Dianna Houenou - Commission Chair

I am honored and humbled to be in such a historic position. As a former activist and advocate, I drove up and down and across the state educating people on marijuana reform issues. I am proud to now be heading the agency that adopts and implements the rules for the cannabis industry. New Jersey is a national leader in developing regulations that emphasize opening the door to anyone who wants to own a cannabis business. I am thankful that Governor Murphy had the vision to appoint leadership with a demonstrated commitment to pushing for equitable access to this new industry.

Maria Del Cid-Kosso - Commissioner

As one of the few women regulators of color in the country, it is a humbling experience to be in this space where I can continue to support the strides that were made by those who came before me. Every day, I remind myself that not only are we building this plane as we are flying it, but we are standing in the shoulders of giants who fought for social and economic justice and made history. As member of the inaugural commission, its fulfilling to be part of that history and an honor to influence how this industry will evolve in the next five to ten years.

Krista Nash – Commissioner

I do not view my work as a commissioner as making history, per se. Still, I am very proud of the work accomplished by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.  Less than five months after the CRC’s inception, rules were adopted for the recreational sale of cannabis.  In less than two years, hundreds of licenses have been awarded and we are beginning to see these businesses open up.  It is especially exciting because the enactment of regulations and review of licensure is guided by principles of social equity and fairness.

Dianna Houenou

During my time as policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, I partnered with individuals from across the state to keep marijuana reform in the spotlight as an important issue for civil rights and social equity. It was very important to me to be the voice for those people who were not in the decision-making rooms. During that time, I met people like Michael Ryan, who spent years behind bars and ultimately lost his family because of marijuana prohibition. I also met countless people who were directly impacted by the pressures and stigmas of having been arrested for marijuana offenses and were eager for legalization to finally lift that weight off their shoulders. Their stories motivated me to continue fighting for stronger reforms that would have a meaningful impact on people.

When I later served as senior policy advisor and associate counsel to Governor Murphy, I developed the experience and perspective needed to think through policy implementation from the Executive Branch. My experience has committed to me to the fight for meaningful impact and melding legal and policy perspectives has prepared me to build achievable short- and long-term visions for the Cannabis Regulatory Commission that will keep New Jersey at the forefront of cannabis equity.

Maria Del Cid-Kosso

Prior to being appointed by Governor Phil Murphy to the NJCRC, I had nearly ten years of experience working in the legislature and executive branch, with key roles that involved crafting and assessing hundreds of legislative bills that promoted equitable policies in health and housing efforts. At the Commission, I continue to utilize my policy and legislative background to amplify cannabis policies and regulations that are instrumental to the CRC’s mission. Additionally, my previous work gave me the opportunity to amplify marginalized voices and it is no different at the Commission – I recognize that there is a lot of work ahead of us and that we cannot revert the effects of institutional racism overnight, but with intentional policies and decisions we will be able to shape New Jersey’s cannabis industry into a national model that we can all be proud of.

Krista Nash

I am a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, and have worked with justice-involved individuals who struggled with addiction and mental health issues.  As such, I have seen first-hand the inequities of the criminal justice system, especially in disadvantaged communities.  New Jersey was very progressive when enacting laws to allow recreational cannabis businesses to open in the state.  In doing so, priority was rightfully given to those who fell victim to the war on drugs. My education and work experiences have been a motivation to ensure that these mandates are put into practice as the market unfolds.

^{Left to right: Commissioner Maria Del Cid-Kosso, Chairwoman Dianna Houenou, and Commissioner Krista Nash the March 2, 2023 Public Meeting.} 

Dianna Houenou

When I was nominated by Governor Murphy to lead the Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s Board, I spoke publicly about bringing equity and integrity to my work with the NJ-CRC. Equity and integrity should be the markers of not just the cannabis industry we are developing but also the agency that oversees the industry. I believe the NJ-CRC can change – and is changing – how a government agency engages with the public and develops is rules in collaboration with the public. This includes proactively working with people who, because of government’s track record, are reluctant to trust that a government agency really wants them to participate in the industry.

My vision is that New Jersey’s cannabis industry reflects the diversity of our state in terms of size, geography, and ownership and workforce demographics: New Jersey is poised to have businesses small, medium, and large covering all corners of the state that include representation from diverse racial and ethnic communities. Current data shows that we are well underway to achieving that goal. At the end of 2022, annual license approvals were given to businesses in 14 of New Jersey’s 21 counties; 2 in 3 awards went to certified disabled veteran-, minority-, or woman-owned businesses; and 1 in 4 awards went to people with prior marijuana convictions.

Maria Del Cid-Kosso

In honor of Women’s History Month, here is one of my favorite quotes: “Well behaved women seldom make history” – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

That resonates with me anywhere I go, where I find myself to be the only woman, the only Latina, or the only millennial in the room. As women there is a lot of power in our voice as we advocate for change or challenge the status quo. When I think of what my cannabis legacy will be, that legacy is multidimensional—there are myriad issues that I care about, but if I had to narrow it down, I’d say to create a cannabis space that embraces women entrepreneurs. Today, there is still a lack of racial and gender diversity in the cannabis industry when it comes to ownership and executive positions. Despite that New Jersey is making strides in diversifying the industry, there’s still a lot of work ahead of us statewide and nationally.

Given my background in health, when it comes to patient access, I hope I get to see the day when cannabis is not only destigmatized but also rescheduled federally to allow for States with medical cannabis programs to subsidize the cost for medical patients. Equity in the cannabis space can be achieved when viewed holistically.

Krista Nash

I would like to see more diversely owned businesses and New Jersey natives represented in this industry, while enhancing tax revenue that can be appropriated to people and communities most in need.  I want to see employees and potential entrepreneurs in this business educated through New Jersey’s academic institutions and workers protected by strong labor organizations.  I continue to strive to make this model a reality and I am appreciative to be a part of this Commission.

As the nation’s cannabis industry continues its upward trajectory, according to Marijuana Business Daily report, Women & Minorities in the Marijuana, women in leading roles in the cannabis industry has declined by 9% over a  two year period. At NJ-CRC, we are proud to have three well qualified women helping to shape the New Jersey cannabis landscape and helping to pave the way for other women to enter the industry.