Cannabis Science (OTC: CBIS), Green Planet Group (OTC: GNPG) and Elephant Talk Communications (OTC: ETAK) have all issued press releases this week toting various “newsworthy” company achievements. Of the three stocks, CBIS issued the most bombastic press release with the title: “Cannabis Science Announces Critical Cancer Patient Dr. Lynnice Wedewer, Ph.D., Cured Seven Times By Medical Cannabis” (She will be featured in a company documentary to “promote” the company’s products and medical marijuana). On the other hand, GNPG announced a new “big” order for their green energy products while ETAK announced a new agreement with telecom player Zain Saudi Arabia. And while there is nothing wrong with a bit of corporate self promotion, investors need to remember that small cap OTC stocks like CBIS, GNPG and ETAK can make substantial moves based on one press release alone or any information considered to be “newsworthy.” Hence, here is a closer look at CBIS, GNPG and ETAK and their recent newsworthy “news”:

• Cannabis Science (OTC: CBIS) is a development-stage company engaged in the research and development of medical marijuana (See my previous article about medical marijuana stocks). Yesterday, Cannabis Science issued a press release noting that it had been contacted by Lynnice Wedewer, Ph.D., a 34 year multiple cancer patient survivor who was cured of her 7 out of 8 cancers thanks in part to medical cannabis. Dr. Wedewer wanted to share her story about medical cannabis through Cannabis Science in order to help the company’s case and educate the public about medical cannabis as a natural and viable treatment for cancer. Obviously its not so clear whether “medical cannabis,” which must be the new kinder and gentler term for medical marijuana, can cure cancer but what is clear is that Cannabis Science fell 11.40% yesterday to $0.0381 and has a 52 week trading range of $0.03 to $0.26 a share. Another clear thing: Cannabis Science is not profitable as it has net losses of $2,790k, $3,532k, $2,407k and $1,592k (Maybe the CBIS needs to focus less on promoting medical marijuana in general and more on shoring up its cash flows).
• Green Planet Group (OTC: GNPG), formerly known as EMTA Holdings, researches, develops, manufactures and distributes a range of green energy and clean tech products designed to improve the overall energy efficiency of petroleum-based energy sources. Green Planet Group just announced that their wholly owned subsidiary (Xentx Lubricants, Inc.) has received an initial order worth $1,000,000 to private label its Xentx and Synergyn products to sell in Canada. Shipments will begin this September and will continue monthly. Nevertheless, Green Planet Group fell 4.88% yesterday to $0.0390 and has a 52 week trading range of $0.01 to $0.06 a share. The new $1 million order, although newsworthy, will probably have minimal impact upon Green Planet Group’s overall revenues and bottom line as the company recently reported $8.1 million in revenue for the fiscal 4Q2011 and total revenues of $37.7 million for the fiscal year.
• Elephant Talk Communications (OTC: ETAK) is a Netherlands based international provider of both business software and services to the telecommunications and financial services industries. Elephant Talk Communications has just announced a new agreement with Zain Saudi Arabia, the country’s newest mobile player, to deliver and manage mobile services for both Zain Saudi Arabia and the Zain mobile brands in Saudi Arabia. Hence, Elephant Talk Communications rose 10.33% to $3.31 and has a 52 week trading range of $1.50 to $3.60 a share. However, investors might want to look into Elephant Talk Communications’ plan to launch a secure mobile wallet cloud computing platform later this year that will allow companies to manage billions, if not trillions of transactions in the coming mobile wallet revolution. Any press releases about those plans will certainly be newsworthy.

The bottom line: Of the three “newsworthy” press releases issued by CBIS, GNPG and ETAK, it would seem that ETAK’s was the most newsworthy as it probably helped move the stock 10% while CBIS’s press release toting or promoting medical cannabis as a cancer cure wins an award for being the most bombastic.