A cannabis industry entrepreneur who hasn't worked in government before will be the inaugural director of Minnesota's new cannabis agency, Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday.
Erin DuPree, a longtime consultant for startup businesses who founded Loonacy Cannabis Co. in Apple Valley, will lead the Office of Cannabis Management. She will be charged with filling out the office's staff and overseeing the creation of Minnesota's recreational marijuana market.
"It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm really excited to be able to serve my state and my community with the knowledge that I have," DuPree said in an interview. "I have a unique skill-set as an entrepreneur and specializing really in startup businesses. And that's kind of what this is."
She will start Oct. 2, according to the governor's office, and her salary will be $151,505.
Walz praised DuPree as a "proven and effective leader" in a statement.
"With direct experience in Minnesota's hemp and cannabis industry and over 20 years of success in launching, managing, and growing businesses and organizations, Erin DuPree is an outstanding choice to lead the Office of Cannabis Management," Walz said.
DuPree said she will close her hemp-derived cannabis business, Loonacy, this weekend before she starts as director. Minnesota's marijuana law prohibits the Office of Cannabis Management director from holding a direct or indirect stake in a cannabis business.
DuPree has worked with companies in multiple states, she said, including some that already legalized marijuana. She has led research on cannabis products while complying with state laws and regulations, according to background information provided by the governor's office.