xCHICAGO - Governor JB Pritzker announced Erin A. Johnson will serve as the state's Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. She replaces Danielle Perry, who previously served as the CROO.

"Erin Johnson's commitment to equity will serve Illinois well as she takes the reins as the state's Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer," said Governor JB Pritzker. "From serving as the Chief of Staff at the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice to working as Associate General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer, Erin has the experience, education, and expertise to thrive in this role while advancing cannabis equity throughout Illinois. I can think of no better person than Erin to serve as our Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer and I wish her all the best in this new position."

"I am incredibly thankful to Governor Pritzker for trusting me to lead the administration's cannabis regulation efforts," said Erin A. Johnson. "Together we will move Illinois forward and continue to build a cannabis industry that is driven by social equity, providing opportunities and righting generations of wrongs."

Prior to joining the administration, Johnson served as an Associate Corporate Counsel at Amazon, Chief of Staff at the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, Associate General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer in the office of former Governor Bruce Rauner, and Litigation Associate at SmithAmundsen in Chicago. In addition, she taught 7th and 8th grade math for two years in Philadelphia as a part of the Teach for America program. She received a B.A. in History from Dartmouth College, an M.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds bar admissions in Wisconsin, Illinois, and the Northern District of Illinois.

The state's Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office is a part of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and is responsible for coordinating with numerous state agencies to direct the regulation and taxation of Illinois' cannabis industry. This work is done to ensure Illinois' social equity goals are met through expungements, community reinvestment, and the diversification of the state's cannabis industry.

This appointment awaits confirmation in the Illinois Senate.