• Digital connectivity and tracing innovator Loop Insights is developing contactless, digital wallet-based disruptive services in an era defined by the COVID pandemic’s distancing protocols
• During 2020, as many businesses floundered, Loop recorded its most successful year ever by forging a variety of partnerships for government and retail solutions, consumer access to healthcare information, and the rebirth of select in-person events
• Loop provided venue tracing and informational services as the tech resource for two NCAA sports bubble events during the year and is helping the travel and film industry to similarly renew productivity with minimized concerns about viral infection
• Loop’s solutions are also providing disparate governments with the ability to work together with shared information on COVID-19 medical and security protocols while maintaining their own local authority through control of their data repositories

The year 2020 was a make-or-break period for many businesses as they scrambled to continue their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Decisions had to be made about staffing levels, policies to protect the health of employees and customers, and how to best connect with customers and the product supply chain as a result of efforts to reduce the risk of transmitting a contagion responsible for killing or debilitating millions of people (https://ibn.fm/smlZw).

Internet of Things (“IoT”) data connectivity innovator Loop Insights (TSX.V: MTRX) (OTCQB: RACMF) is celebrating its “most successful year ever” after finding itself positioned with the right product and service at the right time to capitalize on the exponential growth of highly connected consumers online as a result of the pandemic.

“Throughout the year, my team and I have worked tirelessly to create products and solutions that would gain the trust of our partners … so that they could have the confidence necessary to bring this into their global customer opportunities,” Loop Insights CEO Rob Anson stated in a recap of the company’s progress (https://ibn.fm/Fvruj). “I am happy to report that we have accomplished this goal and as a result of these world-class partnerships, are now on the cusp of participating in global opportunities we never thought possible at the beginning of 2020.”

Loop has deployed its digital Wallet as part of the company’s venue management platform, which provides venue-based tracing, real-time customer engagement, and AI-driven insights. As demonstrated by Loop during its deployments at two NCAA venue bubbles, the company’s platform offers a number of real-world applications that can be applied to a number of industries, including live sports, entertainment, film, travel, and many others.

CEO Rob Anson also noted that a number of significant developments in 2020 will still have further implications for the company moving forward into 2021. Loop has existing partnerships with Amazon Web Services for networking with government leaders, two product partnerships with TELUS to promote its products, and an existing partnership with NTT DATA (a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) that all offer significant potential for expansion. Additionally, the company’s partnership with Vend, has led to a number of retail opportunities through the company’s exposure to 25,000 stores in over 140 countries.

Loop’s contactless solutions are also being employed in its Digital Connect Health Platform, which was launched this month to streamline patient interaction with medical providers. Through a simple wallet pass, patients can easily check-in for appointments, receive updates on testing, and be notified in real-time about virus tracing and other critical health information all connected by a digital ID.

“The attempted implementation of wildly varying COVID-19 medical and security protocols, as well as, restriction policies by health officials and government leaders from around the world, has clearly demonstrated how divided government leaders have become by jurisdictional lines due to the lack of a single platform capable of providing uniformity and consistency in the application of policies,” Loop’s news release about the platform stated (https://ibn.fm/1OQSn). “Recognizing this breakdown, in conjunction with input from those same government leaders, Loop Insights developed the Digital Connect Health Platform to be capable of connecting Provincial and Federal systems while allowing Provinces to fully maintain their jurisdictional authority by managing their own internal data repositories.”

Loop’s ability to provide governments and the private sector with the means of connecting their current legacy and antiquated systems is “so revolutionary that it has attracted the attention of global technology companies and has positioned Loop for success within healthcare,” Anson stated.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LoopInsights.ai.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RACMF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/RACMF

• SRAX’s Sequire will host upcoming B.Riley Securities 2021 Vision Day via its Sequire Virtual Events platform
• In addition to hosting virtual event, SRAX will also be presenting as one of bank’s top picks for 2021
• SRAX has previously hosted LD Micro Main Event on its platform, an event which featured over 250 presenting companies along with distinguished panelists, including Shaquille O’Neal and 2020 presidential candidate Brock Pierce
• As virtual conferences have proliferated in wake of COVID19, SRAX has capitalized on the growing movement via its proprietary events platform

SRAX (NASDAQ: SRAX), a financial technology company focused on unlocking data and insights for publicly traded companies through Sequire, its proprietary investor intelligence platform, has announced that it will be hosting the B.Riley Securities 2021 Vision Day via its Sequire Virtual Events platform. SRAX will also be presenting at the event as one of B.Riley’s top picks for 2021 (https://ibn.fm/EucAs).

Sequire’s Virtual Events platform, which enables companies to virtually present to institutional and retail investors, is the most recent addition to Sequire’s broad suite of products and services. The events platform will complement Sequire’s preexisting functionalities, which include allowing its subscribers to track their shareholders’ selling and buying trends, search and monitor key investors, track outstanding warrants, receive the latest company specific news and media and even create and send out customized shareholder surveys designed to bring forth their stake-holders’ insights and opinions (https://ibn.fm/wQW79).

“We recognize that virtual events are here to stay, and for public companies, the platform offers everything issuers need to host their meetings with maximum exposure,” stated SRAX Founder and CEO Christopher Miglino.

B.Riley Securities, a leading full-service investment bank and subsidiary of B. Riley Financial, provides corporate finance, advisory, research, and sales and trading services to corporate, institutional and high net worth clients. Nationally recognized and ranked for its high quality small-cap equity research product, the investment bank also helps structure initial, secondary and follow-on offerings, carry out institutional private placements, provide merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory, and support corporate restructuring and recapitalizations.

This year’s 2021 Vision Day will bring together a carefully curated group of U.S. institutional investors and senior management derived from B.Riley’s analysts’ 2021 Vision picks. The conference will feature brief company presentations which will take place in conjunction with a series of fireside chats touching upon a variety of pertinent topics, with the latter being held in 25-minute sessions and hosted by B.Riley Securities analysts.

Sequire’s hosting of the B.Riley Securities 2021 Vision Day comes shortly after parent company SRAX announced the purchase of LD Micro, a leading data and event company serving the small and micro-cap space in late 2020 (https://ibn.fm/shTSU). Following the acquisition, Sequire hosted the 13th Annual LD Micro Main Event on December 14-15,2020 via its Sequire Virtual Events SaaS platform. The conference, which featured over 250 presenting companies in addition to exclusive interviews with Shaquille O’Neal and 2020 presidential candidate Brock Pierce, marked Sequire’s initial foray into virtual events and has paved the way for the platform’s future collaborations within the conference space.

“With the launch of this virtual conference, we are one step closer to our mission of creating the most comprehensive platform for issuers,” said Miglino.

Digital conferences have rapidly proliferated following the advent of social distancing norms and working from home statutes. SRAX, through its Sequire platform, has sought to position itself to capitalize from this movement – with the award of the B.Riley Securities Vision Day conference a glowing testament to the rising popularity of its service offering.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SRAX are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SRAX

• Industry report suggests demand for copper will increase nine-fold due in part to increased production of Electric Vehicles
• S&P analysts predict copper shortages in coming years
• Josemaria is one of world’s few readily developable copper-gold projects
• Recent feasibility study concluded that Josemaria is robust, low-risk project with significant yield potential

As one industry report suggests that the increased production of electric vehicles (“EVs”) will send copper demand up nine-fold (https://ibn.fm/6dyXW), S&P analysts predict a looming copper deficit in the coming years (https://ibn.fm/0i7iV). While market forces continue to exert upward pressure on the price of copper, Josemaria Resources (TSX: JOSE) (OTCQB: JOSMF), a Canadian natural resources company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, continues to focus on its Argentine project – one of the few readily developable copper-gold projects in the world.

Copper has been used to conduct electricity since the invention of the electromagnet in the 1800s and is integral to the production and operation of EVs. A single car can contain up to 6 kilometers of copper wiring along with a substantial amount of copper in its windings, rotors and battery

As government mandates and subsidies continue to ramp up demand for EVs on a global scale, the demand for copper seems likely to increase in kind.

“Demand for electric vehicles is forecast to increase significantly over the next ten years as technology improves, the price gap with petrol cars is closed and more electric chargers are deployed,” noted IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Franco Gonzalez. “Our research predicts this increase will raise copper demand for electric cars and buses from 185,000 tonnes in 2017 to 1.74 million tonnes in 2027.”

Despite this increase in demand, the market for copper may not respond accordingly due to severe shortages, suggests a report by S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Beyond 2020, we forecast that consumption will outstrip production over the period to 2024, resulting in a growing refined market deficit and increasing copper prices,” said S&P Global Market Intelligence commodity analyst Thomas Rutland. “Refined production output will be hindered during this period by slowing mine production growth rates unless there is significant investment in the copper project pipeline.”

In line with expected market demand, Josemaria Resources is working rapidly to develop its flagship Josemaria Copper-Gold Project, located in the San Juan Province of Argentina. The company recently announced the results of an independent feasibility study that concluded that the property is a “robust, rapid pay-back, low-risk project” with the potential to yield an average annual metal production of 136,000 tonnes of copper, 231,000 ounces of gold and 1,164,000 ounces of silver (https://ibn.fm/kCsLF).

“We are extremely pleased with the results of the Feasibility Study at Josemaria, which indicates that this is one of the very few readily developable copper-gold projects in the world today,” said Josemaria Resources President and CEO Adam Lundin. “We believe that Josemaria is perfectly positioned to commence production by mid-decade, meeting rising copper demand from a rapidly electrifying global economy.”

Josemaria Resources is a Canadian natural resources company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company is part of the Lundin Group of companies, a conglomerate of 13 business entities operating in the mining, oil and gas and renewables sectors around the world.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to JOSMF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/JOSMF

• CYBN partners with pioneer company focused on exploring, quantifying the human mind
• Innovative Flow technology adds exciting dimension to Cybin’s commitment to develop breakthrough treatments for mental health disorders
• Innovative technology opens new frontier in psychedelic therapeutics

Cybin (NEO: CYBN), a life sciences company advancing psychedelic therapeutics for various psychiatric and neurological conditions, is partnering with neurotech pioneer HI, LLC dba Kernel to quantify brain activity in real time during psychedelic experiences (https://ibn.fm/3AG5G). CYBN plans to do this by leveraging Kernel Flow, Kernel’s breakthrough technology, for its upcoming clinical work.

“Access to Kernel’s innovative Flow technology adds another exciting dimension to the investigative work that Cybin is doing to develop breakthrough treatments for mental health disorders such as depression and addiction,” said Cybin CEO Doug Drysdale. “Currently, clinical investigators rely on limited subjective information from patients. The ability to collect quantitative data from our sponsored drug-development programs is potentially game changing in terms of our ability to measure where psychedelics work in the brain in real time, and how we ultimately design our future therapeutics.

“We are delighted to partner with Kernel to study the utility of Flow in sponsored clinical settings,” he continued. “This new cornerstone component of our sponsored clinical programs follows a record-setting capital raise, listing on the NEO Exchange and the acquisition of Adelia Therapeutics Inc., which added significant scientific capabilities, novel molecules, delivery mechanisms and intellectual property.”

In announcing the agreement, Cybin noted that the absence of the data that this partnership may provide has been a limitation in the progression of new molecules targeting neurological disorders. “Kernel’s technology opens new frontier in psychedelic therapeutics by acquiring longitudinal brain activity before, during and after a psychedelic experience, enabling quantification of what was previously subjective self-reporting,” said the company, noting that the Kernel technology is unique among brain-scanning technologies and is the first commercially scalable time-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy system.

Based in Los Angeles, Kernel is comprised of ia team of neuroscientists, physicists, engineers, programmers, and experiment and operations experts focused on exploring and quantifying the human mind. The Kernel Flow is a head-worn, scalable, noninvasive neuroimaging system that leverages time-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy, widely recognized as a gold standard optical method for detecting hemodynamics of the cerebral cortex.

Compared to traditional near-infrared spectroscopy devices, time-domain systems obtain richer brain signals by applying light in short pulses and precisely capturing the arrival time distribution of scattered photons from each pulse. Cybin plans to use Flow measurements as analogues of local neural activity during psychedelic experiences; the company anticipates that the quantitative measurements provided by Flow could enhance the development, delivery and scaling of its psychedelic therapeutics.

As part of the agreement, Cybin plans to take delivery of Flow in Q2 2021 and will then undertake sponsored studies in a range of clinical conditions. The company will use information, data and insights collected by Flow technology in the design of future clinical studies.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CYBN are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN

• Pure Extracts commences study into psilocybin-based active treatments
• Study set to be carried out at Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, supervised by Pure Extracts’ scientific advisor, Dr. Alexander MacGregor
• Study will delve into carrying out conformity testing, stability testing for psilocybin products thereby commencing the R&D that will ultimately take place at Pure Extracts’ purpose-built research space at its facility in British Columbia
• Functional mushroom, psychedelic drug market forecast to grow to value of $6.85 billion by 2027

Pure Extracts Technologies (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF) (XFRA: A2QJAJ), a plant-based extraction company, recently announced that it had commenced a study into the formulation and manufacturing of psilocybin-based active treatments, with oral tablets, capsules and nasal gels set to be used as investigational products. The study is set to be carried out at the Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology (“TIPT”) under the auspices of Dr Alexander MacGregor, a key scientific advisor to the Company (https://ibn.fm/Kfpwa).

The study will focus on the formulation, manufacturing and clinical bioavailability testing of rapid onset psilocybin forms – with the latter set to be used in future efficacy clinical trials that could be carried out by both Pure Extracts or its pharmaceutical customers. The study, which will adhere to both Canadian Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Clinical Practice, will delve into conformity testing and stability testing for psilocybin products while also incorporating research into processes such as clinical batch manufacturing, packaging and labelling.

“Having the support of Dr. MacGregor and TIPT, one of Canada’s premiere pharmaceutical R&D companies, while waiting to receive our Dealer’s License from Health Canada is invaluable,” commented Pure Extracts’ CEO Ben Nikolaevsky. “We are very excited to be laying the groundwork for our move into the controlled substances world of psychedelics and to be furthering our knowledge-base in psilocybin and associated novel delivery mechanisms.”

The study will be overseen by Dr. Alexander MacGregor, a pharmaceutical science inventor and expert in the field of pharmaceutical technology and novel drug delivery systems. Dr. MacGregor has successfully applied for a wide variety of global patents in the field of medical treatments and pharmaceutical drug delivery technologies, with his various innovations resulting in groundbreaking therapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer, management of diabetes, systemic infections and post-operative pain.

In conjunction with the study, Pure Extracts revealed that the Company had begun construction on a fourth unit within its 10,000 square foot facility, designed for research and development into psilocybin and functional mushrooms as a whole (https://ibn.fm/AVxxy).

Psilocybin-based drugs have begun to gain increased acceptance as alternative treatments for major depressive disorders (“MDDs”) in the United States, with the U.S. FDA granting its initial Breakthrough Therapy designation to COMPASS Pathway’s psilocybin-assisted therapy in late 2018 (https://ibn.fm/s227G). With the functional mushroom and psychedelic drug market projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.3% over the next eight years to $6.85 billion by 2027 (https://ibn.fm/M1qj5), Pure Extracts seems to be well on its way toward enjoying a leadership position within the field.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PULL are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/PULL

• Consumers bracing for COVID’s impact into 2022 with what is being dubbed “homebody economy”
• Pandemic has led to demand spikes, changes in consumer supply and buying patterns
• WTER has seen significant market share growth; ideally positioned to continue to expand

A recent survey indicates that consumers in a post-pandemic environment are likely to be cautious in their buying habits, as many expect continued impact moving into 2020; survey respondents indicated an estimated 40% increase in intent to purchase online (https://ibn.fm/2jmtd). (The Alkaline Water Company (NASDAQ: WTER) (CSE: WTER) has an aggressive growth strategy that includes a direct-to-consumer, e-commerce platform— www.A88CBD.com — along with a compelling digital-marketing campaign, which place the company in a strong position in the post-COVID environment.

“Consumers continue to shift to online shopping across categories, with many consumers planning to shift almost completely online after COVID-19,” reported a recent McKinsey and Company survey. “Americans are trying new digital habits and intensifying usage of digital behaviors such as grocery delivery and restaurant delivery.”

These consumers are looking for both convenience and value as they search out new brands. While many Americans are eager to spend more time with family and friends, they are not eager to return to grocery stores and restaurants. What is being dubbed the “homebody economy” is expected to stick post-COVID. Around 53% of Americans believe their routines will not return to normal until well into 2021 or even later.

Major shifts in consumers’ online spending focus on small businesses and e-commerce. This was seen in consumers’ online shopping patterns during Cyber Monday 2020 (with an increase in 15.1% from 2019), Small Business Saturday (with 30.2% growth) and Sunday (23.7% growth). Consumers are also focusing their purchases on groceries and health and wellness products (https://ibn.fm/9p4cd).

WTER looks to be well positioned to benefit from the new buying patterns. The top bulk-alkaline-water brand is committed to strengthening its presence in the e-commerce and online grocery shopping spaces as the demand for flavored waters, sustainable packaging and CBD are leading in health, wellness and lifestyle trends. The company has two online sites: one for CBD-infused products — www.A88CBD.com — and one for its flagship beverage products — www.TheAlkalineWaterCo.com.

“The pandemic has led to demand spikes and changing consumers supply and buying patterns, which we believe have finally begun to normalize,” WTER CEO Ricky Wright stated during the company’s November earnings call (https://ibn.fm/2WjTR). Wright also noted that the company had implemented aggressive promotional spending over the summer, resulting in increased market share.

“According to the total U.S. all-sales channels Nielsen’s report dated October 3, our flagship brand has been the fastest-growing, non-flavored, value-added water of the top 10 brands over the last 13-, 26- and 52-week periods,” he said. “Per Nielsen’s over the last 26 weeks, our brand has grown 17.7% compared to the category growth of a negative 0.3%. Over the previous 13 weeks, our retail sales have exceeded our quarterly average. And we’re robust — 23.2% more than double the category growth. In the last 26 weeks, we have also gained roughly 0.4% market share. This is equivalent to almost $8 million in annual retail sales. During the same period our top selling SKU has become one of the top 10 in the value-added water category in the entire country. We remain the only top 10 value-added water that has grown double digits in every four-week period since January.”

As one of the fastest growing alkaline water companies in the United States, WTER has continued to expand its brand. The company was able to enter the grocery and supermarket channel and provide products in more than 70,000 retail locations nationwide, including Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway and Publix. Several single SKUs have also been introduced to these grocery stores. In addition, WTER is pursuing distribution to convenience stores, drugstores and specialty retail channels. Due to COVID, these stores have aligned their merchandise to include healthier, convenient items.

Founded in 2012, The Alkaline Water Company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its flagship product, Alkaline88, is a leading premier alkaline water brand available in bulk and single-serve sizes along with eco-friendly aluminum packaging options. With its innovative, state-of-the-art proprietary electrolysis process, Alkaline88 delivers perfect 8.8 pH-balanced alkaline drinking water with trace minerals and electrolytes and boasts its trademarked label: Clean Beverage. Quickly being recognized as a growing lifestyle brand, Alkaline88 launched A88 Infused(TM) in 2019 to meet consumer demand for flavor-infused products. Additionally, in 2020, the company launched its A88CBD Infused line of ingestible and topical products, including its CBD water.

For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.TheAlkalineWaterCo.com and www.A88CBD.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to WTER are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/WTER

• Global cannabidiol market expected to increase almost sixfold by 2025
• CNSC offers powerful line of CBD products under Xceptol brand
• CannAssist has forecast first-year sales of $5 million, with steady sales growth moving forward

With industry experts predicting the stabilization of hemp prices and a more predictable market in 2021 (https://ibn.fm/q7JzX), CannAssist International (OTCQB: CNSC) appears to be ideally situated in a sector forecast for remarkable growth. Owner of Xceptor Labs, CannAssist is a biotechnological pharmaceutical and wellness company that markets a powerful line of cannabidiol (“CBD”) products under the Xceptol brand.

“The hemp market’s volatility appears to be coming to an end with stabilization of hemp prices at the end of 2020,” reported a recent article titled “Greater CBD Market Stability Likely in 2021.” The Hemp Grower article continued, “Adam Koh, Hemp Benchmarks’ editorial director, tells Hemp Grower that after 12–18 months of hemp biomass prices declining, they began to stabilize this past October and even increase slightly in November. This likely foretells a more predictable market in 2021, Koh says.”

That stability, combined with projected growth of the global cannabidiol market, which was valued at $4.6 billion in 2019 and is expected to increase almost sixfold by 2025 (https://ibn.fm/cA61X), creates incredible potential for CannAssist. One of the first U.S.-based CBD companies to have its securities listed for trading on a U.S. public capital market, CannAssist is focused on offering high-quality, high-performance brands, and has several products currently under development.  Based on growing revenue from raw material and retail sales and expanding social media output and the engagement of strategic partners to help CannAssist ‘get the word out’ and growing distribution arrangements in the US and globally, licensing agreements, retail sales and the Xceptol brand’s international distribution, CannAssist has forecast first-year sales of $5 million, with steady sales growth moving forward.

The company’s products are formulated using Xceptor Labs’ exclusive technology, CiBiDinol, and a proprietary process developed by CannAssist founder Mark Palumbo. The approach addresses vital issues with oil-soluble CBD molecules including delivery, bioavailability and short shelf-life. CannAssist notes that CiBiDinol delivers CBD in a format that is more aligned with the body’s natural bioactivity, combining CBD molecules with penetration-enhancing cyclodextrin. The technology enhances CBD stability and absorption through the skin and gut.

Launched in September 2020, CannAssist’s current Xceptol product lineup includes FDA registered topical pain-cream products formulated using its proprietary CiBiDinol technology. CannAssist is eyeing potential expansion into global markets, including all of North America, Central America, South America, South Africa, the EU, the UK and the Philippines. With that expansion in mind, the company is committed to adding to its strategic manufacturing, laboratory and distribution partners establishing strategic partnerships in ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, processing, laboratory, distribution and public relations and legal representation.

Established in May 2017, CannAssist is headquartered in San Diego County, California, and markets its B2B custom and CiBiDinol raw material technology and its consumer line of cannabidiol (“CBD”) products under the Xceptol brand.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNSC are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSC

• Cannabis fintech marketplace innovator MAZAKALI is helping investors and issuers navigate the hurdles of an industry experiencing renewed vitality
• A supportive presidential administration along with continued state-level legalization is serving as a boon to cannabis market interests
• Professional sports leagues have become increasingly friendly to player use, reducing or eliminating cannabis-related drug testing protocols and punishments
• Market analysts forecast global revenues of $358.8 billion by 2027, an annual growth rate of 14.3% percent over 2020’s valuation. In the United States, the industry is growing at nearly twice that rate – boasting a projected annual growth of 27% over the next five years

Cannabis marketplace facilitator MAZAKALI is anticipating a bumper year for governmental and private industry policy-making regarding the leafy green plant’s product potential. Now legal under medical supervision in 35 U.S. states and permitted for adult use in 15 states, cannabis is poised to become the best performing asset class of the decade, according to a market forecast published recently by MAZAKALI.

The report, titled “Cannabis 2021: Five Things to Watch,” outlines expectations for the rise of cannabis-infused beverages in the United States, improved production of rare cannabinoids through biosynthesis, growing capital infusion, accelerating acceptance under state and local laws, and increasing openness to cannabis’ psychoactive products by world governments on a national scale (https://ibn.fm/P6UlZ).

“We’re seeing a huge increase of products in the health and wellness sector and I think we’ll see more women designing cannabis products for women,” infused drinks-maker K-Zen’s CEO, Judy Yee, told Forbes in a recent report (https://ibn.fm/lZIQh).

“Women will be a big force in normalizing cannabis,” she predicted.

The report also notes that while the NBA is now the only major sports league that suspends players from games for cannabis use, it has also temporarily stopped testing players for the plant amid the pandemic (https://ibn.fm/v47h6). The company applauded the United Nations’ decision in December to accept a recommendation by the World Health Organization to delist cannabis from its most restrictive Schedule IV classification under international drug control treaties.  Its use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes remains in that classification (https://ibn.fm/K2ZuW).

The global cannabis market is expected to grow from $140.7 billion in 2020 to $358.8 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 14.3 percent, according to the most recent Grand View Research analysis (https://ibn.fm/G0Dc9).

MAZAKALI uses GreenPapers(R) such as its “Cannabis 2021” report to inform the public about cannabis markets because it believes in the concept of “Authority Through Knowledge” when it comes to helping a company maneuver through the hurdles modern-day market regulations can present on the path to profitability.

The company is based in San Francisco and has been supporting cannabis businesses in raising capital and investors in placing capital since 2016.

MAZAKALI’s experienced and licensed professionals deliver services to investors that include an online investment marketplace to handle direct investments in a diverse field of vetted opportunities, personalized portfolio management for highly funded clients, and an Outsourced Cannabis Investment Officer (“OCIO”) service to institutions seeking advice on their cannabis portfolio allocation practices.

MAZAKALI’s services to issuers include direction through the capital-raising process on a stage-by-stage basis, following them from early preparations through offering structure, modeling, pitch preparation and launch. The company’s intuitive digital interface enables companies to pursue their ambitions with ease and confidence.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to MAZAKALI are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/MAZAKALI

• United Kingdom announces that nation plans to outlaw sale of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2030, full decade ahead of original deadline
• Electric vehicle sales are set to rise by 50% YoY in 2021, with global EV penetration rates forecast to touch 31% by 2030
• Electric vehicles require nearly 80kg of copper during production process versus approximately 25 kilos for internal combustion engine powered vehicle
• Surge in long-term copper demand bodes favorable for Josemaria Resources, with company reportedly attracting attention of global mining giants in recent months

On November 18, 2020, the United Kingdom made the fateful and unexpected decision to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles in the country from 2030 onwards (https://ibn.fm/6BkSt) — a step that the British Government felt was necessary to achieve its longer-term carbon emission target goals. While the political statement attracted a great deal of attention from environmental sources, it also quietly heralded a titanic shift in copper demand prospects over the next few decades – one that would bode particularly favorably for the prospects of Josemaria Resources (TSX: JOSE) (OTC: JOSMF), a Canadian natural resources company currently working on the development of its flagship Josemaria Project in Argentina’s San Juan province. In essence, a gasoline-powered vehicle is said to require approximately 25 kilograms of copper during its manufacturing process; however, the figure soars astronomically when looked at through the prism of an electric vehicle. The equivalent electric car would need nearly 80 kilograms of copper to build, largely due to the increased use of electronics and cabling included within the vehicle (https://ibn.fm/92zbC).

Passenger vehicle sales topped 77.5 million units in 2019, the last year for which normalized data is available. In an eventual future where 100 percent of those vehicles were to be electrified, automobile manufacturers would look to consume approximately 6.2 billion kilograms of copper per annum (assuming 80 kilograms of copper per vehicle); to put that astounding figure into perspective, total mined copper production  in 2019 amounted to an estimated 20 million metric tons (20 billion kilograms) with Fitch estimating that global copper mine production would increase by a relatively anemic 3.1% per annum over the next nine years to 26.8 million metric tons by 2029 (https://ibn.fm/UvLJi).

The Josemaria project is a large scale, undeveloped deposit located in Argentina’s San Juan Province with proven and probable reserves of 6.7 billion pounds of copper, 7 million ounces of gold and 30 million ounces of silver. During a recent presentation at the Metals & Mining Live Virtual Investor Conference (https://ibn.fm/Z5ckG), the company revealed that its Argentina-based mine was forecast to generate an average annual production of 136,000 tonnes of copper, 231,000 ounces of gold, and 1,164,000 ounces of silver over its 19-year life span with commercial production set to commence by 2026.

The remarkable forecast for Josemaria’s annual copper production – a figure equivalent to nearly 0.7% of annual global copper production, has led the company to attract attention from the rest of the industry. A recent “Dear Retail” article (https://ibn.fm/dSYBx) speculated that Josemaria Resources was on a short list of potential acquisitions that mining giant Barrick Gold may be looking at. The article (https://ibn.fm/UUhUW) noted that Barrick currently owned a copper mine in Zambia as well as interests in two additional projects—one in Chile and one in Saudi Arabia. However, the company’s copper output was relatively small and certainly “no match for copper giants like BHP, Glencore, Freeport-McMoran and Anglo American.”

With electric vehicle sales expected to grow by 50 percent year-on-year in 2021, investment bank analysts have now predicted that global EV penetration rates could rise to as much as 31 percent of the global automotive market by 2030 (https://ibn.fm/j0l0v). In such a scenario and in a potential future where the growth in copper demand and supply present a decidedly asymmetric imbalance, a mining project with the characteristics of the Josemaria Project could present an unmissable commercial opportunity for global mining giants.

Regardless of whether Josemaria Resources chooses to develop the Josemaria project on its own or opt to recruit the assistance of a larger mining partner, the company seems to be in an enviable sweet spot – possessing an unexploited copper mining asset at the cusp of what may perhaps turn out to be one of the strongest copper bull runs in history.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to JOSMF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/JOSMF

• SRAX announces blockchain pioneer, digital media veteran Lou Kerner as CEO of BIGtoken
• BIGtoken, a data marketplace that allows users to own and earn from their data, creates data sets that can be accessed by marketers for a fee
• BIGtoken to be spun off into its own publicly-traded company through definitive agreement with Force Protection Video Equipment Corp.

SRAX (NASDAQ: SRAX), a financial technology company that unlocks data and insights for publicly traded companies, recently announced that Lou Kerner – a prominent digital media expert and cryptocurrency pioneer – will be appointed Chief Executive Officer of BIGtoken, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SRAX.

BIGtoken, a data marketplace that allows consumers to earn from the use of their data while creating data sets accessible to marketers for a fee, has recently entered into a definitive agreement with Force Protection Video Equipment Corp. (OTC: FPVD). The transaction will allow SRAX to receive 88.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of FPVD in exchange for 100% of the shares of BIGtoken and, when completed, FPVD will be renamed to BIGtoken Inc. with Mr. Kerner as CEO.

“Lou has been working with data and internet startups his entire career. He has a detailed understanding of blockchain and how it is applied to augment business applications,” said SRAX CEO Christopher Miglino (https://ibn.fm/c15im). “Blockchain will play a big part in the future of consumer identity and privacy and we have a shared vision with Lou on what this will look like. Not only is Lou a technology expert, but his knowledge of the capital markets will be a significant asset to BIGtoken as the company is uplisted to a nationally listed exchange.”

Mr. Kerner started his career at Goldman Sachs as a Wall Street analyst with a focus on media companies before transitioning to operating technology companies. His first role as CEO was at The .tv Corporation International – a company that operates domain registry services for websites using the .tv domain extension. Following the acquisition of .tv by Verisign in 2001, Mr. Kerner became the CEO of Bolt Media, the dominant social media company prior to MySpace. After his tenure at Bolt, Mr. Kerner became an angel investor and producer of Wall Street-style reports on companies like Facebook before launching a small VC fund in 2012 and joining Flight Ventures – a venture capital firm focused on tech companies based in Israel.

Since 2017, Mr. Kerner has been an active analyst, investor, and advisor in the cryptocurrency industry and is currently one of the most followed authors on Medium. He advises many companies in the space that include the Blockchain Coinvestors fund, the Casper protocol, Props – an SEC-approved loyalty program token, and Silver Castle – an institutional-grade digital asset manager. He is also a partner in an AngelList Syndicate that actively invests in crypto projects in addition to being the founder of CryptoMondays – the largest crypto-focused group on the Meetup social network with chapters in over 50 cities across the world.

“As the world continues to move to ensure greater internet privacy for consumers, BIGtoken is well-positioned to help brands, media companies, research organizations, and political campaigns efficiently reach consumers via compliant ad targeting and surveys,” said Mr. Kerner. “I further believe BIGtoken will greatly benefit by fully embracing crypto as an alternative reward for our growing consumer base.”

SRAX Inc. is a digital marketing and consumer data management technology company that helps companies unlock insights that reveal core consumers and their characteristics across multiple marketing channels. Soon to be spun off into its own publicly-traded company, SRAX’s BIGtoken platform allows internet users to own and earn from their data while creating valuable data sets that can be accessed by marketers for a fee.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SRAX are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SRAX