Court puts reinstatement of cannabis commission head on hold

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September 08 2025

A judge ruled that the ousted chair of the Cannabis Control Commission must be reinstated, but the state’s hitting pause with a quick appeal to delay the order for a week.

What’s the buzz? A judge declared that Shannon O’Brien, the fired chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, was wrongfully booted from her post. But don’t expect her back in the driver’s seat just yet.

O’Brien, a former state treasurer and one-time Democratic nominee for governor, took the helm of the commission in 2022—until her suspension a year later. State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg fired her in September 2024, slinging accusations of “gross misconduct,” race-based remarks, and bullying.

But the judge wasn’t buying it. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Robert Gordon called Goldberg’s decision a flimsy “house of cards” in a ruling dropped last week.

The latest twist? Goldberg, backed by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, is appealing the decision, per court filings. A judge agreed to hit pause on the order—which would’ve reinstated O’Brien with full back pay and benefits—for about a week. O’Brien’s term as chair is set to run until August 31, 2027, the court confirmed.

O’Brien’s legal team has until Wednesday to fire back, and then a judge will weigh in on the appeal. A spokesperson for the state treasurer didn’t respond to a request for comment Sunday evening.

O’Brien was gearing up to reclaim her spot as chair of the embattled Cannabis Control Commission on Friday, according to a spokesperson who spoke to Boston.com. They didn’t hold back, slamming the Treasurer for “wasting taxpayer dollars” on an “unreasonable appeal” to the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

“Treasurer Goldberg should listen to Judge Gordon, stop dragging Shannon O’Brien’s name through the mud, and let her get back to the job she was appointed to in September 2022,” the spokesperson said in a fiery statement.

Oh, and the cost of this drama? Goldberg’s office reportedly shelled out over $970,000 in legal fees to the firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, according to The Boston Globe last week.