Chris Alexander, the embattled head of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management, is stepping down, Spectrum News NY1 has learned.

The executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management announced his resignation on Friday via email, according to a copy obtained by NY1.

What You Need To Know

  • Chris Alexander, the executive director of the state Office of Cannabis Management, is resigning
  • Alexander and the Office of Cannabis Management have come under fire for a slow rollout of the legal cannabis industry in New York
  • On May 12, a bombshell state Office of General Services report blamed Alexander’s office for much of the mishap surrounding the rollout
  • New York’s $239 billion state budget included provisions that Gov. Kathy Hochul has said would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to close unlicensed stores

“I have been reluctant to write this email due to the deep connection and commitment I have to this work and to this team. And while I planned to serve out the remainder of my term, I no longer have confidence in my ability to do my job and lead this team effectively under current circumstances,” Alexander wrote in the message addressed to the state Cannabis Advisory Board, an advisory board to the Office of Cannabis Management and the state Cannabis Control Board.

“There is so much left to do. But I have the utmost confidence in this team and in you all to stay focused on the mission and to keep driving this work forward,” Alexander added.

His resignation follows Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement on May 12 that she would not reappoint Alexander to his job at the end of his three-year term in September. He was appointed to the job in September 2021, and before that, he worked on the legislation that eventually made cannabis sales legal in New York.

Alexander and the Office of Cannabis Management have come under fire for a slow rollout of the legal industry plagued by thousands of illegal shops selling illicit product.

Also on May 12, a bombshell state Office of General Services report blamed the Office of Cannabis Management for much of the dysfunction in the state’s legal cannabis market, citing inexperienced staff and confusing rules that have left prospective cannabis entrepreneurs frustrated and out of cash.

Earlier this week, NY1 reported the legislature’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus met behind closed doors with Hochul and complained about the bungled rollout.

State Sen. Jabari Brisport, a Brooklyn Democrat, said he was insulted that Hochul appeared to use Alexander as a “scapegoat” for the office’s issues.

New York’s $239 billion state budget included provisions Hochul said would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to padlock unlicensed stores.

Already, nearly 100 have been closed statewide, the majority in New York City, since the budget was signed into law on May 4, according to the state.

Alexander announced his resignation on Friday via email, according to this copy obtained by NY1.
Alexander announced his resignation on Friday via email, according to this copy obtained by NY1.

In a statement provided to NY1, Hochul thanked Alexander and highlighted some of his accomplishments.

“Under Mr. Alexander’s leadership, New York took its first steps toward developing a robust legal market that elevated those disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, and as [the Office of Cannabis Management] transitions into its next phase, we look forward to continuing the work of building the strongest, most equitable industry in the nation. That has and always will be our mission, because it is what New Yorkers expect and deserve,” Hochul said in a statement.

Hochul has not yet said who she will name as Alexander’s replacement.