O’Brien’s attorney said on Tuesday that she plans to challenge the firing in court, a move that is likely to prolong chaos at the commission and bring all the messy details of the agency into public view.
Marijuana
Posted inMarijuana
Goldberg in difficult spot on O’Brien decision
It’s an unprecedented situation. Goldberg has spent close to $750,000 in taxpayer dollars on legal fees during the fight with O’Brien and O’Brien has probably spent a similar amount or more on private attorneys. O’Brien has also continued to collect her $196,551 annual salary during her suspension.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis commissioner pushing for forensic audit of agency
Forensic audits typically examine an organization’s financial records and look for fraud, misconduct, or irregularities
Posted inState Government
Legislature should appoint Cannabis Control Commission receiver
At this point, I respectfully submit that there is an urgent need for the legislative leadership to take immediate action to statutorily authorize the appointment of, and appoint, a receiver with clearly delineated authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the CCC.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis regulators allow marijuana to be transported over state waters
“This was turned around in a really quick time frame,” said Commissioner Kimberly Roy. “At the end of the day, this was about public health and public safety and patients and consumers alike having access to safely regulated products.”
Posted inState Government
Cannabis regulator calls intoxicating hemp products a ‘public menace’
“I’ve heard from many of our licensees that [unregulated hemp is] impacting them greatly. It’s a phenomenon known as gas station weed,” said Roy. “These are hemp products that are unregulated, that aren’t tested, that our children can buy. It keeps me up at night, the concerns around this gas station weed.”
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis Control Commission drags its feet on two-driver rule
“The two-driver rule is a hurdle and a handcuff that companies like mine are facing,” said Gyasi Sellers, the owner of cannabis delivery company Treevit. “There are a lot of companies like mine that are running out of time. Some have gone under already and that rule is one of the primary causes of that.”
Posted inMarijuana
After long delay, cannabis social equity fund starts up
The Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund was signed into law in 2022 to steer a portion of marijuana tax revenues to “entrepreneurs from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement.” The fund sat empty for many months, largely because of the way the law was drafted.
Posted inMarijuana
Healey makes history with marijuana mega-pardon
Healey said her move makes Massachusetts “the first state to take action” since President Joseph Biden in 2022 asked the nation’s governors to follow his lead on pardoning simple cannabis possession convictions.
Posted inOpinion
Confessions of a marijuana legalizer
We lacked the wherewithal to counter the propaganda, so we played to common fears, however unfounded, by pointedly including in the law ample authority for the proposed regulatory agency to enact rules addressing every jitter, however baseless, about marijuana.