LAKEWOOD – Dec. 31, 2025 - The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division was named the Member Agency of the Year at the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) annual member meeting in Atlanta Dec. 9-11.
The award from the nonpartisan international association of cannabis and cannabinoid regulators recognized the contributions of the MED and its Colorado state partner agencies to CANNRA as a whole, as well as their contributions to specific CANNRA committees. The selection of the awardee was based on a vote of all CANNRA voting members.
In addition, the CANNRA Cannabinoid Hemp Committee, co-chaired by MED Director of Marijuana Sciences Brandon Jeffery, was named the CANNRA Committee of the Year. MED Senior Director Dominique Mendiola received the CANNRA Service Award at the meeting for her contributions as a CANNRA board member. Mendiola has served on CANNRA’s Executive Board since 2022, before being elected CANNRA President for the 2024-2025 term.
"These awards are a testament to all of the engagement the Colorado MED has had in CANNRA this past year and really since our founding," said CANNRA Executive Director Gillian Schauer. "The MED has been involved through Dominique's service to the board and through the staff co-chairing and participating in CANNRA Committees, but beyond that, they've always been willing to answer the phone or open their doors to share their lessons learned in cannabis regulation with fellow governments who have questions. In that way, they truly embody the ethos of CANNRA.”
The work of CANNRA is important to state regulators as they navigate an ever-changing industry that revolves around a substance that is still considered illegal by the federal government. The MED’s engagement with CANNRA regulators provides information and resources that help MED improve its work in Colorado.
“We are so honored by this recognition. Working side-by-side with other cannabis regulators around the world is invaluable to the MED,” Mendiola said. “Although Colorado is known as a leader in this space for having stood up the nation’s first regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis, the industry and types of challenges we encounter are constantly evolving. Our engagement as a CANNRA member is not just about the opportunities we have to share insights about our experience. It’s about leaning into what we can learn from so many others engaged in the complexities of this work, and doing it with a continuous improvement mindset.”
About the Marijuana Enforcement Division
The Marijuana Enforcement Division is tasked with licensing and regulating the Medical and Retail Marijuana industries in Colorado. The MED’s mission is to promote public safety and reduce public harm by regulating the Colorado commercial marijuana industry through consistent administration of laws and strategic integration of process management, functional expertise, and innovative problem-solving.
About CANNRA
The Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) is a nonpartisan association of government agencies regulating cannabis and cannabinoids. CANNRA’s mission is to convene, educate, and support government jurisdictions responsible for implementing cannabis and cannabinoid policies and regulations. CANNRA does this by fostering collaboration and coordination to identify and share best practices that safeguard public health and consumer safety, promote equity, and create regulatory certainty.