Still In the Room: 5 Takeaways From Our Interview with Chris Alexander
In 2023, we released the third issue of our magazine. I was especially proud of that issue because of one feature.
As I put together a list of potential topics, someone messaged me, “Would you like to interview Chris Alexander?”
At the time, I didn’t know who Chris Alexander was. A fighter for the little guy, Chris was spotted as a future leader as a kid, with his sister even calling him “Mr. President.” He would go on to work with the NAACP before eventually taking up the mantle as the inaugural executive director of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management.
During his tenure, New York saw legacy operators and social equity licensees get the first shots at opening their doors. His time in office wasn’t without turbulence, but Alexander was also taking on a position that didn’t exist before him. He looked poised to help shape New York’s cannabis market into something special.
Then, one afternoon, it was all over.
I hadn’t spoken with Chris since our first interview. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with him again to discuss his time in office, what he was most proud of, Gov. Hochul, the NAACP, and more.
The full story will be released soon. In the meantime, here are five takeaways from our conversation.
1. He Found Out His OCM Run Was Ending While He Was Still Working
“I think we were at a board meeting. We were running a board meeting when the announcement was made.”
Sitting in a meeting doing your job, only to have a press conference ask you to step down, must have been a gut punch.
“It was, you know, it was disappointing. It’s frustrating. All the emotions that you would think would be there when you spend so much time trying to build something from now.”
2. Equity Created Tension With the Bigger Cannabis Companies
His push for equity may have contributed to his abrupt departure. When asked if big cannabis companies were behind his forced resignation, he answered:
“So yeah, I mean, that was probably where a lot of the tension came from. I mean, they sued me a couple of times,” Chris joked.
3. The NAACP helped make Chris Alexander’s cannabis career possible
“New York cannabis would not exist without the NAACP.”
Since leaving the OCM, he has taken a role with the NAACP.
The NAACP helped make his cannabis career possible. Alexander told the story of working with Kassandra Frederique to bring cannabis reform to Hazel Dukes and the New York State NAACP. Their advocacy eventually helped push NAACP support for legalization from the state level to the national organization. Years later, Dukes also personally contacted the governor to ensure Alexander’s candidacy for the OCM position was considered.
Now he’s executive director of the New York State Conference, training another generation of advocates. That’s a genuine full-circle moment.
4. His proudest OCM accomplishment isn’t necessarily CAURD. It’s keeping the promise
Looking back, when asked what he’s most proud of, his answer was simple:
“We Did What We Said We Were Going to Do”
During his time, Alexander prioritized people impacted, made room for small businesses, maintained connections to culture and community, and built a functioning market despite the challenges.
5. Alexander has deliberately stayed out of New York cannabis since leaving OCM
The best part of the interview was Chris explaining why we haven’t heard much from him since his departure.
Alexander said he hasn’t run from cannabis, but he’s intentionally limited his public involvement because he doesn’t want his presence to become a distraction for current OCM leadership, licensees, or the broader program. Aside from speaking publicly about the proximity issue, he has largely stayed out of the spotlight.
Read our full interview with Chris in the next issue of CashColorCannabis Magazine.
