• Cobalt demand is linked to exponential growth in production of electric vehicles
• Cobalt is forecast to experience increased global demand over the next few decades
• Historic records from three First Cobalt mines show reserves of one million pounds of cobalt

Following the resounding success of its maiden drill program in Cobalt South, First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQB: FTSSF) announced on February 21, 2018, that it had commenced drilling in Cobalt North. The new program is centered on the historic Drummond, Kerr and Conisil mines within the Cobalt Camp mining region of northern Ontario, according to a company press release (http://ibn.fm/mbt0D). In the update, president and CEO of First Cobalt Trent Mell explained that, during the company’s first drill campaign, three distinct cobalt mineralized zones were identified in Cobalt South, and the company will follow up on the discovery. The second leg of the winter drill campaign, in Cobalt North, is based on a rich set of historical data with the company’s own field work to build a 3D geological model. “In Cobalt North, we have several opportunities to identify resources in different styles of mineralization that would not have been considered historically. We believe this program will increase our options to find new cobalt resources in the Camp,” Mell explained in the news release.

The company’s decision to begin drilling in Cobalt North was based on polymetallic mineralization found in muckpile grab samples. These yielded grades of up to 0.65 percent cobalt with 4,990 g/t silver and up to 1.79 percent copper with 56 g/t silver. Historic records from the Drummond, Kerr and Conisil mines show almost one million pounds of cobalt and more than 36 million ounces of silver. These records were from a time when silver was the main target mineral, but the global surge in demand for cobalt over the last few years has put the spotlight firmly on developing mining assets for this mineral.

Cobalt is a critical component of the lithium-ion batteries used to power mobile electronic devices and electric vehicles (EVs). Developments in the automotive industry have accelerated the production of EVs. With increasing commitment by the world’s nations to turning away from the use of fossil fuels in order to reduce harmful carbon emissions, several countries around the world have announced plans to phase in a complete ban on fossil fuel-powered vehicles over the next few decades. It is this industry sector that has caused a flood in demand for cobalt.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has traditionally provided the majority of the world’s cobalt. However, the DRC presents an ethical dilemma for cobalt producers because of the prevalence of child labor in its mines. In addition, the country is highly unstable politically, which makes it an investment risk. By making a strategic decision to focus its efforts on developing its Canadian mining interests, First Cobalt has altogether dodged these problems.

In 2017, First Cobalt merged with CobalTech and Cobalt One and now controls over 10,000 acres of land within the Cobalt Camp region for prospecting and development. This includes 50 past-producing mines, a mill and the only permitted refinery in North America capable of producing cobalt battery materials. Currently, the refinery is on care and maintenance, and it has been determined that the facility would benefit significantly from modification and upgrading to realize its full production potential. The company has identified this as a speedier and cheaper option than building an entirely new facility.

First Cobalt is exceptionally well placed to capitalize on the surge of interest in cobalt. Its drill programs are on track and producing excellent results, and, once its refinery is back online, the company has the potential to be one of the largest exploration companies and cobalt producers in the world.

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

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• A fintech company focused on next-generation B2B international solutions
• MoneyTrac Technology and GreenBox POS working to provide optimal payment technologies
• A global financial eco-system, top-tier banking institutions and high-level financial technology partnerships

Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) is an innovative fintech company providing fully customized comprehensive payment solutions for both domestic and international organizations transferring funds throughout the world. The focus is on next-generation B2B solutions for automating international fund transfers, payments, billing and invoicing processes. The Global Reserve Platform (“GRP”) is the company’s offering for managing financial products. GRP provides blockchain technology within virtual currency markets such as bitcoin, is currently available in 26 foreign languages, performs currency exchanges worldwide and offers KYC-compliance for all account holders and merchants.

In a news release, Global Payout CEO James Hancock shared that GOHE’s primary targets for expansion include logistics, cryptocurrency and cannabis (http://ibn.fm/rZMmp). GOHE is working hard to transform, overhaul and digitize the massive and global logistics and supply chain industry. It is focused on optimizing efficiency for its customers and partners by creating strategic technological solutions.

MoneyTrac Technology, Inc. (“MTRAC”), a subsidiary of GOHE, has entered into an exclusive partnership with GreenBox POS, LLC (“GBOX”), a blockchain company, to provide strategic sales and marketing resources. MTRAC is set to launch GBOX services in the U.S., Canada and Mexico in April 2018. GBOX’s customized payment solutions, electronic modifications and custom-built blockchain kiosk machines fall in perfectly with MTRAC’s mission of ‘Banking the Unbankable’. Since 2009, Global Payout has developed and sought out comprehensive and customized prepaid payment solutions for their customers and partners worldwide. This JV Agreement with equity and exclusivity in sales and marketing between MTRAC and GBOX positions the company to continue offering the solutions needed to run businesses with optimum efficiency (http://ibn.fm/Pz2Ru).

GOHE’s aim is to deliver a global financial eco-system with top-tier banking institutions through high-level financial technology partnerships. From the beginning, it has been dedicated to developing technological software solutions that have positioned the company to now address the many different needs in a changing and growing global economy. GOHE is committed to leading the way in fintech solutions.

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

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• Developing opioid alternative for pain treatment
• Well-positioned to capture market share as an opioid substitute
• Timely market entry as opioid abuse reduces U.S. life expectancy

Opioids are taking a toll on the nation. Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that, for the second year in a row, life expectancy in the United States declined due to deaths from opioid overdoses. A major contributing factor to these alarming statistics has been the increasing appearance of synthetic opioid fentanyl. The drug is immensely powerful and is suspected to be the reason why many overdoses turn out to be fatal. Compounding the crisis is the double-headed problem that fentanyl, although manufactured and marketed legally, is also produced and distributed illegally. This duality offers a pernicious path to illicit use for patients introduced to prescription opioids for pain relief. Luckily, alternatives to pain management are under development. One such option will emanate from the proposed merger between Skinvisible, Inc. (OTCQB: SKVI) and Quoin Pharmaceuticals Limited. The combined entity’s proposed first product candidate, QRX001, is expected to be developed for the treatment of post-surgical pain.

The rising use of destructive opioids is reversing the gains eked out by advances in medical science. Since 1963, U.S. life expectancy has improved, as newer drugs and better procedures are keeping us alive for longer. However, owing to increasing reliance on opioids, that trend was reversed in 2015 and 2016. Drug overdoses have now surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 55, according to the New York Times (http://ibn.fm/y9Lo6), and fentanyl appears to be the chief malefactor.

Developed in Belgium in the late 1950s, fentanyl is a mighty medication with an analgesic potency that’s 80 times as high as that of morphine. It was introduced into medical practice as an anesthetic in the 1960s because of its effectiveness and, in different forms, remains in extensive use today. By the mid-1970s, illicit fentanyl had begun to appear alongside heroin and cocaine as the fare of drug traffickers. It is now eclipsing those narcotics as a source of concern because of its murderous track record. While the biological effects of fentanyl are indistinguishable from those of heroin, for example, newly developed illicit analogues may be hundreds of times as potent. As a result, the possibility of overdose for a fentanyl user is significantly increased. Moreover, the crisis may get worse. Fentanyl is now commonly being added to boost the effects of heroin and cocaine, and it may even be passed off as those substances.

These disturbing developments make the need for gentler alternatives to opioids more pressing. Despite the ravage they cause, their use continues to increase. Consequently, the U.S. opioid market, currently estimated at around $12 billion, is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 4.6 percent until 2024 (http://ibn.fm/lin53).

Replacing just a fraction of that use with an option like QRX001 is likely to lift the dark cloud hanging over the nation by weakening the forces driving the opioid onslaught. QRX001, to be the lead drug candidate of the post-merger entity (Quoin Pharmaceuticals Inc.), is a single-use transdermal non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist intended for the treatment of post-surgical pain. An N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor allows the transfer of electrical signals between the brain and the rest of the nervous system. An NMDA receptor antagonist is a drug that inhibits the ability of that NMDA receptor to accept signals, which is very useful when those signals are experienced as pain.

The highly differentiated nature of QRX001 could position it to capture a significant market share either as monotherapy or as a key component of effective multi-modal therapy. As a result, Quoin intends to apply for fast track status for QRX001.

The completion of the merger between Skinvisible and Quoin is subject to the negotiation of a definitive agreement and other customary closing conditions, including Quoin completing a financing round for clinical development.

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

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• Cannabis-infused chocolates and candies, such as gummies, will be manufactured using LXRP’s next-generation, patented technology to be sold in Canada and internationally, where permitted
• LXRP’s goal is to partner with manufacturers who provide best-in-class products to existing large consumer groups
• Licensing DehydraTECH™ is key to LXRP’s generation of revenue; LXRP aims to license its IP in all countries where its technology is patented or patent pending

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (OTCQX: LXRP) (CSE: LXX) continues to generate revenue from licensing its proprietary and patented technology DehydraTECH™, which is already patented in the U.S. and Australia. The company also has multiple patents pending in more than 40 countries globally.

Lexaria’s entry into a seven-year definitive licensing agreement with Cannfections Group, Inc. in Canada is a major step toward bringing its improved delivery methodologies to market (http://ibn.fm/F5w4w). DehydraTECH promotes healthier ingestion methods and lower overall dosing. Cannfections is expected to leverage the platform by manufacturing and marketing cannabis-infused chocolates and candies for the legalized adult market.

Cannfections contract manufactures chocolate retail products for several international and domestic chocolate brands. The company believes that the agreement should lead not only to new product entries for Canadian cannabis edibles, but to exports to international markets, where permitted. In addition, the agreement permits LXRP to offer other licensee partners the option of using Cannfection’s manufacturing expertise to produce cannabis-infused chocolates and gummies powered by DehydraTECH technology.

DehydraTECH has been shown to increase intestinal absorption rates and provide for more rapid delivery of active ingredients to the bloodstream. It also offers taste-masking benefits for orally-administered molecules, including cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and nicotine.

“By licensing our technology to Cannfections, Lexaria can now offer its commercial clients the expertise of one of Canada’s oldest and most established chocolatiers utilizing next-generation DehydraTECH technology,” Chris Bunka, CEO of Lexaria, stated in a news release. “This is a long term strategic relationship meant to offer technology, value and expertise to Licensed Producers wanting to offer the highest quality chocolate edibles available in Canada once permitted under Health Canada regulations.”

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

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• Company committed to scientific validation of CBD efficacy
• Produces, markets and sells only the highest quality Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil containing CBD
• With new subsidiaries and acquisition, future is increasingly bright

Building on vast anecdotal and mounting scientific evidence, the market for cannabidiol (CBD) products is exploding across the globe. The discovery of the human endocannabinoid system in the 1990s has intensified research and validated many of the anecdotal reports of CBD effectiveness in treating a variety of physical ailments.

Seizing on the immense market opportunity and substantiating efficacy with science, Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST) is focused on the science, research and studies of its high grade hemp CBD oil as a nutraceutical and dietary supplement. Earth Science already markets and sells some of the highest quality and purity Full Spectrum Hemp Oil containing CBD available. The company’s products are formulated using superior supercritical CO2 cold liquid extraction, through which the cannabinoids are kept at the rawest state possible in order to maintain essential therapeutic properties.

Earth Science believes that science is the foundation for the future of not only its high grade hemp CBD oil and its array of products, but also the entire global CBD market. In a commitment to the underlying science, Earth Science has established a research agreement with the University of Central Oklahoma and DV Biologics Laboratory to study and advance the health care benefits of its high grade hemp CBD oil. Research has already indicated that Earth Science CBD nutritional and dietary supplement products are at the top in the industrial hemp space. The company is committed to providing the public with sound scientific research and up-to-date information on the progress of studies being done on its high grade hemp CBD products.

In 2017, Earth Science launched two new subsidiaries, KannaBidioid Inc., to manufacture and distribute vapes/e-liquids and gummy edibles, and Cannabis Therapeutic Inc., to develop proprietary cannabinoid-based nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical products based on its existing CBD patent. The company also acquired Canna Inno Laboratories Inc., which will allow it access to the burgeoning Canadian market and government grants.

Earth Science’s multi-faceted, science-based approach to the development, manufacture and sale of high quality CBD products places the company in a unique and enviable position headed into 2018 and beyond. As Chief Science Officer Michel Aubé, PhD, stated in a January 3, 2018, press release (http://ibn.fm/E9RPh), “[W]e will clearly be recognized as a leader in cannabinoids research and other health science research arena. Our future is shining bright.”

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

• Companies in partnership to create cannaBLOX, a blockchain-based software smart contract platform for the legalized cannabis industry
• cannaBLOX blockchain software is a supply chain management platform designed to ease logistical bottlenecks, minimize fraud, assist in taxation and ensure regulatory compliance
• LIBFF and BLLXF have completed preliminary input and analysis in their joint phase one development of cannaBLOX

Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) and Blox Labs, Inc. (CSE: BLOX) (OTC: BLLXF) have announced progress on their joint development of phase one of cannaBLOX, the blockchain-based smart contract platform for the legalized cannabis industry (http://ibn.fm/zAMRV).

Blox Labs is working to complete its white paper on cannaBLOX, and a satellite development team has been created in Eastern Europe that specializes in blockchain and decentralized application technologies. The initial framework and analysis segment of the white paper is now complete.

The white paper includes cannabis industry analysis, schematic design, project scoping and itemizing utility and process flow details. The new development team is specialized in omni-language development in Ethereum.

LIBFF is a Canada-based company which has a focus on building a portfolio of cannabis-related businesses. In this sector, it is targeting cultivation, processing and the development of CBD/THC pet and supply-chain products. Its portfolio includes a 100 percent interest in North Road Ventures and a 60 percent interest in Just Kush, strengthening LIBFF’s position as a vertically-integrated cannabis company. North Road is an emerging distributor of cultivated and manufactured cannabis products to licensed retailers. Just Kush is a late-stage applicant for Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”).

Blox Labs developments include software for blockchain, smart contracts and decentralized application technologies. It is entering the Canadian cannabis market with cannaBLOX software, a blockchain solution targeted at cannabis seed-to-sale verification.

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

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• Company recently acquired Google Play Store app ‘Bitcoin Altcoins Tracker’
• New app enables tracking and support for 1,600+ cryptocurrencies and conversion into 50+ native currencies
• New features announced for ZenaPay; new version announced for CryptoFolio

Continuing a strong year that has already been marked by various notable developments, Epazz, Inc. (OTC: EPAZ) announced on February 20 (http://ibn.fm/hIFV1) that it has acquired ‘Bitcoin Altcoins Tracker’, an app that’s currently available for download on the Google Play Store (http://ibn.fm/sOEyl). This further expands the company’s robust portfolio of blockchain apps.

The Bitcoin Altcoins Tracker app, currently sold for $2.49 per download, is able to track and support more than 1,600 cryptocurrencies and offers conversion into more than 50 native currencies.

Features of the app are expected be included in Epazz’s CryptoFolio blockchain mobile app, which the company acquired in January (http://ibn.fm/HqWiO), and a new version of CryptoFolio is scheduled to be released on May 30. This new version is set to include all features from Bitcoin Charts and Bitcoin Altcoins Tracker, with the combined app offered in a free edition (supported by advertisement revenue) and a paid edition that will be sold for $2.49. There will also be an option for users to purchase additional features, ranging in price from $1.99 to $5.99.

The company’s acquisition of Bitcoin Altcoins Tracker will give CryptoFolio users the benefit of cryptocurrency conversions into native currencies.

Epazz’s portfolio of blockchain apps continues to expand, aiding in cross sales and upsales for the company. Users of Epazz’s ZenaPay will be given the option to make in-app purchases using the CryptoFolio app, and ZenaPay users will further be given a discount for using CryptoFolio.

In other recent news from Epazz, the company has released details regarding the future release of new features for its ZenaPay payment solution, which is being developed to solve payment issues for high-risk industries, including offering a bitcoin payment software that lets consumers utilize digital currency to complete online and in-store purchases.

Upcoming features in the works for ZenaPay include an iPad point-of-sale app to be integrated with the ZenaPay Merchant App; a vendor payment solution that will enable merchant businesses to pay their vendors and employees via cryptocurrency; an e-commerce store; seed-to-sale tracking; and sales reporting and compliance.

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

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• Petroteq launched its PetroBLOQ blockchain platform – a pioneering development in the oil and gas industry
• Mexico’s Pemex has already become the first PetroBLOQ member
• The blockchain market is set to experience colossal growth in all industries over the next six years

Blockchain technology has a wide range of applications across different industries, and Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF), a leading developer and provider of proprietary technology for the energy industry, has just demonstrated one more. The company’s innovative PetroBLOQ blockchain platform is a pioneer development in the oil and gas industry, aiming to take the shared economy concept one step further by making a number of industry intermediaries redundant and, consequently, reducing the cost of transactions in supply chain management (http://ibn.fm/dv96m).

Through the use of blockchain technology, it’s possible to complete transactions without an intermediary because of the verified procedures that are built into the platform. This is the main difference between blockchain-based projects and peer-to-peer interactions like those typical for sharing economy flagships such as Airbnb and Uber.

Blockchain technology makes it possible for data about every single interaction to be stored as a digital ledger in a continually reconciled database. Each reconciled transaction becomes a block – the unit that is needed to ensure the integrity of the transaction. This is how the intermediary can be eliminated altogether. The process ensures fairness and cost-efficiency while also expediting the completion of transactions.

According to Petroteq Energy, the oil and gas industry can benefit immensely from the introduction of blockchain technology. The structure of oil and gas interactions is complex. The industry spans across countries and continents and involves multiple players – from domestic transportation entities to refineries and information technology units. Because of the behemoth structure, the accumulation of accurate transaction data in real-time becomes a challenging, almost impossible task. This is where blockchain platforms like PetroBLOQ can be utilized to simplify complex steps and bring immediacy to the table.

All transactions across this massive network can be verified immediately via a blockchain platform. A central reconciling authority is no longer needed to examine the data. Obviously, the elimination of such an authority can increase the cost-efficiency of transactions, ensure data security and enhance the entire data management process.

This isn’t the only blockchain-related initiative launched by Petroteq Energy. In 2017, the company announced its entry into the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA). This is the biggest open-source blockchain network in the world, and its members include more than 500 companies and experts in the field of Ethereum technology.

Already expanding at an exponential rate, the global blockchain market is expected to continue growing in the years to come. While, in 2016, it was estimated at $210.2 million in the U.S., this market is set to increase to $2.3 billion dollars by 2021 (http://ibn.fm/pzNFY). Other, more daring predictions set a global blockchain market size of $7.74 billion by 2024 (http://ibn.fm/Xr2ZQ).

As of 2017, 80 percent of banks have developed their own blockchain technologies (http://ibn.fm/bQXc3). It’s nothing but natural for such platforms to start shaping up interactions in industries other than finance. A 2016 study by Deloitte (http://ibn.fm/mH16h) showed that many representatives of the oil and gas industry were still hesitant about blockchain introduction. Such attitudes leave the door for innovation wide open, enabling companies like Petroteq Energy to launch their pioneer developments.

PetroBLOQ is already making some change. Shortly after the initial announcement, Petroteq Energy reps said that Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company, Pemex, has agreed to become the first PetroBLOQ member. The security of the platform will make it easier to overcome and stabilize fluctuations stemming from the political climate and unforeseen circumstances.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

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• Skinvisible’s DermSafe® hand sanitizer provides long-term protection against viruses
• Patented technology delivers active ingredients topically
• Company generates revenue from four income streams

An outbreak of the deadly influenza A (H3N2) virus has devastated families across the United States this winter. Traditionally, the elderly and the very young are most vulnerable to the flu, but, this time around, it is attacking people of all ages. This outbreak follows on the heels of the potent H7N9 avian influenza virus, which has the potential to spread globally, although largely confined to China at present. Hand hygiene is vital to reduce the risk of contracting these flu strains. Skinvisible, Inc. (OTCQB: SKVI) has developed a unique hand sanitizer, DermSafe®, which offers long-term protection against harmful microbes.

DermSafe® uses patented polymer delivery technology developed by Skinvisible called Invisicare®. This proprietary technology binds active ingredients to the skin to enhance their delivery and resists wash-off and rub-off for up to four hours, even with hand washing. It creates a barrier to prevent attack by viruses and damage from toxins, retaining moisture in the skin while allowing normal respiration and perspiration. Left on the skin to do their job, Invisicare® formulations eventually wear off as part of the skin’s natural exfoliation process.

All of Skinvisible’s products utilizing Invisicare® technology are non-drying, as the formulations do not contain any organic solvents such as alcohol, silicones or waxes. Enhanced delivery means a lower dosage of active ingredients is required while still offering improved efficacy, reduced skin irritation and longer duration of action. To validate its marketing claims, the company uses FDA-registered independent laboratories to verify the efficiency of its products.

Through wholly-owned subsidiary Kintari, Skinvisible has developed a range of anti-aging products, including day cream, night cream, sunscreen and hand and body lotion. All of these products use the patented Invisicare® topical delivery technology. The company has 14 global patents for over 40 skincare products powered by Invisicare®. The Kintari website (www.Kintari.com) is a marketing portal for its products, offering consumers the ability to purchase these patented products online.

Looking ahead, Skinvisible’s development pipeline using Invisicare’s topical delivery technology includes products for acne, dermatitis, skin cancer, warts and first-aid pain relief, as well as formulations with anti-aging, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. In November 2017, the company issued a letter of intent to merge with Quoin Pharmaceuticals Limited, a developer of post-surgical pain relief products that replace or reduce opioid use. Quoin is also developing a transdermal formulation for anti-depression treatment of military veterans showing suicidal tendencies related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Skinvisible’s business model provides four revenue streams. By licensing its formulations, the company generates research and development fees for new products. It also charges license fees to secure exclusive territorial rights to a product, while generating ongoing royalties based on a licensee’s sales. Direct revenue is generated from the sale of Kintari products and the sale of the company’s Invisicare® polymers to its clients.

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

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• Global testing services market expected to achieve 10 percent-plus CAGR growth
• California cannabis testing market also set for exponential increase
• EVIO to double national testing footprint to 18 labs

California, befitting its history as part of America’s westward expansion, has earned an appellation as the ‘Wild West’ of pot. Medical marijuana, legal in the state since 1996, has been largely bypassed by quality control and safety regulations. That is about to change. To coincide with the opening of the adult recreational market, a plethora of rules and rubrics has been issued. California MMJ businesses will have until July 2018 to ensure compliance. As a result, demand for cannabis testing services in California is set to increase rapidly, a development that means EVIO, Inc. (OTCQB: EVIO), which has acquired testing facilities in Berkeley, California, is in the right place at the right time.

The supply shortfall in California cannabis testing services is rising to crisis proportions at a time when one report warns that ‘much of the marijuana sold in dispensaries in California would fail safety standards in other states’ (http://ibn.fm/nXnjU). Quality issues plague the industry, as recent examples from further afield demonstrate. A couple of MMJ companies licensed under Canada’s ACMPR were found to be using banned pesticides, and a cancer patient died after acquiring a fungal contamination, which was said to have originated in smoked marijuana.

Despite this alarming state of affairs, there are only 22 testing laboratories operating in the state (http://ibn.fm/t9mH3). However, where there is crisis, there is also opportunity, and EVIO has been quick to recognize this. Earlier this year, the company announced that it was acquiring C3 Labs in Berkeley, California, which will give it a presence in the Bay Area to go along with its labs in Southern California and north of Sacramento. This will bring the number of labs operated by the company to nine in five states. These include four in Oregon, two in Florida, and one each in California, Colorado and Massachusetts.

Reporting on data compiled by Markets and Markets, High Times recently commented that ‘cannabis lab testing for potency, purity and detailed information such as terpene counts was worth $866 million in 2016.’ By 2021, the global testing services market is expected to hit $1.4 billion, representing a CAGR of more than 10 percent. Driven by such a powerful tailwind, EVIO is set for further revenue growth. The company saw testing services revenues for the nine months to June 30, the last reported period, climb 1,100 percent year-over-year in 2017 to $2.1 million. Now, through testing subsidiary EVIO Labs, the company plans to open 18 laboratories by the end of 2018 at locations throughout the United States.

EVIO is headed by William Waldrop, MBA, chairman and CEO. Waldrop, a co-founder of EVIO Labs’ parent company, spearheaded the acquisition of the company’s first analytical laboratory facility in Bend, Oregon. He has since grown the company to its present five labs and nine operating locations, and he is the driving force behind the nationwide rollout of EVIO Labs.

Previously, Waldrop was chairman and CEO of Newport Entertainment Group and president and COO of College Partnership, a publicly traded company that provided student services. In addition, while working as a senior manager at AirTouch Cellular, he led the team that, in just four years, built a 44-store distribution channel generating over $100 million in annual revenues. As vice president of operations for Leading Edge Broadband, he oversaw the design and roll-out of a global telecommunications sales and outreach network. Waldrop has also provided advisory services to several public companies.

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

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