The Cannabis Control Commission turned a new page on Wednesday with the official return of formerly-ousted Chair Shannon O’Brien, who announced she’s reveiwing all the moves the pot board made while she was fighting for her $181,722 job.
The now-reinstated Chair returned to her post for the first time since she was abruptly removed from her position in September of 2023, and offered just a brief comment on the matter before taking the reins of the commission and steering them through a regular business meeting.
“After a long and difficult two years I return to the CCC with an even deeper sense of purpose and gratitude. Through the challenges, I was reminded of the resilience of this industry and the importance of the work commissioners and staff do together for the people of Massachusetts,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien’s return comes after her removal and firing by State Treasurer Deb Goldberg. Her position was reinstated by a Suffolk Superior Court Judge just last month, when the court found the treasurer lacked sufficient reason to see the chair removed.
Goldberg attempted to appeal the ruling, but dropped the matter when a single justice of the appeals court ruled against her attempt to keep O’Brien off the job during the appeals process, noting she was unlikely to succeed in her effort to overturn the lower court’s ruling.
O’Brien wasted no time getting to business on Wednesday, and after making her brief statement and saying she was looking forward to working with newly hired staff she fell right into managing the commission. She participated in the renewal of several retail licenses and discussion around a non-compliant license holder and how they might be held accountable for breaking industry rules. O’Brien stressed her worry for the plight of employees at any licensed facility faced with suspension.
The chair also made clear that she had some changes in mind for the commission, offering concerns that the legal marijuana industry had become bloated with regulation, effectively choking out small operators.
“Over-regulation can unintentionally shut out diverse new entrants and impedes all businesses from achieving economic success,” O’Brien said. “Our goal is smart regulation that protects the public while allowing businesses to succeed.”
O’Brien said she was reaffirming her commitment to ensuring the state’s legal marijuana industry was inclusive of those communities directly impacted by the historical prohibition against marijuana.
“If we are serious about repairing historic inequities, we must make equity more than just a principle—we must make it a practice. The Commission has a responsibility not only to regulate but to lead. By reducing barriers, strengthening safeguards, and centering equity, we will grow an industry that Massachusetts can be proud of,” she said.
At the same time, the chair noted that she intends to oversee a prioritization of stronger oversight measures for Independent Testing Facilities, with a focus on “improving lab accountability, standardizing quality controls, and enhancing transparency.” The goal, O’Brien said, is to ensure that marijuana sold in Massachusetts meets the highest of safety standards.
The chair’s return was not without some controversy — she noted that her removal had also coincided with an internal power struggle over who might replace her as acting chair. The process was conducted in a manner, she said, that she wasn’t entirely certain the commission was acting according to the letter of their governing statute in her absence.
Some of the work that was done over the two years she was fighting for her job might have to be revisited, O’Brien said, to ensure that decisions and votes are legally binding. CCC Executive Director Travis Ahern said in a statement that he and the chair would be working with the state Attorney General’s office to determine what, if anything, requires a redo.
“Our agency has advanced many important issues since 2023, including executing the agency’s first governance charter, completing a nationwide executive director search, and the near-finalization of social consumption regulations that will create three new license types for Massachusetts equity participants and small businesses. We look forward to obtaining final clarity regarding this question about delegating an Acting Chair,” he said.
O’Brien’s return has meant that the commission’s tentative schedule for the implementation of social consumption regulations will have to wait until after the commission meets with her present. There are a series of meetings scheduled for the end of the month to iron out final details in the rules. Commissioner Kimberly Roy, during a post-meeting press conference, told the Herald that social consumption regulations should be in place before Christmas.