Author: CannabisNewsWire (CNW)

About CannabisNewsWire CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge. To receive SMS text alerts from CannabisNewsWire, text “CANNABIS” to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only) For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

420 with CNW – Study Explains Why Cannabis Affects Men and Women Differently

A recent review of animal studies has found that the differences in the way men and women are affected by marijuana aren’t just a social or cultural construct. The review found that those differences are rooted in biology (the differences between the genders).

The findings of the review appeared in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. The review explored the relationship between sex hormones like estrogen (estradiol), progesterone and testosterone on the endocannabinoid system in the body. That endocannabinoid system has similar (cannabinoids) chemicals to those found in cannabis.

The researchers found that males are more likely to try marijuana and also use higher doses of the substance. This can be attributed to the male sex hormone (testosterone) which encourages risky behavior.

Those same male sex hormones also suppress the reward system of the brain. This explains why higher doses may need to be consumed to get the same effect as the person felt upon first consuming the substance.

The suppressed reward system explains why men often take longer to get hooked on a substance. In contrast, women try smaller doses but get hooked faster than their male counterparts do.

Women have more cannabinoid receptors in their brains than men do. The receptors are concentrated in the areas of the brain which control the filtering of sensory input sent to the brain, body movement and social behavior. Women are therefore more likely to exhibit signs of being under the influence of cannabis when compared to men.

It was also found that the consumption of cannabis and other psychotropic substances often triggers the production of more estradiol in women. This triggers the urge to consume more cannabis or whatever substance has triggered the production of estradiol. Addiction is the result of that cycle.

The researchers found that the number of cannabinoid receptors in the brain of females increases as the individuals age. Increasing age has been correlated to high estrogen levels in women, so this finding isn’t different from what has already been known about the hormonal system of women.

Dr. Liana Fattore, the co-author of the study, remarked that detoxification programs need to be customized for the different genders if success rates are to increase. The measures to prevent a relapse into substance abuse should also be tailored to the needs and risks of each gender.

The study authors also called for further research to be conducted to get a better understanding of the source of the differences in the way men and women respond to cannabis. Cannabis companies like Golden Developing Solutions, Inc. (OTC: DVLP) and Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (OTC: GRYN) appreciate the work done by scientists to help society understand how and why cannabis affects the body.

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CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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Investors Flock to Cannabis Market as Business Booms

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: As the cannabis industry sees its profits and legitimacy rise, the market potential is drawing increased attention from big investors.

  • The U.S. and global cannabis sector is seeing great growth, lifted by the success of medical and recreational cannabis and legalization in Canada.
  • This is drawing in previously reluctant investors as companies become listed on stock exchanges.
  • Greater integration within the sector is both a symptom of and a support for this cannabis boom.

Cannabis Strategic Ventures (OTC: NUGS) (NUGS Profile) shows this integrated approach, bringing together cultivation, product sales and personnel services for the cannabis industry. Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) is working across borders on international research to create better cannabis-based medicines. Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC) (TSX: WEED) has benefited hugely from the surge in investor attention, receiving billions in investment from the beverage sector. CBD products are allowing parts of the cannabis sector to achieve widespread acceptance, thanks to the work of companies like Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CWBHF) (CSE: CWEB). All of this means a rise in sales for suppliers of hydroponic equipment such as GrowGeneration Corp. (OTCQX: GRWG).

Cannabis’s Money Problems

The legal cannabis industry is one of the newest in the world and one weighed down with a great deal of baggage. Decades in the legal wilderness have tainted the public image of the drug, leaving many potential customers and investors with a negative knee-jerk reaction to the sector and its products. Even now, as legal cannabis becomes more common on a state-by-state basis, the U.S. industry is held back by lingering federal laws enacted as a result of the war on drugs.

This has created challenges for cannabis companies in search of finance. Both the legal restrictions in the United States and historical prejudice against the industry have made it hard to find mainstream investors. But with the market expanding and profits rising significantly year on year, that looks set to change.

The Signs of Change

In the United States, the cannabis industry is taking off in a big way. California is the largest of the nine state-sized markets for recreational cannabis, so it makes sense that the state has become home to many of the companies working in the sector, such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures (OTC: NUGS). But the seeds for the rise of these companies lie elsewhere.

The first signs of the huge potential for a legal cannabis market came in 1996, when California passed Proposition 215, the first law making medical cannabis legal in a U.S. state. The medical market quickly took off, with legal companies moving into a business previously owned entirely by criminals, while other states considered such legislation of their own. Just over 20 years later, 31 states have legal medical cannabis markets, and a whole host of companies have sprung up to cater to them. Knowledge of cannabis’s benefits has also grown swiftly, thanks to these companies’ research efforts.

But the biggest bellwether for growth in the recreational market has come from north of the border. This October, Canada became the first G8 country to legalize recreational cannabis on a national level. The result is a tightly regulated and quickly growing industry that is setting an example for the rest of the world.

That example holds out great promise for the likes of companies such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures. Cannabis Strategic Ventures has taken a portfolio approach to the cannabis sector, developing a range of brands covering areas such as cannabis oil, concentrate extraction services, staffing for the cannabis sector, and most recently cannabis cultivation itself.

The industry is growing quickly, with analysts predicting that it will reach $65 billion by 2023. That’s creating plenty of space for companies such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures to grow. It’s also drawing the attention of investors.

The Rise of Cannabis Investment

The cannabis industry didn’t initially attract a lot of funding from investors. The potential of cannabis as a legal market was unclear, and it came with risks thanks to the drug’s illegality at a federal level. Investors couldn’t yet see much potential for profit, and they were wary of throwing their financial lot in with such a dubious group.

Now, however, the market has had time to mature. The sector isn’t just a handful of cultivators and retailers trying to work on an untested business model. There are specialist cannabis tech firms, research outfits and umbrella companies such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures. It’s looking more and more like a conventional market sector — though a market sector subject to staggering growth.

The result is a growing surge of investment. Since January this year, U.S. cannabis companies have raised more than $8.2 billion of investment, while their Canadian cousins raised $2.2 billion in October alone.

Getting listed on a stock exchange is invaluable to a getting a company’s stocks in front of powerful investors and thus raising additional funds. Larger cannabis companies are looking at moving from the Toronto exchange to the New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock market in the world, while others such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures are preparing for their first listings.

Investors are more prepared now to take a chance on the cannabis market. Stock exchange presence will allow cannabis companies to tap into that potential and so to take a stronger place in a fast-growing market.

A Fractured Industry

The American cannabis industry is a fractured one. Without the well-established business relationships and support structures of longer-standing sectors, many of the pieces are small and disjointed. Progress has been driven primarily by small startups.

The same moment of maturity that has brought the recent wave of investment has also brought the seeds of change for the industry’s structure. Some companies are using mergers and takeovers to build bigger businesses focused on particular parts of the sector, benefiting from the efficiencies these acquisitions bring. Others are diversifying to create companies with greater reach across the sector and even potential to take it to new places. Cannabis Strategic Ventures, for example, is expanding its product lines to include beauty products even as it adds cultivation to its portfolio for greater vertical integration.

Within the industry, one of the big fractures in the United States is that between the different states. With cannabis still illegal under federal laws, businesses have to operate within the borders of individual states with their own local regulations. Though some companies have operations in several states, it’s not yet possible to create a properly integrated national operation, at least in part because of states where the drug remains entirely illegal. But with the White House hinting at potential reform, this is something that could change over the next few years. While politicians respond slowly to public and investor demand for a more efficient and integrated cannabis sector, it’s the companies that are leading the way.

An Industry Coming Together

Despite the limitations they face, cannabis companies are finding ways to come together and cooperate, both within the United States and across international borders.

Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY), a leading medical cannabis company, is supporting research work beyond the borders of the United States. As a supplier of materials for clinical trials in Canada and Australia, Tilray working with other research-oriented companies to increase understanding of the effects of cannabis and develop better treatments based upon it. These could be invaluable in treating such problems as chemotherapy-induced nausea and childhood epilepsy. And while the work has an invaluable humanitarian element, it’s also appealing to investors who recognize the profits present in the pharmaceutical industry.

Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC) (TSX: WEED) is one of the great investment success stories. One of Canada’s largest cannabis companies, it has attracted several billion dollars of investment from Constellation Brands, an American drinks manufacturer. This represents an interesting twist on integration within the cannabis industry, with an alcohol company looking to get involved in other recreational chemicals. Tobacco companies have been taking a similar interest in cannabis, and the industry may one day bleed over into one or both of these related sectors.

Already connected into the cannabis industry is industrial hemp, a form of cannabis that doesn’t get users high. Recent years have seen a surge in sales of cannabidiol (CBD) products, which use a compound extracted from industrial hemp. Companies such as Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CWBHF) (CSE: CWEB) have had huge success is developing and marketing CBD-based health and wellness products. These products are gaining mainstream acceptance, with Charlotte’s Web getting its products into three thousand outlets.

The success of cannabis growers and retailers has been a boon for companies providing the products and services they need. GrowGeneration Corp. (OTCQX: GRWG), which supplies hydroponic systems and nutrients used in growing cannabis, has seen a massive rise in sales off the back of legalization initiatives. The company’s sales went up by 80 percent in 2017, and it has acquired several smaller companies to help it make the most of this surging demand.

Greater investment helps companies to achieve these successes, which in turn draw in greater investment. As more cannabis companies hit the big stock exchanges, the industry looks set to see its growth continue.

For more information on Cannabis Strategic Ventures, visit Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (NUGS)

About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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420 with CNW – Using Your Credit Card to Buy Pot in Canada Could Affect Your US Admissibility

Canadians who are queuing to buy recreational marijuana may be unwittingly making it harder to be allowed to travel to the U.S. if the federal government in America doesn’t soften its hard stance on the marijuana industry.

This concern takes on greater importance given that federal agents at entry points have the leeway to perform any background check necessary before admitting someone into the country. Those background checks can include looking into how someone has been using his or her credit cards.

People who have bought cannabis using their credit cards therefore face the risk of being denied entry into the U.S. since the authorities there may view them as individuals who are connected to an illegal industry (even if marijuana is legal in Canada for both medical and recreational use).

The possibility of having your credit card history reviewed may increase in case the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) agents ask a traveler about cannabis and they have reason to suspect that the person isn’t being truthful in his or her responses.

Canadians shouldn’t imagine that the sheer numbers of people traveling across the border to the South is so high that it may be practically impossible for the border agents to look at everyone’s credit card history. It is possible, and you may be that one person who is singled out for such a background check.

The Canadian province of Ontario currently only allows residents to use their MasterCard or Visa cards to buy recreational cannabis online. This means that the people in this province are at a higher risk of being in the crosshairs of the American border agents if credit card purchases are ever looked into before one is allowed to cross into the U.S.

Don’t rely on the words of comfort coming from the different tech giants like Google, Amazon and Microsoft saying that they will protect the data of Canadians. The Patriot Act can be invoked to compel those companies to release any information that the US government requires in its bid to keep the homeland secure.

Over time, the position of the US is likely to evolve in order to accommodate its neighbor since keeping all Canadians involved in the cannabis industry as workers, investors or consumers out of the country may end up hurting the US. Until that time comes, one should use his or her credit card for making marijuana purchases only when it is unavoidable. Even Americans who cross into Canada and buy cannabis using their credit cards may be affected later on even if the border agents cannot stop them from returning home.

The fears resulting from differences in the laws governing marijuana in different jurisdictions also give cannabis companies like ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX) and FinCanna Capital Corp. (CSE: CALI) (OTCQB: FNNZF) major headaches that they would wish to see end sooner rather than later.

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CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
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www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – International Cannabis Alliance Formed to Enhance Industry Collaboration

The International Cannabis Alliance (ICA or InterCannAlliance) has been formed to foster collaboration between the marijuana industry players in the different regions of the world, such as Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions.

The formation of this new group was spearheaded by New Frontier Data and CannaTech. New Frontier Data is a global authority on data and analytics for the cannabis industry. CannaTech has carved out a name for itself for advocating for cannabis education and connectivity across the world.

The objective of forming ICA was to inform and educate thought leaders and players in the cannabis market about effective, responsible and transparent practices that those in emerging markets should copy from the more developed cannabis regions like North America (Canada and parts of the US in particular).

The speed with which new cannabis products are being taken to the market raises concerns that mistakes may be made when industry growth is so fast in regions that don’t have any experience in the different aspects of the cannabis industry. InterCannAlliance hopes to share the lessons that various regions have learnt so that the emerging markets/regions avoid making any mistakes that may have already been made and corrected in other regions.

ICA also plans to share any expected opportunities in the cannabis industry so that participants can plan how to take advantage of those opportunities.

Each region is different in terms of the challenges that it is likely to face when embracing cannabis. For example, the Africa region may face challenges of obtaining funding and technical expertise while the Asia-Pacific region may not have a problem getting manpower with the required technical expertise.

ICA intends to engage the players in the different regions so that ways around those unique problems can be found.

The International Cannabis Alliance will be holding symposiums in the different regions to foster its objectives and mandate.

The first of those symposiums will be held in Latin America next year (2019). The one-day event will only be open to those who have been invited to attend.

Different entities will be in attendance to deliver keynote addresses about different aspects of the industry. For example, Hoban Law Group will discuss cannabis regulation while SteepHill Labs will talk to the invitees about laboratory testing of cannabis and cannabis products.

The cannabis industry has been fragmented for too long. For example, marijuana companies in US states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana are compelled to be involved in the entire cannabis value-chain (breeding, cultivation, processing and sometimes distribution) since cannabis cannot cross state lines. Such fragmentation stands in the way of unified growth in the industry.

The ICA initiative is therefore a welcome development since it will save different regions and players from trying to reinvent the wheel and yet they can build upon what has already been done elsewhere.

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTCQB: ETST), Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) and other marijuana companies definitely welcome any attempt to unite the players in the cannabis industry so that they can work together for the benefit of the people they serve.

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About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

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As the Cannabis Industry Grows, So Do Challenges of Supply and Distribution

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: The cannabis industry is seeing repeated waves of growth, creating challenges for supply and distribution.

  • Currently worth over $7 billion, the cannabis industry is expected to exceed $65 billion in the next five years.
  • This growth is creating challenges for supply and distribution, as companies struggle to meet surging demand.
  • The passing of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill will allow for further growth, adding to the cannabidiol (CBD) supply.

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) (SING Profile) is one of the companies tackling distribution problems through the establishment of an online store selling CBD products. Tetra Bio-Pharma, Inc. (TSX.V: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF), a medical cannabis company, is expanding into the leisure market with a hemp-based energy drink. Luxury consumer products company American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) is tapping into a similar market with CBD-infused water. The Supreme Cannabis Company (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FIRE Profile) just launched 7ACRES, an exclusive brand of high-end cannabis flower. And through its focus on research, Insys Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSY) is exploring the use of cannabis to tackle anxiety, autism, and early psychosis.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

Can Cannabis Live Up to Expectations?

After decades exiled to the criminal economy, cannabis is finally finding a place in mainstream business. Liberalizing attitudes, especially in North America, are driving a change in the plant’s legal status. First as a medical drug, then as a recreational one, and finally as a wide range of derivative products, cannabis is turning into big business.

For cannabis users and patients hoping to benefit from it, this is an historic moment. As celebrations around recreational legalization in Canada showed, there’s huge excitement about what the future brings for cannabis fans. Those high hopes come with high expectations, with consumers queueing up to buy their first legal weed, and many expecting to have access to a regular supply from the moment legalization reaches their country or state. But the reality is more complicated, and if the legal industry is to succeed in drawing business away from criminal dealers then it will need to rise to the challenge of meeting uncertain and possibly unrealistic demand.

Cannabis Comes Out of the Shadows

Right now, cannabis is big business. Companies such as SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) are building entire strategies around selling hemp-derived CBD, derivative products, and the support systems needed by cannabis retailers. It seems extraordinary that, only 22 years ago, there was no legal cannabis industry.

Starting in 1996, individual American states began legalizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes. At the time, this was a rare and controversial novelty, tied to the plant’s potential to tackle both pain relief and the high-profile problem of nausea from cancer treatment. In less than a generation, that first drop in the ocean has become a rising tide that looks set to wash away cannabis’s illegality. Thirty-one U.S. states now allow the sale of cannabis for medical purposes. Nine of those states, along with Uruguay and Canada, allow the sale and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes. Other countries are taking steps towards joining them.

The market isn’t just about straightforward cannabis. Industrial hemp, a form of cannabis that doesn’t get users high, is being used to produce products containing cannabidiol (CBD). Outlets such as SinglePoint’s SingleSeed.com are selling everything from muscle salves to beard oils infused with CBD. CBD is reaching places that more familiar cannabis products can’t.

As a result, SinglePoint’s products are now part of an industry worth billions of dollars. The global market for legal cannabis was worth $7.7 billion in 2016, and it keeps growing, with analysts predicting a value of $65 billion by 2023.

The Challenge of Distribution

This astounding forecast presents a great opportunity for cannabis companies, but it’s not without its problems. Given that there was no cannabis industry two decades ago, there has been an impressive rush to create infrastructure from scratch. Each new burst of growth generates demand for swift innovation, including the establishment of fresh supplies and distribution systems, an area in which SinglePoint specializes.

The challenges of this were well demonstrated when Canada legalized recreational cannabis on October 17. Some licensed shops were unable to obtain supplies of cannabis for days on end and had to turn away customers. In Ontario, no licensed dispensaries are expected until April, and the government store faced more demand than it could possibly handle. Even big companies faced supply chain issues and an uncomfortable few weeks of business. Unable to obtain the cannabis they had been told would be theirs, customers headed back to the black market.

With demand for both cannabis and CBD products rising, but patterns of demand still uncertain, companies are looking for flexible ways to reach their customers. Approaches such as SinglePoint’s online SingleSeed store offer a way to quickly reach a large number of customers, without the geographical limitations of brick and mortar stores. The company has been negotiating additional distribution contracts, as the industry rushes to catch up with customer demand.

Innovative use of technology will be crucial in creating smoothly running, adaptable supply channels. While also applicable to other sectors, SinglePoint’s LastMile delivery platform and SingleCoin digital wallet offer the types of solutions that could make the process of selling cannabis and CBD simpler. With access to an innovative electronic payment system and a delivery product targeted at small and medium businesses, retailers will be able to get started more quickly, serving customers in under-served markets. Technology won’t magically make the sector’s problems go away, but it will make it easier to face them.

More Growing Pain to Come

It’s important for the industry to get solutions such as LastMile into place now, because there are signs that another growth spurt is coming.

Throughout the summer, U.S. politicians have been discussing the 2018 Farm Bill, a wide-ranging bill that will establish U.S. agricultural policy for the next few years. The bill includes a measure that would legalize the growing of hemp, which federal authorities currently only allow in research and test crops. This could lead to potentially huge growth in the production of CBD, tackling some of the supply and demand issues. Though the Farm Bill is currently stalled, it will be a high priority for many politicians after the mid-term elections. And while there is dispute between Republicans and Democrats over other parts of the bill, there is cross-party agreement on the hemp measure.

The passage of this legislation will be good news for SinglePoint and other sellers of CBD products. Researchers at Brightfield Group predicted a doubling in the size of the CBD market to $1 billion from 2017 to 2022, and farmers are eager to grow hemp as a high-value cash crop. Though it will take time to ramp up production, companies that already have distribution infrastructure will be well-positioned to make the most of this growth.

Seizing the Potential of CBD

With the cannabis and CBD market growing, companies are moving fast to create a range of products for the health, well-being, and recreational markets.

Tetra Bio-Pharma, Inc. (OTCQB: TBPMF) is primarily working in medical cannabis. The company is working with drug regulators on pharmaceutical trials to better understand the effects of cannabis and its medical use. In particular, it is working on the use of cannabis to manage chronic pain as a healthier alternative to the opioids currently causing health problems across the United States. Tetra is also using its cannabis expertise to move into the broader CBD sector, offering products such as a hemp-based energy drink, for which it has recently signed a major distribution deal for both U.S. and Canadian markets.

A diversified luxury consumer products company, American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) is developing health and beauty products using biotech. American Premiums is using this technology to help the body absorb CBD, courtesy of its Lalpina CBD water. This puts the company at the forefront of development of cannabis-based drinks, which are set to become an important part of the industry. Allowing consumers a more sociable way of consuming cannabinoids, food and drink have the potential to make cannabis and CBD as mainstream as alcohol.

The Supreme Cannabis Company (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FIRE Profile) established 7ACRES as the first licensed producer focused on growing high-quality cannabis in high quantities. Last month, Supreme announced that its initial 7ACRES product was available exclusively online through Canada’s provincially regulated adult-use channels. The full line of 7ACRES products will be available soon both online and in brick-and-mortar stores.

A specialty pharmaceutical company focused on cannabinoids and novel drug delivery systems, Insys Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSY) is involved in several studies with the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Covering issues such as anxiety, autism and early psychosis, these studies are exploring the untapped potential of CBD. If they prove successful, then the market could see it used in treating a wide range of health problems.

Many companies are working in the cannabis sector and so are now relying on suppliers to tackle problems of distribution and supply. Fortunately, other companies are rising to the challenge, allowing this new industry to sustain its extraordinary growth.

For more information on SinglePoint, visit SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING)

About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

Receive Text Alerts from CannabisNewsWire: Text “Cannabis” to 21000

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www.CannabisNewsWire.com
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DISCLAIMER: CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by CNW are solely those of CNW. Readers of this Article and content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable CNW for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. CNW is a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and is NOT registered broker-dealers/analysts/investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.

The Article and content related to the profiled company represent the personal and subjective views of the Author, and are subject to change at any time without notice. The information provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the Author has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of the Author, CNW, or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. This Article and content are not, and should not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and review all of the profiled issuer’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment decisions and should understand the risks associated with an investment in the profiled issuer’s securities, including, but not limited to, the complete loss of your investment.

CNW HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and CNW undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Industrial Hemp Floodgates Open as CBD Demand Grows

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: The growing popularity of cannabidiol (CBD), a powerful but nonpsychoactive cannabinoid found in plants of the cannabis family such as industrial hemp, has a lot to do with consumer experience roundly validating the increasingly body of scientific evidence for CBD’s therapeutic value.

  • CBD demand is increasing rapidly as consumers run ahead of the studies.
  • Branding is key to capturing market share while formulation quality drives consumer loyalty.
  • The global potential for the CBD market is immense and largely untapped.

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTC: MCOA) (MCOA Profile) has taken several key steps to set itself up as a power player in the burgeoning CBD space, acting as a cultivation site landlord while also developing revolutionary products containing proprietary CBD compounds via its wholly owned subsidiary, hempSMART. CV Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: CVSI) just introduced PlusCBD Oil™ Gummies at the Natural Product Expo East 2018. Los Angeles-based MedMen (CSE: MMEN) (OTCQX: MMNFF) just signed a $33 million deal to acquire Kannaboost Technology Inc. and CSI Solutions LLC, collectively known as Level Up, an Arizona-based vertically integrated marijuana firm. OrganiGram (TSX.V: OGI) (OTCQX: OGRMF) has just has signed a supply agreement with BC Liquor Distribution Branch, the sole, wholesale distributor of nonmedical cannabis for British Canada. And symbolic of its presence in the cannabis market, Aphria (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APH) debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last week.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

CBD Already Hot and Getting Hotter

No doubt about it, the CBD market is hot right now. With analyst projections ranging from $2.1 billion to $3 billion within the next three to four years, historic change in the form of a 2018 U.S. Farm Bill that could make CBD and industrial hemp legal nationwide might send the market into hyperdrive.

Diverse Approach Focused on Legal Market

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTC: MCOA) has constructed a business model around the immense potential of the industrial hemp-based CBD market and just recently applied for an uplisting to the OTCQB in conjunction with an S-1 filing and anticipated access to a $10 million line of equity financing. The company also tapped former Price Waterhouse and Deloitte & Touche man Jesus Quintero for its CFO job, where his extensive public company reporting and SEC/SOX compliance experience should help expedite matters handily.

The success of the company’s hempSMART line comes from its innovative products, such as HempSMART Brain, a unique formulation of Ayurvedic herbs and botanical compounds with premium CBD designed to enhance brain function. The company’s success also stems from its affiliate marketing program, which allows people to earn income via commissions and bonuses, assisted by a sophisticated networking architecture that was engineered to maximize customer loyalty and market penetration.

Global Potential, Next Level Moves

MCOA has even tapped 35-year direct sales industry veteran Ian Harvey to spearhead hempSMART’s upcoming international product launch starting in Europe at the outset of 2019. As the company’s global sales director, Harvey will seek to deliver the same kind of success with the hempSMART network marketing program as was demonstrated throughout his career in the direct sales industry.

Recently the first of many regional events to be held across the country took place, and the hempSMART South West Regional Event showcases how quickly MCOA has built up its CBD product brand and leveraged its advanced affiliate marketing platform to harness the might of the $189.6 billion direct sales industry. While the company is busy breaking new ground at the forefront of direct sales and CBD, MCOA continues to advance its property interests as well and is focused on leasing turnkey facilities to sector operators in appropriate states and jurisdictions. The latest news from the company’s CBD hemp farming joint venture in New Brunswick, Canada, with Global Hemp Group Inc. demonstrated the ingenuity of MCOA’s farming group. An OXBO bean harvester was used at the New Brunswick project to maximize target yields of the parts of the plant with the highest CBD concentrations, despite unusually difficult crop conditions created by this year’s drought.

Just the Beginning of the Property Leasing Ladder

At the partnership’s Covered Bridge Acres joint venture in Scio, Oregon, work is proceeding apace of expectations. The facility will comprise when completed, some 19,000 square feet of greenhouses for year-round production, paired up with traditional outdoor orchard-style cultivation on the remaining square footage of the 109-acre site. MCOA plans to continue to expand its property footprint in both the United States and Canada as the overall cannabis industry heats up. The company may hold an ace up its sleeve in the form of a close working relationship with British Columbia-based Global Hemp Group. Both companies share a common vision about the disruptive potential of industrial hemp, particularly as evinced by the growing popularity of CBD.

And while many in the mainstream media may still be skeptical about what consumers seem to be discovering firsthand about CBD’s health benefits, a growing body of scientific data appears to back up popular sentiment. Research regarding the ability of cannabinoids such as CBD to regulate homeostasis by impacting the body’s endocannabinoid receptors found throughout nearly every tissue system suggests that consumers are not just experiencing some kind of placebo effect.

Two-Pronged Solution to Soaring Demand

MCOA has put together a noteworthy approach to the overall space, emphasizing immediate access to legal areas of the market. On one hand, Marijuana Company of America has a dynamic affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products. In addition, the company has put together a growing property-based presence that looks to increasingly benefit its hempSMART brand’s performance metrics. CBD continues to be costly to produce, and the demand for cultivation sites will likely continue to increase proportionally.

A preeminent supplier and manufacturer of hemp-derived phytocannabinoids, CV Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: CVSI) added to its leading brand, PlusCBD Oil™, with the release of its gummy product. CV Sciences operates two distinct business segments: a drug development division focused on developing and commercializing novel therapeutics utilizing synthetic CBD, and a consumer product division focused on manufacturing, marketing and selling plant-based CBD products.

By acquiring control of Level Up, MedMen (CSE: MMEN) (OTCQX: MMNFF) gains access to two vertically integrated operations in Arizona, which include retail locations in Scottsdale and Tempe, as well as 25,000 square feet of cultivation and production capacity in Tempe and Phoenix, and a stake in the top-selling K.I.N.D. Concentrates (“K.I.N.D.”) brand, which is currently distributed in more than 90 percent of Arizona dispensaries. The acquisition strengthens MedMen’s presence in one of the top cannabis markets in the United States.

A leading licensed producer of cannabis for the medical and adult-use recreational markets, OrganiGram (TSX.V: OGI) (OTCQX: OGRMF) has now secured cannabis distribution agreements in eight of ten provinces in Canada. Organigram also recently signed an agreement with to acquire 8,333 common shares of Alpha-Cannabis Germany, representing a 25% stake in ACG’s capital. ACG has been preparing the development and production of further cannabis-based products for the swiftly growing German and European markets.

In addition to uplisting on the NYSE, Aphria (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APH) recently closed acquisitions of assets in Latin America and the Caribbean from Scythian Bioscences. As a result of the transaction, Aphria has solidified an important foothold in Latin America and the Caribbean by acquiring industry-leading cannabis-related companies in Colombia, Argentina and Jamaica as well as a right of first offer and refusal to a majority interest in a Brazilian entity seeking a cannabis cultivation and sales license.

CBD is quickly establishing itself as the darling of the booming cannabis industry. Investors will want to keep a close eye on companies such as MCOA that are able to operate within the sizeable, already-legal portions of the overall cannabis market and that have a specific emphasis on products containing CBD derived from industrial hemp. However, the entire cannabinoid market is worth examining in greater detail, while those companies with unique advantages deserve special attention, as they could be tomorrow’s brightest stars and richest buyouts.

For more information on Marijuana Company of America, visit Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA)

About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

Receive Text Alerts from CannabisNewsWire: Text “Cannabis” to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com and or https://CannabisNewsWire.News

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
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DISCLAIMER: CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by CNW are solely those of CNW. Readers of this Article and content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable CNW for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. CNW is a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and is NOT registered broker-dealers/analysts/investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.

The Article and content related to the profiled company represent the personal and subjective views of the Author, and are subject to change at any time without notice. The information provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the Author has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of the Author, CNW, or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. This Article and content are not, and should not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and review all of the profiled issuer’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment decisions and should understand the risks associated with an investment in the profiled issuer’s securities, including, but not limited to, the complete loss of your investment.

CNW HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and CNW undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

420 with CNW – Lack of Regulations and Doctors’ Fears Threaten UK Medical Cannabis Program

Many patients celebrated when the UK government announced that doctors could start prescribing medical marijuana come November 1. However, the reality after that date is turning out to be frustrating for many patients as doctors seem reluctant to prescribe medical marijuana.

The first hurdle that patients have to negotiate is to find a specialist doctor who can prescribe medical marijuana for the condition which the patient has. This requirement is different from what happens in other countries where any GP can prescribe medical marijuana after enrolling to participate in the program.

As it is, many specialist doctors approached by patients for a prescription are turning away those patients for a variety of reasons.

Some of the doctors are saying that medical cannabis is just a fad which will pass in no time. They therefore see no need to involve themselves in such a “passing wave”. Such a mentality shows how much needs to be done to inform doctors about the medicinal benefits of marijuana.

Other specialist doctors are refusing to prescribe medical cannabis because those products are an unknown entity which hasn’t been subjected to double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials similar to what other drugs or pharmaceutical products undergo before coming to market.

The doctors fear that they could be held liable in case an adverse effect occurs to a patient for whom that doctor wrote a prescription for medical cannabis.

Such a fear could have been resolved in case appropriate regulations had been passed to control which marijuana products are permitted on the market.

Even patients who don’t go through specialist doctors and opt to apply to the temporary approval panel to get a license for medical cannabis have been met with rejection.

Hannah Deacon is the mother to one of the two boys whose cases generated such a huge public outcry that the government changed the existing law to make medical marijuana legal in the UK. She now works with a cannabis campaign group and has been getting calls from parents whose kids have been denied medical cannabis prescriptions.

A consultant neurologist, Dr. Waqar Rashid, understands the frustration of the patients who want to access medical cannabis. He also appreciates the concerns of the doctors and he has therefore formed a society of medical cannabis clinicians in order to disseminate information about medical cannabis. The group will form the core around which other doctors will be brought on board to prescribe medical cannabis. So far, 60 clinicians have joined that group spearheaded by Dr. Rashid.

The efforts by clinicians like Dr. Rashid and the groups of parents and patients, such as the one Hannah Deacon works with, are the way to go if clarity is to be attained on the way medical cannabis is to be availed to the patients who badly need it. Participants in the cannabis industry, such as Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: NUGS) and VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX.V: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF) applaud all those who are adding their voice to the calls for medical cannabis to be accessible to everyone who needs it within the UK or elsewhere.

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About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

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420 with CNW – Chronic Cannabis Shortages Force Quebec Stores to Close Several Days Each Week

We wrote earlier that cannabis shortages were registered across Canada from the time recreational cannabis became legal in the country. Those shortages seem to be getting worse with Quebec announcing that its government-controlled retail stores would close for three days each week for an unforeseen duration until marijuana supplies can be obtained in the quantities which can satisfy the currently high demand.

The SDQC, the government agency charged with trading in cannabis within the province of Quebec, announced that its stores would be closed every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

These closures would help the stores to serve their customers better on the days when the stores are open. However, the closures don’t mean that customers are guaranteed that they will always find what they want on the days when the cannabis retail stores are open.

Online sales haven’t been affected by the store closures, but many online outlets list several products as out of stock.

Cannabis producers and suppliers seem to hold the key to ending the shortages by availing cannabis products in the amounts ordered by the different stores in the province.

Interestingly, Quebec has several licensed cannabis producers, such as Aurora Cannabis. The company said that they were doing everything possible to meet the existing demand for cannabis, but they can’t force the cannabis plants to grow faster than they do.

Such a statement seems to be a worrying pointer to customers that they may have to wait for a long time before cannabis supplies stabilize and stores open on a daily basis.

Industry players suggest that such supply hiccups are inevitable each time a new industry is opened since no one can predict accurately how the market will respond. For the case of recreational cannabis, the market seems to have been yearning for the product in a way that not even the greatest optimists among the producers could have ever imagined.

Francois Legault, Quebec’s Premier, expressed surprise that there were shortages and hurried to add that it wasn’t his government that designed the distribution system. He was also concerned about the effect of marijuana on young people and vowed to do what he can to raise the minimum age at which one can legally consume recreational cannabis in the province to 21.

With legal weed so hard to get, it will not be surprising when the people resort to the black market to get high. Such an eventuality can have undesired outcomes, such as exposing users to untested products which can be harmful in the short or long-term. The government also loses tax revenue each time a person buys a joint from the unregulated (black) market. Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF), Canopy Rivers, Inc. (TSX.V: RIV) and other players hope that the shortages can end quickly before public interest in marijuana wanes.

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About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

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Payment Solutions Among Innovations in the Fast-Growing Cannabis Industry

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: The legal cannabis industry, which anticipates massive growth over the next few years, is seeing constant innovation as companies move to provide essential services needed for that growth.

  • The global cannabis industry, which was worth $7.7 billion in 2016, is expected to reach $65 billion by 2023.
  • The industry’s upward trajectory is happening despite legal restrictions that have forced cannabis businesses to seek alternative payment solutions.
  • These solutions are among many innovations in the sector, which has a strong strand of research and design.

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) (NETE Profile) recently launched a compliant, secure payment processing solution focused on serving the legal cannabis industry. Medical cannabis company Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) is supplying materials for a range of research projects around the world that are studying cannabis’ potential in medicine. Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC) (TSX: WEED) has received massive investment from a beverage company and is likely to be one of the first companies selling cannabis-infused drinks. And the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cannabis-based drug has just gone on sale from GW Pharmaceuticals Plc (NASDAQ: GWPH). Meanwhile, new uses for the plant are being found, as exemplified by Cronos Group, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX: CRON) research on the use of cannabis in skin cream.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

Cannabis Payment Solutions

The cannabis industry is currently growing at an astonishing rate. Since 1996, its use for medical purposes has become legal in 31 U.S. states and Canada as well as a number of other countries around the world, most recently the United Kingdom. This remarkable pace of change has been accompanied by the emergence of related industries producing industrial hemp, cannabidiol (CBD) oil and support services for cannabis growers.

Despite this, legal cannabis sellers in the United States face serious problems in accessing basic business services. Because banks and payment providers are often wary of working with cannabis companies — even legal ones — these companies are forced to either accept the risks and inefficiencies of a cash-based business or seek alternative payment options. Fortunately, payment solutions are becoming increasingly viable.

The Challenge — And Opportunity

The challenge — and opportunity — with cannabis payment processing is significant enough to have drawn in businesses from outside the sector, such as global technology company Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE).

With the growth of the medical cannabis market has come more people are looking for one of the sectors most in-demand products — CBD oil, which is the concentrated liquid extract of the cannabis plant. Previously most CBD products were sold in head shops, but increasingly these products are found on the shelves of natural food stores, beauty aisles, cafes and doctors’ offices. This spread to other venues has created an even greater need for smooth transactions between merchants and consumers.

While the majority of states now allow the legal sale of some form of cannabis or its derivatives within their boundaries, cannabis providers may still find it challenging to find payment options that allow mobile payments, offer value-added transactions, and are easy for both the business and the end user. Fortunately, companies such as Net Element are positioning themselves to provide exactly what this underserved industry is looking for.

These alternative solutions, including Net Element’s Aptito and Unified Payments systems, solve the problem by offering a compliant, seamlessly integrated payment solution that is simple to use. The systems rely on the latest digital technology, which allows retailers to accept payments outside of conventional routes while remaining user friendly for customers.

More Sales, More Payments

It’s a good time for companies to expand their reach in the cannabis market, as Net Element is doing. The industry is experiencing a period of huge growth. According to recent research, the legal cannabis market was worth $7.7 billion in 2016 and is forecast to reach $65 billion by 2023, a staggering 37 percent rate of compound growth per year.

Various factors are playing into this. Cannabis is already a huge industry, but one historically run by criminal gangs. One of the reasons for wide legalization is to take that trade out of criminals’ hands. In the United States, 70 to 75 percent of the cannabis trade is still illegal, but only 30 percent of it is illicit in states with legal options on the books. As legal cannabis from regulated suppliers becomes more widely available, the expectation is customers will move away from illegal businesses. The customer base is already there, and it’s huge.

Ongoing changes in the legal landscape are also a factor. The White House has hinted that it is considering liberalizing federal cannabis laws. Shifts in medical-use cannabis are taking place in Germany and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the current Farm Bill has enough support that it is expected to legalize the widespread cultivation of industrial hemp for nonrecreational cannabis uses.

This last change ties into an unexpected and significant trend in the cannabis industry. Hemp, a nonpsychoactive form of cannabis, was used in manufacturing rope and cloth before being made illegal during the political campaign against marijuana. Now, it’s returning to legality as a source of a new material — CBD oil. This active ingredient of cannabis is used in a growing number of health and well-being products. The hemp and CBD parts of the industry alone are set to reach $22 billion by 2022. While CBD sales are still largest in the stores supported by companies such as Net Element, these products are moving towards the mainstream via health stores, beauty aisles and cafés.

Rising to the Problem

A growing sector with a need for innovative solutions is the perfect place for a company such as Net Element to act on its vision.

“We are excited to launch a legal cannabis payment acceptance solution to meet the needs of sales partners and merchants for this emerging market,” commented Vlad Sadovskiy, president of integrated payments for Net Element. “Addressing the needs of our merchants is our number one priority and we work closely with various vendors to bring our merchants state-of-the-art payment acceptance solutions.”

The cannabis sector is more than just cultivators and retailers. It also includes the companies that support those businesses, companies that are set to thrive if the industry maintains its spectacular growth. The industry’s circumstances have ensured that it has become a forward-looking one.

A Future-facing Industry

Cannabis companies constantly have an eye on the state of the legal landscape and the new opportunities it may create for the market. Because those companies are working in an industry that has been illegal, industry-building techniques and products are only beginning to be properly discussed now, with innovations in research and design being announced as a result. Constraints such as those established by the U.S. government are forcing them to find technological solutions to problems other companies don’t face.

Medical cannabis company Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) prides itself on the part it plays in pushing the industry forward. With a strong emphasis on industry and innovation, Tilray is committed to research that will expand the possibilities of cannabis, carried out in partnership with hospitals and universities. It is currently supplying products for a range of clinical trials in Australia and Canada that promote the safety and effectiveness of cannabis use in tackling ailments such as childhood epilepsy and chemotherapy-induced nausea.

Research and design work at Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC) (TSX: WEED) has been super-charged by a recent investment of billions of dollars from American drinks company Constellation Brands. One of the reasons for Constellation’s move into cannabis is the potential for drinks infused with cannabis and CBD. The partnership with Canopy Growth is likely to lead to novel products that will become part of Canada’s large licensed cannabis market next year.

GW Pharmaceuticals Plc (NASDAQ: GWPH), a company with a strong history of research in the cannabis sector, has created the first plant-derived cannabinoid medicine to be approved by the FDA, which has just become available by prescription in the United States. This introduction of a federally approved cannabis-derived medicine is an important moment for the industry and may lead to the softening of political and regulatory attitudes that have previously held business back.

Cronos Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX: CRON) is investigating the use of cannabis in a relatively new area – skin care. The company has announced that it will be working with the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology to research the use of cannabinoids in skin care, research with potential to carry cannabis into more parts of the high street and the consciousness of more consumers.

From payment solutions to new products, the cannabis sector’s growth is fueling a rich wave of innovation.

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CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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420 with CNW – Colorado Lawsuit Could Shake the Marijuana Industry

A federal court is set to hear a landmark case in Colorado which could have far-reaching implications for the young marijuana industry throughout the US. A couple is suing a cannabis company claiming that the odors from its indoor grow facility have made the couple unable to enjoy their property which is right next to the cannabis cultivation facility.

The plaintiffs are using the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act to claim that their property has lost value due to the “pungent, foul odors”. The law permits courts to award successful plaintiffs thrice the value lost in addition to legal fees.

The RICO Act was drafted and enacted decades ago to combat organized crime syndicates and organizations like the mafia. Under this law, the leaders of those organizations could also be liable when “the small fry” in their organizations were convicted.

The lawyers for the plaintiffs argue that it isn’t fair for their clients to be hurt by an industry which is illegal at the federal level.

The attorneys for the defendant intend to argue that the property in question hasn’t lost any value due to the presence of the marijuana grow. As part of their evidence, the defense will table proof that the property tax valuations of the land owned by Hope and Michael Reilly has been increasing over time. That increase cannot be possible if the value of that property has declined due to the existence of the grow facility in their neighborhood, they say.

The vulnerability to such lawsuits has been giving the legal teams of different cannabis businesses sleepless nights since the contradiction between state and federal law creates a gap which can potentially be exploited to hurt cannabis businesses and the entire industry.

The key concern in this Denver trial is whether the jury will agree with the plaintiffs or deny their claim. The extent to which the jury agrees (if it does agree) with the plaintiffs will also be watched closely.

For example, a decision that the property lost $5,000 dollars in value can have different implications for the cannabis industry when compared to a decision that sees the loss in value in excess of a million dollars.

Remember, the RICO Act stipulates that those who sue can get thrice the value lost in addition to the legal costs incurred during the litigation. Numbers are therefore important in such cases.

The precedent set by the outcome of the Colorado case can also open an avalanche of similar suits, or stem the tide before it makes landfall.

Marijuana industry players are keeping their fingers crossed as they follow the case in Denver. Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) and American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) certainly hope that any decision made by the federal court in Colorado doesn’t make it harder for marijuana businesses to operate since conditions are already hard as things stand (no access to banking services, etc.).

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About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com