Thank you, Interim Director Charlene Briner
 Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced Monday that Charlene Briner will step down on Jan. 17 after building the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) from the ground up. OCM General Counsel Eric Taubel will assume the role as interim director.
“It has been an honor to assemble and lead the incredible team at OCM that is building something entirely new and necessary for Minnesota. Turning the words on the pages of a new law into a living, breathing, high-performing office has been some of the most novel, challenging and rewarding work of my career. It is also work that, for me, was always intended to be temporary. I step away with full confidence knowing the talented and dedicated team at OCM will continue to carry out the work in a way that will make Minnesotans proud and positions our state as a leader in this constantly evolving industry.” -Charlene Briner, interim director During her time as interim director, Briner oversaw significant milestones in the implementation of Minnesota’s cannabis legislation, including: establishing a new state office that now employs more than 100 highly qualified staff; conducting an extensive rulemaking process to define regulations for the commercial cannabis industry, which will be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2025; developing enhanced compliance and enforcement programs for the hemp-derived cannabinoid product market; facilitating submission and review of more than 1,800 business license applications, fostering industry growth and participation. Learn more about the decision in Governor Walz’s news release. |
Governor Walz Thanks Charlene Briner for Creating, Implementing, and Leading the Office of Cannabis Management
Names Office of Cannabis Management General Counsel Eric Taubel as interim director
[ST. PAUL, MN] — Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced today that Charlene Briner will step down after building the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) from the ground up. OCM General Counsel Eric Taubel will serve as interim director.
“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.”
During her time as interim director, Briner oversaw significant milestones in the implementation of Minnesota’s cannabis legislation, including: establishing a new state office that now employs more than 100 highly qualified staff; conducting an extensive rulemaking process to define regulations for the commercial cannabis industry, which will be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2025; developing enhanced compliance and enforcement programs for the hemp-derived cannabinoid product market; facilitating submission and review of more than 1,800 business license applications, fostering industry growth and participation.
Taubel, who has served as OCM’s general counsel for the last year, has played a key role in the creation and implementation of the new office. He has overseen drafting of the detailed regulations that will serve as the framework for the regulated cannabis market and played a significant role in tribal compact negotiations. Taubel developed the office’s legal strategy around enforcement and regulatory actions and led the office’s response to litigation. Taubel will assume the role as Interim Director of OCM after Briner’s last day on January 17, 2025.
“I want to thank Governor Walz and Lt. Governor 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.”
About Charlene Briner
With more than two decades in the public, political, and non-profit sectors, Charlene Briner has extensive state and local government experience in multiple states, serving as deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education for both the Dayton and Walz administrations; deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services; and senior advisor at the Minnesota House of Representatives, as well as interim roles as executive director of the Minnesota Racing Commission and interim chief of staff at Boston Public Schools.
About Eric Taubel
Eric Taubel came to OCM with experience in legal work at two other state agencies and in private practice. Before joining the OCM team, he was general counsel for the Minnesota Department of Education, where he was responsible for building the agency’s Office of General Counsel from the ground up, and previously was an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Taubel worked in private practice before joining the Department of Commerce. He has a law degree from the University of Minnesota.
About the Office of Cannabis Management
Established in August 2023, Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management is responsible for developing operational and regulatory systems to launch and oversee Minnesota’s new regulated cannabis market. OCM’s mission is to foster an equitable cannabis industry that prioritizes public health and safety, consumer confidence, and market integrity.
OCM also regulates the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products at more than 4,500 retailers and the state’s medical cannabis program, which has been in place since 2014 and currently serves more than 50,000 patients statewide.
