Mass. treasurer breaks silence on decision to suspend chair of Cannabis Control Commission

BOSTON — Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg on Thursday broke her silence on her recent decision to suspend Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien, citing “several serious allegations” about her behavior.

O’Brien was suspended from her position on Sept. 14 by Goldberg amid upheaval at the CCC. Days later, legislators warned that action is “desperately needed” to examine publicly reported problems within the agency.

In a letter sent to O’Brien informing her of the suspension, she was ordered to return her laptop, cell phone, keys, ID badge, and any Commission documents or files in her possession, the State House News reported.

Until now, Goldberg didn’t disclose the reasoning behind suspending O’Brien, a Democrat who previously served as state treasurer from 1999 until 2003. O’Brien was also the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor in 2002, among a number of other prominent roles that she’s held.

“I have refrained from commenting on the suspension of Shannon O’Brien...Given reasonable and increasing demands for information and transparency, it is clear to me that it is necessary to share more information publicly,” Goldberg said in a statement shared with Boston 25 News. “Several serious allegations were made by a Commissioner and CCC staff about the Chair’s behavior and the CCC initiated an investigation.”

Goldberg said an outside law firm has been tasked with investigating the allegations and returning a report on its findings. She didn’t detail the nature of the allegations.

“A second challenge involved in this situation is that the enabling legislation for the Commission clearly establishes the CCC as an independent entity,” Goldberg explained. “The role of the Treasurer is to appoint the Chair and jointly appoint two other Commissioners, but beyond that, the office of the Treasurer has no other authority, oversight, management, or influence over the Commission.”

The State House News reported that O’Brien caught commissioners and staff off guard in July when she announced that CCC Executive Director Shawn Collins was planning to step down at the end of the year with plans to take family leave before then.

Goldberg picked O’Brien for the CCC chair position in August 2022.

O’Brien is receiving pay while on suspension.

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