Announcement comes as industry challenges mount and regulatory agency struggles to float above water
On Monday, May 12, the Cannabis Control Commission is scheduled to continue combing through the draft of regulations for the social consumption of marijuana in Massachusetts. Though the rules still have to be completed and consecrated by the state powers that be, the meeting nonetheless reflects momentum forward in a process that has been ushered along for several years by commissioners Bruce Stebbins and Nurys Camargo in particular.
But when the body convenes this week to edit language that will define the next frontier in adult-use cannabis, one of the aforementioned architects will be saying farewell.
Last Friday, Commissioner Camargo stepped down from her position as one of the state’s appointed regulators. As was first reported by Eric Casey of Worcester Business Journal, she posted on social media: “After 4+ years serving as Commissioner at the CCC, I’ve decided to complete my service and step down from my post. It’s been an honor and privilege to serve the Commonwealth. I leave this role proud of the work I’ve been able to accomplish.”
Camargo will be at Monday’s CCC meeting, but a CCC spokesperson said her last day will be May 22. She will also attend a meeting scheduled for that day as well as any that come up in between.
Camargo continued: “When I stepped into the CCC in January 2021, I brought my lived experience with me, growing up with an incarcerated father, founding a nonprofit for young women, and serving in public service roles that always centered on justice.
“I co-led delivery reforms that gave small operators the breathing room they needed to grow. And in one of our biggest milestones, I helped roll out the first-ever Social Consumption framework for Massachusetts. … The work wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it. Every policy I pushed, every voice I amplified, was for those who’ve long been left out of the room.”
The departure comes at a difficult crossroads for commonwealth cannabis and the CCC. Though troubled by some measures—lab testing controversies, a beleaguered medical marijuana program, the list goes on—the agency has lately appeared to at least broadly be on the mend and addressing big problems under the leadership of newly hired Executive Director Travis Ahern.
Then again, there is also the greater political context of the unresolved feud between ousted former CCC Chair Shannon O’Brien and state Treasurer Deb Goldberg to consider, along with any baggage stuck to that debacle, as well as the larger economic context of Mass cannabis businesses closing their doors every week. Plus the agency’s own budget woes.
With O’Brien gone, the commission has had four active members (or as few as three, the minimum for quorum, at some meetings), which has resulted in some painful deadlocks. Camargo was appointed to serve in the CCC’s social justice seat in December 2020 by a majority vote of then-Gov. Charlie Baker, Treasurer Goldberg, and then-Attorney General Maura Healey. According to the CCC, her five-year term was set to expire in September, when Camargo would have been eligible for reappointment for one more term. With her gone, per state law, a “person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of a commissioner shall be appointed in a like manner and shall serve for only the unexpired term of that commissioner” (approximately four months).
“This chapter closes, but my commitment to justice, access, and community remains,” Camargo wrote in her announcement post. “I’ll be cheering on the CCC, and continuing the work from wherever I stand next.”
We reached out to the CCC for an official comment on Camargo’s exit, and will post an update if we receive any further information. This story is developing.
