Workers at 17 St. Louis area cannabis dispensaries vote to unionize

ST. LOUIS — Employees of 17 CBD Kratom cannabis dispensaries in the metro area voted to unionize over the past week.

According to a news release, the 50 workers will join the United Food and Commercial Workers, which has more than 15,000 cannabis industry workers members nationwide.

Fourteen of the stores are on the Missouri side of the metro area and will be represented by UFCW Local 655. Three in Illinois will be represented by UFCW Local 881.

“We are grateful to see that these workers were able to make their own decision about organizing without interference from the company that chose not to run an anti-union campaign, and we look forward to helping them bargain their first union contract,” David Cook, the Local 655 president, said in a statement.

CBD Kratom’s chief operating officer, Jason Brandi, said the company cares about its workers and respects their legal rights to unionize.

“We look forward to working with the UFCW to negotiate a union contract that meets the needs of our employees and our business,” Brandi said in a statement.

The union said about three-fourths of eligible employees took part in the vote. Of those, 79% were in favor.

Meanwhile, employees at BeLeaf Medical’s Sinse Cannabis cultivation site in St. Louis are battling with their employer over unionization. In a months-long dispute, BeLeaf argues that workers are agricultural workers, not manufacturing workers, and therefore aren’t protected by the National Labor Relations Act.

This case is currently in front of the National Labor Relations Board.