Maryland’s chief cannabis regulator said he’ll step down from his post in December, more than a year after setting up the state’s adult-use market and guiding lawmakers through cannabis legalization.
Will Tilburg, director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration, has shaped the state’s medical and recreational cannabis rules, educated lawmakers on national best practices and established several first-in-the-nation cannabis policies and standards during his nearly seven-year tenure.
“I have achieved what I set out to do in transitioning this market and actually beyond that,” Tilburg said, adding he’s ready to try something new.
The attorney and public health policy expert said he does not have another gig lined up, but is looking forward to figuring out what he’ll do next. Tilburg plans to facilitate a smooth transition for his yet-to-be-chosen replacement.
Staying for as long as he has in the cannabis regulatory business is unusual, he said. He’s one of the longest-lasting cannabis regulators in the country, according to him, and “We tend to have a short shelf life.”
But he said he stuck around because he wanted to help Maryland transition to having a cannabis market that included adult recreational use after voters overwhelmingly affirmed the move.
“And that work is done,” he said.
Under Tilburg, the Moore-Miller administration staffed up the agency tasked with governing the billion-dollar industry, from around 50 employees to more than 100; stood up a licensing and taxation structure; and distributed the first round of cannabis business licenses.
The agency also made first-in-the-nation cannabis policy choices, Tilburg said, some of which were mandated by law. One was the completion of an historic first round rollout of cannabis business licenses. Maryland was the first in the country to hold its inaugural round solely for applicants who have lived or have gone to school in places overpoliced during cannabis prohibition, or who attended historically Black colleges and universities. More than 76% of licenses went to businesses with owners who are not white, according to state data.
Other firsts included standardized industry employee training; the first reference lab run by a state agency; and the first workforce development program in the country that will prioritize and help place those who have previous cannabis offenses in jobs.
“I think we’ve really set a bar for operations in the cannabis regulatory space,” he said.
Tilburg credits the administration and lawmakers in the General Assembly with being collaborative partners. Working together gave Maryland an edge over other states where branches of government disagreed on cannabis policy, he said.
“Here, we have all been rowing in the same direction, and I do not take that for granted,” he said.
Gov. Wes Moore called Tilburg an “exceptional leader, devoted public servant, and one of our country’s most respected voices in the cannabis industry.”
“I am grateful to Will for his more than six years of dedicated service to our state, and for making Maryland a national model,” Moore said in statement.
After nearly seven years with the state’s cannabis authority and about five as the person in charge, Tilburg said he’s ready for “new challenges.”
“I’ve been thrilled and honored to be able to do this for as long as I have,” he said. “But I’m also excited to be doing something else and to figure out what that is.”
The policy wonk said he’s drawn to the public sector and mentioned legislative work as one possibility. Tilburg previously worked in health policy and as a legal expert in the public sector.
Only “the right opportunity” could persuade him to stay in cannabis policy, he said.
His staff tops a list of what he’ll miss most about working with the cannabis agency he helped build. He described them as “a really dedicated, passionate group of people that care about doing this right.”
Pride and accomplishments aside, Tilburg admitted the job had downsides. The father of two 4-year-old twins said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his preschoolers.
“This job is a real grind. You’re under a microscope,” he said. “And it will be nice to be able to have a better balance in my life.”
