In Australia, Hemple’s range of food products is listed in more than 350 health and speciality stores including Flannery’s and Healthy Life.
() (OTCMKTS:MMJJF) is watching closely as its investee Hemple has launched its hemp and cannabinoid (CBD) brand in the US.
MMJ is a global cannabis investment company with a portfolio of listed and unlisted holdings, including a recent investment in Hemple, an Australian-based business.
The founders of Hemple, Cade Turland and Georgia Branch, are determined to carve out their piece of the world's biggest CBD market, estimated to be worth around US$22 billion by 2020.
Their Australian Cold Pressed Hemp Seed Oil and US grown and made Sigma N-Osmo CBD have made it into the hands of the Kardashians with both products featuring in social media feeds of Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Selma Blair and Shanina Shaik.
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Co-founder Georgia Branch, a Forbes 30 Under 30 list-maker, said: “There’s over 5,600 CBD tincture brands in the USA and we’re breaking away from the commoditised products which dominate the market.
“Our approach is to differentiate with a premium brand position that’s backed up by the innovative, effective products targeted towards the needs of our customer.
“Each of our products will have a specific functional benefit – from stress management to sleep.”
Turland continues: “We’re one of few companies in the US using nano-technology to improve the absorption rate of cannabinoids, which increases the absorption rate to over 90%.
“Ultimately this means better value for money for the customer.”
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As and Instagram continue to disallow ingestible hemp foods and CBD advertising, the founders see the style of organic social media endorsement they have gained as key to reaching their millennial consumer – a fast growing segment of the hemp CBD market.
MMJ Group is making inroads as it seeks to capitalise on considerable interest in the emerging global cannabis industry through strategic investments.
As such, it is the only ASX-listed investment company offering Australian investors the opportunity to invest in unlisted and listed cannabis-related businesses locally and offshore.
In the last 12 months MMJ has converted from a cannabis operational company into a listed investment company.
In this short timeframe it has accumulated a pool of around 16,000 investors and shareholders funds of about A$90 million with most investments being offshore and predominantly in Canada.