EMAIL: kristenn@mjbizdaily.com
PHONE: 720.643.4450

Kristen Nichols

Kristen is a Denver-based reporter for Marijuana Business Daily specializing in the hemp and CBD industries. Previously, she worked at the Associated Press for nearly 20 years. She started covering the marijuana legalization movement in 2009 – when medical stores started popping up around Denver – and wrote about the state’s first legal hemp harvest. Kristen also covered agriculture and politics in Maryland and her home state of Georgia.

Australia’s Creso Pharma makes $21 million CBD acquisition to enter US markets

Published February 3, 2022

Australian marijuana producer Creso Pharma Ltd. is the latest global marijuana producer that is making its entry into the United States via a CBD maker.

2022 Winter Olympics feature Canadian hemp fibers in luge, bobsled tracks

Published February 3, 2022

Calgary, Alberta-based processor Canadian Greenfield Technologies sent more than 60,000 pounds of hemp for use in luge and bobsled tracks in the 2022 Winter Olympics opening Friday.

The NFT boom is coming to cannabis. Here’s what hemp operators need to know about it.

Published February 3, 2022 | By Bart Schaneman

The NFT boom is coming for THC and CBD as cannabis companies roll out non-fungible tokens to build hype around new products, verify testing lab results as legit and sell consumers on exclusive deals.

Thailand cannabis change opens opportunities for low-THC hemp products

Published February 2, 2022

Thailand’s Health Ministry has removed marijuana from the country’s list of controlled drugs. But the change benefits only low-THC hemp operators for now, because the country has retained a cap on allowable THC.

PepsiCo’s new US hemp drink aimed at younger, female customers

Published February 1, 2022

PepsiCo has younger female consumers in mind with the U.S. launch of hempseed-infused energy drinks.

BevCanna wraps $21 million acquisition of extraction firm

Published January 28, 2022

BevCanna, a Canadian maker of white-label CBD beverages and Keef Brands THC drinks, completed its $21 million all-stock acquisition of Toronto-based Embark Health, a solventless extraction company. The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company announced the closing Friday. BevCanna CFO John Campbell said the acquisition includes $11 million in equipment and an extraction facility in Delta, British Columbia. […]

Your CBD Store chain sues ex-franchisees for allegedly selling rival’s products

Published January 28, 2022

Your CBD Stores, a Florida-based chain of CBD retail shops with more than 500 locations, is suing two former franchisees and accusing them of unlawfully selling a rival’s products.

California CBD extraction firm Leef Holdings acquired by Canadian company for $120M

Published January 27, 2022

Icanic Brands is acquiring California CBD extraction company Leef Holdings for $120 million.

How is the global supply-chain crunch playing out in hemp? Q&A with logistics expert Kevin Schultz

Published January 25, 2022 | By Kristen Nichols

The globe’s sputtering supply-chain logistics are challenging for all businesses right now. But for cannabis, those challenges can be an absolute nightmare.. That’s where Kevin Schultz saw opportunity.

Failed Montana hemp processing venture ends in $2M lawsuit

Published January 19, 2022

An Idaho man is accusing his onetime partner of foiling a hemp-processing venture in Montana and making off with some $2 million.

Squish Game: 4 key considerations for choosing the right cannabis gelling agent

Published January 19, 2022 | By Kristen Nichols

(This is the latest installment in an ongoing series offering tips and advice for marijuana and hemp manufacturers. The previous installment is available here.) Gummies are the undisputed champions of edible cannabis, with sales that dwarf all other category form factors. According to dispensary sales analysis firm Headset, gummies accounted for $602 million in sales […]

Charlotte’s Web adds gummies line to GNC stores

Published January 18, 2022

Colorado CBD maker Charlotte’s Web has added distribution in 24 states through a new agreement with GNC, a Pittsburgh-based health and wellness retailer.