Mass. Cannabis Control Commission’s new choice for director agrees to take over

By Colin A. Young •
Published 1 hour ago •
Updated 1 hour ago

Holliston Town Administrator Travis Ahern has agreed to bring his experience in municipal government to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission next year as its new executive director during a time of significant changes in the maturing industry, the agency announced Monday evening.

The announcement came less than a week after commissioners voted 4-0 to extend an offer to Ahern, who was the de facto runner-up in the prolonged search to fill the vacancy at the CCC’s administrative head. Commissioners originally chose a different candidate for the job, David Lakeman, but he ultimately declined the offer to remain the top cannabis regulator in Illinois.

WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE

>Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

Ahern has been town administrator for Holliston since July 2020. He previously worked as finance director for the town of Danvers, financial analyst for the town of Weston, and in policy and finance roles (including director) at the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority Advisory Board.

The CCC’s inaugural executive director, Shawn Collins, resigned in late 2023, and Chief People Officer Debra Hilton-Creek has been serving as acting executive director in the meantime.

Get updates on what’s happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our >News Headlines newsletter.

“I am confident [Ahern] will shepherd the agency and regulated cannabis industry into a new phase of maturation as we approach next steps for finalizing on-site social consumption in Massachusetts and tackling other reforms,” CCC Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins said. “Commissioners noted that he has the right combination of leadership knowledge and administrative expertise to oversee the dedicated staff who carry out our mission of ensuring a safe, effective, and equitable cannabis market.”

Ava Concepcion, the acting chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, talked about the Biden Administration’s recent reclassification of marijuana, the CCC’s social equity problem and the controversy surrounding the commission’s suspended chairwoman, Shannon O’Brien.

Ahern’s start date is “potentially slated for March 3, 2025,” the CCC said in its announcement. During his October interview, Ahern told commissioners he was in the second year of a three-year contract with Holliston and that he is supposed to provide notice three months in advance of leaving for another job.

“I share that only to say that is a courtesy that I would extend to my [select] board. It is most likely not legally binding if I were to leave for the state. However, because I respect my board, my board has been very good to me, I would extend them that courtesy,” he said. “Generally speaking, municipalities would not take you up on three months. Most often, you don’t want somebody in a lame-duck position for that period of time, and you put somebody in the acting [role]. But I would extend them that courtesy.”

He will take over “as the agency prepares to enter the next phase of regulating Massachusetts’ $8 billion regulated cannabis industry,” the CCC said, and as regulators are in the midst of launching on-site cannabis consumption sites and preparing for potential shifts in federal cannabis policy.

And 2025 could also bring about changes at the state level, as lawmakers and government watchdogs seek to steady the ship. Amid the slew of controversies at the CCC since 2023, a key House lawmaker said this summer his committee “recognizes the need for clarity in structure and accountability at the Cannabis Control Commission” and “foresees a legislative path forward addressing the sources of concerns about the CCC’s administrative function.”

“My initial focus as the agency’s new Executive Director will be to leverage the subject matter expertise within the organization, from staff and Commissioners, to help the organization deliver on its mission of providing a safe, equitable cannabis marketplace in Massachusetts,” Ahern said in a statement.

The agency that oversees marijuana sales in Massachusetts is under fire after its chair was suspended last week.

He said he views the 2022 marijuana law “as a turning point, providing the necessary tools for the CCC to achieve its goals and lead Massachusetts forward.”

“I believe the future is very bright for the CCC and I am excited to be a part of it,” he said.