Ousted Mass. cannabis chair reinstated after court overturns firing
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Shannon O'Brien has been ordered back to her role as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission after a judge ruled her September 2024 termination by Treasurer Deborah Goldberg was unlawful.
Why it matters: The ruling restores O'Brien to authority over the troubled agency that's faced heaps of scrutiny from state watchdogs and the struggling legal weed industry over slow and ineffective regulatory reforms.
- It's a loss for Goldberg, who will have to coexist with O'Brien running the show at the CCC (for now, at least).
State of play: Suffolk Superior Court Judge Robert Gordon found Goldberg lacked sufficient grounds to remove O'Brien.
- The ruling gives O'Brien her job back, plus back pay, through the remainder of her term ending in August 2027.
- Goldberg told reporters the judge "got it wrong" and she will review her next steps.
Zoom in: Gordon's 50-page decision dismantled Goldberg's allegations of O'Brien's misconduct in office, calling the claims "as thin as playing cards."
- The judge dismissed allegations that O'Brien made racially insensitive comments, instead finding that O'Brien was quoting someone else while advocating for people of color.
- The judge called some CCC workplace conflicts "anodyne teasing" that didn't rise to the level of harassment.
- Gordon wrote there's no evidence of fraud, theft, discrimination or "egregious behavior" that would meet the standard for dismissal.
Follow the money: Goldberg's office reportedly spent nearly $1 million in legal fees during the prolonged dispute to oust O'Brien.
Catch up quick: Goldberg suspended O'Brien in September 2023 after a workplace conduct investigation. O'Brien was fired after 19 hours of private meetings between the two.
- O'Brien served as state treasurer herself from 1999 to 2003.
What's next: O'Brien says she plans to return to work at the CCC immediately.
- The agency is currently operating with one vacant seat after Nurys Camargo's departure in May.
The bottom line: O'Brien's return could provide stability at the CCC as lawmakers consider cannabis regulatory reforms amid ongoing industry complaints.