The top marijuana regulators in two states on the verge of launching adult-use sales are stepping down.
Delaware Marijuana Commissioner Rob Coupe is leaving his post only weeks after the state distributed 15 recreational marijuana retail licenses through a lottery that had more than 500 applicants.
And Charlene Briner, interim director of Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), is being replaced by the agency’s general counsel, Eric Taubel, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Coupe’s resignation comes as many of the state’s municipalities are banning sales of adult-use marijuana ahead of the market’s expected launch this year, Delaware Public Media reported.
Coupe said municipalities and state leaders should look at the economic growth the cannabis industry brings to the state, including revenue generated from the 15% tax and job opportunities.
“As a state, I think we have a responsibility to regulate it and to give our citizens the opportunity to purchase it legally,” he said.
Coupe was appointed marijuana commissioner in June 2023.
Deputy Marijuana Commissioner Paul Hyland will oversee the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner until Gov.-elect Matt Meyer appoints a successor, according to Delaware Online.
In Minnesota, Taubel is taking the reins only months after the OCM’s first adult-use licensing lottery was halted by a judge because of lawsuits filed by social equity applicants who said they were unfairly denied entrance.
The OCM said in December it would hold new lotteries for social equity and regular licenses later this spring.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz praised Briner’s work building the department from scratch.
“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,” Walz said in a statement.
Briner’s last day will be Jan. 17, the release noted. She has served in the interim role since 2023.
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