• Cobalt hydroxide is being assessed as a potential feed for the First Cobalt Refinery, which will potentially be reopened in the future
• Discussions are underway with various metal trading companies for the ethical delivery of the resource
• First Cobalt has partnered with SGS Canada to test processing of cobalt hydroxide and other materials via the existing First Cobalt Refinery flowsheet

North American pure-play cobalt company First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) (ASX: FCC) recently announced that it has begun testing cobalt hydroxide material as feedstock for its cobalt refinery (http://ibn.fm/dbtu5).

As part of the process, First Cobalt partnered up with Canadian mineral processing company SGS Canada, which will test cobalt hydroxide and other materials through the existing First Cobalt Refinery flowsheet. The steps are needed to test the production potential of cobalt sulphate or cobalt metal.

Apart from this partnership, First Cobalt is also negotiating with companies that specialize in the ethical sourcing of cobalt concentrate with a view toward ensuring the future feedstock for a potential restart of the refinery.

The aim is to enter a long-term agreement for a reliable source of ethically-mined cobalt, company president and CEO Trent Mell said in a news release. The cash flow potential from restarting the refinery could allow First Cobalt to finance a lot of the work on its flagship Iron Creek Cobalt Project in the state of Idaho. At the same time, the refinery will provide an important North American cobalt source, Mell noted.

The First Cobalt Refinery is located in the Canadian Cobalt Camp, 500 kilometers away from the U.S. border, and it is currently the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials. First Cobalt has already carried out independent studies to determine the capital requirements, permit renewal timelines and operating costs associated with reopening the refinery, as well as the refinery’s potential feedstock options. The results were presented on October 10, 2018 (http://ibn.fm/KTTkM).

At a feed rate of 24 metric tons per day, the capital cost of the restart was estimated at $25.7 million, including a 30 percent contingency. According to the review, a restart of the refinery is possible within 18 months of selecting a feedstock.

First Cobalt Corp. is thus researching various feed sources. These could include cobalt concentrate, recycled battery materials and cobalt hydroxide. Through a bit of flowsheet modification, the First Cobalt Refinery could produce cobalt sulphate for the lithium ion battery industry or cobalt metal for the North American aerospace industry. According to current market indicators, the price of cobalt sulphate is similar to that of cobalt metal.

Before halting operations in 2015, the First Cobalt Refinery produced cobalt carbonate, silver precipitate and nickel carbonate. A modification of the flowsheet will be required to commence the cobalt sulphate production.

A final decision about the reactivation of the refinery is yet expected. The decision is heavily dependent on the studies and the ongoing discussions with potential First Cobalt partners.

First Cobalt is a North American pure-play cobalt company whose flagship asset is the Iron Creek Cobalt Project in Idaho, which has inferred mineral resources of 26.9 million tonnes grading 0.11 percent cobalt equivalent. The company’s other assets include 50 past-producing mines in the Canadian Cobalt Camp and the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/FTSSF

• Multiple important steps have contributed to the advancement of the BriaCell clinical program in 2018
• The company has gotten excellent results from its Bria-IMT clinical trials and hopes to begin Bria-OTS testing in 2019
• The personalized, off-the-shelf advanced breast cancer treatment will be much more cost-effective to manufacture than alternatives and is expected to produce fewer side effects

Throughout 2018, BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT) has been working hard on the advancement of its clinical program. The company attained crucial safety and efficacy data via its clinical trials, and it also achieved proof of concept. The phase I/IIa study of its proof of concept clinical trial in advanced breast cancer achieved sustained tumor shrinkage at various sites in several patients. These results confirm the data collected through two previous trials, demonstrating the promising effect of the company’s Bria-IMT therapy in the treatment of advanced, metastatic breast cancer.

At the beginning of November 2018, BriaCell CEO Dr. William Williams said in an interview with Stock Day’s Everett Jolly that the company is developing the first personalized, off-the-shelf immunotherapy for advanced breast cancer (http://ibn.fm/9SMfU). The key developments are focused in two fields and programs – Bria-IMT and Bria-OTS.

Bria-IMT has undergone extensive clinical testing, demonstrating tumor shrinkage in patients with advanced breast cancer. Currently, Bria-IMT is in Phase IIa clinical testing in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK). Bria-IMT stimulates T-cell activity – one of the body’s natural defense mechanisms. In combination with KEYTRUDA, Bria-IMT is expected to accomplish an amplification effect to strengthen the anti-tumor activity of the treatment.

Bria-OTS is still in the process of development. Work is based on the results obtained in the Bria-IMT clinical trials. BriaCell Therapeutics plans to genetically engineer immunotherapy cell lines that can induce a specific response against cancer. The cell lines are pre-manufactured, but the personalized treatment can be selected and administered to the patient based on his or her specific HLA alleles. In this way, the immune response is tailored to the individual patient, so the treatment should not have a negative impact on the overall functioning of the immune system, Dr. Williams said.

The creation of tailored off-the-shelf immunotherapy solutions will eventually cover 90 percent of the population. Bria-OTS does not necessitate a personalized manufacturing process, which keeps the cost and the production time down, Dr. Williams added. Bria-OTS is anticipated to initiate clinical trials in 2019.

By 2021, immunotherapy solutions that target cancer are expected to turn into a $100 billion industry. Through previous research, clinicians have been capable of delivering personalized treatments for cancer that can address the specific condition of an individual patient. These treatments, however, have been costly to produce (due to individual manufacturing), and they’ve been associated with specific side effects. The BriaCell approach should be less costly and have fewer side effects than currently approved personalized immunotherapies.

Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring form of malignancy in women and the second most common overall cancer. In the U.S. alone, 12.3 percent of women will receive a diagnosis of breast cancer in their lifetime (http://ibn.fm/QaUGj).

The development of innovative therapies has increased the survival rate of breast cancer patients. The five-year survival rate has gone up from 74.8 percent in 1975 to 90.7 percent in 2011 for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite this, over 40,000 women will die of breast cancer in the United States in 2018, indicating a very large unmet need.

BriaCell Therapeutics is based in Berkeley, and its headquarters are located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company specializes in clinical-stage biotechnology and targeted immunotherapy for advanced breast cancer.

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

• Global legal marijuana market set for CAGR of 34.6 percent over next seven years
• Redfund plans internationally diversified portfolio
• Focused on revenue-producing MMJ, hemp and CBD companies

Since a rising tide lifts all boats, the surge in the legal cannabis industry is set to boost the prospects of many an enterprise in the cannabidiol (CBD) space. The global legal marijuana market is projected to enjoy a healthy CAGR of 34.6 percent over the next seven years, reaching $146.4 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research (http://ibn.fm/AjZh8). However, just as a boat must do more than simply stay afloat, CBD businesses must be set on a profitable course, and a lack of capital can make that impossible. Nevertheless, revenue-producing CBD operators that can scale successfully could turn to Redfund Capital Corp. (CSE: LOAN) (OTC: PNNRF) (Frankfurt: O3X4) for counsel and capital. Redfund is a merchant bank that provides debt and equity solutions to companies in the mid to late stages of development. Currently, Redfund is focused on medical marijuana (MMJ), hemp and CBD and health care-related companies.

The tide is indeed rising. After the recent midterm elections, two more U.S. states – Missouri and Utah – are on their way to legalizing medical marijuana, bringing the number of U.S. states to have done so to 33. Other U.S. jurisdictions – Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands – have done so, as well. Moreover, now that voters in Michigan have approved recreational use of marijuana, adult use marijuana is now legal in 10 states, as well as the District of Columbia (http://ibn.fm/uy9GY). Internationally, the picture is no different. From November 1, 2018, doctors in England, Wales and Scotland have been able to not just recommend but also prescribe cannabis. To date, 31 countries have legalized marijuana for medicinal use. This progressive wave will, undoubtedly, buoy Redfund’s clients operating in the North American and European CBD sectors.

Recently, Redfund published details of its involvement with one such client, Mary’s Wellness Ltd., a marketer and distributor of cannabis-infused teas (http://ibn.fm/UPeS0). The merchant bank is in active discussions with partners in the UK, Switzerland, Colombia and Portugal to help launch Mary’s products. Redfund aspirations for the beverage manufacturer are ambitious. It is hoping to make the brand as widely recognized as Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX). A first step to that is an IPO for Mary’s Wellness early in 2019.

Redfund is also funding Winterlife Inc. as the latter launches a new product line (http://ibn.fm/TWSOx). The Winterlife CBD product line is 100 percent organic, vegan and gluten free. The SKUs will include Winterlife’s famous gourmet cookies, tinctures and capsules, which are now manufactured in Washington State. Winterlife products are currently available in over 600 dispensaries throughout the state. The company also has processing agreements in several other U.S. states. Its revenues are close to C$3 million per annum.

In October 2018, Redfund announced the opening of a subsidiary, First Euro Cannabis, which became the first incubator and accelerator in Europe that finances medical cannabis, CBD and hemp companies (http://ibn.fm/OVLtM). The subsidiary will play an important part in the distribution of Winterlife CBD products across Europe.

Put together by bankers and entrepreneurs with years of experience in business, consulting, capital markets, corporate finance and health care services, Redfund Capital provides a debt financing facility to help companies build their valuations and get to the next level in their financing cycles without prematurely giving away equity. Diversification is an essential portfolio strategy. The company has interests in Canada, Europe and the U.S. As acceptance of marijuana’s therapeutic value grows, there’s no doubt that Redfund is taking this cannabis tide in the affairs of men, at the flood. That approach just may lead on to fortune.

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

• Canaccord Genuity initiates coverage of TGOD with C$7.00 price target
• TGOD expands international footprint to 17 countries with joint venture In Mexico
• Appoints new CFO, strengthens marketing and compliance with senior appointments

Canaccord Genuity has turned bullish on The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD) (OTCQX: TGODF), and its reasons are set out in an initiation report. The Canadian producer of organic cannabis is set for international expansion, say analysts from the investment bank’s research division. They have initiated coverage with a “Speculative Buy” rating and a price target of C$7.00 ($5.40), which is almost double the present value of the company’s shares (http://ibn.fm/WeK3D). TGOD, they say, has enough cash “to achieve annual capacity of approximately 195,000 kg (excluding hemp production).” Some of that production may make its way to Mexico under a joint venture agreement, as the company continues to expand its international footprint. To run the show, TGOD is bringing in new talent. It now has a new CFO and has made appointments, at a senior level, in compliance and marketing.

The Canaccord Genuity analysts believe that a major differentiating factor for TGOD is its focus on organic cannabis, which is preferred, according to a recent survey, by “43 percent of Canadian recreational cannabis consumers.” They “expect the negative impact of consuming cannabis containing pesticides will continue to generate strong demand for organic product.” As a result, they “estimate that Green Organic Dutchman’s fully funded production capacity translates to approximately $1.1-1.4 billion in annual revenue. While TGOD’s current focus is on increasing production capacity in Ontario and Quebec, (they) expect the company to be free cash flow positive in 2020 as it plans to build a portfolio of organic cannabis brands that will serve legal recreational and medical markets around the world.” TGOD now has operations in 17 countries spanning two continents and revolving around CBD oil, which, unlike THC, is generally legal in those countries. In Mexico, for instance, pharmacological derivatives of cannabis have been legal since June 19, 2017.

In October 2018, TGOD announced that it had entered into a strategic joint venture with LLACA Grupo Empresarial to create a 50/50-owned company to enter the medicinal cannabis market in Mexico (http://ibn.fm/kF7nC). LLACA will facilitate the importation, registration and distribution of TGOD-branded organic cannabis and hemp-derived medical products into the Mexican market. LLACA brings formidable capability to the partnership. Through its distribution network, TGOD will have access to 4,500 pharmacies and 3,100 supermarkets throughout Mexico.

To tackle the challenges from international expansion, TGOD is boosting its organizational capabilities. In October 2018, the company announced the appointment of Sean Bovingdon as its new chief financial officer (http://ibn.fm/BTczl). Bovingdon is an accomplished executive with almost 30 years’ experience in a variety of private and public companies. Most recently, he served as CFO of Toronto Hydro Corporation, a utility company with $3.5 billion in annual revenue. Before that, he served as president and CFO of a number of public and private oil and gas companies; as CFO and VP, finance for TSX-listed technology and manufacturing companies; and as controller for a major TSX-listed oil sands company. Bovingdon has been involved in $1.1 billion of public equity and debt financings and $2 billion of syndicated credit facilities, including three IPOs.

TGOD further strengthened its senior management team with two new appointments: Emily Demeo as its marketing brand director and Terry Reid as its director, legal and compliance. Demeo has joined from Molson Coors Canada (MCC), where she led MCC’s foray into non-alcoholic beverages, gaining valuable marketing experience in a regulated industry. Before her stint at MCC, Demeo worked at L’Oreal as senior product manager for Garnier Fructis.

Reid joins TGOD following a successful career at Teva Pharmaceuticals, where he was a key member of both the legal and compliance teams, most recently as head of compliance for Canada. Prior to his role at Teva, Reid had a successful commercial litigation practice at a reputable Toronto law firm.

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

• Zenergy Brands, Inc.’s Zero Cost Program aims to help clients reduce utility consumption without incurring upfront out-of-pocket expenses
• The residential suite package offers customers cost-effective energy savings through connected smart device controls
• The acquisition of Enertrade Electric LLC heralds a new era for Zenergy Brands as it launches into the REP space

Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY) is an energy and technology company operating in the emerging, next-generation, smart energy utility and conservation industries. Headquartered in Texas, Zenergy Brands is focused on providing a wide range of cost-saving energy solutions to both residential and enterprise customers. The products and services enable clients to not only achieve sustainability goals but also reduce their carbon footprints and, ultimately, add value to their bottom lines.

On June 29, 2017, through subsidiary Zen Technologies, Zenergy Brands officially started customer installations as part of its first Zero Cost Program (http://ibn.fm/rsxTZ). This project involves the installation of smart controls, retrofits, energy conservation technologies and efficiency upgrades at business premises.

The main feature of the Zero Cost Program is that it gives clients a platform to take advantage of Zenergy Brands’ commercial offerings without incurring new out-of-pocket expenses. It is a service contract under a performance-basis regime that guarantees customers energy savings.

The Zero Cost Program contracts are financed by Coit Capital Securities, an investment bank based in San Francisco. The expected reduction in energy consumption under this program is between 20 and 60 percent.

Monitoring reports of the Zero Cost installations have shown better performance in terms of energy conservation compared to the forecast. This is true even where weather conditions are more severe than those recorded in the baseline data.

The other solution Zenergy offers its customers is the Residential Suite. This is a collection of Smart Home products targeted at residential customers to help them with energy savings. The products in this package include home automation systems, security monitoring and energy conservation services. These can be controlled through smartphone technology 24/7. While the Zero Cost Program targets corporate clients and incentivizes them to upgrade their legacy energy systems and devices, the residential suite is aimed at homeowners.

As an additional component, the residential suite program gives an opportunity for homebuilders and multi-family real estate residential developers to provide high-end customers with Smart Home technologies.

On October 17, 2016, Zenergy Brands expressed interest through a letter of intent to acquire Enertrade Electric LLC (http://ibn.fm/XxOUN). This is a Retail Electric Provider (REP) based in Texas. On April 9, 2018, the acquisition of the company was finalized, and it became part of Zenergy Brands, Inc.

The acquisition of the company ushered in a new platform that bolsters the existing smart control and energy conservation solutions offered by Zenergy Brands. On October 1, 2018, Zenergy Brands announced that it had finalized the name change of Enertrade Electric LLC to Zenergy Power & Gas, Inc.

Zenergy Power & Gas, Inc., being a licensed REP, fits perfectly into Zenergy Brands’ strategic plan to become a leading provider of premier smart control solutions serving both residential and commercial customers.

The global revenue for energy efficient solutions is expected to grow tremendously heading to 2025. This will serve to firmly anchor Zenergy Brands on a stable growth path as it enriches businesses through responsible use and management of energy.

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

• Concerns over a potential supply deficit as China attempts to control the world supply
• QMC Quantum Minerals doubles Irgon Dike strike length
• QMC at advanced stage of developing hard rock source’s potential

QMC Quantum Minerals Corp.’s (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ) efforts to “reawaken the promise” of Canada’s historically rich lithium fields in Manitoba are part of a broader strategy to build supplies of an in-demand metal from a close-to-home, North American source, and recent discoveries at the property are energizing the company’s prospects.

Forecasts for a potential supply deficit of the elements critical to the lithium-ion batteries that power a vast majority of the world’s computer technology needs have touched off a number of strategic responses by explorers and researchers.

Lithium-ion batteries have been manufactured and improved on as the go-to rechargeable source for power to computerized electronics, from wearable smart watches to military technologies, with cell phones being perhaps the most ubiquitous product of them all. In addition to this, the anticipated enormous increasing demand by rising production of electric vehicles worldwide is only lighting up the industry.

News that China had exhibited tremendous foresight by aggressively working to secure primacy in the global supply chain for the batteries’ two key raw components, lithium and cobalt, fueled a nationalistic trend following the 2008 worldwide financial crisis. China’s economic strategy regards electric vehicles as a key industry, and the country’s state-controlled companies have labored to dominate the supply chain — from politically troubled Congo-sourced cobalt mining through to Chinese plant refining of the metal — all while exploring potential alternative battery technologies. As a result, the country effectively owns approximately 85 percent of global cobalt supply, according to research by cobalt distributor Darton Commodities (http://ibn.fm/wSa32).

China has also actively worked to secure agreements with leading lithium miners in Chile and Australia, despite holding the world’s second-largest reserves of the metal, which it regards as being too expensive to extract at this point, according to CKGSB Knowledge (http://ibn.fm/0gYyb).

“It’s clearly the case that China will lead the world in E.V. development,” Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman William C. Ford Jr. stated during an event in Shanghai last year (http://ibn.fm/wwNnZ).

QMC’s efforts to derive lithium from Canadian sources gained a stronger toehold when the company announced that it had found additional “significant spodumene mineralization” in pegmatite dike outcroppings on the Irgon Mine Property in Manitoba, where it was already exploring the spodumene-bearing Irgon Dike. These recent discoveries have led the junior explorer to slate drilling these additional targets on the Irgon Mine Property located within the prolific Cat Lake-Winnipeg River rare-element pegmatite field.

Exploration at the Irgon Dike more than half a century ago established a resource estimate (which the company considers to be historic and not up to current NI 43-101 standards) of more than 1.2 million tons of lithium grading 1.51 percent over a strike length of 365 meters (1,197.5 feet) and to a depth of 213 meters (698.8 feet). The latest finds indicate the possibility of extending the strike length as far as 400 meters (1,312.3 feet) to the west, effectively doubling the length of the strike and the potential for the original resource estimate “to be rapidly increased through ongoing exploration” the company stated in an October 30 news release (http://ibn.fm/ptsn2).

QMC Quantum Minerals is bullish on the potential of hard rock mining of spodumene as a source for lithium verses Chile’s famed dried lake bed salt fields.

“When lithium prices headed upward, investors learned that Chile was pouring out tons of the metal at low costs. The Atacama salt flats became famous, and people assumed that reaping lithium from brines was easier than pulling it out of rock. But it turns out that the Atacama desert is a rare situation,” the company stated (http://ibn.fm/cpGw6). “The truth is that, although lithium brines occur in many places around the world, only highly concentrated brines actually produce lithium economically. In contrast, hard rock lithium mines have numerous advantages. They do require more exploratory work; however, once the surveys and sampling are completed, hard rock pegmatite deposits are faster to mine and production is more reliable.”

QMC has been working on the Irgon Mine Property for two years and states that a typical hard rock project takes three to five years for such work. Channel sampling on the dike has returned excellent results, and prior development of the site, including a road, an established mineshaft and underground development, have bestowed the advantage of existing infrastructure. The company is nearing readiness to file the updated NI 43-101 report and to begin to mine.

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

• Supreme Cannabis Company announces record revenues of $5.14 million for Q1 2019
• Company boosts product offerings with coast-to-coast High-End Cannabis line of recreational cannabis
• Supreme Cannabis continues to build on supply agreements, including first international entry for medical cannabis oil distribution
• Company boosts profile with acquisition of strategic communications firm Bayfield Strategy, Inc.

As the market for cannabis products and recreational marijuana begins to catch fire following Canada’s nationwide full-use legalization of the plant, Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1), operating through wholly owned subsidiary 7ACRES, has positioned itself to provide premium High-End Cannabis coast-to-coast while beginning to access international markets as well.

Seen as validation of its successful execution of 7ACRES’ business strategy is the announcement of a record $5.14 million in revenue for Q1 2019, marking a 45 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 229 percent increase from Q1 2018 (http://ibn.fm/5wEoc). Commenting on the dramatic increase, CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal said in a news release, “We’ve established valuable intellectual property and laid a strong foundation for 2019 by amassing coast-to-coast distribution for what we believe is the only premium High-End Cannabis grown at scale in the country. Moving forward, our branding and distribution for 7ACRES will accelerate, as we’re confident that consumers will further fuel our growth as they recognize the standard 7ACRES has set in the market for premium dried flower.”

Ontario-based Supreme Cannabis built on its B2B medicinal cannabis production model when it entered recreational use supply agreements with Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in June for 7ACRES’ LP products. The company began moving into the adult use market with the launch of its Jean Guy strain in British Columbia following the federal government’s October 17 deadline to open markets to cannabis’ full-use potential.

Online distribution under the agreements with the other provinces was set to follow in early November through provincially regulated adult-use channels, and the remainder of 7ACRES’ product lineup was expected to be available within a short time after through online and brick-and-mortar outlets.

“We’re now excited to make 7ACRES available to adult cannabis enthusiasts and consumers looking for a superior sensory experience when consuming cannabis. Our mantra at 7ACRES is ‘RESPECT THE PLANT,’” Supreme Cannabis President John Fowler stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/oXV4z).

“We believe that by respecting the plant, the people who care for it and the people who ultimately consume it, we have built a culture of continual improvement where consumers can expect that each flower experience is better than the last,” he added. “7ACRES flower is focused on pleasing three primary senses: aroma, visual appeal and flavour. Through an intensive phenotype selection-process, we selected our four core strains to maximize the objective and subjective quality across these three categories.”

7ACRES operates inside a 342,000-square-foot facility. The company has been gradually building its production capacity since obtaining the necessary Health Canada approvals to begin cultivation in the first 30,000 square feet of state-of-the-art flowering rooms a year ago, and it expects to have all of its flowering rooms operational and the facility complete by early next year (http://ibn.fm/YhFHY).

Supreme Cannabis has been bolstering its management team with experienced professionals throughout the course of the year, and it began trading on the OTCQX Best Market operated by OTC Market Group in August. Additional supply agreements are also boosting the company’s reach to consumers around the world. Between January and March, Supreme Cannabis entered multiple supply agreements, including a long-term global distribution strategic alliance with Medigrow Lesotho (PTY) Limited for medical cannabis oil to be produced in Lesotho and exported to international markets. In September, 7ACRES entered into multiple agreements with Tilray Canada Ltd. to supply cannabis to the company’s medical cannabis patient population in Canada. Tilray Canada is a subsidiary of Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY), a global leader in cannabis research, cultivation, processing and distribution that is currently serving tens of thousands of patients in 11 countries spanning 5 continents.

In addition, on November 13, the company announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire communications firm Bayfield Strategy, Inc., which offers specialized advice and expertise in the area of strategic communications, investor relations, public affairs and shareholder activism (http://ibn.fm/SCCA3). The Bayfield Team will assume a variety of roles at Supreme and help the company accelerate strategic priorities, bolster communications efforts and drive global growth.

“I am excited to welcome the Bayfield team to Supreme Cannabis,” Supreme Cannabis CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal stated in a news release. “We have worked closely with Bayfield and have come to trust their advice, work ethic, and values. As we enter an exciting growth stage for the Company and the global cannabis industry, we will benefit from the infusion of skills and experience brought by the Bayfield team.”

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

• CIIX announces an official media partnership with Marijuana Business Daily for its flagship event, MJ Biz Con
• ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. leveraging MJ Biz Con visibility to enhance investor community traction
• CIIX CEO sees a positive growth outlook for 2019 in the industrial hemp cannabidiol product line

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) has grown to be a leading financial information website targeting Chinese investors in the U.S. and elsewhere. Founded in 1999, the company focuses on providing real-time market analysis, commentary and education-related services. In addition, CIIX offers consultative services aimed at small private companies, advertising services and public relations support products.

The company recently announced an official media partnership with Denver-based business news outlet Marijuana Business Daily. This has seen CIIX feature prominently at the ongoing Marijuana Business Daily flagship event (http://ibn.fm/IbTGV) underway at the Las Vegas Convention Center through November 16.

According to Warren Wang, CEO of CIIX, the company has positioned itself to play a strong leadership role at MJ Biz Con. The conference is strategic for the company because of the visibility it provides. CIIX plans to leverage the opportunity that the conference presents to develop alliances and identify new revenue opportunities.

During the conference, CIIX aimed to receive additional visibility at a networking lunch and presentation held on November 15 at Las Vegas’ Capital Grille. In attendance were Alan Stone & Company, Southern California Investment Forum and Wallstreet Research.

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. was also present during the National Investment Banking Association Conference (http://ibn.fm/f8YKV) that was held in New York from October 31 to November 1, 2018. This conference gave investors a better understanding and favorable perspective of the industry growth prospects of CIIX.  The company, led by Wang, aims at sharing its investment story with the audience at MJ Biz Con in a bid to gain further traction and investor confidence.

Leveraging its financial expertise, CIIX, through subsidiary CBD Biotechnology Co. Ltd., recently entered into a key distribution agreement for industrial hemp cannabidiol. With the evolving regulatory and political landscape, the Chinese market for industrial hemp cannabidiol is likely to drive revenue growth for the company.

In its first fiscal quarter of 2019, ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. announced revenue growth of 70 percent year-on-year, with product sales up more than eight times. In fiscal year 2019, the company has planned to inject more marketing resources into the industrial hemp cannabidiol product line. This move is likely to enhance its growth numbers.

The main operating revenue sources for the company are investor relation service, subscriptions and sales of products. Just like most companies in this industry, the lion’s share of operating expenses is taken up by general and administrative costs. They accounted for 86 percent of the company’s total operating expenses for the quarterly period ended August 31, 2018.

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

• The Flowr Corporation’s stock is rated as a ‘Speculative Buy’ in expectation of above-average profit margins and significant growth
• Flowr fulfilled orders from three provinces on-time and in-full in advance of October 17 and is preparing re-stocking shipments
• Investment in a 50,000 square foot cannabis R&D facility expected to keep the company on the cutting edge of cultivation productivity and quality

The Flowr Corporation (TSX.V: FLWR) is a Canada-based licensed producer of premium cannabis products. The company invests heavily in its cultivation and R&D teams and facilities in order to produce premium and ultra-premium cannabis that provides a consistent consumer experience to medical and recreational clients. The investments should also enable the company to achieve very high crop yields, resulting in high margins and strong return on investment. To achieve this, it has purpose-built cultivation facilities that are equipped with the most advanced cannabis growing technology in the industry.

In the cannabis sector, Flowr could become one of the most sought-after companies by investors, according to a recent report by Clarus Securities analyst Noel Atkinson. Atkinson rated the stock a “Speculative Buy,” as he believes Flowr has a unique advantage in that it will be able to successfully scale indoor cultivation of cannabis (http://ibn.fm/TiOqS). The company fills one of the most lucrative product gaps in the cannabis sector in Canada, which is the production of premium flower with enough capacity to cater to a national customer base, the report says. Atkinson expects this strong market position to enable Flowr to increase its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to $6.8 million in fiscal year 2019, supporting a projected 37 percent increase in Flowr’s stock price.

One of the greatest strengths of the company is the experience possessed by its cultivation team, which is led by company co-founder Tom Flow. Flow was also the co-founder of MedReleaf and built that company’s cultivation facility in Markham, Ontario, which has long been recognized as one of the most efficient in the industry. MedReleaf was acquired by Aurora (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB) earlier this year for C$3.2 billion.

Flow and his team have built more than 15 cultivation facilities in total and, for Flowr, are constructing state-of-the-art indoor growing facilities that will initially total 85,000 square feet. The facilities are designed to Good Manufacturing Process standards – the same guidelines used in the construction of pharmaceutical production facilities. They employ patent-pending equipment to enhance the quality of the cannabis plants grown, as well as the efficiency of the facilities.

“Yield is one of the most important measures of a cannabis company’s performance an investor can look at,” Steve Klein, Flowr’s chairman and chief strategist, stated in a news release. “Growing cannabis requires a significant amount of real estate and the more revenue you can generate from that real estate, the more profitable it will be.”

“For example, Apple stores are very profitable because they sell thousands of dollars of merchandise per square foot versus industry averages in the hundreds of dollars per square foot,” Klein continued. “At Flowr, our goal is to have yields – or the amount of product we produce and sell per square foot of space we own – two to three times higher than industry averages. This will give us a lot of product to sell while supporting high profit margins.”

The company received initial purchase orders from the government-controlled cannabis retailers in the provinces of British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Ontario, as well as a dispensary in Saskatchewan. While some producers struggled to fulfil orders, Flowr completed its shipments on-time and in-full in anticipation of adult-use legalization of cannabis, which took place on October 17, 2018. Flowr products were available to more than half of Canada’s population when cannabis was legalized, and many sold out within days, according to retailer websites. The company is currently preparing additional shipments.

British Colombia receives two strains of Ace Valley cannabis and several strains of Flowr brand. In producing the Ace Valley cannabis, the company partners with another brand – Ace Hill Beer.

Flowr has branded medical cannabis products that it sells to clinics nationally under the FlowrRx brand. Sales are also done through the company’s website. The cultivation facility in Ontario measures 85,000 square foot, 20 percent of which is currently operational. Completion of the facility is scheduled for early 2019.

To remain at the cutting edge of quality and cultivation techniques, Flowr has a research and development department staffed by leading experts on cannabis and formed an exclusive R&D alliance with the Hawthorne Canada subsidiary of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG). Through the alliance, Hawthorne is building the first facility in North America dedicated to cannabis research and development adjacent to Flowr’s cultivation center in Kelowna, British Columbia. The 50,000 square foot facility includes indoor and greenhouse grow suites, laboratories, training areas and genetics breeding areas.

According to Chris Hagedorn, senior vice president and general manager of Hawthorne Gardening Company, the research facility will help optimize the company’s line of products, and Flowr was the obvious choice for a research partner. “When you look around Canada, there are a lot of licensed producers, but there aren’t a lot of folks up here doing the quality of work Flowr is,” he noted in an interview with KelownaNow (http://ibn.fm/6YiRI).

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

• Sales performance indicators for powerboats from NMMA data dashboard show robust growth on a 12-month rolling year-over-year basis
• Victory Marine looks at vertical growth to create a private-label design and expand its inventory and sales team
• The company participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with an aim of meeting with prospects and increasing listings
• Wholly owned subsidiary Excalibur Trailers USA Corp. to steer revenue growth into 2019 yacht sales and boating season

Victory Marine Holdings Corp. (OTC: VMHG) is a recreational marine provider engaged in yacht sales for both new and used boats, brokerage and consultancy services. Located in Miami, Florida, the company has a large inventory of boats, offers insurance services to yacht owners and offers financing arrangements to buyers. With over 20 years of combined industry experience, Victory Marine’s team is set to capture its fair share of the market through negotiated partnerships with manufacturers.

The latest data dashboard version (http://ibn.fm/5ywsv) of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) shows impressive wholesale and retail sales performance indicators. For instance, the retail unit sales of new powerboats continued to enjoy 83 consecutive months of growth, with sales up by three percent on a 12-month, year-over-year basis through August 2018.

On the other end, wholesale shipments of powerboats through July 2018 ended on a strong note, with growth of 12.3 percent on a rolling 12-month year-over-year basis. This, combined with the positive growth signal from the U.S. Purchasing Managers Index, shows a vibrant market that Victory Marine can leverage to establish itself as a key industry player.

In 2017, the NMMA reported that the industry recorded sales of $39 billion. This presents a huge opportunity for yacht sales, brokerage and consulting companies like Victory Marine to spread their reach, both vertically and horizontally. On the vertical front, the company has already established partnerships with select manufacturers. This is part of a long-term strategy to establish its own pipeline of unique, private-label design.

The near-term strategy of the company is to expand its inventory base and grow its sales team. This involves hiring experienced and qualified professionals, as well as participating in exhibitions that potential clients frequent. One such exhibition that the company took part in was the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) (http://ibn.fm/njEqi). The show, held from October 31 to November 4, brought together over 1,500 boats and more than 110,000 visitors drawn from over 50 countries.

In an earlier address, before the exhibition, Victory Marine Holdings CEO Orlando Hernandez noted that the show is one of the largest and most prestigious in the world. He also expressed optimism that the 2019 boating and yacht sales season, which the show ushers in, means a lot in terms of revenue potential for the company.

To enable the company to position itself as a world-class marine trailer manufacturer, Excalibur Trailers USA Corp., its wholly owned subsidiary, was granted approval by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International. This will enable it to build new custom trailers for both commercial and recreational boat transport. All powerboat segments are reporting increasing demand for trailers, and this gives a positive outlook to Excalibur. In terms of states, Florida leads the pack in trailers, powerboats and accessory sales, reporting a 10 percent increase in 2017 to $2.9 billion. Texas and Michigan are the next states in the queue with $1.7 billion and $982 million in sales respectively.

This growing demand creates a strong revenue stream for Victory Marine that is very scalable. Going into the busy boating season, the company is looking forward to seeing how the revenue stream will strengthen and align it toward its long-term vision.

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