Unions Make Inroads In Cannabis Industry With Latest Dispensary Joining The Ranks

Workers at the Trulieve TCNNF North Shore medical cannabis dispensary have voted to join Local 1776.

Cannabis Trade Unions On The Rise

Recently Lume Cannabis Co. dispensary in Monroe became unionized. In April The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 announced that employees at Columbia Care's CCHWF Cannabist retail location and Acreage Holdings’ ACRHF The Botanist voted to organize through the UFCW.

Workers at Verano VRNOF Zen Leaf Dispensary voted to join Teamsters Local 777, in spite of the fact that the company fired union supporters during the campaign.

This list covers only some of the unionizations that have happened in the past several months. And now with Trulieve workers joining in, it looks as if union member will keep growing.

UFCW Local 1776 president Wendell Young IV stated: "I want to congratulate these workers for their hard work and commitment throughout this process. Now, we move to the bargaining table. We look forward to securing a contract that delivers fair wages, strong benefits and a safe workplace."

UFCW 1776 now represents approximately 600 cannabis workers across the state.

"We are the union for cannabis workers," Young continued. "We worked hard to help secure legislation that opened the state to medical cannabis, and we will continue working for our members and all cannabis workers across Pennsylvania."

Young noted that the Local has recently organized a total of 3 dispensaries, as well as workers at Coffee Tree Roasters in recent months.

"Our western division, which includes workers in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia keeps growing as we add more members at more worksites," Young added. "We represent 35,000 workers in cannabis, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, gaming, and manufacturing, among others. Our reach across so many sectors is one of our core strengths."

Photo by Bits And Splits and Oleksandrum by Shutterstock