Grant Ellis – Smith can’t be getting much sleep this week– this story just piles it on the already existing drama playing out in the halls of the CCC.
BREAKING NEWS; Massachusetts operator Greatest Hits, and government regulators with the CCC, potentially under investigation by Massachusetts State Police and the DEA, per whistleblower testimony to state lawmakers on Tuesday.
Yep. you guessed it Collins is now a consultant
By; Grant Smith-Ellis
As Massachusetts CCC faces potential Thursday protest related to the potential return of staffer suspended for serious abuse allegations, new testimony presented to state lawmakers by an industry whistleblower — and made public for the first time here– indicates that former agency Executive Director Shawn Collins may have been personally aware of multiple instances of illegal conduct by regulated operator “Greatest Hits“ and that such conduct was ignored because of Collins’ close ties to company lawyer Nick Adamopolous (despite investigations opened into Greatest Hits by the CCC).
Adamopolous: https://www.lakeshorelegalsolutions.com/nicholas-c-adamopoulos
Nicholas has also represented several entities navigate the up and coming adult use cannabis industry. Nicholas has assisted these groups with negotiations with local municipalities, selectman groups, and planning boards. He has also assisted in preparing the necessary policies and plans to be presented to the Cannabis Control Commission for provisional and final licensure. Nicholas has represented cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, and retail establishments and has a strong knowledge of the ever changing state regulations to ensure that his clients are in full compliance with the CCC.
“I am writing to give my input as a former employee in the “regulated” cannabis industry in Massachusetts and as the key witness in an ongoing CCC, Massachusetts State Police, and DEA investigation,” began the shocking testimony to state lawmakers on Tuesday, revealed publicly for the first time here.
“A year ago I came forward as a whistleblower (despite the CCC still not having any formal whistleblower policy over 5 years after being created) to report an illegal grow operation run by one of The Commission’s licensees Greatest Hits Cannabis Company. This illegal grow operation was run for over a year and produced dozens of pounds of untested, unregulated product that was put out into the community by the company’s founders and top executives,” the earth-shattering testimony went on.
Read more on the background of that Greatest Hits story, from my original reporting in May of 2023, here – https://lnkd.in/esKcnQMC
“Although this is still an “ongoing investigation” according to the CCC, and despite my having sat for interviews with multiple “investigation” teams, the company has not been “regulated” in any way,” the whistleblower continued, in remarks that will come as no surprise to agency (and industry) insiders.
More here – https://lnkd.in/eTJ-neP3
