Massachusetts investigative journalist Grant Smith-Ellis has published his latest report on the state’s CCC on Linked In.
As usual it is a complete shambles
He writes
Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission – A Shambolic Shambles
Massachusetts investigative journalist Grant Smith-Ellis has published his latest report on the state’s CCC on Linked In.
As usual it is a complete shambles
He writes
CCC Commissioner Kimberly Roy To Report Acting Chair Ava Concepcion, and Commissioner Nurys Camargo, for alleged violations of state law, after agency acting Executive Director Debbie Hilton-Creek was stripped of her powers (even some of her powers as Chief People Officer) to punish Hilton-Creek for asking staff to work more than one day per week, and because Concepcion is reported to want to bring back a suspended CCC staffer (who multiple victims have come forward in recent weeks, despite years of efforts by Concepcion and Camargo, per reports, to keep them quiet).
“I think this motion language knowingly, and wantonly violates the law, and I will be sending this motion language to multiple oversight authorities for a review of it’s legal veracity,” said Roy, during the shocking discussion (which ended with a 3-1 vote that, potentially, just destroyed the CCC and exposed multiple Commissioners (and a soon to depart legal counsel) to legal peril).
Exactly as I predicted, the CCC General Counsel (who is leaving the agency next week) is trying to provide cover for Ava Concepcion and Nurys Camargo to put CCC staff at risk by taking away powers from the Acting Executive Director (including her ability, in her role as Chief People Officer,
Commissioner Kim Roy has alleged that Acting Chair Ava Conception is trying to violate Massachusetts law, in six ways, as a CCC meeting is currently exploding before the world to see (including an attempt to take employee relations away from Hilton-Creek in her role as both CPO and ED).
After earth-shattering comments earlier on Tuesday from @MA_Cannabis Director Of Research, Dr. Julie Johnson — who broke her silence today to issue a public plea that Commissioners not strip acting agency Executive Director Debbie Hilton-Creek of her powers, in, what I have reported, is an attempt to bring back suspended staffer Cedric Sinclair (due to multiple, serious, allegations of abuse over recent years)– it is now confirmed that Acting Chair Ava Concepcion is moving to strip Hilton-Creek of almost all of her powers as acting ED.
Hilton-Creek was being targeted for removal to protect Sinclair, and because Hilton-Creek wanted CCC staff to work in the office more than one day per week (which upset a small, but powerful, group of CCC staffers tied to former Executive Director Shawn Collins, Sinclair, and now-resigned former HR Chief Justin Shrader.
This is a horrifying development, even for an agency known for doing terrible things.