• Leading provider of blockchain cryptocurrency mobile apps and cloud-based business software solutions
• Recent acquisitions include CryptoFolio app that tracks and manages Bitcoin and Altcoin portfolios
• ZenaPay Bitcoin Wallet downloaded more than 10,000 times since launch on Android Play Store
• Global blockchain market size expected to reach over $6 billion by 2023 at 48.37% CAGR

Epazz, Inc. (OTC: EPAZ) is a leading provider of blockchain cryptocurrency mobile apps and cloud-based business software solutions that specializes in providing customized web applications to the corporate world, higher education institutions and the public sector. The company’s strategic expansion into the investment fintech software space can be seen in the recent acquisition of the android app CryptoFolio, which securely tracks and manages Bitcoin and Altcoin portfolios. Epazz, Inc., which acquired the software rights, source code and user base of CryptoFolio, plans to add additional cryptocurrencies and languages to the app, along with an iOS version to attract more users.

Epazz also offers ZenaPay Bitcoin wallet, which has been downloaded more than 10,000 times since its launch on the Play Store. A subsidiary of Epazz, ZenaPay is a financial technology company that offers a unique, secure and reliable Bitcoin payment app, allowing consumers to acquire Bitcoin at the point-of-sale. The consumer can then use this digital currency to make a purchase with ease. The CryptoFolio business model provides free features to attract users and then allows users to purchase additional features from $1.99 to $5.99 each. CryptoFolio is a great add-on app for ZenaPay, and future versions of CryptoFolio will include an option to download ZenaPay.

“We are starting 2018 with ZenaPay on both major mobile apps’ platforms,” said Shaun Passley, PhD, CEO and founder of Epazz. “We are in the processing of developing new blockchain technology which will introduce an additional source of revenue streams for our company.”

Epazz technology makes it easy to convert legacy systems into cloud business process software, for which the company then charges an annual subscription fee. Epazz has acquired 11 software companies that have converted or are in the process of converting their legacy software products to cloud software using Epazz technology. Epazz then markets the new cloud-based solutions to new and existing customers.

Epazz’s unique BoxesOS™ applications can create virtual communities for enhanced communication, provide information and content for decision-making, and create a secure marketplace for any type of commerce. Epazz has also filed a provisional patent for its new blockchain smart legal contract technology that reduces fraud in business transactional contracts. The technology allows for a transactional contract to become a living contract that is tracked and traced; it also verifies that a section of terms within a contract are followed and that all parties of an agreement obey the terms of the contract.

“Blockchain-based technology is the future of the Internet,” Passley said. “Epazz will add blockchain technology to all of our products in the coming months using our blockchain cloud platform, BoxesOS. The company has been working with customers to understand the best uses of blockchain, and we are excited about filing the first of many blockchain patents, with many more to come.”

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

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• Transaction combines the strengths of the two different platforms of the companies
• CSRH growing through partnerships, license agreements and revenue-sharing joint ventures
• Eyeing more opportunities in the mobile FinTech industry, CSRH leverages its expertise in vertical-based and direct solutions

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CSRH) has extended its strategic agreement with Knockout Gaming, Inc. (http://ibn.fm/CJc6a). CSRH said that Knockout Gaming has enhanced its online gaming platform, and, under the agreement, Knockout will provide its platform to Consortium’s 359 Mobile, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary that recently completed the framework integration of its Universal Mobile Interface™ (“UMI”) platform into a mass scale transaction and settlement mobile gaming framework.

The announcement indicates that, by providing its platform to 359 Mobile, Knockout Gaming will be able to deliver mobile online gaming products under existing licenses to certain regulated gaming markets worldwide, including the United Kingdom. The new strategic agreement will allow the companies to combine the strengths of their two different platforms, per the news release.

CSRH is a software development company and a mobile device solutions provider, delivering complex mobile-based transactions through partnerships, license agreements and revenue-sharing joint venture arrangements. It eyes growth in FinTech, or next-generation financial technology, enabling it to leverage its expertise in vertical-based and direct solutions. Its UMI technology can provide digital solutions in data analytics, payment processing and other opportunities in the mobile FinTech industry and its associated verticals.

In a news release, Craig Fielding, CEO of CSRH, said, “We are extremely pleased to have reached a more encompassing strategic agreement with Knockout Gaming. Knockout’s online gaming platform is a proven commodity with a multitude of key components including but not limited to PCI compliance, transaction processing and settlement, and player regulatory verification capabilities… Our ability to join forces with Knockout will enable the company to facilitate the development and release of gaming solutions on 359 Mobile’s UMI platform in 2018.”

Gray Knight, CEO of Knockout Gaming (http://ibn.fm/xPIWY), noted that, “The combination of our online platform with UMI is an exciting step in the commercialization and monetization of our respective offerings.”

Knockout Gaming is a diverse company in iGaming, offering a turnkey casino solution. It has more than 300 online casino games, including 3D animated games, online poker, a sports betting platform and live dealers online for games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat. Its goal is to generate maximum revenue for its partners, offering its clients flexible digital solutions.

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

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• DermSafe® hand sanitizer stops spread of virus by hand contact
• Now available in Canada and China
• Employs patented drug delivery technology

As deaths across the nation rise, families of victims struck down by the influenza A (H3N2) virus are beginning to sound the alarm (http://ibn.fm/DJ4V0). Warning calls by the relatives of Emily Muth (5), Dylan Winnik (12), Alyssa Alcaraz (12) and Alani Murrieta (20), all of whom succumbed to the deadly strain, relate how murderous this year’s outbreak has been so far. Further proof is furnished by the latest report (http://ibn.fm/lRZZK) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which indicates that ‘all U.S. states but Hawaii continue to report widespread flu activity and the number of states experiencing “high” influenza activity increased from 26 plus New York City to 32 states plus New York City and Puerto Rico.’ The CDC report also highlights the vulnerability of the young. The number of flu-related pediatric deaths this year has climbed to 30 so far. The crisis has prompted the director of the CDC, Brenda Fitzgerald, to remind the public that washing hands frequently can stop transmission of the virus (http://ibn.fm/nQnm8). A hand rub can work just as well if soap and water are not available, according to Fitzgerald. This is all good advice, says Skinvisible, Inc. (OTCQB: SKVI), which, through its Kintari subsidiary, produces the hand sanitizer, DermSafe®. The antiseptic lotion has already joined the fight against the spread of pathogens. It was used by Team Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, and this year, Skinvisible has donated over 1,000 bottles of DermSafe to the Canadian team for the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

DermSafe non-alcohol hand lotion’s active ingredient is 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), which offers long-term protection. It destroys both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, as well as most viruses, including all of the influenza viruses tested, by providing a long-lasting protective barrier that binds to the skin and actively combats the spread of germs between people and hard surfaces. DermSafe has proven effective against a host of infectious germs including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli).

DermSafe employs Skinvisible’s patented polymer delivery system, Invisicare®, which improves the delivery of topically applied skin care products, thereby enhancing the efficacy of the active ingredients. The unique process extends the time that the product remains active on the skin and is specifically formulated to transport active ingredients that are insoluble in water without using alcohol, silicones, waxes or other organic solvents.

Invisicare allows products that incorporate its processes to bond more effectively to the skin, thus keeping active ingredients on the skin for up to four hours or longer. Since Invisicare is non-occlusive, it allows normal skin respiration and perspiration while moisturizing and protecting against exposure from a wide variety of environmental irritants. When topically applied, products formulated with Invisicare adhere to the skin’s outer layers, forming a protective bond, resisting wash-off and delivering targeted levels of therapeutic or cosmetic skincare agents to the skin. This allows enhanced delivery performance for a variety of topicals that results in improved efficacy, longer duration of action, reduced irritation and lower required dosage of active agent. Adding icing to the cake, the ‘invisible’ polymer compositions that make up Invisicare wear off as part of the natural exfoliation process that removes the skin’s outer layer of cells.

In June 2017, the company announced that it had completed its first international sale of DermSafe hand sanitizer in China through its agent, InterSpace Global, Inc. (http://ibn.fm/QNDxQ). The agreement with InterSpace Global facilitates the export of Skinvisible’s OTC products to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.

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

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The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd., also known as TGOD, recently announced the closing of $112 million in private placement financing, including a strategic investment by marijuana industry powerhouse Aurora Cannabis Inc. (OTCQX: ACBFF) (TSX: ACB) of $55 million. TGOD issued 67,878,788 units at a price of $1.65 per unit. Each unit included one common share of the company and a half common share purchase warrant that can be converted to a full share at the exercise price of $3 each during the next three years.

The investment fully funds the expansion of TGOD’s combined 970,000 square-foot ultra-high technology greenhouse facilities in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. TGOD’s expansion and strategic partnership with Aurora positions the company to be one of the largest and most technologically advanced cannabis production facilities in the world and sets the foundation for its highly anticipated 2018 IPO.

Aurora Cannabis, the second-largest marijuana producer in Canada, made headlines on January 24 when it agreed to buy another rival, CanniMed Therapeutics Inc., in what amounted to the world’s biggest marijuana industry transaction, bringing the value of cannabis deals so far this year to $1.2 billion and more than doubling such transaction values for all of 2017, according to Thomson Reuters (http://ibn.fm/zfY7T).

The Aurora investment in TGOD is accompanied by a supply agreement providing Aurora the right to purchase up to 20 percent of TGOD’s annual production of organic cannabis, and TGOD will receive additional services from Aurora and its subsidiary, Aurora Larssen Projects Inc. (ALPS). Furthermore, positioning Aurora as a strategic investor is important for many reasons, including, but not limited to:

• Acceleration of TGOD’s construction and build-out
• TGOD to receive advanced insight into Aurora’s 800,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, Aurora Sky
• Aurora and TGOD are building similarly sized world class operations
• Aurora has a group of partnership companies that can provide us a suite of services that are best in class, tested and already proven
• Investment from one of the largest cannabis companies in the world validates and endorses TGOD’s business plan and accomplishments
• This significantly reduces TGOD’s time to market while limiting costs and reducing risks
• Aurora’s CEO, Terry Booth, is a visionary that TGOD is excited to partner with
• The operation is now fully funded
• TGOD stated “we applaud Aurora’s innovation & execution and believe working together adds significant value that would be difficult to replicate alone.”

TGOD’s mission is to produce ultra-low cost, premium-quality organic cannabis for medical and recreational uses, according to a news release announcing the financing closure (http://ibn.fm/M2lr8). The company’s facilities operate with close to a zero-carbon footprint and will be certified under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

“Teaming up with Aurora, the industry’s innovation leader, provides us with a stable, supportive shareholder, through whom we have access to best-in-class technologies and industry know-how,” TGOD President Csaba Reider stated in a news release. “This will significantly accelerate our time to market and establish TGOD as the world’s leading provider of premium organic cannabis.”

The partnership includes a “standstill” agreement acknowledging that Aurora can’t acquire TGOD during the next 18 months, as the larger company did following months of jostling with CanniMed, allowing TGOD opportunity to develop its potential. The private placement financing closure includes the addition of 2,000 new shareholders, bringing the company to more than 4,000 shareholders total. The company’s combined facilities in Ontario and Quebec will be capable of producing 116,000 kg of its 36 premium cannabis strains, and it is already licensed to cultivate medical cannabis in Canada. Investment in the company now totals $160 million.

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

• The company’s platform offers full merchant account functionality and fully secure payment processing options
• Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions’ technology is used by medical marijuana vendors
• Bitcoin payments will soon be integrated into the platform

Although marijuana was one of the fastest-growing industries over the last couple of years and is expected to continue at the same pace throughout 2018 and beyond, authorized businesses and vendors still have a hard time managing their finances and customers in the absence of banking services. With most banking institutions unable to open their doors to legal marijuana businesses because the substance is still classified as an illegal drug by the federal government, it is up to companies such as Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) to provide the industry with fully secure, state-of-the-art financial services.

Based in Nevada, the corporation serves the medical marijuana sector. As a merchant processing pioneer of the marijuana industry, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions brought to the market the first and only comprehensive card processing service. Via Green, a proprietary payment system that was launched earlier in January 2018, the company aims to offer a “cure for the banking nightmare cannabis establishments face,” according to CEO Jeremy Roberts. The platform has full merchant account functionality that allows for repeat billing, online sales, client management and 100 percent secure electronic payments.

Green was designed specifically to meet all the demands of marijuana businesses in need of a financial and banking solution, from security to ease of use, compliance, integration and more. The system’s robust closed loop merchant processing brings private and encrypted digital security to vendors in the sector, offering the highest level of security available. It is affordable and easy to use, being designed to deliver a comprehensive suite of processing services, with the end goal of empowering both businesses and customers with the convenience of modern card processing resources.

As the first comprehensive card processing system of the kind, Green also tracks tax collection and sales, basically operating as a client management system. Last but not least, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions’ advanced proprietary platform is fully compliant with Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) regulations and parameters for financial institutions serving the medical cannabis sector.

To further expand its services to the state-legal medical marijuana sector, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions announced plans to include bitcoin payment processing in its proprietary payment processing platform. Green offers clients an advanced payment solution that allows purchases with U.S. currency and will soon include bitcoin payment options as well. Roberts explained that the decision was made based on customer feedback, with many vendors interested in implementing cryptocurrency payment options.

The Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions CEO is confident that the ability to process bitcoin will give the company an even bigger competitive advantage and will make it more attractive to medical cannabis vendors in a booming market that’s expected to exceed $31 billion within the next three years, from $6.5 billion in 2016.

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

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• Deal includes design, development and clinical testing of MSN-2 medical device-related services
• Study-specific testing will center on sexually-transmitted infections (“STIs”)
• World Health Organization estimates that 357 million new STIs are contracted yearly
• Global diagnostic market for STIs projected at more than $200 billion by 2022

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST), an innovative biotechnology company operating in the fields of hemp cannabinoid (CBD), nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medical device research and development, has signed a deal with a private laboratory for clinical studies related to its MSN-2 medical device. The partnership, announced in a January 9 news release (http://ibn.fm/y8UOP), brings together ETST’s wholly owned subsidiary, Earth Science Pharmaceutical, Inc., and Laboratories BNK Canada Inc. (www.LaboBNK.com), in a partnership with significant clinical goals.

“We are on the cusp of making tremendous progress in our clinical trial efforts,” Dr. Michel Aubé, CEO and CSO of ETST, stated in a news release. “Our partnership with BNK will allow us to leverage the expertise of R&D veterans of many years, which will help us move more quickly, develop more products, cut costs, and ultimately, treat more patients.”

BNK’s team of professional scientists from pharmaceutical, clinical research and hospital settings will assist ETST in the design, development and validation of testing methods that meet all regulatory requirements. In addition, BNK will assist with the determination and development of study-specific tests for ETST clinical projects and bring expertise in clinical research project management to ensure that all trials run smoothly. This expertise will help the company maintain efficiency and reduce research and development costs.

Both companies are expressing an urgency for the work to quickly move forward. ETST has confirmed the MSN-2 device’s ability to detect chlamydia, and it is working to validate similar results for gonorrhea. ETST also plans to add testing for trichomoniasis, as well as a complete body fluid panel to detect the different serotypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. Both are highly infectious sexually transmitted infections.

The World Health Organization estimates that there are an estimated 357 million new sexually transmitted infections each year that often carry permanent consequences for patients and society at large (http://ibn.fm/8zvXl). The World Health Organization now recommends that all pregnant women be tested for chlamydia, which has created a very large testing market. This partnership with BNK is expected to help ETST increase its total attainable market in this space and allow the company to commercialize its new testing services more quickly.

“We are extremely happy to be working with Earth Science Tech on their MSN-2 project,” said Dr. Gilles Brisson, BNK president and scientific director. “This project has the potential to completely change the way we look at sampling for STI infections and is certainly a positive development in women’s health around the world. This collaboration will be the fundamental driver for the success of this project.”

In a new study by Grand View Research Inc., the global market for STI diagnostic devices is forecast to be more than $200 billion by 2022 (http://ibn.fm/hhoYV). Key findings of the report state that, in 2014, chlamydia testing accounted for 34 percent of the market, with laboratory testing devices dominating and generating over $67 billion.

ETST now has the laboratory partner needed to support the company’s research and development efforts, along with the commercialization of its MSN-2 medical device, which has been specifically developed to support women’s health and the related molecular diagnostics to which women desperately need access, Aubé said.

“STIs can have severe consequences. It is very important to prevent spreading” he said. “For example, we can cure the Chlamydia infections, but any permanent damage done by the long-term infection will not be repaired.”

Earth Science Pharmaceutical, Inc. is focused on becoming a world leader in the development of low cost, non-invasive diagnostic tools, medical devices, testing processes and vaccines for sexually transmitted illnesses.

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

• Patented nutraceuticals with retail distribution and consumer branding expertise
• MOU with cannabinoid pharma for research on NeutriSci products for new therapeutics
• Targeting forefront of new and innovative cannabinoid-based medical products in Canada

In business for nearly a decade, NeutriSci International Inc. (TSX.V: NU) (OTCQB: NRXCF) (FRA: 1N9) has become an established leader in the Canadian nutraceutical markets and continues to develop new sales channels throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. The company is not only expanding its existing national retail footprint in Canada; it just entered into a major R&D Memorandum of Understanding with Scientus Pharma Inc. to develop, produce and distribute medical cannabinoid products for existing retail distribution networks across Canada.

With a history of specializing in the original formulation and production of products full of health-giving additives and clinically proven medicinal benefit, NeutriSci is recognized for product safety, quality and efficacy. Its sugar free Neuenergy® is a clinically proven, great tasting chewable tablet that provides a quick boost of energy and sharpens focus. Each tablet contains the equivalent anti-oxidants of 25,000 fresh blueberries. These anti-oxidants have a high level of bioavailability, and research suggests that “pterostilbene” is even more powerful than resveratrol.

“Neuenergy represents a healthy alternative to traditional energy products,” Canadian and International tennis star Genie Bouchard stated in a news release. Recognized throughout Canada and in tennis circles around the world, Bouchard recently inked a sponsorship deal with NeutriSci and said she’s “excited to partner with one of Canada’s up and coming brands.”

NeutriSci also produces its BlūScience™ line of products targeting memory, heart, anti-aging, weight management and focus & energy, all of which combine pterostilbene (pTeroPure) with other proprietary and specific health enhancing ingredients. One BlūScience™ capsule provides the same amount of pterostilbene found in over 500 cartons of blueberries. BlūScience products are specifically designed to support optimal health.

NeutriSci also plans to begin selling nu.thc™ and nu.cbd™ in Canada soon. These healthy, sugar-free cannabinoid tablets represent a market first and offer a metered dose of THC/CBD, combined with the increased bioavailability and powerful antioxidant properties of 125mg of the company’s patented pterostilbene.

The next big development for NeutriSci will likely come from its recently signed R&D Memorandum of Understanding with Scientus Pharma, a vertically-integrated biopharmaceutical focused on developing and commercializing pharmaceutical-grade medicinal cannabinoid derivative products.

NeutriSci’s products and their components are a natural fit for Scientus Pharma, which aims to develop new cannabinoid-based medicines. NeutriSci’s products have clinically proven anti-oxidant properties, enhance bioavailability and provide other health benefits, and Scientus Pharma will conduct research on NeutriSci’s products and their components in combination with various cannabinoids to develop new therapeutics. NeutriSci will initially bankroll the research activities, and both companies will have rights for further product development, testing and potential clinical trials.

“NeutriSci brings a wealth of retail distribution and consumer branding expertise,” Scientus Chairman Har Grover stated in a news release. “They have had success innovating with Neuenergy® and the brand has good presence in several health and wellness settings. Pterostilbene and related compounds present interesting targets for further research and we are looking forward to this collaboration.”

NeutriSci President Glen Rehman stated, “This Scientus Pharma partnership helps position us at the forefront of developing new and innovative cannabinoid based medical products in Canada. Scientus Pharma, along with its existing partnerships, is sure to be a dominant player in the cannabis space in Canada. Through a collaborative effort, we will incorporate NeutriSci’s IP, technology and ingredients with Scientus’ expertise, proprietary technical know-how, and resources. By leveraging both parties existing partnerships, we will be positioned to offer the national retail consumer a safe, effective, dose controlled product that completes our ‘plant to blood stream’ strategy.”

The R&D Memorandum of Understanding with Scientus Pharma will combine NeutriSci’s patented healthy products, retail distribution and consumer branding expertise with a leading cannabinoid biopharmaceutical intent on creating new therapeutics. As NeutriSci President Glen Rehman stated, it will “…position us at the forefront of developing new and innovative cannabinoid based medical products in Canada.”

This partnership could make an indelible mark in Canadian cannabis.

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

For JGR Capital’s Research Note on NeutriSci International, see http://ibn.fm/Iiqwx

• Included are drugs formulated to treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, eating disorders and seizures
• IGC already has seven provisional filings for phytocannabinoid-based combination therapies
• Company also has in its pipeline combination therapy drug candidates for the treatment of end points of Parkinson’s, as well as epilepsy in cats and dogs

India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) anticipates filing, in 2018 and 2019, for international Patent Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”) patents, as well as U.S. national patent filings, for a portfolio of drugs (http://ibn.fm/Ncgz0).

Its drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s (IGC-AD1) is anticipated for patent filings in PCT and the U.S. in 2018. Its seizure drug (IGC-505) is scheduled for filing for a U.S. patent in late 2018. The company’s eating disorders drug (IGC-504) is anticipated for filing for a U.S. patent late this year, while another eating disorders drug (IGC-506) is anticipated for filing for a PCT patent in 2018 and a U.S. filing in 2019. This portfolio encompasses the company’s drugs that are formulated to treat seizures, Alzheimer’s and eating disorders — representing large domestic and international markets.

For its drug formulated to treat Alzheimer’s, as described in a SeeThruEquity update on IGC (http://ibn.fm/5fBi8), it has formulated a cannabis-based combination which treats endpoints of the disease such as plaques, tangles, anxiety and agitation. IGC plans to market its patent-pending drug through U.S. and Canadian medical dispensaries in early 2018. A key goal for the company in 2018 is to get its lead product formulation, Hyalolex, ready for phase IIB human trials. IGC estimates that Alzheimer’s disease costs the U.S. economy alone roughly $236 billion annually. It affects more than 5.3 million Americans, and more than 65 percent of its patients are women.

IGC is a Maryland-based company with two lines of businesses. One is legacy, which includes the rental of heavy equipment, real estate management and commodities trading. The second is canna-pharmaceutical. That business is focused on developing a formulation using cannabis extracts for the treatment of many diseases.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.IGCInc.us

• Branding and retail focused to capture large share of $8.7 billion Canadian recreational cannabis market
• Developing chain of branded retail cannabis dispensaries – just announced new retail store concept
• Intends to establish a significant retail footprint in the Canadian recreational cannabis markets

The laid back Hawaiian lifestyle is the envy of the world. Surfers and sun worshipers enjoy life and, for decades, have relaxed with ‘choom’, the local name for marijuana. Now a company, Choom™ (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) is bringing the spirit and lifestyle of Hawaii to Canada. Choom™ is a high-quality hand-crafted cannabis brand created exclusively for the Canadian recreational market. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Choom™ intends to become a recognized market leader in reaching the Canadian cannabis consumer by developing a chain of branded retail cannabis dispensaries in strategic Canadian jurisdictions.

Choom retail stores will provide discriminating cannabis consumers a unique, modern environment, as well as a welcoming atmosphere for curious neophytes. Cultivating an exceptional consumer experience is an essential segment of Choom’s overarching retail distribution strategy. A strong retail identity and powerful branding will set Choom apart in a newly launched national recreational cannabis market.

To bring the Choom vibe to life and create exactly the right image, environment and experience, the company just announced its new retail store concept design and engaged a design team responsible for some of the most recognized retail environments in Canada (http://ibn.fm/Gx98n). In a news release, Juli Hodgson, president of Hodgson Design Associates, stated, “We wanted to create a retail experience for Choom™ that measured up to stores in any industry. We wanted to be able to translate the brand into a welcoming physical and operational environment. Immersive store design will be critical to retail success in an industry destined for explosive growth”.

The company is led by a successful, seasoned professional. Chris Bogart, president and CEO of Choom™, has over two decades of international experience in capital markets. Bogart has been directly involved in multiple operating companies, active in M&A and equity financings, and has raised in excess of $100M for public and private companies. Bogart was a co-founder of InMed Pharmaceuticals (CSE: IN) and a co-founder of Magnum Uranium, which was acquired by TSX-listed Energy Fuels.

Excited about Choom’s latest developments, Bogart commented, “As the Canadian market approaches a new cannabis recreation marketplace, meeting consumer perception and choice with social credibility will be key.”

The legalization of recreational cannabis is slated for July 2018 in Canada, and licensed producers are vying for retail recognition in preparation for the expected tsunami of recreational demand. For the majority of cannabis companies, retail distribution is almost an afterthought, but branding and retail positioning will be paramount in capturing an out-sized share of the estimated $8.7 billion annual recreational marijuana in Canada. By cultivating an exceptional consumer experience, Choom™ intends to establish a significant retail footprint and also become a recognized leader in the Canadian recreational cannabis markets.

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

• Only company in the world with patent for the oral or ingestible delivery of all non-psychoactive cannabinoids
• Uplisted to OTCQX® Best Market
• Licensing model generates profit margins in excess of 90 percent

A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is the most comprehensive analysis of existing research on e-cigarettes, according to the New York Times (http://ibn.fm/v4WGq). While warning against the risk of nicotine addiction posed by vaping, the report claimed “that the devices are safer than traditional smoking products and may help smokers quit, citing conclusive proof that switching can reduce smokers’ exposure to deadly tar, dangerous chemicals and other carcinogens.” Although nicotine is most often cited in indictments against smoking, it is not a carcinogen and appears to have little effect on cardiovascular health. Indeed, its use has been credited with health benefits (http://ibn.fm/jAT9G), with its bad rap being attributed to its method of delivery, such as inhaling tobacco smoke. This report highlights the importance of drug delivery methodologies like those developed by Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP). The company, recently uplisted to the OTCQX® Best Market, has developed technology that allows nicotine to be absorbed without smoking.

Lexaria’s DehydraTECH™ oral digestion technology is a ‘back office’ process that allows non-psychoactive cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (“NSAIDs”) and nicotine to be absorbed at much higher rates. The company has been working with the National Research Council of Canada (“NRC”), an agency of the Canadian federal government, to explore the effects of its technology. Lexaria’s superior delivery system offers the promise of potentially reducing required doses of these substances, since less of them goes to waste. The technology also speeds up delivery. It can deliver payload molecules to the bloodstream in 15-25 minutes, as opposed to the 60-90 minutes required for current methods, and is already in use in a number of consumer products. The technology is already attracting the attention of Big Pharma, and Lexaria is in negotiations with major pharmaceutical companies to license its technology. The smallest deal with any one of these could increase revenues by over $1 million, and the largest could increase revenues by much, much more, as noted by CEO Chris Bunka in a recent interview (http://ibn.fm/uiQhc). Lexaria’s licensing model will generate revenues at very little cost, leaving upward of 90 percent of revenues as profit.

Presently, Lexaria is the only company in the world that has been awarded a patent for the improved (oral or ingestible, including pills) delivery of all non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Patents have been awarded in the U.S. and Australia and are pending in 40 more countries. This puts the company in the unusually advantageous position of owning proprietary technology that can deliver a vast range of non-psychoactive cannabinoid-based drugs. Rather than being a competitor to clinical stage biotech companies, Lexaria plans to be an enabler.

Earlier this month, OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities, announced that Lexaria Bioscience Corp. had qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market (http://ibn.fm/PEtLq). Lexaria upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB® Venture Market. To qualify for the OTCQX market, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, demonstrate compliance with U.S. securities laws and have a professional third-party sponsor introduction. Penny stocks, shells and companies in bankruptcy cannot qualify for OTCQX. Per the OTC Markets website, the companies found on OTCQX are distinguished by the integrity of their operations and diligence with which they convey their qualifications.

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

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