Cannabis Regulation Department Continues to Report Departures as It Tries to Build Team — Greenway Magazine

The Division of Marijuana Regulation (DCR) is facing another reorganization as Josh Stockman, head of the Bureau of Investigation and Law Enforcement, has abruptly left his position.

Stockman’s departure joins a long list of resignations and departures within the department, exacerbating the challenges DCR faces as it tries to grow and expand its team.

In recent months, DCR has struggled with higher-than-average turnover in key management and leadership positions, leaving the team stretched thin as it tries to meet growing demands. The department that oversees marijuana compliance and enforcement is now tasked with filling another key role.

The impact of these personnel changes is significant because each departure disrupts continuity and slows the regulatory processes necessary for the state’s growing cannabis industry. While DCR continues to build its team, maintaining a stable workforce to ensure regulatory compliance and support for licensees remains a challenge.

The departure of key figures and leaders underscores the challenges DCR faces in retaining experienced staff while attempting to manage the complexities of the cannabis industry while continuing to expand and build its team.

According to DCR reporting and organisational information, at least six senior management or supervisory positions are currently vacant.

The department’s ability to address these challenges will be critical to the stability and growth of marijuana regulation in the state.

All of this comes as elections loom, which could dictate even more changes on the horizon. Historically, newly elected governors tend to evaluate and reconfigure executive department leadership and directorships.

The Department of Health and Human Services has undergone several changes in recent years: Dr. Randall Williams left, Robert Knodell was appointed interim director, and Paula Nickelson was eventually appointed director.

At the same time, the position of Director of DCR, formerly the Medicinal Cannabis Regulation Section, also changed as Lyndall Fraker left that role just as marijuana was becoming widely used by adults.

Amy Moore has served as DCR director since then.

Constant staff turnover and upcoming elections are contributing to uncertainty at DCR, making efforts to stabilize and strengthen the team more important than ever.

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