Craig Prins, the executive director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, made a surprise announcement at the agency’s Thursday meeting — he’s retiring.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has banned alcoholic drinks infused with the inactive ingredient of cannabis, CBD.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Gov. Tina Kotek tapped Prins for the job in 2023, in an effort to stabilize the troubled state agency, which saw its previous director resign for diverting special brands of liquor for his own personal use. Other deputies in the agency were implicated in the scandal as well.
Prins’ final day on the job will be July 1.
“I’m just very proud of what we’ve accomplished since I came on board in 2023,” Prins said. “After significant turbulence, we studied the organization together, placing the OLCC not just on a path to restore public trust, but to enhance and expand the confidence Oregonians can put in us.”
Prins told members of the commission he was proud of the agency’s efforts to digitize its systems and breaking ground on a new 347,000-square-foot warehouse in Canby.
Before arriving at OLCC, he worked at the Oregon Department of Corrections.
He’s also found himself in hot water during his time heading the agency. In February, it came to light that he attended the Orange Bowl college football game in Florida while he was at a work conference, which was located several hours away from the game.
An investigation by the Department of Administrative Services found Prins did not improperly spend state funds, but traveled to the game during work hours. He subsequently filed a time off request, according to The Oregonian/Oregon Live.
Prins said that, in retirement, he plans on traveling to France and visiting his children.
After Prins’ announcement, OLCC commissioners appointed Tara Wasiak to take over as executive director, according to a release from the agency. She previously worked as deputy director of the agency and interim director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
