PROVIDENCE – Kimberly Ahern, the first chairperson of the R.I. Cannabis Control Commission, is stepping down from her position.
She gave no reason for her departure in a resignation letter to Gov. Daniel J. McKee or in an emailed message to others, saying she had "concluded her service" as chairperson and was "grateful for the opportunity."
The announcement was made by McKee, who appointed Ahern as the inaugural chair of the commission in 2023 as the state moved to implement retail sales of marijuana for recreational use by adults.
As commission chairperson, Ahern was considered a full-time state employee and earned an annual salary of $204,000, according to state payroll records.
Ahern had led the three-member commission through its crafting of the state's legal cannabis regulatory framework, developing the adult-use cannabis regulations, launching the state’s social equity applicant certification process, and opening an application period for adult-use retail licenses.
Last September, the commission
opened applications for additional retail licenses to compete with the seven dispensaries already in operation.
Under state law, the commission can issue up to 24 new retail licenses, distributed evenly across six regions under a hybrid selection model that includes an initial screening process followed by a randomized lottery.
In her resignation letter to McKee, Ahern wrote that she was “proud of what we have accomplished in such a short time.”
“These milestones have laid a strong foundation for the careful expansion of adult-use cannabis retail licensing statewide," she said.
In a statement, McKee said Tuesday that Ahern, who previously served as his deputy chief of staff, “helped stand up the commission from the ground up and ensured that Rhode Island’s cannabis industry was launched with public health, safety and fairness as priorities.”
Cannabis Office Administrator Michelle Reddish also praised Ahern’s tenure, which she said “has positioned the commission and the office for continued progress and success.”
The administration will immediately begin searching for Ahern’s successor. The panel will continue with part-time commissioners Layi Oduyingbo and Robert Jacquard, "in partnership" with Reddish and the cannabis office. Oduyingbo and Jacquard earn stipends for their work.
Christopher Allen is a staff writer for PBN and can be reached at Allen@PBN.com
