Unionization has become one of the defining labor stories in legal cannabis. As multi-state operators (MSOs) scale and margins tighten, workers—from cultivation to retail—are testing how much leverage organized labor can bring to pay, safety, scheduling, and career pathways. Two unions dominate the field today, with New Jersey emerging as a national hotspot for union activity and Florida still relatively quiet.
Is there a “cannabis workers’ union”?
Yes. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) is widely recognized as the cannabis workers’ union in the U.S., organizing tens of thousands of employees across dispensaries, grow sites, manufacturers, labs, and delivery. UFCW’s long-running Cannabis Workers Rising campaign functions as the umbrella for much of this work.
A second major player is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which has stepped up organizing—especially in logistics and retail—through multiple locals around the country. In 2025 alone, Teamsters Local 469 announced its first New Jersey cannabis contract and said it organized another dispensary in under a month.
Short answer: There isn’t one exclusive union by law, but UFCW is the primary union in cannabis, with the Teamsters increasingly active—sometimes representing workers in the very same state.
Why New Jersey is a union hub: labor-peace requirements
New Jersey built labor considerations into licensing. The state’s law and CRC rules make maintaining a Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) with a bona fide labor organization an ongoing, material condition of most cannabis licenses (microbusinesses are generally exempt). Applicants must submit a union attestation; licensees are expected to work in good faith toward a collective bargaining agreement after opening. RELATED INFORMATION: New Jersey MMJ Dispensary
In practice, this framework has made UFCW Local 360 and other UFCW locals central to New Jersey’s workforce landscape, and it has also created friction with some MSOs over compliance and renewals (e.g., Curaleaf disputes surrounding an LPA’s expiration and enforcement). WEBSITE: NJ.gov
On the ground in New Jersey: recent examples
- Cultivation unites: Workers at FRESH Cannabis’ cultivation site in Somerset voted to unionize with UFCW Local 360 in November 2025—the third FRESH location in the state to do so—signaling that organizing is not limited to retail.
- More wins for UFCW: UFCW Local 152 workers at Columbia Care’s cultivation facility in Vineland ratified a first union contract in June 2025, a milestone for South Jersey’s production workforce.
- Teamsters activity: Teamsters Local 469 publicized back-to-back New Jersey cannabis wins in spring 2025, including its first ratified contract and a new organizing victory—evidence that multiple unions are now competing to represent cannabis workers in the state.
Bottom line: With LPAs embedded in the rules, New Jersey has a high union “surface area.” Most licensees interact with unions early, and many employees ultimately vote on representation and bargain first contracts.
Florida: a different union picture (for now)
Florida’s medical market is large, but union penetration remains limited. Reporting as recently as late 2022 found no established cannabis unions operating in Florida’s medical industry, reflecting the state’s legal environment and employer practices. While individual organizing drives can arise, there’s no LPA requirement comparable to New Jersey’s—and no consistent, public pattern of union density across MSO footprints in the state. RELATED INFORMATION: Visit Florida Dispensaries
What does that mean in practice?
- MSO-centric employment: Florida’s vertically integrated structure historically concentrated power with big operators, leaving fewer third-party employers and fewer natural organizing chokepoints (e.g., independent distributors).
- Right-to-work dynamics: Though right-to-work laws don’t prevent unionizing, they can reduce union resource inflows and tilt incentives against sustained campaigns—particularly in a medical-only market where growth is steady but not explosive.
- Watch the future: If adult-use eventually launches in Florida and the supply chain diversifies, expect more union organizing (UFCW and Teamsters) in Miami-Dade, Broward, and other high-density counties.
What unions are asking for—and what employers push back on
Worker priorities vary by site, but the recurring themes in cannabis contracts and campaigns mirror other retail/manufacturing sectors:
- Predictable scheduling and wage floors (often tiered to tenure/role)
- Workplace safety protocols (especially in cultivation, extraction, and heavy retail traffic)
- Pathways to promotion and training (budtender → lead → manager; trimmer → cultivation tech → lead grower)
- Benefits portability in a volatile industry (healthcare, PTO accrual, retirement contributions)
Employer concerns typically center on the cost of compliance (especially in a 280E world), preserving operational flexibility, and disputes about LPA obligations and union neutrality requirements. The nationwide legal backdrop is in flux: some LPA mandates have drawn litigation and even constitutional challenges (e.g., Oregon’s 2025 ruling striking down an LPA requirement). While not binding on New Jersey, these cases shape strategy and risk assessments on both sides. READ MORE: AP News
Big companies vs. unions: how MSOs are adapting
Large operators in New Jersey have had to budget for bargaining and build HR/ER capacity to manage union relationships under CRC oversight. In some cases, relationships are collaborative and result in quick first contracts; in others, they become high-profile disputes over LPA compliance, neutrality, or contract terms (again, see Curaleaf-NJ filings). READ MORE: MJBizDaily
In Florida, MSOs have largely continued with non-union operations, focusing on store count, cultivation scale, and product assortment to compete. If and when organizing accelerates, companies will face a steeper learning curve—especially around multi-site bargaining and standardized policies for pay progression, safety, and discipline.
What to expect next
- New Jersey will continue to set precedent. With LPAs embedded in statute and enforcement visible in public records, New Jersey will remain a bellwether for union-employer dynamics in cannabis—especially in cultivation and manufacturing, where safety and scheduling issues loom large.
- Teamsters vs. UFCW competition will grow. Expect more Teamsters campaigns (drivers, delivery, and some dispensary units) alongside entrenched UFCW locals—Local 360, 152, and others—organizing retail and grow sites.
- Legal challenges to LPA mandates will multiply. Court decisions outside New Jersey won’t automatically change NJ rules, but they’ll influence legislative tweaks and employer strategies.
- Florida could heat up if adult-use arrives. A broader supply chain—and more employers—would create more organizing nodes. For now, the public record still points to low visible union density in Florida’s medical market.
Quick reference: Who’s who and where
- UFCW (International + locals 360, 152, 5, 3000, etc.) — Primary cannabis union nationwide; runs Cannabis Workers Rising; heavy presence in New Jersey. READ MORE: UFCW International Union
- Teamsters (campaigns via locals such as 469) — Rapidly expanding in cannabis; not limited to delivery—now organizing dispensaries in NJ. READ MORE: International Brotherhood of Teamsters
- New Jersey CRC / Statute — Requires LPA attestation and maintenance (with exceptions for micro-businesses).
- Florida — No comparable LPA mandate; public reporting has shown minimal union presence to date.
Note: Union drives and LPA enforcement evolve quickly. For the latest New Jersey actions, check CRC notices and local union updates; for Florida, monitor any adult-use moves and new organizing announcements from UFCW and Teamsters locals.