Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced today that Charlene Briner will step down after building the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) from the ground up.
In the announcement, Walz and Flanagan announced that OCM General Counsel Eric Taubel will serve as interim director.
“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,” said Governor Walz. “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.”
“Charlene Briner is an instrumental leader who has worked to ensure a safe, equitable, and sustainable cannabis market through the implementation of the Office of Cannabis Management. I’m deeply grateful for her service to our administration and the people of Minnesota,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “As Eric Taubel steps in to fill this role, he will match her commitment and expertise, utilizing his outstanding legal acumen and strategic vision to ensure an equitable industry that prioritizes public health and maintains market integrity.”
During her time as interim director, Briner oversaw significant milestones in the implementation of Minnesota’s cannabis legislation, including: establishing a new state office that now employs more than 100 highly qualified staff; conducting an extensive rulemaking process to define regulations for the commercial cannabis industry, which will be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2025; developing enhanced compliance and enforcement programs for the hemp-derived cannabinoid product market; facilitating submission and review of more than 1,800 business license applications, fostering industry growth and participation.
Taubel, who has served as OCM’s general counsel for the last year, has played a key role in the creation and implementation of the new office. He has overseen drafting of the detailed regulations that will serve as the framework for the regulated cannabis market and played a significant role in tribal compact negotiations. Taubel developed the office’s legal strategy around enforcement and regulatory actions and led the office’s response to litigation. Taubel will assume the role as Interim Director of OCM after Briner’s last day on January 17, 2025.
“I want to thank Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan for the opportunity to serve in their administration in this unique role,” said Briner. “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.”
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