Delaware online
Delaware Marijuana Commissioner Rob Coupe will step down later this month as the industry continues its momentum toward opening.
Coupe was appointed by Gov. John Carney and confirmed by the state Senate to be the first commissioner after the use and sale of adult-use recreational marijuana was legalized in 2023. His last day will be Jan. 17, but he said he might use some vacation days before going back to construction as the chief of staff at CRx Construction in Rehoboth Beach.
A few days after Coupe leaves the office for good, Matt Meyer will be inaugurated as Delaware’s next governor.
Coupe was approaching his 40th year in public service. He has held leadership positions with the Delaware State Police, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the Department of Correction, the Department of Technology and Information and the Delaware Department of Justice.
“It seemed like a fitting time to go out,” he said.
Now, the position is back in the hands of the governor. Carney is still in office, but Matt Meyer is set to take over later this month. Despite this, Coupe said Deputy Marijuana Commissioner Paul Hyland will stay in his role while continuing to lead the Office of the Marijuana toward its goal of opening retail locations in the spring.
Coupe said he is proud of how the office has handled the challenge of regulating and guiding the new industry.
“We’ve made a lot of progress,” he said. “It’s been a lot of great partnerships to pull this off.”
