Mass Grass News

The Big Story: Treasurer Goldberg Fires CCC Chair O’Brien

by TJM STAFF

A timeline of their turbulent battle and roundup of breaking Mass cannabis coverage

The biggest Massachusetts weed story of 2024 is currently unfolding, though it’s been developing since 2023. Last Sept. 15, the Boston Globe reported that Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien was suspended from her position by state Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who appoints the top regulator.

There has been no shortage of resulting turmoil since, with enough lawsuits and hearings to generate national headlines. That’s in addition to innumerable other issues with the CCC that have garnered criticism from industry stakeholders, journalists, and lawmakers alike.

And now, nearly a year to the day after Goldberg put O’Brien on ice, the treasurer finally melted the chair’s prospects of returning to the agency.

According to a statement released by Goldberg, “After careful consideration of over twenty hours of meetings, reviewing hundreds of pages of testimony and documents, and evaluating statutes, case law and policies, I have decided to remove Chair O’Brien” from the commission. The treasurer added that O’Brien “committed gross misconduct and demonstrated she is unable to discharge the powers and duties of a CCC commissioner.”

Here’s what’s been reported so far:

Treasurer Goldberg fires Shannon O’Brien as chief of Cannabis Control Commission after year-long battle (WBUR)

O’Brien’s firing caps a period of intense instability at the commission tasked with regulating the state’s $7 billion marijuana industry. Goldberg appointed O’Brien to the chair position in 2022, “as a change agent and to clean house,” according to O’Brien’s testimony in the closed-door hearings, a copy of which was reviewed to WBUR.

O’Brien charged in her testimony that “The CCC has become an agency beset by a toxic internal work culture.” WBUR reported that former women staffers were bullied by a male employee. And many high-level positions have gone unfilled for months. The state inspector general in June urged state lawmakers to appoint an overseer for the troubled commission — but lawmakers concluded their legislative session without addressing the chaos at the agency.

Cannabis Control Commission chair officially fired for ‘gross misconduct’ (GBH / State House News Service)

Goldberg said she fired O’Brien because she “committed gross misconduct and demonstrated she is unable to discharge the powers and duties of a CCC commissioner.”

“I do so with deep regret because she has a long history of public service, and when appointed I anticipated she would lead the Commission capably and in an appropriate manner,” the treasurer said. “I expect my appointee’s actions to be reflective of the important mission of the CCC and performed in a manner that incorporates the standards of professionalism required in today’s work environment.”

Goldberg plans to name a new acting chairperson for the CCC soon, her office said.

Shannon O’Brien fired as state’s top cannabis regulator, ending year-long suspension and months of uncertainty (Boston Globe)

A spokesperson for O’Brien did not immediately offer a comment Monday night.

However, during the closed-door hearings, O’Brien wrote in a statement that her suspension was the consequence of her making much-needed change at the Commission, according to new documents shared by O’Brien’s legal team.

“I tried to change the culture at the CCC. I held people accountable. While some chafe at being held accountable, setting clear goals and assessing progress toward a goal is what drives real improvement,” O’Brien said in the statement. “That is what I believed [Goldberg] wanted. In response to my desire to demand accountability, rather than embracing needed change, employees made up false allegations to remove me.”

As many observers have noted, this firing will probably only spur further legal wrangling between O’Brien and the state. We’ll be following the saga every step of the way as we have up to this point, but for now, this is certainly a significant development in the ongoing rigmarole.