• Company recently signed letter of intent with the Société québécoise du cannabis
• Its production capacity is expected to increase by 170,000 lbs. through phase four
• Organigram’s growth plans expand beyond Canada and into the global cannabis market

Organigram Holdings Inc. (TSX.V: OGI) (OTCQX: OGRMF), a licensed producer of cannabis and cannabis-derived products in Canada, recently announced that it has signed a letter of intent with the Société québécoise du cannabis (“SQDC”) (http://ibn.fm/eboHc). OGRMF’s wholly owned subsidiary, Organigram Inc., is focused on producing the highest quality, indoor-grown cannabis for recreational and condition-specific medical use. The new agreement with SQDC makes the company one of only three licensed producers in Canada to have secured distribution agreements in all 10 Canadian provinces.

Organigram believes in investing in the continuous growth of clients, employees and the community. Based in the heart of Atlantic Canada, the company is strongly committed to improving the quality of life of Canadians by effectively providing quality products, creating jobs, being a good neighbor and contributing to the community.

Organigram began in 2013 as a medical cannabis company with 100 percent organic production in prefabricated grow pods. In September 2017, Organigram signed the first recreational cannabis supply agreement in Canada with the Province of New Brunswick. As of February 2019, the company has distribution agreements in all 10 Canadian provinces. When the Canadian adult recreational cannabis market legalized on October 17, 2018, Organigram was ready with a portfolio of recreational product lines.

Currently in the third phase, the production capacity of OGRMF’s state-of-the-art facility is at 36,000 kg (79,000 lbs.) per year. The fourth phase is already underway and will bring the facility’s production capacity to 113,000 kg (249,000 lbs.) by fall 2019. The company boasts the lowest cost of cultivation among Canadian licensed producers, driven by industry-leading yields.

Now that it has secured all 10 provinces, OGRMF’s eyes are no longer solely on Canada. The company is working on international business partnerships and has developed a portfolio of legal adult-use recreational cannabis brands that includes the Edison Cannabis Company, Ankr Organics, Trailer Park Buds and Trailblazer. Organigram has already begun exporting products from Canada and is anticipating a promising future.

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

• Under new distribution agreements, ETST is targeting new markets for its hemp CBD products
• Sales of cannabis-based pharmaceuticals are projected to account for 10 percent of the $31.6 billion legal cannabis market by 2022
• ETST has expanded its sales team as it seeks product placement in health food stores and large chains
• Company-sponsored foundation recently achieved non-profit status to advance research on cannabinoids

Earth Science Tech Inc. (OTCQB: ETST), a biotech company focused on the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields, is looking to expand its cannabidiol (“CBD”) product distribution in wider markets in the United States. The company has reached agreements with CannaBiz and Desert Sun Distribution to sell its CBD product line to chiropractors, dispensaries, pharmacies, health care practitioners, athletic clubs and clinics throughout the country (http://ibn.fm/5CRl6).

A new report by Arcview Market Research in partnership with BDS Analytics focuses on medical cannabinoid pharmaceuticals. The research makes clear that consumer respondents are turning to marijuana for relaxation and pain relief. Cannabis-based pharmaceuticals are projected to reach 10 percent of an estimated $31.6 billion legalized cannabis market by 2022, the report finds (http://ibn.fm/GuGyU).

ETST’s full-spectrum cannabinoids may offer analgesic pain relief and anxiety reduction. ETST distributes cannabinoids in the form of soft gels, tablets, liquids and other forms classified as food-based and permissible in all 50 states and some 40 countries. Pharmacies represent a key new market for ETST.

David Burbash, chief sales officer of ETST, is increasing the size of the company’s sales team as the company expands its target markets to include health food stores and large chains. By reaching agreements with CannaBiz and Desert Sun Distribution, ETST is raising the profile of its CBD products.

ETST is also expanding its sales reach into Mexico and South America through its distribution agreement with partner Forzagen. In a news release (http://ibn.fm/gb0x2), ETST president and Chairman Nickolas S. Tabraue said, “We expect to gain great exposure and additional revenue through this strategic partnership.” He added (http://ibn.fm/RijeU), “We are positioned to catapult in 2019.”

In addition, ETST has announced that Earth Science Foundation, Inc., the creation of which it has supported, is now a 501(c)(3) organization. Obtaining non-profit status enables the foundation to accept tax-free contributions that will fund further studies of cannabidiol products with a primary objective of helping those who suffer from cancer, epilepsy, depression, autism, chronic pain, dementia, drug/alcohol addiction, and AIDS (http://ibn.fm/uH48K).

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

• SinglePoint’s horizontally established portfolio is primed for exponential profit growth with the announcement of asset acquisition, capitalization plans
• The company’s plans to acquire solar energy business Direct Solar and solar marketer AI Live Transfers mark entry into industry eyeing $57.3 billion by 2022
• Letter of intent anticipates raising up to $12 million to fund hemp-derived CBD opportunities amid projections of $22 billion market by 2022
• SinglePoint is also investing in efforts to develop specific strains of CBD through the photobioreactor process

Continued interest in energy systems that are friendly to the planet’s environment is creating new opportunity for exponential growth at SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING), a diversified holding company specializing in M&A activity that promotes new technologies. On February 26, SinglePoint announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Direct Solar and AI Live Transfers – two companies utilizing the Lending Tree Model to market products and services to solar power consumers (http://ibn.fm/6fZ3Z).

The Lending Tree Model involves the use of technology to connect people seeking loans with a variety of loan providers nationwide, so they can shop for a service that most closely suits their needs. SinglePoint’s asset purchase agreement with the two solar industry products, services and marketing enterprises follows its own model of establishing a horizontal industries portfolio comprising undervalued companies that will benefit from the injection of growth capital and technology integration.

The acquisition agreement granting Direct Solar and AI Live Transfers more than $2 million in SinglePoint common stock shares and a 49 percent ownership interest in a funded subsidiary gives SinglePoint a toehold in the solar energy industry at a time when multinational concerns over climate change are driving governmental, corporate and consumer interests toward renewable power sources such as solar (http://ibn.fm/WuxRl). Analysts at Zion Market Research forecast global solar panel industry growth, with a CAGR of 10.9 percent between 2017 and 2022, landing at $57.3 billion by 2022 (http://ibn.fm/4CYod).

Additionally, SinglePoint plans to use proprietary technology that Direct Solar has developed to educate sales representatives around the nation to quickly scale the business. This acquisition also enables SinglePoint to tap into cannabis businesses nationwide regarding opportunities to save money and increase their margins through the use of solar to lower utilities expenses. SinglePoint expects to begin realizing profits from the Direct Solar acquisition by April. AI Live Transfers is a company that uses artificial intelligence in the marketing arena to progressively seek out potential customers using a strategy that maximizes closing agents’ time (http://ibn.fm/Dz4aq).

“This is a phenomenal opportunity for SinglePoint. This changes the entire financial fundamentals for the company and enables us to continue to push forward with opportunities to continue increasing shareholder value and the overall value of SinglePoint,” SinglePoint President Wil Ralston stated in a news release.

The company has also announced a letter of intent to raise up to $12 million to capitalize on a wide variety of opportunities in the hemp-derived CBD space (http://ibn.fm/5k63J). SinglePoint has been highly focused on the hemp market through its SingleSeed.com subsidiary and is establishing a place in the CBD market supply chain.

“We are already filling multiple orders and will be able to expand our sales and marketing as well as receive the best pricing from our suppliers with larger purchase orders” once the funding proposal is completed, SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht added.

The company has also invested in TorusMed – a business using commercial-size photobioreactors in its efforts to produce specific strains of CBD. Cannabis industry analysts at the Brightfield Group predict that the hemp-derived CBD market could reach $22 billion by 2022, demonstrating the potential of progressively investing in business growth in that space (http://ibn.fm/gOpUo).

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

• Proprietary targeted immunotherapy technology personalized to match unmet needs of advanced breast cancer patients
• Ongoing clinical studies of lead candidate, Bria-IMT, continue to show robust biological activity, excellent safety profile
• Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, with 2.1 million new cases expected in 2018
• Global cancer immunotherapy market is projected to be valued at nearly $145 billion by 2022

An equity investment of C$500,000 into BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT) by the company’s recently-appointed director, Jamieson Bondarenko (http://ibn.fm/okWzb), underscores the vital importance of BriaCell’s proprietary drug development efforts to millions of cancer patients. BriaCell is an immuno-oncology-focused biotechnology company dedicated to developing the first off-the-shelf, personalized immunotherapy that specifically targets the unmet medical needs of advanced breast cancer patients (http://ibn.fm/4OLjo).

In a news release outlining the non-brokered private placement financing, the company said that net proceeds from the offering would be primarily used to finance BriaCell’s IIa combination study of Bria-IMT with KEYTRUDA (by Merck & Co., Inc.) in advanced breast cancer patients, in the pursuit of other research opportunities, and for working capital and general corporate purposes (http://ibn.fm/yMQfi). The combination study is listed in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03328026.

“In my view, owning a meaningful percentage of BriaCell’s equity while funding clinical work will align the company’s capital markets strategy with its drug development objectives,” Bondarenko stated in the news release. “The importance of accelerating this work is evidenced in efficacy data of BriaCell’s Phase I/IIa study of Bria-IMT and safety data of the Bria-IMT KEYTRUDA combination study in advanced breast cancer. There exists a unique opportunity to advance BriaCell’s remarkable achievements on behalf of breast cancer patients, survivors and deceased, and their families.”

Bondarenko will purchase five million common shares of the company at a price of C$0.10 per common share for gross proceeds of C$500,000 (the “offering”). Upon closing of the offering, which is subject to final approval from the TSX Venture Exchange, Bondarenko will have beneficial ownership of an aggregate of 23,070,500 common shares, representing approximately 13.7 percent of BriaCell’s issued and outstanding common shares.

“I am delighted with the commitment Jamieson has shown to BriaCell,” Dr. William Williams, BriaCell’s president & CEO, stated in the release. “He is a core influential shareholder and now a Director who believes in our mission and is working to advance our science as we develop novel and effective ways to combat breast cancer.”

Bria-IMT activates the immune system to destroy cancer cells in a way that’s believed to be both unique and more effective than other, similar approaches. Bria-IMT has shown promise in FDA-approved clinical trials, suggesting excellent safety and efficacy in patients who matched the Bria-IMT HLA types. BriaCell provided initial safety data on the Bria-IMT/KEYTRUDA combination study and additional confirmatory phase I/IIa data from the Bria-IMT monotherapy study at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (http://ibn.fm/r67pW). BriaCell also recently announced the initiation of clinical use of a novel frozen formulation of Bria-IMT for on-demand shipment to clinical sites to accommodate higher patient volumes at reduced per-dose costs (http://ibn.fm/JeZzu).

ResearchAndMarkets reports that the global cancer immunotherapy market is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years, expanding at a CAGR of nearly 13 percent through 2023 (http://ibn.fm/6N4aC). By 2022, the market volume is expected to exceed $145 billion (http://ibn.fm/P908A).

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

• Sharing Services offers multiple services aimed at promoting the growth of subsidiary companies in the direct selling industry
• One such subsidiary, Elepreneurs, has grown since its initial launch in December 2017 to over 150,000 customers
• Elepreneurs maintains a loyal customer base through its unique products that deliver results

Sharing Services Inc. (OTCQB: SHRV), a diversified holdings company focused on reshaping the way modern entrepreneurs succeed, offers over 25 years of leadership in the direct selling industry. The company employs a dynamic business model which focuses on mentorship of subsidiary companies. Sharing Services specializes in offering management, buying power, merchant processing, manufacturing and administrative services, enabling mentee companies to develop and expand.

Sharing Services focuses on companies operating in the direct selling industry. These companies either sell products directly to consumers or offer services in various fields, including health and wellness, energy, technology, insurance services, training, media and travel benefits. By having a vested interest in the continued success of several direct selling companies, Sharing Services (http://ibn.fm/vyexH) aims to “revolutionize the model in the direct selling industry.”

One of Sharing Services’ popular brands is Elevacity Global (http://ibn.fm/wNH42), which is focused on elevating consumers’ “health, wealth, and happiness through patented and powerful nutritional consumer products.” Customers have grown to trust Elevacity for its unique products that deliver results. One such supplement is Xanthomax (http://ibn.fm/fLRaJ), a best-selling product and “powerful antioxidant that assists in elevating mood.” The brand also offers products to enhance sleep and energy for consumers.

Another branch of Sharing Services’ success is Elepreneurs LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. Elepreneurs has seen vigorous success since it was launched in December 2017 and currently services over 150,000 customers throughout the United States. Its Elepreneurs, also known as independent contractors, share the company’s line of Elevacity products with others, seeing part-time profits individually and enticing fans of the Elevacity product line to join the Elepreneurs team as well.

Sharing Services has structured Elepreneurs to contract with other companies, utilizing the direct selling model to promote and sell products. In a recent news release, Robert Oblon, founder and CEO of Elepreneurs, discussed how the Elevacity line has attracted a diverse group of individuals to the entrepreneurial business model (http://ibn.fm/YAT1c). “We saw that people were sharing their experiences with our Elevacity products, and many customers became interested in selling the products,” he stated. “As a result, we have attracted people from various backgrounds who are building their own home-based businesses.”

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

• Clean, controlled cultivation eschews use of radiation to destroy pests and pathogens
• Analysts at Jefferies recently initiated coverage of FLWR
• Flowr has applied for Nasdaq Listing

The Flowr Corporation (TSX.V: FLWR) (OTC: FLWPF) is growing cannabis with TLC as well as THC. The Health Canada Licensed Producer (“LP”) of cannabis, founded by MedReleaf co-founder Tom Flow and a team of industry pioneers, is out to generate premium, non-irradiated product at high yields. The company expects its ability to produce clean cannabis at consistently high quality to be a crucial differentiating factor as the medical and recreational markets in Canada develop.

Its shares may soon be trading on the Nasdaq. The company recently submitted an application to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market and has filed a Form 40-F Registration Statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (http://ibn.fm/WHWYs). The listing of Flowr’s shares on the Nasdaq will be subject to a number of regulatory requirements, including registration of the common shares with the SEC and a determination by the Nasdaq that Flowr has satisfied all applicable listing requirements. Subject to approval for listing, the company’s common shares will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSX.V”) under ‘FLWR’. A trading date will be made public once all regulatory formalities are satisfied.

To the Flowr Corporation, cannabis is not just a commodity called ‘weed’. The company expects that the cannabis market will bear similarities to the market for wines. Both champagne and altar wine are made from grapes, but their quality and prices vary considerably. Flowr wants to produce “champagne cannabis.” As a result, it has set out to cultivate its cannabis in a controlled environment. Its flagship facility, an 84,000-square-foot campus on seven acres in Kelowna, British Columbia, has been engineered to grow premium cannabis in rooms that meet pharmaceutical industry production standards for cleanliness. Flowr knows that the psychoactive and therapeutic experience delivered by its product depends a lot on how it is grown, including how much light and water it’s given, when it’s pruned and when it’s given nutrients. As noted by CEO Vinay Tolia (http://ibn.fm/wsehA), “The plant needs a lot of TLC.”

Besides, getting Health Canada to approve facilities and product can be challenging. The Health Canada testing regime is so strict that many growers are unable to pass the microbial and yeast level standards. Consequently, they resort to a process called irradiation. Their final product is bombarded with gamma rays, which kill the mold, yeast and bacteria, but, as Tolia points out, would be the equivalent of telling consumers that it’s okay to eat moldy bread because it’s been exposed to gamma rays, something which, perhaps, they’ve only come across in sci-fi movies. The gamma radiation is typically produced by radioactive isotopes of cobalt. Companies that cannot produce clean cannabis, the way Flowr does, are compelled to go down this road, and approximately 80 percent of them do, according to Cannabis Tech (http://ibn.fm/PbvK5).

Exposing cannabis to radioactivity also changes the terpene profile of the plant. A recent study, published in a leading pharmacological journal, concluded that “…irradiation had a measurable effect on the content of various cannabis terpenes, mainly on the more volatile monoterpenes. In general, reduction of affected terpenes was between 10 and 20%, but for some components, this may be as much as 38%.” Terpenes are substances that are believed to be essential to the effectiveness of cannabinoids, a recognized phenomenon that has been dubbed the “entourage effect.”

Flowr’s cultivation program is led by co-founder and President Tom Flow, an industry pioneer who’s widely recognized for his cannabis thought leadership and expertise building and operating cannabis cultivation facilities. Flow also co-founded MedReleaf and designed, built and set up protocols for that company’s flagship Marcum cultivation facility. MedReleaf was acquired by Aurora for approximately C$3 billion. Flow and his team have designed and built a total of 17 cultivation facilities and secured three producer’s licenses under various Canadian regulatory regimes.

In addition, analysts at Jefferies have now initiated coverage of several cannabis stocks, including positive coverage of FLWR, suggesting that the global cannabis industry could reach $130 billion by 2029 (http://ibn.fm/pix0e).

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

• TGOD’s 49.18 percent interest in Jamaican cannabis company Epican includes cultivation, extraction, manufacturing facilities and retail distribution licenses
• Expansion of production capacity on the 100-acre site is timed to build inventory by up to 14,000 kg to meet forecast retail demand
• Flagship Kingston retail location continues to increase in month-over-month sales growth
• Company is testing the first high-tech medical cannabis vending machines using built-in biometric security features

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD) (OTCQX: TGODF), a cannabis-focused research and development company, and its Jamaican partner, Epican Medicinals Ltd. (“Epican”), are celebrating significant milestones toward establishing a leadership position in the island nation’s robust medical cannabis market. TGOD’s strategic partnership with Epican, first announced in June 2018 as an investment for a 49.18 percent interest in the company, serves the medical cannabis needs of Jamaica’s three million residents and nearly 4.3 million tourists (http://ibn.fm/KHVxG).

The relationship has been marked by nonstop highs for the partners, Brian Athaide, director and CEO of TGOD, stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/PeHCP). Highlights of an eventful 2018 are reviewed in the release, which includes praise for the founders of Epican – brothers Dwayne and Karibe McKenzie – as the Jamaican cannabis company continues to break new ground in the Caribbean island nation. The McKenzie brothers have been at the forefront of Jamaica’s burgeoning medical cannabis industry for years, securing the island’s historic first license to cultivate cannabis, according to an article in The Gleaner (http://ibn.fm/DjKUw).

TGOD’s recent list of achievements with Epican includes leasing a 100-acre parcel of land in Trelawny Parish to increase cannabis production toward a 14,000 kg operation with the potential for further expansion. This accelerated production capacity growth is designed to build inventory in advance of expanding retail locations at several strategic sites throughout Jamaica. Epican’s flagship site in Kingston continues to see increased sales month-over-month, while its Montego Bay retail location is awaiting authorization from the Cannabis Licensing Authority to open its doors. TGOD is also pursuing GMP certification at its Kingston Lab to facilitate global export to select international jurisdictions, as regulations permit.

“We have made incredible progress in Jamaica over the past eight months,” Athaide stated in the release. “We plan to continue opening stores throughout the country, increasing productive capacity, and expanding our leadership in Jamaica. As Trelawny comes online in phases, we will accelerate production to meet growing demand within Jamaica and export product through TGOD’s distribution channels in Mexico and beyond.”

Other highlights of the partnership include increasing Epican’s employee base from 17 to 40; piloting an industry-first prescription delivery program for registered medical patients that is expected to dramatically reduce delivery times; and testing of the first high-technology cannabis vending machines that utilize thumbprint scanners, ensuring product access to authorized patients only. A prototype of the medical cannabis dispensing machine is on display at an Epican retail location, and plans are in place to add more machines once necessary approval is received from the Cannabis Licensing Authority (http://ibn.fm/Ci3gi).

TGOD’s 49.18 percent Jamaican investment is an integral component of the company’s international strategy, together with distribution and operations in Europe, Latin America and North America. TGOD was recently classified in an institutional equity research report by CIBC World Markets as one of the few small- and medium-sized businesses that have what it takes to lead the new global cannabis market (http://ibn.fm/iv9IE).

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

• Icon is looking ahead toward challenges within the Canadian cannabis industry and potential long-term success
• The company is building a highly experienced team
• Icon is entering the market through a powerful play, differentiating it from other players

Icon Exploration Inc. (TSX.V: IEX.H) is looking ahead toward challenges within the Canadian cannabis industry and strategically preparing for the long game. Icon sees potential beyond crop yield, a major focus of other companies, and is focusing on lowering production costs while creating and refining efficient extraction and processing methodologies.

Rob Fia, Icon president and CEO, brings to the company more than 17 years of experience in the investment business. He has been involved in several multimillion-dollar financings and advisory transactions in mining, oil and gas, alternative energy, technology and health care. Now, as CEO of Icon, Fia’s attention has turned to the emerging Canadian cannabis industry. Approached early on by many cannabis startups in search of investors, Fia realized that it made more sense to build a company from the ground up that provided fundamentals other organizations were lacking. As a result, City View Green (“CVG”) was acquired in a reverse takeover.

In addition, a 40,000-square-foot growing facility in Brantford, Ontario, is currently in the planning stages, further cementing Icon and CVG’s sights on the long game. Once CVG’s application to Health Canada for an Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”) license is granted, the facility will be used to provide superior pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products. Furthermore, 4,000 square feet have been set aside for an extraction laboratory, while 4.3 acres remain for future construction.

A highly experienced team has also been carefully assembled to ensure that the company operates with maximum efficiency. Master growers responsible for Icon’s cannabis cultivation bring to the table more than 20 years of experience. These botanists have invaluable understanding about the mediums of soil, coco and drip and deep-water culture; they are also proficient in indoor, outdoor and greenhouse growing. An extraction expert has also joined the team, bringing vital expertise in developing and launching new products.

“If you differentiate yourself in the market, you’ll attract the attention of investors,” Fia stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/L9S6n). “I think we’re entering the market at just the right time. We’re getting in at the second inning of a long ball game. There’s a lot of room to be a powerful entry into the space, and once the market sees what we’ve done here, it will be very exciting.”

Icon is setting itself apart as a company that’s capable of resisting market fluctuations by minimizing operation costs and looking ahead toward challenges that may arise in the industry, thereby producing long-term returns for shareholders and investors. The company’s prime objective is to create a well-diversified organization that’s focused on assessing and potentially acquiring targets in the cannabis industry.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.IconExploration.net

• Black Iron and Glencore signed a memorandum of understanding for the purpose of securing funds for construction of the Shymanivske Iron Ore Project
• The project’s favorable characteristics have helped generate interest from various other international investors
• The Shymanivske Iron Ore Project will produce premium iron ore concentrate, which is set to continue growing in price over the next years as demand for steel also increases

A partnership between Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (GR: BIN) and a subsidiary of Glencore plc (OTC: GLCNF) (OTC: GLNCY) is anticipated to provide a material amount of the funding needed for the construction of Black Iron’s Shymanivske Iron Ore Project.

On February 20, the two entities signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) for the purpose of engaging in formal negotiations for the financing of construction. The MOU calls for Glencore to make a material equity investment in exchange for securing the offtake of up to the full phase one planned annual production of four million tons (http://ibn.fm/qFPyO). The MOU also outlines cooperation between Black Iron and Glencore to leverage their relationships to source the balance of funds required to construct the Shymanivske Iron Ore Project.

Black Iron is in talks with steel mills that would invest alongside Glencore, due to the strong interest in securing ultra-high-grade iron ore supply. The Shymanivske Iron Ore Project is anticipated to deliver premium iron ore concentrate, and this supply could be exchanged for project construction financing.

Currently, the Black Iron management team is focusing on two primary goals – securing sufficient financing and getting the required surface rights for the project. The project is currently doing well in terms of the first goal. In addition to Glencore investing equity, international finance institutions and European banks are highly interested in investing debt due to the project’s robust economic projections and the low operating costs. Good progress is also being made on surface rights, with a site visit attended by representatives from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, Dnepropetrovsk Regional Council, Kryvyi Rih City and Black Iron to review options for land transfer occurring during the first week of March.

Black Iron’s Shymanivske Iron Ore Project is located in a highly developed iron ore region in Ukraine, where it takes advantage of well-established infrastructure (paved roads, power lines, a railway and port) and highly skilled, affordable labor.

The economic projections for the project are more than positive. In mid-February, Black Iron reaffirmed the forecast for the Shymanivske Iron Ore Project based on a week-long surge in iron ore prices. The upward market pressure is the result of the world’s largest iron ore producer, Brazil’s Vale (NYSE: VALE), discontinuing work in 11 mines. As a result, the world’s iron ore supply was majorly reduced (http://ibn.fm/HI7Ev).

Experts still cannot predict how long the iron content benchmark price will remain elevated because of the Vale mining accident and subsequent issues in Brazil. There’s a general consensus, however, that the price of iron ore pellets and pellet feed will continue rising in the coming few years.

The premium, 68 percent iron pellet feed product that is anticipated to be derived at Black Iron’s project is expected to sell for a significantly higher price than the benchmark iron ore.

The latest international developments have led analysts to conclude that the time may be right to invest in steel stocks (http://ibn.fm/mbS6I). According to analysts, large steel stocks currently trading at marginal discounts to long-term average EV/EBIDTA may be the best choice.

Black Iron is an advanced stage iron ore exploration and development company that’s currently focused on bringing its 100-percent-owned Shymanivske Iron Ore Project into production. The project features a NI 43-101-compliant preliminary economic assessment that replaces two historic feasibility studies, along with a resource estimate of 646 Mt measured and indicated mineral resource consisting of 355 Mt measured mineral resources grading 31.6 percent total iron and 18.8 percent magnetic iron, and indicated mineral resources of 290 Mt grading 31.1 percent total iron and 17.9 percent magnetic iron, using a cut-off grade of 10 percent magnetic iron.

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

The technical and scientific contents of this article have been reviewed and approved by Matt Simpson, P.Eng., CEO of Black Iron, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

• Global hemp retail sales totaled $3.7 billion in 2018, on track to reach $5.7 billion by 2020
• 2018 Farm Bill legalizing hemp, CBD-based products, now allows farmers to plant industrial hemp nationwide
• Cultivation of hemp at Scio, Oregon, project site to begin in early 2019 for an extended growing season
• MCOA’s wholly owned subsidiary, hempSMART, brings high quality, branded CBD-based products to consumers through an affiliate marketing program

Market opportunities for the hemp-based cannabidiol (“CBD”) product industry in the U.S. are many and growing now that hemp is legally protected following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in December. Innovative hemp and cannabis corporation Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) is well positioned to take advantage of this shift in the legal landscape, with a variety of portfolio companies operating within the cannabis and hemp industries (http://ibn.fm/od81k).

MCOA’s wholly owned hempSMART subsidiary offers a line of industrial hemp-derived CBD products, which contain no THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis. The company’s hempSMART associate marketing program (http://ibn.fm/RISrJ) provides opportunities for others to become part of the hempSMART family through a unique distribution model. As a company primarily focused on industrial hemp-CBD products, MCOA targets a growing wellness industry with its branded CBD line of hemp-derived products (http://ibn.fm/MwbuU).

The U.S. hemp crop tripled in 2018, with acreage rising rapidly in the 24 states actively growing last year, according to advocacy group Vote Hemp, and that figure is expected to grow now that the Farm Bill has opened the door to nationwide hemp production. Total American hemp acreage was at 78,176 acres last year, up from 25,713 in 2017, to an article in Hemp Industry Daily (http://ibn.fm/j3x5s).

Hemp production is destined to grow in Oregon as well after MCOA announced on January 10 that clone production at the company’s Scio, Oregon, high-yielding CBD hemp project is underway. MCOA and joint venture partner Global Hemp Group Inc. (OTC: GBHPF) (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) are preparing to begin planting as early as possible in 2019, which will have a positive effect on the length of the growing season (http://ibn.fm/oTuZp).

The company will cultivate at least three strains of hemp, characterized by high CBD content, ultra-low levels of THC and substantial biomass yields. The selected strains have superior pest resistance and a shorter flowering period, enabling earlier harvest (http://ibn.fm/B9CMm). The hardiest phenotypes will create the mother plants that will be in the heart of the cloning process. MCOA started the cloning process in November 2018, soon after the completion of the annual harvest and drying operation. As a result of the cloning operation, MCOA expects to have approximately 40,000 plants that will be needed for the lower 35 acres of the farm.

Covered Bridge Acres (“CBA”), the project operating company, has already received Oregon Department of Agriculture registration to cultivate hemp in 2019. In addition, CBA has a permit to produce and handle agricultural hemp seed, which means that a seed breeding program can be established. CBD-rich hemp seed is another huge market opportunity as hemp growers seek certified seeds that have been tested against germination and uniformity benchmarks, including low levels of THC, according to an article in Hemp Industry Daily (http://ibn.fm/9mAWR).

According to a first-of-its-kind report from data analytics firm New Frontier Data, ‘The Global State of Hemp: 2019 Industry Outlook’, global hemp retail sales totaled $3.7 billion in 2018 and are on track to grow to $5.7 billion by 2020, as an article published by The Motley Fool reports (http://ibn.fm/oVz3P). New Frontier Data’s report estimates that U.S. hemp sales will have jumped to $2.6 billion by 2022, representing a compound annual growth rate of 27 percent. Of this $2.6 billion in hemp sales, half ($1.3 billion) are expected to stem from hemp-derived CBD products.

MCOA continues to work to create value for its shareholders with diverse initiatives, including strategically investing in synergistic companies to develop a varied portfolio of subsidiaries and joint ventures. MCOA envisions a future in which it will be a model for entrepreneurs and businesses that share its common goals and philosophies. This includes creating an environment for businesses to improve quality of life for their customers.

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