• Permanent, annual state license for this facility to be applied for within the next 120 days
• Production capacity projected to reach over 100,000 kg of medical cannabis per year
• Californian facility will provide tenancy for other licensed cannabis cultivators

On April 12, 2018, Sunniva Inc. (CSE: SNN) (OTCQX: SNNVF) announced that its subsidiaries in the United States have received the necessary temporary licenses from the State of California to proceed with the construction of the company’s cultivation facilities in Cathedral City, California (http://ibn.fm/2XzEf). Licenses are temporary while the state develops permanent regulations for its newly legalized cannabis industry. Sunniva will apply for an annual state license within the next 120 days, as per state regulations.

The company refers to its purpose-built, state-of-the-art greenhouse cultivation facility in Cathedral City as the Sunniva California Campus. The Californian licenses will allow Sunniva to grow and process top-quality medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products. The facility will also accommodate licensed tenant cultivators who will leverage the infrastructure and services provided by the Sunniva California Campus. This provides them access to world-class cultivation infrastructure as well as Sunniva’s management and operational expertise through the provision of turnkey services. These include Sunniva’s genetics, management and consulting services, processing and manufacturing capabilities, distribution network, brand partnerships and retail relationships.

“This is a very significant milestone for Sunniva’s operations in California,” Sunniva CEO Dr. Anthony Holler said following the announcement. “An important aspect of the licensing process has been completed and now our focus is on completing construction on time and entering into supply contracts with distribution partners, leading brands and creating Sunniva branded products for the California marketplace.”

Sunniva’s U.S. subsidiary, CP Logistics, LLC, holds licenses for eight 10,000-square foot cultivation facilities, as well as two manufacturing licenses, a 22,000-square foot cultivation license, a 22,000-square foot nursery license and another 10,000-square foot nursery license. In addition, the company will lease seven 22,000-square foot cultivation bays to selected licensed tenants.

Along with the announcement, the company also provided an update on the construction progress for the Sunniva California Campus. Rough grading, steel erection and greenhouse glass and glazing are 100 percent complete. The installation of blackout screening and fire suppression equipment is 60 percent complete. The construction of header house roof panels is 30 percent complete, while 10 percent progress has been made on the construction of utility work. The company anticipates onboarding of plant propagating materials late Q3 2018.

Highest quality at the lowest cost

With headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Sunniva is a vertically integrated medical cannabis company currently operating in Canada and California, two of the world’s largest cannabis markets. The company will strive to become the lowest-cost, highest-quality cannabis producer in these markets with a commitment to deliver safe, high-quality products and services at scale. This will be achieved by building large-scale purpose-built greenhouses that conform to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). These facilities will offer top-notch quality assurance to deliver cannabis products free of pesticides, provide better doctor and patient access to cannabis education, and source better therapeutic delivery devices.

Sunniva operates through several wholly-owned subsidiaries:

• Sunniva Medical Inc.

This company’s ACMPR license application is in the final review stage. It is building a 700,000-square foot purpose-built and cGMP-compliant greenhouse facility in British Columbia. This is expected to produce more than 100,000 kg of premium medical cannabis per year, and over 25,000 kg of trim to be used for extraction.

Sunniva expects to break ground for the construction of this facility in early 2018. It will produce pesticide-free products and will convert trim to a range of extracted products such as cannabis oil. The oil will be used for drug formulations in delivery formats that include capsules, dissolvable strips, creams, tinctures and vaporization cartridges.

• CP Logistics, LLC

This is Sunniva’s U.S.-based subsidiary which has started construction of the Sunniva California Campus in Cathedral City, California. This facility has been cGMP designed and will be built in two phases. The first phase is designed to cover an area of 325,000 square feet to produce more than 60,000 kg of premium quality cannabis a year.

After the completion of phase 2, the facility is projected to produce over 100,000 kg of cannabis per year. It is estimated that 30 percent of all product will be used for the manufacture of higher margin extracted products, which will be produced free of the pesticides commonly used in cannabis cultivation today.

• Natural Health Services Ltd.

Natural Health Services (NHS) owns and operates a network of eight medical, ACMPR-licensed clinics in Canada which specialize in medical cannabis. The company provides patients with safe and effective medical cannabis products sources through Licensed Producers (LPs). Its clinics employ in-house physicians and nurse practitioners who specialize in the endocannabinoid system to provide patients with expert consultation, education and product recommendations.

NHS’s proprietary technology infrastructure helps LPs, physicians and patients comply with the rules of Health Canada for the supply and use of medical cannabis. The company currently has 93,000 patients and over 129,000 active medical documents outstanding.

• Full-Scale Distributors, LLC

Full-Scale Distributors (FSD) is a provider of custom, private-label vaporizers and accessories. FSD’s signature brand, Vapor Connoisseur, is recognized for its high quality and innovative vaporization devices. The company currently serves the needs of more than 80 brands that are active in the North American marketplace.

FSD’s vaporization products are tailored to specific client needs, while ensuring safety and reliability. The company will continue to provide these services and will be supplied by both of Sunniva’s production facilities in Canada and California.

Sunniva intends to offer its business partners the highest level of comprehensive white labeling services in the industry through a stringent quality assurance program to ensure pesticide-free production. Currently, the cannabis industry in North America is beset with significant problems around the use of pesticides and fungicides in cultivation that make cannabis products unsafe for consumption. It is estimated that over 90 percent of products made from cannabis flower and extracts in California are contaminated, and will most likely not pass new state testing protocols to be introduced in 2018.

The company will solve this problem by building cGMP-compliant greenhouse facilities free of pesticides and other contaminants. Its endeavor will be supported by an executive management team and board of directors that have a proven track record of creating significant shareholder value, both in the healthcare and biotech industries.

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

• CIIX’s sales growth will be driven by its cryptocurrency activities and increased advertising revenues, especially from crypto blockchain companies
• Company recently announced its online ‘Bitcoin Trading Academy’, offering a three-level course about cryptocurrencies beginning in June
• CIIX is also launching Cryptocurrency VIP Club

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) projects that its annual sales for the coming fiscal year will double or triple, driven by its diverse cryptocurrency activities and increased advertising revenue from crypto blockchain firms, as CEO Warren Wang noted on the Investor Town Hall Show (http://ibn.fm/PFK0T). In the podcast, Wang says that the company expects to double or triple its annual revenue from its multi-faceted cryptocurrency strategy and higher advertising revenues, specifically from blockchain companies. Wang also described the launching of a Cryptocurrency VIP Club in April for subscription products. The podcast can be seen on YouTube (http://ibn.fm/DLp5O).

CIIX also recently announced plans to launch an online ‘Bitcoin Trading Academy’ starting in June (http://ibn.fm/ZdJ1k).  The online ‘Bitcoin Trading Academy’ will have three courses. The first will involve trading in bitcoin futures. The second will involve educational research. The third will be an explanation of ICOs. It is expected to be broadcast on CIIX’s site, NewCoins168.com.

CIIX has a comprehensive strategy in cryptocurrencies. It hosts a bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters. It also broadcasts a daily video program, ‘Bitcoin MultiMillionaire’, from the floor of the NYSE. CIIX is exploring blockchain mining to earn bitcoin and Litecoin by installing 27 ASIC machines and AntMiners in a secure data center near Seattle. It plans to install more than 500 machines in the future. Its online crypto news platform is NewCoins168.com. CIIX is also exploring the acquisition of more bitcoin ATM machines.

The company’s core business has been educating and informing its global Chinese-speaking audience. Wang adds that higher advertising revenues are expected to boost CIIX’s business, as blockchain companies seek to raise their profile by increasing advertising. He believes that advertising/marketing could represent $100,000-$200,000 in new monthly sales.

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

• Montenegro set to join European Union
• Adriatic Coastline and historic sites make it an increasingly popular tourist destination
• Investment in tourist properties to accommodate growing tourist arrivals

Britain is on its way out of the European Union, but Montenegro appears to be on its way in. On April 15, 2018, pro-European Union candidate Milo Đukanović won Montenegro’s presidential election in a vote touted as a test of popular support for EU membership. The southeastern European nation has already begun to pave its entry into the European fold. Montenegro joined EU sanctions against Russia in 2014 and expelled a Russian diplomat after the poisoning of Russian émigré Sergei Skripal in the U.K. recently. Access to the Common Market will further boost an economy that is one of the fastest growing in Europe. With prospects so decidedly sunny, now may be an opportune time for investment. The experienced management team at American-Swiss Capital certainly thinks so. It has identified a number of distressed properties in Montenegro, which, with savvy management, hold the promise of high returns.

Montenegro’s economy has been clipping along at a nice pace. In 2017, GDP rose by 4.3 percent, ‘led by investment in highway construction and a record-setting tourism season’ (http://ibn.fm/NtlK4). As a tourist destination, it was a favorite with Russians, 318,000 of whom flocked to beaches along the Adriatic Sea (http://ibn.fm/9jxpK). Montenegro’s coastline with the Adriatic, the northernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, stretches for 295 km (183 miles), of which about 72 km (45 miles) consists of fine beaches. It’s not just the Russians who find the pleasing panoramas and littoral landscape of the Balkan nation delightful. In 2017, the total number of tourists who stayed in the country increased by 18.1 percent to 955,499, according to the national statistical office, a number, it must be noted, which exceeds the country’s population of about 625,000 (http://ibn.fm/nG3lq).

American-Swiss Capital plans to capitalize on those sterling statistics. The company’s genesis was inspired by a perceived commercial opportunity to act as a conduit between the U.S. equity markets and leading enterprises in Switzerland and Northern Europe. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, American-Swiss Capital seeks out superior quality, undervalued real estate properties, managing them to generate high rates of return. The company’s experienced management team possesses the knowledge and skills required to identify relatively risk-free, profitable investment opportunities, with a focus on distressed properties.

American-Swiss Capital has set its sights on an attractive property in the Boka Bay community of Tivat, home to Porto Montenegro and the heart of the coastline’s burgeoning tourism industry. The company is presently in negotiations to purchase the property, an 18-unit apartment beachfront development, for approximately $2.0 million. The property, which was constructed in 2012 but never occupied, has been valued at about $4.5 million. Apartment unit size ranges from 60-160 square meters. The property has a private beach with a fixed pontoon boat berth situated only one kilometer from the full-service marina of Porto Montenegro.

American-Swiss Capital is also contemplating a development project at Tivat. The company is considering the acquisition of about 36,000 SQM of land located on the picturesque, UNESCO-protected Bay of Kotor, about 6.2 kilometers from Porto Montenegro. The vision is to build a gated community with the construction of 30 villas, each measuring about 360 square meters (or about 3,875 square feet). American-Swiss estimates the total cost of the project would be approximately $9.3 million, which could be funded by presales and debt financing.

In 2017, EU GDP grew faster than expected, as the transition from economic recovery to expansion continued. With more of that economic energy on its way in 2018, real estate returns are set to rise. American-Swiss Capital may be placing its bets at the right time.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AS-Capital.com

• Annual sales for 2017 totaled $4.5 million, while fourth quarter sales jumped to $1.5 million — both greater than four times the revenue recorded in comparable periods of the prior year
• Acquisition in 2017 of Euclides Technologies positions ATIXF to grow by adding a second industry application; company is now applying its machine-learning platform to workflow analytics
• ATIXF, a leading artificial intelligence company, also gains revenue by licensing its technology

AnalytixInsight Inc. (TSX.V: ALY) (OTCQB: ATIXF) reported sharply higher revenues for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2017. Sales for the year were $4,516,759, a greater than four-fold increase over its 2016 results. Fourth quarter sales jumped to $1,498,276, also more than four times higher than the same period a year earlier (http://ibn.fm/eN95V).

ATIXF is an artificial intelligence (AI) company based in Toronto, Canada, that turns large volumes of data into actionable information. Workflow information is robotically analyzed for maximum performance using proprietary algorithms. CapitalCube, its product, is a software-as-a-service (SAAS) platform that offers financial research for investors and others.

The company has already licensed its technology to stock exchanges, web portals and financial news agencies. In addition, it owns 49 percent of Marketwall, an associated company. In the future, ATIXF expects to spin out Marketwall in a joint effort with co-owner Intesa Sanpaolo, after Marketwall reaches certain milestones. Its 2017, ATIXF’s acquisition of Euclides Technologies expanded its focus and application of AI to include workflow analytics (http://ibn.fm/nNh80).

Key to the company’s sustained financial growth is the announcement that ATIXF has a contracted order backlog of $4.5 million in 2018. The company is applying its AI to two primary industries, and it generates revenue from licensing.

In a news release, Prakash Hariharan, president and CEO of ATIXF, said, “We believe the company is very well positioned to benefit from the rapidly evolving industry movements to embrace artificial intelligence and machine-learning solutions within business.” He added that the company has strengthened its machine-learning platform, gained customers and solidified a second industry application with the acquisition of Euclides Technologies.

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

• Uniquely positioned in the largest legalized medical and recreational cannabis markets – California and Canada
• Construction underway for a modern, agri-technology greenhouse facility in California capable of producing over 100,000 kg of premium medical cannabis annually, once phase 1 and 2 are complete
• Received all required California temporary licenses to cultivate, process cannabis; will apply for annual state licenses within next four months
• Designs completed for purpose-built current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliant greenhouse facilities in British Columbia capable of producing 100,000 kg of premium medical cannabis per year and over 25,000 kg of trim used for extraction
• Application for medical cannabis production license at BC facility from Health Canada under final review

Sunniva Inc. (CSE: SNN) (OTCQX: SNNVF) is a vertically integrated medical cannabis company operating in the world’s two largest cannabis markets – Canada and California – committed to delivering safe, consistent, high-quality products and services. Sunniva operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries: Sunniva Medical Inc., CP Logistics, LLC, Natural Health Service Ltd., and Full-Scale Distributors, LLC. Sunniva’s vision is to become the lowest cost, highest quality cannabis producer in the markets it serves by building large scale purpose-built cGMP compliant greenhouses, offering best quality assurance with cannabis products free from pesticides, providing better patient and doctor access to cannabis education, and sourcing better therapeutic delivery devices.

The company is establishing sophisticated distribution channels, including Sunniva’s ownership of Natural Health Services Ltd. cannabis clinics in Canada with over 95,000 active patients, to purchase the significant quantities of high quality Sunniva-branded and Sunniva private-labeled cannabis products.

Sunniva is an ancient English name which means, “Gift of the Sun.” Sunniva’s team of horticulturists, scientists and engineers is helping to set best practices for the industry, believing that sun-grown, solar-powered cultivation is the most sustainable and cost-effective way to grow high-quality, premium cannabis.

The Sunniva Family includes:

CP Logistics, LLC

Through its subsidiary, CP Logistics LLC, Sunniva is developing the Sunniva Campus, a state-of-the-art, purpose-built greenhouse facility in Cathedral City, California. This modern purpose-built, agri-technology greenhouse is designed to be cGMP compliant which assures proper design, monitoring and control of manufacturing processes and facilities.

Phase 1 of the project includes a fully funded 325,000 square foot greenhouse capable of producing 60,000 kg per year of dry cannabis at capacity with operations commencing Q3 2018. Approximately 50 percent of initial total production will be converted into oils and extracts. Phase 2 is expected to increase the greenhouse by 165,000 square feet and grow production by about 40,000 kgs. per year.

These uniquely sealed greenhouses are designed to deploy custom, automation assembly line cultivation processes at a large scale. Energy consumption will be reduced while utilizing the energy of the sun and microclimatic controls to provide precise growing conditions. The greenhouse will recirculate air for more efficient climate control, and the company’s Integrated Pest Management System is designed to ensure every plant grown is certified clean and free of all contaminants and pesticides.

Sunniva Medical Inc.

Sunniva Medical Inc. is designing and preparing to break ground on the Sunniva Canada Campus encompassing 700,000 square feet of purpose-built cGMP greenhouse facilities in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. The total campus is expected to produce 100,000 kg of premium medical cannabis annually plus additional trim used for extraction. This facility will produce pesticide-free products and will convert trim to extracted products such as cannabis oil that can be used for drug delivery formats such as capsules, dissolvable strips, vaporization cartridges, tinctures and creams.

Sunniva and Canopy Growth Corporation (Canopy Growth) recently announced a large take or pay supply agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Canopy Growth will purchase up to 45,000 kgs. of dried cannabis annually commencing Q1 2019, which includes the distribution of Sunniva branded products. Sunniva Medical is a late-stage applicant under Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) and is in the final review stage of the process.

Natural Health Services Ltd.

Natural Health Services Ltd. owns and operates a network of eight medical clinics in Canada specializing in medical cannabis under the ACMPR. Natural Health Services connects licensed producers to their 21 physicians and patients with its proprietary SPARK software which utilizes a software-as-a-service revenue model. To date, there are 27 integrated licensed producers utilizing the SPARK software.

In-house physicians specializing in the endocannabinoid system provide expert consultation, education and recommendations for targeted phytoceutical remedies and wellness plans to improve the quality of life for all patients. NHS enjoys a long-term relationship with patients due to the quality of its physician-patient experience. A rapidly expanding NHS cannabis clinic network serves 94,000 active patients in Canada. NHS has also initiated a pilot program with a national pharmacy chain to aggregate more patients.

Full-Scale Distributors, LLC

Full-Scale Distributors, LLC is an industry leading provider of custom, private-label vaporizers through its brand, Vapor Connoisseur. The company currently serves the needs of over 80 top brands in the North American marketplace. Vapor Connoisseur is recognized for its high quality and innovative therapeutic delivery devices. Products are tailored to client needs, ensuring both safety and reliability.

Sunniva’s highly experienced management team is building partnerships with leading scientists, universities and clinical trial groups to deliver proprietary cannabis formulations to a broad spectrum of health ailments and conditions. These global partners require cGMP-certified facilities for the processing and manufacturing of cannabis products. Sunniva is committed to providing safe, pesticide-free, high quality, reproducible cannabis medicines.

Leading Sunniva is co-founder, chairman and CEO Dr. Anthony (Tony) Holler. He is the former CEO and founder of ID Biomedical, which was acquired in 2005 for $1.7 billion by GlaxoSmithKline. He is also the former chairman of Corriente Resources Inc., which was sold for approximately $700 million to CRCC-Tongguan Investment Co. Dr. Holler is currently chairman of CRH Medical Corporation, a public company trading on the TSX and NYSE. His expertise includes strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and financing with a singular focus on increasing shareholder value.

Dr. Holler is joined by co-founder Leith Pedersen, who serves as president of Sunniva. Pedersen is the former owner and CEO of Vida Wealth Management Bahamas and was a former investment advisor at Canaccord Wealth Management. He is a former partner and director at JF Mackie and Company, an independent brokerage firm in Calgary, Alberta, that managed capital in excess of $2 billion for high net worth clients. Pedersen’s expertise is in corporate strategy, financing and mergers and acquisitions.

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

• Expansion of IAAS cloud services to support cryptocurrency mining entities in deployment of blockchain technologies
• Serving residential and SME customers over high-capacity wireless broadband technology using licensed LMDS spectrum
• Global fiber optics market projected to grow from $3.2 billion in 2017 to $5 billion in 2022 with a CAGR of 9.4%

Hammer Fiber Optic Holdings Corp. (OTCQB: HMMR), with headquarters in New Jersey, is a telecommunications company investing in the future of wireless technology. The company’s holdings include Hammer Fiber Optic Investments, Ltd., D/B/A Hammer Fiber, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers internet, voice, video and data services in New Jersey as well as carrier services in Philadelphia and New York. Hammer Fiber serves residential and small business markets with high-capacity broadband, voice and video through direct fiber as well as its wireless fiber platform – Hammer Wireless® AIR technology.

Hammer Fiber recently completed the initial development phase of its advanced LTE fixed wireless system, which was designed and built upon its successfully deployed wireless technology suite. The expansion allows Hammer Fiber to add ultra-high capacity cellular broadband applications to its product portfolio including wholesale services such as backhaul support for cellular network operators. Designed to complement Hammer Fiber’s core business of home residential service, the company expects this latest innovation to help position Hammer Fiber as a leader in future 5G technology. The company intends to leverage the Fixed LTE system in conjunction with its already deployed Fixed Wireless DOCSIS 3.1 system to deliver on one of its core promises, to deliver high capacity broadband to markets across the country at dramatically lower cost than traditional wireline methods, including fiber. Live field testing of the new system begins in early 2018 in the U.S. with service availability to follow later in the year.

Hammer Fiber has also expanded its IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) cloud services to include support for the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. Interested companies will be able to host their products over Hammer Fiber’s robust and modern server infrastructure, fiber network architecture and data center presence in some of the most secure locations in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia regions. Hammer Fiber’s servers feature best-in-class computing power, designed to allow enterprise businesses to reap the benefits of utilizing a cloud-based system without the massive cost of establishing or maintaining a corporate data center.

“Distributed architecture infrastructure, such as those utilized by blockchain entities mining cryptocurrencies or other new vertical markets utilizing blockchain technology, are growing exponentially and we are poised to fulfill a critical but fundamental need of this explosive new industry,” said Mark Stogdill, CEO of Hammer Fiber. “The distributed ledger architectures that blockchains are built on require secure and robust data processing networks, highly scalable power generation and a reliable fiber optic backbone infrastructure linking up data centers worldwide for them to exist, and that is what we at Hammer Fiber do really well.”

Hammer Fiber seeks to achieve its vision by employing an extremely qualified group of business professionals with diverse backgrounds and successful track records from a variety of related industries. HMMR’s seasoned leadership team combines startup expertise with a consummate understanding of the regional competitive telecommunications landscape in sales, marketing, engineering, construction and business development.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.HammerCorp.info

• Lithium prices pegged to conservatively triple within seven years
• Estimated resource of more than 1.2 million tons of spodumene-bearing (lithium) pegmatite
• Announced results of 3-D model suggesting substantially greater lithium reserves

Lithium prices have more than tripled since 2015 and are showing no signs of slowing, given the globe’s increasing reliance on the portable power provided by lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. Goldman Sachs has conservatively projected lithium demand to triple again within the next seven years. The projected surge in demand is based on broad ranging increases in consumer uses and the global advent of electric vehicles. Moreover, the estimates may be vastly understated and could greatly increase beyond projections.

A Wall Street Journal article revealed what may become an even greater driver of demand. Multiple states and municipalities, in conjunction with utilities, are revamping entire electric grids and utilizing high-density Li-ion energy storage batteries to power homes and make the grid more efficient (http://ibn.fm/MUSmW). To avoid purchasing expensive peak-demand electricity, utility companies now store energy in neighborhood Li-ion battery junction boxes during off-peak and use it during high demand. The largest home energy storage project in the country is underway in Arizona, where Mandalay Homes plans to build 4,000 ultra-energy-efficient homes equipped with eight kilowatt-hour Li-ion batteries. In Vermont, Green Mountain Power has offered homeowners a Tesla Powerwall for $15 a month. The 13.5 kilowatt-hour batteries are engaged when the electrical grid is strained to maximum capacity, preserving the grid and saving the utility company money. Modernization of the nation’s electric grid could easily drive the need for lithium far beyond current projections.

Understanding the potential for exponential returns in the lithium arena, some seasoned investors are looking past the traditional large-scale lithium producers and focusing on junior miners and exploration companies that have large prospective assets and proven management teams with the ability to deliver valuable lithium assets to market.

In the business of acquisition, exploration and development of natural resource properties, QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ) (OTC: QMCQF) is showing all the signs of having just such a large upside potential. QMC is focused on creating shareholder value through strategic acquisition and development of high-quality lithium, silver, gold, nickel, copper and zinc prospects. The company’s current properties located in Manitoba, Canada, include the Irgon Lithium Mine Project and two VMS properties, the Rocky Lake and Rocky Namew, which are collectively known as the Namew Lake District Project.

The Irgon Lithium Mine Project contains a rare-metal (Li-Ta-Cs) deposit within the Irgon pegmatite located immediately north of Cat Lake Manitoba. Substantial developmental work was carried out by the former owner of the property, and the deposit contains an estimated resource of more than 1.2 million tons of spodumene-bearing pegmatite grading 1.5 percent Li2O.

QMC recently announced that North Face Software Ltd. completed compilation of all historical data derived from past drilling and underground work, and imported the data into an interactive three-dimensional Leapfrog™ model of the Irgon Dike (http://ibn.fm/RhChe). The Irgon Dike is located at the company’s 100 percent owned Irgon Lithium Mine Project, within the prolific Cat Lake Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field. The 3-D model clearly demonstrated that, to date, exploration and underground development has only been undertaken on the central portion of dike, leaving significant potential to quickly increase tonnage as the Irgon Dike is open both along strike and to depth.

An upcoming drilling program will confirm extensions to the strike length of the Irgon Dike and test mineralization to depth below the current level of historical drilling within the dike, both of which will rapidly increase the resource tonnage above the currently reported historical tonnage of 1.2 million tons (non-NI43-101 compliant). Lithium resource tonnage above the 1.2 million tons reported to be on site would be great news for the company and its shareholders.

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

• Jad Nammour joins the company as new Chief of Pharmacy, bringing over 20 years of experience to ETST
• Positioned for sales growth with a strong, completed team of industry professionals
• Accelerating the development and commercialization of new products in Canada and overseas

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST), a Florida-based biotech company focused on cannabis and cannabinoid research and development, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, as well as on R&D for certain medical devices, recently announced Jad Nammour as its new Chief of Pharmacy (http://ibn.fm/dnv0x). Nammour is trained to develop master formulae, the templates for mass production of non-sterile medicinal products. Having a certified pharmacist on staff is required by law to obtain a license to distribute controlled substances. Nammour fills this final important technical gap in the production and development teams. His job will be to make sure that controlled substances and drugs are managed, handled and stored correctly. He will also help in the development and marketing of the company’s nutraceutical patents, pharmacological products and medical devices. The adding of the new Chief of Pharmacy brings ETST one step closer to obtaining a final license to distribute controlled substances, and completes the management and development teams.

ETST has positioned itself for growth in 2018 through the addition of its new COO, Gagan Hunter, in March (http://ibn.fm/yDzGg) and the final addition of new Chief of Pharmacy Jad Nammour in April. In a news release, Dr. Michel Aube, CEO & CSO, stated “We have all of the knowledge, experience and proficiency that we need to bring our products to the marketplace and become a licensed distributor of drugs and controlled substances in Canada, as announced earlier this year.” The company holds three wholly owned subsidiaries: Earth Science Pharmaceutical, Cannabis Therapeutics, and KannaBidioiD. In addition, Canadian subsidiary Canna Inno Laboratories Inc. was formed by ETST in 2017, as a strategic Montreal, Canada-based company, to give ETST a foothold in Québec, providing the company with access to government grants.

The company has already received a grant through Canna Inno Laboratories Inc. from the Government of Québec to support the pre-launch process of three CBD-based products that aim to prevent common causes of cancer and help reduce occurrence rates. ETST is strategically working to improve treatments for different diseases on a global scale. Human clinical trials are set to begin in 2019, or later, in producing an over-the-counter (OTC) drug and a cannabinoid companion generic drug that battles opioid dependency. ETST is planning to investigate the synergies between mineral elements and cannabinoid industrial hemp oil. This could potentially be used as a treatment for opioid dependency. In March 2018, ETST announced its membership in the largest innovative business acceleration program in Québec (http://ibn.fm/94Dtr). With this membership, the company is poised to accelerate the development and commercialization of new products in Canada and overseas.

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

• Delivery technology already proven effective in cannabinoid delivery, now being studied in nicotine absorption
• Positive topline results on completion of first ingestible nicotine in vivo (animal) absorption study
• LXRP’s long-term strategy is to partner with leading firms in the tobacco industry, providing an additional layer of effectiveness in products to their already established consumer base
• Potential to revolutionize smokeless tobacco and the tobacco industry

The drug delivery platform innovator Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) has announced a significant breakthrough in alternative nicotine delivery technology. This cannabis-focused food bioscience company has a proprietary technology for improved delivery of bioactive compounds that has been shown to enhance the bioavailability of orally ingested cannabinoids (CBDs), while also masking taste. Third party labs have shown a 499 percent increase in CBD bioabsorption in human intestinal tissues. LXRP is taking this same technology, already proven effective in CBD delivery, and applying it to nicotine absorption. If successful, this will revolutionize smokeless tobacco and the tobacco industry.

LXRP’s DehydraTECH™ delivery technology provides increases in intestinal absorption rates and more rapid delivery to the bloodstream. The company is pursuing the use of this delivery technology as a possible new nicotine delivery method. LXRP’s first ingestible nicotine in vivo (animal) absorption study has produced positive topline results. While further analysis of the existing data is required, following are improvements found in the test subjects as compared to the controls:

• Delivery of nicotine to the bloodstream was achieved within 15 min, compared to 2.9 hours.
• Increased gain of 148 percent of peak nicotine delivered to the bloodstream.
• 560 percent higher brain levels of nicotine where nicotine effects are focused.
• Lower urine levels of nicotine signifying enhanced nicotine activity and bioavailability.
• Lower quantities of key liver metabolites in bloodstream, suggesting bypass of first pass liver metabolism.

In a news release, President of LXRP John Docherty stated, “We are very pleased with these topline study findings demonstrating excellent tolerability and substantially faster, more potent and bioavailable absorption of nicotine in an ingestible format with our DehydraTECH™ technology than controls. This data supports further investigation of the many possible benefits of our DehydraTECH™ technology for nicotine delivery with potential both as a nicotine replacement therapy as well as an alternative product format for regular tobacco users over today’s inhaled options.”

LXRP plans to partner, not compete, with tobacco companies. The company has entered into third party licensing agreements within the cannabis industry and seeks to do the same within the tobacco industry. Focused on improved delivery methodologies, it provides an additional layer of effectiveness designed to enhance the intellectual property of the world’s leading firms delivering high quality products to their existing consumer base.

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

• Transactions processed rose by 14 percent to reach $2.8 billion in 2017
• Net Element launches new service, Fast Pass Funding, on proprietary Netevia platform
• Global ecommerce market reached $2.7 trillion in 2017, expected to hit $4.5 trillion in 2021
• Surge in mobile payments market tied to convenience, security
• JGR Capital initiates coverage on Net Element, Inc.

Global technology and value-added solutions group Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) continues to embrace emerging and disruptive technologies in its quest to improve the experience of mobile payment solutions for its clients and their customers. Net Element launched a wide array of partnerships in 2017, all geared toward connecting and simplifying payments across multiple sales channels throughout the globe.

SeeThruEquity noted in its recent update (http://ibn.fm/fdlml) to Net Element’s 2017 performance report that the company’s revenue growth was driven by its North America Transactions Solutions business segment, which topped 21 percent year-over-year. Full year revenues for 2017 of $60.1 million represented an increase of about 11 percent over 2016’s $54.3 million. The company also improved its balance sheet, ending the year with cash on hand of $11.3 million and total financial debt of $7 million.

In addition, JGR Capital just announced initiation of coverage on Net Element (http://ibn.fm/APb09), highlighting the following:

• NETE has grown its North American Transactions Segment 28 percent year-over-year, largely attributable to its successes with the Unified Payments brand.
• Net Element recently launched Netevia, its new product that is part of its decentralized blockchain technology solutions initiative.
• Net Element recently joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, which is the world’s largest open-source blockchain initiative.
• NETE completed a $7.55 million restricted common stock and warrant private placement with an institutional investor to buttress growth with its blockchain initiatives.

One of the highlights of the report includes the recent news of Net Element’s same-day funding service called Fast Pass Funding. Launched by subsidiary Unified Payments, Fast Pass Funding works through the company’s proprietary multichannel payments platform, Netevia. This visionary platform, which connects and simplifies payments across a number of channels through a single integration point – including point-of-sale, ecommerce and mobile devices – gives eligible merchants access to funds in as little as three hours during regular business days (http://ibn.fm/h0v9o). That’s a huge improvement over the average funding times of between 12 and 24 hours. Fast Pass Funding is also delivered to merchants using Aptito, Net Element’s proprietary cloud-based restaurant point-of-sale and management system.

As a member of the Ethereum Alliance, the world’s largest open-source blockchain initiative with over 250-member companies, Net Element also plans to integrate new blockchain technologies into its Fast Pass Funding platform.

“We are very pleased with our 2017 progress and the strong balance sheet position as of December 31, 2017, which we believe positions the company for future growth and opportunities,” Oleg Firer, CEO of Net Element, said in a news release describing the company’s year in review and plans for 2018 (http://ibn.fm/sTrbi).

Global data from Statista (http://ibn.fm/ngnIC) anticipates a massive increase in worldwide ecommerce sales, from $2.7 trillion in 2017 to $4.5 trillion in 2021 – bringing with it opportunities too big to ignore. Net Element continues to keep an eye on the prize, pursuing strategies in the rapidly changing payment solutions market that are designed to achieve superior results, Firer said.

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