Fired cannabis commission leader plans legal fight, as interim chair takes over
Photo | Grant Welker
Worcester's Union Station, home of the state's Cannabis Control Commission
One day after she fired former Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien following a protracted investigation into alleged misconduct, Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg appointed current CCC Commissioner Bruce Stebbins as acting chair of the agency on Tuesday.
Stebbins will serve as acting chair until a permanent replacement for O’Brien is found, according to a statement issued by Goldberg on social media on Tuesday.
“I am confident that Commissioner Stebbins will ensure stability during this period and will continue to positively impact the important mission of the CCC,” Goldberg said in the statement. “I am grateful that he has agreed to serve in this capacity until a permanent chair is appointed.”
Despite her firing, the battle between O’Brien and Goldberg continues, as O'Brien's legal representation told the CommonWealth Beacon she will challenge the decision in court.
Stebbins was first named to the commission in December 2020 as a joint appointee of the treasurer, governor, and attorney general, after an eight-year stint as a commissioner with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Prior to his time at state agencies, Stebbins served as a member of the Springfield City Council from 2006 to 2009 and spent time in the Office of Political Affairs at the White House during the George H.W. Bush administration.
Goldberg’s appointment of Stebbins as acting chair may be an attempt to avoid further debates among the commission over who will serve as acting chair until a permanent replacement is appointed, a frequent topic of discussion at commission meetings since O’Brien was initially suspended.
The chair of the commission has control over all affairs of the CCC, according to state law. However, lawmakers and the state’s inspector general have cited confusion over the division of responsibilities between the chair and the agency’s executive director as one issue that’s harming the commission’s ability to operate.
Stebbins’ first meeting as acting chair will be the agency’s meeting on Thursday, where the agency plans on discussing topics including the CCC’s ongoing search for a new executive director and a discussion focused around license ownership and control.
The latter discussion comes after two equity-focused organizations, the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts and Equitable Opportunities Now, issued a press release on Sept. 4 calling for an investigation into accusations about large cannabis businesses violating rules restricting them to having ownership or control of no more than three adult-use retail licenses.
With O’Brien’s former seat vacant and Commissioner Ava Callender Concepcion out on maternity leave, the CCC now has three active commissioners.
Eric Casey is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments