What We Do
The Cannabis Policy Oversight Team (CPOT) provides Portland Permitting & Development with a variety of stakeholder perspectives on cannabis-related public policies. The team's objectives are to discuss and develop policies that support social initiatives and outcomes for the cannabis industry, cannabis consumers, and all City of Portland residents.
CPOT holds recurring public meetings to hear from Portlanders and discuss cannabis policies. They also advise and work with local government officials to develop policies that support social initiatives and outcomes for the cannabis industry, cannabis consumers, and all Portlanders.
Who We Are
CPOT consists of cannabis industry representatives and others who possess an in-depth understanding of issues affecting and affected by the cannabis industry.
Rain Britten, Community Member (CPOT Chair)
As a local Portlander, Rain has dedicated her career to the legitimization of cannabis for the last 13 years. Working in medical dispensaries, through to recreational sales. This has afforded her the amazing opportunity to work with many different operators and license types across the country. Partnering with software operators & retail operators, Rain has had exposure to hundreds of brands and operators across the nation. Rain hopes her experiences from working so closely with Oregon as well as with other states will provide a different perspective to problem solving, and ways to improve our immediate cannabis community in Portland.
Lesley Allred, Operations Director Cannabis Storage and Delivery Wholesale
With over 10 years of experience in Oregon’s medical and recreational cannabis industry, Lesley Allred brings deep expertise in cultivation, retail, and wholesale operations. As Vice President of The Dub Wholesale—an OLCC-licensed, Portland-based logistics company—Lesley oversees operations with a focus on regulatory compliance. The Dub partners with over 40 brands, offering storage, fulfillment, and B2B transportation services to dispensaries across the state.
Lesley is a passionate advocate for economic equity and is committed to helping cannabis businesses thrive in a complex, evolving regulatory landscape. She strives to create solutions that drive positive change and lasting impact—both for the businesses she supports and the employees she empowers to grow and excel.
Alex Berger, Cannabis Attorney Emerge Law Group
Alex J. Berger is a passionate regulatory and land use attorney at Emerge Law Group in Portland. He thrives on helping cannabis, hemp, and psilocybin businesses grow, stay compliant, and succeed in a fast-changing legal landscape. He works with everyone from mom-and-pop startups to large, multi-state operators and is proud to be part of their journey. His primary mission is to make the legal side of these highly regulated industries feel less overwhelming—and a lot more doable.
As a native Portlander, Alex is strongly dedicated to helping the local and state cannabis communities thrive, which means adopting policies and regulations that increase the safety and economic benefits for our homegrown industry.
Tony Birch, Founder & CEO Broadway Cannabis Market, Mint Cannabis Co., Fire Dept. & Feel Goods
After an early career in the solar energy industry, Tony Birch set his sights on a new frontier in 2014, launching his first cannabis business at a time when the industry was operating under medical rules. After successfully navigating the early regulatory landscape, he sold the company in 2019 and set his sights on building a comprehensive cannabis portfolio. Since then, he has spearheaded the launch of multiple retail locations, a state-of-the-art processing and distribution facility complete with a kitchen for producing cannabis edibles, and a thriving grow operation. Tony's achievements have been recognized by the Portland Business Journal, which named him one of their 40 Under 40 Business Leaders, and he hopes to bring a deep knowledge of the cannabis industry and point of view to the CPOT.
Bret Born, Owner of Rec Rehab Consulting, Ascend Dispensary and Perfect Puff Brand
Prior to working in the cannabis industry, Bret spent 25 years working in public education as a special education teacher, administrator, and social equity coordinator. Bret holds advanced degrees in special education, educational administration, and educational policy. As a business owner, Bret has been focused on developing curriculum and an internship program in order to eliminate the experiential barriers within the cannabis industry.
Tapiwa Chabikwa, Community Member
Tapiwa Chabikwa is Environmental Science and Management Master's student at Portland State University with research interests in cannabis agriculture. He works with the Community Environmental Services team and is part of the City of Portland Cannabis Policy Oversight Team. In the past he has worked in Environmental Education. Tapiwa enjoys outdoor sports like soccer and track and field.
Natalie Darves, Founder Cougar Acres Consulting
Natalie is a two-decade veteran of the cannabis industry, and has worked across all aspects of the cannabis supply chain, from cultivation to retail to regulations. As the Chair of the Business Department of Oaksterdam University, the longest-running cannabis college in the United States, Natalie continues to disseminate her knowledge and philosophy of sustainable, closed-loop, “beyond organic” horticultural models and best business practices. Ms. Darves is also the founder and CEO of Oregon-based Cougar Acres Consulting (CAC), a business strategy and educational content firm that supports highly regulated businesses.
Natalie completed her Executive M.B.A. from Sonoma State University, with an emphasis in the Wine Business, in 2015. Since completing her EMBA, Natalie has assisted dozens of cannabis companies in developing strategies and content to compete in the burgeoning cannabis market, focusing on legacy operators. She has also assisted many government-led social equity programs throughout the country, helping to provide education and curriculum to those most disadvantaged by the failed War on Drugs. Natalie is currently a J.D. candidate at Lewis and Clark Law School, with an expected graduation of May 2027.
Terah Ebie, Cannabis Advocate and Business Leader
Terah is a passionate advocate and leader in the cannabis industry driven by her commitment to social justice, equity, and inclusion. Her journey into activism began by volunteering with the decriminalization effort which eventually propelled Washington State to establish one of the first recreational cannabis markets in the country. Terah’s activism continued with her leadership of several political action committees, candidate campaigns, and local party organizations where her efforts aided in expanded access to cannabis and the advancement of progressive policies.
Currently serving as the Director of Brands & Products at Nimble Distro, Terah is motivated by the profound impact that initial contributors have in shaping the trajectory of our rapidly expanding industry. As a member of several committees on cannabis standards and policies worldwide, Terah's strategic approach to activism involves building coalitions, educating industry stakeholders, and leading by example. Terah is also a proud Board Member of the Queer Youth Resource Center.
Dan Huson, Owner of Rose City Labs
Dan is a seasoned and respected Cannabis industry thought leader. His career has been rooted in improving ownership, integrity, and accountability - in all of his endeavors. You won’t meet a more interesting and intuitive person with a genuine trustworthiness his team greatly admires. Dan is a pioneer in the Oregon cannabis arena opening one of the first medicinal dispensaries in Oregon. This eventually led to opening multiple locations. His entrepreneurial mind (which does not have an off switch) eventually pivoted towards potency and purity concerns - leading him to open Rose City Laboratories in 2012, primarily testing Cannabis. Since then, the Labs' services have expanded to environmental testing, analytics, and accountability toward home health and wellness. In 2023, he opened a second lab in Bend, OR.
Leah Maurer, Community Organizer and Activist
Leah is a community organizer and activist who lives in Portland, Oregon with her family of 5. The bulk of her experience for the past decade has been in drug law reform and especially the cannabis sector. She is one of the owners of 420-420 Media, which includes The Weed Blog, one of the top cannabis news and information publications, and the SMS short code 420-420. Aside from her company, Leah does freelance journalism and consulting in the cannabis sector as well. Beginning in 2014, Leah has co-founded grassroots advocacy groups who helped change cannabis policy in both Oregon and Missouri including a group called Moms for YES on Measure 91 which proved to be pivotal in legalizing adult-use cannabis in Oregon. She is a founding member of the Oregon Economic Equity Investment PAC, which passed legislation to establish the Economic Equity Investment Act in spring of 2022. Additionally, since 2016, Leah has been on the board of directors for Historic Parkrose, a neighborhood prosperity initiative micro nonprofit working to improve economic development and vitality in her district of Portland, where she has served as both Vice President and as President in the past. Leah values community building, social justice, and civic engagement and it shows through her volunteer service and work endeavors.
Jennifer Reyes, Prosper Portland
Jennifer Reyes currently serves as a project manager for the Inclusive Business Resource Network program at Prosper Portland. Jennifer has participated in CPOT as a non-voting member since 2023. Prior to these roles, Jennifer was a Portland small business owner/founder for 10 years focusing on marketing and event planning. Jennifer has over 25 years of program management experience spanning a variety of sectors, including tech, food and beverage, nonprofit, government, education, broadcasting, and professional services.
Joey Roberson-Kitzman, Multnomah County (Ex-Officio Member)
Joseph (Joey) Roberson-Kitzman is the Tobacco Sr. Policy Analyst for Multnomah County. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Sociology from Dickinson State University and holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota. Joey’s work experience includes political and issue organizing, transportation and natural resource work, and cannabis experience. He has been a resident of Oregon since 2021. Joey has been serving Multnomah County since 2024.
When We Meet
CPOT holds public meetings on the second Thursday of each month, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. CPOT meetings are held virtually on Zoom.
Join a meeting with the Zoom link on the agenda. The dial-in number and the meeting ID are listed on the agenda.
Find the current agenda to join a meeting
CPOT Bylaws
Cannabis Policy Oversight Team Bylaws are the governing rules by which the advisory body operates. The body may vote to recommend to the Bureau Director amendment or repeal of these Bylaws. The Bureau may also recommend changes to the Bureau Director. The Bureau Director must sign off on original bylaws and any amendments to the bylaws. Members have no authority to amend bylaws without approval.