Nearly four months after Minnesota lawmakers legalized recreational cannabis, the state has appointed a new director to oversee the nascent industry. On Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz announced that he has appointed Erin DuPree as the first head of the state’s newly-created Office of Cannabis Management.
This role is pivotal to establishing the adult-use cannabis market’s licensure structures, regulations, and rules. Until now, the state’s board of pharmacy had been regulating the industry on an ad-hoc basis.
DuPree will officially begin work on Oct. 1.
The owner of two businesses — low-dose hemp-derived cannabis business Loonacy Cannabis Co. and Cook & Quinwood Consulting — DuPree, a born and raised Minnesotan, has been an entrepreneur in the state for 20 years. In addition to her work in the state, she has also worked as a consultant for a range of businesses, including cannabis businesses in states that have already legalized cannabis, including California, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, and New Jersey.
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