Cook Consulting

Matt D. Cook launched Cook Consulting in February 2007, and has a highly sought after expertise in public policy, enforcement and security planning and development. He is a superior public speaker, manager and mediator. Matt brings highly skilled and experienced representation and advocacy to clients with public policy interests. He offers expert insight into public policy development, analysis and enforcement with a focus on cannabis regulation, regulatory compliance, security planning and development.

About Matt Cook
Matt has varied and extensive experience gained from a lifetime career in enforcement with federal, state and local government agencies. His unique accomplishments with authoring and implementing Colorado’s groundbreaking medical marijuana statutes and regulations have earned him a national reputation. His work as the leader of the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division has been featured in popular publications such as TIME Magazine, ABA Journal, NY Times and The Washington Post. Matt was also featured in CNBC’s – Marijuana USA and 60 Minutes. Matt has assisted numerous states with the development of public policies to regulate cannabis. In addition, he authored several security plans to create “accountability through transparency” and prevent unauthorized facility access and cannabis diversion. Cook Consulting security plans have a proven track record and have received many of the top scores during application processes.
As Senior Director of Enforcement for the Colorado Department of Revenue, Matt also supervised Gaming, Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, Racing Events, Auto Industry Division, Safety and Security, and Administrative Hearings. He was also the founding Chairman of the Colorado Automobile Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) in the Department of Public Safety. In these capacities, he effectively managed budgets in excess of 154 million dollars and more than 220 full-time peace officers and other employees.

Matt is nationally recognized as a regulatory expert for beverage alcohol and cannabis. He served as Vice President of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators and represented License states as a Joint Committee of the States Representative. As Division Director for Colorado Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement and the Division of Racing Events, he established and directed enforcement policies statewide and assisted with the development of enforcement legislation and rules to shape public policy for more than 20 years.

Previously, as Licensing Director and Enforcement Supervisor for Colorado Liquor Enforcement, Matt coordinated liquor law
enforcement and the licensing with the 332 local venues in Colorado. He efficiently managed the more than 12,000 beverage alcohol licensees in Colorado. He was also instrumental in drafting many legislative matters for the Colorado General Assembly concerning beverage alcohol.
Additionally, Matt has an enforcement background at the local level. As License Enforcement Officer and Administrator for the City of Colorado Springs, he enforced liquor laws and regulated more than 30,000 City issued business licenses with a focus on liquor licenses, and became a qualified expert witness in Colorado beverage alcohol law. Matt’s recognized expertise in the 21st Amendment also allowed him to act as a technical advisor to the Local Liquor Licensing Authority.

Matt also served as a Special Agent for the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). He performed extensive case work with DEA, FBI, ATF, DIS and Secret Service while investigating federal crime, including narcotics, fraud, explosives, homicides, counter-intelligence and espionage.