Cannabis Science Inc (fka CBIS)

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CBIS Finally Putting Cannabis-Extract Based Formulations on Shelves of Colorado Medical Marijuana Dispensary

It’s hard enough to run a successful business when you’re competing with other companies in a particular industry but it becomes infinitely more difficult when your business faces a steady stream of obstacles thrown up by the Federal Government. As confident as Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTCBB: CBIS) is about their future as a developer of pharmaceutical cannabis products the reality is the effectiveness of their products isn’t the problem, the problem is convincing lawmakers that individuals suffering from a range of disabilities, diseases, and ailments have the right to use a drug that has been deemed as not only illegal but has been classified under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, reserved for drugs that have “no currently accepted medical use.”
Of course there are currently more than a dozen states that have legalized medicinal marijuana to some degree and several states have begun the process of reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule II drug, a classification that acknowledges that there is an accepted medical use for the drug. That would appear to be a positive step for a company like CBIS but, as is often the case, the federal government has made their presence felt. It is not uncommon in California for the feds to shut down clinics despite the fact the dispensaries are legal in the state.

This is significant for CBIS simply because they will need dispensaries to sell their products given Thursday’s announcement that they had successfully released their first “Cannabis Science brand formulation,” comprised of high quality oil packaged in oral dispensing syringes for patient self-administration for treatment. CBIS announced that their cannabis-extract based formulations for topical or internal use are now available to patients through Colorado’s largest medical marijuana resources facility Cannabis Therapeutics.

That’s a nice first step but CBIS is facing a mountain of liabilities, has failed to generate substantial revenue to this point, and has seen their share price fall from a 52-week high of 0.1850 last November down to a low of 0.0162 last month. Shareholders have seen significant dilution this year as CBIS relies on the sale of securities to remain operational. Right now shares are trading around the 0.024 – 0.027 range which is about even with their 50-day moving of 0.0276 but trails their 200-day moving average of 0.0460.

As of their most recent quarterly filing for the period ending June 30, 2011 CBIS had a working capital deficit of $1,863,342 compared to a working capital deficit of $1,404,039 for the year ended December 31, 2010. The company stated that they have “insufficient liquid assets to meet current liabilities or sustain operations through 2011 and beyond and the Company must raise additional capital to cover the working capital deficit.” That won’t be done if they repeat they continue to see the same type of revenue stream they have generated thus far, license revenues of $62,044 and $73,334 for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2011.

Now that CBIS has a product at market investors may get a better idea about the company’s future, a future that company CEO, Dr. Robert Melamede, Ph.D., sees as positive. Melamede said earlier this month “As far as I know, we have the only formulation made from organically grown cannabis bud, and produced in a professional, Colorado State licensed, laboratory facility. Initially, we have chosen two facilities in Colorado to work with, both of the facilities were chosen for the quality of their botanicals and patient care. We are looking forward to expanding availability to other legal medical marijuana facilities and States along with an increased multiple formulation offerings.”

When CBIS sticks to the business at hand, that being the development of their products, they appear to be doing a good job but they tend to lose investors when they begin to preach in their press releases. It goes without saying that the company supports an individual’s right to choose medicinal marijuana as a form of treatment for specific conditions; Melamede doesn’t have to say, “We believe marijuana prohibition is unconstitutional. It denies people Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Additionally, furthermore, the current legal status violates the equal protection clause. People have legal access to cannabis-based medicines in some states, while others are criminal for using their medicine. Cannabis Science will remedy this situation through educating the masses and by taking our cannabis-based products through the FDA process for nationwide distribution.”

The fight to legalize marijuana didn’t start yesterday, it’s been going on for decades and for CBIS to say they will “remedy this situation through educating the masses” just sounds ridiculous. Unfortunately most of their press releases contain this type of language, like they’re not talking to investors but rather to a rally at a city park.

Without question CBIS has a passion for what they are doing and there is a strong likelihood that one day the federal government will reclassify marijuana and open the door for a more acceptable use for medical purposes but that day isn’t just around the corner. Big Pharma is spending billions on treatments and cures for the same disabilities, diseases, and ailments that a company like CBIS is targeting and those Big Pharma companies have enough influence to keep the medical marijuana industry where its at for some time.
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