The Longest Strike in the US Cannabis Industry Ends as Different Suspensions Continue

What is believed to be the longest labor stoppage in the history of the US Cannabis industry ended earlier this month at a Pennsylvania Dispensary.

But in a different development that could be a sign of the low cost of marijuana is clear inclusion

After 45 days, a strike at a medical cannabis refinery in York, Pennsylvania, which began on Labor Day began to end with some union organizers saying they had won.

“We got our growth, we got our contract,” said John Stambance, a rising patient care professional and member of the global fraternity of 776 local operators.

The exact terms of the contract are not available, but workers have received a grievance procedure and better paid vacations and raises, Stambay said.

A spokesman for Sixth Green Industries, the parent company of the rise, did not respond to several requests for comment.

Observers believe it is the longest strike in the short history of the $32 billion law by a significant margin.

It is understood that it was a previous strike that ended in May 2023 after 13 days.

The Second Marlujuana strike may have been the longest

But that two-week mark has since been rescheduled, this time by workers at the Columbus location of the Herbal Wellness Center who went on strike on September 28.

They have been sitting on the picket line since Wednesday.

Workers at both sites are organized by the union, one of the country’s two largest unions active in the cannabis industry.

“Cannabis employers are increasingly finding that when they treat groups as partners, both groups benefit,” said TIMPSTERS Processing Division Director Jesse Case.

“Unfortunately it takes some companies longer than others to figure that out.”

Herbal Wellness workers went on strike again to force management to renegotiate the contract, employee Blaine Patton said. Mjbizdaily.

“They failed to argue in good faith, they failed to give us the basic protections and rights that unions bring,” Patton said.

“We want those protections and basic rights.”

Herbal Wellness was known as strawberry fields until the discovery of 2023 by publicly traded vext science.

VIX, which operates at least five cannabis stores in Ohio, did not respond to requests for comment.

A phone number listed on the sideline for CEO Eric Offenberger was disconnected.

Why are cannabis workers going on strike in 2025?

Strikes are rare in organized labor and represent a weapon to preserve workers’ last gifts.

Their timing is remarkable – 75% of all strikes in all industries are resolved within two weeks, according to a recent study by Bloomberg Law – Two strikes also have a close working time in the US

Despite the interesting message – and some reasonable support for legal cannabis – President Donald Trump’s second administration of Donald is considered a Pro business.

And the President has hamstrung on the board of the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Authorities who are facing disputes to judge the workers before they put the appointments that will allow the Board to work.

In legal cannabis, operators in many heritage nations have complained of poor margins blamed on declining prices and competition from the illegal market and other THC-removable hemp-based alternatives.

That’s not an ideal environment for workers to strike deals – especially not for workers who in some cases have been better off defeating unionization efforts.

Although the latest labor market reports have not been released due to the ongoing government shutdown, Federal Reserve data shows wage growth is slowing for low-wage workers.

And that’s the category most cannabis workers who work in sales or production fall into.

What’s next for cannabis management – labor relations?

Notably, both of these strikes come in Red States that nonetheless have strong, organized labor cultures.

In York, support came from other union members and workers and other non-medical and cannabis patients who agreed to stop shopping during the strike, Stamsor said.

“The whole unity thing,” he said. “I knew that name, but I lived it and lived on the strike line – it was a good win and it was good to feel like you were part of something big.

In the case of Herbal Wellness, which employs about 20 people at its Columbus location, workers there were fired before taking over the company’s premises last year, Patton, one of the striking workers, told Mjbizdaily.

According to Patton, the indirect promotion, “a lot of unwarranted arrivals” and working conditions all helped to convince the workers to succeed in the strike.

But new hires are coming in at $16 an hour, where the starting wage was $18 an hour last year, Patton added.

Legal sales in Ohio began in August 2024, and the State is still considered a growth opportunity by many cannabis companies.

Both the general economic picture and the realities of the Cannabis industry weigh on the minds of workers when choosing to strike, Patton said.

In the end, there was only one, he said.

“We knew whether we were drinking or not, there would be a huge lack of protection,” he said.

“If we wanted to stand for anything, we had to stand here.”

Chris Roberts can be reached at chris.robert@mjbizdaily.com.