SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Charlene Briner is stepping down as Director of the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management on January 17.
Office of Cannabis Management General Counsel Eric Taubel will serve as interim director.
Governor Tim Walz says in a statement Briner has overseen establishing the office, conducting a rulemaking process to define regulations for the state’s commercial cannabis industry which is expected to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of the year, developing enhanced compliance and the enforcement for hemp-derived cannabinoid product market, and reviewing more than 1,800 business license applications.
The governor’s office says Taubel has overseen the drafting of regulations that will serve as a framework for the regulated cannabis market and played a significant role in tribal compact negotiations.
“Charlene Briner has gotten Minnesota’s emerging cannabis industry off the ground in a safe and responsible way. It’s no easy task to build a regulatory framework around an entirely new industry from scratch, but under Charlene’s leadership, Minnesota laid the foundation for a successful marketplace for years to come. I am excited to welcome Eric Taubel as the new interim director. Eric is a proven, effective leader who brings legal expertise and a deep understating of state government and regulatory affairs. He will ensure continued growth and success as we work to make Minnesota competitive in this new industry,” Walz said.
“I want to thank Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan for the opportunity to serve in their administration in this unique role. I am incredibly proud of the team we’ve built and the milestones met in our ongoing work to stand up this new office and implement Minnesota’s cannabis law. I am confident the talented public servants continuing their important work will do so in a way that exemplifies OCM’s commitment to launch a safe, accessible, and equitable cannabis industry,” Briner said.
