I want to ensure that social consumption is implemented in a safe and compliant manner.
Bruce Stebbins (acting chair of Cannabis Control Commission) is looking to continue his five-year tenure on the board, despite the fact that the agency is two members short of its full complement and has faced many leadership challenges over the last two years.
Stebbins, who was reappointed on August 13 by the Governor Maura (D), Attorney-General Andrea Campbell (D) and Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg(D), all of whom gave Stebbins a vote for confidence in his leadership abilities. Commissioners are limited to two consecutive terms of five years under the law.
Goldberg has been unable to resolve the ongoing problems at this state agency since September 2023 when he suspended Shannon O’Brien as former Chair of the Commission. The commission had no designated chair in the following year, as the commissioners argued over who should temporarily take on the role at public meetings.
Goldberg fired O’Brien, and Stebbins was appointed as acting chair. O’Brien, who is fighting Goldberg in court for his decision, has not yet appointed a replacement. Shawn Collins resigned from the agency in November 2023. The agency went over a full year without an executive. Travis Ahern, who will take over the role in March 2019, was hired by the agency.
Both Ahern and Stebbins have said that the Legislature has not provided the Cannabis Control Commission–which has seen regulatory delays, allegations of harassment, uncollected fees–with adequate funding to meet its oversight and operational needs. Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro called the state agency “a rudderless boat.”
Nurys Camargo left the Commission in May. There are now two vacancies on the Board. Ava Callender Concepcion–whose position is appointed by the attorney general–is approaching the end of her term in January 2026. Kimberly Roy’s term will end in July of 2026, but she still has a little over a year to go. Concepcion and Roy are not yet reappointed.
CommonWealth Beacon Stebbins was asked about his experiences on the Commission and his plans for the future. For clarity, the following interview has also been condensed and edited.
The Commonwealth Beacon: Why are you taking on the role of a Commissioner again?
BRUCE STEBBINS It’s been a pleasure working in this industry. It’s exciting. It’s dynamic. It’s entrepreneurial. It’s a challenging task to be an effective regulatory in such a climate. It’s been a pleasure working with the team. Since the beginning of 2018, we have added some new professionals, and I am looking forward to continue working with each of them.
CWB: There have been many criticisms leveled at the CCC–that CCC has been slow at passing regulations like the two-driver rule change, which removed the requirement that any cannabis delivery be made with two drivers in the vehicle, or that it’s taken a while for social consumption to get off the ground. What could the CCC, and possibly you as well, have done differently?
STEBBINS: The criticism of the delay in changing the rule on two agents and the work we are still doing to improve social consumption is not new.
It’s important to hear more than one voice or side of an argument. What the commission did well, and what I believe it has done effectively, is [try] Engage a wide range of stakeholders. In the case of the two-agent regulation, I and my coworkers heard much from licensees. But, for us, and the community, it’s important to listen. [get] To get some experience, and see the [regulations] We need to make sure that the system is actually working, before we alter it.
This kind of careful consideration, I believe, results in better decisions. This approach also leads to a greater level of confidence among the public in our agency.
CWB: What do you think the CCC should have improved on in the last five years?
STEBBINS: The agency we are is maturing. Even four or five year ago, we weren’t a new agency. Our budget has remained flat over the past couple of years, despite keeping pace with an increasingly larger market. [by the Legislature].
We are always learning. We are always striving to improve our agency. Folks may look at us and say, ‘Well, you took too long to do this.’ When we made these major changes, I would like to think that we were thoughtful and diligent.
CWB: The CCC has been accused of harassing employees. How are you changing the workplace now that you have been promoted to a leadership position?
STEBBINS: I have heard these criticisms. It’s true that I have heard some criticisms.
Whenever we announce a new job, we receive hundreds and even thousands of resumes. We still have people eager to join us. So long as I assume this responsibility, and I extend it to all other leaders of the Commission, we will continue working towards creating a workplace that is collaborative and respectful. Some of these issues will be behind us.
CWB: What did you learn from your experience as the interim chairperson for the last year?
STEBBINS: Continue to learn. Before I became acting chair of the board, I still had a lot more to learn.
You get to decide the agenda as chairman, and that’s a big difference. Although I am the one who sets the meeting’s agenda, I do not always set the policy agenda. This is something that I will continue to do in collaboration with my colleagues. It’s exciting to continue working with colleagues on new challenges and to also welcome the opportunity for my team to bring up issues. They are the ones who live and breathe our rules and regulations, as they do regulatory work and inspect our licensees daily. They can be an excellent resource for what needs to change or improve. This is a huge responsibility for a chair.
CWB: Accepting the permanent role as chairperson if appointed by Treasurer
STEBBINS: We’ll continue doing the great work we are already doing if I am offered the role permanently.
CWB: What is your vision of the CCC in the next 5 years?
STEBBINS: Some of what I’ve shared with you is what I hope we can continue–the collaborative workspace, how do we address challenges before they pop up, and how do we address opportunities that we might see.
I want to ensure that social consumption is implemented in a safe and compliant manner. My colleagues and I are working together to determine what needs to be updated and modernized in our rules.
We should review the original regulations of the first set of commissioners to see if there are still any requirements, and how the rules operate. We’re looking to modernize our regulations–are things still needed? We’re looking to modernize our regulations. Are there still things that need updating?
This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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