Smart Investment Leads to Big Opportunities in Growing Cannabis Market

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: As the cannabis market grows, companies are seizing the opportunity to make strategic investments in the sector and establish a foothold in the promising space.

  • Cannabis and related products are legal in an ever-increasing number of jurisdictions.
  • Businesses have responded with an increasingly diverse range of products.
  • Companies making the smartest investments, such as carefully selected mergers and acquisitions, are in the best position to profit from this while minimizing risks.

SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) (SING Profile) has invested in a number of other cannabis companies to grow its portfolio and leverage its position in the market. Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) (MCOA Profile), with its hemp-oriented business, is expecting a surge in profits following the crop’s federal legalization in the United States in December. Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTC: MJNA), the first publicly traded cannabis company in the United States, has seen record sales. PotNetwork Holdings Inc. (OTC: POTN) is reaching out to new customers with a CBD-infused slushy machine. And American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) is also pushing CBD into the soft drinks market with its infused water.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

A Big Year for Big Investment in Cannabis

This year looks to be an important year in the development of the cannabis market. The legal groundwork for those changes was laid last year, with significant legislation moving forward in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. With the legal aspects in place, fresh opportunities for the market to grow and for companies to make bold moves within the sector have become more frequent — and look to be more profitable.

This momentum is fueling the ongoing development of two important trends. One is product diversification, as cannabis companies and the businesses supporting them develop a wider range of products for an increasingly varied market. The other is big investment, as both the larger cannabis companies and outside businesses with big bank balances move to carve out chunks of the market. Money is flowing in, making the most of the opportunities that legal and product changes provide.

A Changing Global Context

Things have been looking rosy for cannabis for some time, and last year saw significant growth in the sector continue. SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING), a young tech company that has moved into the cannabis sector, saw its revenue hit the $1 million mark. In addition, like many cannabis companies, the company ended the year expecting even better things to come, with a prediction that revenue will dramatically increase over the next 12 months.

How can companies in a relatively untried sector make such bold claims?

The answer lies in the changing attitude of lawmakers to cannabis. The prohibitory model for managing the drug that has dominated for half a century is increasingly recognized as not just ineffective but harmful to public health. Consequently, governments are legalizing cannabis for medical use. And in the most forward-looking cases, they are creating regulated markets for recreational cannabis, most significantly in Canada, which made the trade legal nationally last October.

For American companies such as SinglePoint, change has come on a state-by-state basis. Though the majority of Americans favor legalization, the federal government has been too reliant on conservative voters to support nationwide change. Instead, individual states have created legal markets, with Michigan becoming one of the most recent when cannabis went legal there in December. Two-thirds of U.S. states now allow medical cannabis, and one in five have legalized its recreational use, with more expected to follow over the next few years. This has allowed SinglePoint to begin investing in cannabis without having to consider a national cannabis business.

December saw a significant step towards wider legalization. Following months of wrangling, the 2018 Farm Bill passed into law, making industrial hemp legal on the federal level. This nonpsychoactive from of cannabis has provided many companies, including SinglePoint, with an important entry point into the sector, as the chemical cannabidiol (CBD), which can be derived from hemp, can be more widely sold than other forms of cannabis. CBD’s meteoric rise has given a further boost to the sector, especially to companies entering via this route.

The Farm Bill will allow cannabis businesses to grow significantly through hemp and provide a precedent as federal politicians reconsider the wider cannabis industry.

Product Diversification

Now that they have more opportunities to produce cannabis, companies are doing what companies always do — finding new ways to sell their products and services. This has led to a wave of innovation and an increasingly diverse range of cannabis-based products.

Two of the biggest areas for innovation are the creation of confectionaries and beauty products. The former have obvious appeal as a way to consume cannabis without smoking it. The latter are a natural fit given the suggested well-being benefits of CBD and THC, along with the willingness of customers to try new plant-based beauty products. But even more innovative products are hitting the market, such as Phyto-Bites, a product SinglePoint distributes on its website SingleSeed.com, designed to improve the health and well-being of pets.

Human health and well-being remain a huge driver for innovation in cannabis. Aware of that, SinglePoint has also been adding health and wellness products to its sales lines. Its SingleSeed store recently unveiled a range of TorusMed Hemp CBD products to its offerings. The new products include treatments such as Sport Relief Topical Cream, an ointment designed to provide pain relief for professional and amateur athletes.

Smart Investing in the Cannabis Sector

The growth of the cannabis sector has inevitably led to some instability. Companies are operating in a space that didn’t even exist 20 years ago. The sector is evolving quickly, with the last few years triggering a wave of consolidation, and of course in a fast-changing market, there will be challenges and bumps along the way. Amid all this, working out how to investment smartly has become critical.

A lot of the secrets to smart investing in cannabis are the same as for any sector: do research, understand the businesses being invested in, have a plan and stick with it. Understanding the specific circumstances of the cannabis market is essential, and the big trend within the industry over the past year has been mergers and acquisitions, as companies such as SinglePoint have expanded through investment in promising companies that provide products and services that will complement and support its strategy.

SinglePoint’s most recent investment has been in TorusMed, a company developing new ways to optimize CBD output from hemp and therefore increase the profitability of this part of the cannabis sector. With hemp on the verge of a new boom thanks to the Farm Bill, SinglePoint has used its understanding of the market to invest in a company that appears to offer great potential to make the most of this moment.

Moves like this can put a company in a strong position heading into what looks to be a big year for cannabis. “[This year] will be a banner year for SinglePoint,” said SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht. “We are equipped with the proper funding, partners and opportunities to be firing on all cylinders. We as a team expect to position SingleSeed and SinglePoint as market leads in the CBD market while continuing to enable the founders of the companies we have acquired to grow their businesses. We are well diversified and have large opportunities across many emerging markets that should enable us to be successful into 2019 and beyond.”

New Year, Fresh Growth

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) is also making the most of the opportunity provided by the Farm Bill and is expecting significant growth off the back of this legal change. The company has a vertically integrated range of cannabis interests, including a hemp farm in Oregon and its hempSMART range of products. The legal changes should allow the company to more easily produce CBD-rich plants and sell the products derived from them without worrying about legal complications for crossing state lines. MCOA will also face lower federal income tax, thanks to the change in hemp’s status, allowing it to keep more profits.

Federal legislation against cannabis production and distribution has hampered the ability of companies to raise funds through public investment in the past, but some have found ways. Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTC: MJNA) was the first cannabis company in the United States to be publicly traded, a move that put it in a strong position both financially and for its public profile. It has recently experienced record sales, buoyed up by the growth of the cannabis market in the U.S. and beyond.

PotNetwork Holdings Inc. (OTC: POTN) has worked hard to develop a wide range of products, answering the increasing demand for product diversity in the cannabis market. The latest of these is the Brain Chill Slushy Machine, provided through its subsidiary Diamond CBD Inc. Initially launching in South Florida, these machines serve slushies in a variety of flavors, all infused with CBD. With millions of gallons of slushies consumed every year, these new machines are designed to provide an appealing introduction to CBD.

Also working on drinkable CBD is American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH), a diversified luxury consumer products company that bases its range of health and beauty products on biotech research. Its Lalpina CBD water is infused with CBD and features in several recently announced distribution deals, as the company extends its reach in the U.S. and beyond.

Legal changes are encouraging an increasingly diverse cannabis market, in which companies that make smart investments are primed for profit.

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

About CannabisNewsWire

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

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

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

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

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

420 with CNW – Alaska Credit Union Opens Its Doors to Cannabis Businesses

Credit Union 1 in Alaska has announced that it will begin a pilot program of offering financial services to cannabis businesses in the state. This pilot program is scheduled to start in the first six months of 2019.

The step taken by Credit Union 1 is a brave one because the majority of the financial institutions in the country are hesitant to have cannabis businesses as clients due to the prohibitions at the federal level. Credit Union 1 is chartered at the state level.

The Credit Union revealed that it was driven by security concerns when making the decision to pilot offering banking services to the cannabis industry. James Wileman, the CEO of Credit Union 1, said that they didn’t have any moral or political opinion about cannabis when deciding to get involved in providing banking services to marijuana businesses.

Officials from the tax division of Alaska welcomed the decision taken by Credit Union 1, calling it “extremely good news.” They are right to feel that way, because it will be much easier for the tax authorities to collect their dues once there is a clear paper trail to track all the sales in the state.

Alaska is already enjoying massive tax returns from the marijuana industry. For example, the state received approximately $11 million in taxes from January up to September this year.

Marijuana businesses are also excited by the opportunity, and they are wondering why it took so long for a financial institution to take the plunge and welcome cannabis businesses. Many are wishing they could participate in the pilot program instead of waiting for the services to be rolled out to more businesses sometime in the future at the successful conclusion of the pilot program.

The situation in Alaska shows how slowly systems change in order to accommodate new realities. For example, voters approved recreational marijuana in 2014 and the state started issuing retail licenses in 2016, but not a single cannabis company has been able to get any form of banking services.

However, it was just a matter of time before the allure of the resources in the cannabis industry became too strong for the banking industry to ignore. Chances are high that many other financial institutions will be watching the developments at Credit Union 1 before coming to the table as well.

Cannabis companies like American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) and Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: NUGS) welcome the pioneering efforts of Credit Union 1 and other financial institutions that are trailblazers in their jurisdictions in terms of providing essential financial services to this nascent industry.

More from CannabisNewsWire

About CannabisNewsWire

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

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Political Change and E-commerce Drive Ongoing Growth for Cannabis Industry

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: Years of steady growth in the cannabis industry are expected to continue.

  • Cannabis industry forecasts anticipate revenues of $146 billion by 2025.
  • Individual U.S. states are already seeing cannabis sales exceed $1 billion in a year.
  • The departure of Jeff Sessions and expected passage of the Farm Bill will bolster these profits.
  • E-commerce is helping cannabidiol (CBD) products reach a growing market.

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) (SING Profile) is showing how much technology can boost the industry, with support software and an online store. Terra Tech Corp. (OTCQX: TRTC) is also profiting from supporting producers, through the sale of hydroponic equipment. American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) (HIPH Profile) is providing innovative cannabis-based products in the form of its CBD-infused water. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (TSX.V: WTER) (OTCQB: WTER) has announced the formation of a beverage division that will offer a hemp-derived, CBD-infused product, while Level Brands, Inc. (NYSE American: LEVB) is partnering with a pharmaceutical and wellness company to provide CBD cream, spray, and edible products.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

Keeping Up the Cannabis Momentum

Turbulent times in the United States are creating uncertainty for a number of industries. But for the cannabis industry, the past few years have been ones of constant growth. The spread of recreational and medical marijuana legalization across the United States and Canada has given the industry a huge boost, both financially and in its public profile, as has the increasing popularity of CBD products.

That growth is expected to continue, in large part thanks to the momentum from political change. The departure of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions offers the possibility that the White House may finally commit to President Donald Trump’s electoral promise of cannabis policy reform at the federal level. Meanwhile, the Democratic majority in the House, together with the hemp clauses in this year’s Farm Bill renewal, set the stage to make life easier for those looking to support the American hemp industry.

The Growth of Cannabis

The past few years have been good for cannabis and technology holding company SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING). Like so many other companies working with cannabis, SinglePoint has benefited from a huge growth in business as a once-obscure sector of the economy turns into a growing powerhouse and major employer.

There’s an irony to the fact that, for most of the companies working in the cannabis space, being based in North America is what makes their business possible. Thirty years ago, this was the headquarters of the war on drugs — the U.S. government’s attempt to wipe out the cannabis industry alongside those producing and distributing other drugs. Now the United States and Canada are the world’s biggest markets for legal cannabis as reformers work to take pot profits away from criminal gangs and to bolster public health through a legal, well-regulated industry.

As of this year, cannabis is legal for medical consumption in two-thirds of U.S. states and for recreational use in a fifth of them. Recreational use became legal in Canada a month ago — the first G8 country to make such a move. This step forward has created a huge market for companies such as SinglePoint to tap into, with Colorado alone expecting to see a billion dollars of cannabis sales by the end of 2018.

This growth isn’t limited to cultivators and retailers, the obvious face of the cannabis industry. Those businesses need support services and infrastructure to do their work. SinglePoint provides a wide range of tech solutions tailored to the sector, including software to measure cultivation, track deliveries and make payments. Other businesses provide nutrients, hydroponic equipment and advisory services to the burgeoning cannabis sector.

This also means a growing number of jobs. These are diverse opportunities as well, with many of them involving specialist skills and training from bud tending to compliance, not to mention the coders crafting SinglePoint’s software. During a reporting period between January 2017 and July 2018, the number of job listings in the industry rose by a staggering 690 percent. And the global market is expected to exceed $146 billion in revenues by the end of 2025, driven in large part by events in North America.

Maintaining Marijuana’s Momentum

One of the most significant events of the past few weeks for the cannabis industry’s prospects has been the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

An outspoken opponent of cannabis reform, Sessions tried to roll back the President Barack Obama-era policy in which the federal government, though still treating cannabis as illegal, accepted the decisions of individual states to legalize it. The federal-level illegality of cannabis is an ongoing problem for the industry for several reasons, including that it makes banks and payment providers wary of providing services to cannabis businesses. Companies such as SinglePoint offer alternative payment solutions, but federal laws still limit the options. Sessions’ departure may create a real potential for change.

“This could present a major opportunity for SinglePoint to offer services we have been able to provide to other businesses for years,” said SinglePoint president Wil Ralston. “The biggest winner here could be the ancillary service provides and the potential access to banking.”

During his election campaign, President Trump promised reform on cannabis. But after two years of a Trump White House, there’s been nothing more substantial than vague rumors. With Sessions gone, now may be the time to act as more states move to legalize cannabis. And even without federal reform, changes on the state level are still positive for the industry. As SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht said in an interview with MoneyTV, “as more states come on, it’s just better for us.”

CBD: A Cannabis Surprise Hit

The other big political reform about to hit the industry is the 2018 Farm Bill. Delayed by political conflict over food stamps and immigration, the bill’s passage is now expected to speed up as Republicans push through a version they can live with before losing control of the House. This bill is set to legalize the hemp industry in the United States, allowing the cultivation of a nonpsychoactive form of cannabis.

Hemp promises to be a big cash crop. CBD oil extracted from hemp is used in a wide range of health and wellness products, such as the CBD water and tinctures recently released through SinglePoint’s SingleSeed site. The CBD side of the industry reaches markets that raw cannabis can’t and, as a result, has seen huge growth, spreading into health stores and international markets.

But it’s through e-commerce that CBD has really taken off. More than $4 million of CBD products were sold through Amazon just in July this year. For companies, such as SinglePoint, that are using their own e-commerce stores, there’s even greater potential for profit than through Amazon. By providing both the product and the marketplace, they create a complete funnel to customers, benefitting from all the profits and building a loyal client base.

Beyond Weed

As SinglePoint’s software and the growth of the CBD market show, the cannabis industry is about far more than just selling weed.

For Terra Tech Corp. (OTCQX: TRTC), the focus is on supplying equipment. A producer of cultivation equipment such as hydroponics and moving tables, Terra Tech provides cannabis growers with the tools they need to grow rich, profitable crops. The growth of the industry has increased sales for hydroponics companies, a trend that’s expected to continue. Terra Tech is investing heavily in a hydroponics provider to reduce its costs and improve its ability to ensure supplies to growers.

The growing popularity of CBD has drawn in companies from outside the cannabis industry as well. American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) is a diversified luxury consumer product company that uses biotech as the basis for health and beauty merchandise. It has produced a CBD-infused drink — Lalpina CBD water — that makes it one of the first to turn CBD into a widely available edible product.

Alkaline Water Company, Inc. (OTCQB: WTER) (TSX.V: WTER) announced the formation of its A88 Infused Beverage Division, Inc. The company currently offers products trademarked Alkaline88 that are available in more than 40,000 retail locations across the United States, including 39 of the top 50 grocers in the country. The new division — A88 — will focus on brand extension and product innovations in the healthful water category, with plans to offer a hemp-derived, CBD-infused Alkaline88 water product.

Level Brands, Inc. (NYSE American: LEVB) has launched a new line of CBD products developed jointly with Isodiol International, Inc. The products include CBD oral sprays marketed under kathy ireland® Health & Wellness; CBD edibles marketed under Chef Andre Carthen Edibles; and a CBD pain-relieving cream available under Ireland Men One, a men’s lifestyle brand focused on millennials.

The cannabis industry is already seeing huge growth, creating jobs and wealth. With legal reform in the United States and the momentum provided by e-commerce, this growth appears set to continue for a long time to come.

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

About CannabisNewsWire

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

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

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

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

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
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Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

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

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

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

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

420 with CNW – Could Franchising Be the Future of the Cannabis Industry?

As the Marijuana Business Conference came to an end in Las Vegas last week, a new business structure was mooted for the cannabis industry. Franchising. Some industry players are considering starting cannabis dispensary chains that would be the McDonalds and Starbucks of the cannabis industry.

The idea of franchise businesses in the cannabis industry is appealing at several levels.

First, consumers in America have been trained to consume products from trusted brands. That is why McDonalds and Starbucks get more clients than independent burger or coffee shops. Franchises in the cannabis industry would tap into the brand loyalty already instilled in buyers.

Secondly, a cannabis franchiser would save many cannabis investors from making the expensive mistakes that the pioneers in the cannabis industry have made. The cannabis industry is quite young, so the collective pool of experience in running cannabis enterprises is relatively shallow.

Creating cannabis franchises would help those who have created tried and tested cannabis industry systems to share (for a fee) their experiences and roadmap to success. The franchisees would benefit by starting off with a business model that has a proven track record of success.

However, some hurdles may still stand in the way of franchising as a business model for the cannabis industry in the U.S.

First, the cannabis industry is fragmented. Each state has its own rules regulating the cannabis market. It may therefore be hard for one business model to succeed in different jurisdictions whose laws differ widely. Maybe this could explain why the franchise would be very expensive to acquire. Extensive work needs to be done to tweak the model so that it fits within the state and local regulations governing the cannabis industry in different areas.

Secondly, many jurisdictions restrict the number of cannabis dispensaries or retail outlets that can be opened within a given area. Some local regulations even put a cap on the number of cannabis business licenses that can be granted to a single entity. Such requirements are intended to foster competition and prevent one business from controlling the cannabis market. How would cannabis franchisers navigate such regulations?

Thirdly, federal laws currently restrict cannabis from crossing state lines. This can present a major operational challenge to a franchiser since he or she would need to set up a vertically integrated business (cultivation, manufacture and sale/distribution) in each state where it intends to acquire franchisees. What is the minimum number of franchise outlets that would be needed to justify the expense of setting up that integrated infrastructure?

The problems above can certainly be thought through and solutions found, but it isn’t something that can be fixed in a short time. However, the franchise idea is a good one and shows that the cannabis industry is here to stay.

Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) and American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) look forward to the passing of enabling cannabis laws at the federal level since that would be one of the factors that makes it easier for cannabis entrepreneurs to create nationwide franchises.

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About CannabisNewsWire

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

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

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

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

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

420 with CNW – Mexican Government Drafts Law to Legalize Marijuana

The incoming government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico has drafted a bill which is likely to see medical and recreational cannabis legalized once Congress passes it.

The bill is intended to change the approach that Mexico has been taking to fight crime. The past 12 years have seen escalations in violence and poverty as the country fought to bring down the organized crime networks built around the illicit cultivation and sale of cannabis within and beyond the borders of Mexico, especially to the U.S.

Olga Sanchez, the Interior Minister-nominee, said that it was now time to bring peace to the country and end the war on drugs. She was alluding to the thousands of lives that have been lost due to drug-related crime, such as the wars between rival gangs over drug trafficking routes and cultivation areas.

The proposed bill will allow companies to cultivate and commercialize marijuana. Individuals would also be permitted to grow cannabis for their own use, as long as they didn’t harvest more than the maximum amount (480 grams) permitted each year for such privately grown plants.

Furthermore, individual growers will be required to register with the state so that they can be monitored to ensure that they aren’t growing more than is permitted for personal use. Smoking marijuana in public is also likely to be permitted.

The bill seeks to make it illegal for cannabis companies to employ children. Child labor has been the hallmark of the illegal cannabis industry in the past, so the law wants to make it clear that children should have no part in the legal cannabis industry.

Three key factors may have prompted Mexico to consider a change of policy with regards to marijuana.

First, individual states in the U.S. have legalized not just medical marijuana but recreational use as well. The U.S. has for long supported efforts to stamp out drug trafficking gangs in Mexico.

Secondly, the Supreme Court made five rulings in favor of individuals who were protesting against being restricted from consuming recreational cannabis. Those five rulings effectively made it a must for all other courts to permit anyone who wanted to consume recreational marijuana.

Third, the violence and deaths associated with the war on drugs in Mexico have reached alarming levels of late. For example, not less than 31,000 murders were recorded in the country in 2017. Violent crime had never reached such a level before.

The incoming government doesn’t think legalizing marijuana will magically end all that violence. It plans to offer amnesty and negotiate with many of the armed groups that have been having running battles with the armed forces.

Mexico will join Uruguay and Canada in case cannabis legalization takes place. The U.S. will therefore become isolated among its neighbors if it still insists that marijuana shouldn’t be legalized federally. Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI), American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) and other companies with interests in the marijuana industry must be hoping that the U.S. federal government takes the hint and conducts marijuana reforms in the way that many of its own states have done.

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

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

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

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

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

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

Can Cannabis Live Up to Expectations?

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

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

Cannabis Comes Out of the Shadows

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

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

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

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

The Challenge of Distribution

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

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

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

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

More Growing Pain to Come

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

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

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

Seizing the Potential of CBD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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420 with CNW – Colorado Lawsuit Could Shake the Marijuana Industry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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420 with CNW – Canada Hit by Shortages after Cannabis Legalization

As had been predicted by analysts, supplies of recreational marijuana could not meet the massive demand for the product even for the first day when retail outlets opened. The shortages did not discriminate between online stores and brick and mortar outlets since both were equally hit.

Long queues could be seen outside the retail stores as clients waited to enter the premises and buy cannabis to celebrate legalization day.

However, many people were turned away as the stores sold out everything that they had stocked ahead of the opening day. It isn’t known how quickly these shortages will be resolved.

One store owner remarked about how ironical it was that his establishment went dry at exactly 4:20. Of all times!

Even those lucky customers who entered the stores while some products were still available were unhappy that they could not have their choice of cannabis products since only a small range was available by the time those clients got in.

Marijuana retailers are unhappy that they let down lots of their customers on such an important day. The ideal situation would have been to avail more than customers need so that a pattern is established that clients will always have their pick of cannabis products at their preferred retail store.

People who tried to buy their products online complained that the sites crashed frequently, products were sold out or other glitches prevented the online platforms from working well.

Three major points need to be noted about what is unfolding after the legalization of recreational cannabis.

First, existing and new producers need to ramp up their production so that such shortages don’t plague the industry for longer than is unavoidable. It is hard to comprehend how businesses can fail to plan for such a huge demand which any layperson could have predicted.

Secondly, such shortages can have an adverse effect on the stocks of cannabis companies since the market always responds to the prevailing sentiments. Consumers aren’t happy, and that may hurt stock prices.

Third, shortages are bad because they provide an unconscious justification for the black market. If someone wants a product badly enough, they will reach a point where any supplier will do, including the black market which has honed its logistical systems over the years. The black market isn’t good for consumers (product quality issues, for example), it isn’t good for legal cannabis businesses (lost customers and revenue) and it isn’t good for the government (lost taxes, public health issues, law enforcement headaches, etc.).

Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) and American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) must be longing for the chance to operate in such a market where demand is so high that every product made will be assured of a buyer

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

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420 with CNW – Canada May Not Have Enough Cannabis to Meet Demand Upon Legalization

It is just a matter of hours before recreational marijuana is legalized in Canada but researchers are suggesting that the country may not have enough marijuana on the shelves to meet the demand for it.

Researchers based at the University of Waterloo and their counterparts at C.D. Howe Institute warned that many people who may want to celebrate legalization with a joint may be unable to do so due to the limited capacity of cannabis suppliers to meet the expected demand.

The researchers revealed that the current suppliers may only be in position to meet between 30 percent and 60 percent of the demand for recreational cannabis come legalization day (October 17).

According to the researchers, the supply of cannabis from the licensed sources could be approximately 210 tons. This is a small amount when compared to the existing demand estimated to be in excess of 610 tons.

Part of the reason for this supply gap falls squarely on the government since it has been “unnecessarily” slow in vetting and licensing applicants who want to grow and supply cannabis to the retail outlets.

It should be remembered that Canada is just the second country to decriminalize adult use of marijuana after Uruguay. The “slow” rate at which producers are being licensed may be a result of the precautionary approach being used to avoid making needless mistakes so early in the development of the industry.

Government statistics show that approximately 16 percent (4.6 million) of all Canadians have used marijuana at least once this year. The number of people using cannabis is unlikely to rise according to the statistics of the federal government.

However, the insufficient supply of marijuana once adult use becomes legal is likely to hurt at different levels beyond the disappointment of Canadians who may miss out when the retail shelves run out of cannabis. The government will lose tax revenue amounting to about $774 million until the supply gaps are filled.

Legalization at the federal level in Canada also doesn’t mean that citizens will be free to use marijuana as they wish. Reports are already emerging that schools, apartment buildings and other public places may prohibit smoking marijuana within their spaces.

Such prohibitions may be modeled upon the restrictions on smoking tobacco cigarettes in order to protect non-smokers from the hazards associated with secondhand smoking. Pot enthusiasts may therefore have to be careful where they choose to indulge.

All the same, Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) and American Premium Water Corp. (OTC: HIPH) would relish the chance to operate in a market where the demand for products far exceeds the supply available.

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

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