Disciplinary hearings for suspended cannabis chair will extend a third day

The closed-door disciplinary hearings into suspended Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O'Brien wrapped up for the week Friday afternoon and will extend into a third day at the end of the month, according to the treasurer's office.

The future of O'Brien's leadership of the agency overseeing the state's $6 billion marijuana industry is being decided in a drab conference room on the 12th floor of the state office building at 1 Ashburton Place.

Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg suspended O'Brien last year for allegedly making racist remarks and mistreating a former staffer.

O'Brien denies any wrongdoing as chair. She and her legal team have objected to the hearings being held out of the public eye, allowing the treasurer to act as "judge, jury, and executioner." The cannabis commission has been plagued by a series of high-level suspensions.

Goldberg told reporters this week she's keeping an "open mind" to the facts and her future decision. But O'Brien's lawyer, Max Stern, in an interview Friday said Goldberg has presented only anonymous allegations from two investigative reports.

"We have no idea who they are. She refused to answer who they are," Stern said. "She refused to answer even what their job titles are. It’s impossible to defend against that sort of thing." He said Goldberg, who named O'Brien to the chair role in 2022, so far is refusing to testify or be cross-examined.

O'Brien had gone to court to challenge the secret nature of the proceedings — but a judge sided with Goldberg in keeping the hearings private.

The two sides agreed to meet for a third day of deliberations at the end of May.

"I think that given the importance of this entire process, that we should take whatever time is necessary in order to come to the right conclusion," Goldberg said in a statement.

Update: This story has been updated to reflect the comments of O'Brien's attorney.