Erin Kelly completed her PhD at the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, where she conducted research on the intersections of people, forests, and institutions. Since arriving at Humboldt in 2012, she has begun to consider the role of cannabis production as part of her research into rural economic development, land use, and natural resource management. She is interested particularly in how legalization will change northern California's economy and culture and how cannabis growers will adapt to and resist stringent regulatory frameworks.