CANNRA Celebrates One Year, Welcomes New President and New States
PORTLAND, OR – While recognizing the one-year anniversary of its founding, members of the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) – which now represents cannabis regulators from 37 U.S. states and territories – recently voted in Andrew Brisbo as the organization’s new president and welcomed new states as CANNRA members. Brisbo is the Executive Director of Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency and served as Vice President of CANNRA last year. Brisbo succeeds CANNRA’s Founding President Norman Birenbaum, and is joined on the board by:
Vice-President Rick Garza, Executive Director of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
Vice-President Michele Nakata, Supervisor of the Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licensing Program at the Hawaii Department of Health
Treasurer Tyler Klimas, Executive Director of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board,
At-large board member Steve Marks, Executive Director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Board
At-large board member Chris Tholkes, Director of the Office of Medical Cannabis at the Minnesota Department of Health
At-large board member Andrew Turnage, Executive Director at the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.
Immediate Past President Norman Birenbaum, Director of Cannabis Programs at the New York State Executive Chamber
“Andrew has been a leading voice in the cannabis regulator community for years,” said Past President Norman Birenbaum. “Andrew was integral in shaping CANNRA’s programing, priorities, and in building consensus among our members during the organization’s first year. There is no better person to lead the organization and continue its work moving forward.”
“I am honored to serve with so many dedicated public servants while continuing the CANNRA mission of supporting states in implementing and improving regulatory programs,” said Brisbo. “As we collectively analyze and respond to emerging issues in the cannabis industry, we will continue to be the preeminent voice in cannabis regulatory policy.”
In the past year, CANNRA has launched more than a dozen different special committees for state cannabis regulatory staff to share knowledge and work towards regulatory best practices on a range of topics:
Licensing, Compliance, and Enforcement
Social and Economic Equity
Medical Use and Research
Public Health and Data Monitoring
Lab Testing and Product Safety
Public Education
Packaging, Labeling, and Advertising
Banking, Finance, and Taxation
Cannabinoid Hemp
Impaired Driving and Traffic Safety
Environment and Energy
Federal Engagement
Interstate Coordination
These special committees are engaged in facilitating cross-state discussion on relevant regulatory topics, tracking regulatory and policy differences across states, and – where appropriate – drafting guidance on specific issues. Their work informed several letters to Congress regarding national cannabis policy priorities and comments on proposed federal legislation to legalize cannabis federally.
Current CANNRA members include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, & Washington.
CANNRA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and takes no formal position for or against cannabis legalization, but rather seeks to provide local, state, and federal government jurisdictions with unbiased information to help make informed decisions when considering how or whether to legalize or expand regulated cannabis. More information about CANNRA is available at: www.cann-ra.org.