The leadership of the Massachusetts Cannabis Commission has been thrown into turmoil yet again after a Suffolk Superior Court judge ordered that fired chair Shannon O’Brien be reinstated. Although the court concluded that the former state treasurer was wrongfully removed from her position, O’Brien will not immediately return to lead the Cannabis Commission because the state has filed an appeal to halt the order for at least a week.
O’Brien, who also once ran as the Democratic nominee for governor, was appointed in 2022 to chair the Cannabis Commission. Her tenure was cut short a year later when State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg suspended and then fired her in September 2024. Goldberg accused O’Brien of gross misconduct, race-based remarks, and bullying — charges O’Brien has consistently denied.
Judge Robert Gordon, however, called Goldberg’s case against O’Brien “a house of cards.” In his decision, Gordon ruled that O’Brien’s removal from the Cannabis Commission violated due process and ordered her reinstatement with back pay and benefits through the end of her term on August 31, 2027.
Yet the legal battle is far from over. Goldberg, represented by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, immediately appealed the ruling. The judge agreed to stay his judgment for about a week, meaning O’Brien cannot yet resume her role at the Cannabis Commission. O’Brien’s lawyers have until Wednesday to respond before the court decides whether to extend or lift the stay.
A spokesperson for O’Brien said she had been preparing to return to the embattled Cannabis Commission on Friday but criticized the treasurer’s office for “wasting taxpayer dollars” on what they call an “unreasonable appeal” to the Massachusetts Appeals Court. They urged Goldberg to follow Judge Gordon’s ruling, “stop the smearing” of O’Brien’s reputation, and allow her to fulfill the job she was appointed to in September 2022.
The dispute highlights ongoing instability at the Cannabis Commission, an agency tasked with regulating the state’s rapidly growing marijuana industry. Frequent leadership changes have slowed policy decisions, frustrated license applicants, and raised questions about oversight. Critics say the fight over O’Brien’s position could further undermine public confidence in the Cannabis Commission at a time when it is already under scrutiny.
Adding to the controversy, The Boston Globe recently reported that Goldberg’s office paid the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius more than $970,000 in legal fees related to the Cannabis Commission dispute. As the appeal moves forward, industry observers are watching closely to see how the outcome may affect both O’Brien’s future and the broader stability of the Cannabis Commission.
