Cannabis commissioners defend their work, despite turmoil and high-level suspensions

Leaders at the state's Cannabis Control Commission defended the embattled agency Thursday, arguing it's successfully doing its work despite several high-level suspensions and an ongoing court battle between the chair and the state treasurer.

"There are people who are really dedicated to what we're doing here, and we want to see the industry thrive," Acting Chair Ava Callender Concepcion said in an interview after the commission's final public meeting of the year Thursday.

Concepcion said the commission in recent months has completed a significant re-write of its regulations and made progress on social consumption. "That's not an opinion, that's what we've done, that's what we've been able to do, and it's with the current iteration of commissioners."

In their marathon session Thursday, commissioners seemed to take pains to show they were collaborating with staff; they've been in mediation to repair a rift between the board and a staff of about 120 who do the agency's daily work. There was also debate in the meeting over who should be acting chair.

The commission has been under a microscope in recent weeks. The agency's acting executive director suspended chief communications officer Cedric Sinclair and director of human resources Justin Shrader earlier this month. Shrader has since resigned, and the commission has posted his position on its online job board.

The reasons for the suspensions have not been disclosed, and commissioners did not offer any clarity Thursday. Commission spokesperson Tara Smith declined to comment.

Also on Thursday, commission Chair Shannon O'Brien continued to fight her ongoing suspension by the state treasurer at Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston.

Treasurer Deborah Goldberg says she suspended O'Brien after a commission investigation found the chair made “racially, ethnically, culturally insensitive” comments at work. O’Brien claims her words were taken out of context and that she’s being denied due process.

O'Brien's lawyers argue an upcoming administrative hearing regarding the suspension should be held in public and overseen by a neutral party; Goldberg and lawyers from the state attorney general's office disagree. The judge has yet to issue an opinion.

Against this backdrop, the remaining four commissioners worked their way through a packed agenda at their Thursday meeting. They approved dozens of provisional and final business licenses, and further honed the proposed regulations around marijuana delivery licenses.

"The industry needs some predictability, some stability," Commissioner Nurys Camargo said during the meeting. "Our internal team needs stability and predictability."

WBUR's Irina Matchavariani contributed to this report.