempistry, Inc. a privately held Nevada corporation, which has begun planting an ultra-high cannabidiol (CBD) industrial hemp strain in the U.S. State of Kentucky (http://ibn.fm/39SPe). In addition, Sugarmade has signaled strong interest in an agreement with Hempistry for hemp cultivation supplies. Hempistry has already begun planting and has signed an agreement reserving up to 23,000 acres of prime Kentucky farmland for its exclusive use for hemp cultivation. This venture will expand the scope of Sugarmade’s operations, which include CarryOutSupplies, a provider of essential supplies to quick-serve restaurants; ZenHydro, an online hydroponics store; and BudLife Cannabis Storage Solutions, which offers a novel way to preserve the quality of cannabis flowers over long periods.

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

• Golden Developing Solutions, Inc. supports the cannabis industry by providing recognizable and trustworthy products alongside software and technology geared toward enhanced efficiency
• Cannabis growers can communicate with one another and receive industry data and news through the company’s website, WheresWeed.com
• The global cannabis market is on track to reach $146.4 billion by the end of 2025

Golden Developing Solutions, Inc. (OTC: DVLP), a rising leader in the cannabis industry, provides its clients with business services and products to support the flourishing market. Through its ancillary software, the company seeks to connect members of the cannabis community by increasing the ease of connection between growers, distributors and both medical and recreational users.

Golden Developing Solutions, Inc.’s mission lies in maintaining the utmost efficiency while modeling how to act as a steward to the environment. In fact, the company aims to lead the industry in not only cutting costs but also reducing its clients’ carbon footprint. By utilizing software to increase efficiency and communication among all stakeholders in the cannabis community (http://ibn.fm/lxjXP), the company aims to “keep the planet as green as possible” while “improving public image of the cannabis community” and “lowering the impact…left behind.”

Golden Developing Solutions utilizes several important software programs to achieve its goal of stakeholder connectivity. It recently acquired one such company, ‘Where’s Weed’, which is an American cannabis technology company aiding medical and recreational cannabis users in locating trustworthy local growers within their communities. WheresWeed.com has amassed an impressive online following, logging nearly three million page views per month. Further seeking to meet customers where they are, the Where’s Weed app has been downloaded more than 80,000 times, allowing the company to attune to the pulse of the cannabis market as it connects customers with growers in their areas.

More recently, the company launched a new software division known as GreenerGrows.org, bringing together all layers of the cannabis industry to one pipeline of information – growers, transportation experts, dispensaries, advertisers and more can both locate each other and obtain objective reporting data on the industry’s latest news and trends.

Aside from its burgeoning ancillary software services, Golden Developing Solutions also sells CBD products through online retail outlets, such as its joint venture Pura Vida Vitamins, LLC. Pura Vida’s offerings including hemp, CBD products and others serving the health and wellness industry. Through its multi-pronged approach, Golden Developing Solutions seeks to help the cannabis community increase its overall efficiency and improve its carbon footprint while securing the company a position as an emerging leader in the market.

For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.PuraVidaVitamins.com and www.WheresWeed.com