Monday, May 28, 2018

Isodiol International Inc. Announces Closing of Strategic Non-Brokered Offering

By DSO at 12:30 PM  , ,  No comments
Isodiol International Inc. Announces Closing of Strategic Non-Brokered Offering for Total Proceeds of $18 MillionPress Release | 05/28/2018
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Isodiol International Inc. (CSE: ISOL) (OTC: ISOLF) (FSE: LB6A.F) (the “Company” or “Isodiol”), a global CBD innovator specializing in the development of pharmaceutical and health and wellness products and now supporting the pharmaceutical industry at large with its recently approved CBD as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient, announces the closing of the strategic non-brokered private placement, for total proceeds of $18,000,000.

“We are extremely pleased to close this strategic investment,” said CEO of Isodiol, Marcos Agramont.  “With this additional funding, the Company is now well positioned to further execute its plan of aggressive global expansion and also continue to be a global CBD innovator. International markets present many opportunities for the Company including new market channels, university collaborations, clinical studies, and ultimately, increased revenues.”

The Company will use the proceeds of the Private placement primarily for global expansion, including the recently announced expansion in the UK and China.

For more information on Isodiol, please visit www.isodiol.com

About Isodiol International Inc.

Isodiol International Inc. is the market leader in pharmaceutical grade phytochemical compounds and the industry leader in the manufacturing and development of CBD consumer products.

Isodiol is the pioneer of many firsts for the cannabis industry including commercialization of 99%+ pure, pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids, micro-encapsulations, and nanotechnology for the highest quality consumable and topical skin care products and most recently received approval as having the first CBD designated as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient as was announced April 26, 2018.

Isodiol’s growth strategy includes the development of over-the-counter and pharmaceutical drugs, expanding its phytoceutical portfolio and will aggressively continue international expansion into Latin America, Asia and Europe.

Join Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isodiol/
Twitter: @isodiol

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Marcos Agramont, CEO & Director

INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Ir@isodiol.com
www.isodiol.com

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to statements regarding the Company's business, products and future of the Company’s business, its product offerings and plans for sales and marketing. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that the Company's products and plan will vary from those stated in this news release and the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation, and does not intend, to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and makes no reference to profitability based on sales reported. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release.

Analysts Ask: Is Gold Ready To Rally With Bullish Bets Close To 2.5-Years Low?

By DSO at 11:52 AM    No comments
Kitco News) - Hedge funds continued to shed their bullish gold bets, but some analysts said that there are signs that the selling momentum is starting to fade.
The latest data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission shows net bullish speculative positioning in the gold market at its lowest level since late-January 2016.
The CFTC's disaggregated Commitments of Traders report for the week ending May 22, showed money managers reduced their speculative gross long positions in Comex gold futures by 11,845 contracts to 91,411. At the same time, short bets fell by 9,378 contracts to 74,880. Gold’s net length now stands at 16,531.
Gold’s net length dropped 12% from the previous week as the selling pressure pushed prices to a new five-month low during the week-long survey period. However, the fact that gold was able to hold critical long-term support above $1,280 an ounce is a sign that the market is oversold, according to some analysts.
Net long or short positioning in the CFTC data reflects the difference between the total number of bullish (long) and bearish (short) contracts. Traders monitor the data to gauge the general mood of speculators, although excessively high or low numbers are viewed by many as signs of overbought or oversold markets that may be ripe for price corrections.
Olen Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank said that the gold market is, “building up for a new upside attempt once the fundamental and/or technical outlook improves.”
Commodity analysts at TD Securities said that continued strength in the U.S. dollar continues to weigh on gold; however, they also see the potential for a recovery in gold in the near-term.
“Between the FOMC minutes striking a dovish tone, and Trump canceling the meeting with North Korea's Kim, the precious metals environment should appear more attractive moving forward,” they said.
While gold is struggling to attract investor interest, the silver market appears to be turning a corner as new bullish bets and short-covering supported prices last week, according to the trade data.
The disaggregated report showed money-managed speculative gross long positions in Comex silver futures rose by 7,347 contracts to 56,388. At the same time, short positions fell by 8,676 contracts to 56,978. Silver's net short positioning currently stands at 590 contracts.
This is the third week that silver has seen a decline in its net short positioning as prices rose nearly 2% during the survey period.
Analysts have been relatively optimistic on silver, but they have also said that investors need to see prices push above $17 an ounce before they jump back into the market.
By Neils Christensen

SOURCE http://www.kitco.com/news/2018-05-28/Analysts-Ask-Is-Gold-Ready-To-Rally-With-Bullish-Bets-Close-To-2-5-Years-Low.html

OTCQX:SYATF Siyata Mobile to Release Q1 2018 Financials and Sets Date for Conference Call

By DSO at 11:15 AM    No comments
MONTREAL, May 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siyata Mobile Inc. (the "Company" or "Siyata") (TSX-V:SIM) (OTCQX:SYATF) is pleased to announce it will be releasing its first quarter financial results on May 30, 2018 and will host a conference call May 31, 2018 at 6:00AM PST (9:00 EST) to discuss the results, and give a corporate update followed by a Q&A period.

The Company will hold a conference call on Thursday May 31 at 9:00 am Eastern Time (6:00 am PST) to discuss the year-end results, along with a Q&A session with Siyata Mobile CEO and Chairman, Marc Seelenfreund.

Details of the conference call:

Date: Thursday, May 31, 2018

Time: 6:00 am PT / 9:00 am ET

Operator Assisted Toll-Free Dial-In Number: (866) 521-4909

Local or International Dial-In Number: (647) 427-2311

There will also be a playback of the conference call, available in MP3 format by contacting investor relations below.

About Siyata
A TSX Venture Top 50 Company, Siyata Mobile Inc. is a leading global developer and provider of cellular communications systems for enterprise customers, specializing in connected vehicle products for professional fleets, marketed under the Uniden® Cellular brand. Since developing the world’s first 3G connected vehicle device, Siyata has been a pioneer in the industry, launching the world’s first 4G LTE all-in-one fleet communications device in 2017. Incorporating voice, push-to-talk over cellular, data, and fleet management solutions into a single device, the company aims to become the connected vehicle communications device of choice for commercial vehicles and fleets around the world.

Siyata also offers rugged phones for industrial users and signal boosters for homes, buildings, and fleets with poor cell coverage. Siyata’s customers include cellular operators, commercial vehicle technology distributors, and fleets of all sizes in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.

Visit www.siyatamobile.com and http://www.unidencellular.com/ to learn more.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of:
SIYATA MOBILE INC.
Marc Seelenfreund
CEO and Chairman

Investor Relations:
Arlen Hansen
Kin Communications
1-866-684-6730
SIM@kincommunications.com

Sales Department:
Glenn Kennedy, VP Sales
Siyata Mobile Inc.
416-892-1823
glenn_kennedy@siyatamobile.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

Cyber thieves claim to hit two big Canadian banks

By DSO at 11:07 AM    No comments
TORONTO (Reuters) - Bank of Montreal (TO:BMO) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TO:CM) said on Monday that cyber attackers may have stolen the data of potentially tens of thousands of customers in what could be the first significant assault on financial institutions in the country.
Bank of Montreal (TO:BMO), Canada's fourth biggest lender, said on Monday it was contacted by fraudsters on Sunday who claimed they were in possession of the personal and financial information of a limited number of the bank's customers.
The bank said it believed the attack originated from outside the country and was confident the exposures that led to the theft of customer data had been closed off. It said it was working with relevant authorities to assess the situation.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TO:CM), Canada's fifth biggest lender, said fraudsters contacted the lender on Sunday claiming they had electronically stolen personal and account information of 40,000 customers of its Simplii direct banking brand.
CIBC said it has not yet confirmed the cyber breach but is taking the claim seriously. CIBC said customers at its main banking division were not affected.
Both banks said they were contacting customers and advising them to monitor their accounts and report any suspicious activity.
The banks did not respond to requests for comment.
Other Canadian banks said they had not been affected.
Shares in BMO were down 0.5 percent and CIBC was down 0.2 percent.
Canada's six biggest banks have been collaborating along with the Bank of Canada to enhance their defenses against cyber attacks. The Bank of Canada said earlier this month that some attacks would inevitably succeed but it has recovery mechanisms in place to limit the damage.
Cyber attacks are increasingly common. Last year, credit monitoring firm Equifax (NYSE:EFX) said information on about 146.6 million names, 146.6 million dates of birth, 145.5 million U.S. social security numbers, 99 million addresses and 209,000 payment card numbers and expiration dates, were stolen in a cyber attack.

SOURCE : Investing.com

Civil rights advisers hope Starbucks' anti-bias training sets example

By DSO at 11:03 AM    No comments
By Lisa Baertlein
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Black leaders who are advising Starbucks Corp (O:SBUX) on its anti-bias training program, which begins Tuesday, hope it will reinvigorate decades-old efforts to ensure minorities get equal treatment in restaurants and stores, setting an example for other corporations.
Starbucks committed to the training after a Philadelphia cafe manager's call to police resulted in the arrests of two black men who were waiting for a friend. The arrests sparked protests and accusations of racial profiling at the coffee chain known for its liberal stances on social issues such as same-sex marriage.
Anti-bias training is intended to get participants to recognize their own unconscious biases and avoid unintentional discrimination.
Starbucks is closing 8,000 company-owned U.S. stores at around 2 pm local time on Tuesday as a first step in training 175,000 employees on racial tolerance. Some 6,000 licensed Starbucks cafes will remain open in locations such as grocery stores and airports, and those employees will be trained at a later time.
Starbucks' training could have a lasting impact on its employees' behavior and pave the way for other companies to finally tackle racism in their own eateries and shops, said Heather McGhee, president of public policy group Demos.
McGhee said one of her earliest memories as a black girl was being chased from a penny candy store by a white store manager.
McGhee and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill, who are both advising Starbucks on its program, said they have been in regular contact with company executives, particularly Chief Operating Officer Rosalind Brewer, who also is African-American.
"People forget that the effort to be treated as full citizens with dignity in public spaces in this country was central to the civil rights movement, from the Freedom Riders to the Montgomery bus boycott to the lunch counter sit ins" of the 1950s and 1960s, said Ifill.
The NAACP in the past sued Abercrombie & Fitch (N:ANF), Wet Seal and Denny's Corp (O:DENN) for racial bias. Each of the companies reached multi-million dollar settlements and vowed to change their practices.
Starbucks in a preview of Tuesday's four-hour program said employees will watch videos featuring company leaders, hip hop artist Common and experts from the Perception Institute as well as a short documentary the on history of racism in public spaces. They also will participate in discussion and problem-solving sessions on identifying and avoiding bias.
The company already has issued employee guidelines for addressing disruptive customer behavior, including sleeping, using abusive language or taking drugs. The guidelines encourage workers to ask if they would take the considered action with any customer, to verify the perceived situation with a co-worker and to dial 911 if the situation becomes unsafe.
Starbucks did not comment on future training plans. It has said it intends to eventually share its training program with other companies.
Corporate America began to embrace anti-bias training after the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.
Most anti-bias programs involve education on what unconscious bias is, why humans have it, its impact on social interactions and society and mitigation tools.
"Most people want to think of themselves as being fair ... if you give them the tools to do that, their better angels take over," said Howard Ross, author of "Everyday Bias" and founding partner of Cook Ross, which offers training on unconscious bias and gave Starbucks input on its program.

Monday, May 21, 2018

News : OTCQX $GRWG )GrowGeneration Hires Senior Commercial Expert Yoshi Sakashita to Lead its Commercial Division

By DSO at 5:31 AM  ,  No comments
DENVER, May 21, 2018 /CNW/ - GrowGeneration Corp. (OTCQX: GRWG), GrowGeneration ("GrowGen" or the "Company") one of the largest specialty retail hydroponic and organic gardening stores, announced today that it hired Yoshi Sakashitato the position of Vice-President of GrowGen Management Corp. GrowGen Mgt. is focused exclusively on providing product driven solutions, that lower costs and increases the efficiencies for large commercial cultivation operations.  
From 2012-2017, Yoshi Sakashita was the Technical Lighting Expert for Gavita International, the leading indoor lighting solution for cannabis cultivators and most recently at Hawthorne Gardening, a division of Scotts Miracle-Gro, who acquired Gavita International in 2017. Prior to Gavita, he was with Bio Floral and Method 7, providing solutions and problem solving for many commercial growers.

GrowGen CEO Comments
Darren Lampert, Co-Founder and CEO, said, "The hiring of Yoshi, as our VP of GrowGen Management Corp. further solidifies the management team of GrowGen. Yoshi's years of experience in working with large commercial facilities, in both the US and around the globe, gives us a proven leader in the commercial cultivation space. Our commercial division is investing in new technologies and products that bring automation and efficacies, that will lower the grower's costs and deliver an overall better yielding and tasting product. We are extremely excited to have Yoshi on our team. "
Yoshi Sakashita Comments
Yoshi Sakashita said, "The opportunity to work with a growth company, with the vision and mission to develop the first national chain of hydroponic stores and the ability to deliver efficiencies, technology and provide solutions to the end users, drove my decision to accept the position of VP of GrowGen Management Corp. My passion is to help facilities, by bringing efficiencies, technology and techniques, used in traditional horticulture and bring it to the cannabis world will be key to the long-term success and profitability of cannabis cultivation businesses. My expertise is creating these solutions to solve cultivation problems, so they can operate most efficiently. I am truly excited about being part of the GrowGen management team."
About GrowGeneration Corp.:
GrowGeneration Corp. ("GrowGen") owns and operates specialty retail hydroponic and organic gardening stores. Currently, GrowGen has 17 stores, which includes 6 locations in Colorado, 4 locations in California, 3 locations in Michigan, 2 locations in Nevada, 1 location in Rhode Island and 1 location in Washington. GrowGen carries and sells thousands of products, including organic nutrients and soils, advanced lighting technology and state of the art hydroponic equipment to be used indoors and outdoors by commercial and home growers. Our mission is to own and operate GrowGeneration branded stores in all the major legalized cannabis states. Management estimates that roughly 1,000 hydroponic stores are in operation in the U.S. According to New Frontier Data, by 2020 the cannabis market is estimated to reach over $23 billion with a compound annual growth rate of 32%.
Forward Looking Statements:
This press release may include predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgments, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of this release. Please keep in mind that we are not obligating ourselves to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. When used herein, words such as "look forward," "believe," "continue," "building," or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by us herein are often discussed in filings we make with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, available at: www.sec.gov,and on our website, at: www.growgeneration.com.
News Source : https://finance.yahoo.com/news/growgeneration-hires-senior-commercial-expert-120000865.html