As the short- and long-term effects of continued opioid use have become more apparent, people have started experimenting with safer alternatives. Cannabis and kratom, a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family, have emerged as promising candidates. Cannabis has long been used as a medicine to treat everything from chronic pain to stress and anxiety. Leaves and leaf extracts from kratom, which is legal in the United States, have been used as a stimulant and sedative, and the natural substance has also been reported to be effective at treating chronic pain.

A federal health agency is now conducting a review of studies into cannabis’s and kratom’s alleged pain-relieving abilities to see if the two could be used to treat chronic pain conditions with reduced side effects. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (“AHRQ”) says that the increase in opioid use, as well as overdoses, underscores the need for safer, plant-based alternatives.

AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is also asking the public to point out any research on the benefits and risks of cannabinoids and kratom. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds produced by the cannabis plant, and they are responsible for its therapeutic and psychoactive effects. The agency stated in a public notice that cannabinoids, specifically THC, may have analgesic properties, but the research is “mixed.”.

Additional cannabinoids such as CBD, CBC and CBG may also have analgesic or anti-inflammatory properties, but they may be less potent than THC, AHRQ says. This isn’t the first time the agency has sought the public’s help in identifying studies on the risks and benefits of using cannabis for pain relief. Back in March 2019, the group announced that it was currently reviewing existing research on alternatives to opioids. AHRQ ultimately said that it didn’t find enough evidence to draw accurate conclusions.

The systematic review will ask four key questions: In adults with chronic pain, what are the benefits of cannabinoids? In adults with chronic pain, what are the harms of cannabinoids? In adults with chronic pain, what are the benefits of kratom or other plant-based substances for the treatment of chronic pain? In adults with chronic pain, what are the harms of kratom or other plant-based substances for chronic pain treatment?

The public will have until Jan. 4, 2021, to submit either published or unpublished research on the benefits and risks of using cannabis or kratom instead of opioids for chronic pain relief.

Aside from the research being done by the feds, several companies are soaring as a result of the legalization of hemp and marijuana. For example, The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER) was launched in 2012, but it has made great strides in staking its claim as the maker of the best-tasting waster globally. WTER edibles and topicals, all infused with CBD, are also a hit.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/WTER

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• WTER set to expand across the entire spectrum of hospitality, foodservice markets through key partnerships with Dot Foods, IBA
• Lucrative segments such as golf foodservice, fast casuals, and vending and micro markets rapidly growing amid coronavirus outbreak
• The Alkaline Water Company offers lifestyle brands that are a perfect complement for consumers seeking healthier choices

The Alkaline Water Company (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER), a producer of premium bottled alkaline and flavored-infused drinking waters and CBD-infused products, has set out to expand into hospitality and foodservice space. To secure coverage at both ends of the spectrum — from large national to large regional accounts — the Alkaline Water Company has entered into agreements with two strategic partners: Dot Foods Inc., the largest U.S. food redistribution company, and the Independent Broker Alliance (IBA), a renowned professional alliance of 30 independent foodservice sales agencies.

With these two agreements in place, WTER targets the whole hospitality and foodservice ecosystem, which is a very large addressable market, where even small share gains will fuel rapid growth for the company (https://cnw.fm/juoH0). According to the agreement with Dot Foods, the largest food redistribution company in the United States, Dot Foods will offer the entire line of Alkaline88(r) and A88 Infused(TM), along with the line’s eco-friendly aluminum bottles, to its 4,300 customers nationwide (https://cnw.fm/WQKxl). DOTs will also offer A88’s flavored waters as a featured all-natural flavored product, replacing a leading competitive brand that purportedly did over a million cases per year in the DOTS ecosystem.

“Adding the largest foodservice redistributor, Dot Foods, to our growing list of channel partners is another milestone for the company,” said The Alkaline Water Company president and CEO Richard Wright. “Every year, Dot Foods sells millions of cases of beverages to its customers. This relationship will give us an entry into the hospitality industry, which we view as a significant opportunity for our growing lifestyle brands. There are over 600,000 restaurants and foodservice establishments that will now have access to our full line of products.”

After announcing the agreement with IBS Foodservice, Wright noted that WTER now has two formidable partnerships to help it gain share in the hospitality and foodservice channel. “IBA is a highly respected professional foodservice sales and marketing organization comprised of 30 successful agencies,” he said. “With deep, long-term market-by-market relationships, the IBA has stellar local expertise in a well-connected, collaborative, and nationally respected alliance of independent brokers.

“Between our two partners, we expect DOT Foods to provide access to large national accounts and IBA to help us penetrate the large regional accounts across the entire hospitality and foodservice ecosystem,” Wright continued. “These partners give us the scale and scope to drive our growing lifestyle brands in the sizeable on-premise market estimated at over $14 billion by Beverage Marketing Corporation. We expect our single-serves, including A88 Infused flavors, eco-friendly aluminum bottles, and A88CBD infused lemon-lime water to do exceptionally well in the channel.”

WTER’s flagship product, Alkaline88, meets the growing demand from health-conscious, on-the-go consumers across lucrative markets. This smooth-tasting, mineral-enhanced beverage can be grabbed at restaurants, hotels, airports, stadiums, hospitals, schools, colleges/universities, parks, golf courses, health and fitness clubs, coffee shops, etc. One of these exciting sub-segments is the more than 15,500 golf courses and 4,415 private clubs managed by 13 golf-management companies in the U.S. Penetration of this market alone is expected to generate new opportunities, while fast-casual venues and vending machines are seeing accelerated growth in the post-COVID era (https://cnw.fm/YPRXQ).

As a company committed to an aggressive growth strategy, The Alkaline Water Company’s offering focuses on national, multichannel mass-market expansion with its premium, single-serve line of A88 water products. WTER’s products feature a growing list of infused flavors and are offered in eco-friendly aluminum bottles — an ideal fit for this lucrative space where consumers seek healthier, eco-friendly alternatives.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to WTER are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/WTER

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