{"id":83913,"date":"2025-10-22T04:18:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T12:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2025\/10\/22\/top-rhode-island-marijuana-regulator-steps-down-ahead-of-possible-campaign-for-attorney-general\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T19:49:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T03:49:44","slug":"top-rhode-island-marijuana-regulator-steps-down-ahead-of-possible-campaign-for-attorney-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2025\/10\/22\/top-rhode-island-marijuana-regulator-steps-down-ahead-of-possible-campaign-for-attorney-general\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Rhode Island Marijuana Regulator Steps Down Ahead Of Possible Campaign For Attorney General"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

\u201cShe helped stand up the commission from the ground up and ensured that Rhode Island\u2019s cannabis industry was launched with public health, safety, and fairness as priorities.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Currant<\/strong><\/p>\n

One day after setting the timeline for awarding the state\u2019s two dozen cannabis retail licenses<\/a>, the state\u2019s top pot industry regulator is stepping down amid expectations she will run for attorney general in 2026.<\/p>\n

Kimberly Ahern was set to conclude her tenure as chairperson of the three-member Cannabis Control Commission\u2014a position she has held since the panel was formed in 2023\u2014at the end of the day Tuesday, Gov. Dan McKee (D) announced early Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cServing the state in this capacity has been a privilege, and I am proud of what we have accomplished in such a short time,\u201d Ahern wrote in her\u00a0resignation letter<\/a>\u00a0submitted Tuesday to the governor. \u201cRhode Island has approached this new industry with care and purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahern highlighted the commission\u2019s approval of its\u00a0first set of rules\u00a0governing the state\u2019s recreational cannabis market<\/a>, including provisions for screening equity applicants and\u00a0opening applications\u00a0for prospective retailers<\/a> eager to enter the fledgling industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe helped stand up the commission from the ground up and ensured that Rhode Island\u2019s cannabis industry was launched with public health, safety, and fairness as priorities,\u201d McKee said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D) in a separate statement thanked Ahern for \u201csetting a high standard for public service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer work has positioned the Cannabis [Control] Commission for long-term success as we continue to strengthen this emerging industry,\u201d Shekarchi said.<\/p>\n

Senate President Valarie Lawson said Ahern\u2019s decisions on the panel \u201cshowed her\u00a0dedication to fairness and thoughtful regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer contributions will have a lasting impact on Rhode Island\u2019s cannabis program,\u201d Lawson said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Ahern\u2019s resignation letter does not state why she stepped down from her $204,069-a-year post, only that she looked forward to \u201cfinding new ways to serve the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is expected that she will enter the Democratic primary to succeed Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha (D), whose term as the state\u2019s top prosecutor ends after 2026. Neronha earns $146,107 a year.<\/p>\n

Two other Democrats have already announced their candidacies this fall: State Rep.\u00a0Jason Knight\u00a0and\u00a0Keith Hoffmann, who worked as the chief of policy and senior counsel under Neronha.<\/p>\n

State Rep. Robert Craven, a North Kingstown Democrat, was the first to announce a bid for AG, but\u00a0exited\u00a0four days later after past allegations of domestic violence were brought to light.<\/p>\n

Knight had $90,419 in his campaign account as of the most recent filing from the end of June. Hoffmann\u2019s campaign announced October 6 that his account has raised $210,000 since he entered the race.<\/p>\n

Ahern does not yet have a balance listed with the Board of Elections as of Tuesday.<\/p>\n

But much like her potential competitors, Ahern too has worked as a state attorney. From 2010 through 2019, she served as a special assistant AG under three attorneys general: Neronha, Peter Kilmartin and Patrick Lynch.<\/p>\n

She then went on to serve as deputy counsel for former Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) and went on to become the deputy chief of staff for McKee before her appointment to the Cannabis Control Commission.<\/p>\n

McKee\u2019s office confirmed the search for Ahern\u2019s successor has begun. In the meantime, the panel will continue its work under the leadership of Commissioners Layi Oduyingbo and Robert Jacquard.<\/p>\n

The commission\u2019s next monthly meeting is scheduled for November 21, but Ahern indicated Monday it could be sooner in order for regulators to approve final certification of prospective social equity applicants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Day-to-day operations of the commission and the state\u2019s newly established Cannabis Office will continue to be handled by its administrator, Michelle Reddish.<\/p>\n

This story was first published by Rhode Island Currant.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis \/\/ Side Pocket Images.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Top Rhode Island Marijuana Regulator Steps Down Ahead Of Possible Campaign For Attorney General<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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\u201cShe helped stand up the commission from the ground up and ensured that Rhode Island\u2019s cannabis industry was launched with public health, safety, and fairness as priorities.\u201d By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Currant One day after setting the timeline for awarding the state\u2019s two dozen cannabis retail licenses, the state\u2019sContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":457,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83913"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/457"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83913"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83914,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83913\/revisions\/83914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}