Skinvisible, Inc. (SKVI) Aims to Increase Shareholder Value through Proposed Deal with Quoin

Drug delivery platform ideal for M&A-driven growth
$80 billion global dermatology market
$30 billion global over-the-counter skincare market
Half of the 100 million surgeries performed in the U.S. require post-surgical pain medication, according to Transparency Market Research report

If history repeats itself, as we are often told, then Skinvisible, Inc.’s (OTCQB: SKVI) proposed deal with Quoin Pharmaceuticals Limited (“Quoin”) could increase shareholder value after execution. In late 2017, the company announced its plan to merge with Quoin, a marriage made in heaven that combines Skinvisible’s virtues as a drug delivery developer with Quoin’s position as a producer of post-surgical pain products that replace or diminish opioid use (http://cnw.fm/Fi2E7). Over the past two decades, mergers in the pharmaceutical industry have generally resulted in positive returns to shareholders, and today’s market leaders are the ones that have been most active in mergers and acquisitions.

There are many reasons why a merger may make sense. Taking over a rival, for example, means acquiring that rival’s market share and most, if not all, of its revenues. If product lines or business divisions overlap, costs can be cut and synergies exploited. In addition, purchasing a rival or merging with one may mean the acquisition of exciting new products at a much-reduced cost. It may cost the acquirer less to buy the target (and its product line) than to attempt to develop similar products in-house. Also, borrowing costs matter. If interest rates are low and likely to rise, now might be the time to borrow and spend. These are all good rationales for corporate consolidations. However, ‘growth is the main driver for most M&A deals: not just growth in drug distribution scale or earnings growth through cost cutting, but in revenues—and especially share price’, according to McKinsey & Company (http://cnw.fm/6WkAw).

Skinvisible is ideally poised to grow by acquisition, since its core business revolves around a drug delivery methodology that’s applicable to a wide range of topical products. Such ‘platform companies’ have a bright future, since they are enablers rather than competitors to other drug companies. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, opined, ‘“platform companies”—those that grow through bolt-on acquisitions—enrich their shareholders with each new deal…’ (http://cnw.fm/M9tG1). If that is to be believed, there’s little doubt that Skinvisible is treading the right path.

Since 1999, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical companies have been adopting Skinvisible’s Invisicare® technology, developed through wholly-owned subsidiary Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The technology can be used to revitalize or create new medical or skincare products, allowing a company that licenses Skinvisible’s formulations to sell its own patented product and combat generic competitors.

Products utilizing Invisicare have been effective at bonding active ingredients to the skin for up to four hours and longer. Invisicare is non-occlusive; it allows normal skin respiration and perspiration while moisturizing and protecting against exposure from a wide variety of environmental irritants. When topically applied, products formulated with Invisicare adhere to the skin’s outer layers, forming a protective bond, resisting wash-off and delivering targeted levels of therapeutic or cosmetic skincare agents to the skin. This allows enhanced delivery performance for a variety of topicals resulting in improved efficacy, longer duration of action, reduced irritation and lower dosage of active agents required. The ‘invisible’ polymer compositions that make up Invisicare wear off as part of the natural exfoliation process that removes the skin’s outer layer of cells.

With a $80 billion global dermatology market and a $30 billion global over-the-counter skincare market, the patented polymer delivery system for topical products developed by Skinvisible has a great deal of potential to add shareholder value.

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

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Pressure BioSciences Inc. (PBIO) Agreement with ISS, Inc. Shows Potential to Enhance Drug Discovery and Development

The two companies entered co-marketing and distribution agreement to be implemented worldwide
Pressure BioSciences’ high pressure generator technology can improve optical spectroscopy accuracy and data collection with potentially far-reaching impact on drug development
The joint technology will be promoted to scientists all over the world and is expected to generate increased sales starting this year

A leading developer and provider of innovative high pressure-based solutions to the global life sciences industry, Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) has entered a two-year agreement with ISS, Inc., a prominent designer and manufacturer of advanced scientific instruments with more than 30 years of experience in the field. Under the agreement, the two companies will join their marketing and distribution efforts worldwide, as well as their own technologies to create an advanced high pressure optical spectroscopy system that’s expected to generate significant data that could be critical to the discovery and development of new biopharmaceutical diagnostics and drugs, according to a Pressure BioSciences press release issued on February 14, 2018 (http://cnw.fm/PdX88).

Optical spectroscopy is typically used by scientists all over the world as a powerful analytical method to generate and gather information about the composition of biological molecules. The collected data have multiple applications ranging from the design of new drugs to the development of preventive strategies against certain diseases. However, with high pressure optical spectroscopy, scientists have access to a more unique and effective way to study molecular interactions instantaneously and with a better control of reversibility and irreversibility, due to the easily adjustable duration and amount of applied pressure. This can greatly improve the speed and accuracy of data collection, helping scientists better understand how biological molecules function and interact, with a significant impact on the discovery and development of improved drugs and diagnostics.

ISS is confident that, by using Pressure BioSciences’ patented and game-changing pressure cycling technology (“PCT”) with its optical cell systems instead of current manual pressure generators, scientists will be able to “visualize biochemical reactions as they are happening in the pressure cell,” as noted by ISS President Dr. Ben Barbieri in a news release. “The Pressure BioSciences pressure generators will also facilitate automated and significantly faster data collection. Such systems could potentially have a significant and far-reaching impact on drug development and other important areas of biomedical research worldwide,” he added.

“This powerful combination of technologies will be promoted to scientists worldwide by both Pressure BioSciences and ISS, with the combined system expected to drive an increase in sales this year and beyond,” commented Dr. Nate Lawrence, PBIO VP of Marketing and Sales.

The ISS Agreement is the latest in a series of acquisitions and collaborations that Pressure BioSciences has entered into over the last few months, including, most notably, the acquisition of BaroFold, Inc.’s assets in December of last year and its entry into a strategic partnership with Phasex Corporation in October 2017. The BaroFold acquisition has significantly increased the company’s intellectual property estate by eight issued patents and several others that are pending, as noted by CEO Richard T. Schumacher on a ‘Stock Day’ podcast (http://cnw.fm/JBO5o).

With Phasex, the collaboration has allowed Pressure BioSciences to enter the fast-growing nanoemulsions market, where its proprietary PCT-based Ultra Shear Technology can be used with Phasex’s Supercritical Fluid processing to generate water-soluble, fully stable nanoemulsions. Ensuring stability of nanoemulsions has been a challenge until now, but this strategic collaboration has every chance to change that, leading to the further expansion of an already large market and an increase in the number of potential nanoemulsion applications in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, paints and industrial lubricants to food and even medical cannabis (e.g., CBD).

Unlike most commercially-available emulsions, which tend to be unstable and sometimes inappropriate for human use due to a high amount of surfactants required, nanoemulsions have been shown to improve absorption, enhance stability, exhibit higher bioavailability, contain reduced amounts of surfactants and present multiple other advantages. Pressure BioSciences is confident that, with its patented Ultra Shear Technology, it will be able to develop commercial-scale nanoemulsions that require less emulsifying events, or even none at all.

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

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Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG) Helps Fill State Coffers

States that legalize medical cannabis reaping large tax windfalls
State-sanctioned cannabis businesses forced into cash-only operation due to federal banking impasse
REFG resolves cannabis banking and operational issues, generating more state tax revenues

Current regulatory anxiety surrounding cannabis will have little impact on the long-term growth of the industry. Evermore states continue to relax marijuana strictures not only in response to citizen demand but also to generate tax revenues. There’s overwhelming scientific evidence validating the medical efficacy of certain cannabinoids, and states that have legalized marijuana in various forms are finding that cannabis cash is filling state coffers. In 2016, marijuana tax revenue totaled $256 million in Washington and $60 million in Oregon. Meanwhile, Colorado has harvested over half a billion dollars in taxes and fees since it legalized recreational weed. In a report from New Frontier Data highlighted in Forbes (http://cnw.fm/0ioNa), tax revenues in states with legalized marijuana were estimated at $1.8 billion last year. States are addicted to cannabis tax revenues and more states will look to legalization to increase income.

The states’ need and subsequent reliance on marijuana tax revenues pits state rights against federal oversight. This ongoing impasse has created a banking conundrum and an enormous opportunity for Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG). Banks are licensed and regulated by the federal government and, subsequently, are reluctant to accept proceeds from any marijuana operation. Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions delivers solutions to state-sanctioned medical cannabis operations, providing end-to-end management across multiple management systems. REFG resolves all the fragmentation issues created by the federal government impasse and rapid industry growth.

REFG delivers an industry first, secure, state-of-the-art financial services system that’s simple to set up and easy to use. The company’s purpose-built solution to cannabis banking solves cash handling issues, offers electronic payment and e-commerce features and gives marijuana businesses immediate access to funds while keeping them in compliance with all federal (FinCEN) laws aimed at combatting domestic and international money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes. Not only compliant, REFG’s end-to-end payment processing solution finally provides cannabis customers and retailers with payment options other than cash.

REFG’s proprietary ‘StateSourced” closed-loop merchant processing system is the first operation of its kind geared to the legal cannabis industry. Not a prepaid or gift card, it is one of the first and only comprehensive card processing operations to break the operational and logistical logjam caused by cash-only transactions in state-sanctioned marijuana businesses. The debit card from Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions can only be used for payment within a state where marijuana is legal and only for cannabis-related products from state-sanctioned vendors. Businesses using the company’s card realize an immediate advantage in reducing risks, meeting regulatory requirements and improving customer interactions.

There’s no longer any doubt about the medical efficacy of certain cannabinoids. State-sanctioned delivery of these medications will not only continue but is likely to expand due to patient needs and the states’ increasing reliance on the massive influx of cannabis tax revenues.

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

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Global Payout, Inc. (GOHE) Names Bill Rochfort as SecurCapital Corp. President and EVP Sales

James Hancock, CEO of Global Payout, lauds the SecurCloud Platform offered by company’s SecurCapital subsidiary
Rochfort announces SecurCapital’s participation in global fintech and blockchain conferences to demonstrate platform’s ranging capabilities
Key to SecurCapital’s performance is its disruptive ‘banking in a box’ cloud-based finance solutions platform

Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) has named Bill Rochfort as the new president and EVP sales at SecurCapital Corp., its newly-formed subsidiary (http://cnw.fm/r8Ir8). SecurCapital Corp. is a supply chain finance company offering both working capital and premier payment solutions for the logistics industry. Its SecurCloud Platform offers an integrated solution for global payments through a proprietary ecosystem controlled by the client. As a result, the client can then optimize management of cash flow through delivery of documentation of invoices, proof of delivery and payments to global vendors.

SecurCapital CEO Steve Russell, prior to joining SecurCapital, was group CEO for an amalgamated rollup of eight logistics companies focused on targeting and managing M&A, integrating acquisitions, rebranding and positioning for exit. For four years, he was president and CEO, Asia Pacific, of Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), launching its platform in 12 Asia-Pacific countries.

SecurCapital has plans to attend a global schedule of fintech and blockchain conferences in China, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. (http://cnw.fm/d7OaC). Bill Rochfort champions the schedule as showing the global capability of the company’s web-enabled finance solutions platform. Rochfort is a 25-year veteran of the fintech industry in global banking, e-wallet platforms, freight payment and foreign exchange. He was an early utilizer of cloud technology. He previously served as an officer with companies such as Sprint, Intermedia and Premier Global Services.

In a news release, James Hancock, CEO of San Diego-based Global Payout, said, “We’re very excited to have Bill join our senior team of logisticians at SecurCapital at this pivotal time as the company launches its SecurCloud Platform (SCP)… Leveraging years of international finance experience, Bill will be instrumental in driving the SecurCapital value proposition to our customers.”

“Launching our platform throughout the world in Shanghai, London, San Francisco and Boston demonstrates our capability to offer our customer solutions on a global scale,” Rochfort said. He added that the upcoming events would bring together digital banking, blockchain, business lending, payments and insurance and smart contracts applications.

The company’s upcoming schedule includes: MIT FinTech on March 10-11 in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Lendit FinTech Conference on April 9-11 in San Francisco, California; the Global FinTech & Blockchain Conference on April 12-13 in Shanghai, China; and the London FinTech World Forum on May 30-31 in London, England.

GOHE is a leading provider of comprehensive and customized prepaid payment solutions, distributing money worldwide for domestic and international companies. GOHE will offer its fintech payment system to many vertical markets for support of digital currency and foreign currency exchange. SecurCapital is marketed as a fully configurable ‘banking in a box’ cloud-based platform.

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

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Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) is “One to Watch”

Two applications for Health Canada ACMPR license in detailed review stage; one in the detailed review stage and one application in readiness stage
Canadian recreational market projected to surge to over $8 billion by 2021
Two growing facilities undergoing state-of-the-art retrofit have potential to generate CDN$16 million in revenue, excluding cannabis oils
Choom™ Retail Stores and Retail Store partner program to offer high-quality, premium branded retail cannabis dispensaries and the opportunity for individual investor store ownership across Canada

Choom Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: CHOOF) (CSE: CHOO) channels the laid-back spirit of Hawaii to the Okanagan region of British Columbia with a generous nod to the inspirational, yet unofficial, 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.

Choom™ has been an ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) applicant since November 2013 in Vernon, B.C. The company’s first application has received security clearance and is now in the detailed review stage. They also recently announced their second late-stage ACMPR application, which is in its confirmation of readiness stage. Cannabis Compliance Inc. has been retained to help expedite Choom’s initial license applications to ensure the company’s readiness for legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada mid-summer 2018.

True to the company’s character, Choom™ is retrofitting two large facilities – No. 1 in Vernon, B.C., and No. 2 on Vancouver Island – to house its cannabis growing facilities. Phase 1 of the Vernon property will provide Choom™ with 6,800 square feet of growing space, capable of producing 660 kg/year of cannabis at an estimated revenue of $6.6 million, excluding oils. The company expects this facility to be completed by July 2018, the same month that Canada is expected to formally legalize recreational marijuana for adult use. A potential Phase 2, to be completed by the end of 2018, would add another 6,800 square feet for a total of 1,500 kg/year capacity, which would nearly double No. 1’s revenue. A Level 9 vault is also planned with a storage capacity of 15,000 kg. While the No. 2 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 as well, which would add about $9 million in annual revenue, excluding cannabis oils.

Choom™ announced its retail dispensary strategy with the intention of establishing market leadership in reaching the Canadian cannabis consumer. The partner program is already in the retail space design stage as the company seeks to build a chain of branded retail cannabis dispensaries in jurisdictions in Canada where recreational cannabis is legal. Choom™ Stores will have a cool, modern layout and design created to emit an authentic “Aloha” vibe. Choom™ is all about producing high-grade cultivars and curating them for a bigger audience.

A savvy, experienced management team includes Chris Bogart, president and CEO; John Oh, R.P.I.C., Operations Manager; Robert Bayrack, Master Grower, S.P.I.C.; and Adrian Robinson, Strategic Advisor. Bogart has over two decades of international experience in capital markets and was a co-founder of InMed Pharmaceuticals and Magnum Uranium. He has structured complex equity financing transactions in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Bogart is joined on the Board of Directors by Kevin Pull, Stephen Tong and John Oh.

While the medical marijuana industry is expected to double by 2021 to 500,000 registered users, the true highlight of the recreational cannabis represents the key cultural shift set to launch in Canada. With an estimated $4.9B to $8.7B retail market coming, now is the right time for a Recreation Brand like Choom™ to be involved in this growing industry. Establishing and maintaining Choom™ premium brand loyalty is a key factor in the company’s growth strategy. Get ready to “Say Hello” to opportunity, good times and good friends with Choom™.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Choom.ca

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Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) is “One to Watch”

Vertically-integrated cannabis company with two late-stage ACMPR licenses in portfolio
Strategic investments focus on proven, revenue-generating cannabis-related businesses
Liberty Leaf is included in the Solactive Emerging Marijuana Growers Index

Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) is a publicly traded Canadian-based company with strategic investments in businesses that are established, revenue- producing players in the medicinal and recreational cannabis market. Liberty Leaf’s focus is to build and support a diversified portfolio of cannabis-sector businesses, including those involved in the cultivation and processing of legal medicinal and recreational cannabis, value-added CBD/THC pet products, and supply-chain products for this dynamic and fast-growing sector. Liberty Leaf provides funding, management, HR resources and marketing expertise to help companies thrive and accelerate growth.

Liberty Leaf’s leading investments to date include:

North Road Ventures – An emerging end-to-end distributor of cultivated and manufactured cannabis products to licensed legal retailers. North Road has updated its application for an Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) license to be distribution/sales-focused, making the company unique in the crowded field of other cultivation-based applicants. This forward-thinking initiative will help fulfill the anticipated increase in Canada’s recreational cannabis space once legalization takes effect in mid-2018. The submission includes a boost in product-vault capacity that will result in a five-fold increase in products available for distribution. Cannabidiol (CBD)-oil products are expected to account for 50 percent or more of projected sales.
Just Kush Enterprises – Liberty Leaf holds a 60 percent interest in Just Kush, a cultivator of premium, proprietary cannabis strains selected for different levels of CBDs and THCs. Just Kush’s cultivation facility is located near Oliver, British Columbia, and it currently controls a facility which holds a Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (MMAR) license. The company is also a late-stage applicant for an ACMPR license (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations), which will enable Just Kush to produce cannabis for the medicinal and recreational market.

Liberty Leaf is also an active partner with the following companies:

ESEV R&D – A privately owned, medical marijuana research and development company based in New York with clinical laboratories located in Israel. ESEV R&D, in collaboration with a leading clinical research organization in Israel, has launched a one-of-a-kind service for North American medical cannabis companies to organize and oversee clinical trials seeking to demonstrate the efficacy of medical cannabis products for specific medical conditions. Liberty Leaf has a three-year collaborative agreement with ESEV. Under that agreement, ESEV is researching the efficacy of CBDs in pets, with the 1st formulation trial targeting canine osteoarthritis, a medical condition that includes: hip dysplasia; elbow dysplasia; and hind-knee, also known as stifle, degenerative joint disease (DJD).
Blox Labs Inc. – A boutique technology company focused on creating best-in-class smartphone apps and software solutions driven by emerging trends in blockchain, smart contracts and decentralized application technologies. Liberty Leaf and Blox Labs are developing “cannaBLOX,” a blockchain-based smart contract supply chain management platform for the legalized cannabis industry.

The company’s management team is led by President and Director William Rascan who has 25-plus years in the investment brokerage industry, most recently as a partner, senior investment advisor with Northern Securities. Rascan’s business experience ranges from active international trading clients to raising capital for junior mining companies on the TSX Venture Exchange.

Rascan is joined by CFO Jamie Robinson, a chartered accountant who specializes in accounting, auditing, and financial reporting under both IFRS and ASPE. Prior to joining Liberty Leaf, Robinson worked at Deloitte as a manager focused on publicly listed and private company audits, business review, performance enhancement engagements and restructuring proceedings.

Steven Feldman, who has more than 25 years of experience in the capital markets and was part of the original management team of SouthGobi Resources; and Doug Macdonell, a retired RCMP officer and recognized expert in the field of cannabis and cultivation, serve as company directors. Dr. Robert Jackman, who has worked closely with multiple clients in the medical cannabis and Natural and Non-prescription Health Products (NNHP) industries in North America, was recently appointed as scientific project manager/fulfillment.

Liberty Leaf’s advisory board includes international lawyer, writer and speaker Robert W.E. Laurie; Barinder Rasode, who currently serves as CEO of the National Institute for Cannabis Health & Education (NICHE); and Dr. Mary C. Fitzpatrick, B.S., D.V.M., whose primary focus is on helping companion animals live pain free in their senior years.

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

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Global Hemp Group Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRA: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF) Aims to be a Leader in the Multi-Faceted Industrial Hemp Market

Industrial hemp is the only commodity that has the potential to generate revenue from multiple finished goods in the global food, construction materials, nutraceutical, textile and bio-energy industries
Global Hemp Group completed hemp trials last year which set the stage for a full-fledged commercial hemp operation in New Brunswick, Canada, in 2018
Under Canadian law, CBD will become legal to extract from Industrial Hemp in July 2018
Hemp Business Journal estimates that the hemp industry will grow to $1.8 billion in sales by 2020, led by hemp food, body care, and CBD-based products
Official data demonstrates that the hemp industry is growing rapidly, at a 22 percent five-year CAGR, and is being led by food and body care products, with hemp CBD products showing a 53 percent AGR

Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF) is just beginning to scratch the surface of what will over time become a robust market for the production of raw materials and a variety of wholesale products and consumer goods developed from the non-psychoactive industrial varieties of the species Cannabis sativa L.

Global Hemp Group intends to establish and develop a portfolio of companies interlinked in the production of hemp, from its initial cultivation to wholesale materials delivered to product developers and distributors.

Through joint ventures and acquisitions, GHG is focused on cannabinoid production, with medium-term plans to operate in the automotive, building materials, bio-composites, food, nutritional supplements and nutraceuticals markets. The company is guided by the overarching theme of ‘global environmental stewardship’. Global Hemp Group intends to apply key concepts of sustainability and social responsibility in all of the markets that it enters.

With a successful hemp cultivation trial last year, GHG and joint venture partner Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA) have set the stage for development of the first commercial hemp operation on the Acadian peninsula of New Brunswick, Canada, in over 20 years.

Cannabinoids

With the expected legalization of recreational cannabis and the extraction of cannabinoids from industrial hemp in mid to late 2018, the partnership expects to begin cannabinoid extraction from a minimum of 125 acres of hemp grown this year in New Brunswick, Canada. The company is also discussing partnerships for straw processing to create building materials following the October harvest this year, with a medium- to long-term plan of building permanent processing facilities by the fall of 2019.

GHG is also pursuing hemp cultivation and extraction opportunities in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, with the goal of operating in both the Canadian and United States hemp markets.

Industrial Solutions

GHG seeks to establish an operating strategy it refers to as the Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone (“HAIZ”) (http://cnw.fm/A4Iqr), which will be focused on building a platform of cooperation between farmers, labor, technology and capital across all industrial hemp sectors to create collective value for shareholders. All parts of the plant are to be utilized with the HAIZ concept, including the production of CBD and other cannabinoid-based wholesale products from the flowers and leaves, cottonized fibers from the straw, building materials from the hurd (woody core) and oils and cakes from the grain.

Construction

A number of companies have begun producing hempcrete blocks that deliver a durable product that retains thermal mass and has a low carbon footprint when it comes to energy usage (http://cnw.fm/Ch3uq). They could also potentially reduce building material costs by 50 percent or more when cultivated, processed and constructed on site. Hempcrete has thermal qualities that preserve optimal indoor temperatures year-round in a wide variety of regions and climates. In addition, it is mold free, pest free and fireproof.

A Washington state company is retrofitting homes with hemp;
A Colorado company completed the state’s first permitted “hempcrete” structure in October (http://cnw.fm/9C8qF);
This Asheville, North Carolina, hemp home is one of four hemp homes constructed in the state (http://cnw.fm/oTs06);
Israel’s first hemp house was built last March on Mount Carmel;
Canada’s JustBioFiber constructed a house on Vancouver Island using an interlocking Lego-like hemp block, and there are hundreds of hempcrete buildings across Canada;
In Britain, five hempcrete homes were built in 2017 alone;
France has been constructing buildings with hemp for decades;
South Africa has promoted this hemp home as Africa’s most sustainable building (http://cnw.fm/NYA1v).

Bio-Composites

There are more than 10 million cars on the road that use hemp bio-composites for door panels, dashboards, consoles, carpeting and even brake pads. Mercedes, BMW and Lotus have been using hemp in their vehicle construction for many years (http://cnw.fm/J3Qjd). Auto manufacturers find that hemp auto parts lower vehicle weight and therefore improve gas mileage. Glass fiber used to make the body of a Chevrolet Corvette could easily be replaced with hemp fiber and be stronger and more resilient. Henry Ford knew in the 1940s that natural bio-composites could replace heavier metals used in auto manufacturing (http://cnw.fm/FtJ0k) and be lighter and stronger than traditional materials.

In Conclusion

It has been proven that hemp can be a sustainable alternative for many traditional materials used throughout history.

Hemp is the only plant on Earth that can feed, clothe, house, fuel and medicate humanity. Hemp is potentially the most industrially usable biomass produced over the shortest growth cycle, utilizing the least amount of water, nutrients and pesticides, while sequestering the greatest level of carbon. It is one of the few plants on the planet that can be grown commercially almost anywhere in the world.

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

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Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP): IP Portfolio, Licensing and R&D are Keys to Growth in 2018

LXRP has global patents or patents-pending in more than 40 countries, including the U.S., Australia, China, the European Union and Canada
Company is working through a C$250,000 budget for an 18-month collaborative research agreement with the National Research Council
Licensing is a revenue generator, with LXRP offering to license its disruptive DehydraTECH™ technology in countries where it is patented or patent-pending

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) is generating revenue and knowledge through both licensing of its IP portfolio and advancement of R&D projects. It already has patents and multiple patents-pending in more than 40 countries. It has received patent approvals in the U.S. and Australia for its DehydraTECH™ delivery technology (http://cnw.fm/WIdR3). Some patent applications have already reached the active patent investigation phase in China, the European Union and Canada.

LXRP is a technology disruptor for delivery of edible forms of cannabinoids. This Kelowna, British Columbia-based food bioscience company has developed a high absorption hemp oil formula, protein energy bars, exotic teas and coffee, beer and soft drinks, and capsules and mouth-melts. All of these products share qualities of high absorption and radically improved taste, as compared to other cannabis-related food products.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has secured $1.4 million in funding for Canadian cannabis research projects (http://cnw.fm/DeM9h). That will fund research ranging from the potential impacts of cannabis on driving, pregnancy, childhood health, youth mental health, indigenous populations and workplace health and safety (http://cnw.fm/gTE4r).

LXRP itself has signed a C$250,000 collaborative research agreement with the National Research Council (“NRC”) for an 18-month period to investigate opportunities and determine the best methods for processing lipophilic active agents within foods.

Licensing its intellectual property portfolio is a core revenue generation strategy for LXRP (http://cnw.fm/pmF79). For example, the company’s disruptive new DehydraTECH technology is available to be licensed in areas including processed foods, supplements, vitamins, drugs and cannabinoids. To prospective licensees, LXRP can eventually transition to a definitive fee for a structure agreement between itself and a new licensee.

The company makes its technology available on either a semi-exclusive or exclusive access basis that defines licensing by geographic region(s), for a set period of time and limited to specific product categories. LXRP has suggested that it will license DehydraTECH in any of the more than 40 countries globally where it is patented or patent-pending.

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

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Pressure BioSciences Inc. (PBIO) Just Might Have the Ideal Drug Delivery Technology for Cannabinoids

The tide of cannabis legalization continues to rise
Medical cannabis market on pace to hit $56 billion in seven years
Company’s proprietary technology improves the bioavailability of cannabinoids

With the passage of laws permitting medicinal use of cannabis in at least 32 U.S. jurisdictions and Canada, producers of cannabinoids for medical purposes are racing to improve delivery methods for their formulations. Cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), are hydrophobic (literally, afraid of water). In practice, this means they do not dissolve or emulsify readily in water, which may seem to pose a problem, since, by composition, the human body is more than half water. Yet, paradoxically, for a drug to be readily absorbed, it must be largely hydrophobic, yet not completely so. It must, to some extent, dissolve in water. As a result, new, patented technology from Pressure BioSciences Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) may provide the ideal transport for CBD and other cannabinoids. PBIO’s Ultra Shear Technology (“UST”) has the capacity to develop water-soluble nanoemulsions that can be employed to improve the bioavailability of cannabinoids.

Emulsions are mixtures of two or more liquids (e.g., oils in water) that cannot be blended into each other without the addition of chemicals called emulsifiers (e.g., surfactants). Emulsions are used in multiple everyday products, including food, medical products, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, industrial lubricants, and even cannabis oil extracts (e.g., CBD). Nanoemulsions have been shown to have improved absorption while providing higher bioavailability, greater stability and other advantages, when compared to the standard, much larger macro- and micro-emulsions.

Nanoemulsions offer an advanced mode of drug delivery that’s expected to improve the bioavailability of a wide range of active agents. These nano-sized emulsions, in which two immiscible liquids are usually combined to form a single phase by means of an emulsifying agent that combines surfactant and co-surfactant, typically have droplet sizes that fall in the 20–200 nanometer range. It would take 10 million nanometers to cover a length of one centimeter (about 0.4 inches).

Interestingly, PBIO believes that its patented UST may be able to make commercial-scale nanoemulsions that would require far less emulsifying agents than current methods, perhaps even none. Emulsifying agents are chemicals; some are natural, some are not. With consumer demands for non-additive natural products, the availability of nanoemulsions that require little or no chemical emulsifiers should be well received by consumers and manufactures alike, and rewarded by shareholders.

Late last year, PBIO announced a partnership with Phasex Corporation. The aim of the collaboration is to combine PBIO’s patented UST and Phasex’s supercritical fluid (“SCF”)-based processing methods to enable the development of stable, water-soluble nanoemulsions of nutraceuticals, including CBD-enriched plant oil. Phasex is a pioneer in the development of SCF-based toll processors, which are used for extracting, purifying, recrystallizing and fractionating a wide range of polymers, natural extracts and other chemicals.

Complementing Phasex’s SCF extraction technology with PBIO’s UST makes a great deal of commercial sense. Currently, there is a market for new methods of turning hydrophobic extracts into stable, water-soluble formulations. UST offers the potential to solve that problem by producing stable nanoemulsions of oil-like products in water. The range of commercial applications is extensive and includes inks, industrial lubricants, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, as well as medically important plant oil extracts such as CBD. UST utilizes ultra-high pressure-driven fluid dynamic shear forces, combined with controlled temperatures, to engender homogenization.

Data from scientific studies indicate that nanoemulsions of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals may exhibit improved absorption, higher bioavailability, greater stability and lower levels of stabilizing additives (surfactants) when compared to the larger droplet sizes resulting from current emulsion processes. Because of these significant advantages, nanoemulsions are currently the focus of many research efforts worldwide. In this field, the PBIO-Phasex joint venture is poised to break new ground. Combining Phasex’s SCF extraction methodology with PBIO’s disruptive drug delivery technology may signal the genesis of an entirely new paradigm in therapeutic treatments.

The global medical marijuana market is set to reach a value of $55.8 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. As it expands, the demand for enabling medical technologies, such as UST, is set to rise. PBIO, it seems, is about to thrive in the brave new world of cannabis liberalization.

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

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Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG) CEO Confident About Utah Cannabis Bill Success

Proposed legislation would be more moderate than a current legalization initiative but allow more concessions than a more conservative bill submitted this season
Jeremy Roberts is confident the yet undrafted bill will be ready for consistent debate before the end of the current legislative session on March 8
Cannabis is illegal in Utah, with only one exception: non-psychoactive medical CBD oil extract is allowed for patients suffering from severe epilepsy

A medical cannabis bill that would advocate a more moderate approach and would “bridge the gap” between two very different legalization initiatives currently underway, has every chance to be successful, according to Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) CEO Jeremy Roberts, quoted by the Deseret News (http://cnw.fm/lEm4n). Roberts, who is also a member of the Utah Republican Party, discussed the matter with Rep. Lee Perry, who is planning on coming up with a “workable medical marijuana program in the state.” While the bill has not yet been formally drafted, with Perry still gathering input on language and contents, Roberts is confident that the initiative will be ready in time to be debated before the end of the legislative session on March 8.

Leveraging his experience as CEO of a merchant processing pioneer in the medical cannabis industry, Roberts said he met with several interested lawmakers in recent months to discuss what would be a “reasonable program” with appropriate controls in place to allow patients access to marijuana-based medication they need. Talks even focused on aspects of current marijuana legislation in other states, to determine which policies would make the most sense for Utah.

Cannabis is illegal in Utah, with the exception of a non-psychoactive medical CBD oil extract for patients with severe epilepsy. Advocates of medical marijuana legalization for people with serious medical conditions are rallying for a state-wide ballot sometime this year, an initiative that enjoys overwhelming support. About 76 percent of Utah voters are in favor of the initiative, according to a January survey by The Salt Lake Tribune and the Hinkley Institute of Politics with the University of Utah (http://cnw.fm/6stLQ). Opponents of the initiative, including Perry and Roberts, say the ballot goes further than most people realize and would basically provide backdoor access to the equivalent of a recreational program.

On the other side, Rep. Brad Daw has introduced a package of bills on medical marijuana which would allow terminally ill patients to try the substance and would have the state grow its own plant. Roberts believes the legislation proposed by Daw this session is too conservative, and not too different from the “ultra-conservative” initiatives that the legislature has come up with up to this point.

Lawmakers know that they need to pass a medical marijuana bill but “they haven’t been given a good option” so far, Roberts said. The Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions CEO is confident that what Perry will come up with be viewed as a better and more moderate option which the caucuses are going to love. The bill will most likely start by allowing unrestricted access to CBD oil to all patients who need it, and broad access to marijuana for terminally ill patients. Gradually, the bill will allow for higher ratios of THC to CBD for certain categories of patients, but it will most likely not allow access to the whole plant at any point, Roberts explained.

In a separate interview with Jane King of SCN Corporate Connect (http://cnw.fm/7Vul5), Roberts talked about his company’s commitment to regulatory compliance, as opposed to other companies in the industry which would rather “walk away” than put in the work to meet the federal government’s very strict guidelines and regulations. He said that part of his activity in Washington DC includes working with the authorities to show that “people actually can and are willing to comply with the regulations they put forth.”

Roberts also briefly discussed his company’s fully secure, state-of-the-art services to the medical marijuana sector, in particular its ability to track sales and tax collection from the moment when a buyer enters the vendors’ establishment, the purchases made, all the way through the payment of taxes. This functionality “hasn’t existed up until we’ve come to the marketplace, and we can actually show the provenance of funds in that market,” he said.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions brought to the market the first and only comprehensive card processing service. Via Green, a proprietary payment system that was launched earlier in January 2018, the company aims to offer a “cure for the banking nightmare cannabis establishments face,” according to Roberts. The platform has full merchant account functionality that allows for repeat billing, online sales, client management and 100 percent secure electronic payments. The system is also fully compliant with Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) regulations and parameters for financial institutions serving the medical cannabis sector.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.REFG.co

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