NJ’s top cannabis business group installs new leadership ahead of legalization
New Jersey Cannabusiness group is shaking up its leadership as the state prepares to launch a legal recreational marijuana industry.
Scott Rudder announced he will step down as president today. Edmund DeVeaux, policy director for the NJ CannaBusiness Association. And a lobbyist with Burton Trent Public Affairs will take the helm.
“While there are many obstacles still to overcome, this is an exciting time for the cannabis industry, both in New Jersey and across the country,” DeVeaux said in a statement. “I look forward to working with members of the NJCBA and cannabis industry advocates to create an industry. That is not only thriving but presents an equal opportunity for everyone.”
The New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, the state’s largest industry trade group, played a major role in NJ CAN 2020, the coalition that campaigned in favor of the ballot question seeking to legalize marijuana.
DeVeaux graduated from Rutgers University and served as an officer in the U.S. Army. He has worked as a capital budget analyst in the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Management and Budget.
He has also worked for a former New Brunswick mayor and for former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley.
Rudder, a former mayor and state assemblyman who founded the association, will stay on as a member of its board of directors.
“Four years ago this month, we started on a journey to expand patient access to medical cannabis, fight to end cannabis prohibition. And help create a responsible, transparent, and inclusive cannabis industry in New Jersey,” he said in a statement. “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished and I am excited about where we are going.”