Shaleen Title is an Indian-American drug policy activist and attorney who served from 2017 through 2020 as one of five commissioners on the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, the agency tasked with regulating legal and medical marijuana in the commonwealth. Described as “the people’s weed watchdog” in Boston Magazine’s 2019 Power List, she has won several awards for her advocacy work and her efforts to make the cannabis industry more fair and inclusive.
Previously, she co-founded THC Staffing, a cannabis recruiting firm focused on equality and inclusion. As an attorney specializing in marijuana regulations, she has provided regulatory expertise for leading marijuana consulting firms including 4Front Advisors and Vicente Sederberg. She co-authored the Massachusetts marijuana legalization referendum and has consulted on state and local cannabis policy around the country, including serving as a senior staffer for the historic Colorado Amendment 64 campaign.
In her role as a founding board member of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, Shaleen led the creation of the MCBA Model Bill, the first state-level model bill created to give states guidance to implement a process of reinvestment and reconciliation. She also served as a trustee for Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a founding board member of Marijuana Majority, and a board member of the Family Law and Cannabis Alliance as well as the National Lawyers Guild.
Shaleen holds a business degree, law degree, and graduate degree in accounting from the University of Illinois and was previously a part of the multistate tax group at Deloitte Tax. She lives in the Boston area.
Selected Honors and Awards
- 2020: New England Cannabis Community Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2020: Inaugural Women in Cannabis Summit Keynote Speaker
- 2019: Boston Magazine Power List 2019: The Powers That Will Be
- 2019: Worcester Business Journal 2019 Power 50
- 2018: Boston Business Journal 50 Most Powerful
- 2019: New England Cannabis Community Champion in Diversity and Inclusion
- 2019: American Public Health Association Annual Meeting Presenter
- 2019: Twenty Women Set to Dominate the International Cannabis Space, Benzinga
- 2019: The Young Jurks Best Cannabis Guest Award
- 2018: Nine Women to Watch in Cannabis, BostInno
- 2017: Students for Sensible Drug Policy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Drug Policy
- 2017: Roxbury Epicenter Community Woman Crush Wednesday
- 2017: Six Women Shaping the Cannabis Industry, Rolling Stone
- 2017: United Nations Power of Collaboration Global Summit Panelist
- 2016: Woman Uninterrupted, Women's Health Magazine
- 2016: Students for Sensible Drug Policy Outstanding Alumnus in Service to Drug Policy Reform Award (2nd time)
- 2012: High Times Freedom Fighter Award
- 2012: Students for Sensible Drug Policy Outstanding Alumnus in Service of Drug Policy Reform Award
- 2011: Commendation Award, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
- 2012: Hunter S. Thompson Young Attorney Award
- 2005-2008: University of Illinois College of Law Scholarship Recipient
- 2005: University of Illinois College of Business Scholarship Recipient