• Active investigation phase in the EU, Canada, China, Japan and India
• Forming four new wholly owned subsidiaries
• Seeks to acquire an equitable tax treatment

Cannabinoids are poorly absorbed by the body’s gastrointestinal tract, a trait that Lexaria Bioscience Corp.’s (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) lipophilic enhancement technology DehydraTECH™ is changing. Previously, consumers have turned to cannabis smoking to achieve higher effectiveness. However, human clinical studies have shown DehydraTECH™ to have a quick rate of absorption, allowing users to avoid the risks associated with smoking. DehydraTECH™ offers improved taste and smell, with effects felt within 15 to 20 minutes as opposed to the 60-120 minutes associated with traditional ingestion methods. This edible technology is patent-protected for CBD and all other cannabinoids, with the potential to revolutionize additional industries.

Lexaria is a biotechnology company that out-licenses its disruptive delivery technology promoting healthier ingestion methods. The company is the only one worldwide that has patents in the U.S. and Australia, with more pending in 40 countries for improved delivery of all non-psychoactive cannabinoids. The technology is in the active investigation phase in the EU, Canada, China, Japan and India.

DehydraTECH™ applies to far more than cannabinoids and is patented or patent-pending for use with a broad range of bioactive molecules. Last year, the company received its first patent on nicotine, ibuprofen and aspirin delivery in the U.S. This enabling technology has far-reaching implications and can be used to improve existing products or create new ones.

Currently, the company is forming four new wholly owned subsidiaries, one each for the pharmaceutical, nicotine, hemp and cannabis industries. Each subsidiary will take full advantage of DehydraTECH™ patent absorption technology and its applications to the related industry sector. In a recent Uptick Newswire podcast interview, Chris Bunka, CEO of LXRP, indicated that up to 80 percent of total revenue for the company will come from licensing deals (http://ibn.fm/mr9nr). Creating subsidiaries for separate industry sectors is expected to greatly assist in the research and development and financial growth of LXRP.

Previous plans to convert the company from being U.S.-based to Canada-based have been put on hold as the company seeks to acquire an equitable tax treatment following news that some shareholders may be adversely affected by punitive taxes upon the conversion.

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

• Core drilling program completed at San Roque property in Argentina
• Up to 600 core samples are being shipped to a certified laboratory for assay, with management optimistic about “favorable results”
• Company also pursuing cobalt and lithium, two other minerals risking global shortage due to increased demand

Reputable mining experts have issued stern warnings in recent weeks that the global supply of gold is declining at an alarming rate, with yet no viable substitutes to replace the precious metal. The world has reached “peak gold,” with reserves being mined much faster than they are being replaced  by new discoveries, and with virtually no new major gold deposits being identified, according to gold and mining experts quoted by Sovereign Man (http://ibn.fm/MCDcX). Aiming to help meet the growing demand for gold, Marifil Mines Ltd. (TSX.V: MFM) (OTCQB: MFMLF) recently completed a drilling program at a flagship property in Argentina where it searches for gold and zinc.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, the exploration company also pursues cobalt and lithium – two minerals that are also facing a growing global demand and potential shortage as a result of their use in lithium-ion batteries. Demand for lithium-ion batteries is primarily being driven by their use in electric vehicles, a fast-growing industry as several European countries and China have passed legislation aiming to replace standard gas and diesel-powered vehicles with EVs. It is expected that at least 14 percent of all cars worldwide will be battery-powered by 2025 (http://ibn.fm/NchpP).

Engaged in the exploration, evaluation and acquisition of mineral-rich properties in Argentina and keeping its primary focus on gold, lithium and cobalt, Marifil Mines is uniquely positioned for growth and success in its market segment. The company is optimistic about its prospects, in particular about the results of its recently completed drilling program at San Roque in southwestern Argentina’s Rio Negro province, where it resumed its search for gold after a six-year hiatus.

The drilling program consisted of four drill holes for a total of 846.5 meters (2,836 feet), bringing overall drilling on the property to 15,683 meters (51,453 feet) across 112 holes, the company said in a press release (http://ibn.fm/tn436). All drilled cores are being geologically and geotechnically logged and analyzed, with up to 600 core samples set to be further assayed by a specialized laboratory in Mendoza, Argentina. The laboratory has so far received 185 samples.

Marifil Mines has implemented a systematic quality assurance control on the drill cores and has hired an independent consulting geochemistry expert to analyze the credibility of assay returns. A report on the drilling program results for all four holes will be made public as soon as all assays are completed and verified.

The company’s drilling program also aims to augment confirmation of the Zone 34 gold find and expand the reported size of the deposit by testing a kilometer-long geophysical anomaly that is believed to have been created by sulfides possibly bearing gold and zinc.

“This drilling campaign was nicely executed and done so within budget by our Argentinean crew. From the look of the drill cores, we are hopeful for some favorable results,” Marifil Mines Vice President Richard Walters, who is also a certified professional geologist by the American Association of Professional Geologists and a qualified person by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, stated in a news release.

In addition to the San Roque property, Marifil Mines is taking steps to revive its lithium exploration program in the so-called ‘Lithium Triangle’ of the Argentine Puma, which was halted in 2009. The company owns three unexplored mine rights and is planning to purchase a fourth property from a competitor who recently announced the discovery of potentially economic lithium brines. Marifil is seeking to leverage its cobalt-bearing property, Las Aguilas, in a joint venture equity exchange for the lithium property. With over $15 million invested so far and a total of 143 drill holes for 29,499 meters (96,757 feet), the patented Las Aguilas mining claims spread over 359 hectares (887 acres) and are 100 percent owned by the company.

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

• Second round of testing for MIDS Cardiac™ detection technology for cardiac emergency triage reveals breakthrough quantitative testing results
• American Heart Association projects that 130 million adults in the U.S. will have some form of cardiovascular disease by 2035, with total costs expected to reach $1.1 trillion
• Studies performed outside the United States have demonstrated that high-sensitivity troponin testing speeds the triage of patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI, “Heart Attack”)
• Identifying low levels of troponin using a rapid-response, handheld diagnostic device for cardiac emergency triage can speed the treatment of AMI and improve treatment outcomes
• Identifying a low-risk patient could permit early emergency room discharge and avoid unnecessary hospitalization and costs

Health care technology company Zenosense, Inc. (OTCQB: ZENO) has completed two important milestones recently. The first was a successful second round of quantitative testing for the MIDS detection technology; the technology is core to the development of MIDS Cardiac™, a handheld device to rapidly test for certain cardiac biomarkers at the point of care. The second milestone relates to the company’s uplisting to the OTC Markets Group OTCQB Venture Market. By trading on the OTCQB Venture Market, Zenosense is better positioned to build shareholder value with a goal of enhancing liquidity and achieving fair valuation (http://ibn.fm/4q5BI).

Zenosense recently released breakthrough quantitative test results on the patented MIDS detection technology, which is being developing through its joint ownership in MIDS Medical Limited (“MML”), based at the prestigious Sci-Tech Daresbury campus in the United Kingdom. Targeting a major unmet medical need, MIDS Cardiac™ is being designed for use in emergency settings to help medical staff rapidly diagnose heart attack at an early stage and improve treatment and patient outcomes.

In a news release announcing the quantitative testing results (http://ibn.fm/jrS3f), Zenosense reported that the revised and improved sensor electronics detection system of its MIDS technology confirmed the testing results announced in late 2017 with materially improved results of a near doubling of sensitivity in detecting commercially available assay beads. The MIDS Cardiac™ device will utilize the MIDS technology, or ‘Magnetic Immunoassay Detection System’, which is capable of detecting extremely low levels of magnetic field disturbance caused by discrete test particles, the company states.

“MIDS is a hugely challenging development,” MML Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Nasser Djennati said in announcing the test results. “The results of this second round of testing are quite extraordinary, as magnetic detection at this level for this application is unheard of. We can now move forward and apply the MIDS detection to established assay techniques used in conventional analyzers as we seek to deliver state-of-the-art laboratory standard, high sensitivity cardiac troponin testing at the Point of Care.”

Every year about 735,000 Americans experience a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://ibn.fm/Ig78O). Heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women, kills about one in every four people, according to the CDC. In fact, more than seven million Americans will go to the emergency room with chest pain symptoms this year, but 90 percent of these patients will not have an acute myocardial infarction (a heart attack) and no major adverse cardiac event will occur with the next 30 days, the American Medical Association reported in the February 2018 JAMA journal (http://ibn.fm/Zn9Wk).

These patients, however, are commonly hospitalized or kept under observation for an evaluation that often results in a diagnosis that does not include a heart attack. Being able to identify those patients who are at low-risk for a heart attack may permit early emergency room discharge and avoid unnecessary hospitalization. Rapid turnaround of low-risk patients could mean shorter wait times, increased satisfaction, improved outcomes and cost-saving benefits, as the article notes.

In its 2018 update on heart disease and stroke statistics (http://ibn.fm/FcSEa), the American Heart Association again reiterates that coronary heart disease (43.8 percent) is the leading cause of deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the U.S., followed by stroke (16.8 percent), high blood pressure (9.4 percent), heart failure (9.0 percent) and other cardiovascular diseases (17.9 percent). By 2035, some 130 million adults in the U.S., or 45 percent of the population, are projected to have some form of CVD. Total costs related to CVD are expected to reach $1.1 trillion.

Successfully achieving detection equal or superior to state of the art laboratory analyzers with advanced portability allowing it to be used at point of care, including in an emergency setting, could make MIDS Cardiac™ an absolute game changer that could help save lives and money by enabling a swift diagnosis with a previously unheard of accuracy at the point of care (http://ibn.fm/mTVLw), the company states.

“These (test) results should not be underestimated,” Carlos Gil, CEO of Zenosense, stated in a news release. “I am not aware of any other detection technology suitable for use at the Point of Care which comes anywhere close to achieving these results. We are now so far within the limit of detection I am extremely confident that high sensitivity rapid troponin testing can become a reality in emergency settings. Achieving these results is a huge step towards that. I truly believe we have a blockbuster technology in the making.”

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

• 3Q2018 launch is planned for three more flavors in company’s CBD raw dark chocolate edibles line, prepared in conjunction with partner Karmavore Superfoods
• Edibles segment of CBD market is growing in states where marijuana is legal, such as Colorado, Oregon and Maine, with cannabis chocolate sales soaring
• Extension of ETST’s raw dark chocolate CBD line will boost total to five flavors

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST) has revamped its line of CBD products and will extend its line of raw dark chocolates in conjunction with joint venture partner Karmavore Superfoods. Research shows that, in several states where marijuana is legalized, such as Colorado, Oregon and Maine, both edibles and chocolates are growing.

ETST has extended its unique full spectrum cannabinoid CBD raw dark chocolate line to five products, with new flavors including Covered Mangoes, Coconut Peppermint Cups and Caramelized Quinoa Crunch. All were formulated with ETST’s joint venture partner, Karmavore Superfoods, a health foods company. Launch is expected in the third quarter of 2018 (http://ibn.fm/3tcqj).

Chocolates are a growing segment of the CBD market. According to research firm BDS Analytics, gummies are first, and chocolate pieces are second in growth. Candies accounted for 38 percent of all cannabis edibles industry sales, with chocolate pieces exhibiting 166 percent expansion in Colorado and Oregon in the first quarter of 2018 (http://ibn.fm/NY6Vd).

ETST, a biotech company based in Doral, Florida, is focused on developing medical devices for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields and marketing its high-grade line of hemp cannabidiol. It also manufactures, markets and distributes its own cannabinoid products, including capsules and oils, to the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets.

According to Cannabis Business Executive, Colorado cannabis edibles sales grew by 10 percent in January and February of 2018 versus the same period of 2017, outpacing the seven percent broader cannabis marketplace growth in the state (http://ibn.fm/rJnOZ). During that same period, edibles in Oregon grew by 87 percent.

In Maine, edibles are gaining a larger share of medical marijuana sales. In 2016, some 7.4 percent of its medical marijuana taxes came from edibles, as reported by the state’s Department of Administrative and Financial Services. In the prior year, the Portland Press Herald had the number as 5.4 percent (http://ibn.fm/3VFsO).

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

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

• Electronic payments engendering transition to a cashless society
• Electronic payments carry high transaction costs
• Blockchain technology holds the promise of lowering those costs
• Latest payment system, QuickCard, launched and running successfully

If cash is still king, it has to be a constitutional monarchy, for electronic payment instruments and technologies like those being developed by GreenBox POS, LLC (OTCQB: GRBX) now dominate the payments system. The company’s latest payment system, QuickCard, has been showing impressive market performance metrics (http://ibn.fm/TRa8I). The blockchain-powered e-wallet has performed without flaw since its launch in May 2018.

GreenBox, headquartered in San Diego with offices in Seattle, Las Vegas, and Vancouver, British Columbia, builds customized payment solutions based on blockchain secure ledger technology designed to lower transaction costs, reduce fraud and strengthen regulatory compliance. By combining the benefits of cash and electronic payments, these payment solutions are taking us closer to a cashless economy. As their acceptance grows, these innovative technologies from GreenBox are likely to change how people worldwide behave with money.

Cash has lost its crown. In 2015, a study by the San Francisco Fed found that it had been the most frequently used retail payment instrument, facilitating 32 percent of all transactions, including bill payments. By contrast, consumers had used debit cards for 27 percent of their transactions and credit cards for 21 percent of transactions (http://ibn.fm/gwCzW). In the space of two years, all of that has changed. The most recent study of consumer payment choice, conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, discovered that, in 2017, U.S. consumers aged 18 and older made 70 payments per month on average, with debit cards accounting for 31.8 percent of those payments, cash for 27.4 percent and credit cards for 23.2 percent (http://ibn.fm/TE61c). Cash has been toppled, and its position will undoubtedly erode further as innovative payment solutions like those offered by GreenBox replace traditional methodologies in the payments ecosystem.

GreenBox is pushing progression to a cashless society with a string of blockchain-based technologies. Its QuickCard is a blockchain powered e-wallet accessible through an Android app, an iOS app or via a cash loading kiosk installed in participating retailers and merchants. It is coupled with the QuickCard Kiosk, which handles all cash management issues, both physical and virtual. Working together on the QuickCard payment platform, direct and immediate deposits from cash to blockchain can be made and instantly confirmed, providing a deposit solution that is unrivalled. The QuickCard payment platform takes the concept of an ATM to another level. Using it, a consumer can deposit his or her cash at the Kiosk, after which it immediately becomes available for use. The QuickCard payment platform, capable of instantly settling transactions with unparalleled security and fully integrated blockchain-secured ledger technology, also includes offline functionality and cold storage capabilities.

Other GreenBox products include its point-of-sale solution, which features operational compliance, financial audit preparation, expense tracking, tax payments and data fidelity controls, such as backup and restore, cloud security and privacy settings. The GreenBox POS software is fully integrated with a delivery app, a payment app and an application programming interface (API), and it features front register mode and back-end admin mode, in addition to in-admin mode to manage employees, vendors, expenses, taxes and compliance. All records are stored on the blockchain, with data reliably secured and protected.

GreenBox has also developed LOOPZ, a delivery software solution that offers service dispatcher back-end technology with manual and automatic modes. The software is uniquely designed to be effectively utilized for mobile delivery service operations with full autonomous dispatch capabilities. LOOPZ provides two mobile apps (driver and consumer) running on Android and iOS, direct reporting to point of sale inventory and use-of-pay for instant settlements, as well as separate escrow setup for tips and merchant sales. As with other GreenBox solutions, all data and information are securely hosted on a blockchain platform.

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

• Over 7,500 people expected to attend Cannabis Business Summit & Expo
• More than 85 percent of attendees to have decision-making or purchasing authority
• EVIO Colorado licensee gets ISO approval for pesticide testing
• Cannabis testing market to hit $1.4 billion by 2021

EVIO Inc. (OTCQB: EVIO), an accredited and established leader in cannabis testing, is set to exhibit at one of the nation’s foremost cannabis trade shows. EVIO will have booth #1113 at the National Cannabis Industry Association’s (NCIA) 5th Annual Cannabis Business Summit & Expo coming to San Jose, California, on July 25-27 (http://ibn.fm/9ySuM).

Over 7,500 attendees are expected at the event, which will bring together policymakers and key actors in the cannabis industry. Conference organizers estimate that over 85 percent of the attendees will have either decision-making or purchasing authority, making it a prime networking and deal-making opportunity.

“California’s heightened cannabis testing standards which went into effect on July 1, have brought cannabis testing and consumer safety to the forefront of the conversation. We are looking forward to connecting with NCIA attendees to discuss the new regulations and answer any questions regarding the testing space,” Al Lustig, president of EVIO Labs, stated in a news release. Lustig added that both EVIO and the cannabis testing space are growing at a rapid pace, “and the momentum will continue as more states and countries’ recreational programs come online.”

Confirming this increased growth and capacity, EVIO has also announced that one of its licensees has been certified to test cannabis products for pesticides (http://ibn.fm/Fo5LY). PhytaTech CO has been awarded ISO 17025 Certification for Pesticide Analysis in the State of Colorado. This the highest international standard for a laboratory’s competence and quality. The certification assures customers, public officials and accreditation bodies that tests are performed with impartiality and consistency.

“While pesticide testing is not state-mandated, we predict that it will be in the following months as the focus continues towards consumer safety and ensuring that products are clean and of the highest quality,” said Stephen Goldman, laboratory director of PhytaTech. “Pesticide residues are an extremely important public safety issue and something that has been plaguing the industry for years. EVIO remains committed to upholding the highest standards of the testing process and instilling consumer confidence in this expanding industry.”

Denver-based PhytaTech has been operating since 2014 and entered a licensing agreement with EVIO in 2017. The agreement allows PhytaTech to use EVIO’s testing methods. PhytaTech works with licensed producers in Colorado’s cannabis industry. It carries out potency analysis and tests products for contaminants, aiming to work at a 48-hour turnaround time.

The cannabis testing market is expected to reach $1.4 billion by 2021 (http://ibn.fm/84q47). More and more states are legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, and these new laws are often coupled with mandated testing. With nine testing labs in California, Florida, Oregon, Massachusetts and Colorado, and plans to double this number by the end of the year, EVIO is set to capitalize on mandatory testing to further support its growth. The company offers a wide range of screening and analysis services to the regulated cannabis industry, as well as research and development for new cannabis products, and consultancy to cannabis growers and producers to meet quality goals, optimize manufacturing processes and achieve regulatory compliance.

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

• REFG is seeking state licenses in Utah and Vermont to grow industrial hemp after earlier acquiring SpeedyGrow, which is licensed to grow in Colorado
• Research firm projects that cannabis market in North America will surge this year due to greater adult use sales in Canada, California and Massachusetts, as well as medical sales in Florida
• REFG reaches agreement in principle to acquire rights to establish mobile hemp CBD extraction labs; company also offers FinCEN compliant Green processing for cannabis industry

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) is intensifying its focus on cannabis as research firm Arcview Market Research projects that the growth of the legal cannabis industry will re-accelerate in 2018 in North America as adult use sales grow in Canada, California and Massachusetts, along with first time medical cannabis sales in Florida (http://ibn.fm/ep91T).

A report published by Arcview Market Research, in partnership with BDS Analytics, forecasts that adult-use cannabis spending will reach $38.3 billion over the next 10 years, while medical spending will reach $19.1 billion (http://ibn.fm/m5mIe). Separately, Ameri Research, Inc., predicts a global cannabis market of $63.5 billion by 2024, driven by a CAGR of 21.1 percent from 2017-2024 (http://ibn.fm/0Vz8C).

Either way, researchers see the legal and medicinal cannabis markets expanding at a double digit annual rate, and REFG is playing a larger part in it. The Nevada-based firm is seeking up to three state licenses to grow industrial hemp. It has just reached an agreement to establish a mobile hemp CBD extraction lab. Additionally, the company continues to offer Green, a comprehensive financial system for licensed cannabis dispensaries and retail merchants who require an alternative to traditional banking. It is available for online sign up (http://ibn.fm/47b2Z).

The company has agreed in principle with a subsidiary of Paper Lantern, LLC to acquire the rights to operate mobile hemp labs. According to the company, the labs will be at farms owned and operated by REFG, as well as at farms which have entered into processing agreements with the company (http://ibn.fm/BAs6i). In a news release, Jeremy Roberts, CEO of REFG, said, “Our mobile extraction process is another step forward in our plan to participate in the hemp and cannabis industries at strategic levels.”

Roberts noted that REFG would attain a competitive edge by managing supply and demand from seed-to-sale through use of Paper Lantern’s technologies. Kipp Stroden, partner at Paper Lantern, added, “By bringing high tech mobile extraction to the farm, we will give farmers and capital partners the competitive edge needed in this fast-growing emerging market.”

This agreement adds to REFG’s diverse commitment to the cannabis industry. It acquired SpeedyGrow, a Wyoming-based firm licensed to grow and process hemp in Colorado (http://ibn.fm/8NX73).  It says that it will also apply for state licenses to grow industrial hemp in Utah (http://ibn.fm/eZkXk) and Vermont (http://ibn.fm/1esIQ).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Take.Green

• Virtual Crypto Technologies building a name with ATMs that deal in bi-directional crypto exchanges
• NetoBit platform for ATMs allows rapid verification through predictive application available on Android and iOS
• NetoBit’s flexibility extends to ability to divide transactions between multiple exchanges

Virtual Crypto Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: VRCP) is making it easier for people to finance their needs through virtually deregulated but still-confident peer-to-peer money networks that allow the rapid exchange of bitcoin and cash on a bi-directional ATM platform. The technology company is dedicated to making fintech use by consumers and businesses an efficient, accurate, reliable and virtually instantaneous process utilizing unique algorithms and artificial intelligence technologies on a variety of digital devices.

Virtual Crypto’s NetoBit ATM enables consumers to withdraw cash from their bitcoin accounts and to transfer funds to the accounts without the need for banking institution hurdles and their fees. New press materials, titled “Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Innovators Poised to Reap Rewards as Fintech Reshapes How Money Is Used” (audio: http://ibn.fm/qC3QQ; text: http://ibn.fm/vagLE), highlight how the company is helping to rapidly transform the financial industry by reshaping how money is used at the most basic level.

As the number of ATMs grows, the NetoBit system is becoming a handy way for a mobile society to retain liquidity, and it uniquely offers users the best bang for their buck by comparing the best expected trade outcomes on multiple cryptocurrency exchanges — even if that means dividing a single transaction between multiple exchanges in order to accomplish things.

Bitcoin (Crypto: BTC) and altcoin ATMs are proliferating across North America, with more than 73 percent of the nearly 3,500 reported ATMs worldwide located on the continent (http://ibn.fm/ifST3). That creates more fluid economic opportunities in the Americas, however about two-thirds of those ATMS are “one-way ATMs” that only allow purchases of crypto funds. Virtual Crypto’s platform is among those machine processes that take economic freedom to the next level.

The company’s currency exchange transaction validation (CETV) protocols enable customers to complete cash or fintech coin fund transfers in a matter of minutes, as opposed to the still-cumbersome mining computations that most bitcoin ATMs must wait on to validate the transaction. The CETV’s proprietary API-driven Bit4Sure transaction confirmation solution drastically reduces the 20-minute to 24-hour delay by establishing the probability of a transaction being confirmed by multiple miners even while the verification is taking place, effectively allowing users to confirm a transaction transparently before the blockchain process is completed, and it uses a readily available app that works with Android and iOS to do so (http://ibn.fm/ltumd).

Virtual Crypto is also expanding its horizons by working with other companies that might ultimately serve as clients for its technology. In January, the Delaware company inked an MOU with Israel-based oil refinery relocater Chiron Refineries Ltd. (TASE: CHR), creating a wholly owned subsidiary named Virtual Crypto Technologies Ltd. that will grant Chiron exclusive rights to market the NetoBit technology to casino cashiers, ATM operators, currency exchange offices and coffee shops in the territories of North Cyprus and Turkey (http://ibn.fm/aMeWi). Virtual Crypto is also taking aim at the extensive cryptocurrency usage that takes place within the online video game market, anticipating the possibility of providing services under that industry’s umbrella.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Virtual-Crypto.com

• MCOA focuses on providing products and services to the legal cannabis and industrial hemp industries
• Regulatory change is imminent in these industries
• MCOA is positioned to leverage promising trends in the industry

Based in Escondido, California, Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA) focuses on providing turn-key services to the legal cannabis and industrial hemp industries. The company provides varied services and products via its strategic cross-country platform. Fundamentally, MCOA is undergoing development to support an array of portfolio companies that participate within these sectors.

The company’s business model includes a diverse portfolio of interactive business segments. MCOA’s portfolio includes hempSMART™, its New Brunswick hemp project, joint venture entity Covered Bridge Acres Ltd. and an ownership stake in MoneyTrac Technology, Inc.

MCOA’s hempSMART™ is committed to the development of industrial hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) nutritional products. hempSMART sells products via affiliate marketing and is developing a network of independently driven business owners to distribute hempSMART products. The company is dedicated to improving its customers’ health and wellness via education, promotion and distribution of products derived from industrial hemp.

hempSMART’s mission is to find, research, develop and deliver premier natural botanical ingredients centered on wellness and personal care. These proprietary formulations support and enhance the benefits of hemp-based cannabinoids.

The cannabidiol market is expected to achieve rapid and sustained growth due to the positive regulatory changes on the immediate horizon. Cannabis Law Advisor (http://ibn.fm/TgiLJ) noted that, “…industrial hemp continues to gather bipartisan supporters, including Mitch McConnell (R-KY).”

On June 25, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for the first time, approved a medicine that uses CBD as its active ingredient. Upon the anticipated passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp and hemp-derived CBD will no longer be classified as a Schedule I drug, opening up vast markets nationally and internationally.

Moreover, Cannabis Tech (http://ibn.fm/Pxd2m) notes that, “…hemp demand is on the rise.  It has been predicted that by 2020, the hemp industry will be a $1.1 billion industry and by 2022, as much as $1.8 billion.”

MCOA is positioned to take advantage of the promising trends in the industry. By way of hempSMART, the company’s aim is to make this wholly owned subsidiary into a passionate movement to help foster the growth of the industrial hemp industry. Its emphasis is on supporting the renaissance of green sustainable hemp-based products and disruptive superior technologies.

MCOA recently added an industrial hemp cultivation site in Scio, Oregon, to its operations. This is a 109-acre site in the Willamette Valley. The company established this in collaboration with Global Hemp Group (CSE: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF). In addition, the two companies are working together on a hemp cultivation project in the Province of New Brunswick, albeit it on a significantly larger scale. Therefore, MCOA has in place its business strategy to leverage the potential of the industrial hemp industry.

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

• LXRP’s patented DehydraTECH technology will be employed by each wholly owned subsidiary, with applications applied to the industry segments
• At its 2018 Annual General and Special Meeting (AGM), all motions were passed, including election of board members and approval of its conversion plan
• Move to convert the company from a U.S.-based firm to Canada-based is placed on ‘indefinite hold’ due to inequitable tax treatment issue; LXRP to seek a resolution

At Lexaria Bioscience Corp.’s (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) 2018 Annual General Meeting, all motions were passed. The company is proceeding on schedule with its reorganization into four new wholly owned subsidiaries to serve the nicotine, hemp, pharmaceutical and cannabis industries. All of these subsidiaries will utilize the company’s patented DehydraTECH® proprietary absorption technology for application to their own sectors (http://ibn.fm/U61dv). The company said that the reorganization will assist in the growth and evolution of each of the four subsidiaries, including, but not limited to, the areas of research, development and finance.

Also during the annual meeting, Chris Bunka, John Docherty, Nick Baxter and Ted McKechnie won election as directors. In addition, the appointment of auditors was approved, as was the plan of conversion.

LXRP is a biotechnology company that out-licenses its disruptive delivery technology that promotes healthier ingestion methods. It results in lower dosing and higher effectiveness. LXRP holds a patent for oral delivery of all cannabinoids. It has a growing IP portfolio and will license in any of the 40 countries worldwide where its technology already has a patent or is patent-pending.

It was also decided that the planned change of domicile of LXRP from a U.S.-based company to a Canadian-based firm will be placed on ‘indefinite hold’ due to the issue of inequitable tax treatment of a certain class of stockholders. LXRP reported that tax experts informed the company that the move may create punitive taxes for some shareholders.

If a resolution to the tax issue is found, the plan of conversion could take place in the future. If inequitable tax treatment cannot be resolved, the conversion will not occur, LXRP noted.

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