Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:50 PM on Friday, November 22nd, 2019
SPONSOR: NORTHBUD (NBUD:CSE)
Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and
procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and
Cannabinoid Infused Products. Learn More.
Over the past month, lobbyists have beat a path to Ontario’s legislature to discuss – among other things related to cannabis – taxation, labor policies, law enforcement and how adult-use marijuana is sold in the province
Punished by disappointing sales due to a lack of retail stores, the
cannabis industry has been mounting a fierce lobbying drive in Ontario
to reach the decisionmakers driving the province’s marijuana policies,
according to records from the Office of the Integrity Commissioner.
Over the past month, lobbyists have beat a path to Ontario’s
legislature to discuss – among other things related to cannabis –
taxation, labor policies, law enforcement and how adult-use marijuana is
sold in the province.
The records show that efforts have been made to reach Ontario’s power brokers by:
Aurora Cannabis
Aphria
Convenience Industry Council of Canada
Cronos Group
The Green Organic Dutchman
Insurance Bureau of Canada
LeafLink
Loblaw
Supreme Cannabis Co.
Truss
Meanwhile, a former member of the ruling Progressive Conservative
caucus is urging the party to adopt a clearer timeline for the planned
pivot to an open allocation of adult-use retail stores.
Independent MPP Randy Hillier said Ontario’s bungled cannabis
policies are costing the province, and its businesses, millions in lost
economic opportunities.
“Here we have a government that promotes itself as ‘open for
business,’ and what is the biggest impediment in the cannabis trade
right now? Government’s lack of action and preventing people (from)
opening retail establishments,†the independent MPP said in an
interview.
He called Ontario’s cannabis lottery a “cluster you-know-what.â€
The fledgling industry has already lost out on hundreds of millions
of dollars of revenue, according to Craig Wiggins, managing director of
market researcher TheCannalysts.
That has caused some producers to scale back production.
Hillier called on the government to empower the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to license cannabis stores.
“We have 24 stores in operation a year out from legalization to serve
14 million people,†he said. “Newfoundland, with a population of
500,000 people, has as many stores as Ontario. Saskatchewan has twice as
many with a population of a million people.
“We’re not achieving what we set out to with the legalization of
cannabis, which is to get it out of the criminal marketplace. We’re
allowing the criminal marketplace to continue to thrive.â€
Ontario’s recent Economic Outlook restated the commitment to “an open
allocation of cannabis retail store licenses where the number of stores
is limited only by market demand,†however no timeline was offered.
Hillier’s advice to legal cannabis businesses is to speak up.
“If government policies are creating barriers for your businesses, then speak out.
“Bark as loud as possible, and possibly bite. That’s what often
motivates government, is fear of embarrassment and fear of having to
justify their actions.â€
Matt Lamers is Marijuana Business Daily’s international editor, based near Toronto, Ontario. He can be reached at [email protected].
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:32 PM on Friday, November 22nd, 2019
SPONSOR:ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE)
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Canadian-based venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed
small-cap companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More
than just lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest
small-cap exits. Click Here For More Information.
Zero-Commission Trading Is Coming to Crypto
ShapeShift exchange debuts zero fees following user defections
Firms are slashing fees as race for market share intensifies
Zero-fee trading
first came to exchanged-traded funds and then to online stock and
option transactions. Now the strategy is spreading into the
cryptocurrency sphere.
Seen as the most profitable sector of digital-asset world, trading
platforms are feeling the pressure as industry heavyweights such as
Binance Holdings Ltd. and BitMex grab market share with both trading
volume and coin prices sagging. ShapeShift, which has operated an
exchange since 2014, said Wednesday it’s begun offering free “perpetualâ€
trades.
“Free trading has become a feature of all fintech direct trading
offerings, from Robinhood to SoFi and even JPMorgan,†said Lex Sokolin,
global financial technology co-head at ConsenSys, which offers
blockchain technology. “So it’s not surprising that in a digital race to
acquire the most users, execution prices are starting to collapse.â€
The practice turned out to be a catalyst for Charles Schwab Corp., which recently reported
it opened 142,000 new trading accounts in October, a 31% jump from
September, after the brokerage offered zero fees. Fresh income is being
generated from interest earned on client cash holdings. Firms in the
crypto world are taking notice.
“We’ve definitely seen how people often need very simple messages,â€
Erik Voorhees, the Denver-based chief executive of ShapeShift, said in a
phone interview. “Everyone understands free.â€
ShapeShift lost about 90% of its trading volume a year ago when it began checking user identifications to comply with regulatory guidelines, Voorhees said.
Daily-trading volume in crypto overall is about half of what it was
in late October, and it’s been sluggish for most of the past few months,
according to data compiler CoinMarketCap.com. The percentage of
exchanges that are offering no-fee trading has increased to about 10%
from 8% in June, data from CryptoCompare, which tracks exchanges.
To execute free transactions, traders will have to use so-called Fox
tokens that ShapeShift is rolling out. Every user ShapeShift.com will
get 100 free tokens, and the exchange may sell additional ones, Voorhees
said. Each token — which are deposited in a user’s crypto wallet and
are never spent — provides $10 of free trading volume on a
rolling-30-day basis. So the more Fox tokens customers hold, the more
free trades they can execute. Voorhees estimates that 90% of the
exchange’s users will be able to do all their trades for free.
“We’d rather make a smaller amount of revenue from a larger pool of
customers, and get those customers off centralized custodial exchanges,â€
Voorhees said. “It’s a risk we’re taking, but we think it’s worth it.â€
Other, mostly smaller, exchanges are offering zero fees as part of
short- and long-term promotions. Liquid.com is waiving costs for traders
who have less than $25 million per month in transactions. Zebpay introduced zero-trading fees in February. HitBTC lowered
its fees in August. Malta-based Binance — often the largest spot
trading exchange — lets users lower their trading fees by investing in
its own cryptocurrency, Binance Coin.
“The end result of price wars tends to be consolidation and the
starving of smaller players,†Sokolin said. “Already we see this with
the dominance of Binance.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:06 PM on Friday, November 22nd, 2019
SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc.
The company’s Lithium Division has already made significant
acquisitions in Canada and the USA. The company also owns one of North
America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in Sudbury,
Canada. Updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate 2,867,000 PdEq
Measured and Indicated Ounces, with an additional 1,059,000 PdEq Ounces
in the Inferred. Learn More.
What role are lithium-ion batteries playing in energy transition?
Lithium-ion batteries have been essential to the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles as part of a larger energy transition.
This has led to an unprecedented surge in the market for lithium-ion
batteries and an even larger spike in supply. Prices have fallen
recently, but demand is expected to continue rising.
Lithium-ion batteries also have potential applications in
utility-scale renewable energy, although they face competition from
newly developed technologies in that arena.
The energy transition has encouraged industries to move from fossil
fuel to renewable energy sources. In doing so, companies have faced
challenges in determining how to store significant amounts of energy for
extended periods of time. This need is especially acute in the electric
car market, which has turned to lithium batteries for energy storage. Demand for lithium
is projected to grow by as much as 20% in 2019 compared to the previous
year, according to Chilean producer SQM, largely because of increasing
investment in and mainstream adoption of electric vehicles.
More traditional technologies, like internal combustion engines, use
energy almost as soon as it is created. Comparatively, electric vehicles
need to store electrical energy for long periods of time before using
the supplies. Lithium-ion batteries, specifically those using the
compound lithium hydroxide,
store energy while taking up less space than other battery
technologies, and their adoption by the mass market has encouraged
innovation in the technologies underpinning the batteries. The impact
and success of lithium-ion battery technology and its potential in the
global energy transition to renewable energy has been recognized on an
outsized scale — the technology’s creators won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2019.
Tesla,
the electric car manufacturer owned by Elon Musk, has become a major
player in the American lithium business. Tesla acquired lithium deposits
across the American West while building huge “gigafactories†to mass
produce the batteries. The company’s plans call for the first of these
factories in Nevada to process 25,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide
per year, and it has a larger footprint than any other building in the
country. Electric vehicle sales
worldwide surged 75% year over year in the first quarter of 2019, even
as the overall global automobile market contracted; regardless of
opinions over the energy transition’s evolution, all of these cars need
batteries.
Although electric vehicles have been the most significant application
of lithium-ion batteries to date in the energy transition, lithium
could also make renewable energy sources more viable for utilities.
Whereas traditional fossil fuel power plants constantly produce energy,
renewables like solar and wind can only produce energy while the sun is
shining or the wind is blowing. To ensure that the power grid works
constantly, regardless of external variables, transitioning to renewable
energy would require the utility-scale use of energy storage. S&P
Global Market Intelligence analysis shows that lithium-ion batteries are
seen as the technology to compete with in this market.
Potential alternatives to lithium-ion batteries include batteries
made from different chemical compounds. Lithium has faced some
technological challenges in its adoption at the grand scale necessary
for utilities, which resulted in multiple fires in Arizona that led a member of the state’s public utilities commission to call for different technology solutions.
The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries and the importance
they may hold for the transition to renewable energy has sparked
geopolitical competition to secure a stable supply of batteries. Chinese
firms have invested billions of dollars in lithium deposits across Australia and South America in recent years as part of the country’s plan to quadruple electric vehicle production between 2019 and 2025. In response, European companies
have sought to expand their own investments in lithium so that their
supply of batteries does not rely on foreign supply chains. Companies
investing in European lithium processing have also voiced concerns about
the potential environmental impact
of processing the lithium into batteries in China and then shipping
them across the world for use in Europe. As similar tensions arise
between China and the U.S., lithium has become another flash point in the countries’ trade battles.
Market demand has contributed to a surge in the lithium mining and production businesses. Budgets for mining industry lithium exploration
grew nearly sevenfold worldwide between 2015 and 2018, according to
S&P Global Market Intelligence. The jump in demand for lithium-ion
batteries led to a spike in prices in the early 2010s, and acquisitions
of lithium deposits and mines rose sharply. Since then, the supply of
lithium has risen more quickly than demand, so prices have fallen and
deal-making has slowed.
Although lithium prices across autumn 2019 were on the lower side and
some projects have been delayed or cut back, many market participants
still expect the sector to grow significantly. Lithium production is expected to triple to 1.5 million metric tons worldwide by 2025. S&P Global Platts has reported on fears that even this increase in supply might not be enough to keep up with demand, especially if expected electric vehicle adoption rates continue.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:47 AM on Friday, November 22nd, 2019
Bonfire Brands USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of NORTHBUD, has signed multiple definitive agreements related to its previously announced letters of intent with the Qlora Group and Monterey Holdings
Finalized the acquisition of an 11-acre property located at 20180 Spence Road Salinas, California
Property currently consists of 300,000 sq. ft. of licensable greenhouse space with 60,000 sq. ft. actively cultivating cannabis and a 2,000 sq. ft. building licensed for distribution
TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2019 — North Bud Farms Inc. (CSE: NBUD) (OTCQB: NOBDF) (“NORTHBUD” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that Bonfire Brands USA (“Bonfireâ€), a wholly owned subsidiary of NORTHBUD, has signed multiple definitive agreements related to its previously announced letters of intent with the Qlora Group and Monterey Holdings (see September 12, 2019 press release).
Transaction Terms:
Bonfire Brands USA has finalized the
acquisition of an 11-acre property located at 20180 Spence Road Salinas,
California from Monterey Holdings Inc. The property currently consists
of 300,000 sq. ft. of licensable greenhouse space with 60,000 sq. ft.
actively cultivating cannabis and a 2,000 sq. ft. building licensed for
distribution. The purchase price of the property is USD$8,000,000 which
represents the fair market value of the real estate. The buyer and
seller have entered into a seller carry back financing for the full
purchase price.
Bonfire Brands USA has signed a
definitive agreement with the Qlora Group for the acquisition of
cultivation, processing and distribution licenses associated to the
Spence Road property. As part of this acquisition Bonfire Brands USA
also acquires all the Intellectual Property (IP) and assets related to
the brands California Bud Co and Live For The Day (LFTD). The two brands
combined for approximately USD$6,500,000 in unaudited sales over the
past 18 months. In consideration for this acquisition Bonfire has
assumed a USD$2,500,000 debt note from the Qlora Group. The debt will be
settled over a 24-month period through a combination of cash and stock
at the discretion of the note holder. Immediately upon signing of the
definitive agreement Bonfire will have acquired 80% ownership of the
licenses with the remaining 20% to be transferred after approval from
the California Cannabis Control and Licensing Bureau.
The buyer will be taking possession of all biological assets including:
6000 plants currently in the fifth week of flowering;
~ 5000 plants in various stages of vegetative growth;
~ 350 Lbs. of dried and harvested flower and trim; and
3000 filled vape cartridges of various strains.
“On the heels of the historic adoption of the MORE Act, the NORTHBUD
and Bonfire team is extremely proud to have finalized this agreement
and how the structure allows for the acquisition to be financed from
ongoing cash flow from the acquired business with minimal dilution while
allowing the company to acquire what we believe to be exceptionally
positioned infrastructure located in the heart of California’s Sun Belt
and home to the largest cannabis cultivators in the state,†said Ryan
Brown, CEO of NORTHBUD.
This infrastructure will serve as the primary operation for Bonfire
Brands USA within the state of California, which is considered to be the
largest cannabis market in North America valued at USD$3 billion
dollars per year according to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics
(August 2019).
“We are very pleased with the successful acquisition of the Salinas
facility,†said Justin Braune, President of Bonfire Brands USA. “We have
been working closely with the cultivation team at Qlora over the past
two months and will immediately take over operations to begin driving
revenue growth. We anticipate our first harvest within 45 days and have
been actively negotiating agreements with distribution and cultivation
partners whom wish to leverage our strategic infrastructure through
joint venture and subletting agreements. We anticipate closing these
transactions in the near future with the goal of having the California
operation generating positive cash flow in the near term.â€
The Transaction is a significant acquisition but will not result in a
“Fundamental Change†pursuant to the policies of the CSE. NORTHBUD will
be preparing the necessary corporate and securities filings in order to
secure the required approvals for the Transaction.
NORTHBUD has agreed to pay up to 3% in finder fees to arm’s length
parties in connection with the closing of the Transaction. The fee is
payable in common shares of NORTHBUD.
The closing of the Transaction is conditional on the receipt by the
parties of applicable corporate and regulatory approvals including that
of the CSE.
About North Bud Farms Inc. North Bud Farms Inc.,
through its wholly owned subsidiary GrowPros MMP Inc., is pursuing a
license under The Cannabis Act. The Company has built a state-of-the-art
purpose-built cannabis production facility located on 135 acres of
Agricultural Land in Low, Quebec, Canada. NORTHBUD through its wholly
owned U.S. subsidiary, Bonfire Brands USA has acquired cannabis
production facilities in California and Nevada. The Salinas, California
property is located on 11 acres which currently consists of a 300,000
sq. ft. of licensable greenhouse space with 60,000 sq. ft. actively
cultivating cannabis and a 2,000 sq. ft. building licensed for
distribution. The Reno, Nevada property is located on 3.2 acres of land
which was acquired through the acquisition of Nevada Botanical Science,
Inc. a world class cannabis production, research and development
facility with 5,000 sq. ft. of indoor cultivation which holds medical
and adult use licenses for cultivation, extraction and distribution.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSEâ€) nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of
the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
Forward-looking statements Certain statements and
information included in this press release that, to the extent they are
not historical fact, constitute forward-looking information or
statements (collectively, “forward-looking statementsâ€) within the
meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking
statements, including those identified by the expressions “anticipateâ€,
“believeâ€, “planâ€, “estimateâ€, “expectâ€, “intendâ€, “mayâ€, “should†and
similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its
management. This press release contains forward- looking statements
including those relating to projected revenue for 2020 from the Qlora
cannabis farm being acquired by Bonfire, the timing of the Company’s
first harvest from the farm, and the negotiation of cultivation and
distribution agreements. Forward-looking statements are based on the
reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management
made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current
conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that
management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances
at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be
incorrect.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include,
among others, the risk factors included in the Company’s final long form
prospectus dated August 21, 2018, which is available under the
Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such
forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement
speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors
emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company’s
management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the
impact of each such factor on the Company’s business or the extent to
which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements to reflect information, events, results,
circumstances or otherwise after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law including
securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell
or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of the Company.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: North Bud Farms Inc. Edward Miller VP, IR & Communications Office: (855) 628-3420 ext. 3 [email protected]
Tags: Cannabis, CBD, CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed Posted in North Bud Farms Inc | Comments Off on North Bud Farms $NBUD.ca Expands U.S. Presence with Acquisition of a Fully Licensed and Operational #Cannabis Farm in Salinas, California $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:20 PM on Thursday, November 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: NORTHBUD (NBUD:CSE)
Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and
procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and
Cannabinoid Infused Products. Learn More.
Cannabis Canada: Ontario sets plans to let private sector handle cannabis distribution
Ontario sets plans to let private sector handle cannabis distribution
Ontario is gradually reducing its exposure to the legal pot industry. An email obtained by BNN Bloomberg shows the province plans to allow the private sector to handle distributing cannabis from producers to retailers.
The email, which was sent to Canadian licensed producers late Tuesday,
shows that Ontario plans to soon adopt a new measure to allow for a
“third-party centralized distribution†system. The changes follow
feedback the Ontario Cannabis Store solicited from the industry last
month to determine whether it should get out of its wholesale cannabis
business. The email also stated that the OCS is seeking further
consultation with industry participants interested in services where
cannabis can be shipped directly from a cannabis producer to a retailer,
sidestepping a wholesale operator entirely.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:58 PM on Thursday, November 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V)
– The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented
systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare
professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage
patient information in a secure and reliable environment.
Big Trends in MHealth Solutions Market to Make Great Impact in Near Future over 2023
The market is growing rapidly because of the widespread need for health care around the world. According to the KD market Insights Market is expected to achieve CAGR of 23.1% during the forecasted period
The mHealth solutions or mobile healthcare solutions are a wireless
device to improve healthcare services. The market is growing rapidly
because of the widespread need for health care around the world.
According to the KD market Insights, the market is
expected to achieve CAGR of 23.1% during the forecasted period of 6
years i.e. 2018-2023. Further, the increasing occurrence of healthcare
needs has encouraged the market for mobile healthcare services. These
devices are directly delivered to the patient home and used by the
hospital to monitor patients directly through this system.
The mHealth solutions market reports
aim to provide the in-depth report of the demand of the infant formula
in the market, market size, segmentation of the market, availability of
the product, acquisition process, Insights, product type, supply chain
analysis, macroeconomic and regional trends impacting cost and
opportunities in the mhealth solutions market.
The mHealth solutions market is segmented on the basis of the end
user, by offering and by geography. By offering it is divided into
connected medical devices, applications and services. Further connected
medical devices it is divided into heart rate monitors, activity
monitors, electrocardiograph, fetal monitoring and neuromonitoring and
others. Applications have been divided further divided into fitness and
wellness, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, Central nervous system
diseases, respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, smoking
cessation and medication adherence and others. On the basis of services,
it is divided into health monitoring, consultation, diagnostic service,
treatment service, emergency response and others. The end users are
public/private health care institutions, physicians, mhealth care worker
and individuals
The mHealth solutions market provides the current scenario of the
market, the major key stakeholders of the market and their competitive
dynamics so that the plans, policies and strategies of the competitors
are evaluated in advance so that strategies can be modified according to
the need of the market. The major market players are Vodafone Group
Plc., AT&T Inc., Apple Inc., Boston Scientific, Airstrip
technologies Inc., Cerner Corporation, Soft Serve Inc, Honeywell,
Symantec Corporation, and Koninklijke Philips N.V. and Other Prominent
Players.
Tags: EKG, mhealth, small cap stocks, stocks, tsx, tsx-v Posted in CardioComm Solutions | Comments Off on CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – Big Trends in #Mhealth Solutions Market to Make Great Impact in Near Future $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:59 AM on Thursday, November 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc.
The company’s Lithium Division has already made significant
acquisitions in Canada and the USA. The company also owns one of North
America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in Sudbury,
Canada. Updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate 2,867,000 PdEq
Measured and Indicated Ounces, with an additional 1,059,000 PdEq Ounces
in the Inferred. Learn More.
Lithium: The New Oil
Lithium prices will likely increase in the next few years.
As electric cars replace gasoline powered ones, lithium will gain a strategic value not unlike that of crude oil today.
And, Bolivia, the poorest country in South America, has the resources to become the ‘Saudi Arabia’ of lithium.
The Coup in Bolivia Could Boost Lithium Prices and Energy Resource Geopolitical Dynamics
Lithium prices will likely increase in the next few years. As
electric cars replace gasoline powered ones, lithium will gain a
strategic value not unlike that of crude oil today. And, Bolivia, the
poorest country in South America, has the resources to become the ‘Saudi
Arabia’ of lithium. The resignation of Evo Morales has tightened the
market, indefinitely putting a halt to important lithium mining
projects, which should sustain prices in the medium term. Notably, the
coup and its possible – if not probable – links to lithium mining have
stressed how all South American leaders (just as those of the Persian
Gulf in relation to oil) will have to decide how manage the largest
lithium reserves in the world.
Lithium: The New Oil
To an even more anxious extent than drivers looking for gas stations
during the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, nothing characterizes 21stcentury
‘homo-sapiens’ lifestyle quite like the (insert gadget of
choice)-battery-socket triangle. If social scientists, media gurus and
advertising copywriters have noticed this trend, investors should have
perceived by now that much monetary value lurks behind the gesture of
‘plugging-in’. The whole world needs to ‘plug-in’ angst, and the angst
to recharge batteries will only intensify as car manufacturers are
shifting away from the internal combustion engine in favor of electric
motors at a faster pace than anyone had imagined even five years ago.
Whoever has the most reliable, enduring, lightest and most powerful
battery will build the best vehicles. Batteries, in an imminent future,
will even generate enough power (and be light enough) to propel
airplanes.A cell phone, a notebook, a tablet, work because of the
energy contained and released through lithium-ion batteries. But, the
appeal of electric cars, (or even hybrid cars), is driving the appetite.
Such vehicles are, quite literally, battery packs on wheels. And the
batteries alone make up some 42% of the sticker price. (Source:
Investopedia).
Many see ‘electric power’ as the way to end dependence on oil from
the Middle East. However, such independence is the stuff of geopolitical
fantasies: the rising demand for battery generated electric power has
already shifted the geopolitical balance away from the sands of Saudi
Arabia and closer to those of South America, which holds the richest
lithium deposits in the world; especially, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia
together hold some 80% of the world’s lithium (the Salar de Uuuni,
a salt flat covering 10,000 square kilometers at 3,600 meters above sea
level). being the largest known deposit). It is located near Potosi,
perhaps the most important mining center of South America during the
Spanish colonial era. The salt flat, which is also rich in magnesium,
potassium and sodium, contains some 47% of the known world’s lithium
reserves. At a price ranging between $8,000-10,000 per metric ton, the
potential is clear.
Indeed, the batteries that have hooked the whole world are the
lithium-ion (Li-ion) kind. And they are found in anything from
smartphones to tablets, to electric cars and modern airliners.
Lithium is a low-density metal, typically found in salt form, noted
for its ability to keep its level of charge (in case of inactivity). It
is an abundant alkaline mineral, but nowhere is it abundant (and easy to
extract) as it is in vast majority of the kind that’s most suitable to
make rechargeable batteries. However, one of lithium’s main advantages
as a resource is that, unlike oil, just about everyone has some. It’s
found everywhere; and therefore, it’s unlikely that conflicts will break
out because of it. Should a geopolitical dispute develop over lithium,
it will have more to do with the know-how to advance related battery
technology than Nevertheless, because of its sheer size, all major
industrial powers, starting from the United States, are coveting South
American lithium. Those who will, write rules of the contest to build
the best lithium battery, therefore, will not focus on the geographic
control of the resource. Rather, they will focus on the ability to
combine the expertise, technology and resource together in order to
transform the resource directly into batteries. More than
power-relations, the winners of this game will excel at diplomacy.
Battery dominance will be a factor of scientific competence, mining and
geopolitics.
Who Wants South American lithium?
All industrial powers want South American lithium, though, clearly
the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea and, of course, China
have the most interest. But, it’s China, which has been investing most
heavily in the research. And therein rests the core of the problem.
Because the real ‘resource’ is the manipulation and technology around
lithium, ambitious governments, focused on lifting standards of living,
have imposed conditions on would-be extractors. They must invest in the
mining as well as the technology. And that’s the key to understand what
happened to President Evo Morales of Bolivia – and the key to
understanding how the race for lithium, the ‘21stcentury oil’, will have
to be played. Indeed, as commercial lithium mining operations in the
Salar de Ayuni began in 2016, President Morales quickly became
dissatisfied with the notion of perpetuating the exporting model that
has kept so many countries behind: that is the export of natural
resources and the import of expensive finished goods.
Morales wanted to establish an in-house battery production process in
order to export finished batteries. And Morales reached such an
agreement in January 2019 with Germany’s ACI System(ACISA).
Among others, ACISA supplies batteries to Tesla Motors. Germany, which
is one of the remaining industrial powers, needs to secure batteries for
its large auto manufacturing groups, which have quickly developed
electric vehicle lineups, after a few years of trailing behind the
Japanese and Americans. But last November 4, the Bolivian government
canceled the agreement after protests from Potosi locals, expressing
anger over the terms of the deal and the environmental consequences
deriving from the magnesium tailings from the lithium extraction.
Morales, for his part, probably expected more investment in the human
resources through the installation of educational facilities, chemistry
faculties, or at least scholarships to train the local people in the
relevant skills. Morales, in turn, wanted to sign a $2.3 billion
agreement – this time with China – turning Beijing into its strategic
partner for lithium extraction and battery technology. Morales thought
China to offer the best solution to achieve a complete battery
production supply chain. The Bolivian government was even rumored to
attempt a nationalization of the project, but a week after the
cancellation, President Evo Morales ‘resigned’ (or was the victim of a
coup).
Is there a coincidence between the cancellation and the resignation?
Perhaps, but the resulting political turmoil has effectively cut out
Bolivia and its massive lithium resources from the market. Even China,
which had designs with a project of its own in the Salar de Uyuni, will
not have a chance to pursue any mining, given the political and social
instability – even if the new people in charge will seek re-alignment
with the West (i.e. USA, Europe) instead of China and Russia.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:11 AM on Thursday, November 21st, 2019
If you are a small cap CEO, Director or Investor Relations Officer in North America, my 23 minute interview with James Black of the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) is the most important podcast you will listen to in 2019. Not because I am the guest but because of what I have to say.
Why does what I say matter? AGORACOM surpassed 600 million page views this year, we’re averaging over 4.5M views per month on Twitter and we’ve served over 300 clients. As such, the powerful information in this podcast comes from a deep understanding of both social media, why small cap companies are failing at it and what the serious implications are of that failure.
Make no mistake about it, this isn’t some generic social media discussion. James and I go deep and I hit hard because that is what good friends do. I’m sounding the alarm because of the massive implications if I don’t.
The good news is that, if you are not an AGORACOM client, you can turn this ship around but you have to do it now and that can only be done by understanding why small caps are failing today.
I suggest that your entire management team listens to it and discusses it. Then let’s have a call to discuss what can be done.
The beauty of this audio format is you can listen to it at work or in your car / subway to and from work. I’ve done the hard work presenting this powerful information, all you have to do is press play.
Thank-you and I look forward to discussing this with you and potentially working together in 2020. Our cashless and fully compliant shares for services program should make the decision an easy one.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:36 PM on Wednesday, November 20th, 2019
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mHealth Market Is Projected To Expand At A CAGR Of 25.7% By 2025
Global mHealth market size is expected to reach USD 151.57 billion by 2025, progressing at a CAGR 25.7% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc
The market is majorly driven by growing geriatric population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and increasing penetration of smartphones and internet connections
According to a report, “ mHealth Market Analysis Report By Participants (Mobile Operators, Device Vendors, Healthcare Providers), By Service (Diagnosis, Monitoring, Healthcare Systems), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 – 2025 â€, published by Grand View Research, Inc.,The global mHealth market size is expected to reach USD 151.57 billion by 2025, progressing at a CAGR 25.7% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is majorly driven by growing geriatric population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and increasing penetration of smartphones and internet connections. Technological advancements are leading to product innovations in the area of mHealth, which in turn will bode well for the market.
Growing inclination towards preventive
healthcare and subsequently rising subscription to mHealth apps have
been working in favor of the market. mHealth apps exhibit several
features that offer healthcare benefits to healthcare providers as well
as patients. mHealth apps provide accessibility to health related
information. mHealth apps also ensure continuous communication between
patients and providers, thereby allowing providers to diagnose,
recommend, and monitor patients without even seeing them in person.
Key players in this space
include Apple Inc.; AT&T; Airstrip Technologies; Allscripts
Healthcare Solutions; Google Inc; Orange; Soft Serve; mQure; and Samsung
Electronics.
Adoption of smartphones with
subscription to mHealth apps among adult population in the U.S. is
rising in order to maintain routine check. For instance, according to a
paper published in NCBI in February 2016, around 91.0% of adult
population in the U.S. own a mobile phone, with 61.0% of them possessing
smartphones.
Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest:
In 2017, monitoring services held the largest revenue share owing to
growing adoption of mhealth solutions for monitoring health conditions
such as diabetes
The healthcare system strengthening services segment is likely to register the highest CAGR of 27.7% over the forecast period
Healthcare providers will be the most promising participant segment
during the forecast period, mainly due to adoption of digital technology
by healthcare facilities in order to optimize care management process
In 2017, Europe accounted for the largest revenue share in the market
owing to rising research initiatives in the area of mHealth
Participants Insights
The mobile operators segment dominated
the mHealth market in 2017. Increasing number of partnerships of mobile
network operators with mHealth service providers is one of the key
factors contributing to the growth of the segment. Rising involvement of
mobile operators in the healthcare sector is also supplementing the
growth of the segment. According to a GSMA survey 2012, nearly 794
mobile operators were involved with mHealth in some way. This survey
also showed that in 2012, there were nearly 269 mHealth services or
products that were led by mobile operators.
The device vendors segment witnessed the
second largest revenue share in 2017. Growing involvement of device
vendors in mHealth is augmenting the . Device vendors are actively
participating by providing security systems to the smartphones for
reducing the incidences of data breaches pertaining to health records of
the patients. This further results in growing adoption of mHealth by
the general population.
Tags: EKG, mhealth, small cap stocks, stocks, tsx, tsx-v Posted in CardioComm Solutions | Comments Off on CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – #mHealth Market Is Projected To Expand At A CAGR Of 25.7% By 2025 $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:48 PM on Wednesday, November 20th, 2019
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Open letter to Ottawa: This one small detail is hindering the cannabis industry’s success
The excise stamp on a package of cannabis. Industry leaders say
these stamps unique to every province and territory are making it more
expensive to produce, package and ship cannabis to individual markets.Darren Brown/Postmedia
The devil is in the details. It’s a common but important refrain. It
reminds us how even the smallest facets of plans, processes and
situations can derail large-scale efforts.
Such is the case facing Canada’s cannabis industry. The federal government currently requires
that all cannabis products carry excise stamps — proof the appropriate
taxes have been paid by the licensed producer — like those attached to
tobacco packaging. These stamps are also unique to each province and
territory.
Excise stamps have been a source of ongoing frustration since legalization
For such a small item, the stamp significantly complicates the
business of providing legal cannabis to law-abiding consumers. In
addition, excise stamps hinder the flow of legal cannabis across the
country, leading to costly supply issues for both governments and
consumers.
Excise stamps have been a source of ongoing frustration since
legalization. The logistics of applying these stamps has resulted in unnecessary product delays. Likewise, when the industry is criticized
for excessive packaging, it’s often the result of complying with
federal cannabis packaging requirements, which include
provincial/territorial excise stamps.
Logistics aside, the stamps hinder the industry’s long-term success.
Requiring producers to use province/territory-specific excise stamps
impedes the flow of product across the country. Aside from the
complexity of per-province labelling, product that does not sell in one
region cannot easily be transported to another province where demand may
be higher. The labelling requirement removes licensed producers’
ability to respond in real time to changing demand, adds unnecessary
complexity to product forecasting, and means jurisdictions and retailers
face completely preventable product shortages. And when consumers can’t
find what they want in the legal market, they turn to the unregulated
market.
The administrative and production burdens of the stamp also mean that
it’s more expensive to produce, package and ship cannabis to individual
markets. This means it’s substantially tougher for legal producers and
retailers to compete, particularly with respect to price, with the
illegal cannabis market, which shoulders absolutely none of the costs
imposed on the legal system. One of the primary goals of cannabis
legalization was to compete with and thereby eliminate the unregulated
market for cannabis. So why do we insist on requirements like a unique
provincial/territorial excise stamp that prevents that competition?
The current system isn’t working because it ignores both business and market realities
No one is objecting to industry regulation. Licensed producers have
complied with regulatory requirements related to production,
distribution and promotion of the product — and have made the financial
investments necessary to do so. Province- and territory-specific excise
stamps, however, are costly and unnecessary when one national excise
stamp would do. Especially in such a new industry, where the efficiency
of the manufacturing process is paramount, it is not only
counter-intuitive but also counter-productive to continue the practice.
The current system isn’t working because it ignores both business and
market realities. We’re not the first industry to come to this
realization. In fact, Canada’s alcohol industry moved away from
province/territory-specific excise stamps years ago, after delivering
its own regulatory impact analysis and successfully arguing the benefits
of an alternative approach.
As an industry, we have heard consistently from both public and
private retailers across Canada that the current system of unique stamps
offers them little to no value. At least one territory has indicated it
has asked the Canada Revenue Agency to allow it to use product excise
stamps for another province in order to increase its ability to access
additional supply. More importantly, CRA has indicated a willingness to
work with the industry on a redesign of the excise stamp. That’s
progress.
If we are wholly committed to the goals of a thriving industry, we
need to alleviate the logistical, financial and environmental burden of
monitoring these products while successfully competing with the
unregulated market. We can do so in a way that is effective, safe, and
benefits the industry as well as Canadian consumers. It’s time to excise
multiple excise stamps and move, instead, to a national one.
Terry Booth, CEO, Aurora; Adine Carter, Chief Marketing Officer,
Tilray; Nav Dhaliwal, CEO, The Supreme Cannabis Company; Greg Engel,
CEO, Organigram; Torsten Kuenzlen, CEO, Sundial Growers; Csaba Reider,
President, The Green Organic Dutchman; Irwin Simon, Interim CEO and
Board Chair, Aphria; Sebastien St-Louis, President & CEO, HEXO; Mark
Zekulin, CEO, Canopy Growth Corporation. The authors are members of the
Cannabis Council of Canada, the national industry association
representing the legal cannabis sector.
