John SchroyerNew York City’s cannabis czar, Dasheeda Dawson, formally stepped down from her role at Cannabis NYC this week, in order to get some rest and relaxation before she takes on her next project, Dawson told Green Market Report on Friday.
Dawson formally left Cannabis NYC on Tuesday, March 25, after joining the agency – a wing of the city’s Small Business Services department – in October 2022 during the run-up to New York’s recreational marijuana market launch in December that year. Dawson took the job after more than two years of working as a cannabis regulator for the city of Portland, Oregon, and she still has her own cannabis lifestyle brand, The WeedHead & Co.
Dawson’s resignation was first reported by Politico, and was confirmed by the SBS and Cannabis NYC on Friday.
“We’re thankful for (Dawson’s) service to the city’s community of cannabis entrepreneurs, for launching this unique initiative, and laying the groundwork for impactful programming that the SBS team will continue to build upon,” Cannabis NYC said in an emailed statement to GMR.
Although her departure from Cannabis NYC may seem sudden, Dawson said that it’s been in the works for a while, and the split was an amicable one.
“I’m sorry to leave, of course. I know that it’s always hard to transition,” Dawson said. “A lot of people don’t know that between my last role, I really didn’t get a break. My last day in Portland was legitimately my first day in New York City, and as I gear up for some bigger jobs ahead of me, I just want to make sure I rest and recharge.”
She added that she’s proud of many of the Cannabis NYC programs and accomplishments, including a business loan fund that’s been rolled out over the past few months to assist small marijuana businesses in the Big Apple.
Dawson wasn’t yet ready to share what may be next for her, but she confirmed she’s still chairwoman of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition and that she’s not leaving the marijuana space.
“I have a vision. It is very clear. It’s a more global influence on the space,” Dawson said. “It’s still work, and there are so many hats that all of these leaders in the space are wearing. I just took off one of the hats.”
She’s also confident that Cannabis NYC will continue serving New York marijuana companies in her absence, but Dawson didn’t have any information to share about who may succeed her as the next agency head.
“I don’t know what the city will do next, but I know that our team, my former team has done a great job laying out a lot of work for April, May, June and July, which are the height of cannabis events and engagement. I would imagine that would move forward,” she said.
Dawson also said she hopes that more state funding will be allocated from tax revenues specifically to communities within New York City that were hurt by cannabis prohibition. She added that the city could benefit from a standalone marijuana-specific business department to oversee the industry, instead of having Cannabis NYC be housed within Small Business Services.
