Cannabis bill could bring reforms and shakeups after chair's return
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Shannon O'Brien speaking to reporters last year. Photo: Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Shannon O'Brien returned to lead the state's Cannabis Control Commission last week for the first time in two years, surviving the treasurer's efforts to fire her.
- But a state cannabis bill could complicate what's left of her tenure.
Why it matters: The House's cannabis bill would bring long-awaited reforms to medical marijuana, licensing and lab testing to make the industry safer and more accessible to consumers and business owners — and it would upend the commission's structure.
Catch up quick: O'Brien, who won her legal battle against Treasurer Deb Goldberg last month, pledged a "new beginning" when she joined last week's commission meeting.
- She vowed to cut red tape for business owners, bolster lab testing oversight and make the industry more equitable for those harmed by the War on Drugs.
Yes, but: Some of those issues could be resolved in a cannabis modernization bill the House passed earlier this year.
- The same bill would order the governor to appoint the full-time chair and two part-time commissioners.
- If the bill makes it to the governor's desk, the CCC will have to implement the new law within a year, which could fall before O'Brien's term is up in August 2027.
Zoom in: Under the bill, the chair's term would run concurrent with the governor's term.
- The commission would hire the executive director, but the commissioner would oversee daily operations, including the director's work.
- The bill would also set up an anonymous tip line to address health and safety complaints, order the CCC to develop regulations on hemp, and kill the vertical integration model that has made medical cannabis businesses costly to run.
Reality check: The cannabis modernization bill is at the whim of the legislature.
- The House passed the bill in June and sent it to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, where it has sat since.
- Gray Milkowski, a spokesperson for Senate President Karen Spilka, said Spilka and her colleagues are "following the Cannabis Control Commission closely" and are reviewing the House bill.
- Asked whether the Senate will take up the bill before the end of the year, he declined to comment.
What they're saying: O'Brien said in a statement to Axios, "It is my hope that my return to lead the commission will provide some of the stability and fidelity to follow state law and regulations that the legislature, inspector general and auditor have all raised as critiques of the commission."
- She also acknowledges that the commission's structure could ultimately be decided by lawmakers and the governor, but said she's focused on addressing social consumption regulations, testing lab oversight and other priorities.
Meanwhile, O'Brien is catching up on rules that would enable pot lounges and other social consumption spaces to open shop.
- One of O'Brien's first moves was to reschedule the late September meetings to finalize social consumption rules to Oct. 23 and Oct. 24.
What we're watching: O'Brien said the commission may have to revisit the votes it made during O'Brien's two-year absence, saying an acting chair wasn't properly designated.
- Travis Ahern, the commission's executive director, said he and O'Brien will consult with the attorney general's office to verify whether votes were taken properly.