There’s a new cannabis sheriff in town, but this one doesn’t have a badge.

The Marijuana Enforcement Division last month tapped Dominique Mendiola as its next senior director, the first Mexican-American woman to hold the position since state law began allowing recreational marijuana sales in 2014.

Mendiola is also the first senior director without a law enforcement background, though her resume boasts a host of experience in the space. She first joined the division in 2014, most recently served as MED’s deputy director of policy, licensing and communications and has also served as Colorado’s director of Marijuana Coordination under former Gov. John Hickenlooper. 

Colorado Politics caught up with her after a little more than a month on the job to talk marijuana, diversity and inclusion and some of the challenges that lie ahead.

Colorado Politics: How did you come to initially work in the marijuana space? Can you lay out your career path?

Dominique Mendiola: I initially moved … to Colorado for law school. After I graduated from DU law I became licensed to practice law in Texas and Colorado. As a lawyer (in Texas), I worked on civil litigation matters and in family law, but it didn’t take long for me to realize my future was in Colorado. So I returned to Colorado with a mission to shift my focus to public service, an area I had always been drawn to.

FAST FACTS

How old are you? 37

Where did you grow up? I was born in Seoul, Korea (military family) and grew up in San Antonio, Texas.

Favorite non-work-related activity? Backpacking with my husband and pup on the Colorado Trail.

First job out of high school? I worked the concession stands at an AMC movie theater.

Favorite takeout spot during the pandemic? Duffeyroll. Also, Wake and Bake (Kolaches!).

CP: Let’s take things one step back. What initially drew you to marijuana policy?

DM: Public service has always been my calling. My upbringing was very public service-oriented, where my parents and siblings have dedicated their careers to public service in areas of homelessness, substance use recovery and domestic violence. I studied political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and during this time I worked with the San Antonio Police Department as a member of the Family Assistance Crisis Team, where I provided crisis intervention, outreach and education support to victims of domestic violence and provided administrative support to detectives on sex crimes cases. I’m drawn to opportunities that push me out of my comfort zone, and as I began to learn about Colorado’s evolving framework for cannabis, I saw an incredible opportunity to contribute to the development of a groundbreaking regulatory model for an evolving industry navigating complex issues.

CP: I think it’s safe to say you’ve seen quite a bit of growth when it comes to marijuana in Colorado over the course of your career. In terms of the way you interface with that industry, what are you most proud of over that time?

DM: We’ve accomplished so many things to be proud of, but in my nearly seven years at MED, I would highlight prioritizing diverse stakeholder engagement. Specifically, I’m proud of how we’ve been able to bring so many different and critical perspectives together, both proponents and opponents of issues we’ve had to collectively tackle, to ensure every person’s thoughts are heard and can inform the ongoing development of our regulatory framework.

Also, back in 2016/2017 – I helped lead a significant stakeholder process for re-writing the packaging and labeling rules. This initiative was led with a collective focus on public safety and sought to eliminate “white noise” effects on packaging to make sure the most critical information was reflected on labels from both a consumer and public health/safety perspective. There was a ton of collaboration and this work will continue, but I’m proud to say that the work we did on these regulations have been used by other states when setting up their own regulatory frameworks.

CP: What do you see as the greatest outstanding challenges?

DM: In a state as varied as Colorado, the MED must navigate and be responsive to a range of challenges based on unique regional issues. The MED has three field offices (in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs and Longmont) in addition to our headquarters in Lakewood. Each office has internal and external stakeholders with different needs. For example, our Colorado Springs and Grand Junction offices will need to be more equipped than our Lakewood office to address issues related to outdoor cultivations. In my previous roles, my work was very Denver metro-focused. Now, my expanded responsibilities will require more attention on the variety of challenges our investigative staff and licensees across the state are faced with. And I’m privileged to work with a fantastic team who supports these efforts.

We will also continue to navigate challenges around social equity and will need to maintain our focus and resources on ensuring we are making meaningful progress. We have made great strides with implementing our Social Equity Program, but we have a lot more work to do.

CP: Your appointment marked the first time since retail marijuana came online in the state that a woman of Mexican-American heritage has led MED. You’re also the first in that period that doesn’t boast a law enforcement background. How do you think those unique perspectives add to the role you serve in?

DM: I think it’ll continue to be important to ensure we have well qualified and experienced law enforcement staff within our division. However, our agency’s obligations go beyond law enforcement functions. It represents only one critical component to our overall operations, which include licensing, data analysis, research, policy, testing, financial, and many other functions. We often describe our role as an agency is to implement the will of the people of Colorado, and our obligations are based in the Colorado Constitution and further directed by laws passed by the General Assembly. What’s really important, I think, is the ability to examine, learn, and evolve as an agency and in a way that allows us to keep pace with industry, state, local, and federal changes. It’s about bringing together a variety of skill sets and collaborating across the division with a wide range of subject matter expertise. I believe this perspective, as well as the diverse skill sets and experience we bring into MED, will allow us to continue the success we’ve seen from our efforts to focus on intervention strategies that are more proactive than reactive, and where we can continue to serve as a model for responsible regulation.

CP: In terms of your current role, what does success look like?

DM: I’m proud to say that the legal Colorado marijuana marketplace has largely been successful. Challenges have come up and we’ve navigated that due to our exceptional relationship with stakeholders including staff, local partners, law enforcement, industry, public health officials, child health advocates and so many more. I will continue to foster those relationships, and together we’ll navigate the next set of challenges.

As Senior Director, my focus will be:

• To continue to build out and support our high performance team.
• To commit to be responsive to issues brought to our attention.
• To listen to diverse perspectives, both internal and external.

Finally, I’m continually inspired by the collaborative spirit and mission driven focus I see in those I work with. This drives me to be a better leader and public servant to the people of Colorado.