Looking to turn over a new leaf with a new career? The Bay State will pay you $187,000/year to administer the Cannabis Control Commission. (Angela Rowlings/Boston Herald)
The continued success of the Bay State’s legal weed business will need a “tough, strategic thinker” to oversee day-to-day administration of the agency in charge of the $7 billion pot industry, according to the Cannabis Control Commission.
The CCC has begun a nationwide job search for its second Executive Director, the person responsible for “administering and enforcing Massachusetts statutes and regulations regarding the state’s marijuana industry and reports to the five Commissioners who are appointed by the governor, state Treasurer, and Attorney General for expertise in public health, public safety, social justice, regulated industries, and corporate management/finance/securities.”
The about $187,000 per year job, according to Commissioner Bruce Stebbins, is an “exciting opportunity” for anyone willing to “plan and make difficult decisions to execute the competing priorities of an independent state agency that regulates a still-federally illegal substance.”
“We look forward to meeting the many skillful candidates who will be interested in this unique public service opportunity and finding the best fit to help us guide this agency into the future,” Stebbins said along with the announcement.
The posting comes after the departure of now-former Executive Director Shawn Collins, who held that position through the first seven years of cannabis legalization in Massachusetts. Collins left his job in December, resigning in the midst of disagreements with ousted commission Chair Shannon O’Brien.
Whoever takes over Collins’ role at the CCC will have some big shoes to fill and a lot of work ahead of them.
“With more than 640 operational Marijuana Establishments and 106 Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers serving 94,000 patients, the Commission seeks another visionary leader to help us maintain Massachusetts’ status as a model for safe, effective, and equitable cannabis regulation, and also guide staff through the opportunities and challenges to come, including the potential for federal legalization,” Acting Chair Ava Callender Concepcion said with the job posting.
Interested candidates have until June 15 to apply, and after being subjected to both phone screenings and interviews, finalists will be presented to the full commission for consideration at a public meeting.
The new Executive Director will be expected to lead a 135-person staff and will work a hybrid schedule out of the commission’s Worcester offices. The position is mandated by state law, and charged with “overseeing and collaborating with a diverse leadership team and staff, executing on strategic priorities, and developing an operational strategy to effectively meet the demands of the state’s licensed cannabis market.”
Interested applicants can apply by sending their resume and cover letter to ExecutiveDirectorSearch@CCCMass.com.