Yearly Archives: 2019

Market Open

Jamaica Stock Exchange Opens the Market at the CSE Media Centre

Video

The CSE was happy to welcome the Jamaica Stock Exchange to open the market on October 24th, 2019 at the CSE Media Centre.

Incorporated in 1968, with operation starting in 1969, the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s main objective is to contribute to the growth and development of the countries in which it operates. The Jamaica Stock Exchange does this by facilitating the mobilization, exchange, and expansion of capital.

“It is indeed a historic day to be opening the market at the CSE, and it means a lot to us. What it means is a deepening of the relationship between the Jamaica Stock Exchange and the Canadian Securities Exchange. There is a lot that we can do in terms of partnership, and it really comes through in respect to our strategic objective of having a global reach,” said Marlene Street Forrest, Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

“It deepens our relationship significantly on an economic level. It creates a new financial architecture, which I’m sure many companies will be able to take advantage of – both Canadian and Jamaican – and we’ll just flourish,” added Lloyd Wilks, Consul General of Jamaica.

Ian McNaughton, Chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, was also in attendance at the Market Open, along with other valued members of the JSE team.

View the podcast for this Market Open featuring Marlene Street Forrest and Ian McNaughton here.

For more details about the CSE Media Centre, including information on upcoming Market Opens, please visit the CSE website, or follow us on social media.

Market Open

OTC Markets Group Opens the Market at the CSE Media Centre

Video

The CSE proudly welcomed OTC Markets Group to the CSE Media Centre to open the market on October 23rd, 2019. This Market Open took place just ahead of the inaugural CSE and OTC Markets event Cannabis Investor Day, taking place on October 30th.

OTC Markets Group Inc. operates three markets for 10,000 US and global securities. To create better informed and more efficient financial markets, OTC Markets Group organizes securities into these markets based on the quality and quantity of information companies disclose. The company provides services in three core areas: trading services, market data, and corporate services.

“This is fantastic for us. I think opening the market with the CSE, given the partnership we’ve had over the last five years, is just another one of those milestones that shows how great that partnership is. We’ve done so much together, whether it’s our trips around the world, or bringing companies from around the world to the Canadian markets and the US markets. This, I wouldn’t say is a capstone of those accomplishments, but just the start of what I think is going to be another great five years of helping small, early-stage companies,” said Jason Paltrowitz, Executive Vice President – Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group.

“With our partnership, we have a great event next week, our inaugural CSE OTC Markets cannabis conference. We are oversold, which is always nice, and we really look forward to continuing that, both in New York, here in Canada, and around the world.”

View the podcast for this Market Open featuring Jason Paltrowitz here.

For more details about the CSE Media Centre, including information on upcoming Market Opens, please visit the CSE website, or follow us on social media.

#HashtagFinance, Podcasts

Stephen Ehrlich on Revolutionizing Financial Services Using Cryptocurrency

Audio

Stephen Ehrlich, CEO of Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd. (CSE:VYGR), joined James Black in the podcast studio after Voyager’s Market Open at the CSE Media Centre to discuss what sets the company apart from the competition when it comes to trading and education in the crypto space (2:07), how their execution network allows Voyager to cater to both retail and professional users (6:12), and what he’s learned about achieving success in a volatile market (10:35). Listen until the end to learn more about how Voyager safeguards the investors that use their cryptocurrency trading platform, Stephen’s history in finance, and why he believes Bitcoin will become the global currency.

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CSE Issuer Stories, Magazine

Nextleaf Solutions: Cannabis extraction technology takes the spotlight as edibles and beverages prepare to hit Canadian shelves

Nextleaf Solutions (CSE:OILS) is a BC-based cannabis extraction technology company that takes pride in doing things just a little bit differently.

When most cannabis companies were thinking of cultivation, Nextleaf had its intentions set on the future of the cannabis industry: infused products. Since 2017, the company has focused on developing and acquiring the technology, processes, and formulations around extraction and post-extraction for cannabis concentrates, the precursor to every cannabis-infused product.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Paul Pedersen remembers the day he met soon-to-be Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Ryan Ko, who at the time was working on a novel extraction process aimed at producing highly refined oils derived from cannabis.

“When I met Ryan in 2016, he was doing things with extraction and molecular distillation that I had never seen before,” says Pedersen. “He was light years ahead of where large licensed producers were at with extraction and purification. That was the genesis of how it all started.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

With six issued patents – including the first issued US patent for industrial-scale extraction and purification of cannabinoids – and 23 pending in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Jamaica, Europe, and Australia, Nextleaf’s intellectual property portfolio is growing quickly.

A glut of cannabis and hemp biomass in the market, coupled with a shortage of extraction and processing suppliers, means the company holds a notable position as one of a few extraction companies in Canada with a real solution.

“We have a head start,” says Pedersen. “Our strategy from day one was to be the absolute best at developing disruptive extraction technology, and to focus on the underlying methods that transform plant into product in a highly scalable way.”

Technology takes centre stage
Nextleaf’s patented technology covers a range of hardware and processes, and goes beyond traditional crude extraction, implementing additional processing measures aimed at higher standards of purity without sacrificing capacity.

The company produces a premium distillate and believes what differentiates its product from others is the additional purification and refinement steps found in its unique process. In short, it can turn failed crops of biomass into standardized, high-purity oil for use in a variety of infused products.

However, not all infused products are created equally.

Major issues with taste, smell, colour and even performance can be experienced when purchasing infused products found in unregulated markets. This is due to the chlorophyll, fats, lipids and other impurities in the crude extract used. Nextleaf’s highly concentrated THC and CBD distillates are odourless, tasteless, and standardized for potency – meaning the consumer will enjoy a reliable and repeatable experience with each product.

Scalability is key
Notably, the Nextleaf process is also truly scalable on an industrial level.

“Scalability gets massively overlooked,” explains Ko. “There are a number of companies that can produce an oil that is tasteless and odourless on a benchtop scale, but being able to do that on an industrial scale is key. We look at THC and CBD as ingredients. As with any ingredient, it comes down to the quality, and the cost to produce it.”

“Before you can formulate all these value-add products,” Ko states, “you’ve got to have that standardized element.”

Going beyond crude extraction allows the company’s PhD-led team to separate and isolate molecules, with the ability to reformulate those molecules to best suit the desired end product, whether that be edibles, vapes, gels, or other topicals.

Growing intellectual property
One area Nextleaf has remained hyper-focused on since 2017 is filing patents to develop and acquire the industry’s most advanced technology, processes, and formulations as related to cannabinoid extraction and purification.

“It’s been proven that the companies who get to enjoy the competitive advantage are the ones that have been first to secure unique intellectual property in their industry,” says Pedersen.

This summer, the company bolstered its IP portfolio by acquiring a US patent-pending hydrocarbon extraction process and award-winning formulation to make shatter, a cannabis concentrate.

For Nextleaf, 2019 and 2020 will focus on monetizing the company’s IP portfolio as consumer preferences switch from flower towards THC- and CBD-infused products, with the legalization of these products in Canada slated for this fall.

Through its commercialization partner, the company will provide processing solutions to licensed cultivators, and supply cannabis oil and extracts to qualified Canadian and international B2B partners under its own brand. Revenue will come from toll processing, white-label production, and licensing IP.

“We’ll start to commercialize our technology,” says Pedersen. “However, our primary focus remains on innovating and growing our intellectual property.” The company plans to double their portfolio in the next six months.

Pedersen also gave news of some major commercialization partnerships on the horizon.

One of those partnerships involves an exclusive supply agreement with BevCanna Enterprises, whose team brings experience in creating iconic beverage brands such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Vega.

“We have the technology to make water soluble distillate, and now, under their research licence, our partner BevCanna can begin to develop formulations and SOP’s for a portfolio of infused beverages leveraged through our IP,” adds Pedersen.

Promising future
The Canadian market for edibles and extracts is expected to reach more than $2 billion in 2020, according to a report from Deloitte. The report estimates that roughly $1.6 billion will be spent on edibles, followed by cannabis-infused beverages at $529 million and topicals at $174 million. It’s expected that the global market for alternative cannabis products will nearly double in the next five years.

With ample availability of cannabis and hemp biomass in Canada, and high-end extraction and processing capacity in short supply, Nextleaf is poised to take full advantage of what the company refers to as the next oil boom.

This story was originally published at www.proactiveinvestors.com on September 11, 2019 and featured in the Public Entrepreneur magazine.

Learn more about Nextleaf Solutions at https://www.nextleafsolutions.com/.

Market Open

Voyager Digital (Canada) Opens the Market at the CSE Media Centre

Video

The CSE was happy to welcome Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd. (CSE:VYGR) to the CSE Media Centre for a Market Open on October 21st, 2019.

Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd. is a team of finance and technology industry veterans dedicated to empowering and servicing investors in the crypto space. The company’s mission is to provide every investor with a trusted and secure access point to crypto asset trading, access to the most popular assets, and best-in-class customer service.

“This is just a great honour for Voyager. We’re excited to be part of the CSE, and to be one of the growing many companies on the CSE. We’ve come a long way in the 18 months we’ve started our business, and we look forward to the future and having such a great partnership,” remarked CEO Stephen Ehrlich.

“Voyager’s really excited, and we think our investors should be excited about what we have to bring to the future of crypto. We are the financial services firm of the future, and look forward to a lot of exciting things coming out from us over the next three to four months. The team has really built a great business in our first 18 months, and the best is yet to come.”

Joining Ehrlich at the Market Open was Voyager Digital Chairman Phillip Eytan.

View the podcast for this Market Open featuring Stephen Ehrlich here.

For more details about the CSE Media Centre, including information on upcoming Market Opens, please visit the CSE website, or follow us on social media.

#HashtagFinance, Podcasts

Tom Meredith on Building New Resources with Modern Exploration Techniques

Audio

Tom Meredith, Executive Chairman of West Red Lake Gold Mines Inc. (CSE:RLG), joins Phillip Shum after the company’s Market Open at the CSE Media Centre to discuss his history and successes in the mining space (1:31), how the company is using modern exploration techniques to create valuable new resources (5:00), and his thoughts on gold as a foundational element of the global financial ecosystem (10:25). Listen until the end to learn why the Red Lake District of Northwestern Ontario is a well-known gold source, and for Tom’s thoughts on the investment cycle of mining and resource companies.

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Market Open

West Red Lake Gold Mines Opens the Market at the CSE Media Centre

Video

The CSE welcomed West Red Lake Gold Mines Inc. (CSE:RLG) to the CSE Media Centre for a Market Open on October 15th, 2019.

West Red Lake Gold Mines Inc. is a Toronto-based company focused on gold exploration and development in the prolific Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario. The Red Lake Gold District is host to some of the richest gold deposits in the world, and has produced 30 million ounces of gold from high grade zones. West Red Lake Gold Mines has assembled a 3,100 hectare property which has a 12 kilometre strike length and three former gold mines.

“To ring the bell, to open today’s trading the day after Thanksgiving is something very special for us, and we’re very happy to be here,” said President John Kontak.

“It’s been a very good 12 years for the company, and we certainly have benefited from this relationship we have with the Canadian Securities Exchange. It’s been a true partner in our endeavours to appeal to investors and capital markets, and we’ve done that for over a decade now.”

Joining Kontak from West Red Lake Gold Mines were Executive Chairman Tom Meredith, and David Black, Investor Relations. Several additional supporters and shareholders, including representatives from 6ix, were also in attendance at the Market Open.

View the podcast for this Market Open featuring Tom Meredith here.

For more details about the CSE Media Centre, including information on upcoming Market Opens, please visit the CSE website, or follow us on social media.

#HashtagFinance, Podcasts

Bob Brilon on Expansion in the US via Cannabis Company Partnerships

Audio

Bob Brilon, President and CFO of Vapen MJ Ventures (CSE:VAPN), joins Barrington Miller to discuss ringing the bell at their Market Open (0:50), the company’s recent, record-breaking month (2:44), and their plans to use a different approach for expansion outside of Arizona (6:52). Listen until the end to learn more about Vapen’s diverse product line, how Bob feels the political climate will affect US cannabis in 2020, and for his advice to entrepreneurs.

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#HashtagFinance, Podcasts

Peter Miller on how Cannabis Companies Will Continue to Evolve in 2020

Audio

Peter Miller, CEO of SLANG Worldwide Inc. (CSE:SLNG), joins Barrington Miller in the podcast studio after the company’s Market Open to discuss what differentiates SLANG as a “house of brands” in the cannabis space (3:09), the inaugural outdoor harvest of cannabis from their Canadian operation, one of the first in Canadian legal cannabis history (6:22), and his thoughts on the vaporizer ban in the US, including how regulation and legalization can help alleviate issues that have played a role in the ban (12:30). Listen until the end to learn about SLANG’s association with Bruce Linton, their program dedicated to assisting nonviolent cannabis offenders who are currently in prison, and to hear where in the world SLANG Worldwide is heading next.

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CSE Issuer Stories, Magazine

TruTrace Technologies protects intellectual property to send counterfeiters packing

Product validation is more important to the cannabis industry than you might think 

Instagram is a hotbed for selling knockoff fashion and cannabis, from fake Chanel bags to phony Gucci slides to counterfeit vapes, cannabis oils and edibles.

Loudpack Farms spent US$2.5 million on new packaging and hardware just to distinguish its award-winning Kingpen cannabis vapes from fakes. After Kingpen won 13 prizes, the company said knockoffs began proliferating at unlicensed dispensaries across California.

In a particularly brazen move, a counterfeiter went to cannabis cultivator THC Designs’ website, downloaded data that showed how its marijuana had fared on state certification tests, then stuck the lab results on the side of fake products to assert authenticity.

Fortunately for the legitimate cannabis industry, help is finally at hand. TruTrace Technologies (CSE:TTT) has developed the first blockchain-secured platform to track intellectual property for cannabis. The company provides DNA-based cannabis product validation and helps with intellectual property protection and product guarantees for patients and customers.

“It’s a combination of science, enterprise software, and blockchain technology,” says TruTrace Chief Executive Officer Robert Galarza. “By focusing on granular genetic, chemical and contaminant data, as well as motion and movement information and then merging that into a blockchain we are able to provide real-time data on each product being purchased.”

Galarza comes across as a veritable Renaissance man compared to most pinstriped CEOs. His background spans roles as a corporate attorney, movie producer, advertising executive, and entertainment lawyer. He’s even managed professional fighters and co-founded the enterprise technology company Spark Digital Technologies.

Channeling the power of blockchain
With TruTrace, Galarza now channels the power of blockchain to enhance trust and fix the grim realities of corrupted supply chains in the medical cannabis industry.

In a nutshell, TruTrace combines the power of big data with the security of blockchain to provide strain identification, registration and verification for cannabis at scale.

The firm’s immutable, cryptographically secure technology is the brainchild of Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Tommy Stephenson, who developed enterprise software platforms over two decades for companies such as Microsoft and Mercedes Benz.

Galarza says his favourite part of the job is traveling to Seattle to visit the development centre, which has “a Disney feel” to it. The engineers exude an “if we can dream it, we can build it” philosophy, he says.

The dream team in Seattle
“Tommy’s passion and genius percolates into the team. At our core, we are data nerds who love cannabis and understand the issues around moving this product around the world. When blockchain came on our radar, we knew it could be a powerful tool in data management,” says Galarza.

“Combining this with the immutable recording nature of blockchain also made it attractive as a protection method for intellectual property and creating a permanent lineage for cannabis strains.”

The Seattle team’s goal has been to build a framework to help licensed cannabis producers and micro-cultivators easily and inexpensively move their products through the mandatory testing process. TruTrace places that test data on the blockchain for its own protection and that of the company’s intellectual property.

In this way, TruTrace’s StrainSecure cannabis tracking platform establishes an accurate, single-source, validated, and permanent account for cannabis strains from seed source to market. A cannabis strain’s genetics are stored into an immutable ledger and information is added during each processing stage.

TruTrace’s seed-to-sale tracking technology
In short, TruTrace’s seed-to-sale tracking tackles two pain points in the cannabis industry: it modernizes the inventory tracking system and provides customers with details about a product’s lab test results and cultivar.

It’s been a busy year for TruTrace, which listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June. The company expects momentum to continue into the second half of 2019 driven by its medical cannabis pilot program with national Canadian pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart.

“Our biggest inflection point has been the relationship with Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws. I’m not sure everyone fully grasps how much it means to have a company of their size, history, and reputation in the medical cannabis industry,” says Galarza.

Pilot program with Shoppers Drug Market
“Working alongside Shoppers changes the conversation about what our technology could mean for the industry because we are focusing on building a bridge between medical cannabis and the traditional medical industry – that’s a bigger divide than people like to admit. If we can help make cannabis a customary part of medical treatment, it could impact the trajectory of the industry in a positive way.”

In June, TruTrace announced a milestone deal with Shoppers Drug Mart for a pilot program to use its StrainSecure technology as a central hub for identity management, asset tracking, validation, and product authentication.

Licensed producers are also using TruTrace, in part to assure stakeholders that the medical cannabis industry is serious about offering a verified, standardized cannabis treatment option.

Harvest One Cannabis joined TruTrace’s master genome strain and clone registration program in February to verify its United Greeneries cannabis strains, becoming one of StrainSecure’s early adopters. The company said it turned to the platform so patients could enjoy an increased level of confidence in the consumption of its Satipharm branded cannabis sold through Shoppers.

Similarly, well-known medical cannabis producer WeedMD is a big believer. The Ontario-based company saw 40 of its cannabis strains undergo validation as part of the first phase of its pilot program with TruTrace.

Working with about 10 major producers
“We are working with about 10 major producers, with several others getting finalized at the moment. Although our focus has been in Canada throughout year one, we’re seeing some exciting momentum in South America and the US as well,” says Galarza.

In another recent move, TruTrace applied StrainSecure technology to cannabis water company NXT Water by fixing QR codes on its just-launched AKESO hemp-derived fitness water. A customer can now scan the QR code to learn instantly about the fitness water’s test results.

“This relationship was born out of a blind test they performed on several leading CBD water products in the US market. They found most of the products fell well below the advertised amount of CBD, with some having none at all,” says Galarza.

“Alternatively, the AKESO product was consistently testing out at around 12 milligrams of broad-spectrum CBD per bottle and NXT wanted to find a way to communicate this to their customers. They turned to TruTrace and started using the StrainSecure platform.”

Strong technology adoption
TruTrace has spent a lot of time, effort, and money perfecting its software. Now that the technology comprehensively solves a very real problem, long-time supporters are experiencing the moment they knew eventually had to come.

“The hallmark for an innovative technology company is adoption at various levels of industry. A great idea without customers unfortunately will remain nothing more than an idea that never panned out,” points out Galarza.

“We believe TruTrace has achieved this in its young history. From Shoppers Drug Mart and Deloitte, to WeedMD and NXT Water, we’ve found great adoption at many levels. We believe that sets us up for long-term success.”

As adoption grows with each new user, TruTrace further stakes its claim as a technology game-changer for the cannabis industry.

This story was originally published at www.proactiveinvestors.com on September 13, 2019 and featured in the Public Entrepreneur magazine.

Learn more about TruTrace Technologies at https://trutrace.co/.