ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (CIIX) Turns Focus to Growth of Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology, Financial Consulting Division

Company returning to its roots in financial consulting, corporate brand building and educational services for cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin
CIIX has daily video from NYSE targeted at its global Chinese-speaking investment community titled ‘Bitcoin MultiMillionaire’ and hosts a bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters
Company is urging its shareholders to convert stock, on a four-for-one basis, for a share in the new, private company that includes hemp assets CBD Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Hemp Logic, Inc. and ChineseHempOil.com, Inc.

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) will return to its roots as a financial consultant and a specialist in cryptocurrency, especially bitcoin, as it spins off its hemp assets into a private company. In a news release (http://cnw.fm/i7zeW), Paul Dickman, CFO of CIIX, said, “This is a great time to spin off CIIX’s CBD focused assets as we continue to explore new ways to expand its core financial services business, including its recent move into the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology industry.”

CIIX has in the past succeeded as a diverse company with multiple-focuses, but, with this spinoff, it can now concentrate on its core skills in brand building for startups and financial marketing for its clients.

The San Gabriel, California-based company specializes in financial education and marketing for the global Chinese-speaking investment community. It has an interest in the growth of cryptocurrency with a daily video newscast from the NYSE daily titled ‘Bitcoin MultiMillionaire’ and hosts a bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters.

Following the planned spinoff, CIIX intends to focus on those interests while giving its shareholders a special dividend. They may exchange four shares of CIIX common for one share in the new company, which consists of CIIX’s hemp-related assets. These include wholly owned foreign enterprise CBD Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and U.S.-based wholly owned subsidiaries Hemp Logic, Inc. and ChineseHempOil.com, Inc.

The four-for-one exchange of shares will be made effective on May 31, 2018, the date of the spinoff. The new company will initially be private, but CIIX has announced plans to bring the new company into the public market in the 12-18 months that follow (http://cnw.fm/MCe3G).

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

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Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST) Enlarges Its Footprint in Hemp-Based CBD Market

Agreement with Mr. Checkout will significantly strengthen the company’s product distribution network
Human trials launched evaluating CBD-based therapy for opioid addiction
Application made to uplist to OTCQB in early 2018, attracting more investment

The worldwide cannabidiol (CBD) oil market, which includes products derived from both marijuana and hemp, is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 39 percent through 2021. The health benefits of CBD oil are the major driver for growth in this market, with global demand steadily on the rise in recent years. Hemp-based CBD oil products in particular are more popular, as they have a lower concentration of psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than those derived from marijuana, therefore not requiring a medical prescription (http://cnw.fm/kaL9i). Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST) is one of the companies that is focused on the development of hemp-based CBD products and has taken a number of steps recently to enlarge its presence in this market sector.

Following a revamp of its CBD product line, Earth Science Tech announced on February 13, 2018, that it had concluded an agreement with Mr. Checkout for the distribution of its products via major retailers and stores across the United States. This agreement will strengthen the company’s distribution network, which currently has 10 active representatives targeting distribution to health food stores and clinics. Mr. Checkout is a national group of independent distributors of products to over 60 major retailers and 55,000 stores. It will market ETST’s product line to major retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens and Target.

Earth Science Tech is a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of hemp-based CBD products for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. It also has a focus on the development of diagnostic tools and medical devices. On February 28, 2018, the company announced that it had finalized plans to conduct human trials on its new CBD-based formulation that targets opioid addiction (http://cnw.fm/rNnQ0). These trials will assess the efficacy of the combination of hemp-based CBD oil with an essential mineral element. Currently, the sole therapy for this condition is a monotherapy based on an essential mineral element. ETST’s formulation is expected to increase the potency and improve the outcome of this therapy.

The company operates through three wholly owned subsidiaries:

Cannabis Therapeutics, Inc. which develops leading edge, cannabinoid-based products for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors;
KannaBidioiD which is focused more on developing products for the recreational use of cannabis, including edibles, vapes and eLiquids;
Earth Science Pharma, Inc., which develops medical devices and low-cost, noninvasive diagnostic tools, as well as testing processes and vaccines for sexually transmitted diseases.

Cannabis Therapeutics is in the development stage of two CBD-based pharmaceutical drugs and three CBD-based nutraceutical products. These will target a variety of ailments, including depression, anxiety, breast cancer and fatty liver disease. In October 2017, Earth Science Tech announced a collaboration with Clinique SIDA Amité to conduct a mini-trial on its MSN-2 device for the detection of Chlamydia. ETST has also acquired Canna Inno Laboratories Inc., based in Montreal, Canada, which will give the company the opportunity to expand into Canada and gain access to local government grants for pharmaceutical industry innovation.

Earth Science Tech expects to uplist to the OTCQB Venture Exchange in early 2018, which it believes will attract well-funded institutional investors. These recent developments are likely to increase company growth and enlarge Earth Science Tech’s presence in the cannabis industry.

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

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Building a Portfolio of Industrial Hemp Companies is Key to the Future of Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRA: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF)

Global Hemp Group will employ joint ventures, partnerships, and acquisitions to capture cash flow, generate revenues and create value for its shareholders
Global Hemp Group will be involved in the cultivation, processing and distribution of industrial hemp to domestic and international markets
At the end of 2017, GHG issued its final report on the first year of its joint venture to produce industrial hemp on the Arcadian Peninsula of New Brunswick, Canada

Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF) is focused on the vital role that industrial hemp will play in building a sustainable future. The company concentrates on the production and processing of hemp to produce raw and finished goods for domestic and international markets.

Through a series of partnerships, joint ventures and acquisitions, Global Hemp Group seeks to build a strategic portfolio of forward-thinking companies that also believe in the disruptive potential of the industrial hemp plant (http://cnw.fm/kd4OB). The company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is actively seeking additional projects in the hemp cultivation and cannabinoid extraction space in Canada and the United States.

Global Hemp Group, in partnership with Marijuana Company of America (OTC: MCOA), recently completed industrial hemp trials, in 2017, which marked the first hemp cultivation on the Arcadian Peninsula of New Brunswick, Canada in 20 years. The joint venture partners plan to begin commercial cultivation of industrial hemp in 2018, including plans to acquire equipment for the extraction of cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, CBN and CBC). Experienced hemp farmers have been recruited to grow on 125 acres in 2018, with plans to cultivate more than 1,000 acres by year three of the project. Global Hemp Group is to provide technical and management expertise to the joint venture.

What makes industrial hemp unique is its ample potential for aiding in the manufacture of thousands of sustainable products across a wide range of markets. To qualify as industrial hemp, regulation in the United States and Canada requires less than 0.3 percent Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

Hemp has tremendous value as an agricultural crop and industrial solution that can not only produce food and clothing on an industrial scale, but also has the potential to become the base product to develop, amongst other things, super-foods, textiles, building materials, bio-fuels and plant-based medicine. Oil-based products such as bio-plastics, cosmetics, sealants and cleaning products also provide an opportunity for hemp to find new global markets.

Industrial hemp plays a fundamental role in the development of sustainable industrial solutions. Global Hemp Group, with its knowledge and expertise, is building a strategic portfolio of companies with the objective of delivering shareholder value through joint ventures, partnerships and acquisitions.

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

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Acquisitions and Growth Expand in Canadian Cannabis Market

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: The first wave of companies to enter the Canadian cannabis industry were grounded in medical marijuana, which was legalized in 2001. As the country prepares for legalized adult recreational-use this summer, new recreational brands are joining the scene, and many companies rooted in medicinal cannabis are taking action to participate in this second wave of the Canadian market. With its strong branding and modern store design, Choom Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) (CHOOF Profile) is branded to appeal to the Canadian adult consumer ready to experience the cannabis lifestyle. Aurora Cannabis, Inc. (TSX: ACB) (OTCQB: ACBFF) is making strategic investments to establish footing in the recreational sector, while OrganiGram Holdings, Inc. (TSXV: OGI) (OTCQB: OGRMF) is taking measures to increase its production capacity ahead of a surge in product demand. Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. (TSXV: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF) has entered into multimillion-dollar agreements to supply cannabis to retail-oriented companies, and in Quebec, Hydropothecary Corp. (TSXV: THCX) is expanding its greenhouse capacity to potentially increase its cannabis production to 30x its current volume.

Highs Coming for Canadian Cannabis

As established companies get serious about brand expansion, supply agreements, and potential retail revenues, investments within Canada’s cannabis sector are soaring. The industry saw $1.2 billion investments in January alone – a 600 percent increase over the previous year – setting an incredible pace for continued growth. Currently, the State of California is the largest legal cannabis market in the world. With a population nearly as large as California’s and an influx of cannabis capital, Canada is on track to potentially become one of the world’s largest recreational-use markets. The country’s combined medicinal and recreational market size is expected to reach $6 billion by the year 2021, surpassing the value of its whiskey and spirits industry.

While the Canadian cannabis industry has found impressive success with medicinal marijuana in recent years, a different approach will be needed to target recreational consumers. Cannabis producers that recognize this tremendous potential are pursuing investments in recreational brands that appeal to the retail market. One of Canada’s most recognizable cannabis producers, Aphria, Inc. (TSXV: APH) (OTC: APHQF), recently shelled out $230 million to acquire recreational brand Broken Coast – one of many M&A deals within the burgeoning industry.

A Relaxed Brand for a Relaxing Product

One of the new companies looking to stake a claim in the recreational market is Choom Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF). Choom is based in British Columbia, though its hip, modern brand has been designed around the tropical, relaxed ambiance of Hawaii. The company’s name, “Choom”, and style invoke Hawaiian culture, in particular easy days on the beach and in the countryside enjoying a casual atmosphere that connects with relaxation, which fittingly is one of the main appeals of cannabis. The company’s name, Choom, which means “to smoke marijuana” – comes from a slang word used by a fun-loving group of friends (including former U.S. President Barack Obama) who grew up together in Hawaii during the 1970s.

This relaxed, friendly and informal approach to selling cannabis is designed to tap into a younger market with socially liberal values and disposal income to spare, and differs radically from the marketing focus of medical marijuana companies. The look and feel more closely resembles a food or alcoholic beverage brand, evoking warm feelings instead of healing/medicinal properties, which are the focus of established brands. In short, it’s exactly the sort of approach the recreational cannabis industry will need.

Moving forward, the advantage in the legal cannabis sector seems likely to go to companies such as Choom, which are able to innovate with their branding, creating appealing lifestyle choices. Strict limitations on advertising cannabis will prevent the big medical marijuana players from using their financial clout to dominate the market through saturation advertising, which will create a space for young brands such Choom to grow via agile, modern techniques where traditional approaches aren’t an option.

From Seed to Sale

Choom appears to have another market advantage with its vertical integration. The business has a seed-to-sale model that covers the whole cannabis pipeline, from growing and processing the plants to selling the final product in its own stores. This control over the entire business process allows the company to maximize efficiencies and ensure integration along the supply chain.

This advantage starts in the growing facilities, where Choom will fully oversee the growth of carefully crafted strains of cannabis. Existing facilities are planned for Vernon and Chemainus, Canada, to ensure that the company is prepared for the market as soon as possible. Choom is refitting both facilities, a process scheduled to be complete by July, with more than 13,000 square feet of growing space in planning.

Choom has announced a clear plan for its move into this market. With the Canadian cannabis market expected to see dramatic growth in early stages, the company has capacity to expand as needed. A second phase of expansion is in place for both facilities, which will significantly increase the growing space and allow for doubling crop yields by early 2019.

At the sale end of this supply chain are Choom’s dispensaries, which are designed with a clean, stylish, and modern feel, much like a more relaxed version of an Apple store, a favorite of millennials and those with disposable income. These stores have been envisioned to appeal to two different but important market sectors. One is existing cannabis users, who will be looking for more convenient ways to buy their product once the law changes. The other is the group of “curious customers,” who weren’t willing to use cannabis while it was illegal but are interested in trying it now. Choom’s relaxing retail space is designed to draw in customers from both sides, quickly building up a strong high street brand.

Preparing for Change

To power further growth, the company also recently completed a financing initiative, exceeding expectations and raising CAD $2.7 million (http://cnw.fm/AkT9x). The funds are being invested in advancing the company’s development strategy, as well as for growth and acquisitions.

Having recently released the retail design for its dispensaries (http://cnw.fm/DIl3r), Choom is readying those facilities ready for legalization as well. And with the official launch of its retail program, the company has created the opportunity to develop a chain of branded cannabis dispensaries across Canada (http://cnw.fm/jqn8I).

“Choom is using design and retail strategies that have worked successfully at some of the most profitable storefronts in the country. We are telling our Choom story with our stores and will elevate the concept of a high-quality product though our new retail environments, and we’re inviting others to join us,” Choom president and CEO Chris Bogart stated in the press release.

As the legal cannabis market prepares to open in Canada, Choom appears to have all the pieces in place to create a national premium recreation brand.

A Sector in Waiting

As the creation of Canada’s legal recreational cannabis sector approaches, other companies are also preparing for the change.

One of Canada’s biggest cannabis producers, Aurora Cannabis (TSX: APH) (OTCQB: APHQF), is investing in a range of related companies to set itself up for expansion into the recreational sector. The Vancouver-based organization has invested in The Green Organic Dutchman, a company that produces farm grown, organic, pesticide-free medical cannabis in small batches using all natural, organic craft growing principles. It has also teamed up with Liquor Stores NA Ltd. (TSX: LIQ) to convert existing retail outlets into cannabis retail stores.

Another licensed producer of medical marijuana, OrganiGram Holdings (TSXV: OGI) (OTCQB: OGRMF), recently received an expanded cultivation license from Health Canada, enabling the company to move forward with its expansion strategy that would increase current capacity from approximately 5,200 kg/year to an estimated 16,000 kg/year. Its longer-term plan is to increase production to 65,000 kg/year over the next two years.

Supreme Cannabis Company (TSXV: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF) has made its mission to grow sustainable cannabis companies to cater to the growing recreational market. To this end, it has invested in late-stage ACMPR applicant company BlissCo, and has agreed to provide cannabis to that company through its 7ACRES subsidiary. 7ACRES will also supply cannabis to Namaste (CSE: N) (FRA: M5BQ) (OTC: NXTTF) subsidiary, Cannmart.

Quebec-based Hydropothecary (TSXV: THCX) has signed a letter of intent with Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) to supply 20,000 kg of cannabis to Quebec’s recreational cannabis market in its first year of operation. This recent announcement follows news in December that the company added 78 acres of land adjacent to its existing 65-acre facility, and that it is working on a 1 million-square-foot greenhouse designed to increase its production to 108,000 kg per year, 30 times the current capacity.

Based on all forecasts, Canada’s cannabis market is set for significant expansion in 2018. New actors and existing medical companies alike are preparing to seize this opportunity through production, distribution, and retail growth. With a clearly defined growth strategy, Choom Holdings is demonstrating its intention to rapidly become a recognizable national brand.

For more information on Choom Holdings, please visit Choom Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF)

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Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG) in Marathon Drive to Serve Marijuana Customers with Unique Platform

‘Green’ payment system offers security and regulatory transparency
Expanding legalization efforts mean more opportunity in market that’s expected to exceed $31 billion within the next three years
Company working out cryptocurrency alternative to U.S. dollar financing

In late February, a federal judge issued the latest legal finding on the drive to overturn the U.S. government’s classification of marijuana as an illegal drug, delivering a ruling that rejected medical marijuana patients’ claims that the ban is an unconstitutional violation of their rights (http://cnw.fm/DaqG1). The decision, based on a procedural finding that the plaintiffs had not gone through proper procedures with the Drug Enforcement Administration to challenge the ban and likely could not establish a constitutional right to use marijuana, further maintained the legal status quo of the cannabis plant, even as spreading drug availability under states’ rights movements continues to waft throughout the United States. Marijuana industry payment processing solution company Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG), whose CEO resides in Utah where similar measures are being debated, promotes the financing of cannabis industry transactions in state-legal locations and is optimistic about patient access possibilities elsewhere (http://cnw.fm/G0r4L).

“Investors and patients need not panic or worry. This is a marathon, not a sprint,” CEO Jeremy Roberts said in an interview following announcement of the company’s new dispensary-friendly private-label debit system ‘Green’ in January, on the same day that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of federal protections benefiting marijuana advocates in states where cannabis use is legal (http://cnw.fm/kzF00).

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions’ Green system is not a prepaid finance card or a gift card. The debit card “doesn’t function like a merchant account, it is one,” Roberts said, adding that the high-security transaction card can only be used for payment within a state where marijuana is legal and only for cannabis-related products from state-sanctioned vendors to help patients and businesses break the cash-only logjam hampering the industry. Green was called StateSourced in its previous incarnation, and that name remains fixed on the company’s website. However, the Green label denotes both a nod to the marijuana industry and the money flowing between customers and businesses.

“It takes state-sanctioned cannabis from the 19th century and gladly welcomes it to the 21st,” Roberts said (http://cnw.fm/7KbWj).

The Green system offers businesses and regulators the ability to track sales and tax collection information from the moment a buyer initiates a transaction at a vendor’s establishment and all the way through to the payment of taxes related to the sale. The system is built to handle 60 million transactions a month. Roberts hails his company’s approach as a commitment to abiding by the law in a “highly regulated” industry, whereas many other companies would rather avoid the associated headaches than put in the work to meet the federal government’s strict guidelines and regulations related to the business opportunities.

“People actually can and are willing to comply with the regulations (the Department of Treasury, the IRS and the Department of Justice) put forth,” Roberts said in a videotaped Small Cap Nation interview in February (http://cnw.fm/Ioz5H).

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions has also announced plans to include bitcoin payment processing in its platform. That increases its profile in a booming market that’s expected to exceed $31 billion within the next three years.

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

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Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) Enters Licensing Agreement with Cannabis Edibles Infusion Manufacturer

Lexaria enters agreement with Biolog for Lexaria’s DehydraTECH™ technology in return for royalties on sales revenue and licensing fees
Biolog has exclusive rights to use the Lexaria technology for its particular applications for five years
Lexaria is the only company worldwide with patent issued for oral delivery CBD and all other non-psychoactive cannabinoids

Based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (OTCQX: LXRP) (CSE: LXX) announced on February 27, 2018, its entry into a technology licensing agreement with Biolog, Inc. for the provision of Lexaria’s patented DehydraTECH™ technology (http://cnw.fm/pY0oG). Lexaria’s proprietary technology will be used in the formulation of a unique range of next-generation Biolog food and beverage cannabis infusion products to be sold in the United States.

California-focused Biolog (a Utah company, not to be confused with a California cell phenotyping company of the same name) has its own patented technologies for a unique line of dissolvable infusion products designed for precise per-unit ingredient dosing and ease of use. The company plans to integrate Lexaria’s DehydraTECH™ delivery technology in products of this type. Biolog’s new product range will include hemp-based, cannabidiol (CBD)-infused products and vitamins for distribution in those states where such products are legalized. Lexaria’s patented technology will offer these products superior bioabsorption, fast action and better taste.

“The versatility of Lexaria’s DehyrdaTECH (TM) technology is witnessed through its adoption to deliver vitamins in a nationally-available consumer product, or cannabinoids in many U.S. states,” Lexaria CEO Chris Bunka said in a news release. “Biolog’s products are a unique and novel method to deliver precisely measured amounts of active ingredients thoroughly infused into foods and beverages of virtually all kinds and we welcome Biolog to our growing family of technology innovators.”

Biolog has secured five-year exclusive rights to use Lexaria’s DehyrdaTECH™ technology for its particular applications within the U.S. In exchange, Lexaria will receive a royalty on revenue generated from sales of these products. CEO of Biolog Craig Machado expressed the company’s excitement in offering the market ‘Powered by Lexaria’ products. “We plan to provide more information about our upcoming products, which will allow processors and consumers to turn almost any food or beverage into a cannabis edible in the near future, as we get closer to formal product launch,” Machado added in the release.

Lexaria has been awarded patents in Australia and the United States for its DehyrdaTECH™ technology and has patents pending in over 40 other countries around the world. It has the distinction of being the only company in the world with a patent for the oral delivery of CBD and all other non-psychoactive cannabinoids. This proven technology enhances the taste, smell, bioabsorption, speed of action and bioavailability of active ingredients in ingestible products. It eliminates the need for sugars and sweeteners used in other technologies to mask bitter tastes and unpleasant odors. Bioabsorption of active compounds and cannabinoids is increased by up to 10 times, while the effects are registered within a fraction of the time taken with other delivery technologies.

DehyrdaTECH™ technology can either reduce the cannabinoid per serving unit cost or produce stronger effects in cases where serving levels are regulated. Consumers gain significant benefits from the enhanced taste of edibles and the speed of action. The technology can be applied to the manufacture of foods, liquids, emulsions, capsules and tablets. Lexaria has a range of products for testing and sales, including protein energy bars, CBD tablets and a high-absorption hemp oil capsule called TurboCBD.

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

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Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX.V: MJN) is Building an International Brand Portfolio

Leading the industry forward as the first pure-play cannabis company to trade on the Nasdaq
Canada set to legalize recreational cannabis
Positioned for growth throughout the international medical marijuana market

Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX.V: MJN), a Toronto-based medical marijuana company, is the first pure-play cannabis company to trade on the Nasdaq. This transition has provided the company with legitimacy and enables investors to better assess CRON’s performance. Listing of CRON on the Nasdaq is a major move for the entire marijuana industry, according to The Motley Fool (http://cnw.fm/jL0b9).

With cannabis deals this year already doubling the total for 2017, and the expected legalization of recreational cannabis use in Canada looming, Cronos has seen sales soar. The company is one of the largest cannabis producers in Canada. It is estimated that the legalization of recreational marijuana use in Canada will generate from $4.2 billion to as much as $12 billion annually. The Canadian Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill to authorize legal use of recreational marijuana by June 7, 2018. If passed, this will make cannabis available for recreational use in late August or early September.

While CRON waits for the forecast growth in Canada, the company has positioned itself for growth throughout the international medical marijuana market. Its operations now touch four continents. With an exclusive distribution agreement, CRON is supplying medical marijuana to Pohl-Boscamp, a company that distributes to over 12,000 pharmacies in Germany. CRON also works with Israel’s Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, through Cronos Israel, developing what will be low-cost, high-quality production, coupled with efficient distribution, to meet worldwide demand. In addition, a joint venture with NewSouthern Capital PTY Ltd. was recently launched to market products to Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. The company holds wholly-owned subsidiaries Peace Natural and Original BC, with a partial ownership of Whistler Medical Marijuana Company.

As the marijuana market changes and grows in 2018, investors should be keeping a close eye on CRON and its partners. Cronos Group is rapidly expanding globally, building an iconic international brand portfolio and developing disruptive intellectual property.

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

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Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) Continues to Capitalize on the Burgeoning Legal Marijuana Markets

Liberty subsidiary North Road Ventures inks new compliance agreement
Agreement expands North Road’s existing business model
Liberty’s diversified investment approach leverages opportunity in legal cannabis markets

Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) continues to advance its business agenda to capitalize on the burgeoning legal marijuana markets. Liberty Leaf is in the business of acquiring partnership interests in up-and-coming and established companies in the medicinal and recreational cannabis space. The company currently operates in Canada and is actively seeking to enter all of the legal cannabis markets in North America. The recent signing of an agreement between North Road Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Leaf, and Cannabis Compliance Inc. is another step forward in the advancement of Liberty’s unique business model (http://cnw.fm/aR4WC).

Liberty Leaf takes calculated and strategic investment positions in established, proven performers in both the medicinal and recreational legal cannabis markets. Liberty Leaf targets and then acquires and/or partners with established, revenue-producing marijuana businesses that have large upside potential. Liberty’s objective is to build a substantial, broad-based portfolio of multiple cannabis-sector businesses, including companies across the full spectrum of activities, from the cultivation and processing of legal medicinal and recreational cannabis to value-added CBD/THC pet products, as well as ancillary and supply-chain products. Liberty Leaf provides professional management, HR resources, marketing expertise and the necessary funding to accelerate growth.

Per the terms of the announced agreement, Cannabis Compliance will be responsible for ensuring Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant processing/production of North Road’s cannabis-containing products. North Road is an increasingly large player in the expanding medical marijuana Industry and is expanding into the recreational market this year.

According to Will Rascan, president and CEO of Liberty Leaf, these new developments represent a further extension of North Road’s existing business model. “North Road plans to make available to both pharmacies and licensed retailers our exclusive medicinal-quality cannabis, cannabis-related products and racking jobber service,” Rascan stated in a news release. “The ability for us to expand on our model by including Natural Health Products (NHPs) for human and veterinary use as well as cosmetics/beauty products, topicals, concentrates, foods/edibles and other high-quality products for distribution holds tremendous growth potential for our company.”

With strategic investments in a broad spectrum of businesses in the explosive legal marijuana markets, Liberty Leaf offers investors an interesting option for diversified exposure across the entire cannabis value chain.

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

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Pliability of Canadian Cannabis Industry Triggers New Business Development

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: The Canadian cannabis industry is pliable, changing shape amid mounting public support, favorable legislative action, an influx in capital, and the integration of alcohol and tobacco. For years, this massive industry was entirely illegal; its potential unavailable to legitimate investors. As Canada heads toward legalizing recreational cannabis later this year, however, the continuous sculpting of the industry provides investors a wealth of consumer-driven investment opportunities. Choom Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) (CHOOF Profile) is targeting the recreational user via its own brand of high-grade handcrafted cannabis. Cannabis lifestyle brand Hiku Brands Co. Ltd. (CSE: HIKU) (OTC: DJACF) (DJACF Profile) recently received a $10 million equity investment from Aphria, Inc. (TSX: APH) (OTC: APHQF), denoting high expectations for recreational cannabis. Canopy Growth Corp.’s (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF) recent investment from a big alcohol brand reveals a glimpse of how separate sectors of recreational consumables are interwoven. This strategic blending means big business for cultivators such as ABcann Global (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF) (ABCCF Profile), a recognizable licensed producer and seller of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products.

Canada Heads for New Highs

An estimated 5 million Canadians already smoke cannabis once a month, with another 900,000 expected to join them after legalization. In 2015, the country was already spending nearly as much money on cannabis as on wine, indicating the huge business potential of this sector. The question is, how will companies tap into that wealth?

One of the big changes expected over the next few years is the integration of recreational cannabis with the alcohol and tobacco industries. With their experience of producing, distributing, and marketing recreational consumables, these businesses have the most relevant experience to shape the marketplace. Their investment and expertise will help cannabis companies find creative ways to cater to consumer demand, not just medical users.

Brand Identity

Among the companies preparing to make the most of this opportunity is Choom (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF). Based in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, the company is well-placed to make the most of the production, sales and marketing opportunities offered by the impending retail market, which has a forecast value of $4.9 billion – nearly $9 billion (http://cnw.fm/xch0D).

With its relaxed, youthful brand, Choom is positioning itself to reach the ideal growth market of cannabis users. Consumers in their 20s tend to be more socially liberal than their elders. They have substantial disposable incomes and are used to spending a large part of them on consumables such as food, drink and tobacco, and are therefore likely to make up a large part of the recreational cannabis market.

To connect with these consumers, Choom has created a hip and modern brand inspired by Hawaii’s culture and relaxed atmosphere. The brand’s story taps into the history of the 1970s “Choom Gang,” a group of buddies in Honolulu (including former President Barack Obama) who knew how to relax with “choom,” the local’s term for marijuana. Choom’s trademark slogans pivot off another unconventional phrase, “Say Hello to…”, bringing a heady dose of good times and good friends together as the company invites investors to “Say Hello to Choom™” as it lights up the adult recreational cannabis market in Canada.

Reaching Out to Customers

This aesthetic extends to the design for Choom’s “Aloha”-style dispensaries. It’s a clean, modern, stylish look, crafted by the designers behind some of the world’s most recognizable retail environments. Couches, pale wood and carefully chosen banner fonts create a relaxed atmosphere. Clean white shelving and neat presentation make a space reminiscent of Apple stores — another well-recognized brand with a strong hold on the disposable income of millennials.

One of the most important factors in marketing recreational cannabis is going to be establishing such an aesthetic. Brand specialists will want to leave the cold formality of medical use and the seedy criminal associations behind, while retaining hip association with cannabis. Choom’s branding is ideally designed to make this shift, while establishing prestige brands for the discerning consumer.

The stores are designed to appeal to the widest possible market. Choom is aware that its core business will rely on existing users looking to obtain their cannabis legally, and their stores will make a comfortable shopping environment for these consumers. But there are also the “curious customers” — those without a medical need for cannabis and who did not want to consume it illegally. They’re expected to fuel a 19 percent increase in the number of cannabis users in Canada. By creating a familiar shopping space, Choom will make it easier for them to enter the market.

Experience and Integration

Choom’s business proposition extends beyond the retail face of the cannabis industry. It is also looking to place itself within the ancillary markets that will support the consumer business. Testing labs, security, infused products, consumption paraphernalia and crop cultivation will all be part of an expanding industry. Choom is looking to establish a vertically integrated enterprise, from cultivation through to sales, all under a single hip consumer brand.

Choom’s application with ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) has received security clearance and is now in the detailed review stage. The company has also submitted a second late-stage ACMPR application, which is in its confirmation of readiness stage. Aggressively preparing to reap the benefits of this license, Choom has retained Cannabis Compliance Inc. to help expedite Choom’s initial license applications and ready the company for legalization of recreational marijuana.

One of Choom’s greatest strengths is its experience. The managers and directors have decades of experience covering investment, entrepreneurship, business development and pharmaceuticals. Their knowledge of the existing Canadian medical cannabis market ensures that strategic decisions are backed up by real expertise and analytical insight. The company has over five years of experience in the cannabis sector. It knows how to produce naturally grown premium cannabis. Existing license and production assets mean that Choom is well positioned to scale-up rapidly once legalization takes effect, to meet the anticipated Canadian market. This will put it ahead of companies set up in response to the legal change and provide an accelerated path for rapid market growth.

This is exemplified by the company’s existing cultivation facilities at Vernon and Chemainus. Both are receiving a state-of-the-art retrofit, with expectations that Vernon will be completed by July, the same month Canada legalizes recreational cannabis use.

The Vernon property will boast 6,800 square feet of growing space, capable of producing 660 kg/year of cannabis for an estimated revenue of $6.6 million, excluding oils. A potential phase 2 of this facility would double the size and enable additional growing capacity of 1,500 kg/year, also doubling the facility’s revenue.

While the second facility, on Vancouver Island, is smaller – 4,500 square feet – its retrofit is also slated to be completed by July 2018. Plans include doubling this space, which would add about $9 million in annual revenue, excluding cannabis oils.

It’s this sort of established enterprise that will allow Choom to build brand loyalty and position cannabis as another popular consumable, enjoyed in the same way as alcohol and tobacco.

A Growth Sector

A similar approach is being taken by Hiku (CSE: HIKU) (OTC: DJACF), premium cannabis lifestyle brand growing high-quality handcrafted cannabis flower. Hiku’s wholly owned subsidiary is a licensed producer of cannabis under the ACMPR that has requested its Pre-Sales License Inspection, the last step prior to receiving a license to sell cannabis under the ACMPR. Hiku’s Dominion Facility is a state-of-the-art ACMPR licensed production facility capable of producing approximately 660 kg year of dried cannabis flower. Phase one of its “FUTURE LAB” production complex is slated for completion in the second quarter of 2018, in time for legalization. Utilizing an industry-leading multi-tier system powered by LED lighting provided by Fluence BioEngineering, Hiku’s annual production capacity is expected to be in excess of 5,000 kgs, letting it cater to a large part of the cannabis consumer market. The company’s merger with Tokyo Smoke is expected to create the first brand and retail-focused craft cannabis producer.

This development is backed up by a $10 million investment from Aphria (TSX: APH) (OTC: APHQF), a leading Canadian medical cannabis company. With an expansion strategy based on targeted investment and collaboration with other companies, Aphria has been working to advance growth in the U.S. medical cannabis market. This provides the company with the production and distribution facilities needed to enter the market for recreational cannabis.

While the involvement of medical marijuana companies will be important in the growth of Canada’s cannabis sector, the real test for commercial cannabis will be the involvement of consumer brand-based businesses. Their entry into the market will signal faith in the future of recreational cannabis, as well as bringing consumer branding expertise to the sector. One of the first examples of this is the investment in Canopy Growth (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF) by Constellation Brands. The $42 billion company behind Corona, Modelo and Svedka Constellation Brands has taken a stake in Canopy Growth worth about $191 million, with the option of purchasing additional stakes. It will use this investment to create cannabis-infused drinks, using Canada as a market in which to innovate in anticipation of markets emerging elsewhere.

The growing Canadian cannabis market bodes well for ABcann (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF), a globally licensed, cost-efficient producer of premium quality organic standardized medicinal cannabis. One of the earliest licensed Canadian medical marijuana producers under Canada’s federally controlled ACMPR, ABcann has five years of operating experience in the burgeoning medical marijuana space. The company currently owns and operates a fully functioning 14,500-square-foot facility in Ontario, as well as 65 acres of real estate with proper zoning and existing infrastructure in place to support the construction of another production facility of up to 1 million square feet. Along with this growth capacity, ABcann has a healthy cash balance, steady sales growth, an established operations team and global expansion plans, making it well positioned to compete in the rapidly expanding Canadian cannabis industry.

Though it’s still several months away from fulfillment, Canada’s recreational cannabis market is already providing a diverse range of businesses and investment opportunities. Building on the techniques of medical marijuana companies, the market appears set to diversify into drinks, retail outlets and premium products. This will establish cannabis as part of the existing market for recreational consumables.

For more information on Choom, please visit Choom (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF)

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Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG) Sidesteps Bottlenecking of Cash Transactions through Innovative Platform

REFG solves cash-handling issues with electronic system solution
Introduction of Green as a platform with full merchant account functionality
REFG’s CEO highlights plans to enter the bitcoin market

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) boasts an industry first. Through a state-of-the-art financial services system that is easy to set up and simple to use, the company’s solution to cannabis banking has shown how to solve cash-handling issues, offering electronic payment and e-commerce features. This gives the marijuana business direct and immediate access to funds while still complying with all federal (FinCEN) laws aimed at combatting both domestic and international money laundering and terrorist financing, among other financial crimes. REFG is not only compliant with these regulations; the company’s end-to-end payment processing solution has finally provided cannabis retailers and consumers with payment options other than cash. Although marijuana has been one of the fastest-growing industries over the last couple of years and is expected to continue growing at the same pace throughout 2018 and beyond, authorized businesses and vendors still have a hard time managing their finances and customers in the absence of banking services (http://cnw.fm/g8Sgb).

REFG emphasises that it is a “first-tier merchant processing cannabis industry pioneer, bringing to market the first and only comprehensive card processing operation of its kind; a state of the art system which tracks sales and tax collection, and empowers businesses with an advanced client management system.”

StateSourced, REFG’s proprietary, closed-loop merchant processing system is geared toward the cannabis industry. The system is not prepaid or availed through the use of gift cards, yet its card processing operations break logistical and operational bottlenecks often caused by cash-only transactions within state-sanctioned marijuana businesses. The Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions debit card can only be used for payment within a state in which marijuana has been legalized, and only for cannabis-related products from state-sanctioned vendors. Businesses accessing the company’s card system will notice an immediate advantage regarding reduced risks, the meeting of set regulatory requirements and the improvement of customer interactions.

In January of this year, the company launched Green, its platform with full merchant account functionality. This card processing system allows for online sales, client management, repeat billing and 100 percent secure electronic payments. This solution could solve the dilemma that legal marijuana distributors have faced through distribution that is now supported by innovative financial and banking solutions. Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions allows businesses to be more accountable with their cash flow while more accurately tracking sales.

On top of all of this, the system also helps to simplify payroll and bills, where businesses can pay expenses straight from their Green accounts. The system allows business to receive payments directly from patients, with branded cards available so that they can have the business’s brand with them wherever they go, in turn fostering customer loyalty. Recurring billing orders can be set up, in addition to integrated ecommerce shopping carts for online orders, proving that Green is a total banking solution.

To further expand its services to the state-legal medical marijuana sector, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions has announced its plans to introduce bitcoin payment processing in its proprietary payment processing platform. Green currently offers customers an advanced payment solution that allows purchases with U.S. currency and will soon include bitcoin payment options, as well. CEO Jeremy Roberts has explained that the decision was made based on customer feedback, with numerous vendors showing great interest in introducing cryptocurrency payment options.

In November 2017, the global cryptocurrency market surpassed the $300 billion mark, resulting in a massive surge in the price of bitcoin. By December, the market capitalization for cryptocurrencies reached $600 billion. Roberts is confident that the capability of processing bitcoin will give the company an even bigger competitive advantage, thus making it even more attractive to medical cannabis vendors in a booming market, and, noting the further legalization of medical marijuana supported by studies, even greater market sizes can be expected. With fewer drug side-effects and further drug development, it is likely that the number of CBD products will increase, with more people likely to opt for safer treatments (http://cnw.fm/3VcqS).

The company’s savvy innovations and fast-developing systems spell a new era in online transactions that have thus far shown great potential for expansion in the global market. With the quick pace of technology in this digital age, effective payment solutions are becoming a necessity. Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions’ provision of an advanced financial services system that gives the cannabis business immediate access to funds while still complying with all federal laws not only combats unwanted and irregular online and electronic transactions, but also empowers businesses with an advanced client management system. Without a doubt, the company’s introduction of bitcoin currencies into its transaction platform will herald an expanding enterprise, bringing retailers and customers closer together through secure payments.

For additional information, view the company’s IR Kit at http://cnw.fm/REFG

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