• At least 150 million Americans play games
• Business accelerator for mobile app developers
• Footprint in the mammoth video games market

With the latest Entertainment Software Association (ESA) report revealing that half of America plays video games, the excitement surrounding AppSwarm, Inc.’s (OTC: SWRM) foray into the industry appears to be based on very robust rationales. AppSwarm is a business accelerator focused on acquiring software applications for all forms of devices. The company actively pursues partnerships with software development companies that exhibit historical profitability and growth capability. Leveraging its resources in capital, management, marketing and product development, AppSwarm is able to add value to the collaboration. Now with a portfolio of entertainment software apps, AppSwarm is showing it’s ahead of the game in what continues to be a highly lucrative industry.

When psychiatrist Eric Berne wrote in 1964 about the “Games People Play,” giving an account of his study into the psychology of human relationships, it was apparent that he must have glimpsed into the extent to which games provide comfort and a sense of identity. Largely addressed to adults, Berne’s work was a reminder of how naturally we take to games; nothing is as easy as child’s play. These inclinations do not fall away quickly. The average age of the video game player is not some teenage number, but 35, and more women 18 years and over play video games than boys under the age of 18, according to the ESA 2017 report (http://dtn.fm/57oPL).

Again, contrary to public perception, only about one-quarter of gamers are under 18; most gamers are adults. In all, ‘more than 150 million Americans play video games, and 65 percent of American households are home to at least one person who plays video games regularly, or at least three hours per week,’ As will be expected, the economic consequences of the games people play are considerable. ‘In 2016, the industry sold over 24.5 billion games and generated more than $30.4 billion in revenue. Total game sales included purchases of digital content such as online subscriptions, downloadable content, mobile applications, and social networking games.’ Overall, ‘computer and video game companies provided jobs to more than 220,000 people in 50 states.’

With such a huge demand for games, developers are hard pressed to get their creations to market and often rely on accelerators like AppSwarm. Sometimes confused with business incubators, business accelerators are an entirely different animal. While incubators focus on getting ideas off the ground, an accelerator helps a business that’s already running run better. As this piece in Inc. explains (http://dtn.fm/Mc9tb), ‘while incubators help companies stand and walk, accelerators teach companies to run.’ AppSwarm targets businesses that have not only a promising future, but also a good past.

AppSwarm employs a proprietary screening process, called the Swarm, to select the companies with which it would like to work. These collaborations can take one of several forms: stock purchase agreements, royalty agreements, joint ventures, partnerships or acquisitions. The company offers complete, end-to-end services for mobile application development across all major platforms, including Apple iPhone, RIM’s BlackBerry, Google’s Android, and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, and it has agreements in place with all of the major application stores. AppSwarm will act as a partner to increase marketing visibility, in addition to providing the range of resources that small firms, young entrepreneurs and application developers need to commercialize their applications effectively.

So far, AppSwarm has been winning its game. It’s current game portfolio includes Turtles, Huh?, which was ranked as the top iOS family games app in five countries, ranked in the top five iOS family games apps in 22 countries and ranked in the top 10 iOS family games apps in 44 countries.

For more information, visit the company’s website www.App-Swarm.com

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• Clinical-grade full spectrum hemp oil products created for licensed medical practitioners included
• Science-backed education, superior products meet requirements of medical profession
• Medical cannabinoid product revenue projected to reach $1.15 billion by 2020

Grey Cloak Tech Inc. (OTC: GRCK) recently announced that it has signed a binding Letter of Intent to purchase Eqova Life Sciences, a Colorado-based medically-focused company producing clinical-grade full spectrum hemp oil products. To date, no other hemp oil company has exclusively focused on the medical practitioner market, leaving this important segment largely underserved. Grey Cloak Tech, which is known for its click fraud prevention products, has been searching for a way to enter the growing cannabinoid industry, as it noted in a news release (http://dtn.fm/E4cx1).

According to The Hemp Business Journal, sales of products derived from cannabinoids more than tripled from 2014 to 2017, rising to $358 million. Additional revenue predictions for the medical marijuana industry point to $1.8 billion in sales by 2022, the report states. Grey Cloak Tech expects to dominate the medical practitioner market with science-backed education and superior products that utilize standardized dosing and unique delivery methods. Market professionals rightly require a safe, consistent product that meet strict conditions.

Eqova CEO Patrick Stiles, who is responsible for founding and growing several nutraceutical brands, has sold millions of dollars in products online through a variety of channels. Eqova’s medical advisory board seeks the most effective phytocannabinoid-rich hemp oil, ingredients and delivery methods – combining them into innovative, cutting edge products that deliver standardized dosing and consistent pharmaceutical grade ingredients that actually help patients. All Eqova products go through rigorous third-party testing before and after manufacturing, ensuring that Equova’s products contain no or only trace amounts of psychoactive ingredients such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

“Today, consumers are smarter than ever before. They demand superior products but also want it backed up with education,” Stiles said in a news release. “The days of empty promises are over. This is why we exclusively partner with medical professionals to bring our full spectrum hemp oil products to their patients.”

William Bossung, CFO of Grey Cloak Tech, said the acquisition is contingent on meeting various obligations and conditions and will be consummated as soon as is reasonably practicable.

“The possibility of growing substantial revenues certainly exists with Equova,” Bossung said. “With Mr. Stiles’ business savvy, we expect to have substantial increases in revenue.”

For more information on Grey Cloak Tech Inc., visit www.GreyCloakTech.com

For information about Eqova Life Sciences, visit www.Eqova.com

• LTTGF board member Kevin Harrington, original star of hit series ‘Shark Tank’ and infomercial pioneer, talked to Benzinga about growing LTTGF into 20+ additional states, using celebrity endorsements and implementing a “360 degree” strategy to raise profile and attract new customers
• U.S. lottery industry is estimated to be between $70 billion and $80 billion nationally, with California, initial state for LTTGF operations, a $6.3 billion lottery market
• LTTGF has named celebrity William Shatner, actor and Star Trek star, as its spokesperson; Shatner represented The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN) for 14 years, helping to build its stock from an IPO of $16 per share to $1,862 today with a market cap of $91.3 billion

LottoGopher Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: LTTGF) (CSE: LOTO) (FRA: 2LG) board member Kevin Harrington, former ‘Shark Tank’ star and a pioneer of the infomercial industry, told investors on Benzinga (http://dtn.fm/b4JZC) that they should keep an eye open to attractive entry points to the stock. “I’m an optimistic investor and I like to get involved at the right time,” he said.

LTTGF currently operates in the $6.3 billion California market (http://dtn.fm/L4jhH) as a lottery messenger service that permits users to buy state lottery tickets online via credit and debit cards, manage their accounts and receive the latest lottery news. The company has identified 22 more states which it plans to enter. Eventually, it hopes to expand into the national U.S. lottery market (http://dtn.fm/8lQRi).

“We are operating a service to help people get tickets,” Harrington told Benzinga. “I call it the ‘Uber Eats’ of lotteries. We do a similar thing: You want a lottery ticket, you go online and order it, we go and handle it getting printed for you and put it in your account…It’s like an on-demand courier service.”

He added that the company’s focus is raising its profile and acquiring more customers. “Our vision is to become the leading lottery messenger service in the United States,” said James Morel, founder and CEO of the company.

“We’ll be taking a 360 degrees approach to getting customers at a number that is less than the lifetime value of a customer, so that we can get a profit in the process,” Harrington said. “LottoGopher will be using TV, radio, digital media, celebrity endorsements…all the resources that are available…Each particular medium will focus on a particular demographic.”

LTTGF is offering players in California state lotteries such as MEGA Millions, SuperLotto Plus and POWERBALL. Participants can avoid waiting and buy tickets online after registering and paying a subscription fee. There are no other commissions or hidden fees. Bitcoin and ethereum are also accepted.

Harrington said that LTTGF will be seeking to enter more states and acquire additional customers. “This plays right into my background, which is finding customers. This is what we are working on right now. We have dozens of things happening as we speak, and over the next 60 days, that are pretty groundbreaking.”

LTTGF also recently named William Shatner as its spokesperson (http://dtn.fm/2cJtz). Shatner is best known for his role in Star Trek, but he has also appeared in Boston Legal and T.J. Hooker, as well as numerous stage productions and movies. Shatner, in 1997, was named spokesperson for Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN). That stock skyrocketed from an IPO price of $16 per share to its current PPS of $1,862. Today, the company has a market cap of $91.3 billion.

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

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• Aaron Keay, CEO, says plans set for greater production capacity and strategy for global distribution in emerging markets
• Expansion of ABcann’s Vanluven facility underway, along with construction of the company’s 150,000 sq. ft. Kimmett facility
• Napanee, Ontario-based firm uses proprietary plant-growing technology and is pursuing opportunities in Australia and Germany

ABcann Global Corp. (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF) achieved working capital of $43 million from multiple financings, including private placements and strategic partnerships, during the six months ended June 30, 2017, it announced on August 29 (http://dtn.fm/RHe5K).

ABcann manufactures and distributes medical cannabis under a license issued by Health Canada to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, ABcann Medicinals, Inc. It is currently expanding and constructing facilities to grow more product, in addition to exploring other opportunities of multiple delivery vehicles.

The company specializes in growing cannabis within environmentally controlled chambers which can monitor and control all variables. The result is organically grown and pesticide-free plants that are featured in products boasting consistent quality standards.

“ABcann’s first quarter as a publicly traded issuer was a successful one, leading to the company having over $40 million in current working capital,” CEO Aaron Keay noted in a news release. “With our strong cash position, ABcann expects to significantly increase production capacity in 2018 while pursuing our aggressive construction and expansion timelines at both Vanluven and Kimmett.”

For the three months ended June 30, 2017, ABcann recorded revenues of C$264,319, as compared to $21,465 for the same period last year. For the six months ended June 30, 2017, revenues were $436,802, as compared to $21,840 for the comparable period in 2016.

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

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• LottoGopher offers a subscription-based messenger service for purchasing and managing California lottery tickets
• The U.S. lottery industry is valued at $70 billion, and California’s stands at $6.3 billion
• The company plans to expand to 22 additional states and expects to grow its revenue to $50 million in the coming years

LottoGopher Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: LTTGF) (CSE: LOTO) (FRA: 2LG) provides subscription messenger services to consumers in California who purchase lottery tickets. The company has succeeded with subscription-based products, offering flexible, scalable services to the tens of millions of U.S. consumers who buy lottery tickets.

The benefits of subscription models, stated in a recent industry article (http://dtn.fm/9wTZn), include having an array of bundled services available at a single monthly rate. Features and offerings can be adapted to address consumer sentiment. The increase in conversions is another benefit to LottoGopher, as its testing phase revealed website visitors responded favorably – 43 percent of those who followed the email sign-up process became members and 12 percent of free plan members signed up for paid plans. These results reveal LTTGF’s market and growth potential. The company is currently “live” in California and plans to expand to 22 additional states. By 2020, LottoGopher projects revenue close to $50 million driven by demand in the $70 billion U.S. lottery industry. California’s lottery market currently stands at $6.3 billion.

LottoGopher’s idea has caught on. Its concept has been featured on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS News, and Fox News. Time, Forbes, and the Los Angeles Times have also recognized the company. Recent growth in subscription numbers reflects the convenience offered to members, who can pay via debit and credit card, as well as bitcoin and ethereum, automatically every month. The trade-off is a supply of lottery tickets that members can manage through their secure accounts.

In a recent audio interview, LottoGopher president and CEO James Morel (http://dtn.fm/rG4l0) explained that LTTGF’s website is the first to let consumers use debit or credit cards online to buy lottery tickets, eliminating the need to travel to stores to make lottery purchases. Creating this third-party solution was practical, because it is primarily a messenger, affording access to state-run lotteries and consortiums such as Powerball and Mega Millions, instead of a gambling site. The customer-friendly, compliant system operates on a familiar subscription model similar to Netflix, so the company has built its system on best practices borrowed from other industries. Its model was inspired by leading subscription service providers such as Amazon.com, Inc.; Adobe Systems, Inc.; and Salesforce.com, Inc.

Morel also notes that the company set out to offer what the California lottery did not provide. He highlights the benefits of partnering with an industry expert, LottoLand, which is the largest online betting company outside the U.S. The partnership makes LottoLand shareholders in the company, with Lloyd Lemmon (LottoLand’s general council) on LTTGF’s board. Its partner has been in business since 2013 and has revenues of €500 million. Although it doesn’t sell software, music, video, or software subscriptions, LottoGopher Holdings has secured itself in a key niche market.

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

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• Technology that improves bio-absorption and bio-availability
• Bioactive compound delivery system with application across a range of drugs
• Revenue streams from out-licensing

The word in culinary circles is that where there is fat, there is flavor. That’s because fats (there are several different kinds) have a matchless ability to absorb and preserve flavors. Fats belong to a class of compounds called lipids, which the human digestive system absorbs remarkably efficiently. This characteristic makes them ideal for pairing with hard to digest remedials and tonics. Taking a leaf, perhaps, from haute cuisine, this is exactly what Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQB: LXRP) is doing. The innovative biotech has developed a lipid-based system that delivers bioactive compounds more efficiently. The patented proprietary technology, which the company plans to out-license, not only augments bio-absorption and bioavailability but also improves taste, smell and onset of action.

Lexaria’s novel technology, DehydraTECH™, ticks all these boxes by infusing the molecules of organically sourced hemp oil, high in cannabidiol (CBD), inside the molecules of lipids. Lipids seem a natural choice, since the human endocannabinoid system is itself lipid-based. Using them as a vehicle for delivering cannabinoids in curatives results in more absorption, less waste and, just as importantly, fewer side effects (http://dtn.fm/F4lzi). With DehydraTECH, a little hemp oil goes a long way, improving the healthful benefits and, of course, saving money.

Lexaria has already applied this innovative delivery technology to its product line, which consists of three distinct brands: ViPova, Lexaria Energy and TurboCBD. ViPova is a delicious Chinese black tea from the province of Yunnan, made from hemp oil-infused within dried evaporated non-fat milk. Introduced in January 2015, the tea is available in a host of varieties and flavors. The Lexaria Energy line is meant for those with busy, active lifestyles. Under this brand, the company has launched a hemp oil-infused protein bar called the Lexaria Energy Bar, which, as its name suggests, provides reserves of energy to boost stamina. In addition, there is Lexaria’s TurboCBD, a brand of technologically enhanced, high absorption hemp oil capsules that came to market in March 2017. TurboCBD’s cannabinoid content is fortified with high-quality American ginseng and ginkgo biloba for support of enhanced focus and memory, along with reduced stress and fatigue.

However, as will be apparent, the DehydraTECH process is not restricted to delivering cannabinoids alone. It can be used to improve the delivery of other cannabinoids (apart from CBD) as well as vitamins, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and nicotine. This puts Lexaria in the enviable position of being a natural partner to cannabinoid biotech companies and an enabler rather than a competitor. Moreover, at present, Lexaria is the only company in the world that has been awarded a patent for the improved delivery (oral or ingestible, including pills) of all non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Patents have been awarded in the U.S. and Australia and are pending in 40 more countries. This puts the company in the unusually advantageous position of owning proprietary technology that can deliver a vast range of non-psychoactive cannabinoid-based drugs.

Lexaria’s partnership potential is worth taking notice of as landmark M&A deals continue to shape Big Pharma (http://dtn.fm/9PeJL). Its delivery technology has applications in some giant markets. As the referenced article notes, “According to biotech analysis firm EvaluatePharma, the global market for NSAIDs was valued at $11.4 billion in 2014. Meanwhile, the global market for vitamins is on course to reach $9.3 billion by 2020, the market for alternative nicotine delivery technologies is at an all-time high following recent FDA proposals, and consumer sales of cannabinoids are expected to reach $2.1 billion by 2020. All told, the market potential for Lexaria’s flagship platform could be huge.”

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

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• Global demand for lithium, which is used in clean technology, is growing at 10%-plus per year
• Annual global sales of lithium-ion batteries estimated to reach $93 billion by 2025
• Exploration of Hidden Lake Project suggests discovery of massive, world-class lithium deposits
• Three new properties in Canada add significant lithium-bearing assets to portfolio

92 Resources Corp. (TSX.V: NTY) (OTCQB: RGDCF) (FSE: R9G2) is a modern energy solutions company focused on acquiring and advancing strategic and prospective energy-related projects in Canada. Its three principal assets include the Hidden Lake Lithium Property in the Northwest Territories, the Pontax Lithium Property in Quebec, and the Golden Frac Sand Property in British Columbia.

Preliminary mineralogy work on samples taken of the Hidden Lake pegmatites indicate spodumene – the world’s richest source of lithium – is of a high quality and near the maximum theoretical limit. Scoping testwork saw an overall lithium extraction of 97 percent from the concentrate produced from these pegmatites, which means standard lithium extraction techniques can be applied, making the extraction of lithium easier and more cost effective.

92 Resources is focused on developing the lithium-rich resources located within its properties through open-pit mining and relatively straight-forward mineral processing procedures. Surface exploration programs that include prospecting, mapping and sampling of known spodumene-bearing pegmatites on the Hidden Lake property suggests the existence of one massive, interconnected body of pegmatite below the surface. Recent acquisitions of prospective hard-rock lithium properties in Quebec add to the company’s impressive and growing asset portfolio.

Recent acquisitions of prospective hard-rock lithium properties in Quebec add to the company’s impressive and growing asset portfolio. The properties, known as Corvette, Eastmain and Lac Du Beryl, consist of a combined 115 mineral claims totaling approximately 14,710 acres with confirmed pegmatite outcrops visible at each location. Some sampling has been completed at the Corvette property and shows spodumene crystals present, making this location a high priority for follow up work. Analytical results are pending on samples taken from known pegmatite outcrops visible at each property.

Lithium is a strategic, green metal used in batteries, electronics, electric vehicles, ceramics, alloys, lubricants and pharmaceuticals. The world market for electric vehicles, with China as its biggest customer, is exponentially growing as the demand for clean, renewable energy sources increases. A recent report by Grand View Research, Inc. places the lithium-ion battery market worldwide at $93 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 17%.

92 Resources is led by an experienced management team and advisors with decades of expertise in market strategies, corporate development, mineral exploration and energy development. With an excellent team of professionals and promising mining projects, the company is well positioned to capitalize on the ever-rising demand for lithium.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.92Resources.com

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The rise of the sharing economy model and gig economy, empowered by mobile IT and big data, has rapidly transformed an antiquated labor market, where the average independent worker often ended up dependent on temp agencies (which aggregated this labor pool) in order to find employment. However, this evolution of the labor market has come with legal pitfalls, stemming from companies wanting to categorize workers as independent contractors, instead of as employees, and thereby avoiding benefit entitlements like unemployment insurance and minimum-wage protections that are stipulated under state labor laws. This is a problem to which sector innovator ShiftPixy, Inc. (NASDAQ: PIXY) believes it has the answer, in the form of a new hybridized model where workers are treated as full-time employees of ShiftPixy, who are then lent out to clients on an independent contractor basis.

According to recent analysis by TurboTax owner Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU), which has been witnessing the growth of the gig economy via its own earnings, the broader freelancer labor market now makes up 34 percent of the workforce and is on track to hit 43 percent by 2020 (http://dtn.fm/9kKC4). While we won’t see U.S. Labor Department data until next year on the freelance labor market, the Intuit research project conducted with Emergent Research indicates there are around four million quintessential gig workers, and that the number is likely to grow to 7.7 million by 2020.

Needless to say, ShiftPixy’s disruptive new hybrid worker classification model is perfectly timed to capture this projected growth, resolving the complications that have led sector juggernauts like Uber to face repeated litigation. Last year, Uber reached a landmark $100 million settlement to two class action lawsuits in California and Massachusetts over the status of its drivers as independent contractors (http://dtn.fm/KS0hb).

GrubHub (NYSE: GRUB) also faced litigation last year over these same issues with its delivery drivers (http://dtn.fm/4txoV), and the specter of such litigation still looms large for the industry, despite recent victories like the one in Florida (http://dtn.fm/Prip3), where an appeals court upheld the state governor’s decision that Uber drivers are independent contractors. Uber’s $68.5 billion valuation, backed by strategic investors like General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), was recently pegged at just $50 billion by secondary shareholders (http://dtn.fm/7HSaW). This decline has opened the door to up and comers like Lyft, which has backing from the likes of Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP) and KKR & Co. (NYSE: KKR), as well as Chinese companies Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) and Tencent (OTC: TCEHY).

The recently launched ShiftPixy mobile app (http://dtn.fm/Evv2v) allows the company’s employees, which it calls “shifters,” to access and select shifts in real-time from the pool of broadcasted open shifts on the ShiftPixy Shifter Network. This offers shifters an all new level of free agency as workers, while streamlining the overall process for business operators who have open shifts they need to fill by giving them real-time access to a wealth of fully-vetted and available shifter candidates. Moreover, this immensely powerful recruiting and scheduling platform tracks and communicates with fixed and flex staff, and it does so within an environment designed from the ground up to be compliance-driven. Accurate and simple pay management from the ShiftPixy platform, which adapts to most time and attendance systems, allows business operators to handle reporting and compliance without failure while enabling the fine tuning of escalating worker compensation costs.

ShiftPixy is basically the best of both worlds. On the one hand, you have unprecedented freedom for shift workers who get to be classed as full-time employees, and, on the other, you have a pre-verified ecosystem of candidates for worksite employers, so long as they are part of the ShiftPixy universe. ShiftPixy’s co-founder and CEO, Scott Absher, noted at the time of the app launch that the automation provided by ShiftPixy’s platform not only makes the worker onboarding process extremely simple and paperless; it also acts as a secure personal gateway for shifters to manage all of their employment data.

Perhaps signifying how ShiftPixy’s human capital management (HCM) platform is rebooting the temp worker and developing into a truly 21st century hub for workers and business operators alike, the company recently announced the opening of its first regional office in New York City’s historic Grand Central Station (http://dtn.fm/8sRSI). This move plants an unambiguous ShiftPixy flag on the 56 million-plus Northeast region, which is one of the mostly densely populated and important regions to consider when studying the rapidly expanding contingent workforce. Seen as a crucial market by management, New York City’s always-on, 24-hour nature, as well as the size of its leisure and hospitality industries, are inescapable catalysts behind the thriving local gig economy.

ShiftPixy’s uptake will most likely be driven by the sheer ease of use for business operators, who can utilize the platform to easily navigate complex regulatory mandates while minimizing the often daunting administrative burdens associated with shift work staffing in general. ShiftPixy’s comprehensive HCM ecosystem could easily become the standard solution for dealing with regulatory requirements like paid time off laws and Affordable Care Act stipulations, and it has drawn considerable attention from sector analysts since the company’s $12 million IPO in June (http://dtn.fm/aC8tI). Currently trading around $3.71 with a $105 million market cap, ShiftPixy made a good showing at the influential Drexel Hamilton 2017 TMT Conference in early September, where Absher was able to really demonstrate his three decades-plus of organizational development, capital development and employment industry expertise. The de-risked compliance environment will continue to differentiate Irvine, California-headquartered ShiftPixy from other gig economy operators, as the company continues to provide a foundationally pitch-perfect blend of insurance products, regulatory compliance services and proprietary human administration tools to a labor market whose future is still largely up in the air.

You might say that there is a new sheriff in town and that ShiftPixy’s quest to free the contingent worker is a noble crusade, but there is no need for such characterizations when it is clearly a well-timed and heartfelt Uberization aimed at transforming the temp staffing agency and PEO (professional employer organization) space in a way that is meaningful for often marginalized workers. ShiftPixy could become a real boon for unemployed, under-employed, and part-time workers. That potential, in and of itself, is an abundant investment proposal, as it represents significant good will and proactive public relations/marketing of the ShiftPixy brand, which appears to be a genuine solution to the problem of ensuring equitable employment practices in the gig economy.

Human Resources in an app that lets workers find shift gigs which fit into their schedules could be a real game changer for what is a large and growing population of gig economy workers.

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

• Entering largely untapped Chinese CBD skin care market
• Health benefits widely recognized
• Vibrant online marketing campaigns underway

Chinese women, it will be no surprise to learn, are as beauty conscious as their sisters in other countries. For centuries, they have employed a variety of cosmetic embellishments to enhance social status and, perhaps, catch someone’s eye. Lip coloring has been in vogue for at least 1,000 years, and, at some point, the application of powdered rice to lighten skin tone became fashionable. But beauty is more than skin deep, which is perhaps why ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) is launching a line of hemp-infused skin care products in China. The cannabinoid content of the line makes these products more than just cosmetics. The health virtues of cannabinoids are now widely accepted.

It’s not always that you’re known by the company you keep. Cannabidiol (CBD), the main active ingredient in CIIX’s new product line up, is, like THC, derived from cannabis sativa, but unlike its notorious associate, it is not psychotropic. Increasingly, it is being recognized to have therapeutic potential. Indeed, at a United States Senate Caucus, pre-clinical research (including both cell culture and animal models) into CBD was said to have shown ‘a range of effects that may be therapeutically useful, including anti-seizure, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-tumor, anti-psychotic, and anti-anxiety properties’ (http://dtn.fm/u78pH). There are already products, like Sativex, that contain CBD, however, there are few directed to skincare, either in the West or in China. As such, this offers CIIX a lucrative opportunity to be a first mover in this space (http://dtn.fm/7bZKp).

It’s an opportunity the company has embraced vigorously. CIIX recently announced that that its wholly owned foreign enterprise, CBD Biotechnology Co. Ltd., had completed the record filing process with the China Food & Drug Administration (CFDA) for its first line of non-industrial hemp-infused skin care products (http://dtn.fm/IfB75). CIIX expects to launch the ‘CBD Magic Hemp Series’ skin care line before the end of the year. The initial ‘CBD Magic Hemp Series’ launch will include:

• The CBD BIOTECH Brightening and Refreshing Moisturizer – intended to balance the skin’s moisture while forming a protective, moisturizing layer
• The CBD BIOTECH Perfecting Shield Primer – intended to even skin tone while covering fine lines and minimizing the look of pores; and
• The CBD BIOTECH Peptide Collagen Solution – intended to moisturize and firm the skin while smoothing fine lines and reducing signs of aging.

CIIX targets mainly Chinese-speaking consumers and operates an online store in the free trade zone of Shanghai, China. The company also recently established, through its wholly owned subsidiary ChineseHempOil.com, Inc., a club-style Hemp Education Center in San Gabriel, California, where it is based, to educate interested parties regarding the potential health benefits of non-industrial hemp and hemp-derived CBD. CIIX also engaged Arizona-based Launch Haus LLC, a specialist in digital direct-to-consumer marketing and product branding, to assist in growing the company’s worldwide sales of hemp-based CBD products.

Moreover in June 2017, CIIX incorporated CBD Biotechnology Inc. in British Columbia, Canada, as part of its efforts to enter the medical marijuana market there. CIIX also plans to launch a Chinese language Yelp-style mobile app for locating dispensaries and discussing cannabis products in the US.

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

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• Research finds that higher levels of the brain chemical GABA can reverse negative effects such as schizophrenia and depression
• Professor Steven Laviolette, who spearheaded the study, hopes that GABA-increasing cannabinoid compounds developed with industrial partners from this research could lead to clinical trials “in the next few years”
• Algae Dynamics Corp. has signed a collaborative agreement with the University of Western Ontario, giving the company the patent rights to any drugs developed as a result of research

Algae Dynamics Corp. (OTCQB: ADYNF) is in a collaboration agreement with the University of Western Ontario (now rebranded as Western University), which is making international news with its recent study in Nature Scientific Reports (http://dtn.fm/rDG0A). The study found that the negative effects on the adolescent brain from chronic use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-rich marijuana can be reversed by using compounds which increase the amounts of GABA, a chemical and neurotransmitter in the brain.

The article in Nature Scientific Reports is titled “Adolescent THC Exposure Causes Enduring Prefrontal Cortical Disruption of GABAergic Inhibition and Dysregulation of Sub-Cortical Dopamine Function.” The results have been globally reported by Global News, CBC of London, CTV News and UPI.

“What this could mean is that if you are going to be using marijuana, in a recreational or medicinal way, you can potentially combine it with compounds that boost GABA to block the negative effects of THC,” Professor Steven Laviolette of Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry told UPI (http://dtn.fm/Aju1z). Laviolette spearheaded the research study.

Laviolette has focused on the impact of nicotine and opiates and the neurobiology of addiction. He is studying the interface of neurobiology, psychology and emotion by using an integrative combination of behavioral neuropharmacology and vivo neuronal electrophysiology.

THC exposure reduced the GABA in the brain, the study found. GABA regulates hyperactivity in the brain and has been associated with disorders such as schizophrenia. Negative effects developed later in adulthood from use of marijuana with THC include anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. Drugs that increase the amount of GABA could then reverse the impact of THC and eliminate the schizophrenia-linked symptoms, the research found.

“We actually went in, and tried to restore the GABA system by activating GABA receptors directly in the prefrontal cortex,” Laviolette said on the Andrew Lawton radio show in Canada (http://dtn.fm/cImw7). “To our amazement, we found that this reversed those schizophrenia-like symptoms,” he added in an interview with CBC London. He explained that the reversal process can still remain effective many years after the exposure.

“What is important about this study is that not only have we developed a specific mechanism in the prefrontal mechanism for some of the mental health risks associated with adolescent marijuana use,” Laviolette told UPI. “But we have also identified a mechanism to reverse those risks.”

More research is needed to learn if boosting GABA levels would have the same results in humans as in rats, but Laviolette said that, to those people with mental health problems, there may be new hope. Laviolette told CTV News, “I think this is really a promising lead in terms of the potential of developing much safer versions of cannabinoid type drugs.”

Global News added that the next step is combining cannabinoid chemicals with compounds to boost the GABA system. The goal would be to determine better treatments for a range of other mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression and addiction.

Laviolette, interviewed on the Lawton Show, explained that there is a need now to “dig further” into this research. The result could be more molecular pathways in the future to formulate pharmaceutical compounds with industrial partners, including the process of conducting clinical trials within the next few years. Compounds using cannabinoids may be developed in the future, he said. Cannabidiol can actually have the opposite effect of THC — negating the impact of THC.

He told Lawton that some ‘black market’ marijuana may contain up to 70% THC. THC can also increase dependency levels, he said. The reversal process may suggest larger treatment issues for schizophrenia, regardless of marijuana or THC use.

Forbes reported (http://dtn.fm/Jk7xH) that another study found that chronic cannabis use can result in blunted stress reactivity. That study observed 40 cannabis users and 42 non-users to complete the stress or no-stress conditions of the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST). Saliva samples and cannabis cravings and withdrawal were measured, as part of the study. Results indicated a link between higher stress ratings in non-users. In contrast, chronic cannabis users exhibited blunted stress reactivity, it said. Forbes inferred that marijuana compounds can reduce stress without the dependency of prescription medications.

While preliminary, Forbes explained, the study suggests that marijuana compounds may eventually be used to provide anxiety relief with decreased dependency, fewer side effects and reduced overdose potential.

ADYNF is engaged in the development of products and pharmaceuticals that use cannabis, hemp and algae oils. The development stage company is based in Canada and publicly traded in the U.S. The company has signed a collaboration agreement with the University of Western Ontario, enabling the firm to retain the rights to patents developed in conjunction with the school. Western University is focused on the areas of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and schizophrenia.

According to an ADYNF corporate presentation (http://dtn.fm/1Pd8H), the company is building its intellectual property portfolio in the pharmaceutical field. Its goal is to develop value-added products, supported by strong science and clinical trials, combining the benefits of algae and cannabis oils to enhance efficacy in a unique and patented way.

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

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