NJ-CRC Chair Dianna Houenou Stepping Down
NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) Chair Dianna Houenou is stepping down, with her last meeting likely taking place this week.
According to Politico NJ, she announced her resignation in a letter to Governor Mikie Sherrill.
“Upon being announced as the Commission’s Inaugural Chair… I described my vision… a State agency that prioritizes equity and integrity in its approach to regulating the medicinal and personal–use cannabis markets and that demonstrates internal equity and integrity as well,” Houenou wrote in the letter.
“Though the Commission is still quite young, it is no longer in its infancy stage, and so the time has come for a new leader to take the pen and define the next chapters in the agency’s story,” she added.
NJ-CRC Commissioners and Politics
It doesn’t really make sense why she is leaving based on that. Parents don’t abandon babies. But being a regulator stuck between shady politicians, devious corporations, earnest yet struggling small businesspeople, and angry radicals might be tiresome after a while.
Plus, there are always promotions and other things one could do. Former Executive Director Jeff Brown had gotten promotions to be Murphy’s last Health Commissioner, while Maria Del Cid Kosso was also promoted within the Health Department. Former Vice Chair Sam Delgado retired. Cannabis consultant and advocate Jackie Ferraro has been nominated to replace Delgado.
This will make Krista Nash the last original NJ-CRC Commissioner of the first five. Heady NJ has been hearing rumors of Houenou’s departure for months. She has given some fiery speeches in recent months during her Chair’s Report sections.
Other state cannabis regulators have gone on to national ambitions in the legalization movement. Others likely got into the industry or got back into it.
Dianna Houenou and NJ Cannabis
Houenou has been at the forefront of NJ cannabis policy since Chris Christie was Governor. As a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of NJ, she led the NJ United for Marijuana Reform (NJUMR) cannabis legalization campaign.
When Phil Murphy succeeded Christie, Houenou joined his Administration as a Senior Advisor. While there, she seemed focused on cannabis policy, including its passage through the legislature. Once the adult-use cannabis legalization law CREAMMA passed, Murphy appointed Houenou CRC Chair. While it was announced in November 2020 that she would be Chair, the CRC did not first meet until April 2021.
The decision to let the large Multi-State Operators (MSOs) dominate the beginning of the adult-use market at the expense of patients, consumers, and small businesses was likely above her pay grade.
However, after a lot of work, toil, complaints, and likely despite the machinations of some, great progress has been made under her in the adult-use market. Many businesspeople who are locals and who are Black, Hispanic, and/or women have opened dispensaries in all 21 counties of New Jersey. So now there are about 300 dispensaries in the State along with several quality legal growers and manufacturers.
Her departure will likely give NJ Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22-Union) more influence. He already had Amelia Mapp appointed to replace the fiery Charles Barker. Scutari literally changed the law to accommodate his former Policy Director, Harris Lauffer. He is now easily both the Mayor of Springfield and a CRC Commissioner. We’ll see who replaces her. The law was changed last year to elect a Chair versus the Governor appointing one. Since taking office, Governor Sherrill has made no mention of cannabis.
