Cannabis has been used for thousands of years as a form of natural remedy. But, over time, the possession of marijuana was made illegal in many countries, until now. Most recently, a new movement has taken place whereby both the medical and recreational use of cannabis has been legalized across certain states in the U.S. and a number of countries.

The marijuana industry is proving to be important in more ways than one, with Forbes stating that “A new report from New Frontier Data projects that by 2020 the legal cannabis market will create more than a quarter of a million jobs” (http://dtn.fm/64x0J). The article continues to explain that this represents more than the number of jobs generated from manufacturing, government, and utilities.

Despite the changing opinions regarding the drug, China still maintains its stance that cannabis is illegal both recreationally and medically. The possession, transport, cultivation, and sale of cannabis are illegal throughout China, and penalties for cannabis-related offenses are said to be harsh. But cannabis comes in many forms, and although smoking or consuming the drug in any way is illegal, CBD oil for medical purposes has caught the eye of experts across the globe.

As the world continues to make strides toward the legalization of marijuana, demand for CBD oil continues to grow. CBD can be used in a variety of different forms, from sprays to oils and even capsules and concentrates, with expansion toward drops, soft gels, and vapes. CBD oil is being used to treat a number of conditions, including cancer, autism, ADHD, seizures, anxiety, and Crohn’s disease, among others.

According to Forbes (http://dtn.fm/1yVuX), The Hemp Business Journal believes “the CBD market will grow to a $2.1 billion market in consumer sales by 2020 with $450 million of those sales coming from hemp-based sources. That’s a 700% increase from 2016.” And, despite most of the attention being on the United States after propositions for the legalization of marijuana passed in numerous states, organizations from countries across the world are tapping into this growing market.

Last month, ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) announced that it would be launching the first CBD health products store in Chinese. The company is aiming to become the first ever provider of CBD oil products to customers located in mainland China and to Chinese speakers in the United States and Canada. The products will be sold through CIIX’s website: www.ChineseCBDoil.com.

It is clear that ChineseInvestors.com has found a significant gap in the market, with no competition currently on the horizon serving the Chinese speaking population around the world in this way. CBD oil is one of the fastest growing market categories in the hemp and legal marijuana industries, and CIIX has positioned itself for growth thanks to its agreement with a San Diego producer that will be white labeling and distributing the company’s CBD products legally to the entirety of the United States and China.

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

DarioHealth Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO), a company focused on digital and mobile health and targeting diabetes monitoring, received on January 12, 2017, a private placement investment of $2.5 million from OurCrowd Qure, a health care fund focused on digital solutions. The funds will be used by DarioHealth Corp. to grow its share in existing markets and to expand into new ones, such as Germany. The total private placement is $5.1 million (http://dtn.fm/r8Fu4), the company said, of which $2 million will be closed upon future shareholder approval, per NASDAQ rules.

DarioHealth Corp., based in Jerusalem and Boston, manufactures a platform for smart diabetes management. It is a B2C model marketed combination of its Blood Glucose Monitoring System smart phone app and a number of tools to help in health care decisions by users. It is a portal for the internet. In its investor presentation (http://dtn.fm/bm4Ms), the company projects there will be 642 million diabetics globally by 2040, quoting the IDF Diabetes Atlas 7th edition, 2015. DarioHealth Corp. markets fourth generation native mobile devices to monitor blood glucose levels and generate real time health data on its user app. It offers coverage to both Android and iOS devices globally.

In the U.S. alone, DarioHealth Corp. states, the total economic burden of diabetes was $322 billion in 2012. It says some 30 million Americas have the disease and one in five health care dollars is spent in care for people with diabetes. Further, it says the glucose monitoring market is $13 billion and growing at a 5.2% CAGR, according to Research and Markets (http://dtn.fm/hnRZ7). It is seen growing to $24.6 billion by 2020.

The investment transaction will be for 1,821,437 shares of common stock, at a price per share of $2.80. It will also have a warrant to buy 1,821,437 shares of common stock. The five-year warrants will have a price of $3.50 per share. Dario (NASDAQ: DRIO) closed at $4.25 per share on February 24, 2017. If fully exercised for cash, the company said the warrants would generate $6.37 million.

OurCrowd Qure will receive two seats on the board of DarioHealth Corp., to be filled at a later date. Dario’s products have already received regulatory approval in both Europe and the U.S., and it obtains reimbursement in Canada, Italy, Israel, Australia and the United Kingdom. It has expanded into Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand. OurCrowd Qure’s investment will enable it to expand into Germany, too. Social media, such as Facebook, is a tool by which DarioHealth Corp. increases its share and penetrates markets, it said.

In a news release, Erez Raphael, chairman and CEO of Dario, said, “We have received great support and belief in our product, vision and growth strategy from investors. With this funding, we will accelerate adoption of our innovative and user-friendly remote glucose monitor platform across current markets and also expand into new geographies, such as Germany, in 2017.”

Allen Kamer, managing partner of OurCrowd Qure, noted that Dario has a global footprint and disrupts health care delivery with its B2C marketing strategy.

For more information, refer to www.MyDario.com

Every company’s success is determined by product, process and people. With unique product offerings in the real estate industry, eXp World Holdings (OTCQB: EXPI) has demonstrated both the need and the desire for its services. Revenue growth of 112% in the last year, and 178% agent expansion during the same period, is a testament to successful product acceptance and use. Process, the efficient execution and delivery of the company’s products and services, is also proven by the numbers. The third and, perhaps, most significant aspect of a successful company is people, most importantly, management.

Management sets the course and culture of a company and is responsible for both product and process. The management team at eXp World Holdings has the background, vision, and expertise to execute the company’s plan efficiently and effectively.

CEO and Chairman of the Board Glenn Sanford accumulated executive level experience with a number of technology-related companies prior to founding eXp World Holdings. About 20 years ago, he founded and led a successful online e-commerce and logistics company, where attention to product and process are paramount. Sanford became active in online real estate in 2002, and, from 2004 to 2007, he led a large team of realtors while specializing in online client acquisition, client conversion and technology. When the real estate boom went bust, Sanford responded by forming eXp Realty in 2009 as the first truly cloud-based national real estate brokerage. His vision, experience, and tenacity still guide the company’s success today.

Sanford has surrounded himself with creative, high caliber executive leadership. Russ Cofano, president and general counsel, has an extensive background in real estate and real estate law, and he has worked at executive levels in nearly every segment of the real estate industry. Cofano is a published and recognized author, public speaker, and a sought-after consultant in real estate matters.

The additions of Jason Gesing, CEO of the Real Estate Division and Board Member, and Vikki Bartholomae, president of the Real Estate Division, dramatically impacted the upsurge in growth of eXp World Holdings. Both senior veterans of the real estate industry, Gesing and Bartholomae bring experienced success to the management team.

Sanford chose an experienced and dedicated CFO in Alan Goldman. Goldman consulted for eXp for three years prior to joining the eXp team. He has extensive experience in public company accounting standards and financial reporting, along with multiple other financial and back office skills.

The board of directors is seasoned, experienced, and well respected, both in the real estate community and beyond. Drawing from varied industries and backgrounds helps keep eXp focused and provides infrastructure for fast paced growth.

With product, process, and exceptional people in place, it’s no wonder that eXp World Holdings has enjoyed such phenomenal growth in recent months.

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

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According to a Voyager’s World article (http://dtn.fm/wVHm5), adventure tourism is on the rise because of an increase in disposable income, a change in consumer expectations, improvements in technological infrastructure, and the ability for organizations to tap into the adventure tourism markets.

The article points out that, in earlier reports from 2015, “69% of global travelers aspire to try (something) novel, something that they are previously unaccustomed to, in 2016. This also indicates that millennials plan to be more adventurous by engaging in more challenging activities.”

Adventure activities as we know them have changed, with trekking, hiking, and cycling being augmented or replaced by more extreme activities, such as bungee jumping, rappelling, paragliding, skydiving, and more. Adventurers are now looking for experiences that are both authentic and unique.

With the proliferation and development of the internet, consumers are now able to do in-depth research about nearly all destinations across the world. Despite many opting to book their adventures on their own, travel agents have now made a huge shift to online, meaning that travelers can book all-in-one package holidays from the comforts of one website.

This growing trend comes with a newfound need for safety. Because adventure travel comes with its own risks, adventurers often prefer to organize these activities through trustworthy, licensed companies, many of which offer package holidays that include flights, ground transportation, hotels, tours, and activities.

This is where Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) comes in. The technology-focused travel company offers trips to a variety of destinations around the world through its flagship NextTrip.com. The platform caters to all types of travelers, allowing them to book their adventure holidays through NextTrip’s all-in-one travel planner, which works on desktop, mobile devices and tablets.

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

Headquartered in Largo, Florida, Stealth Technologies (OTCQB: STTH) is focused on the personal and financial protection markets and continuing to capitalize on proprietary products with proven distribution.

Technology and pushing its limits is the fundamental strategy of Stealth Technologies’ operations. A champion of innovation, the company solves some of the most challenging issues in security and personal protection today with its collection of products and intellectual property, focusing on hardware solutions for software problems.

Stealth Technologies is gradually gaining recognition for the 911 Help Now product it has developed to tackle emergency response latency. It facilitates personal safety and security by providing a direct two-way voice connection to emergency service providers, and it is simple to use. After installing standard AAA batteries in the product, consumers can connect to 911 by simply pressing one button — the Help Now button. Owners of the product also enjoy several added features, including an accidental call cancel button and a one-year battery life.

Stealth Technologies first gained prominence because of its focus on product development and sales in the personal financial protection and data protection businesses. Over the years, the company has become well known for its portfolio of products which help consumers protect against credit fraud, cell phone data breaches and electronic pickpockets. The company’s lead product, the Stealth Card, for example, is one product that is designed to protect the Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) chip in a consumer’s credit card from electronic pickpockets who attempt to use a smartphone, credit card reader or radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna to remotely access the data stored on this smart chip.

Stealth Technologies continues to develop even more products, while exploring potential commercialization opportunities and military applications for its existing proprietary technologies.

For more information, visit www.TechnologiesByStealth.com

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Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) is offering the restaurant industry cloud technology software with digital accuracy and speed, including an Android app and digital menus. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) (http://nnw.fm/B7Dox), the $783 billion restaurant industry is looking to cloud platforms that can integrate the convenience of mobile technology. The result is that customers who want to order online from their offices or elsewhere want to select digitally from an online menu. They want quickness, accuracy and convenience.

In 2016, the NRA found that one-quarter of customers surveyed said that technology options can drive their decisions when choosing a restaurant. The NRA’s 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast (http://nnw.fm/8nZIj) saw this increase over the nearly one-fifth of consumers it surveyed who said the same thing the prior year. One trend is clear: restaurant customers want their food orders fulfilled quickly and accurately.

Net Element serves the restaurant, retail, travel, and other industries. The company’s high technology platform technology brings together mobile and transactional services. It handles U.S. transaction processing via Unified Payments through its TOT Group subsidiary. It also provides mobile payments in Russia through TOT Money. Aptito is its cloud-based point-of-sale brand.

Net Element’s Aptito is a solution to the speed issue facing restaurants. The NRA says its members want technology they can use to satisfy their desire for faster and more accurate food ordering. The nicest surprise for restaurant owners is that digital has meant not only improved speed but higher average tickets, as well. Customers order more online, buying additional food impulsively. They also now expect high technology rather than perceiving it as a novelty.

Net Element, Inc.’s Aptito is a cloud-based app for customers. For restaurants, it offers a visual Android-based point-of-sale software system. Aptito gives restaurant management both digital menus and mobile ordering capabilities. To customers, in a high tech environment, Aptito offers accurate and real time restaurant fulfillment of orders and billing. Most important, it offers speed to the customer, an element that’s growing in importance in the restaurant industry.

Management of Net Element believes that Aptito’s digital accuracy brings more sales and fewer mistakes while eliminating paperwork and some payroll costs. Diners can enjoy numerous benefits, including speedier service, check splitting, moving orders and even table changes. For restaurant management, it facilitates better service to customers. It also offers executives a better overview of demand for certain dishes and speed requirements for meals based on online customers.

For more information, visit www.NetElement.com

Player’s Network, Inc. (OTCQB: PNTV) is a diversified holding company operating in marijuana and media. PNTV owns 86% of Green Leaf Farms Holdings, LLC (Green Leaf Farms) which has Nevada state-issued cultivation and production license(s). The cultivation license enables Green Leaf Farms to grow marijuana and the production license enables them to create extracts which are used for cartridges, oils and edibles. WeedTV.com is a wholly owned subsidiary which is developing the ultimate resource for the marijuana lifestyle. PNTV has been a fully reporting, publicly traded company since 1998.

Green Leaf Farms Holdings, LLC (Green Leaf)

Green Leaf produces medical and recreational cannabis products. Revenues are generated by selling their cannabis products to licensed dispensaries throughout Nevada.

Their mission is to produce the highest quality and safest pharmaceutical-grade cannabis to all levels of consumers. They utilize the most efficient cultivation methods in order to lower expenses for consumers and to maximize returns for investors.

They are a privately held company with a unique business model as they are one of only a few companies who have been granted 2 (two) Medical Marijuana Establishment (MME) licenses in Nevada; Cultivation and Production.

Their Cultivation License enables them to grow cannabis which will produce flower. Their Production License enables them to process flower (cannabis) and cannabis byproducts into extremely pure concentrates, extracts, and oils which are used in medicine, cartridges and edibles. Green Leaf has both acquired and developed proprietary cannabis strains and will continue to be committed to cannabis research and development.

Green Leaf is located in North Las Vegas, Nevada on 2.3 acres in a state-of-the-art 26,000 sq. ft. facility. They have a seasoned team of professional growers and operators to manage the facility with proven best practices to ensure they have the highest quality products available.

WeedTV.com

WeedTV.Com is a niche social network and lifestyle channel destination for the marijuana industry. They are developing the “go-to” source for information, entertainment, products and services for people who relate to the marijuana lifestyle and an active social community. WeedTV.com features daily stories sourced by WeedTV.com correspondents and contributors from around the world.

Programming includes, political news, business news on the industry, financial analysis from industry experts, growing tips, cooking tips, the “Weed101” section, medical applications/issues, lifestyle features, and entertainment specials.

WeedTV.com’s first original series is titled “High Stakes.” High Stakes was developed by Michael Berk, the company’s Chief Creative Officer and creator of one of the most popular cable series of all time, Baywatch. High Stakes is docu-series that follows the team at Green Leaf Farms as they build their facility and launch their marijuana business.

By leveraging media, WeedTV.com builds long-term brand equity and connects consumers to businesses. This is accomplished through fresh and relevant content such as professionally produced branded television segments, user-generated videos, blogs, editorials, tweets (twitter), photos, special offers, events and custom-designed contests to engage both consumers and businesses with their brands and services.

Marijuana and Media Strategy

While developing WeedTV.com, the PNTV team realized they could implement a vertical strategy to utilize their media platform (WeedTV.com) to drive business and awareness to their cannabis products (Green Leaf Farms). Through the audience and reach of WeedTV.com, they will build brand value and cross market their own marijuana products, as well as generate revenues by marketing other companies’ products and services.

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

Safe and effective, geothermal energy has been used by mankind for over 10,000 years. Evidence shows that North American Paleo-Indians regularly used geothermal hot springs for warmth, cleansing and minerals. In the first century AD, Romans used geothermal energy to heat public baths and floors, and the world’s oldest geothermal district heating system has been operating since the 14th century in France. America’s first district heating system was powered directly by geothermal energy in 1892 in Boise, Idaho.

Geothermal heat energy is naturally produced by the Earth, originating from the natural radioactive decay of certain materials within the Earth’s crust. Temperature differences between the core of the planet and its surface drive a continuous conduction of thermal energy from the core to the surface.

After centuries of use for bathing and space heating, geothermal energy is now recognized for electricity production. Worldwide, 12,000 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power are currently online with 2,000 MW of installed capacity in the western United States. There’s also an additional 28 gigawatts of geothermal heating installed for space heating and multiple other applications around the world.

Geothermal power is cost-effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but it has historically been limited to areas in the western U.S., where natural caldera formations occur. Population growth and technological advancements make geothermal energy production ever more appealing.

Calpine Corp (NYSE: CPN), Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA) and U.S. Geothermal (NYSE MKT: HTM) are recognized players in geothermal energy production. Of these, U.S. Geothermal is the largest pure play geothermal independent power producer. The company currently produces 45 MW from three existing assets in Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho. U.S. Geothermal also has four advanced development properties in California, Guatemala, and Nevada, with 90 MW capacity in their pipeline, plus four more early-stage properties in development.

Geothermal provides base load power 24/7 without interruption, is clean and renewable without significant output deterioration, and is not subject to the vagaries of commodity fuel prices. Publically-traded geothermal energy companies, such as U.S. Geothermal, now provide the opportunity to profit from our planet’s creation.

For more information, visit www.USGeothermal.com

On Thursday, February 23, 2017, eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI), a publicly-traded holding company whose primary operational business is eXp Realty LLC, the “Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage®”, presented a virtual webinar covering the company’s operations, business model, and progress.

Glenn Sanford, company chairman and CEO, made the presentation, beginning with a summary of his background and the history of the company:

Glenn Sanford founded eXp Realty in 2009, coming from a background of technology, marketing, and sales. He founded a number of technology startups in the 1990s, going on to become successful in real estate, until the industry crisis began unfolding around 2006, making the traditional brick-and-mortar based real estate brokerage model less and less sustainable. It became clear that a radically different approach to the real estate brokerage business, based upon newly evolving technologies, was not only possible but necessary.

eXp Realty was founded on the idea that a national brokerage could operate much more cost effectively and efficiently without depending upon cash-draining physical facilities, over and above the minimum required by state laws. Through the application of advanced technologies, all types of agent related communication and training could actually be enhanced, without requiring time-consuming travel to central offices. A virtual campus could bring together a few, or a few hundred, agents, providing superior information flow and relationships, while giving agents more time and tools to succeed, and all at a dramatically reduced cost. It was this revolutionary approach that was designed-in to eXp Realty from the beginning, a unique foundational business model that is not easy to start, and almost impossible to transition to from a traditional model, but which eXp Realty has now successfully grown with dramatic results.

The approach was an innovation that has resulted in dramatic cost savings and operational efficiencies, allowing a variety of creative and unmatched benefits and attracting new agents from across the county. The company, which started out with only 24 agents, has already grown to over 2,700 agents, and it continues to expand. The operation now covers 42 states, with growth in revenue paralleling the growth in agents.

The benefits of this new way of doing business are key:

• It is easy to scale, making rapid expansion both possible and manageable
• Operating costs are minimized, even as size increases
• Cost savings feed attractive financial and other benefits for agents, encouraging growth

Agent benefits include:

• More attractive financial splits, where a greater percentage of each commission goes to the agent
• Revenue sharing programs, giving agents money that would normally be needed to support the brokerage
• Superior and timely communication, with agents able to get more training to succeed and build the company, without having to travel to a physical office
• Equity ownership programs, whereby agents continually grow their stake in the company by getting shares that are earned for future payout, encouraging lower turnover

The company’s equity sharing programs, now available through eXp World Holdings as a publicly-traded corporation, are a huge draw for the company, and have significantly encouraged growth in the number of agents. These programs provide a variety of ways for agents to get actual shares of the company, in addition to superior commissions, effectively providing a form of retirement program in which it is easy to participate. The shares can be earned in a number of ways, and are not just a reward for exceptional performance, but are also held for payout at a set future date to encourage agents to stay with the company, significantly lowering agent turnover.

Such equity sharing works hand-in-hand with the company’s position as a truly national brokerage, rather than a traditional franchise-based operation. Instead of local brokerages and agents feeling compelled to compete with one another, there is only one brokerage, in which agents own a growing stake. As a result, they are encouraged to bring in other agents and to do whatever they can to make the business grow. The effect has been rapid expansion, which the technology is easily able to handle without the loss of community and company unity.

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

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Since the recession in the mid-2000’s, the U.S. as a whole has made significant steps toward lowering its carbon emissions. In California, the California Energy Commission is the primary energy policy and planning agency, committed to helping individuals and organizations reduce their energy costs and environmental impact while maintaining a safe, reliable, and long-lasting supply of energy.

The standards outlined by California’s Energy Commission in Title 24 are updated every three years, aiming to improve upon the standards set in 2013, while continuing to reduce energy consumption and contribute toward reducing carbon dioxide emissions across the world. Two specific aspects of reducing carbon footprint are outlined in the standards, these include controlling space temperature and controlling lighting and plug loads.

Although the standards do not give clear recommendations on how to achieve the above, Telkonet, Inc. (OTCQB: TKOI), a company committed to sustainable product innovation and technological expertise, believes it has the answer. The company feels that implementing a single product able to work as an energy management system, with intelligent sensors and controllers that operate through a cloud-based command center, is far more efficient than using diverse products from numerous manufacturers.

With this in mind, Telkonet has developed EcoSmart, a revolutionary intelligent automation platform that works with a full suite of connected IoT (Internet Of Things) products and gives customers in-depth energy usage information, control, and analytics. The platform, made up of wireless devices, offers real-time reporting whereby it can track progress toward an individual’s or company’s energy efficiency goals.

Telkonet believes EcoSmart could be the solution to Title 24 compliance, as it is an all-in-one platform that allows clients to achieve a perfect balance between energy efficiency and occupant comfort. The EcoSmart system decreases energy usage in unoccupied spaces so that it doesn’t affect tenants living or working in the space. The solution is perfect for unpredictable spaces, such as hotels, university residences, offices, and others.

For more information, visit www.Telkonet.com