About / Cannabis Advisory Board

Cannabis Advisory Board

The Cannabis Advisory Board studies and makes recommendations to the Cannabis Control Commission regarding the regulation and taxation of marijuana in Massachusetts.

The Board consists of 25 members:

Five appointees by the Governor
Five appointees by the Treasurer and Receiver General
Five appointees by the Attorney General
10 ex officio members with expertise and knowledge relevant to the Board’s mission

Governor Appointees

Kimberly Napoli
Expert in minority business development
Henry M. Thomas, III
Expert in economic development strategies for under-resourced communities
Shawn Cooney
Expert in farming or representing the interests of farmers
Chief John Carmichael, Jr.
Expert in municipal law enforcement with advanced training in impairment detection and evaluation

Treasurer and Receiver General Appointees

Ellen Brown
Expert in marijuana cultivation
Amanda Rositano
Expert in marijuana product manufacturing
Dr. Jordan Tishler
Expert in laboratory sciences and toxicology
Laury Lucien
Expert in marijuana retail
William Luzier
Expert in providing legal services to marijuana businesses

Attorney General Appointees

Ryan Dominguez
Expert in criminal justice
Courtney Chelo
Expert in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders
Kimberly Zouzoua
Expert in minority business ownership
Helen Gomez Andrews
Expert in women-owned business

Ex Officio Members

Debra Hilton-Creek
Acting Executive Director of the Cannabis Control Commission, serves as chair
Yvonne Hao
Secretary of Housing and Economic Development
Designee: Edward A. Palleschi, Undersecretary for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Geoffrey E. Snyder
Commissioner of Revenue
Designee: Timothy Rooney
Margaret Cooke
Acting Commissioner of Public Health
Designee: Patricia Henley, Director of Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program
John Mawn
Colonel and Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police
Designee: Detective Lieutenant Kevin Baker
Jill Hai, Chair of the Lexington Select Board
President of the Massachusetts Municipal Association
Designee: Shaun Suhoski, Athol Town Manager
Jeremiah MacKinnon
President of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, Inc.
Frank Shaw
Registered qualifying patient appointed by the President of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, Inc.
Carol Rose
Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, Inc.
Designee: Whitney Taylor, Political Director, ACLU of Massachusetts

Subcommittees

Cannabis Advisory Board Subcommittees

Cannabis Industry

Make recommendations regarding cultivation, processing, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, seed-to-sale tracking, and market stability.

Members: Helen Gomez Andrews (Chair), Ryan Dominguez, Kim Napoli, Tim Rooney, Frank Shaw, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle

Commissioner Liaison: Nurys Camargo

Market Participation

Develop recommendations on women, minority and veteran-owned businesses, local agriculture, and growing cooperatives.

Members: Kim Napoli (Chair), Henry Thomas, Amanda Rositano, Whitney Taylor, Laury Lucien, Ryan Dominguez, Ellen Brown, Shawn Cooney

Commissioner Liaison: Bruce Stebbins

Public Safety and Community Mitigation

Develop recommendations on law enforcement, property, business, and consumer issues.

Members: Laury Lucien (Chair), Lt. Kevin Baker, Chief John Carmichael, Whitney Taylor, Shaun Suhowski, Will Luzier, Frank Shaw

Public Health

Develop recommendations on products, labeling, marketing, advertising, related public health issues, potency, and packaging.

Members: Jeremiah MacKinnon (Chair), Courtney Chelo, Amy Kaplan, Jordan Tischler, Will Luzier

Commissioner Liaison: Ava Callender Concepcion

Research

Develop recommendations regarding research, testing, hemp, synthetic cannabinoids and sustainability by analyzing scientific, medical and social data, as well as develop recommendations on trends of the adult-use and medical cannabis programs.

Members: Ellen Brown (Chair), Chief John Carmichael, Jeremiah MacKinnon, Courtney Chelo, Amanda Rositano, Henry Thomas, Amy Kaplan, Jordan Tischler, Shawn Cooney

Commissioner Liaison: Kimberly Roy