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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

Marijuana vape manufacturers, retailers in limbo over long-delayed mail ban

Published July 26, 2021

Months of delay on a U.S. ban on shipping vape components has marijuana and hemp operators wondering if they should prepare for seismic shocks to their business models or proceed as usual and hope the ban never takes effect. The ban was supposed to kick in last spring, the result of a 2020 law that […]

Testing labs must take the lead in ensuring the safety of delta-8 THC

Published July 19, 2021

In an effort to boost a CBD-slumped economy, hemp producers are synthesizing delta-8 THC.

Northwest ‘heat dome’ prompts new rules for outdoor cannabis growers

Published July 13, 2021

Marijuana cultivators in the Pacific Northwest are adopting new work restrictions to protect employees during this summer’s record-breaking heat.

Prominent marijuana firm Hoban Law Group merges with national practice

Published July 9, 2021

Hoban Law Group, a prominent marijuana law practice based in Denver, merged with Clark Hill, a Michigan-based firm with more than 650 lawyers spanning the United States, Ireland and Mexico. Bob Hoban becomes co-leader of Clark Hill’s Cannabis Industry Group and heads the firm’s Denver office. Also leading Clark Hill’s cannabis group is Sander Zagzebski […]

Mexico ruling opens new opportunities in looming marijuana giant

Published July 8, 2021

Mexico’s watershed court decision to authorize recreational marijuana even before regulations for the market have been settled gives cannabis entrepreneurs even more reason to make business plans to enter what could soon be the world’s biggest adult-use market.

Colorado rolls out new hemp testing, THC labeling rules

Published July 1, 2021

A slate of new Colorado requirements for hemp products taking effect Thursday could signal a new wave of regulations as states move to regulate over-the-counter hemp products more like those made from marijuana.

Shopping for used cannabis extraction equipment? Insiders dish 6 key do’s and don’ts

Published June 24, 2021

Used extraction equipment is white-hot right now in the cannabis industry.

Manufacturers who refurbish extractors say they can’t keep up with demand, and the thriving secondhand market gives established players new options to recoup some money to use toward larger machines.

6 rapid tests approved to detect yeast and mold in cannabis

Published June 22, 2021

Validated rapid testing for total yeast and mold in cannabis is now a reality, thanks to six new approvals of tests applying technology from the food and environmental sectors. Traditional methods for establishing total yeast and mold in a cannabis sample generally require five to seven days. Rapid kits can reduce this time by 50% […]

Hexo pledges carbon-neutral cannabis, challenges others to follow suit

Published June 21, 2021

Sustainability is the next frontier that the cannabis industry needs to conquer, according to a Canadian CEO whose company is making moves to reduce and offset carbon emissions.

Now, he’s challenging others to follow suit.

Green job crunch: Rising hourly wages squeeze marijuana businesses

Published June 15, 2021

Marijuana businesses that remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic now face a brand-new challenge: tight labor markets and intense competition for entry-level employees as the economy springs back to life. The labor crunch has marijuana cultivators, manufacturers and retailers all scrambling to attract hourly workers against other industries offering wage hikes, increased benefits and even […]

How cannabis extractors can ensure their organic products stay clean

Published June 10, 2021

Organic marijuana and hemp products can fetch two and three times more than conventional cannabis, but the path to market is trickier than simply growing the plant without common pesticides.

Cash incentives and fiestas: Marijuana operators get creative to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations

Published May 27, 2021

There’s a big party on the horizon at Glass House Farms, a marijuana grower in Santa Barbara County, California. They’re calling it a fiesta, an outdoor celebration honoring employees after a year of COVID-19 trauma and disruption. There’s just one catch: The party starts only after 90% of Glass House workers choose to get COVID-19 […]