• Targeting $80 billion global skincare and dermatology market
• Revenues to be derived from royalties and other licensing fees
• DermSafe sales have taken off in Greater China
• Pending merger will expand product offerings

Among the winners at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio was DermSafe® from Skinvisible’s (OTCQB: SKVI) subsidiary, Kintari. Donated to Team Canada, the non-alcohol hand sanitizing lotion offered protection from pathogens to athletes during the Olympic Games. Now, with the Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea from February 8-25, the need is more pressing. Reported outbreaks of the flu have increased dramatically this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://ibn.fm/2rjXw). For the first time since it began monitoring flu patterns, the CDC has reported widespread flu activity in every part of the continental U.S. There is no doubt that antiseptics like DermSafe, which inhibit the spread of contact infections, will take center stage again. There’s a lot at stake. Influenza kills at least 12,000 Americans every year.

The main curse this season is the particularly malevolent influenza virus H3N2. It is the most dominant strain not only in the U.S. but in Canada and the UK. The virus, experts believe, is mainly transmitted through the air by droplets formed when infected persons cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets land on hard surfaces like door knobs and as soon as one touches it they have just transferred the virus to their hands. With over 90 percent of all germs coming into one’s body from their hands, it is very important to wash them regularly. Regular use of an alcohol hand sanitizer will work as a replacement to hand washing, but it, too, is only immediate and offers no long term protection. Independent studies verify that DermSafe, when applied to the hands, offers a continuous long term kill on bacteria and viruses tested including the H3N2 virus. Consequently, a hand sanitizer like DermSafe is a vital safeguard against the spread of such germs.

DermSafe incorporates Skinvisible’s proprietary Invisicare® drug delivery technology, which is effective at bonding active ingredients to the skin for up to four hours and longer. Invisicare is non-occlusive; it allows normal skin respiration and perspiration while moisturizing and protecting against exposure from a wide variety of environmental irritants. When topically applied, products formulated with Invisicare adhere to the skin’s outer layers, forming a protective bond, resisting wash-off and delivering targeted levels of therapeutic or cosmetic skincare agents to the skin. This allows enhanced delivery performance for a variety of topicals resulting in improved efficacy, longer duration of action, reduced irritation and lower dosage of active agent required. The “invisible” polymer compositions that make up Invisicare wear off as part of the natural exfoliation process that removes the skin’s outer layer of cells.

Having made its debut in Rio, DermSafe is set for a repeat performance at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Skinvisible has donated over 1,000 bottles of DermSafe to the Canadian Olympic team. DermSafe provides a long-lasting protective barrier that binds to the skin and actively combats the spread of germs between people and between people and hard surfaces. Composed of four percent chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), the same active ingredient found in soaps used in hospital operating rooms, DermSafe offers long-term protection and destroys both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and viruses. It has proven effective against a host of infectious germs, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Sales of DermSafe have already taken off in China, and the product will be marketed throughout Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

China, with a population of over 1.6 billion people, exhibits a strong demand for American-made products, driven both by the growth of the middle class in large cities and an increased desire for high quality products. Last year, China imported $2.7 billion in personal care products, and around 69 percent of Chinese women, in one recent survey, said they are in the market for such products and would buy them from online stores, spending an average of $1,800 a year. As well as DermSafe, Kintari offers a line of anti-aging products that includes day cream, night cream, hand and body lotion, and sunscreen. Skinvisible’s foray into Greater China is in line with its strategy of driving Kintari-branded product sales through subsidiaries in the U.S. and Canada and international distribution and licensing agreements.

Along with Skinvisible’s cosmeceutical and over-the-counter products, Skinvisible has signed a letter of intent with Quoin Pharmaceuticals Inc. to merge the two companies and to pursue additional medical conditions, such as post-surgical pain and PTSD with suicidal thoughts in the military.

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

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• Petroteq Energy Inc. has a patented, environmentally-friendly oil sands extraction technology which is suitable for all hydrocarbon deposits
• Company is developing the first blockchain-based platform, PetroBLOQ, to meet the supply chain needs of the oil and gas sector
• Company is dedicated to increased transparency while providing users increased productivity and lower costs

Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF), a Canadian company known for its patented, environmentally-friendly oil sands extraction technology, is developing PetroBLOQ, the first blockchain-based platform focused on meeting the specific needs of players in the oil and gas industry. PetroBLOQ promises to improve efficiency, transparency and security in the oil and gas sector.

Transparency is at the heart of all that Petroteq does. The company is dedicated to implementing the same standards it has in producing clean energy to the development of this new blockchain platform. In addition to being committed to the preservation of the environment, protection of heritage and cultural landmarks, safe work environments, employee safety and respect for local residents, Petroteq has committed itself to improving the transparency and accountability of the oil and gas sector. The company is actively engaged in creating an open peer-to-peer network, removing fraud and corruption along the supply chain. Petroteq management takes seriously their commitment to clean, sustainable energy and social responsibility in everything they do.

PetroBLOQ promises to provide users with increased transparency while improving productivity and lowering costs. With this tool in place, the constantly evolving geopolitical atmosphere and market fluctuations of the oil and gas industry are expected to become simpler to navigate. Every level of the oil and gas supply chain has its own challenges. This new technology seeks to eliminate a number of those challenges and aims to help producers by way of prevention.

In his end of the year letter to shareholders (http://ibn.fm/A4y5k), chairman and CEO Aleksandr Blyumkin said that, with the patented clean heavy oil extraction technology being successful, the company is on the cusp of 87 million barrels of contingent resources. In 2017, it increased efficiency that could bring production capacity to 1,000 bpd (barrels per day). He goes on to speak of the new blockchain technology, saying, “Through our recently created PetroBLOQ subsidiary, and a working relationship with First Bitcoin Capital we intend to help reduce the massive administrative costs in the Energy Industry, as a developer and service provider of Blockchain enabled technology products.”

With zero greenhouse gas, zero waste and an emphasis on transparency, Petroteq Energy Inc. is dedicated to developing new technologies to help companies in the industry secure competitive advantage and cost efficiency.

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

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• Offering consumer loans in 20 states
• Robust underwriting standards
• Successful track record in the industry

Despite living in the country with the world’s most sophisticated financial system, 16 million American adults are ‘unbanked’, according to the latest ‘Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households’ issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (http://ibn.fm/XmUwO). Unbanked consumers are those without “a checking, savings, or money market account.” In addition, another 43 million or so are ‘under-banked’, defined as having a deposit account but also using at least one alternative financial service in the prior year. Yet prick the people who fall into these two market segments and, like their better-banked brethren, they will bleed, being no different. That similarity extends to their need for certain banking services, such as the personal loans offered by IEG Holdings Corp. (OTCQB: IEGH). The Nevada-based company offers loan products, under the label ‘Mr. Amazing Loans’, to residents of 20 states.

Who hasn’t needed, at some point, a personal loan for an emergency or to finance some venture? Yet banks are notoriously finicky. As Bob Hope once observed, “A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove you don’t need it.” Moreover, non-bank lenders charge usurious rates. The typical payday loan has rates ranging from 391 percent to 521 percent annual percentage rate (APR) on loans ranging from $100 to $1,000, according to the Center for Responsible Lending.

Conversely, the rates offered by Mr. Amazing Loans are affordable and designed with low, fixed repayments to fit into consumer budgets, with the added goal of helping clients reach a stronger financial position. The company offers $5,000 and $10,000 personal loans over a five-year term at rates ranging from 12.0 percent to 29.9 percent APR in 20 states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Thoughtful underwriting standards separate gold from the straw. To be eligible, a consumer must, among other criteria, have a minimum gross annual income of $40,000, a minimum credit score of 600 and a steady employment history. Loans are originated, processed and serviced out of the company’s Las Vegas corporate offices, which eliminates the need for IEGH to have a brick-and-mortar office in each state where it is licensed to conduct business. Consumers are able to receive same-day processing and are assured of no hidden or additional fees, no prepayment penalties and reasonable interest rates.

IEGH has a 6 1/2-year track record of originating, underwriting and servicing personal loans to under-banked consumers. It has become adept, through that experience and knowledge in the consumer finance industry, at achieving a meaningful return on its loan portfolio. In addition, the company has the clout to attract capital markets financing, as it has signaled with recent private placements of common and preferred stock. IEGH has two wholly-owned subsidiaries, IEC, its U.S. operating entity that holds all its state licenses, leases, employee contracts and other operating and administrative assets, and IEC SPV, a bankruptcy remote special purpose entity that holds the U.S. loans. The company recently introduced a third subsidiary, Investment Evolution Crypto, LLC.

Paul Mathieson, IEG Holdings chairman and chief executive officer, has over 22 years’ experience in lending, funds management, stock market research and investment banking. Mathieson founded IEG Holdings Limited in Sydney, Australia, launching the Mr. Amazing Loans business in that country in 2005 and then in the United States via IEGC in 2010. He was awarded Ernst & Young’s 2007 Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Eastern Region). Mathieson is joined by Carla Cholewinski, who serves as chief operating officer with over 37 years of experience in the finance industry, including banking, credit union management, regulatory oversight, debt securitization and underwriting.

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

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• Warren Wang, CEO of CIIX, says trading is active for cryptocurrencies in China on over-the-counter exchanges
• CIIX doubles down on its commitment to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, spinning off two other corporate divisions to spend more time on building its new cryptocurrency division
• The company’s goal is to gain revenue, profitability and value for its shareholders

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) sees a bright future for cryptocurrencies in China due to interest among Chinese investors in making cryptocurrencies part of their portfolios of assets (http://ibn.fm/KZGmN). Warren Wang, CEO of CIIX, said in a news release that the emerging middle class in China is expressing its desire to be educated about trading and investing in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

CIIX, as a result, is doubling down on its commitment to bitcoin growth by offering a real-time daily video broadcast from the NYSE, targeted at the Chinese-speaking community in China and North America. The broadcast’s goal is to educate viewers on the latest cryptocurrency news. The company also hosts a bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters.

Wang, in a recent interview on The Bad Crypto Podcast (http://ibn.fm/xt19y), said that Chinese investors are selling and buying cryptocurrencies through unregulated, over-the-counter exchanges, because conventional exchanges are banned by the government from trading in cryptocurrencies. These investors, he said, are persistent in their desire to trade the volatile cryptocurrency. Wang stressed that the Chinese community is motivated by the growth of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

CIIX is a diverse company serving the Chinese-speaking community. It has recently spun off two of its corporate divisions that were involved in hemp marketing and the legal cannabis industry to focus, instead, on the education and marketing of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

“There’s so many cryptocurrencies from China emerging, or at least on the exchange right now,” he said in the interview. He added that there is tremendous opportunity for CIIX to bring added revenue and profitability to its shareholders as the Chinese investment community seeks education about the volatile market of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. He urged entrepreneurs to be patient as this large community takes time to learn more about this market.

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

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• SPYR eyes greater shareholder value, as the move is expected to increase revenues and profitability through fees charged to players for maintenance and trading of planets they “own”
• The blockchain technology integration will also allow SPYR to market planets held in the blockchain to others with space-themed games
• Pocket Starships players will have greater ownership of the planets they buy, and they will be able to execute P2P (player-to-player) transactions with cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin

SPYR, Inc. (OTC: SPYR) has announced that it is executing the integration of blockchain technology into its Pocket Starships flagship game within its wholly-owned subsidiary, SPYR APPS, LLC (http://ibn.fm/OHREn). The result will be additional revenue from the integration of blockchain into Pocket Starships, the company said. In addition, the technology, marketed through SPYR, will also be available to others who have developed and published their own space-themed games.

Blockchain will hold planets in the Pocket Starships game. SPYR then anticipates generating more revenue by charging players for maintenance of the planets and by getting a percentage of the revenues on the buying, selling and trading of planets. Each planet held by blockchain will be unique and tradable on the public planet real estate market, SPYR said. Cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, can be used to buy and sell planets.

SPYR, Inc., is a Denver-based holding company which is eyeing additional acquisitions within the mobile application, game development and similar verticals markets. Its goal is to expand its holdings, generate more revenue and boost shareholder value by increasing profits.

In a news release, James R. Thompson, CEO and president of SPYR, said, “I believe we have come up with a very exciting way to implement Blockchain technology both within and beyond Pocket Starships. The ability to own a planet that creates in-game resources is something that will appeal to our players and keeping the planet on the blockchain will allow SPYR to work with other developers and publishers to have the planets exist in any number of space-themed games.”

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

• Company notes record revenues in latest quarterly report
• Global big data revenues expected to approach $80 billion within three to five years
• Blockchain’s security may enhance AI’s data learning to provide greater efficiency options

The world marked 2017 as the year blockchain technology and its derivative applications created real revenue-generating excitement for business, even while differing experts debated whether the transaction-securing tech is truly foundational or simply the market darling of the moment. Among the companies evaluating the changing data landscape was AnalytixInsight, Inc. (TSX.V: ALY) (OTCQB: ATIXF), a dealer in the much older and still nascent technology sector of artificial intelligence. AnalytixInsight has created a proprietary “machine learning” technology to analyze big data and turn it into actionable strategies for the fintech and internal corporate analytics markets, and it is evaluating opportunities to enhance its efficiency via the convergence of data evaluation and data security technologies.

AnalytixInsight, through its flagship product CapitalCube, serves investors and the companies who inform them by providing in-depth analysis on over 50,000 global equities and North American ETFs, company accounting and earnings reports and information about likely future stock and acquisition activity by select corporations — all thanks to its AI capacity. The technology frequently reevaluates itself to maintain a desired investment risk profile while providing regular compliance reporting.

CapitalCube has the ability to provide information in multiple languages, is customizable and can generate reports, earnings analyses, graphs, trend charts and numeric table displays in PDF file format utilizing 100 billion computations each day. Through partnership agreements with Thomson Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance and other financial entities, the platform publishes thousands of daily news articles as well.

Another fintech subsidiary, called MarketWall, develops mobile and wearable software for a wide variety of smart devices. Its latest app, attuned to real-time stock trading information and online banking, is expected to launch in 2018 for the 12.6 million customers of Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest retail bank, with branches located across six European countries. The mobile stock trading application will interface with the bank’s MarketHub trading platform. The app ties as-it-happens market data to company profile information provided by CapitalCube.

A third subsidiary, Euclides Technologies, delivers workforce management data solutions for global-reach corporations through its Field Service Management software. The artificial intelligence platform will empower companies to increase the efficiency of their large-scale operations by tracking employee performance data and establishing customized recommendations for controlling quality. The advent of cloud services also provides companies with options for data processing and implementation that don’t require investments in large-scale infrastructure and security measures.

AnalytixInsight’s AI technology algorithms have the potential to be adapted to almost any data-driven corporate or governmental need, or even entertainment interests such as sports tracking and forecasting.

Analysis portal Statista.com estimated that the global big data industries’ revenues amounted to just under $34 billion in 2017 (http://ibn.fm/DRs5K) with the capacity to grow to nearly $80 billion in the next five years. SNS Research estimated global big data revenues at over $57 billion in 2017 (http://ibn.fm/SVsr9), with a CAGR of about 10 percent growth during the next three years, amounting to about $76 billion by the end of 2020. AnalytixInsight’s most recent quarterly report showed a record revenue level of $1.7 million, a 77 percent increase over the previous quarter and a 600 percent increase over the same period of the previous year.

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

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• Company utilizing novel Caribbean blue scorpion venom therapy for immune system boost
• PreveCeutical seeks new ways to treat cancers, metabolic disorders, pain, infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease
• Partnership with University of Queensland researchers advances scientific scope of projects

In the modern health care industry, disease prevention has taken a commanding role as screenings and regularly scheduled physician visits aim to minimize costs that could otherwise spiral out of control once a chronic condition is established. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report an ongoing concern that Americans are using preventive services at about half the recommended rate (http://ibn.fm/5IfsA). British Columbia-based PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE: 18H) was founded on the principle that prevention is the best policy in health care and that nature and science may combine to provide an array of innovative, untapped solutions to otherwise unmet clinical needs.

PreveCeutical is taking a new look at ways to combat chronic health concerns such as diabetes and obesity, pain management, neurological disorders and cancer. PreveCeutical developed its CELLB9® oral dilute solution utilizing select peptides from the blue scorpion, which is found only in the Caribbean region. PreveCeutical’s “Nature Identical” research team is building on proprietary chemistry to produce controlled venom peptides that it hopes will be able to halt the progression of cancers, while also exploring the peptides’ potential in responding to other medical concerns related to metabolic disorders, pain, cardiovascular disease and infectious maladies.

During 2017, the company entered a partnership with UniQuest Pty Limited that directs UniQuest to conduct research programs at the University of Queensland in Australia on PreveCeutical’s behalf. The partnership identified development programs for four therapies.

One of those is aimed at assessing pain and inflammation models with the idea of developing non-addictive analgesics for moderate to severe pain. The three-phase research project was expected to last up to 24 months under the terms of the research and option agreement (http://ibn.fm/MXC9z) with the goal of identifying the scorpion peptides and a means of replicating them in a laboratory, rather than having to rely on milking the scorpions for their venom, then screening the peptides in various disease models of interest.

PreveCeutical is also developing a proprietary gel application, called Sol-gels, for delivering a CBD-based medical cannabis formulation directly to the brain. Sol-gels are taken via nasal (systemic) administration and rapidly gel upon contact with mucosal tissue, which paves the way for direct nose-to-brain delivery. This effectively bypasses the stomach and intestines – eliminating first-pass metabolism – and may dramatically improve bioavailability, even compared to nasal sprays and other newer delivery systems. Additionally, the gel stays in the nasal passages, slowly releasing the CBD while keeping it active for up to seven days. The ease of application and its long-lasting effects may be attractive for patients when compared to other delivery systems.

The company’s four-year program targeting diabetes and obesity seeks also to engineer a therapy that recognizes a gene common and overactive in the two ailments. The therapy would “silence” the gene — turning it off to prevent the overproduction of a protein molecule believed to play a role in the declines commonly associated with diabetes and obesity.

Successes in these endeavors would solidify PreveCeutical’s efforts to become recognized as a pioneer in preventative medicine and increased quality of life factors.

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

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• Company has developed and licensed novel drug delivery systems and products for over 15 years
• With 14 patents, Skinvisible has proven efficacy and global reach
• Proposed merger may transform non-opioid pain market

At the cutting edge of innovative drug delivery technology since 1999, Skinvisible, Inc. (OTCQB: SKVI), in a recently announced Letter of Intent of a proposed merger with Quoin Pharmaceuticals, is now expanding its horizons into the global pain management therapeutics market. The pain management therapeutics market is projected to expand at a 3.7 percent CAGR and exceed $83 billion in the United States by 2024 (http://ibn.fm/1wGbq). Skinvisible, through wholly owned subsidiary Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has already developed, licensed and sold multiple dermatology and health care products, as well as various medical treatments, using its patented Invisicare® technology. The proposed merger with Quoin Pharmaceuticals (http://ibn.fm/dJWLM) would combine Skinvisible’s patented and proven novel drug delivery technologies that enhance the delivery of various active ingredients with Quion’s strong pharmaceutical background in post-surgical pain and promising approach to PTSD treatment.

Skinvisible has a long, successful history developing and licensing Invisicare®, its patented polymer technology. Enhancing how drugs are delivered on, in, or through the skin, Invisicare® has proven efficacy in a wide range of dermatology and health care products, including products to treat acne, skin cancers, eczema, fungal infections, inflammation, warts and dermatitis. Broad applications extend to sunscreens, anti-aging products, alcohol-free hand sanitizing lotions, pre-surgical preparations and, now, with a Quoin merger, the enhanced delivery of important non-opioid pain management medications.

With a focus on a lucrative licensing model and over 40 products developed in topical dermatology, Skinvisible has already achieved impressive market traction. The company offers a premium line of scientifically formulated, highly effective skincare products powered by its Invisicare® technology and has revolutionized the topical sunscreen market with Skinbrella®, a patented broad-spectrum 80-minute water-resistant sunscreen that meets or exceeds all FDA requirements.

Last year, Skinvisible completed its first international sale of alcohol-free DermSafe® hand sanitizers in China. DermSafe® utilizes a unique formulation that provides a long-lasting protective barrier that binds to the skin for hours and reduces the spread of germs between people and hard surfaces. In September 2017, the company signed a breakthrough exclusive license agreement with Canopy Growth (TSX: WEED) for two distinct cannabis- and hemp-based topical product lines aimed at enhancing penetration of topically used cannabis products.

With 14 patents granted surrounding its novel drug delivery systems and products, it’s little wonder that Quoin Pharmaceuticals looks to merge with Skinvisible. Delivering enhanced and effective non-opioid pain relief is the current Holy Grail of pharmacology, and Skinvisible’s contribution to what may become transformative pain management delivery shouldn’t be underestimated.

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

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• Portfolio of hemp-derived CBD products
• Opening of new production facilities
• New subsidiaries, acquisitions and joint ventures

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST) is celebrating another year of accomplishment. In 2017, the company churned out a series of advancements that included the launch of new subsidiaries and products and an acquisition, along with entry into marketing, manufacturing and distribution agreements. It also commenced pre-launch human trials of a new product designed to join the fight against opioid addiction. As a result, 2017 revenues were almost twice as much as in 2016. Now, even though the stock is trading at around $1.00, a price target of over $4.00 has been set.

Earth Science is making waves in the hemp-derived cannabinoid (CBD), nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medical device markets. The company’s activities range from R&D to production to marketing and distribution. It continues to build the networks and infrastructure to launch new products, embarking on a number of joint ventures and acquisitions, and launching new subsidiaries. It has created a new division, Cannabis Therapeutic Inc., to develop proprietary cannabinoid-based nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical products based on its existing CBD patent.

The company also acquired Canna Inno Laboratories Inc., which will allow it access to Canadian government grants. Grant applications have already been filed, and the company anticipates that its first request will be approved in Q1 2018. Earth Science expects that, through this new subsidiary, about half of all R&D expenditures will be covered by grants. 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. Kanna, widely consumed in South Africa, is thought to decrease anxiety.

With these platforms in place, the ETST pipeline is filled with goodies like the CBD Organic Chocolate line and the Strawberry Orange Blossom CBD oil, as well as a pet CBD oil. Earth Science also plans to create two new cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical drugs and three new advanced cannabinoid-based nutraceutical products in collaboration with Smart Medicine, Inc. an independent laboratory based at Le Centre Québecois d’Innovation en Biotechnologie (“CQIB”) in Laval, Québec. In addition, Earth Science is developing proprietary prophylactic therapies to prevent breast cancer, and a treatment to help women with aggressive breast cancer. Additionally, seizing on an opportunity to enter the recreational vape/smoke market, the company launched a new wholly-owned subsidiary, KannaBidioid Inc., in its joint venture with Varsity Group, LLC, to manufacture and distribute vapes/e-liquids and gummy edibles.

In 2017, new manufacturing and shipping facilities were opened. Earth Science commenced leasing a manufacturing facility for the production of the MSN-2 medical device and began the first round of negotiations with foreign health authorities for commercialization of the product. MSN-2, designed to protect women and their future babies from chlamydia, will be launched in 2018 in select countries. In addition, ETST signed an agreement with the Centre de Développement Bioalimentaire du Québec (“CDBQ”), a major force in the agro-food industry in Canada. Based in La Pocatière, Quebec, CDBQ specializes in helping companies develop the processes needed to take a prototype agro-food or nutraceutical product to industrial-scale production for the marketplace. CDBQ boasts a bio-food incubator, which encompasses a 30,000 square foot, $10 million facility that houses seven separate factories equipped with cutting-edge equipment and technology.

Earth Science is also working with the Clinique SIDA Amité (AIDS Friendship Clinic) to conduct an amini-clinical trial, the last trial needed before the MSN-2 device enters molecular diagnostic trials. The company has started pre-launch human trials on a new CBD formula to fight against the U.S. opioid epidemic. The new formula, expected to decrease cravings and the negative effects of withdrawal in addicts, is based on industrial hemp CBD oil mixed with a known natural ingredient proven to help increase dopamine levels.

The hemp-derived CBD market is projected to grow at a CAGR of about 53 percent until 2020, positioning it as the fastest-growing sub-segment within the multi-billion dollar legal cannabis and hemp market. With an eye on that expanding market, ETST plans to launch a Regulation A+ Tier 2 round of financing in 2018. The goal will be to raise $4 million to complete all planned projects.

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

• State-sanctioned cannabis businesses forced into cash-only operations due to federal conundrum
• Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions has alternative for cannabis banking that solves cash handling issues
• Company’s proprietary system breaks logjam and provides businesses with competitive advantages

As the scientific evidence of the medical efficacy of marijuana has mounted, multiple states have begun to legalize its use. Ignoring antiquated federal strictures, 29 states now permit medicinal use, with eight states allowing recreational use, and more states are expected to expand legalization this coming year. The acceptance of marijuana throughout the nation has spawned a multi-billion dollar industry, yet it has also created a continuing conundrum for businesses engaged in marijuana transactions. These businesses are legal, yet are unable to open or maintain a bank account. Since the federal government still regards marijuana as an illegal drug, it has created an all-cash nightmare for the cannabis industry. Banks are regulated by the federal government and most won’t touch cannabis cash. A multi-billion dollar cash business invites headaches and trouble. Tax collection, payroll problems, bill payment, assaults and armed robbery all plague an industry that’s expected to exceed $37 billion in the U.S. by 2024. No other industry of this size suffers through such operational and logistical nightmares.

To solve these complex issues, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) has created the first purpose-built solution to cannabis banking that solves cash handling issues, offers electronic payment and e-commerce features and gives marijuana businesses immediate access to funds while keeping them in compliance with all federal (FinCEN) laws to combat domestic and international money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes. Not only compliant, REFG’s end-to-end payment processing solution finally provides cannabis customers and retailers with high-function payment options other than cash.

REFG’s proprietary Green closed-loop merchant processing system is the first operation of its kind geared to the legal cannabis industry. Not a prepaid or gift card, it is one of the first and only comprehensive card processing operations to break the operational and logistical logjam caused by cash-only transactions in state-sanctioned marijuana businesses. The debit card from Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions can only be used for payment within a state where marijuana is legal and only for cannabis-related products from state-sanctioned vendors. Businesses using the company’s card realize an immediate advantage in reducing risks, meeting regulatory requirements and promoting customer interactions.

By breaking the logjam and providing state-sanctioned marijuana businesses with the first purpose built solution to cannabis banking, including sales tracking and tax collection, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions is poised to become an indispensable asset to the burgeoning national marijuana industry.

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

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