• Net Element specializes in mobile payments and value-added transactional services
• The company supports electronic payments acceptance in a multi-channel environment
• Net Element recently announced that its PayOnline subsidiary is partnering with Bank Sputnik

Payment processor Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) specializes in mobile payments and value-added transactional services. A worldwide technology-driven group, the company provides its platform for small to medium enterprises (SME) in the United States and select developing markets. On Deloitte’s 2017 Technology Fast 500™, Net Element was ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in North America.

The company supports electronic payments acceptance in a multi-channel environment, including point-of-sale, e-commerce and mobile devices. Net Element has positioned itself strategically for growth in emerging countries and the U.S.

Net Element recently announced that its PayOnline subsidiary is partnering with Bank Sputnik to offer a complete multi-channel payment facilitator solution (http://ibn.fm/aQv8uv). This solution is for SMB (small and midsize business) merchants in the Russian Federation. Established in 1990, Bank Sputnik is a global bank that provides a comprehensive range of banking services to legal entities and individuals.

Of note is that this payment solution expands PayOnline’s offerings beyond electronic commerce. Moreover, this payment facilitator solution provides a suite of tools not available from any other transaction processing company in the region.

Net Element, by partnering with Bank Sputnik, is at the vanguard of a new operating paradigm in the payment processing industry. Capgemini highlights this paradigm in its report, ‘Top 10 Trends in Payments 2018: What You Need to Know’ (http://ibn.fm/wwiJp). It states, “Banks run the risk of losing market share unless they adapt and change their operating model and become part of the new collaborative payments ecosystem.”

Innovative service offerings, such as the above, should continue to drive growth for Net Element. The company reported 2017 full year revenues of $60.1 million. This represents an increase of roughly 11 percent over its 2016 revenues of $54.3 million. Net Element’s revenue increase in 2017 was significantly driven by its North America Transactions Solutions division.

Net Element’s PayOnline features customizable payment flows. It also features a full-stack Application Programming Interface and value-added solutions. Additionally, PayOnline provisions a single, master merchant identification. As a result, it ensures that merchants and their clients benefit from an automated, real-time and seamless onboarding experience.

In a news release, Andrey Krotov, Net Element’s chief technology officer, stated, “PayOnline exceeds the unique needs of software platforms and merchants looking to enable payments in a multi-channel environment.”

Net Element’s global business strategy is to take advantage of its omni-channel platform. This is to deliver flexible offerings to developing markets with varied banking, regulatory and demographic conditions. In the United States, one way the company is working to grow transactional revenue is through innovating SME productivity services employing blockchain technology solutions.

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

• Hydrocarbons projected to continue supplying world’s energy needs in near future
• U.S. oil sands & shale reserves estimated at two trillion barrels
• Extraction technology could play vital role in U.S. oil sands & shale industry

The days when the U.S. economy depended on Middle Eastern oil are history. Now, just 17 percent of the approximately 10.1 million barrels per day (MMb/d) of petroleum imported comes from the Persian Gulf, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (http://ibn.fm/W27Sd). Although still a net importer, the U.S. in recent years has become a large supplier as well, exporting about 6.3 MMb/d of petroleum products to 180 countries. U.S. oil shale production now exceeds 10 million barrels a day. Indeed, U.S. oil shale reserves are estimated to be around two trillion barrels, about as much as conventional oil reserves worldwide. That gives Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF) a lot of scope in the coming years. The company does not drill for oil, but rather has developed patented technology to extract bitumen (crude oil) from oil sands and shale, crucial methodology that could unlock the trillion barrels of oil buried in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. The technology is being readied for application at its Asphalt Ridge facility in Utah.

Petroteq Energy Inc. has developed its environmentally safe, continuous flow, closed loop technology (a first in North America… and probably in the world) to extract bitumen oil from oil sands. The technology, which depends on a patented solvent/surfactant and produces no greenhouse gases, is the result of almost five years of research by Petroteq’s research and engineering teams, led by the company’s chief technology officer, Dr. Vladimir Podlipskiy. It can be effectively applied to both “water-wet” deposits, such as the oil sands projects in Alberta, Canada, and in the 20 or so countries with oil sands, as well as the “oil-wet” deposits found in Utah, where Petroteq is operating.

In a recent interview with industry journal Oilman, Dr. Raymond Gerald Bailey, president of Petroteq Energy Inc., discussed developments in the oil recovery and alternative energy sectors (http://ibn.fm/f12LO). He noted that present oil prices, which are approaching $70 a barrel, signal good things ahead for the industry. Although he expects to see alternative energy sources enter the supply chain, he is ‘not of the opinion that they will replace hydrocarbons anytime soon.’

Developing alternative sources of energy such as wind are still in the formative stages and require huge amounts of investment in infrastructure. Investors, he said, would much rather “invest in work: production, transportation, and refining. They don’t want to invest in infrastructure, because it is expensive, and the ROI takes a long time to pay back.” The world, he said, “is set up to run on hydrocarbons.” Moreover, hydrocarbons are still the most cost efficient sources of energy production.

However, making a distinction between alternative sources and alternative technologies, Dr. Bailey says that his lack of enthusiasm for non-hydrocarbon sources of energy does not extend to new technologies, like blockchain, which his company is fervently supporting. In collaboration with First Bitcoin Capital Corp., Petroteq is developing a blockchain technology called PetroBloq, which addresses some of the administrative challenges faced by oil and gas operators, particularly those pertaining to logistics and supply.

Dr. Bailey is acutely aware of those challenges, having served as president of Exxon’s Arabian Gulf operations. He has more than 50 years’ experience in all aspects of the oil and gas industry, upstream and downstream, onshore and offshore, and has served on numerous energy company executive boards.

Petroteq is cleaning up its balance sheet as its development efforts continue. The company recently announced its entry entered into three share-for-debt agreements (http://ibn.fm/okUGD). The debt for equity swaps will not only conserve cash but also significantly reduce enterprise risk.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

• Legalization set to compound cannabis logistical challenges
• Build-out of state-wide cannabis distribution network
• State-compliant cannabis track & trace software good to go

If it’s true that an army marches on its stomach (an aphorism attributed to both Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte), that observation goes to show how highly some of history’s most renowned leaders regarded an efficient logistics operation. When asked what a soldier needed most in war, Napoleon was in no doubt that it was ‘a full belly and a good pair of shoes’. ‘A good pair of shoes’ gets your forces into action in a timely fashion, while ‘a full belly’ gives them the energy to do so. As in war, so in business, as logistics giant Amazon has proven. Finished products, particularly perishables, sitting in a warehouse are really finished, if they can’t get to market quickly. Now that California’s cannabis market has expanded with the legalization of adult recreational use, the logistical challenges of getting product to point-of-sale have become formidable. The market is projected to reach $5.1 billion in 2019. TransCanna plans to seize this commercial opportunity. The company will help cannabis suppliers get their products to market. To do so, it is setting up a distribution network throughout California to serve the state’s billion-dollar cannabis industry.

Since California’s adult recreational market debuted on January 1, 2018, sales of cannabis products have been moving along at a healthy pace, albeit less than state projections. ‘In the first two months of cannabis legalization, consumers bought an estimated $339 million worth of marijuana products from retailers in California’, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee (http://ibn.fm/WDjYh). Extrapolating these numbers means market size for the first full year after legalization would reach $2.4 billion. However, ‘BDS Analytics estimates sales of cannabis to hit $3.7 billion by the end of 2018 alone, and predict that number will increase to $5.1 billion in 2019 as more dispensaries come online’. By comparison, in 2017, beer sales in California were around $5 billion. Transporting all of this cannabis is starting to look like a weighty proposition.

Current wholesale prices hover around $1,400 per pound. The U.S. Cannabis Spot Index, maintained by Cannabis Benchmarks, was at $1,331 per pound on April 13, 2018, with prices set to rise (http://ibn.fm/1DNg0). The price for delivery in May is $1,425 per pound. That seven percent monthly jump in the index could be just a blip. However, it may be a sign that, already, cracks in the current logistical system are starting to appear. At an average of $1,400 per pound, getting $3.7 billion of cannabis to customers means delivering 2.6 billion pounds of product to hundreds of retailers. In February 2018, more than 6,000 dispensaries and delivery services located in California were listed on Weedmaps, in addition to the 580 state-licensed dispensary and delivery companies. Weedmaps is an online platform for anyone with an interest in marijuana that has been referred to as a Yelp for cannabis.

Logistical complexities in California are intensified by a plethora of local community regulations. Despite being allowed by state law, cannabis sales can be prohibited by local jurisdictions. So far, just one-third of California’s cities have allowed retail sales. For those that have, retail operations must be compliant with state imposed regulations. As a result, TransCanna has entered into an Intellectual Property Rights and Royalty Agreement for the Track & Trace software platform required by the state of California. It has received a transportation and distribution permit from the city of Adelanto, and the company has also executed a land lease to build a 10,000 square foot transportation and distribution facility in Adelanto.

For more information, please visit http://ibn.fm/TransCanna

• Record 20.5 million people in the U.S. were involved in direct selling in 2016, a 1.5 percent increase from the previous year, with $35.54 billion in direct retail sales
• Collaborative economy and growth of social media platforms bringing diversity, empowerment to direct selling companies and entrepreneurs
• Global direct selling industry generated about $182 billion in 2016, with wellness products snapping up 35 percent of direct retail sales

From its headquarters in Plano, Texas, diversified holding company Sharing Services Inc. (OTC: SHRV) offers an international perspective for entrepreneurs everywhere hoping to master the art of network marketing and direct selling. Sharing Services owns, operates or has a controlling interest in a range of companies in the health and wellness, energy, technology, training, media, insurance services and travel industries. Sharing Services offers home-based entrepreneurs ample opportunities to meet personal goals, elevate their own businesses and prosper.

The Direct Selling Association states that a record 20.5 million people were involved in direct selling endeavors in the U.S. in 2016, with person-to-person pegged as the top sales strategy employed by direct sellers (http://ibn.fm/tCK4Y). Sharing Services empowers its growing international network of home-based entrepreneurs, known as ‘Elepreneurs’, through its dynamic ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ that focuses on sharing the company’s collective products and services to generate 100 percent organic growth. Sharing Services supports its entrepreneurs and reinforces its message through live seminars and training events that elevate the skills and knowledge needed to empower each member to success.

The direct selling industry is a worldwide phenomenon, with more than $182 billion in sales logged during 2016, a report by Statista reveals (http://ibn.fm/Vq189). Unsurprisingly, wellness products generated a hefty 35 percent of those direct retail sales, with cosmetics and personal care following at 30 percent. Sharing Services is following that trend, as sales in February 2018 topped $1.1 million, buoyed by developments in its health and wellness division (http://ibn.fm/mbg8T).

Sharing Services recently signed a joint venture agreement with Health Wealth & Happiness Limited (“HWH”), a Hong Kong-based company, to deploy the Elepreneurs brand throughout Asia, which is already a leading direct seller market. Statista reports that, in 2016, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan generated more than $46 billion in direct retail sales (http://ibn.fm/wrLIY). The newly formed company will be named ‘Elepreneurs Asia Limited’ and will have marketing and sales rights to China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Papua, New Guinea. A soft launch of the Elepreneur program is scheduled for some time later in 2018, with HWH CEP Fai Chan and his team leading the effort.

To learn more about Sharing Services, Inc., visit www.SharingServicesInc.com or call Investor Relations at (714) 203-6717.

• Exploration of a former lithium mine in Manitoba expected to yield more than a million tons of tech-friendly metal
• Lithium is an in-demand metal that is expected to become more popular as electric vehicle production surges
• QMC anticipates significantly expanding Manitoba exploration potential as further under-explored sites are evaluated

Southcentral Canada may have the next big thing in terms of the supply chain for worldwide technological demands such as cell phone and electric vehicle batteries, rocket propellants, mental health medications and heat-resistant ceramics. The province is home to the Irgon Mine, a historical lithium mine that appears to have plenty of untapped resources, and QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ) is situated to explore it.

QMC is a strong proponent to the idea that hard-rock mining remains the ideal way to extract the lithium ore vital to so many aspects of modern daily use technology, despite the growing popularity among young start-up miners of brine evaporation techniques for quickly extracting the soft metal. The prolific Cat Lake-Winnipeg River pegmatite field of Southeastern Manitoba may provide ample hard-rock spodumene mineralization to extract. It is here that QMC is exploring 13 adjoining mineral claims, with direct Provincial Highway access, covering 6,538 acres and located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Winnipeg.

QMC’s spodumene-bearing Irgon Dike was previously explored and developed underground by a company intent on mining lithium during the mid-20th century, but that project was abandoned because of the low market price for the metal at the time. The company, The Lithium Corporation of Canada Ltd. (“LCOC”), reported a resource estimate of 1.2 million tons of lithium oxide-bearing pegmatite that graded at 1.51 percent Li2O over a length of 365 meters (1,200 feet) and to a depth of 213 meters (700 feet). Initial historic testing of this ore at that time also reported an 87 percent recovery, from which a concentrate averaging 5.9 percent lithium oxide (Li2O) was extracted.

The historical reporting of this resource estimate was not up to modern National Instrument NI 43-101 reporting standards, so QMC’s first priority is to deliver a current NI 43-101 compliant estimate on the viability of the claims.

“We’re working vigilantly on proving-up and expanding the resource to NI 43-101 standards,” CEO Balraj Mann told market analyst Baystreet.ca in April (http://ibn.fm/DpBeR). “Our 3-D modeling and interpretation of historical data strongly suggests potential for a much larger resource than has been identified by LCOC. I’m not saying we have another (massive strike like Australia’s) Greenbushes or anything like that but considering our position in a world-renown rare-element pegmatite district, the proximity to our neighbour (world-leading cesium miner TANCO) and the reported historical lithium resource published on the Irgon Mine, we feel good about the future.”

Mann’s comments about 3-D modeling reference findings that show significant lithium grades in the ore — regularly reporting above 1.0 percent and ranging as high as 2.21 percent across 9.5 meters (31 feet). QMC’s recent channel samples obtained grades up to 4.31 percent, 4.0 percent and 3.05 percent lithium oxide across short intervals of one meter, according to the Baystreet.ca report. The average grade of spodumene ore fed into the processing plant operated by Galaxy Resources in Australia fell to 1.11 percent over the past three months, showing the comparative potential of the Canadian Irgon Mine site.

QMC’s examination of the historical data also determined that the LCOC exploration only involved a portion of the Irgon Dike. QMC intends to not only upgrade the reporting standards on ore estimates, but to extend the strike length and test mineralization farther below the 700 foot depth to which LCOC explored. That is expected to “rapidly increase the resource tonnage above the currently reported historical tonnage of 1.2 million tons,” according to the company (http://ibn.fm/f0hQj).

“While our immediate focus is to be on the Irgon Dike where LCOC conducted their historical development work with plans for QMC to move towards production here as quickly as possible, we also see a tremendous opportunity to expand the project in the future,” Mann told Baystreet.ca. “Outcrops, grab and channel samples tell us that there are at least three more dikes within the 6,538 acres of our property and I don’t think it would be a great stretch to expect there to be more.”

Particularly as electric vehicle production skyrockets as anticipated during the next two decades, lithium miners around the world are expecting to step up their production in order to meet demand for the limited-supply metal. Yearly electric vehicle sales worldwide are predicted to reach 24.4 million by 2030 – a thirty-fold increase, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (http://ibn.fm/HWdFW).

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

• Lexaria and GP Holdings LLC enter into a five-year semi-exclusive licensing agreement
• Lexaria and GP have developed a series of high-performing cannabis beverages with nearly zero unwanted taste and odor
• California cannabis-beverage market is expected to be one of the largest edible product segments

Drug delivery innovator Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) recently announced a definitive technology licensing agreement with GP Holdings LLC to empower next-generation performance in high absorption, fast acting cannabis-infused beverages to be developed and sold in California. DehydraTECH™ is LXRP’s edible delivery technology that promotes healthier ingestion methods, lower overall dosing and higher effectiveness of lipophilic active molecules. This revolutionary technology makes it possible to deliver bioactive substances via oral ingestion, eliminating the need for unhealthy practices such as inhalation or the addition of sugars or sweeteners, which are commonly used to mask taste.

LXRP and GP have been working for months to develop a high performing cannabis beverage with nearly zero unwanted cannabis odor or flavor. Together, they have developed products with the complete clarity and transparency of even sparkling beverages. GP has acquired rights to use DehydraTECH™ in a five-year semi-exclusive licensing agreement for beverage applications in California and has acquired matching rights to develop topical skin products using this technology as well. Commencement of operations in GP’s new state-of-the-art bottling factory is expected within the next two quarters.

“The use of DehydraTECH™ triggers a race to the top in the California THC beverage and topicals market through this 5-year license agreement,” LXRP CEO Chris Bunka stated in a news release. “This is another long-term strategic relationship that will give consumers the faster acting and highly potent products they deserve, and class-leading flavor profiles for the beverage segment in particular.”

The semi-exclusive agreement gives LXRP the ability to offer other licensee partners the option of utilizing GP’s formulation and manufacturing expertise to produce cannabis-infused beverages throughout California. With the California cannabis-beverage market anticipated to be one of the largest edible product segments, LXRP is strategically positioned for continued growth within the cannabis industry.

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

• EVIO is the leading cannabis analytical testing company in the United States
• Acquisition of Leaf Detective provides a significant increase to EVIO’s testing capacity

On April 30, 2018, EVIO Inc. (OTCQB: EVIO) announced that it had executed an asset purchase agreement to acquire 100 percent of Leaf Detective, LLC, a California-based testing laboratory (http://ibn.fm/NPCrj). EVIO is the leading provider of cannabis testing and scientific research for the regulated cannabis industry. This strategic acquisition aligns with the company’s efforts to expand its analytical testing services to meet the increasing demand for these services in the state of California.

In terms of the agreement, EVIO will form a new entity, EVIO Labs Humboldt, to purchase all of Leaf Detective’s business assets for a total consideration of $500,000 in the form of a Convertible Promissory Note, which is convertible at $1.25 per share. The purchase includes brand, customer lists and contracts, rental agreements, equipment and equipment leases.

Leaf Detective is Humboldt County’s first licensed cannabis testing facility. The laboratory specializes in analytical testing for medical marijuana dispensaries, cannabis manufacturers, producers and consumers. It is an independently owned and operated testing facility that is dedicated to providing timely and accurate test results.

The Californian cannabis industry is predicting a shortage of testing services due to the state’s July 1 testing deadline requiring licensed retailers to sell only lab-tested products. This shortage will lead to delays in getting approval to sell the products. EVIO’s acquisition of Leaf Detective will capitalize on the current situation by increasing its testing capacity to meet the anticipated demand for testing services.

In a news release, William Waldrop, CEO of EVIO, stated, “Leaf Detective holds one of only 28 licenses issued by the Bureau of Cannabis Control for testing facilities. Upon completion of this acquisition, we will upgrade the facility to meet new testing standards and plan to be operational by end of third quarter. Our goal is to continue to improve consumer safety and increase shareholder value by capturing additional market share.”

Leaf Detective is located within the Emerald Triangle region of Northern California, the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States. This will give EVIO exposure to a larger customer base. A report by Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, a cannabis industry research firm, estimates that California cannabis sales will reach $3.7 billion by the end of 2018 and predicts that sales will grow to $5.1 billion in 2019 (http://ibn.fm/Y3Xkr).

“The expansion of our footprint is a clear reflection of the progress we are making in establishing the EVIO brand as one of the most prominent, safe and trustworthy testing laboratories in the State of California for cannabis,” Waldrop added.

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

• 12 more U.S. states likely to approve medicinal or recreational use of cannabis in 2018
• Hemp-derived CBD market on course for CAGR of 55 percent over next five years
• Ventures in both MMJ and recreational marijuana hedge bets

The tide of cannabis legalization sweeping over North America continues to rise despite intractable federal prohibition in the United States. In the U.S., 29 states and the District of Columbia allow cannabis for medical use. In nine of those jurisdictions, adult recreational use is also permitted. Another 12 are considering easing restrictions on cannabis use by the end of the year. In Canada, the recreational market is set for opening by fall. As a result, the cannabis market outlook is bright. A recent report valued the global legal cannabis market at $14.3 billion in 2016 and projected a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.1 percent until 2024, to reach $63.5 billion (http://ibn.fm/8kj1R). In the fastest growing segment of this market is where you will find innovative biotechnology company Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST). The hemp-derived CBD market, in which it operates, is ballooning at a CAGR of 55 percent. At that rate, it will cross the billion-dollar mark in five years. With its ventures in leading edge, cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, ETST is poised to share in that market growth.

Fuel is being added to the cannabis fire. In November 2018, initiatives allowing recreational use are likely to be on the ballot in six states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and Rhode Island. Vermont has already been there and done that. In January 2018, the state legislature passed a bill allowing recreational use, the first and only state to do so prompted by legislative initiative, rather than by being put to voters at ballot. In five more states – Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah – legalization questions on medical marijuana may face voters in November 2018, according to Newsweek (http://ibn.fm/HjTMY). If cannabis continues on its roll, 41 states and DC will have legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes, while 15 and DC will permit adult recreational use, by the end of 2018.

To enter this brave new world of cannabis liberalization, ETST is developing a portfolio of new products while aggressively pursuing growth through joint ventures and acquisitions. In this vein, newly created division Cannabis Therapeutic Inc. will develop proprietary cannabinoid-based nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical products based on an existing CBD patent. The company continues its activities in the hemp-derived cannabinoid (CBD), nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medical device markets. In addition, it is pursuing a vigorous program of R&D and continued development of its marketing and distribution channels.

The company’s purchase of Canna Inno Laboratories Inc. is already paying off. The acquisition, partly designed to gain access to Canadian government funding, has scored on that front. In March 2018, ETST announced that Canna Inno Laboratories had received a supporting grant for innovation in the pharmaceutical industry from the Ministère de l’économie, des sciences et de l’innovation of the Government of Québec.

This first grant is earmarked for the pre-launch processes on the company’s three CBD-based nutraceutical provisional patent products. The pre-launch process includes a series of pre-clinical in vitro trials to fight breast cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Thereafter, patent applications will be submitted, with the products expected to be commercialized as nutraceuticals during the waiting period. The company also plans to apply for more funding under Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit program, among others. Earth Science expects that, through this new subsidiary, about half of all R&D expenditures will be covered by grants.

ETST is also venturing into the recreational market. A joint venture with Karmavore SuperFood is set to manufacture a new chocolate product, and one with Varsity Group, LLC, a kanna ingredient based e-liquid company, will give Earth Science a presence in the recreational vape/smoke market.

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

• Company completes IPO for total gross proceeds of more than $115 million
• Common shares, as well as common share purchase warrants, commenced trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange today
• Aurora Cannabis exercised full participation right for IPO on a pro-rata basis

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD), a research and development company licensed under Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) to cultivate medical cannabis, this morning announced the completion of its initial public offering and commenced trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company’s IPO consisted of 31.51 million units priced at $3.65 per unit, generating gross proceeds of more than $115 million.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB) (OTCQX: ACBFF), a fellow ACMPR licensed producer and established leader in Canada’s burgeoning cannabis space, accounted for roughly 17.5 percent of the IPO issue, investing $23.1 million in exchange for 6.3 million units and exercising its full participation right on a pro-rata basis. This investment comes just months after Aurora announced the completion of a $55 million investment in TGOD and entered a supply contract providing Aurora with the right to purchase up to 20 percent of the annual production of organic cannabis from TGOD’s cultivation facilities.

TGOD is currently focused on the renovation of its existing greenhouse facilities in Ancaster, Ontario, and Valleyfield, Quebec. In January, the company detailed plans for an expansion of its 970,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art, ultra-high technology hybrid greenhouse facilities that is expected to create “one of the largest and most technologically advanced cannabis production facilities in the world, producing ultra-low cost, premium-quality organic cannabis.”

In late afternoon trading, TGOD’s shares were up about 10 percent on volume of more than 8.4 million.

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

• Shares of The Green Organic Dutchman commenced trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange today under the symbol “TGOD”
• TGOD has raised approximately $270 million in private placements with over 5,000 shareholders, including a $55 million strategic investment from established marijuana industry leader Aurora Cannabis
• TGOD has a funded capacity of 116,000 kg of premium organic cannabis
• Canada slated to legalize adult use recreational cannabis in mid-2018

The Green Organic Dutchman Ltd. (TSX: TGOD) has successfully raised more than $270 million in private placements with over 5,000 shareholders. Through these efforts, TGOD is establishing one of the largest organic cannabis companies based on funded capacity. Its investors include Aurora Cannabis Inc. (OTCQX: ACBFF) (TSX: ACB), one of the most prominent companies in the marijuana industry, which allocated a total of $55 million through a strategic investment announced in mid-January. In a news release issued earlier today, TGOD announced that Aurora has exercised its full participation rights in the company’s IPO on a pro-rata basis, purchasing roughly 17.5 percent of the IPO issue for an additional investment of $23.1 million.

The latest investments are expected to be used to fund a 970,000 square foot expansion of TGOD’s production facilities in Ontario and Quebec. The newly expanded facilities will be capable of producing 116,000 kg of cannabis a year and are expected to come online in the fourth quarter of 2018 and second quarter of 2019, respectively. These investments and TGOD’s strategic partnership with Aurora will help drive the company’s expansion plans and goal of becoming the largest organic cannabis company in the world.

The company is differentiated by a number of unique characteristics that help promote sustainability and rapid growth in the sector. TGOD grows to scale, possesses complete logistical and infrastructural controls and boasts a world-class senior CPG management team. It has also partnered with the world’s second-largest power management company, Eaton Corp., and the second-largest construction management company, Ledcor Group.

By leveraging an organic, low-cost cannabis production process, TGOD has increased its margins. This is especially possible through its partnership with power management company Eaton Corporation (NYSE: ETN). Eaton’s part in the deal includes the provision of optimization and innovative research, providing TGOD with an opportunity to have some of the lowest electricity input costs in the field. Under its partnership with Ledcor, the construction management company will ensure an accelerated production schedule by using advanced multidisciplinary design/build processes and implementing scalable operational and project plans.

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