• Blockchain-based genetic registration process provides verification security for growers and consumers alike
• Global cannabis market projected to reach $31.4 billion by 2021
• WeedMD becomes first Canadian Licensed Producer to adopt BLOCKStrain’s technology

As the legal cannabis market continues to develop, concerns about ensuring transparency and quality control for the growing number of medicinal and recreational drug products sold to consumers continue to drive a necessary breed of entrepreneurship required to legitimize the industry. BLOCKStrain Technology Corp. (TSX.V: DNAX) has emerged as an innovative leader in the quality control arena, releasing its proprietary supply chain management platform as a secure means of providing confidence in the inventory pipeline while safeguarding the interests of licensed growers.

Blockchain’s ability to provide an inalterable and transparent multi-user platform for tracing manufacture-to-market transactions within virtually any industry has gained an exuberant following among investors during recent months, sparking sometimes-explosive growth in entities’ values.

BLOCKStrain has adapted the open-source ledger’s technology to provide a cannabis genome-to-sale genetic chain of evidence that provides proof of ownership to brand builders in the multibillion-dollar industry and allows consumers to verify where a product originated and where it has been before landing in their shopping carts. In between the two extremes of the pipeline, distributors, shipping companies and government agencies also have a stake in auditing a product’s wellbeing. Moreover, the platform forms the foundation for what could become IP protection for growers and producers who produce branded products.

WeedMD Inc. (TSX.V: WMD) (OTC: WDDMF) (FSE: 4WE), which recently announced a merger with Hiku Brands Co. Ltd. (CSE: HIKU) (OTC: DJACF), in May became the first Canadian Licensed Producer (LP) to adopt the BLOCKStrain platform for gene record-keeping purposes. As Canada and select U.S. states continue pushing toward full national legalization of cannabis as a recreational drug as well as a medicinal product, the BLOCKStrain platform ensures competitive advantage for their products at retail by giving consumers more transparent data on each product.

“Unique and differentiated strains and product offerings have always been, and will remain, a cornerstone of WeedMD’s business model. Validating and protecting that intellectual property through BLOCKStrain’s platform will prove invaluable as we scale operations and broaden our distribution throughout the country as well as internationally,” WeedMD Chief Financial Officer Keith Merker said about the agreement (http://ibn.fm/STvLU).

Cannabis presents an interesting challenge to players in the industry. Increasingly in demand for its reputed healing properties as well as for a burgeoning social drug movement, the plant contains more than 500 known chemical compounds that are, in some cases, pharmacologically active and the basis of worldwide marijuana restrictions. With cannabis, consumers have a keen interest in being able to identify what they are purchasing at a genetic level, and blockchain provides the potential to build up a new breed of custom retail.

Government agencies also have a public stake in ensuring the production quality, product potency and measurable equivalency standards of cannabis derivatives claiming a medicinal or wellness benefit. BLOCKStrain helps provide the supply chain data to support a regulatory framework that achieves this goal.

Thousands of cannabis strains exist, and, as new breeding takes place, craft growers also have an interest in protecting their intellectual property. For growers, the BLOCKStrain platform provides a gene-registration defense of intellectual property rights and establishes a historical proof of ownership standard that may sustain challenges in the legal arena (http://ibn.fm/jRK9n). Once growers create an account with BLOCKStrain, they can deliver seeds, flower and derivative products that will be tested at an approved facility to provide identifying data. BLOCKStrain administrators also provide a verification process for pre-existing cannabis strain genetic data that can become part of a client’s profile.

Closing the consumer supply loop, users can also use BLOCKStrain to rate products and share their opinions, which become part of the strain’s immutable record.

“We have a mission to take an industry that was originated in the shadows and, using the power of big data and a blockchain-supported supply chain management model, bring it into the light,” stated BLOCKStrain CEO Robert Galarza. “The business opportunity is massive.”

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

• Independent research firm JGR Capital predicts more growth for Net Element in North American and emerging markets
• Research note also highlights company’s focus on the development of blockchain-based technology
• Via Unified Payments subsidiary, vendors at any event will be able to use mobile point-of-sale tools and self-order kiosks to accept multi-channel payments

Global financial technology and value-added solutions group Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) is set for sustained organic growth through its North American transaction solutions segment. Following the release of its first quarter 2018 financial results, which included a 17.8 percent year-over-year revenue increase, independent equity research firm JGR Capital issued an updated research note on May 21 (http://ibn.fm/NMGQ7). The note mentioned Net Element’s Q1 2018 financial results, which indicated total revenue of $15.98 million, compared to $13.6 million in Q1 2017. It also remarked on how the same first quarter financials show that Net Element managed to cut its selling, general and administrative expenses by over $380,000.

Additionally, the research note made mention of the company’s expansion into international markets, with JGR Capital’s analysts expecting the Russian market to add to Net Element’s international revenues this year. The report attributed Net Element’s strong growth in North America to the success of its Aptito system, a payment service developed for the restaurant sector. Aptito’s cloud-based payment solution allows restaurants to integrate a point of sale solution with digital menus, self-order kiosks and kitchen displays.

Another major point noted by JGR Capital was the company’s focus on the development of blockchain-based technology with the launch of its proprietary Netevia platform, which offers same-day funding to eligible merchants, easy merchant account set up and integration, payment conversion optimization, competitive pricing for payment acceptance services and other advantages and features.

The JGR Capital update came two days before Net Element announced the launch of a payment solution tailor-made for the needs of the multibillion-dollar events industry (http://ibn.fm/OMC2n). Via subsidiary Unified Payments, events industry vendors will be able to use mobile point-of-sale systems and self-order kiosks, as well as benefit from chargeback protection and acceptance of multi-channel payments. Unified Payments’ solutions will be fully integrated with vendors’ existing payment systems, allowing seamless transactions

In a news release, Vlad Sadovskiy, Net Element’s president of integrated payments, said, “We are excited to provide the event management industry with fully integrated, feature rich payment acceptance solutions. Our capabilities have the potential to dramatically change the way event transactions are processed today.”

Vendors will have access to programs such as ‘Fast Pass Funding’, which allows same-day funding; ‘Complimentary Equipment Placement Program’, which offers access to free payments equipment rental and on-site tech support; and ‘Zero Pay’, a cash discount program which will allow vendors to pocket 100 percent of their sales revenue.

The move will allow Net Element to tap into a highly prolific market, which generates more than $330 billion in direct spending and over $845 billion in business sales each year while supporting 5.9 million jobs across the United States (http://ibn.fm/jKHNG).

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

• Consumer electronics manufacturers focused on the visual
• Home electronic appliances suffer from poor audio
• Aftermaster audio technology enhances virtually any audio source

With technology now available from Aftermaster, Inc. (OTCQB: AFTM), even novices can masquerade as pros, for Aftermaster’s Audio Technology can improve the audio from home electronics, many of which are plagued by poor sound quality. It appears that, in the rush to add pixels to the visual experience, manufacturers of PCs, TVs and other devices have forgotten our sense of hearing. However, the leading-edge technology from Aftermaster can make virtually any audio source sound significantly louder, fuller, deeper and clearer. Used extensively in professional settings, the Aftermaster Audio Technology will work with any home electronic device that has audio capability.

The Aftermaster Audio Technology emerged after many years of a multi-million dollar development effort that has culminated in novel proprietary software and vastly improved digital signal processing technology, with application in both the music industry and consumer electronics. Its development team is a star-studded cast of award-winning industry leaders in music, technology and audio engineering that includes Ari Blitz, Peter Doell, Rodney Jerkins, Larry Ryckman, Justin Timberlake, Paul Wolff, Andrew Wuepper and Shelly Yakus. The Aftermaster team has produced, engineered and mastered a plethora of hits over the years, in the process developing expertise and technologies unparalleled in the audio industry.

The Aftermaster Audio Technology is proprietary mastering, re-mastering and audio processing technology, with registered and pending patents, designed to enhance sound and improve the listening experience. The technology eliminates the weaknesses found in other audio enhancement and processing technologies, while offering a far superior audio experience for consumer and industrial applications. The company is focused on commercialization. It believes that its platform is one of the most significant breakthroughs in digital audio processing technology and has the potential to create significant revenues for the company.

Earlier in May, subsidiary Aftermaster Audio Labs, Inc. announced that it had embarked upon a strategic partnership with Advantego Corporation (http://ibn.fm/ts80A). The agreement grants rights to Advantego to promote and distribute Aftermaster’s proprietary consumer TV audio product, Aftermaster Pro, to thousands of professional clinics serving the hearing-impaired (audiological) market in North America. The Aftermaster Pro is a Personal Audio Remastering Device that transforms television audio from virtually all audio and video sources and raises and clarifies dialogue and vocal levels while making all surrounding audio sound substantially clearer and leveled, and it is especially effective for those that are hearing impaired.

Aftermaster, Inc. operates from two locations: in Scottsdale, Arizona, where it has its administrative office, and in Hollywood, California, where it runs state-of-the art mastering, mixing and recording studios. The company has two subsidiaries, Aftermaster HD Audio Labs, Inc. and MyStudio, Inc., together with which it engages in the development and commercialization of proprietary (patents issued and pending), leading-edge audio and video technologies for professional and consumer use. These include Aftermaster® audio, ProMaster™, Aftermaster Pro™ and MyStudio®.

The convergence of features on consumer electronics is making it increasingly difficult for manufacturers to differentiate their products. Thus, any improvement in sound quality may make a difference. Aftermaster technology can be incorporated into any audio capable device through the addition of an Aftermaster DSP chip or Aftermaster Software. Applications extends to phones (mobile, home, business and VoIP); headphones; televisions; stereo speakers; stereos (home, portable, commercial and automobile); and computers (desktop, laptop and tablets). Aftermaster audio is also the only commercial audio enhancement technology available that’s used for professional music mastering, because it enhances the entire frequency range without distortion or changing the underlying intent of the music. The technology has been used to master music created by such artists as Lady Gaga, Nick Cannon, Janet Jackson and many others.

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

• Zenergy uses modern technology and applied efficiencies to reduce utility consumption by 20-60 percent for its customers through its projects
• To date, ZNGY projects have saved 13.7 million pounds of CO2 emissions and 1.2 million gallons of water, in addition to avoiding the use of 6.6 million pounds of coal and 700,000 gallons of gas
• ZNGY is a conservation-focused, business-to-business company that cuts consumption and energy waste through smart controls; it builds customer value with lower upfront costs

Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY) is disrupting the energy industry by focusing on its Zero Cost Program and applying smart energy controls to reduce energy waste by utilities and achieve lower upfront costs. Its strategy is to eliminate the outdated legacy business model calling for utilities to increase output that results in wasteful energy. Its program can save 20-60 percent in utility consumption for its commercial, industrial and municipal customers (http://ibn.fm/1TZ2D).

Instead, ZNGY believes that, rather than a costly overhaul of today’s energy grid, utility companies should add modern and efficient technology to existing frameworks. The result is reduced consumption, more conservation and higher long-term values for its newly efficient clients, as well as attraction of sustainable customers through lower up-front costs. ZNGY has already achieved significant savings in CO2 emissions and consumption of water; it has also eliminated considerable coal and gas usage.

ZNGY is a next-generation energy and technology company operating in the smart energy, conservation and utility industry. It specializes in reducing utility consumption by applying smart controls, efficiency-based products and energy conservation techniques for end-use customers, such as municipalities and commercial and industrial companies. The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint and to lessen the demand on the national energy grid and the water supply.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory at the Department of Energy estimates that, in 2017, the U.S. was only 31 percent energy efficient. However, some experts believe that domestic energy efficiency has, in fact, dropped to only 13 percent, due to the increased role of inefficient energy systems, higher electricity consumption and the use of private vehicles, as noted in an article on Vox (http://ibn.fm/ApzmL). This represents a huge need and market for energy-efficient technologies such as those offered by Zenergy Brands.

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

• Demand for accredited cannabis testing in California is at an all-time high
• Company enters long-term lease in the heart of Los Angeles
• Strategically positioned to capitalize on the largest market place in the United States

State mandated testing for California’s cannabis industry will allow only lab-tested cannabis products to be sold by licensed retailers beginning on July 1. There is a high probability that there won’t be enough labs in California to keep up with the testing requirements. This is positive news for existing labs, as demand will be high and possibly max out their capacity, creating a surge in the need for additional testing facilities.

EVIO Inc. (OTCQB: EVIO), a leading national provider of accredited cannabis testing and scientific research for the regulated cannabis industry, seeks to capitalize on this opportunity. EVIO Labs began with one lab in Oregon and now provides clients with superior customer service, reliable results and world-class expertise in California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts and Canada.  The company recently announced further expansion of its testing services to the Southern California cannabis market, and it has entered a long-term lease for a 2,700 square foot facility in the heart of Los Angeles in the Mission Junction District. The company has plans to have 18 laboratory facilities in locations across North America by the end of 2018.

As California rolls out the July 1 state mandated testing deadline, the need for EVIO’s services is expected to increase significantly. “We are focused on positioning EVIO to capitalize on this tremendous growth by pursuing aggressive expansion,” EVIO CEO William Waldrop stated in a news release.

New Frontier Data projects the value of the California legal cannabis market at $1.9 billion in 2018 and forecasts an increase to $4.7 billion by 2025. EVIO’s expansion into Los Angeles strategically positions the company to capitalize on the largest cannabis market place in the United States.

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

• Elevacity, SHRV’s health-and-wellness division, helps drive record sales; industry association reports that wellness is the single largest global and U.S. direct-selling category
• Direct selling worldwide is projected to reach $163.1 billion by 2020, with a CAGR of 4.9 percent; SHRV is expanding its direct selling efforts into more countries
• SHRV is pursuing international expansion, entering a joint venture agreement to market its Elepreneur brand and products in Asia

Sharing Services, Inc. (OTC: SHRV) has reported that the debut of its Elevacity health-and-wellness division helped drive its $2.4 million record in gross sales for March, doubling its total sales in February (http://ibn.fm/jYfrS). The World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA) reports in its latest statistics that wellness was the single largest global and U.S. direct selling category in 2016, with a 35 percent market share (http://ibn.fm/ZUV3Y). Wellness also owns the largest direct sales share in the Asia/Pacific market (42 percent), North America (35 percent) and Western Europe (35 percent).

SHRV’s record March sales were driven by the combined success of its go-to-market strategy and its Elevacity division, the company said. Elevacity’s wellness products include the Timeless line of skincare products for men and women, Vitamin Patches that are designed to generate energy and anti-aging Elier Mud.

SHRV, based in Plano, Texas, is a diversified holding company that owns, operates or controls a variety of companies engaged in direct selling through independent sales representatives. It also offers services such as energy, technology and insurance. SHRV is expanding direct selling internationally. Earlier this year, it finalized a joint venture with Hong Kong-based Health Wealth & Happiness Ltd. (“HWH”) to expand the Elepreneur Brand and sell its products throughout Asia (http://ibn.fm/CUkUC).

Worldwide, direct selling is projected to reach retail sales of $163.1 billion by 2020, with a CAGR of 4.9 percent, according to Euromonitor International Ltd., as quoted in an article by FinancialBuzz.com (http://ibn.fm/0H0JQ).

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

• Diversified industrial holding company operating in one of fastest growing markets in the world
• Patented “green technology” allows industrial companies to extract valuable metal byproducts from solid industrial waste.
• Owns two international U.S. patents and five patents issued by PRC
• Company is addressing worldwide challenges in mining and industrial waste
• Provides “clean” alternative to traditional waste disposal
• Reduces solid waste discharge and generates new revenues for end users from extracted metals

TMSR Holding Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: TMSR), together with its subsidiaries, is a recognized leader in the research, development, production and sale of solid waste recycling systems and zero emissions process systems, for the industrial and mining sectors in the People’s Republic of China. The company operates through its wholly owned business divisions: Shengrong Environmental and Wuhan HOST Coating Materials.

TMSR’s Shengrong subsidiary designs, builds, sells and services customized solid waste recycling systems and equipment for some of the largest industries in China. The company provides customers full-service, tailor-made systems from conceptual design to planning, production, modernization, optimization, assembly, start-up, conversions, disassembly, maintenance and servicing of components to complete zero emissions solid waste recycling and process systems.

Utilizing what management believed to be the world’s most advanced technologies of physical magnetic industrial solid waste recovery, Shengrong can process a variety of industrial solid waste materials and is able to extract valuable metal byproducts from the waste without generating any chemical pollution. Shengrong’s patented equipment can process aluminum slag, copper mine tailings, iron mine tailings, red mud manganese tailings, and molybdenum tailings among many others. Unlike traditional chemical-based recovery methods, the company extracts resalable metals from the waste without generating any pollution. The residues are processed to manufacture high-quality construction materials, turning polluted solid waste into valuable industrial materials with zero discharge.

Industrial solid waste recycling and heavy metal removal are significant worldwide technical, financial and environmental issues. Through Shengrong, TMSR is addressing this profound unmet market need by delivering end users a clean alternative to traditional waste disposal. The company intends to leverage these serious unmet needs, expand its patented industrial waste recycling systems to broad international markets, and provide global industrial and mining businesses cost-effective, patented green technology platforms that create newfound revenue streams for end users.

Through Shengrong, TMSR owns two U.S. patents and five patents granted by the Peoples Republic of China, including four invention patents and two utility model patents. The company’s research and development efforts have achieved technological advancements that allow end users to eliminate pollutant discharge as well as generate new revenue streams by selling valuable byproducts extracted from industrial waste.

TMSR subsidiary, Wuhan HOST Coating Materials, is the largest manufacturer of inorganic Zinc-rich resin and one-component epoxy Zinc-rich resin in China. Established in 2010, Wuhan HOST is a leader in the research and development, production and sale of Zinc-rich coating materials throughout the PRC and has a broad customer base that includes some of the foremost enterprises in major industries such as electricity, metallurgy, machinery, chemicals, bridge and shipping. TMSR completed the acquisition of 100% equity interest in Wuhan HOST Coating Materials on May 1, 2018.

Notably, TMSR first went public as JM Global Holding Company, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) formed to effect a merger, asset acquisition or other business combination that had exceptional growth potential. After reviewing over 50 potential targets and completing due diligence and third party analysis, JM Global identified China Sunlong Environmental Technology Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries as the acquisition target. Upon closing the business combination, the company was re-named TMSR Holding Company Ltd.

Demand for TMSR’s products is expected to grow significantly due to Chinese policies that encourage mining and manufacturing companies to adopt “green” technology. Approximately 3 billion tons of industrial solid waste were generated annually in China between 2011 through 2015.  Currently, 95% of industrial solid waste in China is stored in special facilities and sites; however, the cost of storage, disposal and incineration of industrial solid wastes is high. TMSR is focused on exploiting this unmet need, providing end users in the solid waste recycling markets a clean alternative to traditional waste disposal, significantly reducing solid waste discharge into the environment and enabling end users to extract value from industrial waste materials.

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

• ‘Very high accuracy’ platform cuts cryptocurrency/virtual coin transaction time by deploying predictive algorithm
• Product rollout benefitting distribution MOU in Turkey and Cyprus, with Nigeria option
• Market for cryptocurrency-enabled ATMs expected to have CAGR of 45.8 percent through 2025

The growth of blockchain-enabled currencies worldwide as a way to complete financial transactions with fewer regulatory hurdles than those imposed by traditional banking solutions exemplifies a modern-day movement to empower people monetarily, but the fintech industry has its own set of challenges. In response to the transaction time delays inherent in the need to secure a cryptocurrency agreement, Virtual Crypto Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: VRCP) has rolled out a proprietary algorithmic platform that dramatically speeds up the verification process, which in turn allows parties to negotiate trades at real-time rates without concerns that the rate will become much more unfavorable by the time the transaction is concluded.

Virtual Crypto Technologies Inc., through wholly owned Israeli subsidiary Virtual Crypto Technologies Ltd., develops products that make cryptocurrencies accessible to the public through payment solutions that benefit businesses and consumers alike.

Virtual Crypto Technologies’ NetoBit product line attracted the attention of Israel-based oil refinery relocater Chiron Refineries Ltd. (TASE: CHR), which this year began to diversify its operations to include the “cryptocurrency accessibility” sector. Chiron inked a binding Memorandum of Understanding with Virtual Crypto in January that granted Chiron exclusive rights to distribute Virtual Crypto’s products in the territories of North Cyprus and Turkey (http://ibn.fm/C5WqD), with an option to expand the distribution business into Nigeria within 12 months.

Chiron intends to market the technology to casino cashiers, ATM operators, currency exchange offices and coffee shops for starters, offering a non-bank means of completing financial transactions using the cryptocurrencies at a rapid completion rate.

“We decided to enter the cryptocurrency sector as we envision a significant increase in market participation and believe that there is a real opportunity to generate substantial revenues by making cryptocurrency accessible and understandable to the mainstream consumer,” Chiron CEO Rony Kuperberg stated in a recent news release (http://ibn.fm/f4ezn).

Virtual Crypto’s combination of Application Programming Interfaces and mobile applications supports its products’ deployment in ATMs, PCs and mobile devices such as tablets and cell phones. The global market for ATMs that allow transactions in cryptocurrencies is forecast to increase from its 2017 valuation of $14 million to surpass $285.1 million by 2025, experiencing a CAGR of 45.8 percent, according to market researcher Coherent News (http://ibn.fm/6K77b), but only about a third of the machines currently allow two-way trades.

Virtual Crypto states that NetoBit Trader’s ability to drastically reduce the transaction time is largely due to a “very high accuracy” predictive algorithm that establishes the likelihood of a successful transaction long before it is actually completed. Whereas a typical transaction may take from 10 minutes to 24 hours to complete and close the blockchain module, NetoBit’s system establishes the probability of validation by multiple miners, even as the miner validation process is taking place (http://ibn.fm/5AMjg). The platform also addresses common liquidity problems by connecting with multiple exchanges, allowing the system to divide a single payment across exchanges and thereby create more of a resource than a single exchange can provide.

As Virtual Crypto has rolled out phases of its product, Chiron has responded with phased payments, announcing the completion of an initial $50,000 payment followed by another $50,000 executed in transferred stock shares thus far.

“Our collaboration with Chiron continues to progress at an accelerated pace, largely driven by their desire to establish an early foothold in the Turkish and Cypriot markets,” Virtual Crypto CEO Alon Dayan stated in one of the news releases. “Preliminary testing of the modified software was extremely successful and we expect to maintain this momentum, providing them with a next version we expect to be released in the following weeks.”

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

• Joint venture project with Global Hemp Group Inc., an industrial hemp company based out of Canada
• New field manager has extensive experience in agriculture, strong ties with the farming community
• Contracts signed initially with four farmers who have already started seeding a 125-acre industrial hemp crop

The industrial hemp project in northeast New Brunswick, Canada, is now underway following the hiring of a fulltime agrologist and field manager and the initial signing of four farmers, innovative hemp and cannabis corporation Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA) announced in a recent press release with joint venture partner Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF) (http://ibn.fm/EX8dv). The New Brunswick Hemp Project focuses on the development of an industrial cluster surrounding hemp crops, so as to ensure year-round manufacturing opportunities and a steady market for farmers. This would be part of a wider goal to eventually establish a Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone that is expected to provide a constant revenue stream for both joint venture partners.

To oversee field operations and provide crop expertise, the partners have hired Joan Parker-Duivenvoorden, who boasts a bachelor of science in agriculture with a major in plant protection, along with more than 15 years of experience with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and the New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Parker-Duivenvoorden has established strong ties with the local farming community, which will prove advantageous once the joint project expands from its initial group of four farmers to more than 50 over the next few years, the press release notes. The new field manager will oversee the local project but also provide advisory services to participating farmers, develop training materials for future participants and run research projects to monitor the behavior of different hemp varieties in varying environments. Parker-Duivenvoorden’s long-term goal at the project is to develop a profitable organic hemp crop rotation, possibly paving the way to the production and processing of cannabidiol (CBD).

The partners have also secured a 4,000 sq. ft. facility to house biomass storage and drying equipment. Dried material will also be stored here before being processed by third party processors. Once the partners obtain licenses needed to import and manufacture finished CBD products, the facility may serve as a distribution hub for Marijuana Company of America’s hempSMART™ and Benihemp product lines. Additionally, contracts have already been signed with an initial group of four farmers, who have already started to seed a 125-acre industrial hemp crop. Located throughout the northeast of New Brunswick, these farmers will provide relevant data on the behavior of crops across the region, which is expected to facilitate the recruitment of more participants in the coming years.

The New Brunswick Hemp Project is one of the two hemp cultivation programs that Marijuana Company of America and Global Hemp Group are running together. The other is a 109-acre property in Scio, Oregon, which has a high level of organic matter in the soil, making it ideal for hemp cultivation. The property, purchased for $1.1 million, already has a history of hemp cultivation in the last two growing seasons.

MCOA’s focus is on the product development, manufacture and distribution of legal hemp-based consumer products that are marketed under its proprietary brand name, hempSMART™. The company produces a range of CBD-based nutritional and botanical supplement products from high-quality hemp extracts, including a pain relief product called hempSMART Pain, which is also available as a cream-based topical, an ayurvedic nootropic product called hempSMART Brain, hempSMART Full Spectrum Drops and hempSMART Pet Drops. The company has also developed an affiliate marketing program for the promotion and sale of its hemp-based, CBD-infused products.

With a focus on hemp cultivation and the manufacturing of related products, especially in light of a recent Congress bill seeking to remove industrial hemp from the list of Schedule 1 drugs, Marijuana Company of America is uniquely positioned to capture a significant share of the market by developing recognizable and high-quality brands, with the goal of offering increased value for its shareholders.

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

• First search engine and online directory offering cannabis metasearch with equal and unbiased search results
• Uniquely developed cannabis database platform refuses paid placement listings or preferential outside reviews, delivering organic, honest results that complement cannabis companies, services and users
• NUGL’s Brand-to-Shop connections offer a simple way to verify cannabis brand retailers providing brands, strains, shops and services closest to the consumer
• Serving international markets with no geographic limitations with a cutting-edge technology that features first-to-market technology

NUGL Inc. (OTC: NUGL) is a search engine and online directory for the marijuana industry. NUGL’s database includes listings for dispensaries, strains, doctors, lawyers, service professionals, vape shops, hydro stores and brands. The company focuses on leading the evolution in business relations, development and organic data in the cannabis industry with metasearch technology.

Headquartered in Chino Hills, California, which is home to a projected $5 billion legal marijuana marketplace, NUGL is on track to become a major asset for the global cannabis industry and related services sectors. The company recently established a strategic partnership with Thinklogic and appointed CEO Chris Adams to NUGL’s growing board of directors. Thinklogic is a top-level software development company specializing in projects for start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

“This strategic partnership puts NUGL in a distinguished class, adding a first-rate technical software expert like Chris gives NUGL a unique technological advantage,” said Brandon Vargas CEO of NUGL. “With the addition of Chris’s knowledge and expertise combined with Thinklogics’ experienced and skilled staff, NUGL will have the ability to evolve and build a strong infrastructure unmatched in the 420 industry.”

NUGL is nearing completion of its initial launch timeline, with plans to launch the app on both Android and iOS platforms within the next few weeks. NUGL’s live testing of its software includes enhanced reviews that detail up to 10 category ratings. Each of the category rankings allow users to leave comments and choose among a 5-star rating among all categories or as few as they wish. The software’s rating platform allows for customization and transparency for users while providing invaluable feedback to shops and professional services.

“This is a major feature that is critical to our community,” said Jeff Odle, NUGL’s CTO. “Enhanced ratings will be a definitive difference validating our organic listings and raising the standard for the industry. We want the users to know what they are getting before they step into a store or sign up for a service.”

Leadership Team

NUGL is growing its team of developers and launching new features on an ongoing basis. The company is ahead of an impressive timeline, which includes building blocks for scalability and massive growth.

“Everything we do is focused on user experience. Our philosophy is simple – make it fun and easy to use, with the purest and most unbiased results,” said Ryan Bartlette, NUGL CMO. “As the industry evolves and becomes more sophisticated, NUGL will adapt and build the best marketing technology for the cannabis-related companies. We have gotten in on the ground level and know the pulse of the industry.”

NUGL CEO Brandon Vargas is a founding member of G6 Management, a full-service consulting firm advising cannabis professionals in all aspects of business. With over 10 years’ experience in the cannabis space, he has worked on dispensary, cultivation and infusion entity formation, licensing, real estate acquisitions, construction and build out, marketing, policy and procedures, compliance, staffing, and capital raises. Vargas has an extensive background working with various medical marijuana companies on investment and in developing greenhouse and commercial cultivation, distillate for vapes cartridges, CBD oils and infusions.

CMO Ryan Bartlette is co-founder and CMO of 23Forty LLC and Boxy. He has expertly positioned and branded many companies while bringing them to market and is a sought out graphic artist, front-end developer, photographer, and visual artist with experience in the entertainment and technology industry.

Jeff Odle, NUGL CTO, is a successful senior software architect has a long and distinguished career developing some of the most innovative, cutting-edge platforms available. His unique and distinctive approach to creating the blueprint for advanced programming is industry leading and unprecedented. He is a top-level architect responsible for developing some of the most forward-­looking software for various industries.

NUGL’s board of directors includes John R. Armstrong, a founding partner of Horwitz + Armstrong, a full service general business firm handling all aspects of litigation and business strategy and advice. Armstrong and his partner, Lawrence Hortwitz, have more than 10 years of experience in the cannabis space, representing cannabis professionals in all aspects of business including business formation, licensing, compliance with local and state regulations, real estate acquisitions, corporate mergers and acquisitions, financing, inclusive of capital raises and alternative financing, contracts, and all forms of dispute resolution.

Board member Hendrik Klein, founder of Da Vinci Asset Management, a privately-owned investment firm, serves as CEO and executive board member of Fritz Nols AG, a capital marketing consulting firm specializing in trading and asset management. Klein has received several industry awards including the Austrian Hedge Fund Award, the German Hedge Fund Award, and most recently was named the Global Best Performing Systematic Quantitative CTA. Klein and the Da Vinci team employ the latest quantitative data research and analysis in their innovative investment strategy.

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