Tag: MCIG

The Modern Cannabis Industry — A Tight Mesh of Integrated Verticals and Technologies

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: The number of adults in America who want marijuana legalized has nearly doubled since 2000, according to the latest Pew Research Center survey, which indicates 61 percent are now in favor (http://cnw.fm/1CdYE). During that same interval, the industry has evolved from a taboo underground into a clean and professional marketplace. Now the cannabis industry is on track to outpace the manufacturing sector in terms of job creation by 2020 (http://cnw.fm/ae5YX). The multiple, increasingly interwoven verticals now present in this booming industry run the gamut. However, payment solutions, such as those offered by Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) (GOHE Profile), represent some of the most high-potential integrations. Other key verticals here, such as digital advertising and marketing from companies such as mCig, Inc. (OTCQB: MCIG), or the news, print and digital multimedia offerings of Freedom Leaf, Inc. (OTCQB: FRLF), further underscore how developed the sector has become. This is true even before one considers verticals like the packaging, branding and compliance solutions provided by companies such as Kush Bottles, Inc. (OTCQB: KSHB), or the hydroponic and indoor growing systems developed by Solis Tek, Inc. (OTCQB: SLTK).

Strategic Partnerships Detail Diversity

The numerous strategic partnerships developed by Global Payout, Inc.’s (OTC: GOHE) majority-owned subsidiary MoneyTrac Technology, Inc. (“MTRAC”) in recent months brilliantly reveal the intersect potential of cannabis, finance, compliance and banking. Moreover, with the completion of the requisite due diligence and final steps needed for a Regulation D, Rule 506(c) security offering, MTRAC is now poised to offer the cash-driven cannabis industry a helping hand via the launch of its MTRAC-Token (http://cnw.fm/Jf5Ra). Because the federal government’s regulations discourage banks from handling the proceeds of marijuana transactions, thousands of profitable businesses, often doing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in sales legalized by their respective states, have had to risk managing day-to-day operations entirely in cash (http://cnw.fm/0ZTzc).

Cannabis Goes Crypto Cashless

By harnessing the power of blockchain technology, MTRAC-Token will offer the cannabis industry a cryptocurrency-based and decentralized non-cash payment system that lends itself to regulatory compliance. The company has even tapped full-service blockchain technology and token accelerator Pegasus Fintech, Inc., to assist in ensuring that accredited investors hop on board. Investors who may have otherwise shied away from financially backing the cannabis industry will subsequently get a unique opportunity to access the 15 to 26 percent CAGR leading analysts have projected for this sector over the next several years (http://cnw.fm/9wngD). Worth nearly $8 billion already (http://cnw.fm/r8H8c), the North American cannabis industry is still woefully underserved when it comes to basic but essential financial services.

A similar deal was more recently finalized with California-based GreenBox POS, LLC, whereby MTRAC will serve as a strategic sales and marketing resource to help nurture GeenBox’s advanced POS (point of sale) software and technology out of beta and into the market (http://cnw.fm/Df7yl). MTRAC CEO Vanessa Luna commented on the rich operational feature set of GreenBox’s POS platform, explaining that the “details, intricacies and overall effectiveness” of the technology is unrivaled by anything the company has seen before. Spanning everything from compliance, financial audit prep and expense tracking to tax payments and data fidelity controls, the sophistication of GreenBox’s software suite is rivaled only by its custom-built blockchain KIOSK solutions for cashless operations.

Compliance is Key

Having completed a joint-venture partnership agreement with compliance software and merchant payment solutions innovator Integrated Compliance Solutions, LLC, earlier this year, MTRAC is clearly pulling out all the stops to put together a robust de-risking solution for the retail cannabis space (http://cnw.fm/ITkO1). By leveraging the company’s core fintech competencies and a growing network of strategic partners, Global Payout is unifying the concepts of “seed to bank” and “banking the unbankable” in a compliance-centric fashion expected to appease even the most stringent of regulators. This is a move by the company that is commensurate with the maturation of the sector into a fully modern and respectable industry — an industry on the road to potentially becoming a $24 billion-plus nationwide market by 2025 and that now has the muscle of California, the nation’s highest gross domestic product state, firmly behind it (http://cnw.fm/3DnZi).

Why it’s Worth the Fight

With over 100 million Americans suffering from some form of chronic pain and over 2 million addicted to prescription pain killers such as opioids, the development of compliance-friendly solutions to legal cannabis financing by Global Payout could be akin to a lifesaving measure because of the drug’s reputation as a less dangerous pain relief alternative. The importance of seeking such solutions is addressed in a recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on “The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids,” which noted that “evidence regarding the short- and long-term health effects of cannabis use remains elusive” despite myriad studies that have examined cannabis use in all its forms, and that “often these research conclusions are not appropriately synthesized, translated for, or communicated to policy makers, health care providers, state health officials, or other stakeholders who have been charged with influencing and enacting policies, procedures, and laws related to cannabis use.” (http://cnw.fm/2lCHx). Another data point of importance is North America’s dominance of the $5.5 billion chronic pain therapy market (http://cnw.fm/4NIfq), nearly $2 billion of which is represented by the top three Medicare opioids.

Expanding Retail Network

The execution of a sales partnership and commission agreement in early February with Eyechronic cannabis media network operator and award-winning retail technology company Eyeconic.tv will allow MTRAC to reach customers in-store at the nearly 300 medical and retail dispensaries in Eyechronic’s nationwide partner network (http://cnw.fm/4X9xd). Combined with the already sizeable network of dispensaries MTRAC has cultivated relationships with via its PotSaver brand publication, the Eyechronic deal will give Global Payout serious ground game in California.

Sales and Marketing Support

MTRAC is wasting no time capitalizing on this advantage. The company recently expanded the sales team for its PotSaver brand in order to extend its reach beyond the thriving San Diego market into the surrounding metro areas. This includes the massive Los Angeles market, where many dispensaries have already received their licenses. This expansion is shrewdly timed to fully enable the debut of the company’s premier LA publication, slated for the second quarter of 2018 (http://cnw.fm/eWy6K). The retail technology benefits of the Eyechronic deal will overlap nicely with the sales and marketing management agreement signed earlier this year with High Grade Management Group, Inc. The deal is designed to facilitate the launch of High Grade’s Apple Vapes line of products through a sophisticated marketing campaign (http://cnw.fm/If2VZ).

The concentrates that go into vape cartridges are the fastest-growing segment of the cannabis market, and vapes are the largest slice of the pie across the major state markets. Up 37.5 percent in Colorado last year alone, concentrates easily outpaced the 25 percent growth seen by edibles, raking in $131 million in that state alone (http://cnw.fm/S3n4X). As further evidence of the potential for MTRAC’s vapes deal with California marijuana delivery service Eaze tracked a whopping 400 percent growth rate for its vape cartridges from 2015 to 2016 (http://cnw.fm/oQZ0d).

A Wide Open Market

From payment solutions and vaporizer pens to multimedia and advertising, the sheer variety of heavily integrated verticals now present within the cannabis sector is dizzying. And Global Payout is by no means alone in its efforts to bring cannabis consumer solutions to market.

Although perhaps more often referenced as a cannabinoid R&D biotech company known for its industrial hemp and nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products, mCig, Inc. (OTCQB: MCIG) has made significant strides of late via the company’s Obitx, Inc. (OBITX) subsidiary, to become a leader in digital advertising and marketing for the cannabis industry (http://cnw.fm/xCl85). The recent announcement of an S-1 registration, with the intent to spin off subsidiary Obitx into its own separate public company, marks a major milestone for this heavily diversified sector operator. The company’s announcement in late January (http://cnw.fm/1tKqt) that mCig will expand beyond its already full spectrum of hemp CBD skin products into CBD-based pet wellness products that directly address the $110 billion global pet care market (http://cnw.fm/ZsaJ3) provides further evidence of its diversification.

Another heavy hitter in cannabis sector digital media is the increasingly vertically integrated Freedom Leaf, Inc. (OTCQB: FRLF), which has established itself as a leading go-to resource for news and information via the company’s flagship publication, Freedom Leaf Magazine (http://cnw.fm/0wuI9). Freedom Leaf has also made strides of late to leverage the company’s considerable business consulting, as well as M&A expertise, in order to branch out further into the product end of the market. The company’s recent joint venture supply agreement with NutraFuels, Inc. (OTC: NTFU), whereby Freedom Leaf will assist in the formulation, blending and private labeling of NutraFuels’ Ayurvedic Breathable Vapor Oils, is a hallmark of this trend (http://cnw.fm/1QiSd). In support of this move, the company also fully acquired the Spanish hemp products producer Green Market Europe S.L., in January (http://cnw.fm/hQHO6). Green Market has indoor facilities totaling over 64,000 square feet and over 200 acres of outdoor production space.

Widely known in the industry for its packaging, supplies and accessories, Kush Bottles, Inc. (OTCQB: KSHB) recently announced a $6 million investment from private equity fund Merida Capital Partners, which will help the company reach out into new distribution channels and invest in new products (http://cnw.fm/1pKoE). This announcement followed fast on the heels of a sweeping Future Farm Technologies, Inc. (OTC: FFRMF) deal, which has Kush Bottles supporting Future Farm’s expansion into new cannabis and hemp territories such as California, Massachusetts, Maine, Florida and Puerto Rico (http://cnw.fm/s9PLf). Kush was selected by Future Farm because of the company’s superb reputation for high-quality cannabis packaging and branding, as well as tailored compliance solutions.

Branching out in a different way, Solis Tek, Inc. (OTCQB: SLTK) represents another key vertical of the matured cannabis market — one that is at the heart of the entire industry: growing hardware. As Kevin Kuethe, COO of cultivator and biopharma R&D powerhouse GB Sciences recently put it, GB’s “heaviest yields to date” can be chalked up in part to the ability of the Solis Tek fixtures and lights to deliver a hearty “diet of light” that closely mimics sunlight (http://cnw.fm/jE12T). For GB Sciences, which is geared towards standardized cultivation and consistent quality, Solis Tek’s focus on science sets the company’s hardware apart from the competition. Consistent quality and high yields are the name of the game for many cultivators, and dominating this essential vertical is SLTK’s specialty.

Diversity Comes of Age

It is evident that more and more sector operators are looking to diversify into complementary, upward parallels. And while the advanced payment solutions developed by a company such as Global Payout might be the low-hanging fruit due largely to the need to overcome banking regulatory compliance hurdles, it is the growing diversity of this truly modern industry that should instill investors with confidence in its future.

For more information on Global Payout, Inc., visit Global Payout, Inc. (GOHE).

About CannabisNewsWire

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

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

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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.

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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.

Fired-Up Cannabis Players Ride into 2018 on Year-End High

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: Cannabis and blockchain were all the buzz in 2017 and investor trading in these stocks was heavy going into the close of the year. This helped significantly push up TD Ameritrade’s quarterly profit and boost daily average trades to 726,000 for the quarter ending December 30, 2017 — an increase of 49 percent from the previous year (http://cnw.fm/i5DkN). With this market frenzy spilling over into 2018, companies like Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) (GOHE Profile) are in position to profit with fingers strategically in both pies, applying their expertise in both the cannabis and blockchain markets. Such companies poised to enjoy broader growth in the industries include Terra Tech Corp. (OTCQX: TRTC), mCig, Inc. (OTCQB: MCIG), Surna, Inc. (OTCQB: SRNA) and MPX Bioceutical Corp. (CSE: MPX) (OTC: MPXEF).

Rising Star

It is no secret that the cannabis market is on fire, fueled in part by Canada’s anticipated legalization of recreational marijuana, increasing public acceptance and industry innovations that keep investors interested in new developments.

Another event that helped shine a spotlight on marijuana stocks was the debut of ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF, a first-of-its-kind, U.S.-listed exchange-traded fund that tracks the cannabis industry. While the trading period is usually slow between Christmas and New Year’s, this launch generated big buzz in the marijuana sector during that typically sluggish period.

The North American Marijuana Index has seen growth during the recent quarter, as well, with the addition of seven new cannabis companies to the Canadian Marijuana Index. This brings the total number of constituents on the index to 39.

Market Multitasking

Simultaneous endeavors in two red-hot market sectors—marijuana and blockchain, in this case—has proven a good strategy for Global Payout, Inc. (GOHE). This leading worldwide pre-payment solutions provider is successfully applying its core fintech capabilities in serving the cannabis industry, as well as offering cutting-edge blockchain technology solutions for a variety of other market sectors.

Decentralized Cannabis Payment System

Global Payout’s majority-owned MoneyTrac Technology, Inc. (“MTRAC”) subsidiary offers a wide array of services to help businesses in high-risk industries (notably cannabis enterprises) efficiently and effectively manage their operations. MTRAC’s technology equips business owners with the tools they need to meet compliance regulations, improve electronic payment processing and, in general, create an operational structure that will boost growth.

Global Payout kicked-off 2018 with the announcement (http://cnw.fm/cQ2yC) that its MTRAC subsidiary is moving forward with the co-launch of its regulation-compliant token offering, the M-Token, which is on track to be launched during the first quarter of this year. This has been made possible through various key strategic partnerships. The token is aimed at providing cannabis businesses with an effective decentralized payment system.

“MoneyTrac’s primary objective has been, and will continue to be, to serve the legitimate and profitable businesses of the cannabis industry by effectively addressing the financial technology and banking challenges they are faced with. Right now, one of the biggest and most daunting challenges they face is having to run their businesses strictly on cash,” MTRAC CEO Vanessa Luna stated in the press release. “This is not only dangerous from a theft perspective, but not practical in terms of basic financial management solutions. Our regulatory-compliant Token Offering will revolutionize how these businesses operate and help MTRAC further its objectives for identifying various partnerships and cultivating the relationships necessary to pave the way for alternative banking solutions.”

Throughout the U.S. cannabis industry, a large number of merchants continue to deal exclusively in cash transactions as marijuana’s continued status as a federally illegal drug has made cannabis vendors essentially “unbankable.” Dealing in cash is not only inconvenient for marijuana merchants and users alike, but it leaves cannabis businesses extremely vulnerable to theft, making a decentralized payment system not only attractive but very necessary.

The need for alternative cannabis payment solutions has been further sharpened by recent news that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded memos from the Obama Administration that formerly protected cannabis cultivators, users and vendors from federal prosecution in states where cannabis has been legalized.

In developing the M-Token, MTRAC has worked with various partners in the fintech and compliance sectors, including Pegasus Fintech Inc., and continues to devote substantial time and resources toward the requisite due diligence process to make sure the M-Token meets all regulatory compliance requirements before it is officially launched.

It is anticipated that the M-Token will effectively fill the huge banking void for businesses in the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry.

‘Banking the Unbankable’

In related efforts, MTRAC recently announced (http://cnw.fm/Wwa8P) its “Joint Venture Compliance, Crypto-Commodity, iCloud and Strategic Partnership Agreement” with Crypto Value Management System, LLC (CVMS), which has secured an exclusive California license for a cryptocurrency exchange platform. This platform is expected to enhance both MTRAC’s and CVMS’s efforts to offer fintech solutions to businesses in the cannabis industry and other alternative market sectors.

The secure, compliant blockchain technology developed by CVMS is the most cutting-edge crypto-commodity exchange platform available. In addition to aiding businesses that lack banking options, this technology is intended to serve as the backbone for MTRAC’s token exchange platform for the M-Token.

“Securing this JV Partnership Agreement with CVMS marks a huge milestone for MoneyTrac and our continued pursuit of banking the ‘un-bankable’ within the cannabis industry,” Luna stated. “The exclusive licenses CVMS has worked diligently to acquire in the State of California are critical pieces to the foundation we are developing for a token exchange platform that will become one of the most valuable resources to businesses in an industry where millions of dollars are exchanged in commerce every day.”

PotSaver Publication

Global Payout’s MTRAC subsidiary is also collaborating with the company’s PotSaver brand to launch PotSaver Biz, a publication developed exclusively for cannabis businesses. PotSaver Biz is aimed at becoming a premier networking platform for companies operating within the cannabis space, including businesses that offer ancillary services to the cannabis market.

The publication will give cannabis-related business owners an effective platform through which to market their products and services to one another.

Throughout PotSaver Biz, thousands of cannabis-related businesses and brands will be able to enhance their market presence through a paid listing in the publication. The publication will also serve as an additional revenue stream for MTRAC.

Cannabis Peers

Other standout players on the move to capitalize in the cannabis market with diverse offerings include companies like Terra Tech (TRTC).

Terra Tech is a vertically integrated, cannabis-focused agriculture company that operates through multiple subsidiary businesses, including Blüm, IVXX Inc., Edible Garden and MediFarm LLC. These subsidiaries offer an array of products and services, ranging from high-quality medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis products to medical cannabis permit application and procurement services.

Terra Tech recently received State of California Temporary Authorization to begin adult-use cannabis sales in that state.

Innovative biotech company mCig (MCIG) is fully diversified across multiple areas of the cannabis industry, ranging from construction and cultivation to production packaging, media and investments. The company is focused particularly on hemp, cannabinoid R&D, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals and is also a leading distributor of innovative products, customized packaging solutions, technologies and services for the worldwide medical marijuana industry. Among its endeavors, mCig recently announced plans to launch an advanced hemp CBD-based formula for domestic pets.

Boulder, Colorado-based Surna (SRNA) provides ancillary services to cannabis businesses, manufacturing a proprietary line of premium lighting, environmental control and air sanitation systems designed to serve both state-regulated cannabis cultivation facilities and traditional indoor agricultural facilities. The company’s aim is to provide smart solutions that can enhance the quality, control and overall yield and efficiency of controlled-environment agriculture.

MPX Bioceutical (MPXEF) is an Ontario corporation that offers services in the United States and Canada. Through its U.S.-based wholly owned subsidiaries, MPX provides significant management, staffing, procurement, advisory, financial, real estate rental, logistics and administrative services to two medical marijuana enterprises in Arizona. The company also recently acquired the award-winning GreenMart of Nevada NLV, LLC, which is a licensed cultivation, production and wholesale business serving both the medical and recreational cannabis markets in Nevada. MPX further owns cannabis assets in Massachusetts and Maryland and also leases a property in Ontario, Canada, for which it has submitted an application to Health Canada for a cannabis production and sales license.

For more information about Global Payout, visit Global Payment, Inc. (GOHE).

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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www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.net

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 and their respective affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are 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 and FNM undertake no obligation to update such statements.