Murphy names Amelia Mapp to Cannabis Regulatory Commission

Gov. Phil Murphy will nominate Amelia Mapp, an executive with a biopharmaceutic company and the wife of Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, to serve as a commissioner of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Mapp will replace Charles Barker, one of the original commissioners, who is stepping down. This is the first change to the original commission, which was formed after voters approved the legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana in a 2020 referendum.

“The Governor thanks Commissioner Barker for his service on the Cannabis Regulatory Commission over the past three and a half years and for his work establishing an equitable adult-use cannabis market in New Jersey, with social justice at the forefront,” said Natalie Hamilton, a spokesperson for Murphy. “We look forward to Commissioner-designate Amelia Mapp continuing to build upon this important work on the Commission.”

Mapp must be confirmed by the State Senate.

If confirmed, Mapp will join a five-member panel that regulates the state’s relatively new and burgeoning legal cannabis industry.

Mapp has been serving as the Union County Board of Taxation commissioner.

The United Black Agenda and the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus paid tribute to Barker.

“His unwavering dedication has been instrumental in advancing the cause of social justice within our state. We fought very hard for Charles Barker’s nomination and remain steadfast in our resolve to advocate for the Commission to prioritize people over profit. While we are disappointed in the end of his tenure, we respect the Governor’s decision and remain confident in his leadership and judgment,” the statement released by the groups said. “Mr. Barker served with distinction as a member of the inaugural commissioners, playing a pivotal role in bringing the regulations to life with a strong focus on equity and repairing the systemic harms that have disproportionately impacted Black and Brown men through criminal charges. He worked tirelessly to ensure that minority-owned businesses had the opportunity to enter and thrive in this new marketplace at every level.”

Rev. Charles Boyer, the pastor of Greater Mount Zion AME Church in Trenton and Co-Founder of Salvation and Social Justice, said he was “very disappointed that this Commission will lack the perspective of the number one demographic impacted by cannabis prohibition: Black men.”

“This is a case in point why progressives are losing Black male support,” stated Boyter. “That said, I do wish Amelia Mapp all the best, knowing the great work she and her husband have done in my hometown of Plainfield.”

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