Congratulations to the union for this useful update. Let’s hope it keeps publishing as it will become a useful resource for workers in the sector

In the Weeds,” the official newsletter of America’s Cannabis Union, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). In the Weeds is a quarterly newsletter designed specifically for members of the press, industry allies, and advocacy groups to receive the latest news on cannabis labor issues. In this inaugural edition, we’ll take a look back at last year’s historic organizing wins, legislative activity, worker profiles, and more as we look to start off the year on a high note.

Highlights of this issue:

On the Hill
Grass Tops
Workers’ Voices

Since the UFCW began organizing cannabis industry workers nearly two decades ago, we have successfully organized more than 300 facilities across the country with significant contracts in place that secure the essential benefits our members have earned and deserve.

This year alone, the UFCW has supported workers’ unionization efforts throughout numerous industries and 17 different facilities. From agricultural and cultivation to processing, labs, health facilities, storefronts, and even delivery.

On the Hill

As America’s cannabis union, we have been involved in advocacy efforts affecting cannabis legislation both on the federal and state level. Here’s a peak behind the scenes of what we, and our coalition partners, have been working on:

SAFER Banking Act

The UFCW has been a vocal supporter of the SAFER Banking Act, as well as its House counterpart, the SAFE Banking Act. This legislation would give thousands of cannabis industry workers access to federal banking services and a secure financial future. In May, International Vice President and Director of the UFCW Legislative and Political Action Department, Ademola Oyefeso, testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, shining a light on cannabis workers across the country who are put in physical danger and forced to live with financial instability because they lack access to traditional banking services, despite cannabis being legally recognized in states in which they work and live. Removing the barrier of a federal prohibition on access to legal banking would finally allow thousands of workers to receive pay stubs, show proof of employment, and qualify for home or auto loans, as well as apartment rentals.

In September of last year, the Senate Committee on Banking took critical steps toward creating a more secure financial future for cannabis workers by advancing the SAFER Banking Act to the Senate floor. Reacting to the committee’s decision, UFCW International President Marc Perrone stated, “The cannabis industry is completely legitimate and lawful in many states and should not be excluded from basic financial protections. The SAFER Banking Act addresses these issues, providing a pathway for legitimate cannabis businesses, and their employees, to have access to traditional banking services.”

Perrone continued: “Moving forward, the UFCW remains committed to equity in the cannabis industry. This is at the core of our efforts in the cannabis industry, and it starts with stabilizing the workforce through legislation like the SAFER Banking Act.“

New Report Charts Path for Federal Legalization Centered on Equity and Justice

Last year, UFCW coalition partner and leading drug policy think tank, Parabola Center for Law and Policy, released a report titled “How to Federally Legalize Cannabis Without Violating the Constitution or Undermining Equity and Justice.” This groundbreaking report created a constitutional blueprint for Congressional cannabis law reform while protecting the progress of individual states and small businesses in the cannabis industry.

By outlining the ways in which Congress can safeguard workers’ rights, protect against predatory monopolies, empower local communities, create well-paying jobs, and uplift those who have been most harmed by the War on Drugs, while also reforming federal cannabis law, the Parabola Report has been one of the most impactful and thorough reports published on cannabis legalization within the past year. At the time of the report’s release, UFCW International President Marc Perrone said, “We have the road map to a brighter, more just future but without specific action from Congress, that future is at risk. We call on all elected leaders to take action on the report’s recommendations and help shape the cannabis industry in a way that benefits all workers and consumers instead of a privileged few companies.”

Welcome to Grass Tops. This section of the newsletter gives readers a glimpse of some of the most interesting and noteworthy stories concerning labor in the cannabis industry.

In this inaugural edition of In the Weeds, we hear from UFCW Local 360 cannabis workers in New Jersey, from recently hired budtenders to workers with over 20 years of medical experience, on how the union has helped them build a better life.