MA State Senator - Hampden District (D)

Senator Gomez is a life long native of western Massachusetts. He is the first Latino from The Hampden District to serve in the Massachusetts Senate. As a father of three, a former business owner, and with a family of veterans, Senator Gomez brings merges these perspectives and utilizes them to best serve his constituents.

His personal beliefs and experiences have driven his years of advocacy work for social justice issues such as criminal justice reform, immigrant rights, education issues, and civil rights. He has served as a member of various boards for local organizations in his District, many of which directly serve the Latino community. Prior to becoming a Senator he served as a Springfield City Councilor.

Just now completing his second term in office this legislative session, Senator Gomez has already helped pass several landmark pieces of legislation into law this through bills he sponsored that: ensure membership of the state’s Victim and Witness Assistance Board has equitable and fair representation; improve processes related to the expungement of one’s cannabis expungement records; provide undocumented immigrants the ability to have a driver’s license; and eliminate hair discrimination from our workplace and schools. The most recent legislation to be passed is a ban of the use of animals in circuses.

Senator Gomez proudly serves the Hampden District, consisting of the communities Springfield and Chicopee. He serves as the Senate Chair for the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws, Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion, and a member of the powerful Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

MA State Representative - 16th Worcester District (D)

Daniel M. Donahue was born and raised in Worcester’s Quinsigamond Village. He has worked in the State Legislature as a Representative since 2013, prioritizing legislation that has bolstered worker’s rights and sustained our Commonwealth’s local food systems. For the past two legislative sessions, Dan has served as the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy. Notable legislation within this tenure has included the passage of Chapter 180. This bill expanded opportunities for cannabis license applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds to obtain start-up capital, improved access for formerly incarcerated individuals wishing to expunge their records of cannabis charges, clarified contractual disputes between municipalities and cannabis businesses, and restored the ability for cannabis entrepreneurs to deduct business expenses for tax purposes.

Founding Partner - Smith, Costello, & Crawford

Born and raised in Springfield, MA, Payton Shubrick is a proud Springfield Central High School, College of the Holy Cross, and Bay Path University graduate. The oldest of four children, Payton is a natural leader and innovative thinker who enjoys new challenges facing emerging industries.

She started 6 Brick’s with the help of her parents and sisters, showing that a family-owned business has a place in this industry. 6 Brick's opened in September of 2022 and has already put Western Massachusetts on the map, winning Best Massachusetts Recreational Dispensary by the New England Cannabis Community Awards & MassLive Reader Rave’s Best Dispensary within its first year.

Staying true to her commitment to engaging more women, people of color, and aspiring entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry, she is an Adjunct Professor at American International College and Clark University, coached in the CT Social Equity Accelerator Program, and was named NECANN Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 and has been named to Marijuana Venture 40 under 40 for her leadership and success in the industry.

Partner - Foley Hoag

Kevin Conroy is a partner in Foley Hoag’s Administrative Law Department, with a primary focus on state regulatory matters and government investigations. He co-chairs the firm’s Cannabis and State Attorneys General groups.

Kevin has considerable experience developing proactive strategies to guide clients through every aspect of a state’s regulatory process, including attorney general investigations, cannabis and gaming licensing and administrative hearings. He has advised many large companies in matters before state Attorneys General Offices, cannabis regulatory bodies and public utility commissions.

CCC Commissioner - 2021 - Present

Commissioner Kimberly Roy was appointed to the Cannabis Control Commission in July 2021 by former Governor Charlie Baker. Since then, Commissioner Roy has worked on several notable projects, including a partnership with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, AAA Northeast, and additional stakeholders to create and implement Shifting Gears, a curriculum to educate teens on the risks of cannabis-impaired driving–the first of its kind in the nation. Commissioner Roy is passionate about educating the public about responsible consumption and youth prevention, and has penned several op-eds to this end. In her capacity as Commissioner, she conducts community outreach to senior citizens, local public health organizations, and other constituents. She is an advocate for cannabis research and public education funding, as well as removing barriers to veterans’ access to medical marijuana. Currently, Commissioner Roy serves as the duly elected Secretary for the Commission and oversees the work of the agency’s Host Community Agreement (HCA) Working Group, which reviewed and drafted the Commission’s HCA regulations to comply with Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022: An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry. She is also the liaison to the research subcommittee of the Cannabis Advisory Board.

Commissioner Roy has an extensive background in public safety and substance use disorder prevention having served the past decade as a member of the leadership team at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. In her capacity as Director of External Affairs and Communications Director, Commissioner Roy oversaw the Department’s public and media relations and community outreach programs and co-authored its Face2Face substance use disorder prevention and education program, which recognizes the impact of the addiction crisis on the criminal justice system and focuses on youth.

In addition, Commissioner Roy also served as Director of the Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff’s Association, which sponsors annual charitable events including the Sheriff’s Annual Senior Picnic, Winter Coat Drive, Organic Farm Distribution Program, and Holiday Food Drive for at-risk communities in Worcester County. Previously, Commissioner Roy worked as a Hospital Representative for Johnson & Johnson, working with major teaching hospitals for their anti-infective/analgesic division. She also served on the Board of Trustees for Quinsigamond Community College from 2017-2021.

Commissioner Roy holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Western New England University and Master’s Degree in Professional Communication from Clark University.

Director of Government Affairs - Green Thumb Industries

Kay Doyle is Director of Government Affairs with Green Thumb Industries, a family of companies providing safe and dignified access to cannabis and cannabis products in multiple states.  She previously served as one of the inaugural Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commissioners, launching the first adult use program on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and leading the regulatory team in establishing the adult use regulations. During her time there, she served as the Chair of the Environmental and Energy Task Force, coordinating the launch of the first statewide environmental requirements for cannabis cultivation. Prior to serving as Commissioner, Kay was Deputy General Counsel to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), where she acted as primary counsel to the Medical Use of Marijuana Program, the Food Protection Program and the Tobacco Control Program, advising clients regarding federal and state law relating to marijuana, food regulation, environmental health, tobacco protection, and administrative law.  After her career in public service, Kay served as Director of Public Policy for Jazz Pharmaceuticals, previously known as Greenwich Biosciences and GW Pharmaceuticals, the producer of the only FDA-approved plant-derived cannabinoid drug, Epidiolex. She has also worked as an attorney for Kopelman and Paige, P.C., representing private and municipal clients with a focus on cannabis law, administrative law, land use law, civil rights law and environmental law. She has experience practicing before all levels of federal and state court, including the United States Supreme Court.