New York State Bar Association President T. Andrew Brown Appointed President of Cannabis Company
10.14.2021
New York State Bar Association President T. Andrew Brown has been appointed president of Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) New York as the company seeks regulatory approval to develop an adult-use cannabis program in the state, the company announced today.
Brown will focus on equity, access and affordability in the state’s developing adult-use cannabis marketplace and on improving the company’s medical marijuana offerings. AWH is asking regulators to allow it to invest in MedMen NY’s four medical cannabis dispensaries and its cultivation and processing facility.
“In the short term, AWH will focus on expanding patients’ access to the medications that dramatically improve their quality of life and ease the pain and discomfort caused by a wide variety of ailments and illnesses,” the company said in the statement it released this morning.
The company noted that, as New York State Bar Association president, Brown helped shape New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which is widely regarded as one of the most progressive laws in the nation.
“Andrew Brown brings a deep knowledge and understanding of New York government, law, and policy to the AWH team, and we are thrilled to have him at the helm as we expand our operations,” said Andrea Cabral, the CEO of AWH.
“AWH has played a key role in shaping the East Coast cannabis market, and I look forward to helping it as a leading player in one of the nation’s most important adult-use markets,” Brown said in the statement. “Over my decades of experience in New York – both as a private practice attorney and in the public sector – I have seen firsthand how the War on Drugs has targeted communities of color, leaving deep financial, social, cultural, and economic wounds that have yet to heal.
“It is morally incumbent on the cannabis industry to help undo that damage. I applaud AWH’s commitment to social justice and will further its efforts to demonstrate the positive impact of merging strategic business practices with robust social equity programs,” he said.
Brown, who is assuming the position immediately, will put his more than 37 years of experience in the legal and government sectors to work in building relationships with state and local elected officials, the Office of Cannabis Management and the industry, the company said.
