• Powerfully diverse Chinese social media and entertainment conglomerate Momo is finding a measure of renewed optimism following a pandemic-delivered economic blow to its businesses during the past year
• Momo operates social connectivity services, online dating facilitation and TV and radio production interests
• The company’s social connection streams provide a useful service during the social distancing strictures imposed by governments striving to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus
• Momo has seen a positive response to changes in its top leadership during the past year as part of its efforts to redefine its strategy

Chinese mobile-based social networking giant Momo Inc. (NASDAQ: MOMO) continues to regain momentum from COVID pandemic-induced difficulties during the past year, seeing new options become available (https://ibn.fm/nI0JK), share prices rise (https://ibn.fm/772H8) and its appeal increasing generally with investors (https://ibn.fm/KMArq) during recent weeks.

Momo has operated in three primary service line segments since its launch in 2011 and its Nasdaq Stock Exchange listing in 2014, most notably its Momo social interaction platform, which makes it easier for people to connect with each other as they identify similar geographical and lifestyle interests (https://ibn.fm/UmWmX). Tantan, one of the country’s top dating platforms, gained wide recognition as “China’s Tinder” (https://ibn.fm/vpnbT), and QOOL Media operates a diversified radio and TV production business (https://ibn.fm/UojBD).

Momo’s operations have allowed it to gather information from its users’ activities to create a comprehensive database of their social interests and match users on the basis of demographics such as age, gender, location, group membership, discussion interests and other social relationships. While helping people to meet based on such interests, the platform’s engine also is able to push advertising content to users based on their interests, with the idea that social context makes business promotion more relevant to users and less of an interruption to their experience.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on people’s ability to interact with each other socially, particularly in regions where governments have imposed strict restrictions in an effort to limit the transmission of the highly contagious virus. China was the first country to identify the health emergency, and as such was at the leading edge of experimental efforts to stop the virus’ spread (https://ibn.fm/ctE67).

Social media outlets such as those operated by Momo provide a means of helping people to continue to interact with each other even while separated by such measures. As the company’s multibillion-dollar revenue stream begins to rebound from the pandemic’s economic effects, its mobile applications and hosted recreational activities are enabling users to discover new relationships, expand social connections and build meaningful day-to-day interactions.

The company saw some of its top leadership positions change last year as part of its effort to regroup and rebuild its base, helping to drive a renewed sense of optimism (https://ibn.fm/lP7ji).

For more information on Momo Inc., visit the company’s Investor Relations web page at https://momoinc.gcs-web.com.

• Direct Selling News lists seven key trends shaping the future of direct-selling industry
• Key trends include changes in shopping and work as well as payouts and novel technology such as blockchain and data optimization, faster payments and security
• With many of these aspects built into its core strategy, SHRG seems well-placed to respond to changing market needs

The direct-selling space is fast evolving. A recent article published in “Direct Selling News” highlights seven top trends impacting the speed and direction of that change (https://ibn.fm/dajuy). Operating in the health and wellness direct-selling industry, Sharing Services Global (OTCQB: SHRG) looks well placed to leverage most of those trends and securing a strong position in the new direct-selling era. The article cites Direct Selling Association’s statistics from 2016, showing that as many as 68% of Americans did not like online shopping because they were unable to see, touch or try on the products. However, since then, many aspects of consumer behavior have changed, spurring the movement of consumers to online shopping, including the latest push brought on by the pandemic. Direct-selling companies have adapted to this market change and moved away from high-touch selling format to offer online selling experience through digital tools such as affiliate portals, online shopping carts and replicated websites. These strategic steps have been at the heart of SHRG’s Blue Ocean Strategy. The approach supports the company’s sales force, known as Elepreneurs, in efforts to target today’s consumers in a cost-efficient and direct approach, meeting requirements of a new era centered around social media and a widened consumer base. The timely article also notes that over the past five years direct-selling companies have been reengineering their businesses to focus on digital platforms and establish effective digital channels across the internet and different digital devices such as smartphones and tablets. Since its wholly owned subsidiary Elepreneurs offers a complete virtual business — including a phone app, web system and automated free sampling program — SHRG positions itself as a company fit for the new era where digital is becoming the norm. Elepreneurs also use the interactive, video-based, sales-marketing platform that features proprietary interactive video data collection and analysis technology to provide next-generation lead generation, customer-relationship management and video-marketing software applications. Direct-selling organizations that keep up with the speed of change in consumer behavior and market needs — including shopping trends, workforce requirements, increased payout speed and frequency, data security, and digital design and optimization — will be better equipped to compete and succeed in a rapidly changing market. With its commitment to respond to changing demographics and a strong focus on digital application, SHRG looks well positioned to address the market forces that have been accelerating the change, especially in the post-pandemic era. For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.SHRGInc.com, www.Elevacity.com, or www.Elepreneur.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SHRG are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SHRG

• SRAX’s Sequire has announced that 3 million retail investors are now using its investor intelligence platform
• Sequire’s growth had been predicated on its broad product offering, provision of digital investor–relations tools
• Sequire recently purchased LD Micro, a small and micro-cap company focused platform, to further bolster corporate presence

SRAX (NASDAQ:SRAX), a digital marketing pioneer focused on providing consumer data management services, recently revealed that Sequire, its investor intelligence SaaS platform, had grown to having over 3 million retail investors on its platform (https://ibn.fm/AzKzM). Launched as a stand-alone platform in early 2020, Sequire has seen its growth accelerate at an astounding rate – with the mix of investors and traders currently using its platform rising from 1 million to 3 million in a matter of mere months. The company has also attracted over 91 publicly-listed companies as subscribers on its platform (https://ibn.fm/5ZKtk) – an explosion of growth largely driven by Sequire’s extensive range of services.

Sequire’s popularity has largely predicated on the breadth of its platform and the unique suite of products available to the company’s corporate subscribers. With companies increasingly looking to adopt digital technology and the data generated from such mediums as a way of improving their engagement with investors and stakeholders alike, Sequire has sought to bridge the gap between publicly-listed corporations and their shareholders.

Sequire currently allows its subscribers to track their shareholders’ selling and buying trends, search for 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/0M4BI).

Sequire has sought to further bolster the company’s growth rate via the acquisition of LD Micro, a leading data and event company dedicated towards catering to the small and micro-cap space. Boasting a strong reputation within the listed micro and small-cap corporate universe, LD Micro started life as a newsletter highlighting unique companies—a product offering which would eventually transform into a series of influential corporate conferences, with the events now having firmly entrenched themselves as must-attend occasions for both members of the listed small and micro-cap universe and institutional investors alike.

“We have been discussing the importance of retail investors in public companies since the inception of Sequire,” commented SRAX CEO and founder Christopher Miglino. “It’s the very reason why we built the platform and related tools — to help companies effectively communicate with these investors. The current environment in the capital markets is only validating what we have been preaching for years.”

The company’s management continued to elaborate on the platform’s potential by outlining one example, where a single corporate subscriber using Sequire had witnessed its number of individual shareholders skyrocket from 3,000 to over 360,000 during its tenure on the platform. The high rate of growth would have been largely implausible were it not for Sequire’s investor interaction tools as well as the significant critical mass of investors utilizing the platform.

Over time, big data and artificial intelligence are set to become ever more significant factors governing the development of the investor–relations function – providing issuers with greater insights into their end investors while simultaneously allowing them to personalize their end interactions with the latter group (https://ibn.fm/zhIwX). The recognition of these upcoming changes has underpinned the ongoing development of the Sequire platform, ideally placing it to benefit from the ongoing radical transformation and digitization of the global investor relations industry.

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

• Pure Extracts entered into two large biomass purchase agreements, plans to ramp up production of high-potency THC and CBD extracts in 2021
• Company expects historically low biomass purchase price will produce $590,000 revenue
• Company recently announced DTC eligibility of common shares for increased settlement and clearance speeds, wider access to brokerage firms

Pure Extracts Technologies (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF) (XFRA: A2QJAJ), a plant-based extraction company that focuses on cannabis, hemp, functional mushrooms and the rapidly emerging psychedelics sector, recently entered into two substantial cannabis biomass purchase agreements (https://ibn.fm/Vbyxp) in addition to announcing that its common shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement through The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) in the United States (https://ibn.fm/BpksL).

“DTC eligibility is a major step forward in increasing liquidity, broadening our shareholder base and building a strong presence for our company within the US capital markets sphere,” said Pure Extracts’ CEO Ben Nikolaevsky. “This is an important step in amplifying our story to a wider audience.”

Along with its new functional mushrooms vertical, Pure Extracts is a leader in the development, production and commercialization of cannabis extracts in Canada, valued by Deloitte at $2.7 billion annually (https://ibn.fm/y1QKv). The company recently announced that it is leveraging historically low cannabis prices by entering into agreements to purchase 220 kilograms of high-potency THC cannabis flower from a large Canadian licensed producer along with 1,000 kilograms of high-potency CBD hemp biomass from a top cultivator in Western Canada.

The company expects to produce full spectrum THC and CBD oils and distillates from the biomass with minimum purities of 66% and 85%, respectively.  The two biomass purchases are expected to yield approximately 70 kilograms of CBD distillate and 25 kilograms of THC distillate with total revenue estimates of $590,000 for both the oil and distillate products based on wholesale prices of $6,000/kg for the CBD biomass and $6,800/kg for the THC biomass.

“Having a stockpile of biomass makes sense for us now as Pure Extracts starts to build its name in the elite category of extractors,” said Nikolaevsky. “We are looking forward to showcasing our world class products and consistently ramping-up revenue this year.”

Pure Extracts recently commenced trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) under the symbol “PULL” and can be found on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the WKN number “A2QJAJ”. The company’s common shares are quoted on the U.S. OTC market under the symbol “PRXTF”, and its recent DTC eligibility will enable the company to be cleared and settled at an accelerated rate in addition to increasing access for a wider range of brokerage firms.

Headquartered just north of Whistler Mountain in Pemberton, British Columbia, Pure Extracts is a plant-based extraction company with a focus on cannabis, hemp, functional mushrooms and the emerging psychedelic sector. The company’s all-new, state-of-the-art processing facility is constructed to European Union GMP standards with an aim to export CBD and THC extracts and mushroom products into jurisdictions where sale and consumption are permitted.

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

• Imagin Medical Inc. is a surgical imaging company helping to advance the use of blue light cystoscopy (“BLC”) in battling bladder cancer and reducing costs associated with these procedures
• Bladder cancer is the sixth most prevalent cancer in the United States, and the third most common in men, yet the most expensive to treat While early-stage cancer intervention involves illuminating the bladder with white light – the light that can be seen by the human eye – to visualize and resect tumors, historical use of white light has resulted in incomplete tumor removal and a greater than 50% recurrence rate
• BLC, a revolutionary surgical method using a tumor-staining dye to reveal bladder cancer, has increased the effectiveness of cystoscopy, but financial and functional obstacles have limited its adoption.
• Imagin’s proprietary technology will address these primary barriers., The company’s product is in the manufacturing stage and working toward FDA approval

Increasing patient demand for and clinical data in support  of blue light cystoscopy’s value in detecting to bladder cancer is shining new light on Imagin Medical (CSE: IME) (OTCQB: IMEXF), a surgical imaging company, and the potential value of their proprietary technology, the patented i/Blue Imaging System.

New data and analyses presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology in December discussed the budgetary impact of using blue light cystoscopy in surveillance cystoscopies. According to a report on the presentation by Photocure, which markets the tumor-staining drug, Cysview™, for use in blue light applications, the drug didn’t significantly affect the cost of cystoscopies and resulted in finding tumor recurrences that would otherwise have been missed.

“We initiated this study because the utility of blue light cystoscopy (“BLC”) for surveillance in patients receiving BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy) treatments is really not well understood. Thus, no recommendations exist in current guidelines,” stated Dr. Max Kates, assistant professor of Urology and Oncology, and co-director at the Bladder Cancer Multidisplinary Clinic in the The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (https://ibn.fm/ywQGR).

“The use of BLC with Cysview continues to inspire the scientific community as much as ever for improving the care of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer. These new abstracts highlight the role of the procedure throughout patient care, especially focusing on the impact on patient management when used in surveillance,” Photocure President and CEO Dan Schneider added. “The Budget Impact Model supports the favorable cost-benefit of blue light procedures including in the office setting, while reaffirming its superiority in detection of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer compared to white light alone.”

A Urology Times report (https://ibn.fm/YwotL) noted that the use of BLC with hexaminolevulinate hydrochloride (“HCl”) (under the trade name Cysview) in conjunction with white light during initial transurethral resection of bladder tumors (“TURB”) “lowered costs by $4,660 over 5 years compared with use of white light cystoscopy alone. The investigators also observed that patients receiving BLC had a lower overall cancer burden compared with those receiving white light alone.”

Despite the American Urological Association’s recommendation in favor of using BLC, the technology is used in less than 10 percent of such procedures because of the high cost of equipment and the challenges surgeons face in switching back and forth between white light and blue light images to locate and resect the tumors (https://ibn.fm/yslrQ). And that’s where Imagin Medical comes in.

Imagin’s proprietary i/Blue Imaging (TM) System is compatible with almost any scope already in use by hospitals and surgical centers and enhances their functionality by making it possible for surgeons to see white light and blue light video side-by-side in real time as the bladder tumor resection procedure takes place.

Bladder cancer historically has been the sixth-most common cancer in the United States, one of the most common in men and the most expensive to treat, in part because of a 50 percent recurrence rate that is only exacerbated by surgeons’ inability to always detect and remove all existing tumors using only white light in procedures (https://ibn.fm/BdRjk).

Despite the economic difficulties imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Imagin advanced its technology to development of a working product last year. In 2021, working with Lighthouse Imaging, an FDA certified manufacturer, Imagin has moved to the manufacturing stage to complete pre-production of the i/Blue Imaging System and finalize test parameters to meet exacting FDA requirements (https://ibn.fm/AEglk).

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

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

• Mental health experts note growing concern over impact of COVID-19 on nation’s mental health
• Compounding stress could have serious health, social consequences
• VTGN offers new hope to those dealing with depression disorders

A new survey from the American Psychological Association (“APA”) shines a spotlight on the growing concern about the impact of the global pandemic on the nation’s mental health (https://ibn.fm/ukaIx). These rising numbers, as well as the treatment for mental health illness and disorders, is of great concern to VistaGen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VTGN), a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing a new generation of medications that goes beyond the standard of care for anxiety and depression.

Nearly eight in ten adults (78%) report that the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives, while three in five (60%) say the number of issues America faces is overwhelming to them, according to the “Stress in America(TM) 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis” survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of APA. The survey goes on to note this sobering statistic: Nearly one in five adults (19%) say their mental health is worse than it was at this time last year.

APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr. noted that “this survey confirms what many mental health experts have been saying since the start of the pandemic: Our mental health is suffering from the compounding stressors in our lives. This compounding stress will have serious health and social consequences if we don’t act now to reduce it. We’re already seeing this with some of the youngest members of our nation, who just seven months into this crisis are beginning to show signs of serious mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.”

Depression and anxiety are at the forefront of concern for VistaGen, a company working to develop innovative product candidates to address these substantial issues (https://ibn.fm/vLnl9).  For example, FDA-approved oral antidepressants are slow to act and are associated with significant potential side effects such as anxiety, nausea and vomiting, somnolence and sexual dysfunction.  VistaGen’s PH10 is an innovative pherine nasal spray designed to have rapid-onset therapeutic potential in several neuropsychiatric indications involving depression. Following completion of successful exploratory Phase 2A clinical development, the Company is preparing to launch a planned Phase 2B clinical study of PH10 in major depressive disorder in early 2022. With its rapid-onset pharmacology, potential lack of systemic exposure and favorable safety results observed in all clinical studies to date, PH10 has potential to go beyond the current standard of care for depression as a novel stand-alone treatment for multiple depression disorders.

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

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

• Businessman and musician Armando Christian Perez or “Pitbull” discussed the need for the music industry to continue on the path of live streaming concert availability
• Revenue in the global music streaming industry is expected to total $23,053 million in 2021, with the United States contributing the most at $8,669 million
• Friendable Inc. saw a 354% increase in artist sign-ups from December 2020 to January 2021, totaling 1,072 and counting since launching the Fan Pass platform in July 2020
• The average online pay-per-view concert ticket is $27, providing artists with a venue with unlimited seats. The average in-person concert ticket price in 2019 was $96.17. With current restrictions, venues would not be able to facilitate full capacity shows

Friendable (OTC: FDBL), a mobile technology and marketing company focused on connecting and engaging users through its proprietary mobile and desktop applications, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on live streaming growth opportunities in the entertainment space, especially in the music sector, through its Fan Pass platform. Since launching in July 2020, the app has gathered a total of 1,072 artist sign-ups and counting. Friendable reported significant growth from December 2020 to January 2021, a 354 percent increase in artist sign-ups (https://ibn.fm/pl17R). The figures are a clear indicator of a growing number of artists adhering to a live streaming and online engagement model to continue connecting with fans and generating revenue in the process, especially during the ongoing pandemic. Musician and businessman Armando Christian Perez, better known by his stage name Pitbull, discussed the live stream music industry during the “Power Lunch” segment in a recent CNBC interview. As a performer, businessman, and philanthropist, Perez shared his insight into the availability of live stream concerts and music platforms for the public, underlining that this approach would give the world what it needs at a very difficult time. “That’s what the world needs, bottom line, right now. They need something. Some kind of escape to take all this negative and negativity out of the way and give them hope and motivation,” Perez said (https://ibn.fm/eiSmA). The musician also discussed collaborating with another live streaming platform which works off a subscription model like Fan Pass. Such platforms are poised to change the way that concerts are handled in the future, even post-pandemic, by offering enhanced accessibility, more cost-effective options and access to a wider potential fan base for artists. Friendable’s Fan Pass platform offers fans the opportunity to watch their favorite artists, speakers, and entertainers on a live stream format. It is free for artists to join the platform. Fan Pass leverages the fans’ monthly subscription fees to generate the revenue shared amongst the channel artists. Additional revenue is generated through the pay-per-view content and artist merchandising. The fan subscriptions for Fan Pass begin at $3.99 per month, with the option to view exclusive pay-per-view content for a one-time fee. The “All Access VIP” option provides fans with access to:

• Special artist interviews
• Live performances and online concerts of their favorite artists
• Live streaming during studio sessions
• One-on-one videos
• Behind-the-scenes photo and video shoots
• Backstage exclusive content – before, during, and after the show
• Streams that highlight the artists’ daily lives

Amidst the global pandemic, Friendable is therefore uniquely positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities within the music and video streaming industries. Revenue within the global music streaming industry is expected to total $23,053 million in 2021 and grow at a CAGR of 9.7%. The projected market volume is anticipated to reach $33,372 million by 2025, with the United States contributing the most revenue, totaling $8,669 million in 2021 (https://ibn.fm/Rs56V). The average pay-per-view concert price has been estimated at $27, which provides fans with the ability to watch the event in the comfort of their home through a compatible smart device (https://ibn.fm/voT7z). For comparison, the average cost of an in-person concert in 2019 was $96.17 (https://ibn.fm/OQtVI). Even when concert venues are reopened and concerts are resumed, maintaining a live stream option will be a smart decision for fans who cannot attend in person or afford to pay this much for a ticket. Friendable and other live streaming music venues are advantageous because they have an unlimited number of seats available versus in-person venues. Even at a reduced ticket price, there is a profit made through the lack of pandemic restrictions alone. In fact, Friendable hopes to make “virtual touring” a permanent part of artists’ schedule. To further promote its Fan Pass platform and increase its popularity among artists and the general public Friendable has secured an exclusive partnership with Brightcove to target the OTT platforms, providing more growth opportunities to the live streaming concert experience. For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.Friendable.com or www.FanPassLive.com NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to FDBL are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/FDBL

• Global billion-dollar market projected to see steady growth in coming years
• Technological advancements expected to contribute to market growth
• Mediscan software transforms traditional 2D grayscale images into digital 3D high-definition images readily accessible to healthcare providers.

The United States medical imaging market size in 2020 valued at US$134 billion (https://ibn.fm/1oQo2), HYB Holding (OTC: HYBG) is looking to its two-month-old acquisition, Mediscan Inc., to bring significant value to the table. Acquired in November 2020 through a reverse acquisition transaction, Mediscan is a cloud-based software technology used in ultrasound that reconstructs the traditional analog two-dimensional (2D) grayscale visual image into a digital three-dimensional (3D), high-definition quantifiable format. “Major factors driving the [global medical imaging] industry are increasing demand for early-stage diagnosis of chronic disease and rising aging demographics, which is expected to boost the demand for diagnostic imaging across the globe,” stated the Grand View Research report. “Technological advancements, coupled with supportive investments and funds by the government, especially in developing countries, such as India and China, are also expected to contribute to market growth.” Technological advancement is what HYB is bringing to the space. With standard ultrasound 2D greyscale images as the norm and 3D imaging often requiring the use of CT, PET, MRI or X-ray technology, Mediscan’s innovative application could have a measurable impact on the medical imaging industry. The technology is designed to meet the need for imaging equipment and devices that can generate human anatomy data in 3D. Through the Mediscan software, an ultrasound analog 2D grayscale image is transformed into a digital 3D HD format in under a minute. When paired with a portable ultrasound machine, Mediscan has the ability to produce scans that can be read on laptop computers, tablets and even smartphones by on-the-scene medical professionals including primary care physicians, specialists and technical support staff, as well as sports trainers, emergency medical services (“EMS”) personnel, and technicians in isolation wards and emergency rooms. The software requires only an internet connection and can generate 3D medical images of different organs, such as the heart, lungs, tendons, skin and nerves. The impressive growth of the global market for diagnostic imaging creates a promising opportunity for HYB — and for potential investors. HYB is hoping to ride the tide of growth as the company focuses on the growth and development of Mediscan, which already has two patents pending. The innovative software technology is designed to dramatically increase the ability of healthcare providers to use existing ultrasound devices at the point of care to identify meaningful data-driven clinical evaluations of a patient’s condition, whether in long-term, acute or emergency care situations. The software, which integrates with all popular EMR systems, also provides support for treatment options, monitors the patient’s ongoing progress or regress, and documents compliance with required protocols and procedures. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.MyMediScan.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to HYBG are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/HYBG

• Austrian researchers report CBD reduces inflammation and speeds recovery in ICU COVID-19 patients
• Research suggests CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties stave off long-term neurological damage associated with COVID-19
• PACR leverages genetic technology to produce potent CBD strains with higher yields per growing season
• Company catalog includes 350 cultivars and 50 super-elite strains prized in industry

CBD may soon become the newest support in the world’s fight against COVID-19: Researchers at the Klagenfurt Clinic in Austria recently reported positive results from cannabidiol (“CBD”) trials on COVID-19 patients that demonstrated reduced inflammation and quicker recovery times (https://ibn.fm/vhsIS). Pac Roots Cannabis (CSE: PACR) (OTCQB: PACRF), a Canada-based cannabis company dedicated to producing premium-quality strains and products through a genetics-focused approach, leverages genetic technology to cultivate unique strains prized in the industry for their potency and overall effectiveness.

CBD continues to gain mainstream attention among healthcare professionals and the general public as a way to address symptoms of chronic diseases – particularly those associated with inflammation (https://ibn.fm/FDvS1). Accordingly, researchers at the Klagenfurt Clinic in Austria used CBD oil to treat COVID-19 ICU patients for three weeks and observed positive changes in inflammation markers throughout the treatment.

“We have seen that the inflammation parameters in the blood go down, and people leave the hospital faster than the comparison group,” said Rudolf Likar, head of intensive care medicine at the clinic. “CBD supports the immune system. We’ll probably use this routinely now because it doesn’t have any side effects.”

According to the researchers, CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects surpassed those of other commonly used drugs because of its ability to easily cross the blood-brain barrier and stave off some of the long-term neurological damage associated with the disease.

PACR’s genetics-based approach to cannabis cultivation has produced roughly 350 tested cultivars, including 50 super-elite strains with varying amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) and cannabidiol (“CBD”) – two of over 140 known cannabinoids in the cannabis plant that can produce different effects on the body. The Company also uses genetic technology to optimize its cultivars to produce maximum yields according to varying climatic conditions and growing seasons with the potential to boost profit margins through reduced labor costs and increased output.

A critical competitive advantage that sets PACR apart is its strategic licensing agreement with Phenome One Corp – a privately-held full-service genetics cannabis company that gives PACR access to one of Canada’s largest living genetic cannabis libraries. Along with giving its partners access to a massive database of detailed information, Phenome One also subjects each cultivar to rigorous analysis and testing—a process that goes back more than 30 years.

The growing body of scientific evidence supporting the use of CBD along with increasingly relaxed laws around the use of cannabis is contributing to the ever-increasing market opportunity for cannabis cultivators. PacRoots Cannabis Corp. appears to be favorably positioned to benefit from the explosive growth in demand for their first-in-class high-yield strains that appeal to a wide variety of consumers across the rapidly growing legal cannabis market.

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

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

• Vast opportunities exist in growing cannabis space
• CannAssist is committed to establishing aggressive marketing presence in promising market
• CannAssist brings impressive advancements, achievements to the table, including its propriety CiBiDinol technology

Carefully developing and executing a strategic go-to-market plan has never been more important for companies operating in the cannabis industry, according to a recent “Rolling Stone” article (https://ibn.fm/u7v4y). The article urges cannabis companies to consider the industry from both a competitive perspective as well as an opportunity angle, which is exactly what CannAssist International (OTCQB: CNSC) has done as it looks toward 2021 and a projected $5.8 million share of the market.

“The 2020 election was another exciting turning point: Four new states joined the 12 existing markets with legal recreational cannabis, bringing adult use to 15 regions in just eight short years,” the “Rolling Stone” article reported. “Nearly one in three Americans now live in a state where those aged 21 and older can purchase and possess cannabis freely. This will likely expand significantly with the addition of more East Coast markets poised to legalize in the near future through legislation in New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

“It gets even better,” the article continued. “With a new federal administration comes the likelihood of a mandate to decriminalize cannabis and a path to legalization through bills in Congress such as the passing of the MORE Act by the House of Representatives, with its lead sponsor Vice President Kamala Harris. Consumer sentiment favoring legalization is expanding. According to findings from Pew Research from 2019, two-thirds of Americans approve of adult-use in what has become one of those rare bipartisan issues with differences of opinion occurring predominantly along generational lines.”

CannAssist recognizes the wave of opportunity flooding the cannabis market and is committed to establishing an aggressive marketing presence using tactics across the entire marketing funnel plan as part of its go-to-market strategy (https://ibn.fm/Mrxrn). In part, the company will focus on retail partnership, brand collaborations and influencer programming. In addition, CannAssist is eyeing large-scale video and content capture and will also evaluate avenues for digital advertising, email marketing, and both paid and organic social media engagement.

These efforts are designed to support the company’s efforts to reach its goals in five key product areas: Xceptol Capsules M($1 million), Xceptol Drops ($532,000), Xceptol Pain Cream ($1.27 million), Xceptol Pet product ($130,000), and raw material from its Xceptor Labs ($1.48 million). CannAssist owns Xceptor Labs, which produces and markets the Xceptol brand product line and also produces superior quality raw materials for third-party company use.

A biotechnological pharmaceutical and wellness company, CannAssist brings impressive advancements and achievements to the table—none more notable than its development of CiBiDinol, which simply put is cannabidiol made water compatible (https://ibn.fm/kfpz7). CiBiDinol addresses critical issues regarding CBD molecules, including delivery, bioavailability and short shelf life, by offering predictable potency, reduced dosage requirements and a wider variety of product forms.

Established in May 2017, CannAssist is headquartered in San Diego County, California, and markets its consumer line of cannabidiol (“CBD”) products under the Xceptol brand. CNSC is currently targeting North America, Central America, South America, South Africa, the EU, the UK and the Philippines as viable product markets. The company has established strategic partnerships in sourcing, manufacturing, processing, laboratory, distribution, public relations and legal representation.

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