• Hydrocarbon exploration activity by majors intensifies in Southern Africa
• Aziza Project holds $100 million interest in Namibia
• Plans to offer crypto tokens – Aziza Coins – to raise $60 million

Oil majors are still a-goggle at the huge gas reserves discovered in Mozambique and Tanzania over the past decade. The 160 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of recoverable gas in the Rovuma Offshore Basin of Mozambique is on par with Nigeria’s 180 TCF and Algeria’s 160 TCF. The 57 TCF reserve in Tanzania’s Mafia Deep Basin, though not quite as big, is substantial enough to merit investment. As a result, Africa has definitely gotten its fair share of attention, and some of the largest players in the oil industry – ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, British Petroleum – are acquiring assets and stepping up exploration activities (http://ibn.fm/5b3oX). The Aziza Project plans to do the same. It is hosting a tokenized investment fund to invest in oil and gas businesses operating in Southern Africa. The project owns one-fifth of Africa New Energies (ANE), which has concessions from the government of Namibia to explore for hydrocarbons onshore. Based on a recent unsolicited offer, Aziza Project’s 20 percent stake is worth about $100 million. To start ANE’s drilling program, the project is out to raise $60 million through the sale of Aziza Coins, an asset-backed security token compliant with the ethereum blockchain ERC20 standard.

In the hydrocarbon universe, Southern Africa is a relatively unexplored region. As such, its geology remains largely unknown. That was the case for East Africa not so long ago, but the mammoth discoveries of natural gas in Tanzania are an indication that large reserves of hydrocarbons may still lie hidden in Sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to the north, the region remains a geological mystery. More than 20,000 wells have been sunk in North Africa, around 14,000 in West Africa and some 600 wells in East Africa, yet only a few dozen have been sunk in the entire Southern African region. The reason is obvious; oil and gas are more likely to be found where oil and gas have already been found. This, perhaps, is why over a million wells can be found in Texas but less than 30 in Namibia. However, the times, they are a-changing. Through Africa New Energies, the Aziza Project is committed to undertaking a vigorous hydrocarbon exploration program.

To fund exploration activities, the project is offering crypto tokens to investors. The tokens – Aziza Coins – represent an indirect fractional ownership interest in the Aziza Project. This means that Aziza Coin holders, in effect, own part of the Aziza Project and are economic beneficiaries able to share in any of the profits made by the organization. The project’s first investment is a 20 percent stake in ANE, which has been operating in Namibia for six years.

Founded in November 2012, ANE has been on the search for natural gas and other hydrocarbons since then. After the company was granted a concession from the Namibian government, it embarked on an exploration program that utilized (http://ibn.fm/3E9WU) a variety of ‘innovative, non-industry standard exploration techniques.’ ANE developed an integrated surface exploration algorithm to analyze 17 layers of data gathered from satellite, airborne and ground surveys. Subsequently, the techniques and data have been back-tested on proven wells around the world. The company believes that the back-testing and integration of several layers of data have dramatically improved the overall probability of drilling success at one tenth the cost of industry standard methods.

Coupled with sightings of hydrocarbon seepage by local communities, the algorithm has, so far, flagged 32 potential oil and gas fields, with potentially billions of barrels of oil equivalent (BOE). Notably, the water well containing methane lies in the center of a potential 2,500 square kilometer giant oil field, 1,218 square kilometers of which fall within the concession. On the strength of these findings, ANE applied for, and was awarded, a concession area bigger than Wales on the most advantageous terms that industry experts had seen at the time.

Word of the possible treasures hidden on ANE’s claims has spread. The company recently received an unsolicited offer of $500 million for the concession.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Aziza.io

• Zenergy works to foster business efficiency through responsible energy use and management
• The company offers its Zero Cost Program that focuses on lessening utility use
• Zenergy also offers its residential suite and retail electronic provider platform

Serving commercial, industrial and municipal customers, Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY) specializes in reducing utility consumption courtesy of its innovative Zero Cost Program. The company’s vision is to enhance businesses via responsible energy use and management. Zenergy’s Zero Cost Program enables customers to reduce utility consumption at no out-of-pocket cost.

From its corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the company is focusing on substantially reducing the carbon footprint in the United States. The Deloitte Resources 2018 Study (http://ibn.fm/Cifri) stated that, “Residential consumers and businesses are engaged in a mutually reinforcing relationship where residential consumers’ interest in reducing their carbon footprint – and in using digital technologies to help them do so – is leading many businesses to develop and deploy new tools for monitoring and reducing energy consumption.”

Zenergy Brands is a leader in advancing these initiatives. It facilitates reducing utility consumption by providing retail energy, energy conservation, smart controls and efficiency-based products and services. The company offers customers the ability to decrease utility consumption from 20 percent up to 60 percent via its Zero Cost program. With this program, savings derived from energy conservation, counterbalance implementation expenses within five to seven years (http://ibn.fm/8MOjM).

Moreover, with the initiation of each Zero Cost contract, Zenergy performs a carbon footprint analysis to ascertain the environmental impact per customer contract. Forbes notes that energy consciousness and carbon emissions reductions must be a significant consideration for corporations (http://ibn.fm/egOS2). Zenergy makes it possible for businesses to advance programs that address sustainability concerns.

A financing tool, the Zero Cost Program underwent development based on an industry standard agreement called the Managed Energy Services Agreement (MESA) (http://ibn.fm/kcRnw). With the MESA, Zenergy Brands develops, obtains financing for and installs and maintains energy efficiency measures and equipment at clients’ facilities. The MESA permits Zenergy to retain a portion of utility savings for financing the upgraded, retrofit equipment and installation expenses until a specified repayment period ends. Subsequently, the customer secures all of the financial rewards of the installed technologies.

Regarding its residential suite, Zenergy’s “Smart Home” products include security monitoring and home automation, as well as energy conservation services. The company offers around-the-clock control capabilities via smartphone or Internet-connected smart devices. Zenergy aims to help customers achieve their sustainability goals and reduce damaging carbon emissions. To enhance its retail electric division, Zenergy acquired Enertrade Electric, LLC, a Texas-based REP. Therefore, Zenergy can provide package offerings such as retail energy and energy conservation through the company’s new subsidiary, Zenergy Power & Gas, Inc.

Zenergy Brands continues to unite smart controls with energy conservation and retail energy. With its focus on helping customers reduce electricity, natural gas and water consumption, the company is at the forefront of industry innovation. By providing a complete suite of cost-saving energy solutions, Zenergy offers value to its customers and stakeholders alike.

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

• Investing in products and brands with disruptive potential in the hydroponics and cannabis industries
• Utilizing advancements in hydroponics and modified atmosphere technology to produce a higher yield and longer shelf life
• Meeting a growing demand for hydroponic cultivation of cannabis

Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD), a hydroponics supply company involved in various hyper-growth business segments, has established itself by investing in products and brands with disruptive potential. By expanding business operations across diverse marketplaces, the company continues to maximize stakeholder and shareholder value. SGMD focuses on a number of quality products, and customers keep coming back for more. A few of the company’s brands include Carry Out Supplies, Zen Hydro, BudLife Cannabis Storage Solutions and Sky Unlimited.

Carry Out Supplies (www.CarryOutSupplies.com) provides quick-serve restaurants with custom printed supplies. A leader in paper and plastic take out supplies, Carry Out believes strongly in providing quality products, low prices and reliable customer service. The company offers service with low overhead and is constantly looking for innovative ways to improve the quality of its product while becoming more and more environmentally friendly. Carry Out serves more than 2,000 quick service restaurants and plans to expand operations are in place.

Zen Hydro is an e-commerce hydroponics store (www.ZenHydro.com) for individual and commercial growers. Customers have access to grow lights, nutrient mixes, environmental controls, calibration solutions, grow tents and more. While SGMD is diversifying into the cannabis market, this e-commerce store is not just for the cannabis industry. Zen Hydro continues to serve home gardeners, farmers and large-scale growers, regardless of their crops.

BudLife Cannabis Storage Solutions utilizes intelligent packaging storage to expand the shelf life of the delicate cannabis flower. Prone to mold, yeast and pathogens post-harvest, the flower is also sensitive to oxygen and humidity levels. Packaging proves challenging, as refrigeration is harming, but the average jars and bags found at dispensaries have a very short shelf life. Without some innovative thinking, the industry would continue to require quick turnaround, be limited to local suppliers, and face shipping challenges. Enter BudLife (www.BudLife.net), a patented product utilizing modified atmosphere technology that is proven to preserve the medicinal integrity of the flower for up to six months.

SGMD recently acquired Sky Unlimited, LLC. The addition of Sky Unlimited provides the company with access to an increased range of hydroponic products, including advanced lighting systems and the super-oxygenation AeroFlo 60 aeroponic system. The acquisition also opens revenue streams from the wholesale market and commercial operations.

The demand for hydroponic cultivation is growing as the demand for cannabis Increases due to legalization across the United States. Hydroponics produces plants with faster growth, higher yield and better quality. Known as a quick-serve restaurant and hydroponics supply company, SGMD is shifting its primary focus toward serving, investing in and profiting from the cannabis industry.

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

• Net Element was included in Deloitte’s prestigious Technology Fast 500 list that ranks the fastest growing companies in North America
• Software developers dominated the list, showing a huge potential for new product development and adoption
• Net Element also released its financial results for the third quarter of 2018, reporting a significant growth in revenue and transactional volume

Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE), a global technology and value-added solutions group, is one of North America’s 500 fastest growing companies in 2018, as it’s ranked by Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 (http://ibn.fm/WGOZn). Over the period for which the ranking accounts, Net Element grew by 183 percent.

Continued growth in Net Element’s North America Transaction Solutions segment was one of the most important factors contributing to the achievement. Unified Payments, a brand of leading bankcard payment processing services under the NETE umbrella, is a particularly big contributor to the company’s overall growth. Unified Payments provides solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises throughout North America.

“We are excited to be recognized by Deloitte for our growth over the past three years. This is further affirmation that our approach to the reseller community levels the playing field and increases recurring sales for Unified Payments,” Net Element president of integrated payments Vlad Sadovskiy stated in a news release.

Software accounts for two out of three companies on the Technology Fast 500 list, as they continue to produce some of the most exciting technologies of the 21st century, including robotics, AI and predictive analytics, Mohana Dissanayake, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and industry leader for technology, media and telecommunications within Deloitte’s audit and assurance practice, said in a news release. Companies from across America are transforming the way in which business is done, and the inclusion of so many software development companies in the Technology Fast 500 list stands as evidence of the claim, Dissanayake added.

In 2018, the technology companies in the Deloitte list achieved revenue growth ranging from 143 to 77,260 percent. The median growth in the period from 2014 to 2017 was 412 percent. Net Element grew by 183 percent.

Net Element’s inclusion in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 came one day after the company announced its third quarter financial results during a dedicated earnings conference (http://ibn.fm/hORdL).

The company’s net revenue for the period went up 15.7 percent to reach $17.2 million, CEO and Director Oleg Firer said during the conference. The increase is primarily due to the 19 percent growth experienced by the company’s North American Transaction Solutions segment, as compared to the same quarter of 2017.

Overall net revenue for the first nine months of 2018 increased by 11.5 percent to reach $49.7 million. Once again, the North American Transaction Solutions segment was the driving force behind the increase, having experienced growth of 16.6 percent over the prior year.

The company’s U.S. business accounted for 90.4 percent of the total revenue during Q3 2018 and 88.5 percent for the first nine months of the year. International revenues accounted for the difference.

Total dollars processed for the first nine months of the year increased by 35 percent on an annual basis to reach $1.81 billion in transactional volume. Unified Payments contributed significantly to the expectedly high transactional volume. The North American Transaction Solutions segment grew the most – increasing by 39 percent to $2.17 billion. International transactional solutions went up 10 percent to reach $283 million. This means that the total number of transactions processed for the first nine months of 2018 increased by 34 percent.

Net Element operates a payments-as-a-service and value-added services platform. The global technology and value-added solutions group supports electronic payment acceptance in an omni-channel environment, including point-of-sale, mobile devices and e-commerce.

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

• Anticipated SinglePoint revenue for 2018 will reach $1 million, a record-breaking amount for the company
• Plans for 2019 will focus predominantly on acquisitions and portfolio expansion
• SingleSeed.com hemp CBD distribution line continues growth and adds additional products to portfolio

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) recently announced that it is expecting record revenue exceeding $1 million by the end of 2018 (http://ibn.fm/ynWVM). In its annual recap, the mobile payment solutions and ancillary cannabis services/blockchain solutions enterprise also voiced expectations that the growth is to triple in 2019 through additional acquisitions and the expansion of the SinglePoint portfolio.

In its annual recap, SinglePoint announced that subsidiary SingleSeed.com is one of the primary areas of focus for the coming year. Throughout 2018, the ecommerce channel had multiple new products added, enabling an organic increase in the website’s reach.

For 2019 and the years beyond, SinglePoint is going to attempt to become a large distributor, both through its online presence and through retail distribution reach. The experience with CBD products so far has been quite positive, which is why additional funnels will be utilized in 2019 to increase the number of online customers.

In 2019, SingleSeed.com is expected to become one of the top revenue-producing subsidiaries of SinglePoint. “We have seen a huge explosion in the CBD space, and we are actively selling products through SingleSeed.com now. We are making a nice margin on the products and are seeing many new customers come to the site as we expand,” SinglePoint president Wil Ralston said in a news release.

The company expects additional profit from its recent agreement with TorusMed Inc., a subsidiary of PetroSun Inc. (OTC: PSUD). The aim of the agreement, announced at the end of November, is to distribute the company’s CBD products via SinglePoint subsidiaries and ecommerce channels SingleSeed.com and DIGSHydro.com. The line of product to be made available via the SinglePoint ecommerce network will include Sport Relief Topical Cream – a non-detect THC product for both amateur and professional athletes.

“We are excited to add TorusMeds’ line of CBD products. We have met the team and seen the glowing reviews from TorusMed customers. We believe TorusMed and their suite of products will provide additional revenue for SinglePoint,” Ralston said in a news release (http://ibn.fm/CZuUG).

The annual recap also focused on the various businesses that SinglePoint acquired in 2018 and the products it launched as a part of the expansion strategy.

The development of Last Mile Delivery was a major milestone. The app was created for the needs of cannabis industry delivery companies that want to track shipments and provide clients with real-time information. The system was built to meet cannabis delivery guidelines within the U.S. In addition, Last Mile Delivery makes it easier for end customers to find nearby dispensaries and place orders.

In 2018, SinglePoint also invested in Jacksam DBA Convectium (OTC: JKSM), a company that went public in early December. SinglePoint acquired approximately nine percent of Jacksam, an entity with market capitalization of about $80 million.

SinglePoint is also counting on the expansion of DIGSHydro.com. Currently, DIGS is fulfilling many of the SingleSeed orders, and it is supplying bulk orders of CBD. DIGS can white label numerous products and provide drop shipping for them, as well.

As part of the annual recap, SinglePoint officials said that they’re working on two future acquisitions. Acquisitions will be a primary goal throughout 2019, providing new revenue growth opportunities and solidifying the SinglePoint financial structure.

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

• FDA now regulates the tobacco industry
• 22nd Century files Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) with the FDA
• Company receives order for 3.6 million SPECTRUM U.S. government research cigarettes

Since the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on June 22, 2009, the playing field for tobacco companies has changed. The Act definitively gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco products, authority which the Supreme Court said in FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. (2000) that the agency did not have. As a result, the FDA has taken up the banner “as the primary Federal regulatory authority with respect to the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products” in the U.S. It has exercised that mandate by proposing new rules to lower the nicotine content of tobacco products to less addictive levels. On December 5, 2018, 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII) filed an application under those new rules seeking authorization to commercialize certain cigarette products with the proposed brand name VLN (http://ibn.fm/M5jp6). 22nd Century says that it is “the only company in the world capable of growing tobacco with non-addictive levels of nicotine.” It may also be the first company in the world winning FDA approval to market a combustible cigarette as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP).

22nd Century Group is a plant biotechnology company that has been focusing its research efforts on developing reduced risk tobacco products, particularly by modifying the nicotine content in tobacco plants through genetic engineering and plant breeding. The company has submitted a Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking authorization to commercialize its “BRAND A” cigarette products under the proposed brand name VLN (for Very Low Nicotine).

A PMTA is now the first step toward the commercialization of any new tobacco product in the United States. It precedes the more comprehensive Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), which will request FDA authorization to state on packaging and advertising that, among other things, the proposed VLN cigarettes contain just 0.5 mg of nicotine per gram of tobacco. This proportion of nicotine is substantially below the average level of 19.4 mg of nicotine per gram of tobacco found in leading brands.

A survey of the top 100 leading cigarette brands in the United States showed that conventional and highly addictive cigarettes currently sold in the United States contain an average of 19.4 mg of nicotine per gram of tobacco, with an actual nicotine range of 14.7 mg to 33.2 mg per gram of tobacco. In its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to lower nicotine in cigarettes to minimally or non-addictive levels published on March 16, 2018, the FDA cited independent research (http://ibn.fm/RkrPi) that found “an absolute limit of 0.4 to 0.5 mg of nicotine per cigarette should be adequate to prevent or limit the development of addiction in most young people.”

The VLN cigarettes that are the subject of 22nd Century’s PMTA are a version of its widely accepted Very Low Nicotine Content (VLNC) SPECTRUM research cigarettes. Indeed, the PMTA refers to more than 50 independent studies that used the company’s proprietary SPECTRUM research cigarettes, while the World Health Organization (WHO) Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation has recommended that all member countries limit the nicotine content of cigarettes to the level found in VLNC SPECTRUM cigarettes. Earlier this year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and public health researchers requested a further 3.6 million of 22nd Century’s proprietary SPECTRUM research cigarettes (http://ibn.fm/HPO9V).

Despite its achievements in the tobacco space, 22nd Century is not resting on its laurels. The company has been applying the same approach to cannabis sativa plants to alter the levels of cannabinoids for new medicines. With an extensive intellectual property portfolio of issued patents and patent applications relating to the botanical properties of tobacco and hemp/cannabis plants, 22nd Century won’t be surprised if Big Tobacco comes knocking on its door.

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

• Continued exploratory work confirms that cobalt mineralization goes beyond the initial assessment at Iron Creek Cobalt Project
• Because of the continuous interception of higher-grade mineralization, First Cobalt is classifying the project as an advanced and unique exploration asset
• The discovery is of crucial importance, with cobalt being classified as a critical metal and demand for it constantly growing

First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) (ASX: FCC), a North American pure-play cobalt company, recently reported new intercepts of high-grade mineralization at its Iron Creek Cobalt Project in Idaho. The exploration suggests that the mineralization extends to a depth in the eastern portion of the current resource area, according to a company press release (http://ibn.fm/yJPl5).

First Cobalt President and CEO Trent Mell said in a news release that mineralization has been discovered between the eastern and western extents of the known resource area and that higher grade mineralization is repeatedly being intercepted between the two main zones. “These results confirm the continuity and consistency of mineralization predicted by our geological model and add further support for the development vision for the future of the project as we build toward the updated resource estimate in early 2019,” Mell said.

Drilling at the Iron Creek Cobalt Project is ongoing. The aim is to extend the strike length of the mineralization zone from over 500 to over 1,000 meters. Results reported on November 19 include three holes in the central part of the property and three in the eastern margin.

Results from the central holes confirm both the grade and the thickness of the mineralization to approximately 50 meters below the known resource area and infill some gaps where cobalt mineralization was historically considered low.

Drilling in the eastern region continues to intercept high grades of mineralization. These include 32.3 meters at 0.31 percent Co and 0.31 percent Cu in hole ICS18-06B and 21.1 meters at 0.32 percent Co and 0.20 percent Cu in hole ICS18-05. Consistently, drilling has identified several lenses of cobalt mineralization between the main massive sulphide horizons.

Previously, First Cobalt classified its Iron Creek Cobalt Project as an advanced, unique asset. According to company representatives, Iron Creek is one of the most crucial projects in North America in terms of cobalt mining. New drilling results confirm the scope and extent of mineralization beyond initial expectations.

Cobalt is relatively scarce, and demand for it is on the rise worldwide, being fed by the lithium-ion battery industry. A lot of the global cobalt sourcing is facing major challenges because of an extensive dependence on the resource found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Child labor is common there, giving alternative producers like First Cobalt a significant ethical advantage.

Industry analysis suggests that the demand from the li-ion battery sector alone will more than double until 2027. There are also concerns about the inability of cobalt miners to continue meeting this demand after 2021. Predictive analysis further confirms the importance of the work First Cobalt is doing at the Iron Creek Cobalt Project.

First Cobalt is a North American pure-play cobalt company whose flagship asset is the Iron Creek Cobalt Project in Idaho, which has inferred mineral resources of 26.9 million tonnes grading 0.11 percent cobalt equivalent. The company’s other assets include 50 past-producing mines in the Canadian Cobalt Camp and the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials.

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

• Sales of marine vessels at peak levels, with industry sales reaching $39 billion in 2017
• Victory Marine Holdings offers top products at competitive price points
• Company leadership implements strategic approach to maintain client satisfaction

Victory Marine Holdings Corp. (OTC: VMHG) is a world-class yacht sales, brokerage and consulting firm that has penetrated the luxury vessel market on all levels due to its three-pronged plan. This robust growth strategy is based on three interconnected strands: expanding the company’s sales team and current inventory, manufacturing its own line of boat trailers and manufacturing and selling its own line of boats.

The luxury boat market demands increasingly higher amounts of product (http://ibn.fm/he0JV), as “the perspective seems to be that life is short and fragile, so clients want to enjoy their wealth.” Victory Marine Holdings will meet this economic opportunity by offering a unique line of boats and boat trailers at a competitive price point.

The United States is a main player in the luxury yacht industry, with Europe and Asia also being top contenders. Marine sales are the highest they have been in 10 years, but manufacturing and delivery timelines can last up to 18 months. With this in mind, Victory Marine is taking steps to accelerate that timeline by partnering with yacht manufacturers to not only sell top product, but to produce its own unique brand of boats as well.

Victory Marine features products like the Renegade 38, a 38-foot long boat featuring triple outboard motors totaling 1,200 horsepower of pure adrenalin, (http://ibn.fm/mH81I) and the Invincible 40, a 40-foot vessel (http://ibn.fm/jUwc1) built to “tear through seas from any direction, while still being able to maneuver turns at high speeds.”

The leadership at the helm of this auspicious company offers decades of experience in the marine industry. CEO Orlando Hernandez leads the company with marine industry experience, including negotiation, business planning, investor relations, operations management and sales. He prides himself on cultivating strong customer loyalty (http://ibn.fm/3jFOm), promising, “The need of the client always comes first.” At his side is Gary Beaver, whose experience in the marine industry spans 20 years, and his portfolio of 25 vessel listings exceeds $10 million. The marine vessel industry saw peak earnings in 2017, bringing in $39 billion.

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

• The company has partnered with Dermagate of Quebec, Canada, for the manufacture of ETST’s Hygee device, which tests women for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• ETST has started the qualification process for the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP), a new certification program, and plans to grow its portfolio of medical devices in 2019
• SeeThruEquity, LLC update projects that ETST will achieve $7.1 million in revenues by FY2020 as it grows its product line and expands into full spectrum cannabinoid beverages

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTCQB: ETST), a biotech company that markets and develops hemp cannabinoid (CBD) products, sees FY2019 as its pivotal expansion year. It is progressing in the development of its Hygee medical device, increasing its portfolio of devices and introducing two new nutraceutical products (http://ibn.fm/nezv1). It has formed a strategic partnership for Hygee’s manufacture with Dermagate, a company that specializes in the production of dermatology and wound care products.

The new partnership would also give ETST access to other medical devices that can be marketed in the future along with Hygee and Nanoderm, a unique wound care product that ETST distributes. Prior, ETST finalized an agreement with Groupe Opmedic Inc. and its Procrea Fertility Laboratories for lab services to detect STIs in women using Hygee (http://ibn.fm/ooaiI).

ETST, based in Doral, Florida, produces and sells CBD products, as well as dietary supplements for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields. The company is focused on the cannabidiol, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors, along with the development, through subsidiaries, of medical devices and research. ETST’s goal is to become a world leader in the CBD space.

Nickolas S. Tabraue, president, director and chairman of ETST, said in a news release that he expects certification of the Hygee device in Canada in early 2019. He and Gatan Houle, president and CEO of PharmaGate Group Inc. and Dermagate, expressed optimism that the MDSAP certification audit for Hygee manufacturing would begin as early as January 2019. He added that ETST would launch two new products for the nutraceutical market in 2019.

Both Tabraue and Dr. Michel Aubé, ETST’s CEO and chief science officer, believe that Health Canada’s requirement that the new MDSAP certification be attained by manufacturers in the new year is a positive marketing development for ETST. They believe that it will thin the field of smaller manufacturers who are unable to meet the standard. It is seen as giving ETST an opportunity to expand its product portfolio with existing products that would need new distributors, the company said.

A benefit is that ETST, under the new regulations, will be able to audit Hygee for up to five different medical device markets, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan and the United States. These represent part of the company’s target market. STIs are a worldwide problem. Tabraue said that he expects Hygee to be certified by mid-2019 in other countries, too, seeking to adopt the new accreditation and facilitate the commercialization of medical devices.

SeeThruEquity sees ETST’s participation in the booming CBD industry, focusing on the hemp-derived segment, enabling it to reach revenues of $7.1 million by FY2020. The research report described its diversity, including its line of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, TV campaign and uplisting to the OCTQB Venture Market (http://ibn.fm/omeQM).

ETST holds several wholly owned subsidiaries. Cannabis Therapeutics is an emerging biotechnology company. KannaBidioiD manufactures and distributes in the recreational sector. Earth Science Foundation, Inc. is becoming a non-profit and accepts grants and donations to conduct additional studies. Earth Science Pharmaceutical develops medical diagnostic tools and vaccines. ETST also formed subsidiary Canno Inno Laboratories Inc., a strategic Montreal, Canada-based company that provides ETST with access to government grants.

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

• Therma Bright to establish subsidiary to hold pain relief device-related technology and intellectual property developed for application/use of cannabis formulations
• Therma Bright portfolio currently includes products, devices and treatments offering cosmetic, medicinal or therapeutic benefits for effective, non-invasive, pain-free skin care for cold sores, insect and marine life bites
• Proprietary thermal therapy device technology has received Class II medical device status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Legal cannabis market expected to reach $146.5 billion by end of 2025 with CAGR of 34 percent

Therma Bright, Inc. (TSX.V: THRM) (OTC: THRBF) continues to develop a new pain relief device that incorporates the company’s thermal therapy technology with medical grade cannabis or cannabidiol (CBD) sourced from hemp as a cream or gel to provide relief of back, knee and other joint pain. A wholly owned subsidiary is being incorporated to hold any device or technology that Therma Bright develops for use or application of cannabis, the company announced in a news release (http://ibn.fm/OiWmz).

Therma Bright will conduct all research and handling of any medicinal cannabis through authorized and licensed research facilities (http://ibn.fm/6pDG5). The company has also initiated patent and trademark protection for its thermal therapy technology that incorporates medicinal cannabis. Once approvals are secured, Therma Bright plans to sell the device through licensed cannabis producers and retailers across Canada and in international markets where cannabis has been legalized.

Rob Fia, Therma Bright CEO, said that, over the last several weeks, the company has reviewed several device delivery systems designed for recreational or medicinal cannabis use, along with personal cannabis home growing systems. These devices and systems could present unique acquisition opportunities and help further the company’s strategic approach to the cannabis space, Fia said.

“Therma Bright has reviewed some exciting technology over the last several weeks which we believe would be an excellent fit for our current product offerings. Both the medicinal, and specifically the recreational cannabis markets, are projected to be large markets in Canada and worldwide,” Fia said in a news release. “We felt this was an ideal time to explore cannabis device delivery systems and are pleased to have been approached by numerous companies to review what is in our opinion excellent technology. Therma Bright is pleased with the launch of ColdSores.com and looks forward to updating shareholders on our marketing strategy for the e-commerce site prior to year-end.”

Grand View Research, Inc., reports that the legal cannabis market is expected to reach $146.5 billion by the end of 2025 with a compound annual growth rate of 34 percent (http://ibn.fm/SQhrl). Growing adoption of cannabis in several medical applications such as cancer, mental disorders, chronic pain and others is expected to propel revenue growth in the future, the report states. The number of conditions treated using medical cannabis is growing rapidly as new patients are added to the market.

Therma Bright currently has two products on the market and another in the research and development phase. InterceptCS is a thermal therapy device available without prescription for the treatment and prevention of cold sores caused by the herpes simplex Type 1 virus. When used at the first sign of an oncoming cold sore, application of InterceptCS can prevent symptoms from developing*.

TherOZap is a next generation thermal therapy device powered by the company’s core technology, which is approved by the FDA as a Class II medical device for the relief of the symptoms of insect bites. Testing of a new, easier-to-use prototype of the device for effectiveness against the Zika virus and other diseases carried by mosquitoes is underway. Once the technology proves effective, Therma Bright intends to seek regulatory approvals and extend the prototype enhancements to a new, commercial version of TherOZap.

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

• Based on double blind placebo study, 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. InterceptCS™ is not approved by the United States FDA for any claim of clinical indication, clinical efficacy and/or cure or prevention of disease.