Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management will get new interim director
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The interim director of the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, who has led the office since it was created, is stepping down.
Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday that Charlene Briner — who has served as interim director since 2023 — will leave that position on Jan. 17.
She’ll be replaced as interim director by Eric Taubel, who has served as the Office of Cannabis Management’s general counsel for the past year. The office is still awaiting a permanent 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,” Walz said in a statement.
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Briner originally had been set to leave the post in September 2023, when Walz appointed a permanent director. But that appointee left within a day, following questions about her business past. Briner was asked to stay on and had served as interim director ever since, but made clear she didn't want the job on a permanent basis.
She told MPR News that what was supposed to be a three- to four-month commitment had stretched to more than a year and a half. She said she’s leaving the office “with confidence that the team we’ve built can carry out the work with no disruption under Eric’s leadership.”
The office now employs more than 100 people.
“I want to thank Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan for the opportunity to serve in their administration in this unique role,” Briner said in a statement from the governor’s office.
“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.”
Prior to joining the Office of Cannabis Management, Taubel served as general counsel for the state Department of Education. Walz said he’s a “proven, effective leader” who brings legal expertise and significant experience with state government and regulatory affairs.
Walz’s office said Taubel “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.”
“He will ensure continued growth and success as we work to make Minnesota competitive in this new industry,” Walz said.
Taubel takes the helm ahead of lotteries planned for later this year to award cannabis business licenses — one lottery for social equity applicants, and another for general applicants — as it works toward launching retail sales in the state.