The cannabis sector has had a bit of a rough go over the last year or so, to say the least. In Canada, the worst performing stock on the TSE Composite index in 2021 was Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED | NYSE: CGC) dropping an abysmal 67% throughout the course of 2021. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a single cannabis name that showed a positive return over the year. I looked at about 20 equities and only found OrganiGram Holdings Ltd. (TSX: OGI | NASDAQ: OGI) that bucked the negative trend but that doesn’t mean there weren’t possibly a few more. Nevertheless, 2021 was not the year to be a diehard cannabis investor.

Will 2022 be the time to shine for cannabis? Perhaps, if you are in the correct segment or have the right name. I don’t think we are going to see full on legalization in the U.S. this year that could potentially be the rising tide that lifts all boats. It strikes me that there may be a few more pressing matters on the political agenda that could take precedence over this subject, but you never know. In the meantime, I believe one has to focus on the road to profitability because sooner or later if you need to raise cash to survive in a sector with performance as poor as we saw in 2021 from cannabis it could be very difficult to get your hands on the capital you require to continue as a going concern. That’s why today we are going to have a closer look at Avicanna Inc. (TSX: AVCN | OTCQX: AVCNF).

The Company has a few irons in the fire, so to speak, that are all coming along nicely on the road to positive cash flow. Avicanna is a Canadian commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company established in cannabinoid research, development, and evidence-based products. Avicanna’s scientific platform has resulted in 30+ commercial and proprietary formulations and products including cosmetics, medical cannabis, and pharmaceuticals, in addition to its raw material business unit, which reaches across international markets. The latter, marketed under the Aureus™ brand, has successfully completed sales to 11 countries.

The two business segments I’d like to focus on today are the cosmetic business and the raw materials business. When I see what Kylie Jenner’s net worth is after selling 51% of her cosmetics brand to Coty for $600 million in 2019 it made me stop and think about what kind of money there was in this line of business. Ever since the legalization of cannabis in Canada and parts of the U.S. there has been a lot of hype but not a lot of profits. Recreational cannabis has struggled to compete with the illicit market (and still turn a profit), and cannabis 2.0 also seems to be having a hard time finding traction in the marketplace. Medical cannabis appears to be doing well in certain areas but still has a lot of clinical trials and evidence-based science work ahead of it before it hits the mainstream. That’s why I’m quite intrigued by Avicanna’s CBD derma-cosmetic products marketed under Pura Health & Wellness (H&W) ™ or Pura Earth™. These registered, clinically tested products include a portfolio of functional CBD topical products that have been designed to deliver CBD in synergy with other natural ingredients for specific functional skin benefits.

Source: Avicanna Inc. Corporate Presentation

On December 22^nd the Company announced the brand launch and commercialization in the United States of its proprietary Pura H&W^TM through its exclusive partnership with Red White and Bloom Brands Inc. (CSE: RWB). Avicanna’s skincare line is currently available nationwide across Canada in medical channels in partnership with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™ and in adult-use sales channels through retailers in 4 provinces. These products are also currently being sold in Colombia and Ecuador with anticipated product launches in the UK, and certain Latin American countries in 2022. I like the kind of revenue that can be generated in this business segment.

Another key differentiator for Avicanna, at least to me, is their established, sustainable and economical cultivation and extraction infrastructure in Columbia. I’ve often wondered why there was such a frenzy to build greenhouses in Canada to cultivate cannabis when you had to anticipate that it would just be a matter of time before far more economic sources of raw materials were available. Aureus^TM is the Company’s business-to-business raw material brand for cannabinoid Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, feminized seeds, cannabis biomass, and formulations offered with quality testing and tracking. The Company’s extracts include oils, cannabinoid distillates, and isolated cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBG, and other cannabinoids), and bulk formulations (derived from hemp and cannabis cultivars). Avicanna was ranked highest amongst global cannabis companies in the SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment in the 2020 Sustainability Yearbook, a sustainability index that has become the basis for numerous S&P Global ESG indices. And as noted earlier, the Company has realized commercial sales of CBD, CBG and THC with exports made into eleven countries. To summarize, their raw materials business is profitable and ESG friendly.

These are just two of what I think are Avicanna’s differentiators but there’s a lot more going on. Their third quarter MD&A was 40 pages long if you’d like to have a read. Another near-term catalyst is agreements signed by the Company with two companies founded by former NBA star Al Harrington for the use of his brands, re+PLAY™ and Viola™. On December 20^th Avicanna announced the launch of re+PLAY™ branded CBD topicals products in Canada across adult use channels in Alberta and Ontario, and medical channels in partnership with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™. Granted all these late December announcements won’t show up in the Company’s Q4 results but there is definitely momentum. Gross revenue and product sales grew sequentially in each of the first three quarters of 2021. If that trajectory continues in Q4, then the addition of the two incremental deals noted above could make for an exciting Q1, 2022.

With all that said, Avicanna was not cash flow positive or profitable as of the end of their third quarter (Sep 30, 2021) and might not be come year end 2021. However, you can see the direction things are going and make a case for some exciting results in early 2022. With only 46 million shares outstanding and a market cap of C$23 million based on yesterday’s close, there could be a lot of leverage to a quarterly result that shows positive numbers.

In the latest InvestorIntel interview, Tracy Weslosky speaks with Kris Krane, President of 4Front Ventures Corp. (CSE: FFNT | OTCQX: FFNTF) about the company’s success in getting to a $1B market value in the cannabis business.

This InvestorIntel interview, which may also be viewed on YouTube (click here to subscribe to the InvestorIntel Channel), has Kris describing how advocacy, professionalism and low-cost production at scale are the keys to make 4Front a success as they compete with other multi-state operators. With the announcement that New York is joining the ranks of legal, adult-use cannabis states and the anticipation that there could be 2-4 more states legalizing before year-end, it is imperative that a successful enterprise be ready for the evolution of the competition which leads to downward price compression. With a strong advocacy background, Kris is on the leading edge of Government policy and has some interesting, if not controversial, views on who’s leading the charge for safe banking legislation and nationwide decriminalization.

To watch the full video, click here

About 4Front Ventures

4Front is a national multi-state cannabis operator and retailer, with a market advantage in mass-produced, low-cost quality branded cannabis products. 4Front manufactures and distributes a portfolio of over 25 cannabis distributed through retail outlets and their chain of strategically positioned Mission branded dispensaries. 4Front has operations in Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Michigan, and Washington State. From plant genetics to the cannabis retail experience, 4Front’s team applies expertise across the entire cannabis value chain.

To learn more about 4Front Ventures, click here

Cannabis sentiment in the United States has surged since the November election.

Tailwinds pushing the legal cannabis industry include being deemed “essential” during the current COVID-19 health crisis, five U.S. states passing legalization ballot initiatives, and the Joseph Biden election win that could result in easing some of the cannabis restrictions at the federal level.

This year could be another inflection point in the U.S. cannabis industry and the beginning of a multi-year growth cycle as more states legalize medical and recreational cannabis use.

A top cannabis market research firm recently pegged the United States cannabis market at more than US$18 billion in 2020 and expects it to grow by a staggering 33% to US$24 billion in 2021.

FinCanna is a Royalty Company

FinCanna Capital Corp. (CSE: CALI | OTCQB: FNNZF) is a cannabis-focused royalty company and does not operate as a cultivator, manufacturer, or dispensary. Instead, it is a capital company, looking to invest in businesses in California’s cannabis industry and earns revenue from royalties paid by its investee companies.

FinCanna’s royalty structure focuses on top-line revenue, enabling the company to fully benefit as sales grow and not be impacted by cost inflation. Currently, the company owns a diversified portfolio of royalties, lowering the overall company risk, and continues to search for other investment opportunities.

As a royalty business, FinCanna operates with low corporate overhead, making the business easily scalable as it does not have to worry about operations and can focus on the next investment. Also, as the cannabis supply increases, retail prices have been under pressure which makes royalties a better business to be in.

FinCanna’s investment model is to seek “best in class” businesses, provide capital to reduce the need for debt or equity financing, and are structured to align with the business’ long-term goals.

To fund the coffers, in July 2020, FinCanna closed a $2.5 million convertible debenture financing with FinCanna’s management subscribing to $500,000 of the offering.

Portfolio Companies

FinCanna made its first investment in Cultivation Technologies Inc. (CTI) in 2017. CTI, operating as Coachella Manufacturing, runs a 5,200 square foot cannabis extraction facility in Palm Desert, California.

CTI produces butane hash oil (BHO), which is a type of cannabis concentrate that is produced using butane. CTI has been operating for three years and FinCanna started receiving royalties in the second half of 2020.

CTI provides licensed BHO concentrates for white label manufacturing, toll processing, and packaging to brands and cultivators in California. FinCanna recently commented that CTI’s management team is working on growing their core business and expanding into other large-scale activities. FinCanna expects these activities to result in an increase in royalty revenues in 2021.

FinCanna’s second portfolio company is QVI Inc (QVI), doing business as The Galley, and is FinCanna’s largest investment and potentially the largest source of royalty revenues.

The Galley is a modern, 8,300 square foot, cannabis facility located in Santa Rosa, California. It operates as a co-manufacturer to provide large scale production and packaging for all types of edibles, topicals, and tinctures in California.

The Galley began operations in July 2020 and has already on-boarded 25 established brands. FinCanna expects to start receiving recurring royalty payments from QVI starting in early 2021.

An important note to make is that edibles market growth outperformed the overall cannabis industry growth in 2020 as consumers chose edibles over inhalables. This surge prompted edible manufacturers to invest more in product development and manufacturing making QVI an important player in that market.

FinCanna’s third portfolio company is ezGreen Compliance, which offers Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant point-of-sale (POS) software for cannabis dispensaries. Features include integrated management and multi-store functionality with taxation and reporting functionalities.

In August 2020, FinCanna announced the acquisition of ezGreen and in October completed the transition of ownership. Recently, ezGreen began a marketing initiative with a marketing partner to focus on sales efforts, targeting dispensaries in California.

California is King of the Cannabis Market

California ranks as one of the largest legal cannabis market in the world and over 30% of the U.S. legal cannabis market. The COVID-19 shut-in measures resulted in higher purchase volumes and a very substantial and positive shift for the cannabis industry.

In California, legal cannabis retail sales are expected to exceed US$5 billion in 2020, up almost 70% from US$3 billion in 2019.

2021 Outlook

FinCanna’s management recently reported that it expects to see a “sizeable increase” in royalty revenues in 2021 and the positive cannabis market outlook, especially in California, should help generate operating profits that will grow throughout the year.

FinCanna is currently trading at $0.11 with a market cap of $8.5 million.

In a recent InvestorIntel interview, Tracy Weslosky speaks with Dr. Jon Gluckman, President, CEO and Founder of Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (CSE: SIXW | OTCQB: ATURF) about what a Biden presidential win means for an energized and revitalized cannabis sector.

“We’re pretty excited,” said Dr. Gluckman, “that in addition to the Biden win it was pretty clear that the referendums on the state ballots in the U.S. were extremely positive and forward-looking for the future of cannabis and the significant expansion in the United States which is obviously a huge market.”

Asked about what it means, Dr. Gluckman said that Sixth Wave sees it “as a tremendous opportunity for licensed producers to expand their footprints into different spaces and certainly for new equipment requirements which will include Affinity, so we’re stoked.” Affinity™ is Sixth Wave’s cannabinoid purification system.

Discussing the Affinity cannabinoid purification system revenue model, Dr. Gluckman explains that it work on a “total system performance license” basis, where Sixth Wave provides the technology to licensed cannabis producers on a “small profit margin basis”, but then partners to provide upgrades and maintenance in exchange for a portion of the producer’s revenue stream. As Sixth Wave’s Affinity optimization can save a projected 50% of a producer’s production costs, this mutually beneficial arrangement can create a substantial revenue stream for both the producer and Sixth Wave.

Dr. Gluckman explains to Tracy how the application of Sixth Wave’s patented Molecular Imprint Polymers (#MIPs) technology creates “consistent and high purity” cannabinoid from a producer’s raw material that is essential to creating a commercial product.

Regarding revenue expectations, Dr. Gluckman said that they expect to see revenue through a deal with Green Envy as early as December, and ramping up in the first quarter of 2021. Answering Tracy’s question about investors who missed the “first wave” of cannabis investment, he said that “the very interesting thing now is that what we have seen is that the growers are all growing,” and that “as new states come on board they are all going to need new licensed producers.” And since there are federal restrictions on interstate movement of cannabis, production will have to be local to each state, requiring multiple production facilities

“We’re really looking forward to it and scaling up significantly next year,” Dr. Gluckman said.

To watch the full interview on YouTube, click here.

More videos: click here to subscribe to the InvestorIntel Channel

Disclaimer: Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp

“Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fail, but because each time they fall. They never fail to rise again.” — Josh Billings

The Democratic “blue” wave failed to materialize during the recent U.S. elections but the “green” cannabis wave continues to build. Five states (Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota) easily passed ballot initiatives for the legalization of either recreational or medical cannabis use.

Currently, the medical use of cannabis is legalized in 35 states and the recreational use of cannabis is legalized in 15 states. Although federally illegal in the U.S., there is speculation that the Biden win is an important first step on the path towards the federal decriminalization of cannabis.

In the U.S., medical and recreational cannabis sales are on pace to exceed US$15.5 billion by the end of 2020, an increase of approximately 40% over 2019, and grow by 30% in 2021.

To meet the higher demand, technology advancements have manifested in all parts of the supply chain, especially in the extraction and purification process.

Extraction

The three main methods of cannabinoid extraction are (1) ethanol or alcohol extraction; (2) hydrocarbon extraction, using butane or propane; and (3) carbon dioxide (“CO2”) extraction. If higher purity levels are required, a distillation process, often using chromatography technology, can increase purity levels into the high 90%.

As the industry shifts into pharmaceutical-grade production to meet medical and cannabis-infused products, cannabis extract producers continue to search for innovative ways to improve the purity of cannabinoid isolates and control costs.

One of the challenges for cannabis extract producers is that organic material has varying properties from batch-to-batch and a potential processing risk when scaling operations.

Sixth Wave – Cannabis Extraction Using Nanotechnology

Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (CSE: SIXW | OTCQB: ATURF) is a nanotechnology company focused on the detection and extraction of target substances (e.g. cannabinoid, gold, or Covid-19) at the molecular level using patented technologies.

Led by a team of PhDs and scientists, Sixth Wave’s Affinity™ System uses a proprietary Molecular Imprinted Polymers technology in the process of extracting cannabidiol (“CBD”) and tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) from hemp and cannabis.

The extraction process uses porous polymer beads and the polymer is designed to attract a specific molecule. As CBD and THC are both molecules, Sixth Wave created proprietary polymers to specifically target those molecules in the extraction process.

Benefits of Sixth Wave’s Technology

Unlike other batch processes that purify components out of a product in various stages, Sixth Wave’s process can take a wide variety of input materials, run it through the solution, and the polymer will selectively extract the specific cannabinoids. The resulting cannabinoid isolate can be up to 99.9% pure.

Chromatography, the legacy technology for purifying cannabinoid extractions, is considered to have issues with high capital and operating costs, efficiency, and scalability.

The Affinity™ System was designed to be highly automated and user friendly, requiring minimal training and human intervention. The system uses lower-cost components, minimizes the need for intermediate batch processing, and can be operated continuously, making it a more cost-effective solution.

Dr. Jonathan Gluckman, President and CEO of Sixth Wave, said, “As we know, a major challenge for the cannabinoid purification industry will be the delivery of customization and flexibility, with medicinal and recreational applications demanding exceptional product diversity. The Affinity™ System is highly capable in this regard, with the potential to tailor extraction media to recover any one of the hundreds of cannabinoids available to us.”

Market Size

According to a recent study, the cannabis extraction market is expected to be worth US$28.5 billion by 2027, growing at 16.6% annually.

The growing legalization of cannabis in various countries and the use of CBD and THC for treating illnesses such as arthritis, anxiety, and nausea are the main factors driving growth.

Sixth Wave is currently working with several customers designing larger processing capabilities. In April, the Company announced an agreement with Green Envy for the purchase of a minimum of three Affinity™ extraction units. It expects to deliver the first revenue-generating system to Green Envy by the end of this year. Expect more deals to be announced as the Company shifts from development to production.

The Company is well funded as it recently closed a $1.15 million financing and intends to use the proceeds for the deployment of its Affinity™ cannabis extraction units as well as for other general corporate purposes.

Time to jump on Sixth Wave to ride the resurging cannabis trend.

SOURCE

Using nanotechnology to quickly identify pathogens

Imagine if taking a coronavirus test was as simple as an alcohol breathalyzer, or a pregnancy test, and the results just as fast. One company has developed a test that uses molecular imprinted polymers with the possibility of detecting almost any pathogen, and is now using their technology to develop a way to detect for COVID-19 as easily as using a saliva test or a swab test.

Sixth Wave Innovations (CSE: SIXW | OTCQB: ATURF | FSE: AHUH) is a development stage nanotechnology company with patented technologies that focus on the extraction and detection of target substances at the molecular level using highly specialized ‘molecular imprinted polymers’ (MIPs). The target substances can be anything, such as pathogens (viruses & bacteria), gold, or anything made of molecules (that’s every substance).

Sixth Wave has technology to make a ‘polymer imprint’ for molecules including viruses. Sixth Wave is working to develop a molecular imprint for the coronavirus so they can capture the virus in their polymer and then apply various techniques to detect the virus such as colormetrics or electronics.

The company is working toward incorporating the technology into a mask so you could wear a mask that both protects and detects for COVID-19. Another concept is to have the MIP inside a coated barcode strip which you would then scan with your smartphone to see if you have been infected or not. (See: Sixth Wave working on a virus breath test.)

President, CEO and Founder Dr. Jonathan Gluckman explained that a “virus has a size and shape and we create an imprint in our polymer for that exact virus. Then we will detect that directly based on our chemistry.” He continued that Sixth Wave is “working to integrate this into masks and breathalyzers and then we can just utilize the breath, as we all know that’s the main transmission method. If you think about putting a mask on, not only will that mask provide protection, it can also, right there, be the test for COVID-19.”

Sixth Wave Innovations can detect and extract anything at the molecular level – Target markets include COVID-19 testing, gold extraction, and cannabis purification

Source

Sixth Wave Innovations technology can be used for other applications

Gold extraction

IXOS^® is a line of extraction polymers for the gold mining industry 100% developed and owned by Sixth Wave and patented/patent pending in 40+ countries worldwide. CEO Gluckman says the technology can save gold mining companies about US$100/oz on their processing costs based on pilot scale test results for multiple mines.

Sixth Wave Innovations IXOS^® can save gold miners up to US$100/oz in gold processing costs

Source: Corporate presentation

Cannabis Purification

Sixth Wave is in the process of commercializing its Affinity^TM cannabinoid purification system. The Affinity™ Technology for the medical and recreational cannabis industry is 100% developed and owned by Sixth Wave with a patent pending. Affinity^TM products are now rolling out and starting to generate revenue for Sixth Wave, including an initial 300 Affinity units.

Other applications

Sixth Wave’s Molecular Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) have also been applied in industries including security (SAFE-T explosives detective wipes), mining (gold & silver extraction, also removal of mercury), and other pathogen detection. The potential list of applications is enormous.

Sixth Wave Innovations planned revenue streams

Source: Corporate presentation

Closing remarks

History has repeatedly shown how mankind makes incredible innovative technology during incredible times. Here we are facing one of this century’s greatest pandemics and scientists globally are racing to develop better diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines.

In the case of Sixth Wave Innovations it is fast-tracking the development of an innovative technology to detect and extract polymer molecules. They are now focused on adapting their technology to make a polymer imprint of the coronavirus that can, if successful, make COVID-19 detection as simple and fast as a breath test, whether on a test strip or even on a dual-purpose face mask. Imagine wearing a face mask that can also detect COVID-19. Sixth Wave’s COVID-19 detection technology targeted for early 2021, and if successful it will be a massive win-win for the public and also for Sixth Wave Innovations.

Meanwhile, Sixth Wave will be advancing their near term revenues from Affinity^TM, and later hopefully from IXOS^®. The current market cap of Sixth Wave Innovations is only C$21m thereby presenting a tremendous early stage speculative opportunity for investors.

InvestorIntel’s Tracy Weslosky spoke with Andriyko Herchak, CEO of FinCanna Capital Corp. (CSE: CALI | OTCQB: FNNZF), about FinCanna’s cannabis royalty portfolio and its competitive advantages in the cannabis industry. “We are the only pure royalty company in the cannabis sector,” he said. “We don’t need much revenue to be profitable.”

Andriyko went on to say that while other companies in the capital-intensive cannabis sector “are losing money quarter to quarter, we are opposite. We have low capital cost, low operating cost and we are designed to be profitable.” He added, “The companies we invest in are synergistic. They are working together to expand their customer base and market together.” By investing in FinCanna, he said, “you are investing in different companies that don’t compete against each other but actually work with each other to maximize revenue. FinCanna is like an index that works together.”

Andriyko also provided an update on QVI, FinCanna’s largest investment that just started operations and is scaling up. He said, “They are located in Sonoma county California. They are offering a co-manufacturing edibles facility in large scale. They can produce essentially any type of edible under one roof. Demand is off the charts for them right now.”

To watch the complete interview, click here

Disclaimer: FinCanna Capital Corp. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

Non-invasive test can detect viral RNA in asymptomatic patients

XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. (CSE: XPHY | OTCQB: XPHYF | FSE: 4XT) (“XPhyto”) is a next generation bioscience company with a rapid pathogen screening systems division, including a new, non-invasive coronavirus saliva test. This is an important addition to rest of their businesses which includes advanced drug delivery systems (Vektor Pharma) and cannabis investments (Vektor Pharma & Bunker).

XPhyto’s core business is drug delivery, diagnostic, and cannabis investment opportunities focused on European markets, especially Germany.

Source: Company presentation

XPhyto’s rapid pathogen screening systems

XPhyto is focused on developing rapid, low-cost, screening tools for pandemic threats. The company, along with their diagnostic partner 3a-Diagnostics GmbH (“3a”), has recently become better known for their COVID-19 RNA testing. The XPhyto team is developing a rapid, disposable, point-of-screening test to detect COVID-19 viral RNA from patient saliva as well as more traditional nasal and throat swabs. On July 6, 2020, XPhyto announced successful validation of its working test prototype. The test, as observed and reported by clinicians and scientists in peer reviewed publications, demonstrated a detection limit capable of identifying viral RNA in the saliva of symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic patients. Subject to fast track certification by the German government, XPhyto and 3a are targeting Q1 2021 for European regulatory approval and commercial sales.

Being able to detect coronavirus early in patients with no symptoms has been identified as a key factor in halting the spread. A saliva-based test is another huge advantage due to the ease of testing compared to the current nasal swab testing, which can range from uncomfortable to painful.

The technology behind the new test will also be suitable for other types of coronaviruses in the long term. XPhyto and 3a are also in the process of developing rapid screening tests for other pandemic threats, including H1N1 (swine flu) and H5N1 (avian flu), with a specific focus on identifying early pre-symptomatic stages of infection.

XPhyto’s advanced drug delivery systems

XPhyto owns Vektor Pharma, a German narcotics manufacturer, importer and researcher. Vektor Pharma is a decade-long leader in design, testing and manufacture of thin film drug delivery systems including transdermal patches, oral dissolvable film (ODF), sub-lingual (oral) strips for the clinical management of pain, and an ODF biosensor delivery platform. Vektor Pharma currently holds numerous narcotics import and manufacturing licenses, including cannabis imports and authorizations related to conventional and cannabis-related prescription medications.

XPhyto’s cannabis investments

XPhyto also 100% owns Bunker. Bunker has a unique German cannabis cultivation and extraction license for scientific purposes. Subject to BfArM (the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) security requirements, the license authorizes cultivation and extract of 70 different strains of Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica for scientific purposes.

XPhyto also has an exclusive LOI and standstill agreement for cooperation in the field of development, production, and distribution of new cannabis-infused beverages and products with the famous German brewery Oettinger. Oettinger beer is not only one of the best selling beers in Germany, it is also internationally recognized as one of the largest brewery groups in the world.

XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. is well-placed in key emerging industries

Source: Company presentation

Closing remarks

XPhyto is an innovator in the increasingly important fields of virus detection and drug delivery systems, including the vital area of  mass rapid pathogen screening testing. Added to that, it has some exciting cannabis related investments, particularly with Bunker in Germany. XPhyto also has R&D collaborations with the technical University of Munich and the University of Alberta.

For investors, XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. trades on a market cap of C$165m and the stock is up an impressive 132% in the past  year. While a non-invasive COVID-19 saliva test that can detect the virus in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients would have immediate and obvious benefits, it could also have long-term applicability to other pathogens going forward. Added to XPhyto’s carefully curated suite of other diagnostic, drug delivery and cannabis licenses, it makes it a company to watch.

Exploring the recreational and potential medical use of psychedelics

Most people have heard of ‘magic mushrooms’, but they may be unfamiliar with their fungi cousin magic truffles. Magic truffles are legal and very popular in the Netherlands and are well known for their hallucinegic properties that result in psychedelic effects. What is less well known is that truffles have a number of potential health benefits related to reducing anxiety and depression, lifting mood, and freeing the mind. The price for 10 grams of truffles (the maximum recommended dose for a beginner) is between 10 to 15 Euro in Amsterdam.

Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP | FSE:4YX) (“RLH”) is in the ‘magic truffle’ business. The Company aims to engage in the production, growth and sale of a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands. Their business revolves around a premium brand of magic truffles. Sales are conducted through existing Dutch Smartshops storefront operators and an advanced e-commerce platform. The Netherlands is a country with a long-standing, established, legal magic truffles market.

Red Light Holland is now starting to commercialize their premium magic truffles in the Netherlands for both recreational and eventual medicinal use

Source: Company presentation

In some surprising news in August, RLH announced that it had commenced its “magic truffles growth operation in the Netherlands, months ahead of schedule…” Red Light Holland has “expedited the build out of its approximately 3,000 square feet, custom built, indoor growing, production and distribution facility of the Company, in Horst, the Netherlands (the “Facility“) and has commenced growing its first crop of magic truffles.”

RLH has also ordered 10,000 units of Psychedelic Truffles Microdosing Packs from McSmart (one of the Netherlands’ prominent truffle growers, distributors and Smart Shop owners), to launch the Microdosing Packs within the Netherlands as early as September 2020. RLH plans to sell these via three Smart Shops operated by McSmart, as well as through Red Light Holland’s proposed e-commerce platform and McSmart’s existing e-commerce platform.

Red Light Holland has also been on a hiring spree adding 7 new high-level members to their team with a wide variety of both business and medical (psychedelics) knowledge and experience. One of the new hires, Sarah Hashkes from RadixMotion, will focus on developing an innovative virtual reality shopping experience (VR Module, due by Q4 2020) for Dutch Smart Shops and e-commerce platforms. Sarah Hashkes is the CEO of RadixMotion and a scientific researcher with knowledge on microdosing and is RLH’s new Scientific Advisor. Part of her mandate is to educate the public about psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic truffles.

The project also includes having a “VR Avatar”, expected to be online by Q3 2020. The VR Avatar is expected to assist Red Light Holland’s larger efforts towards reducing the stigma associated with magic truffles and other psychedelic substances. The Avatar, RLH explains, is to help the novice: “Now imagine shopping for something new – but wanting to truly experience it before purchasing? Pretty cool idea, right? What we are aiming to create here is a virtual reality experience that potential consumers can use before buying our Microdose Packs. This way, they can experience what the effects of microdosing magic truffles would be like, to help with their personal comfort and understanding before actually purchasing our product.”

Sounds rather cool to me. I think it will be quite popular for the curious to try this out. What do readers think?

Red Light Holland is currently growing three different strains of magic truffles and expects to have an initial batch of approximately 100,000 grams of magic truffles available in late October, 2020.

Red Light Holland carves out a unique market niche

Source: Company presentation

Closing remarks

Red Light Holland is moving surprisingly fast to commercialize and promote their product range of premium magic truffles. Considering the Company only listed in Canada this year in late May, then in Germany in June, it is quite amazing that operations have already begun and they are already producing their own magic truffles.

Red Light Holland trades on a market cap of just C$19m as investors are yet to learn about the Company, and their large potential to rapidly expand and create revenues in the lucrative magic truffles market in the Netherlands. Exciting times are ahead for Red Light Holland with a new innovative VR Avatar virtual reality shopping experience, with sales and revenues all not that far away in Q3 and Q4 of this year.

“FinCanna is diversified by investing in four companies to date. We have enough money for a fifth investment. We are diversified both geographically in California and across a number of different sectors. We invest in private companies. If you want to invest in top quality private companies the only way to invest in them directly is through us.” States Andriyko Herchak, CEO and Director of FinCanna Capital Corp. (CSE: CALI | OTCQB: FNNZF), in an interview with InvestorIntel’s Tracy Weslosky.

Andriyko went on to say that FinCanna is focused on the US with a primary focus on California, the largest cannabis market in North America. Andriyko also provided an update on FinCanna’s portfolio companies. He said that FinCanna’s four portfolio companies include QVI, ezGreen Compliance, Refined Resin and CTI. All the companies are startups in different stages of growth. QVI is the last company that FinCanna invested in and is expected to produce royalty this quarter. ezGreen Compliance is a Point-of-Sale software compliance firm that has signed a large client in California.

To access the complete interview, click here

Disclaimer: FinCanna Capital Corp. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.