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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.

Restaurant CBD sales are booming, but new liability concerns keep cannabis producers from cashing in

Published June 10, 2019 | By Joey Peña

With U.S. sales of hemp-derived CBD products projected to top $1 billion this year, restaurants and bars are eager to capitalize on growing consumer demand for all things hemp. This was underscored in April when fast-food chain Carl’s Jr. announced that a single Denver location would be selling a hamburger topped with sauce infused with […]

GreenGro acquires California real estate for hemp CBD seed cultivation

Published June 7, 2019

Ancillary firm GreenGro Technologies acquired 4 acres in Southern California for propagating low-THC, high-CBD hempseeds. “We expect the sale of those seeds to have a significant positive impact on both our revenue and bottom line since the costs associated with producing hempseeds are expected to be significantly less than the revenue that the sale of […]

North Carolina considers ban on smokable hemp

Published June 6, 2019 | By Staff and wire reports

North Carolina is considering a ban on smokable hemp, but farmers say that would stifle market opportunity in a fast-growing new industry. The ban is part of a bill outlining North Carolina’s industrial hemp pilot program. The state’s Bureau of Investigation is pushing for the ban, saying it’s difficult for law enforcement to discern smokable hemp […]

Canadian CBD company taps Kellogg’s executive for global expansion

Published June 4, 2019

A Toronto-based hemp and CBD investment company has tapped the former president of Kellogg North America Co. to lead its planned expansion. Heavenly Rx, a subsidiary of Sol Global Investments, announced Monday that Paul Norman, former president of North America for the $13 billion food giant Kellogg’s, will be its new CEO. The announcement comes weeks after another Kellogg executive left […]

Alaska proposes bi-level THC testing fees in long-delayed hemp rule draft

Published June 4, 2019

Alaska wants to reward hemp farmers who use certified varieties with lower THC testing fees in the state’s long-delayed proposal for regulating commercial production. The proposed regulations – issued more than a year after Alaska authorized hemp cultivation – gives would-be entrepreneurs a first look at how much it could cost to produce and process hemp. The […]

Update from FDA hearing: Hemp industry asks for federal guidelines, but specifics elusive

Published May 31, 2019 | By Kristen Nichols

The cannabis industry wants a single set of rules. But entrepreneurs aren’t sure what those rules should be.

What’s next for CBD? What experts say to expect from FDA review

Published May 30, 2019 | By Hemp Industry Daily staff

The prospect of legal products infused with cannabis extracts is no longer out of bounds, now that Congress has removed low-THC hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.

USDA sides with hemp company in transportation dispute

Published May 30, 2019

A Colorado hemp company seeking the release of plants seized earlier this year in Idaho won a powerful ally this week when the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the hemp should not have been taken.

To address lack of regulatory standards, NGOs test CBD products in Europe

Published May 29, 2019 | By Alfredo Pascual

The CBD market in Europe faces a challenge that would look familiar to many U.S. producers: Its popularity is on the rise, despite lack of clear rules and industrywide standards. For consumers, this means legitimate products can often be found right next to others with significantly less CBD than advertised or with potentially harmful contaminants. This is especially […]

Illinois holding company buying hemp manufacturers, says it wants in on boom

Published May 28, 2019

An Illinois holding company is acquiring manufacturers that make hemp-derived CBD products, with an eye toward becoming a serious player in the space. Acquired Sales Corp. of Lake Forest is changing its name to CBD Lion and is flexing into the hemp market with significant acquisitions and investments: The company is acquiring Lifted Liquids – a […]

Hemp-derived products cleared for US air travel in another sign of federal acceptance

Published May 28, 2019

U.S. aviation authorities have changed course on cannabidiol and now allow it on airplanes, as long as it comes from hemp. The U.S. Transport Security Administration recently updated its guidance on medical marijuana to clarify that CBD products are allowed as long as they were produced legally. That means CBD products must be derived from legally […]

Canadian investors see hemp as way into US markets

Published May 23, 2019

The hemp industry continues to be a top investment target for well-capitalized Canadian cannabis companies. But that doesn’t mean they’re all looking to grow the plant. Organigram CEO Greg Engel, whose New Brunswick-based company began trading this week on the Nasdaq, says CBD offers a big opportunity to enter U.S. markets. However, he added his […]