Cannabis isn't a basement hobby anymore. It’s a multi-billion dollar machine. But while investors chase green "green," the people actually trimming the buds and manning the registers are starting to ask for a bigger slice of the pie. That’s where the union the business behind getting high comes into play. It’s a messy, fascinating intersection of old-school labor organizing and a brand-new, federally illegal commodity. Honestly, if you thought the legal hurdles for selling weed were high, wait until you see the legal hurdles for unionizing it.
The industry is maturing. Fast. We’ve moved past the "Wild West" era of legacy growers and entered the era of Multi-State Operators (MSOs) like Curaleaf, Trulieve, and Green Thumb Industries. When corporations take over, the vibe changes. It stops being about the culture and starts being about the quarterly earnings report. Workers are feeling that shift. They’re dealing with things like mold exposure, strict production quotas, and wages that haven't kept up with the skyrocketing cost of living in states like California or Illinois.
Why the Union the Business Behind Getting High is Suddenly Everywhere
Labor unions aren't new, but their entry into the weed world is. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) has basically become the dominant force here. They’ve been aggressive. They saw an industry with thousands of young, passionate, and often exploited workers and realized it was a perfect fit. The Teamsters are also in the mix, specifically eyeing the distribution and delivery side of things.
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Why now? Because the "honeymoon phase" of legalization is over.
In the early days, people were just happy to have a legal job in weed. It felt rebellious. It felt cool. But you can't pay rent with "cool." As the novelty wore off, the reality of manual labor set in. Trimming plants for eight hours a day is brutal on the wrists. Working in a cultivation center means dealing with high humidity and intense UV lights. People are getting carpal tunnel. They’re getting respiratory issues from breathing in particulates. When workers at a Cresco Labs facility or a local dispensary see their CEOs making millions while they struggle to afford health insurance, the appeal of a union becomes pretty obvious.
The UFCW and the "Cannabis Workers Rising" Movement
The UFCW's "Cannabis Workers Rising" campaign is probably the most visible part of the union the business behind getting high. They’ve successfully organized workers at dispensaries and grow ops in dozens of states. For example, look at the Sunnyside dispensaries in Illinois or various locations in New Jersey. These aren't small wins; they’re signals that the industry is becoming "standardized."
A big part of their pitch is safety.
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In 2022, a worker named Lorna McMurrey died after collapsing at a Trulieve cultivation facility in Holyoke, Massachusetts. OSHA later cited the company for failing to communicate the hazards of ground cannabis dust. This was a massive wake-up call. It wasn't just a freak accident; it was a symptom of an industry moving too fast and cutting corners on worker safety. Unions use these tragedies to highlight why collective bargaining isn't just about money—it's about literally staying alive on the job.
The Legal Headache of Federal Illegality
Here’s where it gets weird. Cannabis is still a Schedule I drug federally. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a federal agency. You’d think they wouldn’t touch cannabis with a ten-foot pole, right? Wrong.
Surprisingly, the NLRB has consistently ruled that cannabis workers are entitled to the same protections as any other employee under the National Labor Relations Act. This creates a bizarre paradox where a worker is protected by the federal government for organizing a strike to sell a product that the federal government technically says shouldn't exist.
State-Level Mandates and Peace Agreements
Some states have actually baked unionization into their legalization laws. It’s a "pay to play" system. In places like California, New York, and New Jersey, many cannabis businesses are required to enter into "Labor Peace Agreements" (LPAs) to get their license.
An LPA is basically a contract where the employer agrees not to interfere with union organizing, and the union agrees not to strike. It’s a compromise. Politicians love it because it guarantees "good jobs," and businesses do it because they literally can't open their doors without it. But critics argue this is a form of "top-down" unionization that doesn't always reflect what the workers on the ground actually want. It’s more of a regulatory hurdle than a grassroots movement in some cases.
The Pushback from Big Weed
Don't think the MSOs are just rolling over. They are fighting back with the same tactics used by Amazon or Starbucks. We’re talking about "captive audience meetings" where managers tell employees that unions will just take their dues and give nothing back. They frame the union as a "third party" that gets in the way of the "family" culture of the shop.
The business side of getting high is under immense pressure.
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Wholesale prices for cannabis have cratered in many states. In Michigan and Massachusetts, the price per pound has dropped so significantly that margins are razor-thin. When a business is struggling to stay profitable due to high taxes (looking at you, Section 280E of the tax code) and falling prices, a union contract that demands higher wages and better benefits can feel like a death knell.
- 280E Tax Burden: Federal law prevents cannabis companies from deducting normal business expenses. This means they are taxed on gross profit, not net income. It’s a massive drain on cash.
- Price Compression: Too much supply, not enough demand.
- Regulatory Costs: Testing, packaging, and security requirements are incredibly expensive.
If you’re a small craft grower, a union might actually be impossible to sustain financially. But for the big guys? The argument is that they can afford it—they just don't want to.
The Consumer Impact: Does it Change Your Stash?
You might wonder if the union the business behind getting high actually matters to the person buying an eighth on a Friday night. It does.
When workers are happy and well-trained, the product is usually better. High turnover in a cultivation center leads to mistakes. Mistakes lead to pests, mold, or poorly cured flower. If a union provides a stable workforce with low turnover, the consistency of the cannabis improves.
On the flip side, labor costs are passed down. If a dispensary's payroll goes up by 20%, you better believe the price of those gummies is going up too. In an industry already struggling to compete with the "traditional market" (the guys who don't pay taxes or union dues), every dollar matters. Consumers are price-sensitive. If legal weed gets too expensive because of labor costs, people just go back to their old "guy."
What’s Next for the Labor Movement in Cannabis?
We’re likely going to see a split. On one hand, you'll have the massive corporate facilities that are fully unionized, functioning much like traditional manufacturing plants. On the other, you'll have smaller, "mom and pop" shops that are exempt or simply too small to be worth a union's time.
The real wildcard is federal rescheduling. If cannabis moves to Schedule III, the 280E tax burden disappears. Suddenly, these companies will have a massive influx of cash. Unions know this. They are positioning themselves now so that when that money starts flowing, they are already at the table to claim a piece of it.
Honestly, the union the business behind getting high is just the natural evolution of any American industry. It happened with cars, it happened with steel, and now it’s happening with weed. The days of "peace, love, and light" are being replaced by contracts, grievances, and collective bargaining. It’s less "Dazed and Confused" and more "The Irishman."
Actionable Steps for the Industry
If you're an employee, a business owner, or just a curious consumer, the landscape is shifting under your feet. Here is how to navigate the current state of cannabis labor:
- For Workers: Document everything. If you're dealing with safety issues like mold or chemical exposure, keep a log. Understand that your rights to organize are protected by the NLRB, regardless of the federal status of the plant. Look into the UFCW’s specific resources for cannabis staff to see what a standard contract looks like in your region.
- For Business Owners: Don't wait for a union drive to fix your culture. Most unionization efforts start because of "soft" issues—management not listening, unfair scheduling, or lack of respect—rather than just pay. Conduct a safety audit of your cultivation site immediately. Addressing the "cannabis dust" issue isn't just a legal requirement; it’s a moral one.
- For Consumers: Look for "Union Made" labels if social equity and fair labor matter to you. Some states are starting to highlight businesses that have fair labor practices. Supporting companies that treat their staff well is the most direct way to influence the industry's future.
- Stay Informed on 280E: Watch the news regarding the Department of Justice and the DEA's move to reschedule. This is the single biggest factor that will determine if cannabis businesses can actually afford the labor standards that unions are demanding.
The business of getting high is finally growing up. It’s getting a suit, a tie, and a union card. Whether that’s a good thing depends on which side of the counter you’re standing on, but one thing is for sure: there’s no going back to the way things were.