Cannabis Workers Push for Unionization Amid Labor Concerns
Workers at Salisbury’s Apothecarium marijuana dispensary petition to join union.
Workers at the Apothecarium marijuana dispensary in Salisbury are moving towards unionizing. Last week, the group filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold an election on joining United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 27.
Inspiration From Other Locations
TerrAscend owns four Apothecarium locations in Maryland: Burtonsvile, Cumberland, Nottingham, and Salisbury.
Jeff Hedrick is the Director of Organizing for UFCW Local 27. He says that recently workers at the Cumberland location voted unanimously to join the union. He added that just during the year of 2024, the union has helped four dispensaries in Maryland to join.
“One thing feeds off the other,” Hedrick said. “These workers don’t really realize the power they have. And, when they see the examples of people getting their own voice and standing up for themselves, it inspires them to do the same.”
Workers Face Various Issues, Union Leaders Say
Across the state, Hedrick says dispensary workers have faced various work environment issues since the recreational market was rolled out.
“Workers in pretty much every cannabis dispensary that you would talk to are having pay issues, they’re having issues with scheduling where the employers are posting the schedule the day before the week starts,” Hedrick said. “They are overworked and understaffed.”
In some cases, workers are not able to take breaks because they are so busy, Hedrick added.
“The workers feel an obligation to take care of the customers and the patients because we still see people who have medical marijuana cards that are suffering from being immunocompromised, they have cancer, things like that,” Hedrick said.
Emphasis on Equity
In Salisbury, workers are still waiting to hear back from the NLRB on when their vote to unionize may be scheduled.
However, Hedrick predicts that showing a strong will to unionize dispensary workers in Maryland may make its burgeoning marijuana industry more attractive to would-be employees. He says that unionizing is a natural progression from the state’s focus on building equity for both customers and industry stakeholders.
“Part of that comes from the lobbying that organizations like ours have done with the current governor, the previous governor, the legislature in Annapolis, and over in Delaware,” Hedrick said. “[We worked] to get pieces of equity in the cannabis law that are positive for the community, and do a good job of meeting that emphasis on equity.”
