{"id":134,"date":"2026-06-16T13:05:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worcestermovingreport.com\/?p=134"},"modified":"2026-06-16T13:05:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:05:17","slug":"new-ccc-chair-flags-internal-operations-as-critically-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worcestermovingreport.com\/?p=134","title":{"rendered":"New CCC chair flags internal operations as \u2018critically important\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

THE NEW CHAIRMAN<\/mark><\/strong> of Cannabis Control Commission is focused on clearing the air within the agency that has been plagued with internal conflicts.<\/p>\n

Read more SJC keeps recreational marijuana repeal in the mix for November<\/a><\/p>\n

Chris Harding, who Gov. Maura Healey tapped to lead the CCC in May, said during a meeting Thursday that his priorities for the role include engaging with staff and understanding their focuses as well as the agency\u2019s organizational challenges and opportunities. Thanking staff for their engagement, Harding also said he plans to work closely on the organizational design with Executive Director Travis Ahern, who has had headline-grabbing clashes with former CCC chair Shannon O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time of change like this that presents an opportunity to say \u2018Are there things we can do differently or better this internally in the agency?\u2019 But this is critically important, because the work that we do here, internally, helps support all the things we do externally,\u201d Harding said. \u201cSo, I think we have a real opportunity there.\u201d <\/p>\n

Harding said he\u2019s also focused on engaging businesses, consumers, patients, and lawmakers. <\/p>\n

In making recommendations, Harding said he follows the acronym \u201cSEETS\u201d which stands for: safe, equitable, efficient, transparent, and sustainable. He added that sustainability is a topic he\u2019s interested in learning more about within the state\u2019s cannabis industry. Cannabis businesses have been struggling to stay afloat amid dropping marijuana prices and Harding pointed out commissioners had taken up a slew of change of ownership applications during its last meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you start a new industry, you kind of go through some of that [irrational] exuberance. And it grows on a curve, and then it matures, and it settles. Okay, what can we, as an agency, and we, as regulators, do to help support the sustainability of this for the medium long term?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Anthony Wilson, who recently advised cannabis businesses, noted that many in the industry have been concerned and frustrated with the CCC. He also praised CCC staff, saying they are aware of the concerns and have been working on some of the issues internally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m confident that the public will see some of these things being addressed in the up and coming year, and going further,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Read more Regulators attach conditions to MGB-CVS MinuteClinic plan<\/a><\/p>\n

Wilson said he is focused on regulations that support public health and safety as well as the strength of the industry. This includes ensuring safe and well-tested products, keeping marijuana away from minors, and boosting trust among consumers and businesses. Also, Wilson said he wants to address inversion, which is when illegal out-of-state marijuana products enter the legal market.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, this business has been treated as if it shouldn\u2019t exist, but this is a legal industry in the state of Massachusetts, as approved by more than 60% of voters. I tend to treat it that way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Xiomara DeLobato said she is prioritizing \u201cthoughtful and equitable\u201d implementation of the framework for cannabis consumption in social settings as well as social equity programs beyond the pre-licensing stages. Also, DeLobato said she wants the CCC to be a strong \u201cthought partner\u201d with cities and towns and communities. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of my focus is going to be ensuring that we as an agency believe in walking the walk \u2013 that social equity, social justice, responsible regulation, economic growth can and must move forward together in the work that we do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Under the law, commissioners have until Friday, June 19, to promulgate regulations for new policies including raising the cap on the number of licenses cannabis retailers can hold from three store licenses to six. Commissioners adopted a motion Thursday tasking the legal department to present a set of emergency regulations during its next meeting that\u2019s scheduled for June 17. <\/p>\n

Commissioners also voted to shift license renewal authority from the board to the executive director. Ahern, who pitched the idea, noted that the executive director would report to the board on license renewals and the CCC can still take up any questions or concerns surrounding the renewal during a meeting. This process took place during the month-long gap where there was no CCC after the previous board dissolved with a new cannabis law and before new commissioners were appointed, Ahern said. He added that some license categories that are less \u201cministerial\u201d would remain under the board\u2019s authority. <\/p>\n

Read more Senate ready to force more money toward primary care \u2014 and away from specialists<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Harding, who Gov. Maura Healey tapped to lead the CCC in May, said during a meeting Thursday that his priorities for the role include engaging with staff and understanding their focuses as well as the agency’s organizational challenges and opportunities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-state-government"],"yoast_head":"\nNew CCC chair flags internal operations as \u2018critically important\u2019 - Worcester Moving Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worcestermovingreport.com\/?p=134\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New CCC chair flags internal operations as \u2018critically important\u2019 - Worcester Moving Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chris Harding, who Gov. 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