420 with CNW – Colorado Nurses to Launch Cannabis Information Hotline

A medical marijuana patient and a registered nurse in Colorado are teaming up to start a hotline to answer the questions that potential medical marijuana users have about the drug. If all goes according to plan, this hotline will be launched in September.

Katherine Golden, the registered nurse in this duo, admits that she was skeptical about the medical benefits of marijuana until a family member was diagnosed with cancer and she felt compelled to look for peer-reviewed research on the benefits of marijuana for cancer patients. What she found astounded her and she wondered how all that information was unavailable to members of the medical community.

Her findings were so convincing that she switched careers and started working in a medical marijuana clinic in Boulder.

Jennifer Axcell has been taking medical marijuana to deal with the pain she has been having since she was involved in a car accident thirteen years ago. The medical marijuana proved to be more helpful than the prescription meds she was initially given by her doctor.

Jennifer Axcell met Katherine Golden at Holos Health, a medical marijuana dispensary in Boulder, and they soon bonded. That bond grew as they both strongly felt that there was a need to share information about medical marijuana.

They therefore became unofficial information ambassadors within the medical cannabis community, and the idea of starting the hotline, Leaf411, was born.

Golden feels that the hotline will be invaluable since nurses are highly trusted by members of the community. This view was confirmed by a Gallop poll which found that nurses were the most trusted professionals. 85 percent of the adult Americans who were surveyed by Gallop in December 2018 said that the ethical standards of nurses were high or very high. In contrast, members of Congress had a dismal 8 percent rating for being ethical.

Golden hopes to use the respectability and reputation of nursing to provide reliable information to people who want to learn about medical marijuana.

To that end, she and Axcell have applied for funding from the Colorado state government. They hope to benefit from part of the millions of dollars of cannabis tax revenue earmarked for public health and education.

The pair is also contacting different medical marijuana companies for funding since these entities stand to benefit the most when their potential clients are informed about medical marijuana. Golden feels that a budtender shouldn’t be the first person that a patient approaches for information on medical marijuana.

Golden and Axcell are also hoping to enlist at least four registered nurses with medical marijuana experience to be on the phone for 12 hours each day. They hasten to add that Leaf411 will not be an emergency line, so it will only be available during normal business hours.

Advocates believe that the entire industry, including Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) and Sproutly Canada Inc. (CSE: SPR) (OTCQB: SRUTF) (FRA: 38G), will be thrilled that members of the medical professional are jumping into the fray to educate their peers and members of the public about medical cannabis.

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Utah Picks Eight Applicants for Medical Marijuana Cultivation Licenses

The Department of Agriculture and Food in Utah has announced that it has selected eight applicants who will receive medical marijuana cultivation licenses as the state marches towards the implementation of a decision that voters approved during the elections last year but legislators later modified the ballot measure in what was called a compromise law.

The selected medical marijuana cultivation license applicants are Dragonfly Greenhouse, Oakbridge Greenhouses, Harvest of Utah, Standard Wellness Utah, Tryke Companies Utah, True North of Utah, Wholesome Ag, and Zion Cultivars.

The government’s statement unveiling the eight companies revealed that four of those eight companies have been operating in the state (conducting other business) while the other four had ties to Utah even if they were from outside the state.

In accordance with federal law, all the cultivation facilities will be located within Utah and all but one of the licensees will locate their grow facility in a rural part of the state.

The Department of Agriculture and Food spent hundreds of hours scrutinizing the 81 applicants who had expressed interest in growing medical marijuana in the state. The decision to select only eight growers, instead of the ten allowed by law, was made in order to avert a situation in which the supply of medical marijuana products would exceed the demand for those products. The eight growers were sufficient to create healthy competition and variety in the product offerings.

The chosen growers now have to undergo background checks before they are awarded the licenses.

Among other requirements, the application process required interested companies to have at least $250,000 to cover any issues that could arise while the company was growing medical marijuana in the state.

The licensed companies will be tasked with meeting the medical marijuana demand of approximately 42,000 patients that may enroll on the medical marijuana program during its first four years of existence. This number was arrived at after the University of Utah conducted a study to estimate the likely beneficiaries of the program.

Under Utah law, the cultivators who choose to grow marijuana indoors will be restricted to a maximum of 100,000 square feet of grow space while those who opt to grow the crop outdoors will be allowed to use a maximum of four acres. Depending on the spacing used, an acre can accommodate anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 cannabis plants.

The law passed by legislators just days after the provisions of the ballot measure approved by voters took effect in December 2018 removed the permission that had been given to certain categories of patients to grow a maximum of six plants.

Under Prop 2, people living beyond a defined minimum distance from a medical marijuana dispensary would be permitted to grow their own medical marijuana. This provision was vehemently opposed by different groups, such as law enforcement, and it was removed by a law passed during a special session of the legislature.

Now that cultivators have been selected, industry analysts believe that the entire industry, including players like Sproutly Canada Inc. (CSE: SPR) (OTCQB: SRUTF) (FRA: 38G) and SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING), will be pleased that qualified patients could soon be able to treat their ailments using medical marijuana.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Possession Limits Increased for New Jersey Medical Marijuana Patients

Last week, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that will expand the medical marijuana program of the state. One of the notable changes in the bill is that patients who could only possess a medical cannabis supply that can last 90 days can now legally possess a year’s worth of medical marijuana supplies.

This change has been applauded by pro-marijuana advocates because it will reduce the inconveniences and costs associated with making frequent trips to a dispensary, especially for patients and caregivers will don’t stay near a provisioning center and those who have mobility challenges.

The number of medical cannabis producers has also been increased, This was in response to complaints about high product prices and a limited variety of medical marijuana products in dispensaries. It is hoped that the introduction of additional producers will make prices more competitive and it will also drive innovation so that patients have more variety to select from.

The new law also increases the number of medical conditions for which patients can qualify for medical marijuana permits, a move that analysts believe was welcome news to the entire industry including players like Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) and Sproutly Canada Inc. (CSE: SPR) (OTCQB: SRUTF) (FRA: 38G) since a potentially bigger market was created for the medical marijuana products of the cannabis companies within the state. In the past, only sufferers of debilitating conditions could get a medical marijuana license. With the signing of the new law, other conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, cancer, opioid use disorder, glaucoma and epilepsy can qualify a patient to use medical marijuana.

Home delivery of medical marijuana will become a reality once this law takes effect. This is seen as making medical marijuana more accessible for people in areas that don’t have a dispensary. More jobs will also be created for those who participate in the home delivery service.

Since coming into office, Gov. Murphy has so far expanded the medical marijuana program twice. Under his administration, the number of patients has grown to 49,000 from just 15,000 during the time of his predecessor (Gov. Chris Christie). Now that more qualifying conditions have been added, the number of patients will increase even further.

While pro-marijuana advocates are happy that the medical marijuana program has been expanded, this law comes at a time when people are still disappointed that recreational marijuana wasn’t legalized as had widely been expected during the legislative session that ended recently.

The lack of sufficient support for the legalization bill in the state senate made legislative leaders to call off a vote on the bill, and frantic negotiations last month couldn’t secure the needed votes. It now appears that the issue may go to voters during the elections next year or the next midterms.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – USDA Reveals Deadline for the Release of Hemp Regulations

A notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture published in the Federal Register at the beginning of this week provides insights regarding the department’s plans to release rules that will govern the newly legalized hemp industry.

Of particular importance is the August self-imposed deadline when the final draft rules will be released by USDA. Previously, the department had been noncommittal about when it would finalize these rules. They would simply say that the rules will come out in time for the planting season of 2020.

A USDA spokesperson revealed that the August deadline reflects the best-case scenario, but the process of approving those rules will determine the actual date when they would be published in the Federal Register. This approval process seemingly entails getting the nod from other sister federal agencies.

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, states were empowered to pass their own hemp laws and submit them to the USDA for approval before they start being implemented. So far, the Department of Agriculture has revealed the basics of what they expect to see in the state regulations submitted for approval.

Those requirements include product testing standards, annual inspection and certification requirements, disposal procedures as well as law enforcement compliance measures.

These updates come approximately half a year from the time hemp was descheduled by the federal government with the enactment of the Farm Bill of 2018. There has been sustained pressure on the Department of Agriculture to release its rules but the department had remained evasive on when that would happen.

The notice in the Federal Register therefore comes as good news to all interested parties since it shows that the department has been busy ever since it revealed in March that it had started a process through which information would be gathered to shape the rulemaking exercise.

Until the rules are published, it will be hard for large-scale cultivation of hemp to begin across the country. This is because any company or individual wishing to grow or process the crop must adhere to the rather restrictive hemp rules in the 2014 Farm Act which only catered for research-focused hemp activities.

As the USDA works on the draft rules, they have provided clarification that it is now legal to import hemp seeds, transport hemp products across state lines and also submit intellectual property applications to the department even before the rules are released.

Marijuana industry analysts believe that the entire industry, including companies like Sproutly Canada Inc. (CSE: SPR) (OTCQB: SRUTF) (FRA: 38G) and SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING), should be relieved now that the veil of uncertainty has been removed regarding when hemp industry rules would be released by the USDA.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Medical Marijuana Dispensary Introduces its Own Credit Cards to Reduce Cash Transactions

Columbia Care, a medical marijuana company, has rolled out its own credit card as the cannabis industry struggles to find alternatives to having to deal in cash only.

Just like banks, credit card providers have been reluctant to embrace the marijuana industry because of fears that they would be sanctioned by the federal government since marijuana remains an illegal substance federally.

This has compelled most dispensaries to accept only cash, with ATMs being a frequent sight on the premises of dispensaries. Some dispensaries have designed systems which accept ATM or debit cards for making payments for purchases made.

Columbia Care has been running trials of its credit card in New York and it now plans to roll out this system in Chicago where it has a dispensary within the Jefferson Park neighborhood. Nicolas Vita, the company’s CEO says that patients spend approximately $144 each time they visit the dispensary in Chicago.

He added that the introduction of the credit cards will make it easier for patients to access the medical marijuana products that they need. He singled out patients who have mobility challenges and those who travel long distances to find a dispensary as some of the patients who may buy more products once they have the credit card. Buying more during a single visit reduces the frequency of making trips to purchase replenishments.

To get the credit card, patrons will be asked to use the tablet in the dispensary to fill a form. The credit card will then be processed quickly and the dispensary client will be in position to use that card during that same visit.

Columbia Care revealed that it is working hard to secure intermediaries and financial institutions in all the 12 states where the company has operations. Those partnerships will make it possible for dispensary clients to use the credit card in those other states.

Unlike other credit cards, the one issued by Columbia Care will not attract any fees. Its annual interest rate (15.99 percent) is also lower than the industry average (17.73 percent).

When the credit card was tested in New York, customers bought approximately 18 percent more products when using the credit card when compared to the purchases made when paying cash or using an ATM or debit card.

Other attempts have been made to find alternative ways to receive payments, but some of those methods border on illegality. For example, some companies accept credit cards but the purchases are reflected on credit card statements as spending at a florist’s while other companies ask clients to buy a gift card and then use that gift card to buy marijuana products.

Meanwhile, there has been a recent push by different groups, such as Attorneys General and banking associations, urging Congress to enact legislation bringing marijuana industry money into the banking system.

It would be interesting to know what industry players like Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) and Sproutly Canada Inc. (CSE: SPR) (OTCQB: SRUTF) (FRA: 38G) think about some of the unorthodox payment methods that some marijuana companies have resorted to.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – 4 Roadblocks in the Way of Marijuana Franchises

Franchising is one of the giant economic forces in the U.S. given the fact that this business model generated approximately $451 billion in 2018. Are we about to see cannabis enterprises built upon this model? Anyone intending to enter cannabis franchising needs to think about and find remedies to the following major bottlenecks.

Conflicts Between State and Federal Laws

Despite the legalization of marijuana for recreational or medical use in various states across the U.S., cannabis remains a Schedule 1 substance at the federal level. This creates major legal issues for businesses which wish to operate franchises in the cannabis industry. For example, a franchise owner cannot ship products across state lines in order to sell the excess products from one state in another state where supply is limited. This makes the possibility of prices nose-diving a real concern since gluts inevitably result in plummeting prices.

Tax Issues

According to the federal tax code, marijuana businesses aren’t eligible for any deductibles on the costs that they incur during the execution of their business activities. For example, marijuana businesses cannot deduct the cost of buying business premises and yet other enterprises which don’t transact in Schedule 1 substances can claim tax deductions on this business expense. These tax disadvantages mean that cannabis businesses will struggle to be profitable unless they can find ways to be super-efficient regarding non-deductible expenses.

Limited Consumer Awareness

Marijuana has been prohibited for long and certain stereotypes about the substance still exist even where prohibition has ended. Cannabis franchisees would therefore have to do a lot to educate their prospective customers in order to make sales on a consistent basis. This added challenge of performing customer education on an ongoing basis isn’t faced by franchises in other industries, such as the fast foods industry.

Limited Investor Interest

Currently, investors aren’t too eager to put their money in an industry which still faces legal uncertainties. This explains why US-based marijuana companies are generally undervalued when compared to their Canadian-based counterparts, for example. While this limited investor appeal exists, any cannabis franchisers that set up shop may struggle to attract investors unless the legal space changes for the better.

In the true entrepreneurial spirit, every challenge presents a business opportunity. The cannabis franchise space is therefore open for the taking for those individuals who devise ways to bring a franchise concept into the cannabis space in a way that ensures that investors will earn a return despite the challenges above. Sproutly Canada Inc. (CSE: SPR) (OTCQB: SRUTF) (FRA: 38G) and SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) hope that enterprising individuals will take up this challenge and devise franchises which will spur the growth of the cannabis industry even more.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Physician Shortage May Cause Australian Medical Cannabis Program to Fail

While medical marijuana is legal in Australia, many patients are finding it difficult to find physicians who are willing to prescribe the substance. This has forced those patients to resort to illicit sources of medical marijuana in order to alleviate their symptoms.

Qualifying patients, such as Trembath Forster who lives in Canberra, say that they have to travel hundreds of miles to access a doctor who is licensed and willing to prescribe medical marijuana. Such trips are not only financially strenuous but also nearly impossible for patients with mobility challenges.

Trembath Forster reveals that she and other patients have encountered ignorance and outright arrogance when they approached many local doctors about a prescription for medical marijuana. Such doctors have no qualms about putting the patients on any strong opioids or prescription medications available, but they become hostile or evasive when the subject of medical cannabis is raised.

Australian law imposes stringent conditions which must be met before a patient can use medical marijuana. First, the patient must find a doctor who has been licensed to prescribe “unapproved therapeutic goods.”

For a physician to get such a license, he or she must have undergone extensive training and acquired expertise in the condition/disease from which the patient is suffering. The physician should also have undergone training on how to use the “unapproved therapeutic goods” to treat the specific condition for which the patient is seeking medical marijuana as a remedy.

The licensed physician is also expected to monitor the condition of the patient while that patient is using medical marijuana. In other words, the physician is responsible for what happens to the patient as a result of that patient’s consumption of medical marijuana.

Benjamin Graham, the Executive Director of a non-profit called Chronic Pain Australia, explains that those stringent conditions could be to blame for the brick wall patients run into when they talk to their GP about medical marijuana. In Trembath Forster’s case, her GP was sympathetic but lacked the license to prescribe medical marijuana.

Graham added that most patients his organization interacts with say that their GPs are either ignorant about medical marijuana or they are biased against the treatment option. He has hope that as more patients request for medical marijuana, more doctors will undergo the needed training in order to get the license from the Therapeutic Goods Administration of the Australian government’s Department of Health.

Sproutly Canada Inc. (CSE: SPR) (OTCQB: SRUTF) (FRA: 38G) and SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) hope that the authorities in Australia come to the aid of the patients and conduct campaigns to register more physicians on the medical marijuana program. This will make it easier for the patients who desperately need medical marijuana to get a prescription for it.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Patients Still Face Challenges Accessing Medical Marijuana, Toronto Conference Attendees Reveal

One would imagine that once a country or jurisdiction legalizes medical cannabis, then the patients there will find it easy to access prescription medical cannabis products. Sadly, this isn’t the case as panelists and attendees of the Medical Cannabis Conference in Toronto last week revealed.

The first major challenge that medical cannabis patients face is the high prices of products. A clear example of this is in Canada which has had medical marijuana since 2001.

Gerald Major, who is the president of a medical cannabis advocacy group in Canada called Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Cannabis, revealed during the conference that the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada has made matters worse for patients taking medical cannabis.

For example, the high taxes imposed on recreational marijuana have increased the cost of medical marijuana as well. Additionally, the supply shortages in the recreational segment have also reduced inventory for the medical cannabis retailers, and this has forced patients to underdose or go without medical cannabis for a while.

Furthermore, restrictions that didn’t exist earlier have now been imposed on medical marijuana users as well. For example, no exceptions for medical cannabis patients have been made in the rules governing driving while impaired. Gerald Major says such traffic stops are likely to victimize patients using medical cannabis and yet the patients face a bigger impairment threat from the conditions which they are treating rather than the cannabis medication that they consume.

Patients using medical cannabis in Europe also don’t seem to be faring any better. A panelist from Germany and another from the UK revealed that the red tape one must bear in order to get a medical cannabis prescription is extraordinary.

For example, in the UK, specialist doctors must complete a lot of paperwork to the effect that conventional treatment options have been exhausted and the last resort is to try medical marijuana. The requirements make doctors responsible for treating patients with medical marijuana, but doctors are reluctant to prescribe medical marijuana because they don’t have sufficient literature to enable them feel comfortable about prescribing medical cannabis.

In addition to that, the cost of medical marijuana is very high in European where it is legal, and more than a third of all reimbursement claims to insurance companies are rejected for no clear reason. The lack of insurance cover for medical cannabis has put medical marijuana products out of reach for most patients because the cost is prohibitive.

Sproutly Canada Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G) and SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) agree with the panelists that urgent steps need to be taken to remove all the barriers to access to medical marijuana in all jurisdictions where it is legal.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Las Vegas City Council Votes to Allow Marijuana Lounges

On Wednesday (May 1), the Las Vegas City Council voted 4-1 in favor of a proposed ordinance that would see cannabis consumption lounges licensed to operate within the city. This means that the first consumption lounges could open by the end of this year.

Las Vegas becomes the first city in Nevada to pass regulations allowing cannabis consumption venues to open.

Carolyn Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas, abstained from voting due to a possible conflict of interest. She had earlier revealed that one of her family members works in the cannabis industry.

According to the ordinance passed, cannabis retailers and dispensaries will be free to apply for a special use license which will allow them to open a cannabis lounge. Once the permit is granted, the licensed business can sell cannabis and allow the buyers to consume marijuana on the premises.

The consumption lounge permit will come with a number of conditions. First, such a lounge should not be located within 1,000 feet from a school or a casino. Additionally, each cannabis lounge must have a system to control smoke so that marijuana smoke doesn’t escape to the exterior of the consumption facility.

Another condition in the ordinance states that no one will be allowed to smoke cannabis outside the consumption lounge. Cannabis lounge operators are also barred from allowing alcohol within the consumption lounge.

The ordinance didn’t pass without some opposition. Casino operators were particularly concerned that licensing cannabis consumption lounges would increase the intoxication issues that casinos have to deal with since someone may use cannabis in a lounge and head to a casino where he or she can consume alcohol.

The restriction of the proximity of cannabis lounges to casinos may have been aimed at addressing the concerns raised by the casino owners, but only time will tell how effective that measure will be.

For now, only businesses with a license to dispense cannabis will be eligible to apply for a marijuana lounge permit. Other interested businesses will have to wait for at least 12 months before they can qualify for the permit.

Sproutly Canada Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G) and SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) applaud Las Vegas for taking the lead in allowing marijuana lounges in the state of Nevada. This step will solve a longstanding dilemma people have had because they could buy marijuana but didn’t have anywhere they could consume it outside their homes. The economy is therefore likely to benefit now that Las Vegas has decided to allow lounges to open.

About CNW420

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CNW420.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW420? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire420
Denver, Colorado
http://www.CNW420.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

Next Stage Cannabis Stocks in the Spotlight

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: Projections for the cannabis markets are staggering, yet there’s evidence that the lofty estimates may be understated.

Cannabis projections often fall far short of actual sales growth.
Cannabis-infused beverages looks to be next area of explosive upside.
Beverage and cannabis companies striking deals to gain market access.
New technologies could snag significant market share.

Once viewed as wild conjecture for the future of cannabis markets, forecasts in 2015 fell severely short of actuality. At that time, consensus was that Canada could reach CA$2.8 billion in legal sales by 2020. Sage prognosticators now say that the market may exceed CA$7 billion in 2019. Catering to the tastes of market demographics, intense interest is now focused on the cannabis-infused beverages market. Not even legal in Canada until this fall, the infused beverage market is already pegged to reach a mind-boggling CA$4.4 billion within five years.

Joining the ranks of the majors to meet this titanic demand, Sproutly Canada Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (SRUTF Profile) announced a joint venture with Moosehead Breweries, the largest and oldest independent beer company in Canada. Cannabis colossus Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) announced a research partnership into infused beverages and is bringing in executives with backgrounds in the beverage industry. The maker of Corona and Modelo beer increased its stake in Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) to 38%, spurring speculation of cannabis-infused beverages to come. HEXO Corp. (NYSE American: HEXO) (TSX: HEXO) entered a joint venture with Molson Coors Canada to produce CBD-infused beverages. And New Age Beverages Corp. (NASDAQ: NBEV) is anticipated to begin roll out of Marley+CBD-infused drinks in four targeted U.S. states.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

Untapped Market

Soothsayers seem to consistently underestimate the warp-speed of public acceptance and the velocity of uptake of cannabis products. As marijuana muscles into the mainstream, usage among all age groups is on the upswing. However, among the most coveted 18-34 demographic, there’s an explosion of acceptance as these users mature in a world where cannabis is common. Millennials are about three times and Gen Z about four times more likely to use cannabis than aging Boomers. Forward-leaning cannabis companies are full throttle in product and brand development to corral this coveted demographic and capture market share, now and for decades to come.

According to a United Nations report, cannabis is the most widely consumed drug on the planet. Even so, only about 4% of the world’s adult population has used it. North America, the leader in cannabis growth, is only the fourth largest cannabis consumer market on the globe, ranking behind Asia, Africa and Europe in sheer size of its cannabis consumer market. As public perceptions change and legalization expands, the number of users is certain to skyrocket in a nearly untapped market. A global transition is underway and presenting a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

The Deal

Of particular interest is the cannabis-infused beverages market. Poised to capture an outsized share of the infused beverage boom, Sproutly Canada Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) and Moosehead announced a joint venture that marries Moosehead’s vast adult-beverage experience with Sproutly’s innovative cannabis technology. The result? A fast-onset, fast-offset option that some have called the industry’s holy grail of beverages.

Leveraging Sproutly’s transformational technology to create the world’s first and only truly natural water-soluble cannabinoids, the partners will develop, produce and market beverages that will solve the major issues that limit the consumer appeal of cannabis-infused beverages in the market today: 1) a beverage that actually tastes good and 2) that can provide the cannabis experience with an immediate onset and controllable experience of up to 90 minutes. Sproutly and Moosehead intend to be ready to put recreational infused beverages on the shelves by the time of legalization.

Utilizing Sproutly’s acquired patent-pending process, validated by 13 years of scientific R&D, the partners will form a new company to launch a full line of infused products. Moosehead is an iconic Canadian brand, selling more than 140 million bottles of beer annually across Canada, the U.S. and 15 countries around the world. The company’s 152 years of beverage experience and formulation prowess has led to over a dozen popular brands, including licensed and supporting partner brands such as Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea and Samuel Adams beer, proving the ability to manufacture and market leading adult beverages. In addition, the Oland family who owns 100% of Moosehead also owned the beer brand Alexander Keith’s prior to its sale to Labatt Brewery Company which is currently owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Unlike other lopsided joint venture forays into cannabis beverages, the Sproutly-Moosehead agreement is a 50-50 equity partnership structured to maximize the alignment of interests. Even the board of directors will have an equal number of board members from each company, with Sproutly appointing the chairman. The joint venture includes a five-year exclusive agreement for Sproutly to deliver its breakthrough water-soluble cannabis solution, and Moosehead will license all its brands and related intellectual property to the new company formed by the agreement. Moosehead will provide marketing, distribution, logistics, admin and other resources while Sproutly will deliver formulation, R&D, marketing and other resources.

Underscoring the significance of the agreement, Matthew Oland, a Moosehead executive and scion of the founders, will leave Moosehead to become CEO of the newly formed company. Moosehead and Sproutly combined appear to be going all in on this enterprise.

Paradigm Shift

Perplexing problems plague the creation of ingestible cannabinoids. Cannabinoids and terpenes are completely insoluble in water resulting in serious difficulties with absorption, dosing, efficacy and onset/offset times. For years laboratory-formulated cannabinoids have been engineered to become water compatible and sort of mimic water solubility. These techniques have been in use by pharmaceutical and beverage companies for decades, but production challenges and insolubility issues remain for cannabinoids. Relying on the same outdated, costly and ineffective techniques, these encapsulation and emulsion technologies are what’s currently being employed by the suitors to the cannabis-infused beverage bonanza.

Establishing a paradigm shift in how cannabis is effectively and efficiently processed, delivered and consumed, Sproutly is transcending the industry’s current antiquated regimens. Already a licensed premium cannabis producer with 1,400 kg annual production capacity, Sproutly also owns the rights to the world’s first and only naturally water-soluble cannabis technology for Canada, Australia, Jamaica, Israel and the entire European Union.

Sproutly’s partner who licensed the technology, Infusion Biosciences, discovered that the cannabis plant naturally produces water-soluble forms of phytochemicals. Infusion Biosciences then created a patent-pending Aqueous Phytorecovery Process (APP) for the recovery of naturally water-soluble phytochemicals (Infuz₂O). Unlike encapsulation or emulsion, Infuz₂O is a truly water-soluble cannabis solution that fully dissolves in water and can be easily and economically added directly into beverage formulations.

Infuz₂O has the unique ability to deliver precise doses and measurable amounts of cannabis and is predictable, with less than five minutes onset and less than ninety minutes offset times, the same as smoking or vaping cannabis. Sproutly’s APP Technology also recovers valuable natural oil-based cannabinoids in addition to the water-soluble phytochemicals destined for beverages. Sproutly’s transformational technology produces the world’s only naturally water-soluble bioactive molecules that deliver the full experience of cannabis that is strain specific. Product and production advantages such as these could lead to a lion’s share of a market set to quickly balloon to billions of dollars.

Creating Value

Highly scalable, Sproutly’s pioneering technology is also an extremely cost-effective process to extract both water-soluble and naturally derived oil-based cannabinoids. Using its APP technology, Sproutly should be able to produce better quality products faster and cheaper than the competition. Little wonder Moosehead is so committed. Current methods require at least four complex processes to extract cannabis oil from biomass and three more to obtain water-compatible products.

In just two steps, using APP technology, Sproutly produces both water-soluble and oil-based cannabinoids without using any alcohol or solvents. And that’s not all. Using current CO₂ extraction methods, THC recovery rate is about 60%. Sproutly’s APP Technology delivers a total of 90% THC recovery rate. The economic ramifications seem obvious. This isn’t an idea or concept; the technology is in place. In fact, the APP Technology is already proven in real-world applications and is ready for full operational deployment.

Shortly after acquiring Infusion Biosciences Canada and the rights to use the APP technology, Sproutly entered an exclusive technology license agreement with Micronutrient Technologies to produce nutritional minerals in water solutions in a low-cost, scalable process. The agreement provides Sproutly the unique ability to add healthy, water-soluble minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, and in different combinations, directly into various cannabis beverages without artificial chemical additives. Sproutly now has the unequaled ability to create beverages that not only cater to cannabis consumers but also cross over to the large, functional beverage market. Sproutly’s seemingly unparalleled versatility in beverage formulation crosses multiple sectors with limitless end-user applications.

The joint venture with Moosehead not only validates Sproutly’s technology but also positions the venture to reap enormous rewards in the nascent cannabis-infused market. And this may only be the beginning for Sproutly.

In the Hunt

Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) is one of the established cannabis companies in the hunt for the infused-beverage market. In December, the company announced a research partnership with Anheuser-Busch. Tilray also recently announced that it was bringing executives into its leadership team who have strong backgrounds working for big beverage companies.

Focused on healthy beverages, New Age Beverages Corp. (NASDAQ: NBEV) is banking on the popularity of Bob Marley to help grow its products. The company’s Marley+CBD products will first begin roll out in four U.S. states, although a date hasn’t been established for when that will happen.

Last August, Constellation Brands, the maker of Corona and Modelo beer, increased its stake in Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) to 38%, spurring speculation of cannabis-infused beverages to come. Canopy’s forays into the U.S. hemp markets suggest CBD beverages may be on the horizon.

HEXO Corp. (NYSE American: HEXO) (TSX: HEXO) entered a joint venture with Molson Coors Canada (MCC) last summer to produce CBD-infused beverages in which the brewing giant took 57.5% ownership. The new company will be led by a former Molson Coors executive. As part of the deal, HEXO issued 11,500,000 warrants to MCC.

There’s little argument where the cannabis markets are headed, and all indications point to infused beverages becoming the next big surge. Perhaps the lofty forecasts for the cannabis-infused beverages market in Canada will imitate past cannabis projections and vastly exceed expectations again.

For more information on Sproutly Canada, visit Sproutly Canada Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G)

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)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
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.