Before the opening bell, CFN Media Group, the leading creative agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announced the release of an exclusive interview with Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) CEO Greg Lambrecht. In the interview, Lambrecht takes a look at the current state of the legal cannabis industry, particularly as it relates to banking, which is an area that Singlepoint is currently targeting through its SingleSeed subsidiary. In addition to providing some insight into the company’s early-mover advantage in the burgeoning market, Lambrecht used the interview to offer prospective investors some additional insight into Singlepoint’s strategy to capitalize on proposed reform to the regulations that are currently impeding the use of banking services for the legal cannabis industry.

To view the full interview, visit http://dtn.fm/Rzx9S

The legal cannabis industry is expected to record tremendous growth in the coming months, driven primarily by California and the three other states that voted to legalize the substance for recreational purposes last November. According to Cowen & Co., the industry could record revenues in excess of $50 billion by 2026, creating a lucrative opportunity for companies operating in the space.

Despite the fact that well over half of all states have now legalized marijuana in some form, the drug remains illegal at the federal level. This inconsistency has caused most commercial banks around the country to keep their distance. Since the last guidelines from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) were released in 2014, less than three percent of the nearly 12,000 federally regulated banks and credit unions have made the decision to serve the cannabis industry.

In recent weeks, lawmakers have initiated a movement to correct this oversight. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, in concert with nine other U.S. senators, recently penned a letter to FinCEN calling for improved guidelines that could help correct the ‘cash-only’ modus operandi that’s currently in play for the vast majority of legal cannabis businesses. Warren noted a variety of potential benefits that could stem from this reform, including more reliable tax records and improved all-around safety for dispensaries and similar operations.

Singlepoint, through its SingleSeed subsidiary, is primed to capitalize on this proposed reform. The company initially recognized the enormous potential for cannabis credit card processing years ago, when it placed cashless ATMs at roughly 200 medical and recreational dispensaries in Colorado and Washington. Unfortunately, regulatory red tape forced Singlepoint to temporarily suspend those operations, but the company’s growing list of interested clients in the space could create a tremendous opportunity if and when lawmakers address the cannabis banking problem.

In preparation for anticipated reform, Singlepoint has already launched SingleSeed.com in an effort to expand its existing customer base in the cannabis industry. The company recently launched a connect-by-text marketing platform for cannabis businesses that allows them to seamlessly communicate with customers in a way that doesn’t run afoul of strict cannabis marketing regulations. These efforts, when combined with Singlepoint’s aggressive acquisition strategy, played a key role in CFN Media Group’s classification of the company as a “compelling opportunity within the cannabis payments space.”

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

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Leading provider of proprietary health care technologies Medical Transcription Billing, Corp. (NASDAQ: MTBC; MTBCP) had a successful 2016, by any definition: it launched a new product, it once again received the recognition it deserves for its unique innovative health care software solutions, and it continued to rapidly expand its client base via strategic acquisitions and organic growth.

As part of its efforts to gain more clients and acknowledge its most loyal customers, the company launched a unique Client Loyalty Program designed to recognize and reward all health organizations, practices and physicians who have made a significant contribution to its growth. This one-of-a-kind loyalty program, launched a few months ago, awards a specific number of free shares based on each health care institution or practice’s contribution to MTBC growth, whether that means using the company’s products and/or referring other practices. More specifically, health care providers who continue to use MTBC services successfully each receive 100 shares of publicly traded common stock. Those who refer other medical practices receive an additional 1,000 shares. In addition, physicians using MTBC’s services can also nominate one of their staff members to receive 25 additional shares. Participation is open to all clients, including new ones.

The program was well received by the company’s customers, as both an investment opportunity and as recognition of their value to MTBC’s business growth. Since its inception in September 2016, the program has already enabled 50 loyal clients to become MTBC shareholders. The initiative was praised by MTBC President Stephen Snyder, who said his company was the first health care IT provider to offer such a loyalty program and that the overwhelmingly positive feedback it received validates its customers’ confidence in the company, its business model and its overall services.

In addition to the new Client Loyalty Program, Medical Transcription Billing also expanded its client base via strong organic growth, adding a total of 76 new customers last year, 35 of which were added in the last quarter. The company also completed four major acquisitions, designed to contribute to its sustained growth both in terms of number of clients and business coverage. The largest of these four acquisitions and the largest of MTBC’s acquisitions to date was Texas-based MediGain, LLC, a medical billing company.

In the coming year, Medical Transcription Billing plans on developing more initiatives to reward loyal customers. It’s all part of the company’s overall mission to leverage proprietary technology and a global team of professionals to serve a wide range of health care customers, from individual physicians to medium-sized practices, now covering 40+ states. The company offers one of the most comprehensive, fully-integrated suites of revenue cycle solutions, practice management, and electronic health records in the industry. All of the company’s integrated core technologies are also available on mobile devices via the mHealth option. MTBC’s technologies, in particular its Electronic Health Records system, rely heavily on the proprietary ChartsPro™ software, a comprehensive tool designed to improve the productivity of any health care organization, whether it’s a small practice or a large hospital.

For more information, visit www.mtbc.com, and see the company’s fact sheet at http://ir.mtbc.com/events.cfm

VPR Brands, LP (OTC: VPRB), a manufacturer and provider of electronic cigarette and vaping solutions based on both U.S. and Chinese patents, has big plans for the year on the heels of the recent legalization of medical and recreational use of marijuana in several states. Most of the company’s vaping products can be easily used by the legal marijuana industry, presenting VPR Brands with an impressive opportunity for rapid growth. In addition, the company also has plans to further expand its product offerings to include specific cannabis vaping products such as the STINGER vaping stick and an entirely new brand destined to all cannabis packaging, SAFRx.

Founded in 2004, the Miami, Florida-based VPR Brands owns patents for various atomization products and other types or vaping technology, from electronic cigarettes and accessories to medical marijuana vaporizers and more. The company also develops private label manufacturing programs, most notably for e-liquid, with a capacity of more than one million bottles per month. VPR Brands’ private label e-liquid manufacturing program is available for both manufacturers who simply want to tweak their own formulas and those who want to expand their lines. The company constantly expands its flavor line and also offers reverse flavor engineering services. The e-liquid is manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility and undergoes rigorous quality control testing before being delivered to the end customer.

In addition to its private label services, VPR Brands offers vaping technology ranging from vaporizers to electronic cigarettes and related accessories under various established brand names, such as Helium, a line of e-liquids and chillers; HoneyStick™, the first ceramic sub-Ohm oil device available in three different sizes; Krave®, a line of electronic cigarettes with related kits and accessories; Vaporin™, a premium line of e-liquids, vaporizers and electronic cigarettes; and VaporX®, a line of sophisticated, high-quality vaporizers, premium e-liquids, e-cigs, cartridges and accessories.

As part of the HoneyStick™ brand, the company recently relaunched its flagship product, the STINGER vaporizer for cannabis concentrates. The fully ceramic unit, with its sleek and elegant design, was showcased as one of the best performing and versatile ceramic vaping pens at the 2017 BIG Industry Show in Los Angeles last week. Present at the show, VPR Brands CEO Kevin Frija and COO Dan Hoff said they expect California to become an even larger market for cannabis-related products this year, following the state’s vote to legalize recreational adult use alongside medicinal use of the substance. Industry analysts expect annual sales of marijuana in California to reach a total of $7.6 billion by 2020.

VPR Brands is also attending the TPE Tobacco Plus Expo in Las Vegas on January 25-26 to showcase its newest product portfolio for 2017. Most of these new products have not yet been released to the public, but initial response has been very encouraging, Frija said, adding that the new portfolio will become available via retail as of the second and third quarters of the year. The company’s management expects a high turnout from the cannabis sector at the show – the first major industry expo to take place in Nevada since the state voted to legalize recreational marijuana use. The legal marijuana market in the state is expected to grow from $121.6 million last year to about $630 million by the year 2020.

For more information, visit www.VPRBrands.com

Founded in 1999, Stealth Technologies (OTCQB: STTH) is focused on developing and marketing products that deliver cost effective, independently validated solutions for large addressable international and domestic markets. The company’s primary target is identity protection and personal safety.

The Stealth Card represents the company’s flagship solution for identity protection. Today there are more than 1.5 billion credit and debit cards in circulation with RFID chips, making it easier than ever for identity thieves to steal sensitive information without contact. The paper-thin Stealth Card offered by Stealth Technologies protects up to 12 RFID credit cards in a wallet without any batteries or charging requirements.

StealthIdentityTheft.com is an expansion of the company’s commitment to provide first-rate identity protection solutions. The proprietary system underlying this identity protection and recovery service was designed in partnership with law enforcement officials. Utilizing the most effective methods of prevention involving a two-step process, StealthIdentityTheft.com is a superior answer to the non-stop identity theft taking place every day.

The international marketplace was infiltrated by Stealth Technologies when the company launched its 911 HELP NOW™ emergency medical alert device. Providing direct access with 911 service at a touch of a button, the device is packed with powerful features including a full year of battery life from standard AAA batteries, compact ergonomic design, 2-way voice and a durable, splash resistant design.

Stealth Mobile is the latest product offering introduced to leverage the Stealth Technologies’ brand and sales channels established by the other products. Similar to the Stealth Card, Stealth Mobile prevents electronic pickpocketing. The product guards NFC transmissions emitted by cell phone devices, which can include personal information, messages and financial data.

Stealth Technologies recognizes the value of the rapid sales growth generated by these technologies and has multiple patents pending to safeguard its investments. With an expanding product suite and ongoing expansion into the identity theft protection marketplace, Stealth Technologies remains committed to its focus on increased growth and profitability.

For more information, visit www.TechnologiesByStealth.com

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Wouldn’t it be convenient to have those few items you picked up from the grocery on the way home from work appear on the end-of-the-month bill from your Telco? As unlikely as it sounds, that’s a scenario that may not be too far off.

Paying for stuff that way is called direct carrier billing (DCB), and Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE), through its subsidiary Digital Provider, has already developed the capability to provide that service. Taking advantage of the smart phone’s ubiquity, Net Element is poised to help the world’s un-banked masses purchase, both online and off.

Data compiled by Mobile Payments Today and the technology company Amdocs (http://nnw.fm/Pgn1A) show the state of play in 2012, the latest year for which an analysis has been done. In 2012, world population stood at 7.14 billion, not much more than the 6.8 billion mobile phone accounts. That latter figure, not surprisingly, far exceeded the 2.15 billion credit card accounts on record, as well as the 3.5 billion persons with bank accounts.

In many developing countries, from Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Vietnam in the east to Brazil and Mexico in the west, mobile penetration far exceeds the number of banked adults, according to data provided by Juniper Research for 2012.

This is good news for a provider of DCB such as Net Element. DCB, also called direct operator billing (DOB) and mobile content billing (MCB), allows a telephone subscriber to put the cost of a purchase on his or her phone bill. It has been around for some time as a way for subscribers to pay for ring tones and digital wallpapers they download, and, according to Mobile Payments Today, is ‘the most popular mobile payment in use today’.

‘While mobile payment options like NFC and cloud-based wallets get all the hype, Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) has received little attention despite its extensive use, immediate viability and great potential’.

DCB is mostly used for digital goods but, obviously, has the potential to be extended to physical ones. From its initial use paying for 1st-generation digital content, DCB is now employed in purchasing 3rd-generation digital content, like apps, music, videos and e-books. Possible immediate future markets include ticketing and small items like books, and, of course, the promise of a variety of point-of-sale applications comes to mind.

DCB has already shown itself to be a powerful modus operandi. Industry watchers Analysys Mason estimate that DCB conversion rates are 5X higher than credit card conversion rates. Consequently, offering a DCB payment option in the app market is very likely to increase revenues for app stores, app publishers and mobile network operators.

Total apps downloaded in 2012 totaled 56 billion, and, according to Juniper Research, this number is projected to grow to 160 billion in 2017. Market estimates for carrier billing’s share of app store transactions totaled $11 billion for 2016, as reported by the Yankee Group. This figure is expected to reach $13 billion in 2017, according to Juniper.

DCB payment is already available on Blackberry World, and at the Nokia and Google Play Stores. The notable exception is iTunes, where DCB payment options are not available. Nevertheless, the fruitfulness of the market is apparent.

Net Element’s subsidiary, Digital Provider, is a direct carrier billing and mobile payments provider that facilitates the payment, aggregation and distribution of secure, modern mobile transactions. Digital Provider works with the largest mobile operators in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and select emerging markets. The company services a wide range of clients, including content providers, social media networks, game developers and merchants, offering a broad array of payment options, including DCB. Digital Provider is positioned as an industry leader in the growing DCB payments market.

For more information, visit www.NetElement.com

First Bitcoin Capital Corp. (OTC: BITCF) has signed a master distributorship for a new type of check-cashing ATM designed for use in medical cannabis dispensaries in California. The Vancouver, B.C.-based company offers a full line of financial services for the medical marijuana industry. The specially-designed ATMs offer check cashing services and are designed specifically for use in medical marijuana dispensaries. The company said it expects these ATMs will increase the customer base in these locations by 18%.

First Bitcoin Capital Corp. is a developer of services related to bitcoin and cryptocurrency. It offers financial solutions for high-risk merchants, including medical marijuana dispensaries. Its financial services are needed to make it easy for clientele to cash checks. The new ATMs are specially designed to serve large and established medical marijuana dispensaries, and they have sophisticated risk analysis algorithms and underwriting procedures.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) believes that approximately 7% of U.S. households are unbanked, referring to a 2015 National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households (http://dtn.fm/ve6Nm). That survey indicated that about nine million households in the U.S. were unbanked. Another 19.9% of households, or 24.5 million, the study showed, were underbanked. This is defined as a household having a checking or savings account, but using financial services outside of the conventional banking system. Members of this group used payday, pawn shop, or auto title loans. Almost 70% said they used ATMs/kiosks to access their bank accounts.

The ATM machines to be distributed by First Bitcoin Capital Corp. will enable consumers to cash payroll, government, and personal checks, as well as money orders. The fully-automated ATMs will process the needs of unbanked customers who may need to cash checks before purchasing. This is seen by the company as an attractive feature for dispensaries, making check cashing convenient for its clientele.

First Bitcoin said it is also developing a system that would allow dispensaries to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as legal payment. First Bitcoin is tailoring its financial services to the unique needs of the medical cannabis industry.

For more information, visit www.BitcoinCapitalCorp.com

It is no secret that cancer remains a global epidemic. According to The National Cancer Institute (http://dtn.fm/RK8lF), cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in the world, with more than 8.2 million cancer-related deaths back in 2012. The American Cancer Society (http://dtn.fm/RK8lF) estimates that in 2017, just in the U.S., there will be over 1.6 million new cancer cases, with more than 600,000 cancer-related deaths, and the number of new cancer cases is expected to rise to 22 million within the next 20 years.

Some of the most common types of cancer expected in 2017 include breast cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma of the skin, and urinary bladder cancer, with lung and bronchus cancer expected to be the biggest killers. Each of the types of cancer listed above needs to be detected early in order for patients to have the best survival rates, something made possible only with effective cancer screening tests.

ITUS Corporation (NASDAQ: ITUS), a company in the business of developing a series of non-invasive, inexpensive blood tests in order to detect cancer early on, has come up with Cchek™, a new form of cancer screening test that has proven to be more accurate, reliable, easy, and affordable than current screening tests. Cchek™ is a diagnostic platform that focuses on a subset of cells that are said to appear at the beginning of the formation of a tumor. By using proprietary protocols and fluorescently labeled antibodies, Cchek™ counts and sorts the specific and rare cells.

Currently, Cchek™ has been validated with 14 cancer types and has tested 315 patients, with 225 testing positive for cancer and 87 testing negative. In the preliminary results, the company achieved sensitivity and specificity of 92% accordingly for 88 patient samples, including 54 samples from patients with a variety of types of cancer, and 34 healthy patients. Sensitivity and specificity are two scientific measurements that are used to establish the efficacy of a diagnostic test.

ITUS Corporation is in the process of submitting its data at scientific meetings and plans to publish its data shortly. The company is continuing to process new patient samples with the aim of testing new cancer types while evaluating benign conditions. Currently, ITUS is still undertaking double-blinded testing in order to take Cchek™ to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for future approval.

For more information, visit www.ITUSCorp.com

Leading mobile payment technology provider Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) this morning released a letter to its shareholders recapping some of the company’s most noteworthy achievements in 2016, as well as its objectives for the coming year. In the letter, CEO Oleg Firer referred to 2016 as a “year of significant progress and corporate achievements,” noting Net Element’s strong transactional growth across multiple categories. All told, the company processed $2.1 billion across 187 million transactions during 2016, up from 161 million in 2015. Firer attributed this organic market growth to the hard work and dedication of Net Element’s management team, support staff and sales team.

“2016 marked a year of significant progress and corporate achievements. We executed several complex initiatives and continue to make great strides in delivering on the strategic endeavors that we have been working on for the past three years,” Firer noted in this morning’s update. “While a few of these endeavors are still in progress, our overall operations, competitive posture, and growth are much stronger today than they were one year ago.”

In addition to its transactional growth, Net Element recorded a number of significant achievements during 2016. The company was named one of the fastest-growing technology companies in South Florida Business Journal’s 2016 Technology Awards, and subsidiary PayOnline was recognized as the best payment processing gateway in 2016 by Tagline. Additionally, PayOnline was ranked as a top five payment acceptance company by Markswebb Rank & Report.

Net Element’s continued commitment to growth on a global scale also helped it secure a collection of important new partnerships and client relationships in both domestic and international markets. In particular, the company made a major push toward expanding its presence in Central Asia and the Middle East during 2016, landing high-profile partnerships with Masreqbank in the United Arab Emirates, Round Bank in Russia and AGBank in Azerbaijan. Building on these efforts, PayOnline formed new relationships with Dunkin’ Donuts, one of the world’s largest coffee and baked goods chains, in Russia; ExLine, a market-leading courier service in Kazakhstan; and VTB Insurance, a leading insurance company in Russia.

The shareholder letter goes on to outline some of Net Element’s 2016 product launches before taking a look forward at its corporate goals for 2017. The company got the new year off to a strong start by implementing payment acceptance services for ReservHotel, a leading travel distribution and booking provider, and Sutochno.ru, the number one short-term accommodation rental service in Russia.

“For the remainder of the year, we will continue to focus on strategic partnerships and innovative products that will further expand our services, positioning Net Element as a convenient one-stop solution for payments services to a global merchant community,” added Firer. “We also intend to expand our presence in North America through distribution and integrated-services programs. In addition, we intend to further consolidate and centralize our operational infrastructure and resources.”

Firer wrapped up this morning’s release by thanking the company’s shareholders for their continued support and offering a positive outlook for the coming months.

“We anticipate that our improving financial results, continued expansion, strong partnerships and executing on growth endeavors will produce improved shareholder value in 2017,” he concluded.

For more information, visit www.NetElement.com

The strategy by ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) to open the first cannabidiol (CBD) online retail store in China, and to use a wholly-owned subsidiary in the retail and wholesale business to supply CBD health oil products throughout Asia, has attracted the attention of investors who have seen global activity in the cannabis market grow.

ChineseInvestors.com operates a website for Chinese-speaking investors located in China and the U.S. Its self-directed investing model includes education products and services such as consulting. The company previously announced plans to open a retail store in the Shanghai Free Trade Area and commence distribution of CBD health oil products to Chinese people located around the globe. It expects to go live with its ChineseCBDoil.com site later this month.

Investment companies have already seen the growth of the cannabis industry globally. Marijuana is not legal in China, but oils that are cannabis-based are. Medical and recreational marijuana is growing globally. Some countries permit medical marijuana only. Legal sales are growing throughout the world and CIIX sees an important opportunity in China and Asia.

Matt Karnes of GreenWave Advisors (http://dtn.fm/6xAjK) projects that the CBD market in the U.S. could reach almost $3 billion by 2021. Warren Wang, founder and CEO of CIIX, cited the CBD Report in the Hemp Business Journal that the U.S. hemp and legal marijuana consumer sale industries could grow to $2.1 billion by 2020. The ArcView Group sees industry sales throughout North America growing to a little more than $8 billion by the end of 2017.

In a recent news release, Wang added that CIIX has entered into a wholesale agreement with a well-known manufacturer of CBD oil. He anticipates that, through its online platform and retail store, CIIX will be able to retail nutritional supplements containing CBD to China and other Asian markets.

Legalization of marijuana is happening globally. According to TMFUltraLong (http://nnw.fm/KXoo1), you can use or buy it in some form in Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Uruguay, Chile, Czech Republic, Colombia, and Jamaica. In the U.S., 28 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. To date, a total of 16 states have legalized CBD.

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

On January 10, 2017, Crystal Equity Research (http://nnw.fm/Hk3L3) published an initial report on Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC). Moxian provides social commerce platforms to consumers and merchants in Asia, more specifically China, through its proprietary Moxian+ platform. The company received a ‘Speculative Buy’ rating with a price target of $5.25 per share.

The rating was based on Moxian’s ability to maintain itself as a strong contender within China’s online-to-offline (O2O) market, which, according to the report, was worth $48 billion during the first half of 2015. Thanks to the launch of both the Moxian+ User app and the Moxian+ Business app, customers are being drawn from websites to physical stores in China. Both consumers and merchants are showing a growing interest in the O2O market, with more people using mobile devices and having access to the internet.

Aside from Moxian’s ability to successfully target the country’s O2O market, the company has made significant steps toward strengthening its balance sheet with the aid of new, independent members of its board of directors. MOXC successfully closed a public offering of over four million shares of common stock, raising $9 million in new capital net fees by the end of 2016 while cutting related party debt.

The report continues to discuss Moxian’s timely entry into China’s O2O market. With nearly half the population on the mainland devoting 45 minutes a day to social media, combined with a growing adoption of banking cards, online purchases are becoming more accessible. To make Moxian’s move into the market more swift, the company is targeting small- to medium-sized businesses with a “do it yourself” website that allows merchants to create an account easily for which they can then choose the pricing plan that best suits them.

Moxian expects its primary forms of income to be advertising revenue and sales of memberships to merchants. Although the basic membership is free, the paid account offers merchants the chance to add features that will enhance their relationships with their consumers. The paid plan also gives access to consumer data and the added benefit of other O2O tactics. MOXC also expects revenue from gaming application downloads, fees from content and sales generated by users, and from sales of ‘points’ to consumers.

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