Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - ASHBURTON VENTURES INC. (ABR-TSX:V) (ARB-FRANKFURT)("Ashburton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that initial laboratory results from Ashburton's study of cannabis grown in zeolite and carbon have been published on the Ashburton Ventures website. A second round of samples is now in possession of MB Labs in Sidney, BC, for laboratory analysis to expand the data set from liquid runoff captured from cannabis plants involved in the study.

According to Albert Kasprowicz, biologist and site manager at the cannabis research facility on Salt Spring Island, BC, "Our data so far suggests that adding fifteen or twenty per cent of a zeolite-carbon blend to the potting mix has high potential benefits to cannabis, such as reducing the pathogen burden on plants and increasing availability of key nutrients. We decided to amplify the data with further samples so that our findings will carry more weight. We're extremely interested to see if our upcoming data set replicates and confirms our initial findings."

As the final set of liquid runoff samples are analyzed, the study team is collecting samples of substrate from the root zone, and samples of plant tissue from leaf material for submission to MB Labs this week.

Chief Operating Officer Tim Harvey oversees the study for Ashburton. He noted: "A more complete picture of how zeolite affects plant health will emerge over coming weeks as we compare Phase One results, profiling liquid runoff, with Phase Two and Three data concerning the content of the potting mix, living plant tissue and ultimately the dried marijuana flowers. We'll gain a picture of the nutrient pathways affecting different plant groups in our study, and then see how this affects the production of quality of marijuana."

Harvey continued, "Studies of zeolite's effects on other agricultural crops have found increased vegetable mass and higher vitamin content. Our study is the first to pair zeolite with cannabis, so we're going in blind as to what the results might be. However, if zeolite or a zeolite-carbon blend is shown to have a highly positive impact on marijuana growth, quality and yields, we anticipate strong demand for a propriety soil enhancer tailored to marijuana cultivation. We'll then shift our focus from conducting science to satisfying that demand."

With plants scheduled for harvest in one week, the cannabis-zeolite study now enters a critical phase in both the greenhouse and laboratory. Results will be posted on the Ashburton website as they become available.

Ashburton Ventures Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on Canadian mineral projects in Quebec and British Columbia, Canada.If you would like to be added to the news release distribution please get in touch with us at info@ashburtonventures.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Signed "Michael England"

Michael England, CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Telephone: 1-604-683-3995; Toll Free: 1-888-945-4770; www.ashburtonventures.com

Forward-Looking Statements:

Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Ashburton Ventures Inc. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:
public://news_release_pdf/ashburton07102017_0.pdf

Source: Ashburton Ventures Inc. (TSX Venture:ABR, FWB:ARB)

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