MN Office of Cannabis Management to get another new interim director

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management has another new interim director. 

Eric Taubel named OCM interim director

What we know: Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan on Monday announced Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) interim Director Charlene Briner will step down, and General Counsel Eric Taubel will serve as the new interim director. 

Taubel has served as general counsel for OCM for the past year and has overseen the drafting of regulations that will serve as the framework for the cannabis market. 

Taubel will begin his role as interim director after Briner's last day on Jan. 17. 

Taubel will be the third person to serve as the head or interim head of the Office of Cannabis Management since the office was created in August 2023. The first, Erin Dupree, was appointed as the director in the fall of 2023 but resigned due to allegations of illegal product sales. Dupree was the only director without the interim title. Then Briner was named interim director after Dupree. 

READ MORE: Cannabis lottery cancellation delays Minnesota marijuana rollout

What they're saying: "Charlene Briner has gotten Minnesota’s emerging cannabis industry off the ground in a safe and responsible way. 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," said Governor Walz. "I am excited to welcome Eric Taubel as the new interim director. Eric is a proven, effective leader who brings legal expertise and a deep understating of state government and regulatory affairs. He will ensure continued growth and success as we work to make Minnesota competitive in this new industry."

"Charlene Briner is an instrumental leader who has worked to ensure a safe, equitable, and sustainable cannabis market through the implementation of the Office of Cannabis Management. I’m deeply grateful for her service to our administration and the people of Minnesota," said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. "As Eric Taubel steps in to fill this role, he will match her commitment and expertise, utilizing his outstanding legal acumen and strategic vision to ensure an equitable industry that prioritizes public health and maintains market integrity."

"I want to thank Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan for the opportunity to serve in their administration in this unique role," said Briner. "I am incredibly proud of the team we’ve built and the milestones met in our ongoing work to stand up this new office and implement Minnesota’s cannabis law. I am confident the talented public servants continuing their important work will do so in a way that exemplifies OCM’s commitment to launch a safe, accessible, and equitable cannabis industry."

Marijuana licensing in Minnesota

The backstory: Marijuana licensing has been delayed in Minnesota until at least June 2025 after the Office of Cannabis Management canceled its preapproval lottery after lawsuits convinced a judge to put it on hold in late November.

Minnesota will be the third-slowest state going from legalization to licensed retail sales.