[Editor’s note: Late Friday, MPR News reported that Erin DuPree will no longer take the position after it was discovered her store was selling THC products that were out of compliance with Minnesota law.]

Nearly four months after Minnesota lawmakers legalized recreational cannabis, the state has appointed a new director to oversee the nascent industry. On Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz announced that he has appointed Erin DuPree as the first head of the state’s newly-created Office of Cannabis Management.

This role is pivotal to establishing the adult-use cannabis market’s licensure structures, regulations, and rules. Until now, the state’s board of pharmacy had been regulating the industry on an ad-hoc basis.

DuPree will officially begin work on Oct. 1.

The owner of two businesses — low-dose hemp-derived cannabis business Loonacy Cannabis Co. and Cook & Quinwood Consulting — DuPree, a born and raised Minnesotan, has been an entrepreneur in the state for 20 years. In addition to her work in the state, she has also worked as a consultant for a range of businesses, including cannabis businesses in states that have already legalized marijuana including California, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, and New Jersey.

Due to her appointment to the new head role at the state agency, DuPree said she is currently in the process of selling her two businesses. She also addressed her lack of direct bureaucratic experience, noting that the law new law needs businesses at the forefront of this emerging market.

“We know that within the first year of legalization, Minnesota is going to do about a billion dollars in revenue in this industry,” she said during a Thursday morning news conference. “But let’s also look at the fact that this is a giant startup and I have done no less than a dozen of those. My experience does translate.”

DuPree is starting her new position with an already full plate. The department needs to hire a total of at least 150 people to run correctly, she said. The office is also working with the governor to fill a new 51-member cannabis advisory council.

During the news conference, DuPree emphasized the importance of keeping cannabis businesses local.

“You come out of the private sector to serve your state and your community with the knowledge that you have, and I’m really driven by that,” she said. “I’m also really excited to create an industry for Minnesota that is based on craft. We want craft growers. We want micro and mezzo businesses to be the heart of this industry.”

Minnesota legislators crafted the legalization bill to cater to small- and medium-sized businesses specifically and put tight restrictions on multi-state companies operating in the state.

Outside of dispensaries operating on Native American reservations in the state, Minnesotans won’t likely see adult-use retailers open until 2025. But DuPree said she believes the state is on track to open within this timeframe. “If you look at other states from the day that they made it legal to when the first dispensary opened, for most states, it’s sitting between two and three years,” she said. “I don’t see any reason why we won’t be able to meet or exceed those expectations.”