John Hudak, Ph.D. - Director

John Hudak

John Hudak is the Director of the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP). In this role, John oversees the agency responsible for all aspects of licensing, regulation, and oversight of Maine’s medical and adult use cannabis programs.

Prior to joining OCP, John served as Deputy Director of the Center for Effective Public Management and as a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. He led Brookings’ research into cannabis policy, regulation, implementation, and politics for over 10 years.

In addition to his experience at the Brookings Institution, John previously helped design regulations, analyze data, and improve policymaking related to cannabis as a consultant to numerous state and local governments.

John holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from the University of Connecticut and an MA and PhD in Political Science from Vanderbilt University. He was raised in Seymour, Connecticut and now resides in central Maine.