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.

Michigan Mayhem: CBD rules drive producers out of state

Published May 22, 2018 | By Hemp Industry Daily staff

In the wake of new regulations putting nonintoxicating cannabidiol under the same rules as THC-heavy marijuana, CBD manufacturers announced plans to leave Michigan for other states.

Texas backs off CBD ban, but keeps option open

Published May 21, 2018

The Texas Department of State Health Services is pausing its proposal to ban over-the-counter CBD food products and supplements, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The agency now says it will delay implementing the CBD ban until it consults with law enforcement about the legality of cannabidiol.

Cannabis financial services firm shifts to plant-touching company with acquisition of hemp grower

Published May 18, 2018

A Nevada company that provides banking services for ancillary cannabis firms is taking a more direct tack in the industry with the acquisition of a hemp firm. Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions on Thursday announced its acquisition of SpeedyGrow, a Wyoming-based company licensed to cultivate and process hemp in western Colorado. Terms of the deal were […]

Firms create hemp joint venture in Oregon in hedge against cannabis oversupply

Published May 16, 2018 | By Hemp Industry Daily staff

Undeterred by cannabis overproduction in Oregon, a Canadian grower and a California processor have big plans to start growing hemp for CBD in Oregon. Global Hemp Group and Marijuana Company of America have signed a deal to launch a joint venture to grow CBD-rich hemp on an Oregon-based farm. The project includes five greenhouses totaling more […]

Australia issues CBD, hemp warning over illegal safety claims by US firms

Published May 16, 2018

Australian health authorities issued a warning about CBD and hemp products made in the United States, saying that some companies are illegally exporting CBD to Australia and claiming the products have been found safe – even though they have not been reviewed. In a consumer alert issued Monday, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said “companies located […]

Arizona legalizes hemp, but no commercial crops likely before 2019

Published May 15, 2018

Arizona became the 39th state to legalize hemp production when Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill authorizing the cultivation of industrial hemp for experimental purposes. “I’m glad to sign a bill that could have a positive economic impact for the state,” Ducey said in a statement released Monday. However, Arizona hemp production likely won’t begin until […]

Ontario moves to take hemp out of marijuana regulations, setting up Canadian hemp wave

Published May 14, 2018 | By Hemp Industry Daily staff

In a decision that could set a global precedent for hemp production, the Canadian province of Ontario decided hemp won’t be regulated the same as marijuana, leaving cannabis below 0.3% THC under the regulation of agriculture authorities. Canada is among the world’s largest hemp producers but is just starting to allow CBD extraction from hemp […]

South Carolina to double hemp licensing in 2019 as farmer demand surges

Published May 10, 2018

South Carolina plans to double its hemp program for 2019, saying that overwhelming farmer demand is driving a need for more licenses even as the state’s first legal crops are just going in the ground. The Palmetto State allowed just 20 hemp growing licenses for 20 acres each for 2018, the first year for a modern […]

Hemp legalization gains more allies: top Senate Democrat, American Farm Bureau

Published May 8, 2018

A Senate bill to take hemp out of the Controlled Substances Act is racking up allies. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and the American Farm Bureau are backing the measure introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Schumer’s endorsement comes about two weeks after he announced his support for legalizing marijuana. […]

Myth-busting: Hemp needs more water than many think

Published May 7, 2018 | By Hemp Industry Daily staff

Hemp isn’t as immune to drought as supporters claim, according to a Colorado State University soil researcher who analyzed two years of Colorado hemp production. “There are a lot of myths about this crop, and one of them is that it doesn’t need much water,” said Brian Campbell, a doctoral student in Soil and Crop […]

Climate challenges may delay Florida hemp production

Published May 4, 2018

Hemp has been legal in Florida since 2017, but state researchers say that the Sunshine State’s unusual climate means it could be years before private farmers can sign up to try the new crop. Florida wants to make sure hemp isn’t invasive in its warm, humid climate, according to Growing Produce, a trade publication for […]

CBD industry undeterred by DEA setback, although legal questions remain

Published May 3, 2018 | By Kristen Nichols

Scrambling to recover from a legal blow to CBD’s legality, the hemp industry now says a new federal rule classifying CBD as a controlled substance doesn’t affect hemp after all.