ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointment of Tabatha Robinson as director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration. Robinson will succeed former director Will Tilburg, who departed the agency in December 2024. She will serve in an acting capacity pending confirmation of her appointment by the Maryland Senate during the 2025 Legislative Session.
"In Maryland, we are transforming cannabis policy from a cudgel to an instrument for shared prosperity and economic advancement. We are grateful that Tabatha Robinson is lending her expertise, judgment, and vision to this critical work," said Gov. Moore. "Under Tabatha's steady leadership, Maryland will continue to build out a thriving cannabis market that sets the standard for the rest of the country. Our administration is grateful that she has raised her hand to serve."
Robinson currently serves as executive deputy director of economic development and acting chief equity officer for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, where she drives economic programs and social equity licensing policies for New York’s adult use and medical cannabis markets. During her tenure, the office has awarded more than 50% of new cannabis licenses to social equity business owners; more than 90% of operational retailers have prior marijuana convictions.
"Tabatha has been an invaluable and principled partner at the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, as we worked to operationalize the cannabis law," said New York State Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes. "Her commitment to fostering equitable economic development has been evident in all she does and will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact even as she moves on to new opportunities. She is a true public servant and we wish her all the best. Maryland’s gain is our loss."
Robinson also spearheaded the first expansion of the state’s medical market since 2015 through the development of a new application system and evaluation of deals in the medical and recreational markets. New York’s market is the second largest cannabis market in the East Coast.
Prior to joining New York State government, Robinson worked as a corporate attorney, focusing on strategic transactions and mergers and acquisitions and as Special Assistant Attorney General for Workers’ Rights in Washington, D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General. She holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a B.A. from Stanford University.
"Maryland’s cannabis industry is a national model and its success is a testament to prioritizing product safety for consumers and promoting social equity market-wide," said Tabatha Robinson. "I look forward to working alongside industry stakeholders, legislators, and the many dedicated public servants within the Maryland Cannabis Administration to continue to build upon the market’s success."
Robinson will assume her new role on February 19.
In 2023, Gov. Moore signed the
Cannabis Reform Act, which paved the way for Maryland's highly successful transition from a medical cannabis market to an adult-use cannabis market. Last year, the Maryland Cannabis Administration conducted a successful licensing round exclusively for social equity applicants, with 75% of new licenses being awarded to minority-owned firms. Today, Maryland is home to the most diverse cannabis industry in the nation and exceeded $1.1 billion in sales in its first full year.
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