Consumers Turn to CBD as a Myriad of Cannabis Products Hit the Shelves

FinancialBuzz.com News Commentary

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier last year, Canada legalized cannabis for recreational use. Now, combined with the continued efforts in the U.S., a plethora of recreational cannabis dispensaries have begun to emerge. Recreational dispensaries sell a variety of cannabis-based products including flowers, oils, tinctures, topicals and many more. And along with the dispensaries, came the widespread understanding that tolerance plays a big role in cannabis use. For example, a 1:1 CBD to THC ratio is a balanced potency and recommended for users who can handle the psychoactive properties of THC. On the other hand, less enthusiastic users could be more inclined to purchase an 18:1 CBD to THC ratio product. An 18:1 ratio is high in CBD and is geared towards more casual users who don't intend to get 'high', according to Care By Design. CBD is the non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, while THC is known as its psychoactive derivative. Generally, recreational dispensaries sell more highly concentrated THC products, while medical facilities are more likely to offer more powerful CBD products. Notably, CBD and THC levels can be altered with the use of special farming techniques, altering how many trichomes are on the plant. Trichomes can be found on various plants, however, on the cannabis plant, trichomes can determine the strain's potency and effectiveness. And according to data compiled by Verified Market Research, the global marijuana market was valued at USD 42.20 Billion in 2016. By 2025, the market is expected to reach USD 466.81 Billion while registering a CAGR of 35.3% from 2018 to 2025. Smart Decision, Inc. (OTC: SDEC), OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: OGI) (TSX: OGI), HEXO Corp. (NYSE: HEXO) (TSX: HEXO), Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPT) (TSX: NEPT), KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTC: KSHB)

A large portion of the countries that have adopted medicinal cannabis are using it to treat chronic pain issues. Traditionally, patients who suffered from chronic pain were prescribed opioids in order to suppress the pain for a temporary period. However, continuous use of opioids typically leads to serious life-threatening side effects such as brain and liver damage, in addition to dependency. Now, the growing concern over the opioid epidemic which has gripped the U.S. has also caused other countries to reevaluate cannabis and seek to explore its true nature. Nevertheless, there still is a lack of large-scale studies to further add credibility to cannabis as a medical tool, holding back many regions from going forward with legalization efforts. Even still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already legalized Epidiolex, which is a CBD-based drug used to treat Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome; the former being a genetic dysfunction in the brain while the latter syndrome is a form of epilepsy that results in multiple types of seizures, both of which occur during early childhood. The FDA's decision to approve Epidiolex marks a major milestone in the medical cannabis industry as it shows proponents that a major regulatory body has seen the plant's benefits. "As legislation expands rapidly worldwide, the volume of efficacy data is growing, as are legitimate clinical trial studies," says Liam McGreevy, Chief Executive Officer of Ethnopharm, a European cannabis company specializing in genetics and distribution, "This data will enable us to better understand the effects of the various cannabinoids and terpenes, their synergistic effect and how their impact links to the individual's genetics or biomarkers. This data is key to understanding the most effective combinations and strengths for various conditions, moving towards targeted personalized medicines."

Smart Decision, Inc. (OTC: SDEC) announced today that, "it has begun to engage with several of the top CBD brands in the industry, with partnerships to be disclosed. 

'We are pleased to start working with several of the top CBD brands in the US.  With the exponential growth of the CBD market that is expected to grow at a 40x multiple in the next 5 years, Smart Decision Inc. plans on becoming the go-to CBD platform that will help make consumer's CBD buying decisions very simple' said Adam Green, CEO of Smart Decision, Inc.

Eric Gutmann, Treasurer & Secretary of Smart Decision, Inc. further states that, 'until now, there has been quite a bit of confusion for consumers in selecting the right CBD for their needs. By partnering up with some of the largest CBD brands, we plan on making it extremely simple for consumers to buy the specific CBD that suits their needs best.'

Smart Decision, Inc. will provide further details on brand partnerships in the coming months.

About Smart Decision Inc: Smart Decision Inc. has researched and is developing algorithms for the consumer and business LED Lighting and CBD markets.  With their patent-pending "Smart Decision" algorithms, the confusion of selecting the right product(s), whether for LED or CBD, will be significantly reduced. Ultimately, Smart Decision Inc. believes that selecting the right product the first time, dramatically cuts down on product returns and creates of positive purchasing experience for the consumer." 

For our latest "Buzz on the Street" Show featuring Smart Decision, Inc. recent corporate news, please head over to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgTMIHvBTu8

OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: OGI) (TSX: OGI) is a NASDAQ Global Select and TSX Venture Exchange listed company whose wholly owned subsidiary, Organigram Inc., is a licensed producer of cannabis and cannabis-derived products in Canada. Organigram Holdings Inc. recently announced that it has entered into an advance payment and purchase agreement with 703454 N.B. Inc. (carrying on business as 1812 Hemp) under which the Company will pre-fund hemp purchases to receive access to as much as 60,000 kilograms of dried hemp flower to be harvested in calendar 2019 for extraction into cannabidiol isolate. Under the terms of the January Purchase Agreement, Organigram obtained access to a supply of hemp flower which contains significant and exceptional levels of CBD, as compared to other Health Canada-approved cultivars currently in commercial production in Canada. CBD is a naturally occurring active ingredient in hemp and cannabis that is currently being studied for various therapeutic uses. "Access to a large, consistent volume of CBD-producing hemp has become increasingly important as Canadians express their demand for CBD-rich products for use in both recreational and medical capacities," said Greg Engel, Chief Executive Officer, Organigram. "We've heard the call for CBD in the market and this agreement positions Organigram to meet that demand."

HEXO Corp. (NYSE: HEXO) (TSX: HEXO) is an award-winning consumer packaged goods cannabis company that creates and distributes innovative products to serve the global cannabis market. HEXO Corp. recently announced that its dried flower cannabis products are now available to Ontario consumers, after finalizing terms with the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS). HEXO now adds nine of its dried flower offerings in both 3.5g and 15g SKUs to the OCS, including the Company's award-winning Helios dried flower, which was named Best Sativa at the O'Cannabiz 2019 Industry Awards. The new dried flower offerings at the OCS join HEXO's award-winning Elixir cannabis oil oral spray, which has been available in Ontario since legalization. Elixir CBD was named Cannabis Product of the Year and Innovation of the Year at the 2018 Canadian Cannabis Awards. The OCS also carries product from Up Cannabis, which is part of the HEXO family of brands. "We are thrilled to increase our offering at the OCS," said HEXO Corp. Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Sebastien St-Louis. "Apart from being our nation's most populous province with the highest demand for cannabis products, the Ontario marketplace is among the most competitive—and we are rolling out high quality products to which we believe Ontario consumers will strongly gravitate."

Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPT) (TSX: NEPT) specializes in the extraction, purification and formulation of health and wellness products. Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, 9354-7537 Québec Inc., has received a notification letter from Health Canada indicating that all requested license amendments have been approved. The scope of the amendment received from Health Canada permits expansion of cannabis operation areas to include an additional extraction room where Neptune will perform cold ethanol extraction. Ethanol extraction is faster and more cost effective than the CO2 extraction currently used and will increase Neptune's input capacity from 30,000 kg to 200,000 kg. This seven-fold increase in the Company's capacity will accelerate production and enable fulfilment of commercial commitments. Start-up activities will begin immediately, including the final stages of commissioning the equipment, and Neptune will ramp up commercial operations on a progressive basis during the second fiscal quarter. "Congratulations are in order as this announcement marks another milestone achieved by our team by successfully meeting the stringent Health Canada requirements," said Jim Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer of Neptune. "The new regulations regarding cannabis edibles, extracts and topicals recently published by Health Canada are expected to result in significant additional demand for cannabis extraction and purification services. With our increased extraction capacity, Neptune is now well positioned to benefit from this rapidly growing market. In addition, our cannabis oil capsule technology provides the company a differentiated offering for which there is strong demand."

KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: KSHB) is producer of ancillary products and services to the cannabis and hemp industries. KushCo Holdings, Inc. recently announced that it has partnered with C.A. Fortune, a leading full-service national consumer products sales and marketing agency focused on lifestyle brand partnerships, to provide viable CBD companies access to large scale, conventional retail channels. The groundbreaking partnership will be the first large scale go-to-market operation focused on helping compliant CBD brands achieve mass distribution across legal markets in the U.S. The combination of KushCo's extensive network of brands and specific hemp industry knowledge paired together with C.A. Fortune's industry-leading reach into all retail channels, will offer KushCo clients an additional avenue to activate their CBD products. "One of the challenges of building a national CBD brand is obtaining mass distribution into mainstream retailers across the U.S. and this partnership immediately upgrades the go-to-market plans for CBD brands," said Jason Vegotsky, Chief Revenue Officer and President of KushCo Holdings. "There is no better time to be a part of the KushCo ecosystem. In addition to our unrivaled ancillary product offerings, we are now expanding into value added services, none greater than this partnership, which puts our client's brands in position to dominate mainstream retail."

Subscribe Now! Watch us report LIVE https://www.youtube.com/FinancialBuzzMedia

Follow us on Twitter for real time Financial News Updates: https://twitter.com/financialbuzz

Follow and talk to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/financialbuzz

Facebook Like Us to receive live feeds: https://www.facebook.com/Financialbuzz/

About FinancialBuzz.com  

FinancialBuzz.com, a leading financial news informational web portal designed to provide the latest trends in Market News, Investing News, Personal Finance, Politics, Entertainment, in-depth broadcasts on Stock News, Market Analysis and Company Interviews. A pioneer in the financially driven digital space, video production and integration of social media, FinancialBuzz.com creates 100% unique original content. FinancialBuzz.com also provides financial news PR dissemination, branding, marketing and advertising for third parties for corporate news and original content through our unique media platform that includes Newswire Delivery, Digital Advertising, Social Media Relations, Video Production, Broadcasting, and Financial Publications.

Please Note: FinancialBuzz.com is not a financial advisory or advisor, investment advisor or broker-dealer and do not undertake any activities that would require such registration. The information provided on http://www.FinancialBuzz.com (the 'Site') is either original financial news or paid advertisements provided [exclusively] by our affiliates (sponsored content), FinancialBuzz.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies which are the subject to the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider and therefore do not represent or warrant that the information posted on the Site is accurate, unbiased or complete. FinancialBuzz.com receives fees for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on FinancialBuzz.com along with other financial news PR media services. FinancialBuzz.com does not offer any personal opinions, recommendations or bias commentary as we purely incorporate public market information along with financial and corporate news. FinancialBuzz.com only aggregates or regurgitates financial or corporate news through our unique financial newswire and media platform. For Smart Decision, Inc, financial and corporate news dissemination, FinancialBuzz.com has been compensated five thousand dollars by the company. Our fees may be either a flat cash sum or negotiated number of securities of the companies featured on this editorial or site, or a combination thereof. The securities are commonly paid in segments, of which a portion is received upon engagement and the balance is paid on or near the conclusion of the engagement. FinancialBuzz.com will always disclose any compensation in securities or cash payments for financial news PR advertising. FinancialBuzz.com does not undertake to update any of the information on the editorial or Site or continue to post information about any companies the information contained herein is not intended to be used as the basis for investment decisions and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. The information contained herein is not an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any security. FinancialBuzz.com, members and affiliates are not responsible for any gains or losses that result from the opinions expressed on this editorial or Site, company profiles, quotations or in other materials or presentations that it publishes electronically or in print. Investors accept full responsibility for any and all of their investment decisions based on their own independent research and evaluation of their own investment goals, risk tolerance, and financial condition. FinancialBuzz.com. By accessing this editorial and website and any pages thereof, you agree to be bound by the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, as may be amended from time to time. None of the content issued by FinancialBuzz.com constitutes a recommendation for any investor to purchase, hold or sell any particular security, pursue a particular investment strategy or that any security is suitable for any investor. This publication is provided by FinancialBuzz.com. Each investor is solely responsible for determining whether a particular security or investment strategy is suitable based on their objectives, other securities holdings, financial situation needs, and tax status. You agree to consult with your investment advisor, tax and legal consultant before making any investment decisions. We make no representations as to the completeness, accuracy or timeless of the material provided. All materials are subject to change without notice. Information is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. For our full disclaimer, disclosure and Terms of Use, please visit: http://www.financialbuzz.com.

For further information:

Media Contact:
info@financialbuzz.com 
+1-877-601-1879
Url: www.FinancialBuzz.com