The Cole Memo

UPDATE 12/4/2024: David Lakeman has reportedly declined the offer to lead the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission and will remain in Illinois

On October 28, 2024, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) held final interviews for the Executive Director position. Among the candidates were Travis Ahern, Matt Giancola, Marty Golightly, and David Lakeman.

The 3 commissioners for the Massachusetts CCC unanimously voted for David Lakeman as the next Executive Director. Lakeman’s official appointment to the role is subject to his acceptance of the position, salary negotiations and a background check, commissioners said Monday.

1. Background on David Lakeman’s Hiring
2. Transition from IL to MA
   1. Transcript
   2. Video
3. Unanimous Vote
4. Insights from Cannabis Policy Advocates
5. Coverage from Other Outlets

Background on David Lakeman’s Hiring

David Lakeman began working as the Cannabis Division Manager in September of 2020 according to a report by GrownIn. Lakeman currently oversees medicinal, adult-use cannabis, and hemp licensees for the Department of Agriculture. The Illinois Department of Agriculture has oversight responsibility for Illinois’ cannabis cultivation sites as well as the licenses for cannabis craft grow, infuser, and transport operations. Before moving to Illinois, he served as director of government affairs at the CCC from 2018 until 2020.

David Lakeman replaced Jeff Cox who reportedly left the department in June of 2020. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Jeff Cox left to work for NMI Management Group, a consultancy led by Leonard Mahler and David Flood, businessmen tied to the Consume dispensary chain and the Progressive Treatment Solutions.

According to the Sun-Times report, Cox was still heading the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Medicinal Plants when Progressive Treatment Solutions (PTS), Verano, and the state’s other cultivators were awarded new licenses to grow recreational marijuana. The Sun-Times had also reported that records showed that George Archos, the chief executive of the massive Chicago-based pot firm Verano Holdings, was also an officer of NMI Management. However, Archos is no longer listed in the company’s state filing. According to his LinkedIn, Jeff Cox currently works as the VP of Compliance at PTS.

Transition from IL to MA

David was asked what the transition to his new position might look like during his interview with the CCC. He made it clear that he would have to work out those details with the state of Illinois before proceeding with the transition.

Transcript

Below is a excerpt from the transcript of the interview. If you’d rather not read, you can also watch this moment below.

Massachusetts CCC Interviewer: “Last question. It’s a toughy. You’re currently serving in a professional position. If you were offered this job, what amount of time would you need to step down from your current role or transition into this ED—in our ED position?”

David Lakeman: “Knowing that this is a public interview, I think that’s something I would have to work with my current administration on to develop. To that point: a big part of the reason that I am qualified to do this job and work with all of you is because of my current experience building and leading a unit of almost very similar size. I believe in this team, I built this team, and I have to do what’s right by them and by my current administration, which has been extraordinarily supportive.

And I think you have to do that in order to be the kind of person that you would want as the Executive Director here, right? Especially given what the circumstances have been—consistency, stability—that’s what I want to make sure that I’ve done for the people I work with and what I would want to do for the people here at the commission.

So, to give you a very short answer: I don’t know.

I would have to work with the administration I work for to ensure a proper transition and a proper handoff is done, because given all the hard work we’ve done, I would not want to do that wrong to them. I would not want to do that wrong to them. And so, developing that handoff plan, developing, you know, a succession plan for that, is going to be a key part of that. And again, I don’t think you would want someone that would just drop it over here without doing that.”

Video

Unanimous Vote

You can watch the CCC unanimously vote to hire David Lakeman as Executive Director below.

You can view an interview I captured with David Lakeman, the Cannabis Division Manager, here.

Insights from Cannabis Policy Advocates

I had a brief conversation with Shaleen Title from Parabola Center about David’s unanimous appointment by the Massachusetts CCC, and she expressed strong support for the decision.

I’m thrilled about the unanimous vote for David Lakeman. He has a remarkable ability to make everyone feel heard – whether they’re local officials, industry members, or community advocates – while still getting things done.

What sets him apart is how he combines deep regulatory expertise with authentic respect for different perspectives – that’s his secret to getting diverse groups working together on challenging issues. He’s exactly the kind of leader this role needs.

-Shaleen Title

Coverage from Other Outlets

• Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Picks Illinois Official To Fill Executive Director Role
• Illinois official chosen as next Cannabis Control Commission director

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#247 – What could rescheduling mean for cannabis policy? – The Cole Memo

I’ll be joined by a surprise guest to recap the latest developments in cannabis policy and what they could mean for both businesses and consumers. Read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2025/12/22/e246/

1. #247 – What could rescheduling mean for cannabis policy? 54:03
2. #246 – Cannabis Is Legal in Illinois, So Why Are People Still Being Arrested 40:14
3. #245 – Live From the Oval Office: Trump Directs AG to Expedite Cannabis Rescheduling Process 39:06
4. #244 – Talking Cannabis Rescheduling With Its Harshest Critics 44:25
5. #243 – Social Equity, Transporters, Rescheduling, and the Future of Hemp With Ali Jubelirer 01:01:29