Shannon O’Brien, the chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), has been suspended from her position, as confirmed by the state Treasurer's Office. The suspension has added uncertainties about the direction of the CCC and the future of the cannabis industry in Massachusetts.
O’Brien, appointed to the role last year, has a history of public service as a former state treasurer, state senator, and state representative. The suspension came into effect on Thursday, with the state treasurer responsible for the appointment declining to offer more details or the expected duration of the suspension, citing it as a personnel matter according to NBC Boston.
This suspension follows recent tumultuous events involving the CCC. O’Brien caused confusion in July when she announced that the executive director, Shawn Collins, would be leaving his role, only to later apologize for the statement. Collins recently confirmed that he does not have definitive plans to permanently leave his position.
According to the Boston Herald, O’Brien previously came under scrutiny for her involvement in a pair of applications for cannabis cultivation. She was listed as an "Owner/Partner" in a proposal by Greenfield Greenery LLC, and as an adviser for Charlemont FarmWorks LLC.
The commission has also faced criticism for an apparent lack of action on multiple issues, including questions of equity in the cannabis industry, a matter that was the subject of a March NBC10 Boston report. O’Brien herself once described the commission as "in crisis" but later walked back those comments.
