Virginia Cannabis Oversight Board Positions Filled By Governor

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam made appointments to three newly created boards responsible for overseeing the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state, the governor's office said Monday.

Earlier this year, Virginia passed a law legalizing the use of recreational amounts of marijuana by adults. The new law went into effect on July 1.

The new law legalizes simple possession and home cultivation for adults 21 and over, seals some marijuana-related records, and creates a new independent state entity, the Cannabis Control Authority, to regulate the cannabis market.

The CCA is led by a five-member board of directors responsible for the creation of a marketplace for cannabis and will oversee the sale, transportation, and distribution of marijuana and marijuana products in Virginia.

Northam appointed Neil Amin of Henrico County, CEO of Shamin Hotels, as chairman of the CCA’s board. Michael Jerome Massie of Portsmouth, owner of the law firm Michael Jerome Massie, will serve as vice chairman of the board.

The three other board members will be Shane Emmett of Midlothian, co-founder and former CEO of Health Warrior; Bette Brand of Roanoke, CEO of Strategic Consulting LLC; and Rasheeda N. Creighton of Richmond, co-founder of The Jackson Ward Collective.

Virginia’s cannabis law dedicates 30 percent of tax revenue from cannabis sales to a Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund. The fund will be managed by the 20-person Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board. The funds will be used to provide resources to communities that have experienced disproportionate enforcement of drug laws and economic disinvestment.

SEE ALSO: Virginia's Marijuana Law: What's Legal And What's Not On July 1

The new legislation authorizes the governor to make five appointments to the board: Jorge Figueredo of Falls Church, executive director of Edu-Futuro; Amari Harris of Richmond, equity, diversity and inclusion attorney for the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission; W. Anthony West of Roanoke, chief operations officer of Virginia Community Action Re-Entry System; Sheba Williams of Richmond, executive director of Nolef Turns Inc.; and Vickie R. Williams-Cullins of Hampton, executive director of OPN-Door Communications LLC.

The state’s 21-person Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council will serve as an expert advisory council to the CCA board of directors. It will assess and monitor public health issues, trends, and impacts related to marijuana and marijuana legalization.

The new legislation authorizes the governor to make four appointments to the council: Ngiste Abebe of Richmond, vice president of public policy of Columbia Care; Larry Keen II of Petersburg, associate professor of the College of Health and Natural Sciences, Department of Psychology at Virginia State University; Cynthia Morrow MD MPH of Roanoke, health director of the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts; and Marcus Treiber of Leesburg, CEO of EMT Holdings LLC.

Information about the new boards can be found on the state's website.