A former employee of one of Minnesota's newest state agencies says more than half of her team quit during a pivotal time this summer at the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), forcing medical marijuana patients to wait weeks for their medication.
The insider's experience sheds light on the culture and working conditions at OCM as the agency took over the medical cannabis program and prepares to launch recreational sales next spring.
"We all loved our jobs. We wanted to stay," said Kim Kraai, who started in the medical cannabis program when Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was in charge. The new state law moved the program – and its employees – from MDH to OCM over the summer.
Kraai said OCM management refused to honor the team's previous remote-work schedule, and was not interested in feedback or collaboration. She said her team of eight quickly dwindled to just three. Kraai was the last to resign in mid-August.
Read more at ABC6 News.