Sign Up NowThis Month's Tiny Gems - November 2017

ABcann Global (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF)
Emblem Corp. (TSX.V: EMC) (OTC: EMMBF)
InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CSE: IN) (OTCQB: IMLFF)
Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQB: LXRP)
Marijuana Company of America Inc. (MCOA)
Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (FRA: S5L) (OTCQX: STLHF)
Tapinator, Inc. (TAPM)

 

 

 

ABcann Global (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF)

 

ABcann Global (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF) is a globally licensed, cost efficient producer of premium quality organic standardized medicinal cannabis. One of the earliest licensed Canadian medical marijuana producers under Canada's federally-controlled Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), ABcann has five years of operating experience in the burgeoning medical marijuana space. The company currently owns and operates a fully functioning 14,500 square foot facility in Napanee, Ontario. Additionally, ABcann owns 65 acres of real estate with proper zoning and existing infrastructure in place to support the construction of another production facility of up to one million square feet.

 

In a November 2016 report, market research firm Canaccord Genuity Group forecasted that the medical marijuana market in Canada could see sales in excess of $8 billion by 2024, creating a sizable opportunity for the country's licensed producers (LPs). The research firm also noted that the "rigorous process of becoming a licensed producer of cannabis in Canada imposes significant barriers to entry and there will be a shortfall of supply in a legalized market in the short-term." This market barrier serves as a strategic advantage for ABcann as it prepares for its highly-anticipated IPO, which is currently scheduled for April 2017.

 

Canaccord's synopsis of the Canadian cannabis industry is supported by recent market activity, as companies sporting one of the illustrious Canadian government licenses for medicinal production have recorded strong growth following IPO. Canopy Growth (OTC: TWMJ), one of the largest fully-licensed Canadian marijuana growers, saw share prices skyrocket by more than 700 percent in the months following its initial offering. Aphria Inc. (OTC: APHQF), another licensed grower, climbed by more than 900 percent following its IPO. Other companies that have recorded huge growth since going public include Aurora Cannabis (OTC: ACBFF), climbing nearly 900 percent, and SupremePharma (OTC: SPRWF), which soared more than 1,300 percent.

 

With these market trends in mind, ABcann's impending IPO is one that prospective investors in the marijuana sector will want to explore. Recalls from some of the biggest players in the Canadian cannabis industry have highlighted the considerable learning curve that LPs face in today's market, which makes ABcann's proven track record in the market all the more noteworthy. The company has built a reputation over the years for its best-in-class standardized approach to growing cannabis, including the thoughtful omission of pesticides and a computer monitored growing technique that allows ABcann to minimize the risks of variance in its yields and ensure the creation of consistently high-quality products.

 

This technique, which the company calls the ABcann Advantage, has helped it record a customer retention rate of 94.7 percent alongside 30 percent month-over-month customer growth. When combined with ABcann's current yield rate, which it has measured at roughly 100 percent greater than the industry average, the company has constructed a strong foundation upon which to build a sizable presence in the global cannabis industry. This global growth potential is illustrated by ABcann's partnership with Israel's Syqe Medical, producer of the world's first selective-dose pharmaceutical grade medicinal plant inhaler. After visiting the company's production facility, Perry Davidson, founder of Syqe Medical, noted that ABcann's production technologies put it "in a class with the best in the world" in its ability to produce standardized pharmaceutical grade cannabis.

 

ABcann's entry into the public sector is being guided by a seasoned management team, board of directors and advisory board that feature well over a century of combined industry experience. Ken Clement, the company' founder and executive chairman, has been the key component and driving force behind ABcann's development since its inception. His vision of standardized production and dosage sets ABcann apart in the medical cannabis sector. Clement is joined on the company's management team by CEO Aaron Keay. Keay brings more than a decade of capital markets experience to ABcann, having played a role in raising approximately $250 million for public and private market issuers.

 

Notably, ABcann also has access to the 'Father of Cannabis Research', Raphael Mechoulam, PhD, through its board of advisors. An organic chemist and professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mechoulam was the first scientist to isolate both cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and he has received more than 25 prestigious academic awards, including the Rothschild Prize in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences in 2012.

 

With more than 65 acres of growth capacity, a healthy cash balance to fund upcoming construction efforts, steady sales growth, industry-leading yield rates and an established operations team in place, ABcann is well-positioned to compete in the rapidly-expanding Canadian medicinal cannabis industry. These factors, along with the company's ongoing global expansion into the European, Australian and Israeli markets, show why ABcann Medicinals' upcoming public offering fits the bill as "Canada's Next Medical Marijuana IPO."

 

 

 

Emblem Corp. (TSX.V: EMC) (OTC: EMMBF)

 

Emblem Corp. (TSX.V: EMC) (OTC: EMMBF) is a publicly traded, fully integrated Canadian medical and adult recreational cannabis company led by a team of proven senior executives with experience in the pharmaceutical industry, the cannabis horticulture industry and health care.

 

Emblem is an "indoor" cannabis producer, growing in six controlled environment indoor grow rooms at its facility in Paris, Ontario. A seventh grow room will be added by spring 2018, which will bring Emblem's total capacity to 2,400 kilograms per year at a cost-effective 1.5 grams per watt.

 

Emblem is licensed by Health Canada to produce cannabis oils using super critical CO2 extraction technology. The company is currently completing an expansion that will provide about 30,000 square feet to house a GMP extraction laboratory, pharmaceutical production and value-added product facility. In preparation for the Canadian adult recreational cannabis market expected to rollout by July 2018, Emblem is planning to build a 115,000 square foot facility with an indoor capacity of 15,000 kilograms at 1.5 grams per watt.

 

Emblem has adopted a three-part strategy to the Canadian cannabis industry:

 

 

The likely addition of cannabis-infused edibles and other concentrates to Canada's legalization plans for marijuana are expected to produce significant revenue streams for the company. An amendment to Bill C-45, otherwise known as the Canadian Cannabis Act, would ensure these derivatives of cannabis will be available no later than 12 months after the country officially legalizes recreational cannabis in July 2018.

 

Emblem has invested several million dollars into its Pharma division to research marijuana drug candidates and potential new drugs derived from cannabis. Over time, the company expects this division to be the largest and most profitable as it focuses initially on bringing drugs to market that will address neuropathic pain, anxiety and sleep issues. By providing standardized, consistent doses of cannabinoid-based pills and oils, Emblem intends to lead the industry. Value-added products such as sustained release and accelerated release formulations will materially increase product demand. Emblem's focus on regulating the growth environment by using a holistic, organic method means each cannabis strain is healthy and true to its mother plant, which in turn assures a naturally grown, robust medical cannabis product.

 

Emblem, which had 2,154 active patients as of August 2017, continues to enroll patients in its GrowWise Health program which is also seeing a marked expansion of its clinic network. Projected growth in this sector, along with the value-added benefits provided for patients and physicians, is expected to ensure ongoing patient registration. Emblem plans to open additional GrowWise Health clinic locations across Canada.

 

Covering the full cannabis spectrum, Emblem's business is structured to reach new heights from growing to selling recreational and medical cannabis, to educating and assisting patients, to creating new forms of cannabinoid-based medications in standardized, high quality and convenient-to-use formulations.

 

 

 

InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CSE: IN) (OTCQB: IMLFF)

 

InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CSE: IN) (OTCQB: IMLFF) is a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel therapeutics leveraging the pharmacological benefits of cannabinoids. Utilizing its proprietary bioinformatics assessment tool, InMed aims to identify bioactive compounds found within the cannabis plant that have the potential to offer optimized therapeutic benefit while demonstrating limited adverse effects. This assessment tool, in combination with the company's cannabinoid biosynthesis technology and drug development pipeline, serves as InMed's fundamental value driver.

 

Bioinformatics is a proprietary, computer-based program designed to assist in the identification of novel cannabinoids using comprehensive algorithms to integrate data from numerous bioinformatics databases, as well as a database on the structure of currently approved pharmaceutical products and an extensive database on over 90 individual cannabinoid drugs found in cannabis. This extensive collection of data is derived from both public and propriety-based sources. Leveraging this tool, the company aims to create associations between approved pharmaceuticals and cannabinoids with similar structures in order to identify active cannabinoids that have the potential to treat specific diseases. Per InMed's website, this type of bioinformatics assessment represents "significant promise for future drug discovery, as it integrates many data sets and builds holistic models to approach a specific disease."

 

After discovering these promising active cannabinoids, InMed moves to test and confirm their activity in biological systems through in vitro and in vivo experimentation. It is at this stage of development that the company's proprietary biosynthesis process of cannabinoid manufacturing will be most promising. InMed is currently developing a robust, high-yield biosynthesis process for manufacturing all 90+ naturally-occurring cannabinoids. By modifying the agriculture-based formula for harvesting cannabinoids, InMed aims to combine the inherent safety and known efficacy of the natural drug structure with the convenience, control and quality of 21st Century laboratory-based manufacturing processes.

 

The company's pipeline currently includes two drug candidates in preclinical development, including INM-750 for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and INM-085 for the treatment of glaucoma. Referred to by the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America as "The Worst Disease You've Never Heard Of," EB is a rare genetic connective tissue disorder that affects roughly one out of every 20,000 births in the United States. The condition currently has no approved treatment or cure. Through the development of INM-750, InMed is attempting to address this significant unmet medical need. The drug candidate replaces missing keratins in the skin with specially selected cannabinoids in an effort to modulate the painful manifestations of EB.

 

INM-085, InMed's second development candidate, is formulated to reduce the elevated intra-ocular pressure that is often associated with glaucoma. Additionally, the cannabinoids utilized in INM-085 are expected to provide neuroprotection for the retinal ganglion cells and other optic nerve tissues following topical administration. Although it is still in preclinical development, INM-085 targets a sizable market. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness with no approved cure. The National Institutes of Health estimates that more than 3 million Americans currently have glaucoma, and more than 120,000 have been blinded by the disease.

 

InMed is focused on progressing toward validation of its drug candidate selection, using data to secure its patents and developing key disruptive technologies. In 2016, the company was successful in completing financings of $1.9 million. In January 2017, InMed completed a non-brokered private placement of common shares generating aggregate gross proceeds of C$1.5 million, strongly positioning the company to attract the new investment required to fund its aggressive growth strategies in 2017.

 

The company's management team has well over a century of combined experience in the biopharmaceutical space. Company CEO Eric Adams has more than 25 years of experience in company and capital formation, global market development, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and corporate governance. During his time as CEO of enGene Inc., he led the gene therapy startup to a position at the head of the industry.

 

Joining Adams on the InMed management team are Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Sazzan Hossain; Senior Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Alexandra D.J. Mancini; SVP, Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations Chris Bogart; and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Charpentier, as well as Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ado Muhammed, MD, DPM, MFPM.

 

Muhammed, in particular, has an extensive history in the pharmaceutical industry, having previously served as an executive of GW Pharmaceuticals, a global leader in the development of cannabinoid-based medicines. During his time as Associate Medical Director of that company, Muhammed played an instrumental role in the development and FDA approval of one of the first cannabis drugs. This GW Pharmaceuticals development program coincided with a sharp rise in share price from less than $9 in 2013 to more than $129 today, with the company's current market value totaling more than $2.9 billion.

 

 

 

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQB: LXRP)

 

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQB: LXRP) has developed and out-licenses its proprietary technology for improved taste, rapidity, and delivery of bioactive compounds, including cannabinoids. Though boasting a wide range of health benefits, cannabinoids are traditionally poorly absorbed by the body's gastrointestinal tract. To achieve higher effectiveness, consumers usually default to smoking. Lexaria provides a superior administration method by delivering hemp oil ingredients – or through locally licensed partners, cannabis oil ingredients – through a patented process within food products.

 

The key differentiator between Lexaria's products and others on the market is the company's disruptive technology proven to enhance the absorption of orally ingested cannabinoids while improving the "unusual" taste of cannabinoids and allowing for lower overall dosing with higher efficacy. Lexaria is primarily a B2B enterprise, and is in licensing discussions or has existing agreements with companies in Canada, the largest-market states in the USA, and internationally. Lexaria has also developed its own brands partly for demonstration purposes, utilizing its patented technology to infuse hemp oil ingredients within lipids in popular foods. These brands include ViPova™, Lexaria Energy Foods, and TurboCBD™.

 

In 2015, Lexaria commissioned an independent, third-party lab to test its technology under carefully monitored in vitro conditions. Results showed that the company's technological process and lipid formulation both improve intestinal absorption as much as 500%. Additional follow-up studies in human volunteers suggested that Lexaria's processed, lipid-infused tea may be more effective in an actual gastrointestinal system than in an in vitro simulation with results indicating as much as a 1,000% increase in overall absorption.

 

Lexaria also has an R&D partnership with the Canadian government's National Research Council. That R&D is expected to characterize molecular bond formation theorized to occur with Lexaria's unique technology between the lipid delivery agents and the bioactive substances it processes and combines. Results from this R&D are expected to support accelerating B2B relationships – not just in the cannabis industry, but also to support new B2B business relationships in the fields of vitamins, NSAIDs, and nicotine delivery. All of these sectors expected to offer additional future growth potential.

 

Aside from testing, a critical component of Lexaria Bioscience's business model is a strong intellectual property portfolio that utilizes the most commonly used food processing techniques. As of 2017, the company's patent portfolio includes 19 patent applications filed and pending in more than 40 countries around the world. The most recent patent applications expand Lexaria's lipophilic food and beverage composition claims to include the processing of cannabinoids, vitamins, NSAIDs and nicotine in many of the world's most commonly used food processing ingredients. Lexaria is expecting additional new patent awards both in the USA and internationally in 2017 and 2018.

 

Royalties play a vital role in Lexaria's revenue-generating business model. The company out-licenses its technology (royalty) to third party partners, and has several deals signed and/or pending. The company's growth initiatives are guided by a management team headed by CEO Chris Bunka, a serial entrepreneur who has raised more than $50 million in working capital for the companies he has led over the course of his career. He is supported by a team of professionals with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and bioscience sectors, invention, toxicology, consumer goods, and other relevant skillsets.

 

 

 

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (MCOA)

 

The founders of Marijuana Company of America Inc. (MCOA) are pioneers in the cannabis industry going back to 2009 when Don Steinberg, MCOA's CEO, founded the first marijuana company ever to trade on a U.S. stock market, Medical Marijuana Inc. Since then, Don and his partner, Charlie Larsen, have formed Global Hemp Group and Marijuana Company of America. They have experienced the shift of legislation first hand, not only for the legalization of marijuana but also the emerging hemp-based CBD products.

 

The CBD market is growing exponentially and consequently the founders of MCOA have constructed their business model around the development of industrial hemp-based CBD products. The industrial hemp plant can be used to produce products that are carbon neutral or even carbon negative. It is one of the longest, strongest natural fibers on earth, used as a building material that is free of mold, pesticide-resistant, and fire proof. Hemp has also been described as a "super food," which provides additional business opportunities. No part of the plant is left unused and the Company's overall strategy is to take advantage of every profit center from farm to the multiple valuable finished products.

 

The cannabis and hemp industries are experiencing unprecedented growth that is expected to continue for many years as these industries are now accepted globally and continue to mature and expand. North American consumers spent $6.7 billion on legal cannabis products in 2016, up 34% from 2015's $5 billion. This trend is widely expected to explode at a 27% compounded annual growth rate to reach $22.6 billion by 2021, according to ArcView Market Research.

 

The company offers investors the opportunity to be on the forefront of cannabis and hemp innovation through cultivation, processing in the legal cannabis and industrial hemp sectors. The Company's business model includes producing a diverse portfolio of synergistic business segments that provide value to its shareholders. Its vertically integrated business model and distribution platforms are positioned to capture market share by developing recognizable and valuable brands.

 

Under the MCOA umbrella, wholly owned subsidiary hempSMART™, Inc. is committed to bringing high quality CBD-based products to the market through its affiliate marketing program. Through hempSMART, MCOA's strategic approach to the distribution of products is through a networking architecture geared to maintain customer loyalty and capture market share. The patent-pending product "hempSMART Brain," is designed to revolutionize the safe and effective support of healthy brain function. The brand new product, HempSMART DROPS, is a full-spectrum CBD tincture formulated with hemp and fractionated coconut oils. The hempSMART marketing team has decades of experience, and is well positioned to take the hempSMART brand to a global audience.

 

 

 

Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (FRA: S5L) (OTCQX: STLHF)

 

Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (FRA: S5L) (OTCQX: STLHF) is a Canadian-based energy exploration and development company that is building one of the largest portfolios of high quality, domestic U.S. lithium brine assets. Its data and technology driven project development model is grounded in knowledge, opportunity and speed. Standard Lithium is led by an innovative and results-oriented management team with a strong focus on technical skills. The company has acquired several prospective lithium brine projects with known geological values consistent with producing basins, including its primary focus, the Bristol Dry Lake, California brownfield project that is permitted for related mineral production with accompanying world class infrastructure which are expected to contribute to faster, lower cost exploration and commercial development programs.

 

Recent results from a geophysical survey of the 25,000-acre Bristol Lake site suggest a high concentration of lithium-bearing brines are present throughout the company's mineral lease agreement claims. Standard Lithium's strategic partner in the venture, National Chloride Corporation of America, is well established in the region. All necessary infrastructure is on site, which gives Standard Lithium immediate access to conduct exploration brine sampling, lithium extraction, evaporation and processing activities, all within a fast-track project development schedule.

 

World demand for lithium continues to surge. The global lithium compounds market is projected to reach U.S. $5.87 billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate of 13.22% between 2015 and 2020. Lithium-ion batteries are the fastest growing segment of the market.

 

Standard Lithium's determination to provide battery-grade lithium materials is bolstered by its recently appointed Scientific Advisory Council. These leading lithium extraction scientists and process engineers will oversee and direct the necessary lithium extraction process testing work. In addition to the Bristol Lake Brine Project, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August with an unnamed New York Stock Exchange-listed company on an option for Standard to acquire lithium exploration and productions rights on 30,000 net brine acres overlying the Smackover formation in a region with a history of commercial-scale brine processing. Management believes lithium-bearing brines are likely present in this area. Smackover brines are metal-rich brine anomalies in reservoir rocks along the Gulf Coast from east Texas to Florida known to be a prime lithium resource. This resource may be one of the most promising ones to develop, given that a large-scale brine extraction, processing and reinjection industry is already well established.

 

Recently, Standard Lithium closed a multi-million dollar private placement offering, which allows the company to advance its current projects and pursue strategic acquisitions in the lithium sector. The company is well positioned with significant exploration opportunities featuring low cost production costs, easy transport, proximity to demand, and access to innovative production methodology.

 

 

 

Tapinator, Inc. (TAPM)

 

Tapinator, Inc. (TAPM) is a developer and publisher of mobile games on the iOS, Google Play and Amazon platforms. The Company's portfolio includes over 300 mobile gaming titles generating hundreds of thousands of daily player downloads that provide predictable and attractive returns through the sale of branded advertisements and consumer app store transactions. Tapinator, based in New York and with product development teams located throughout the world, was founded in 2013 by a visionary team that has been building mobile games and applications since 2007 and has achieved multiple successful exits.

 

Tapinator's business strategy includes the creation of a select number of best-in-class Full-Featured Games, such as ROCKY™ and Solitaire Dash, which provide game players with more in-depth, unique content that supports long-term retention and generates higher investment returns. The Full-Featured Games model creates the potential for sustainable $100+ million franchise-type games that have product lifespans of at least five years. Tapinator uses a proprietary set of dynamic development and marketing processes factored upon gaming category, estimated player retention and projected player profitability.

 

Recent successful launches of two new Full-Featured titles – Big Sport Fishing 2017 and Dice Mage 2 – were recognized on the Apple iOS platform as "New Games We Love." During the game's first seven days after global release, Big Sport Fishing 2017 received well over 520,000 player downloads. Four new titles, ColorFill, Divide & Conquer, Shadowborne and Fusion Heroes, are in the pipeline for release in Q4 2017 and Q1 2018 as well. The formula for these game combines proven gameplay elements with best-in-class monetization systems, supplemented by Tapinator's strong creative team of developers, strategists and product specialists. The company's Rapid-Launch Games division also saw increasing player interest recently with the launch of Fidget Spinner Superhero and Scary Shark Evolution 3D.

 

Tapinator's diversified revenue sources includes 54 percent from advertising placed within its mobile games and 46 percent from consumer app store purchases. The Company limits advertising placements to between game levels and also runs rewarded video ad units that are tied directly into the game's currency. Tapinator's portfolio includes more than 300 active titles, with no single game accounting for more than 25 percent of total revenues during the first half of 2017.

 

As Tapinator looks toward the future, opportunities in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) show great promise. The company has released several prototype VR games to gather data before pursuing a more significant VR product. Recent market reports suggest that the VR industry will hit $30 billion by 2020 and the AR industry will surpass that with a projected $120 billion. Tapinator also plans to pursue publishing transactions that leverage its network, platform relationships and operational excellence. Significant opportunities for expanding Tapinator's gaming IP to new platforms such as Steam and leading messaging apps are also on the horizon. The company is targeting a 30+ percent annual bookings growth target for 2017-2019.