POT BOARD HAS THREE CHOICES
Collins, Bradley or Birenbaum will be top regulator
The state treasurer’s “point person” on pot, a Rhode Island medical marijuana analyst with deep ties to Bay State Democrats, and a leading child advocate have emerged as the finalists for a top regulator role within Massachusetts’ marijuana industry.
The Cannabis Control Commission on Tuesday will interview all three candidates vying to be its executive director, with the winner wielding major influence over not just the panel’s staff and budget, but ultimately who scores coveted licenses to sell recreational weed in Massachusetts.
The five-member panel will make a selection next week. Members will choose from among:
• Shawn Collins, an assistant treasurer and legislative affairs liaison for Treasurer Deb Goldberg. Collins was the Treasury’s
“point person” on marijuana when, initially, oversight of the industry fell under Goldberg before lawmakers changed the commission to an independent agency;
• Norman Birenbaum, who has overseen the regulatory framework for Rhode Island’s medical marijuana program. A Newton native, Birenbaum was a one-time personal assistant to then-Lt. Gov. Tim Murray after serving as a regional field director for Gov. Deval Patrick’s 2010 re-election campaign. He also served as a regional director for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, according to his LinkedIn profile, and
• Erin Bradley, the head of the Children’s League of Massachusetts and a well-known voice in state child advocacy circles. Bradley worked as a policy analyst for state Sen. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) before joining the Children’s League in 2011.
Bradley, in a phone interview, declined to say how she voted on the ballot question legalizing pot, adding that philosophically she “would not say I’m anti (legalization) or that I’m for it.”
“I would say I have the experience to make sure that these regulations are there to protect the children,” Bradley said, saying her personal vote will not affect “how I can do this job . ... I think this executive director position has a very detailed role in the roll-out of these regulations, and I feel like I’m the best candidate.”
Collins declined to comment through a spokeswoman for Goldberg, who in her own statement said he “would be an asset to the commission.”
Efforts to reach Birenbaum were not successful yesterday.
The executive director, whose salary will be set by the commission, will have a broad set of responsibilities, including hiring a slew of staffers, among them a general counsel, finance chief and chief investigator. He or she will also oversee the “review of all license applications” for dispensaries, chair the Cannabis Advisory Board and report directly to panel Chairman Steve Hoffman.