Reinstated chair will lead her first public meeting since return on Oct. 1, with upcoming regulatory discussions on topics including social consumption
After years of contention that included an ugly court battle and the release of several thousand pages documenting the chaos that took over the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission circa 2023, Shannon O’Brien has returned to her position as chair of the body. State Treasurer Deb Goldberg initially suspended O’Brien in September 2023, and fired her nearly a year later in September 2024 for “gross misconduct” and being “unable to discharge the power and duties of a CCC commissioner.”
Now that she is back in place following a court ruling in O’Brien’s favor, the agency is calibrating for the inevitable changes. According to a media release from the CCC, in order to “support the transition of leadership and ensure all Commissioners are prepared for the final regulatory review of Social Consumption Establishments, agent registration reform, and related policies, the Commission intends to postpone relevant public meetings originally planned for the end of September to Oct. 23 and 24.”
“Additionally, public meetings are planned Oct. 1 for licensing review and approvals, an overview of the Commission’s 2025 goals, and working group updates, as well as Oct. 9 for licensing review and approvals and policy discussions. In accordance with the Open Meeting Law, all public meeting notices and agendas will be posted to the Commission’s website at least 48 hours in advance of each session.”
The commission broke down the issues that O’Brien will immediately face on her return:
Following a unanimous vote July 29 to approve draft regulatory changes, the Commission held a public hearing at its Worcester headquarters on Sept. 8 to conclude the public comment period focused on Social Consumption Establishments, agent registration reform, and related policies. At the Oct. 23 and 24 public meetings, Commissioners are expected to revise the draft regulations based on feedback they received from constituents.
In recent months, the Commission has also had discussions with municipalities and local businesses about the draft regulations and how these new license types can be successful in their communities. The agency began a statewide Social Consumption Municipal Series in April, and so far has visited Haverhill, Holyoke, Provincetown, Somerville, and Chelsea, with additional stops planned for Central and Western Mass. in the coming weeks.
Social consumption was part of the ballot measure approved by voters in 2016 legalizing adult-use marijuana and has been incorporated into the agency’s regulations as early as 2019. However, critical changes to state law in 2022 were necessary before this regulatory process could begin towards ultimately enabling the license type to commence operations.
Regarding the agency’s “postponement of public meetings to finalize regulatory changes related to Social Consumption Establishments, agent badging, and other policies,” O’Brien and CCC Executive Director Travis Ahern issued the following statements on Thursday:
“I have made promoting social equity a priority from the day I was first sworn in as Chair in 2022 and understand that the Commission has failed to keep the promise originally made to those disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs,” Chair O’Brien said. “My goal is to hit the ground running to make concrete changes after years of delay. In fact, two years ago, I expressed disappointment that the work on social consumption had not been adequately addressed, and still share the concerns of stakeholders that this has taken far too long to achieve—nearly two years after I was prevented from leading this effort forward.”
“I look forward to working with all Commissioners and staff to continue the Commission’s progress to finalize and implement these new license types for the growing, $8 billion regulated cannabis industry in our state,” ED Ahern said. “Rescheduling our final regulatory review to Oct. 23 was necessary to ensure all policymakers could gather feedback and contribute to the final package to ensure the long-term success of equity and small business owners in Massachusetts.”
Their joint statement continued: “Over the next few weeks, Chair O’Brien plans to meet with leaders from various stakeholder groups about the draft social consumption regulations and looks forward to their completion and ultimate promulgation by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.”
