• Substance use disorder (SUD) has reached crisis proportions
• Deal links Quoin’s non-opioid analgesics to Skinvisible’s drug delivery system
• Market for opioids is currently about $6 billion annually

Opioids are killing Americans at an alarming rate. Every day ‘91 Americans die… from an opioid overdose’, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response to the substance abuse epidemic sweeping the nation, Congress passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in December 2016. The legislation allocates over $1 billion to a variety of programs, some of which will attempt to wean patients away from addictive opium derivatives, a push unlikely to cause any degradation in pain management regimens. Non-opiates, in many instances, have proven to be just as effective for pain relief as oxycodone, hydrocodone or codeine, some widely used opioids. In October 2017, President Trump declared a public health emergency to deal with the opioid epidemic. Now that opioid use has reached crisis levels, bringing benign alternatives to market could rescue thousands from the perils of addiction. Skinvisible, Inc. (OTCQB: SKVI) plans to do exactly that. It is teaming up with Quoin Pharmaceuticals, in a proposed merger, to provide pain management products that, unlike opioids, do not provide a cure that is worse than the disease.

The abuse of opioids and other substances continues globally to be a vexing public health issue. The number of people reporting a substance use disorder (SUD) is on the rise, a development attributed to illicit opioids like heroin and opium but also, more alarmingly, to prescription opioid pain relievers (OPRs). The effects have been devastating. In 2015, 33,091 Americans died due to an accidental or unintentional opioid-related overdose. OPR abuse is largely responsible for the increase in SUD fatalities. ‘Deaths from prescription opioids—drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone—have more than quadrupled since 1999’, according to one CDC study (http://dtn.fm/q4SKb). This fourfold increase is in line with the volume of OPRs dispensed: ‘The amount of prescription opioids sold to pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors’ offices nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2010’, a development that has been blamed on system failure (http://dtn.fm/3rDPp). There is, obviously, a pressing need for less pernicious painkillers. Luckily, there are indications that some non-opiates can be just as effective at reducing pain, as a recent study shows (http://dtn.fm/7JdGR).

Announcing the proposed merger with Quoin Pharmaceuticals Limited, Skinvisible provided an update on how it proposes to address this crisis (http://dtn.fm/P4Dtj). The proposed first lead product, QRX001, is a single use transdermal non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist intended for the treatment of post-surgical pain. An NMDA receptor antagonist is a type of anesthetic that inhibits the action of the N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Transdermal medicines are those applied to the surface of the skin that then penetrate into the blood stream. QRX001 is expected to provide up to 72 hours of effective analgesia post-surgically, eschewing the use of any opioid.

About half of those addicted were first introduced to opioids to combat pain after surgery. QRX001, when developed, may provide surgeons with a more effective alternative to opioids and to current opioid sparing products such as intravenous NSAIDs. The current market for opioids in the U.S. is estimated at $6 billion annually, and the highly differentiated nature of QRX001 could position it to capture significant market share either as a monotherapy or as part of multi-modal therapy. An application for Fast Track status for QRX001 will be filed.

The proposed merger with Quoin will allow Skinvisible to enter the post-surgical pain management market. The post-merger entity is expected to carry the name Quoin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and be listed on the OTCQB Venture Market.

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

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• Oil industry services company added millions to its value in 2017 amid expansion effort
• Petrogress, Inc. leadership maintained profitability amid down-revenue period
• Trade partnerships position company to work with major industry players on key shipping routes

News that the oil and gas industry may be entering an extended recovery period following years characterized by decreased prices, a lack of investor confidence and a number of bankruptcies is only adding to the optimism of survivors like Petrogress, Inc. (OTC: PGAS), which capitalized on sound management practices to report a significant rise in profitability during last year’s third quarter and a record adjusted report of earnings despite a slump in the company’s sales volume.

In a news release, PGAS CEO Christos P. Traios stated, “The fact that revenues were down didn’t impact the fact that we still ended up showing a profit… We are stockpiling cash and prepaying expenses and also reflecting the acquisition of our assets in Ghana and Cyprus. We added $3 million-plus to shareholder value, to the book value of the company.”

Petrogress has been building its portfolio, pursuing the acquisition of two Aframax tankers in Dubai that will help the company trade through the Suez Canal as it seeks to further shore up its foothold in North Africa and the Mediterranean. The company is also working with trading partners in Libya and Ghana to advance its refining, production, and other oil and gas-related businesses. Negotiations for an interest in existing facilities at Cyprus’s Port of Limassol give Petrogress critical access to crossroad routes that it needs for providing shipping services and, according to CEO Traios, “exposure to large international oil and gas concerns that are working in the oil fields off the coast of Lebanon and Israel.”

The company’s aim is that the opportunity to forge ties with companies working in the large, long-producing fields in the Middle East will provide it with critical networking resources, as well as profits from the services it provides. A partnership with EDT Offshore, announced last month, expands those opportunities.

In Ghana, a Petrogress African subsidiary is working to secure government contracts, hopeful that company tankers involved in the Nigerian oil trade will be able to operate from a hub port in the Accra area and bid for operations at the currently profitable APG-1 production platform some eight miles offshore. APG-1 will require some platform repairs but provides the potential opportunity to profit not only from the 300 to 500 barrels that can produced daily there, but also from eight other offshore lease blocks, where an estimated 44 billion barrels of oil are believed to be available.

“While that’s clearly a project that would far outpace our current ability to finance, we think the ability to attract major players to participate with them in operations is going to provide some excellent, excellent opportunities for 2018,” Traios said.

The company’s last quarterly report stated that total assets grew during the period from $9.79 million to $14.03 million during the first nine months of 2017.

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

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• Company offers game-changing, environmentally-friendly proprietary heavy oil processing and extraction technology
• Company’s proprietary process produces no greenhouse gas or waste, doesn’t require high temperatures and reduces the production cost per barrel
• Partnered with First Bitcoin Capital to develop and operate PetroBLOQ, the world’s first blockchain-based platform exclusively serving supply chain-related needs within the oil and gas industry

Engaged in developing groundbreaking technologies within the energy industry, Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF) is focused on creating value by developing and implementing proprietary technologies to extract heavy oils from oil sands, oil shale deposits and shallow oil deposits in an environmentally safe way. Petroteq’s proprietary heavy oil processing and extraction process produces no greenhouse gas and no waste and, also, does not require high temperatures. This technology further significantly reduces the production cost per barrel and can be easily used anywhere on earth as a means of tapping into heavy oil deposits.

As discussed in a recent article (http://dtn.fm/EeE7D), Petroteq recently forged a partnership with First Bitcoin Capital (OTC: BITCF) to bring the benefits of cryptocurrency to the oil and gas industry. The value of the most popular of the cryptocurrencies, bitcoin, began at less than $1,000 per unit at the beginning of 2017 and has skyrocketed throughout the year, breaking the $17,000 mark in December. Bitcoin’s meteoric rise has created a frenzy among investors as they seek opportunities to cash in on its dizzyingly climbing value.

In endeavoring to build advanced oil processing and refining facilities across the globe, Petroteq noted the existence of hindrances relating to supply chain channels within the oil and gas industry—impediments that could be remedied through the use of blockchain technology.

Collaboratively, Petroteq and First Bitcoin Capital are now working to develop and operate PetroBLOQ, which is an enterprise-grade platform based on blockchain that will facilitate the conducting of transactions for oil and gas enterprises around the world.

PetroBLOQ will be the first blockchain-based platform to exclusively serve needs related to the supply chain within the oil and gas industry, addressing issues like cost constraints faced by participants within the industry. It is anticipated that those who use PetroBLOQ will save both time and money and will also benefit from improved transparency, which the blockchain offers, making navigation of the constantly changing global market much easier and giving companies a competitive edge within the oil and gas space.

Particularly suited for addressing issues within the heavily regulated oil and gas industry, blockchain offers exceptional transparency, resistance to change and a secure means of accomplishing tasks beneath the canopy of government protocols and industry specifications. All in all, Petroteq anticipates that the blockchain could completely shake up the way business is conducted within the oil and gas industry.

Quickly bringing PetroBLOQ into important industry circles, Petroteq recently became a member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (http://dtn.fm/Osx9z), as well as the American Petroleum Institute.

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

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• Developing Nature Identical™ peptides derived from Caribbean Blue Scorpion venom to treat, regulate and prevent cancer progression
• Global market for cancer treatments projected to reach $161.3 billion by 2021
• Unique Sol-gel nose-to-brain CBD delivery platform under development to provide clinical relief of various physical disorders
• Global neuropathic pain market estimated at $8.3 billion by 2024
• Proof of concept already demonstrated for dual-gene therapy for type 2 diabetes and obesity
• Global expenditure for diabetes market in 2016 reached $825 billion

PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE:18H), headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a health sciences company dedicated to researching and developing innovative options for preventive and curative therapies utilizing organic and Nature Identical™ products. The company is strategically staking out select positions in the medically acute areas of diabetes and obesity, pain management, neurological disorders and cancer.

PreveCeutical Medical Inc. had its beginnings in 2009 when Stephen Van Deventer, a seasoned businessman and venture capitalist, and Kimberly Van Deventer, a successful entrepreneur, met and formed a business partnership. The duo created Cornerstone Global Partners, a venture capital and business development company, and became involved in numerous ventures including building companies such as Aurora Cannabis Inc. Taking their interest in the health and wellness market further, the pair began researching how nature and science can work together to benefit health-conscious consumers. Coining and trademarking the word “PreveCeutical” – a combination of the words “preventive” and “pharmaceutical” – was a precursor to the company’s formation and incorporation in October 2015.

The company’s first product was developed in the Dominican Republic and is now marketed and distributed worldwide by PreveCeutical. It is a Caribbean Blue Scorpion venom product sold under the trade name CELLB9®. This product is an oral dilute solution infused with select peptides sourced exclusively from the blue scorpion (Rhopalurus princeps) found only in Caribbean nations. The active potentiated ingredients in CELLB9, which have been used in over 40 countries for over a decade, appear to support health at a deep, cellular level. PreveCeutical’s research team is using proprietary chemistry to generate Nature Identical™ peptides derived from natural compounds found in Caribbean Blue Scorpion venom with the goal of eventually treating, regulating and preventing cancer progression. Peptides are also being used to target an array of disease indications including metabolic disorders, pain management, cancers, cardiovascular and infectious diseases.

PreveCeutical is developing the first nose-to-brain delivery system of cannabinoids (CBDs) with a novel process that prepares insoluble drug-containing nano-micelles and successfully incorporating them into a proprietary sol-gels application, essentially creating a targeted drug delivery vehicle. Intended for use via a nasal spray, this unique formulation rapidly gels upon contact with mucosal tissue, which paves the way for direct nose-to-brain delivery. This novel application eliminates first pass metabolism (stomach, intestines, liver), potentially improving bioavailability and delivering extended time release formulations that may alleviate side effects of higher dosage therapeutics. This CBD-based patented formula is projected to be deployed in selected markets with licensed medical marijuana companies within 18 months.

PreveCeutical is working with four leading Australian research centers to develop a curative therapy for diabetes and obesity. This four-year program involves engineering a novel approach that selectively targets the gene that encodes for the protein PTP-1B, which is implicated and over-expressed in both type-2 diabetes and obesity. PreveCeutical’s gene-silencing technology would effectively “turn off” the genetic signal which leads to the over-production of this key protein molecule, bringing it back down to safe, normalized levels, and prevent the body from storing excessive fat. Diabetes kills one person every six seconds, with more than $800 billion spent globally on the disease.

Another exciting joint venture, established with Sports 1 Marketing, will focus on the therapeutic potential in the peptides and proteins connected to the Caribbean Blue Scorpion venom to potentially treat mild brain injury concussions. Developing a therapeutic product geared towards athletes who suffer from concussions could help alleviate suffering experienced by those who are affected by head trauma.

PreveCeutical Medical’s science and research team is led by Dr. Harendra (Harry) Parekh, Ph.D., who is based at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE), and Dr. Makarand Jawadekar, Ph.D., whose 28 years of R&D experience with Pfizer Inc., is applicable in his role as chief science officer. Research collaborators include Dr. Rakesh Veedu, an emerging expert internationally in the field of molecular medicine, and Professor Grant Ramm, who is currently head of a leading medical research institute located in Brisbane, Australia.

PreveCeutical Medical is partnering with leading industry experts and companies in its quest to be a leader in the preventive health sciences sector. Its Research and Development partnership with UniQuest, the main commercialization company for the University of Queensland, provides PreveCeutical with the rights to all intellectual property arising from projects created under the agreement. PreveCeutical Medical Inc.’s management team brings an extensive portfolio of research experience, product development, deep corporate strategy and capital markets leadership to the company’s core.

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

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• SING at the forefront of $24.5 billion legal cannabis industry and rapidly-growing cryptocurrency market
• The company plans full launch of its proprietary bitcoin-powered credit-debit payment processing platform and end-to-end solutions
• Recent and planned key acquisitions and joint ventures will strengthen SING’s position in booming markets

As a pioneering and innovative company that offers mobile, technology-driven solutions in various markets, including those to be considered high-risk, SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) is at the forefront of booming sectors including the legal cannabis industry and the cryptocurrency market. With legal marijuana sales projected to reach upward of $24.5 billion by 2021 (http://dtn.fm/ELz0j), coupled with the exponential rise of bitcoin (http://dtn.fm/Bw1aO), the company is poised to offer comprehensive payment and end-to-end solutions that unite the exploding markets.

SinglePoint, through subsidiary SingleSeed, has established a proprietary credit-debit card payment processing platform that utilizes bitcoin rather than conventional bank-held currency. While not specific to any industry, with blockchain technology’s capability to create efficiencies in any sector, SinglePoint’s innovative SingleSeed app is designed to provide an alternative payment solution to the unbanked cannabis market. The platform, soft-launched last November with expected full launch in the first quarter of 2018, was designed to leverage bitcoin, and eventually other cryptocurrencies such as ethereum, to provide cash-alternative options. The solution enables merchants and customers to sell and purchase products utilizing bitcoin-powered debit and credit card-based transactions. In addition, the solution enables merchants to digitally track and automatically update inventories, as well as upload product-related data, such as photos and descriptions.

The fully KYC-AML compliant solution was designed to bypass current federal restrictions and provide cannabis businesses and customers with critically-needed financial transactions, but it is customizable to any company and industry. The payment service provides ease and efficiency of user signup and verification to enable online and prior-to-sale account registration or immediate point-of-sale cryptocurrency transactions.

As addressed in a recent editorial highlighting innovators and opportunities in the skyrocketing market, the potential of solutions by pioneering companies like SING that utilize bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are clear and will continue to have wide and cross-industry application (http://dtn.fm/jV0Kf). Another article (http://dtn.fm/f8pC9) highlights its industry-wide potential, stating, “Beyond changing the game for U.S. cannabis businesses, this pioneering payment exchange can, and likely will, go even further, enabling businesses of all types — in both high-risk and low-risk markets — to conduct instant card-based transactions that are powered by bitcoin.”

In the meantime, SING is poised to strengthen its position in the rapidly-growing cannabis and cryptocurrency markets. The company strives to continue to solve key issues with the ultimate goal of providing comprehensive, fully-integrated and end-to-end solutions for cannabis companies to manage all daily operations. This is clear with the company’s recent and planned strategic acquisitions and key joint ventures including, but not limited to, its agreements with Global Payout (OTC: GOHE) and AppSwarm (OTC: SWRM). The agreements with GOHE and SWRM will combine strengths to produce further cryptocurrency and payment solution options for the cannabis industry, as well as provide additional value-added solutions that include licensed in-home delivery services.

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

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• CIIX subsidiary ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. offers bitcoin as part of special holiday hemp oil packages
• CIIX is committed to bitcoin education, with daily video broadcast from the NYSE titled ‘Bitcoin Multimillionaire’ aimed at international Chinese-speaking audience
• Company plans to register wholly-owned subsidiary, ChineseHempOil.com, Inc., as a separate publicly traded entity on the OTCQB exchange

ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX) has combined its OptHempOil holiday promotions with premium incentives in the form of $50 and $150 in bitcoin. Bitcoin incentives are key to its promotion, offered through January 9, 2018, combining holiday packages with the cryptocurrency. It says the promotion is in recognition of California’s legalization of recreational marijuana in 2018 (http://dtn.fm/zYwx0).

“We’re celebrating the legalization of marijuana in California and the health and welfare benefits it brings to our state with a special sale that offers you health and wealth benefits at the same time,” the company announced (http://dtn.fm/1cKUh). CIIX noted that bitcoin gained 900 percent in value in 2017. In addition, package buyers can earn more bitcoin through the firm’s referral program — worth up to 10 percent of the value of hemp oil bought by new customers referred by buyers of holiday packages.

CIIX is a company with diverse operations. It has a core financial education business and ChineseHempOil.com, and it is also committed to bitcoin, with a daily video emanating from the NYSE titled ‘Bitcoin Multimillionaire’. The company’s target audience is the Chinese-speaking population in China and North America, and it seeks greater than 100 percent YOY revenue growth in 2018. A South China Morning Post article calls China a cannabis superpower, stating that more than half of the global 600-plus patents related to marijuana plants and cannabis are now held in China, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (http://dtn.fm/5sf3Y).

CIIX also recently announced plans to register ChineseHempOil.com as a separate public entity on the OTCQB trading exchange (http://dtn.fm/grSZ2). ChineseHempOil.com offers a variety of cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil products. These include OptHemp Ultra Premium oil and peppermint flavored hemp oil in softgels and gummies. It also offers a Gold Plus line of premium hemp oil.

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

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• 2018 is expected to bring further fintech growth worldwide
• Global Payout services empower global industries through chain finance solutions
• Global Reserve Platform and new subsidiary will target logistics and shipping payment needs

As fintech industries enter the new year, corporate entities building blockchain capacity such as Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) are looking for blue sky opportunities in the rising popularity of cryptocurrency as a means of financing international commerce, as well as providing e-commerce accessibility to the most remote of rural enterprises.

A Forbes report found that political-economic uncertainty over recent governments’ efforts to limit foreign influences and tie their administrations more closely to localized nationalist sentiments may drive further interest in cryptocurrencies that businesses can use to break down cross-border barriers (http://dtn.fm/86YaW). Expatriates from a variety of countries are turning to blockchain-powered fintech companies to send funds earned from their employment homes to loved ones in their nation of origin.

Amid the ongoing sea change in the global payment industry as institutions seek ways to boost instantaneous transnational accessibility and lower cross-border transaction-related costs, Global Payout is expressing excitement about an “especially active, yet successful” year for the company and its majority-owned subsidiary, MoneyTrac Technology, Inc., which is establishing a crypto-financial network geared toward the regionally legalized recreational cannabis industry.

Last year, Global Payout launched the Global Reserve Platform (“GRP”), which it describes as a customizable, “banking-in-a-box” system that offers resources for front-to-back office processing in domestic, foreign exchange and international payment services (http://dtn.fm/Uqb1Y). In December, the company announced plans to launch a new subsidiary early this year focused on delivering chain finance solutions for the logistics industry. The new subsidiary will use a single client interface to simplify payments on a domestic and foreign exchange level and to eliminate barriers for working capital financing.

“Blockchain technology has the potential to lead a major shift in the systems that are used to manage every process that is involved with managing the logistics supply chain. By spinning-out a subsidiary whose sole focus will be on advancing the development of a secure and highly-efficient blockchain system, I am confident we will be able to deliver an intuitive logistics network that will contribute to revolutionizing the entire industry,” company President William Rochfort stated in a news release announcing the plans (http://dtn.fm/Euz8V).

The news release states that the United States is increasingly dependent on global supply chains for goods and services and that freight movement and related logistics comprise a $1.5 trillion industry in that nation alone. Global Payout’s experience with blockchain technology is something it can leverage in providing solutions to a massive industry struggling to keep up with the demands on software systems that such a wide-reaching supply network creates.

The success of cryptocurrencies, even amid recent market fluctuations in bitcoin trading (http://dtn.fm/1euPz), shows a worldwide market eager to embrace alternatives to standard banking options and the dissonance between nations’ currencies. Cannabis-related industries, in particular, see cryptocurrencies as an essential part of their commerce, since many countries, including the United States, continue to regard the drug as potent enough to regulate or ban despite acceptance in select regions on a more localized government basis (http://dtn.fm/eXW20), which shuts them out from bank industry benefits. GOHE’s MoneyTrac spinoff is positioned to handle regulatory compliance and the transaction tracking needs for these companies. Working with affiliated partnerships, MoneyTrac empowers cannabis industry merchants to access an audited, legally compliant financial system.

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

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• NETE received $2,683,835 from sales of common stock in multiple transactions with Cobblestone Capital Partners, LLC
• Proceeds are expected to be used for working capital and general corporate purposes
• NETE recently launched new blockchain-based business unit to provide value-added services and transaction support in the cryptocurrency market

Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) has received $2.7 million from its share sale, aggregating an additional 536,767 common shares to Cobblestone Capital Partners, LLC in multiple transactions, it disclosed in an SEC 8K filing on December 26, 2017 (http://dtn.fm/jN4es). NETE is expected to use net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes, its prospectus said (http://dtn.fm/B4w7U).

NETE is a global financial technology and value-added solutions group that supports companies in accepting electronic payments in an omni-channel environment spanning across point-of-sale terminals and mobile devices. It maintains three segments: Mobile Payment Solutions, Online Payment Solutions and North America Transaction Solutions. It offers cloud-based proprietary technology products.

Most recently, it launched a new blockchain-based business unit designed to improve the efficiency and simplicity of transactions between buyers and merchants. It will operate in the cryptocurrency market, offering innovative digital payment methods and value-added services, according to NETE CEO Oleg Firer. The new unit will operate in partnership with Bunker Capital.

Firer added that he believes we are at the dawn of an evolution that focuses on innovative digital payment methods (http://dtn.fm/18oEj). The goal of the company’s new blockchain unit is to provide compliance assurance and transparency in cryptocurrency transactions. Further, it will enable the provision of value-added services to some 20 million ecommerce clients who are already utilizing Net Element services. NETE also offers analytical tools, online payment methods and technologies in mobile transactions.

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

• LXRP awarded broad-ranging U.S. patent for novel DehydraTECH™ drug delivery system
• Already scientifically proven to increase efficacy of cannabinoids
• IP protection opens myriad business opportunities

Food bioscience company Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQB: LXRP) just hit another major milestone in the disruption of drug delivery and administration. With 19 international patent applications filed encompassing 44 countries, Lexaria recently announced its reception of a broad-ranging U.S. patent award for its DehydraTECH™ as a delivery platform for a wide variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients (http://dtn.fm/Dp5EG). The U.S. patent covers all cannabinoids including THC, fat soluble vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (“NSAIDs”) and nicotine. As the ramifications of this milestone begin to reverberate in the market, Lexaria is continuing to advance all of its other patent applications around the world while leveraging its patent success in the U.S.

Award of the patents come as little surprise, since Lexaria’s DehydraTECH™ technology has been laboratory and market proven to enhance the performance of beneficial compounds in ingestible products. The speed with which the patent was awarded and the breadth of its utilization in other sectors could be viewed as an indication of the importance of the technology. Lexaria’s lipophilic delivery platform, scientifically shown to enhance absorption of orally-ingested cannabinoids, is believed to be applicable across a wide range of different vitamins, drug types and various cannabinoids, dramatically impacting bioabsorption and bioavailability, as well as taste, smell and speed of action. The recently granted U.S. patent solidifies Lexaria’s position as a disruptive force in innovative drug delivery platforms.

In a news release, Chief Executive Officer Chris Bunka stated, “Lexaria has now locked-up the IP for its next-generation drug delivery system. This ground-breaking, patented IP builds a foundation for new business opportunities in 2018 including what could be the world’s first nicotine edibles for the smokeless tobacco industry, or improved new products for NSAID-derived pain management, as well as in the rapidly growing cannabis market.”

Lexaria’s DehydraTECH™ technology is a potential game changer for the delivery methodologies of many commonly used active pharmaceutical substances. The technology provides an additional layer of effectiveness designed to harmonize with the intellectual properties of manufacturers and can be used with both patented and generic pharmaceutical substances. This breakthrough plays into Lexaria’s long term strategy to partner with leading pharmaceutical, biopharma, nutraceutical, vitamin and food companies to make payload delivery more predictable, safer and more effective.

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

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• Premium cannabis lifestyle brand founded by team that started SAXX Underwear®
• One of only 26 Health Canada licensed cannabis production facilities
• Canada’s recreational marijuana market estimated at up to $8.7 billion
• Initial cannabis harvests are complete; awaiting Health Canada pre-sales inspection

DOJA Cannabis Company Ltd. (CSE: DOJA) (OTC: DJACF) is a premium cannabis lifestyle brand featuring the highest quality handcrafted strains in Canada. DOJA’s wholly owned subsidiary, Northern Lights Marijuana Company, is a Health Canada licensed cannabis producer located in Kelowna within the heart of British Columbia’s picturesque Okanagan Valley.

Famous as the “Napa of the North,” Kelowna and its rapidly growing tourism industry accounted for 1.9 million visitors in 2106. DOJA co-founder and CEO Trent Kitsch said the company’s phase 1 facility – a 7,100 square foot building in West Kelowna – houses three grow rooms, each capable of producing 660 kilograms of marijuana per year. The grow rooms are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment engineered specifically for indoor cannabis cultivation.

DOJA’s initial cannabis harvest, produced under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) license held by its subsidiary, Northern Lights Marijuana Company, will be inspected by Health Canada regulators as the last step before a Sales License can be awarded. Once DOJA passes this major milestone and receives its Sales License, the company can begin selling cannabis and position itself as a premium handcrafted producer in advance of the impending recreational market.

“I’m extremely proud of our cultivation team, they have delivered on all levels, the quality of our flower is impressive, and the yields exceeded our expectations. Our growers focus on bringing out the fullest expression of the plant’s genetic potential and the love and hard work they have put into their craft really shows in our first four strains,” Kitsch said. “Post-harvest, our flowers were expertly hand-trimmed, hang-dried and artisanally cured. Our handcrafted approach is aimed at producing the finest cannabis with exceptional aroma, flavor and effects.”

Each grow room is established with Surna’s equipment, providing ductless air handlers, commercial-grade dehumidifiers, and biosecurity products using photocatalytic reaction to sanitize the air and minimize breakouts of pests, pathogens and mold. DOJA’s expansion plans include the ability to add over 40,000 square feet, which would increase the company’s overall production capacity to more than 5,000 kilograms per year. Once completed and producing, the company’s potential revenue, excluding cannabis oil products, is estimated at $60 million.

According to a recent report, DOJA is well capitalized with approximately $4.5 million cash with management holding 33 percent of the shares outstanding. DOJA was founded by the proven entrepreneurial team that started the industry disruptive men’s SAXX Underwear® brand. Kitsch is joined by Ria Kitsch as vice-president and co-founder; Ryan Foreman, president and co-founder; and Jeff Barber, CFO, as DOJA’s “cannabis futurists.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.DOJA.life