The head of the state agency that regulates the alcohol and marijuana industries is quitting.
On Wednesday, Cynthia Franklin wrote in a letter to the members of the alcohol and marijuana boards that her last day will be Jan. 6.
“I have so enjoyed working with each of you over the past two plus years. I have tremendous faith in you and your missions, and believe that we have the right members on the right boards to serve and protect the people of Alaska, as well as encourage commerce and trade,” Franklin wrote in the message.
After Jan. 6, Franklin will become an assistant attorney general in the state’s Consumer Protection Unit. Among other duties, it enforces the state’s “Lemon Law” for automobiles.
By phone Thursday morning, Franklin said she “felt like it was a good time to leave with my head held high.”
Franklin was appointed director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board by Gov. Sean Parnell, taking office Sept. 22, 2014. A month and a half later, Alaskans voted to legalize the recreational marijuana industry, and Franklin became director of an agency newly enlarged to govern both alcohol and marijuana.
Franklin’s tenure was an unequivocal success. The ballot measure legalizing recreational marijuana laid out a strict timeline for the state to establish an industry. The renamed Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office missed its deadline by just two weeks, issuing the first state marijuana license on June 9. The deadline had been May 24.
The first retail marijuana sale took place Oct. 27 in Fairbanks to a 29-year-old cancer survivor.
“Really, we’ve got a (marijuana) industry because of her efforts,” said Cary Carrigan, executive director of the Alaska Marijuana Industry Association.
When Franklin leaves, Alaska will have more than 30 operating marijuana businesses including farms, testing facilities and retail stores. Stores are already operating in Valdez, Juneau, the Kenai Peninsula and Fairbanks. The first Anchorage store was expected to open Thursday.
On the alcohol side, Franklin’s office has seen a 20 percent increase in applications — mostly from distilleries, breweries and new restaurants.
Bob Klein is a longtime member of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and now serves as its chairman. He didn’t see any problems on the agency’s alcohol side, even as it added marijuana to its agenda.
“Cindy, as far as overall staff at AMCO, was terrific,” Klein said. “She was able to work both sides (marijuana and alcohol) … with amazing effectiveness.”
Loren Jones, a member of the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly, also sits on the Marijuana Control Board.
“I’m disappointed,” he said of Franklin’s departure. “She’s just done a tremendous, tremendous job.”
Brandon Emmett, a member of the marijuana board from Fairbanks, has fought with Franklin on various regulatory issues.
“It’s no secret that Cindy and I have had our differences,” he said. “We’ve had our sparring matches.”
Despite that, he thinks she’s done a good job, and he regrets that she’s leaving.
“The more I’ve gotten to know the process … and just how much work goes on there, I’ve become quite impressed with how she makes it work on a limited budget,” he said.
It isn’t clear who will replace Franklin as head of AMCO.
Universally, those interviewed for this story said it will be difficult to find someone with the skills she has.
Before joining the state, Franklin was the municipal prosecutor of Anchorage and helped guide an effort to make the designer drug “spice” illegal in the municipality. She was born in Texas, grew up in Oklahoma, and earned her law degree from Baylor University. She worked as a district attorney in Texas, then moved to Alaska in 2007.
“I’d like to replicate Cindy, at least in terms of the administrative skills and knowledge of the industry, the ease with which she works with the general public and the industry,” Klein said.
The AMCO director’s job is a governor-appointed position, and given the time needed to fill politically appointed positions, an interim director is usually needed.
In this case, that’s likely to be Sarah Oates, the No. 2 person at AMCO. She confirmed in an email to the Empire Thursday that she’s considering applying for the job.
“She’s a very intelligent young woman, and she really does know a lot,” Franklin said.
Regardless of who is chosen as the next AMCO director, that person will need to tackle an agenda almost as intimidating as the one that faced Franklin.
In the coming year, the Alaska Legislature is expected to consider sweeping reforms to the laws regulating alcohol in Alaska. On the marijuana front, the control board is considering whether to approve the equivalent of marijuana cafes — a first for the United States.
And then there’s the perennial concerns about budgets, which have resulted in extensive AMCO staff turnover.
“I haven’t met anyone in my professional circles who seems to desire that position, because they just know it’s that hard,” Emmett said. “The workload and the pay, they just don’t match up. … I guess that’s just where we’re at in Alaska right now.”
