NJ Leaf Workers in North Brunswick Vote to Join New Jersey’s ‘Cannabis Workers Rising’ Union Movement

Second NJ Leaf location joins the UFCW labor union, capping a year of increased momentum for Local 360’s statewide organizing campaign

WEST BERLIN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 today announced that workers at the NJ Leaf dispensary in North Brunswick have voted to unionize, making it the second NJ Leaf location to join the union. NJ Leaf owner Ritesh Shah supports the decision, underscoring NJ Leaf’s commitment to building a safe, inclusive, and rewarding environment for both employees and customers.

The newly organized North Brunswick employees join colleagues at NJ Leaf’s Freehold dispensary, who also unionized with Local 360. Their decision adds to the growing success of UFCW Local 360’s Cannabis Workers Rising campaign, an ongoing statewide initiative that has helped shape labor standards and stabilize New Jersey’s young cannabis industry.

“This vote reflects what we’re seeing across the state: cannabis workers know their value, and want a real say in their industry’s future,” said Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360’s director of organizing. “Workers take pride in their expertise, in great customer relationships, and in developing a safe, responsible and sustainable cannabis marketplace. The choice to stand with Local 360 is a major step toward long-term success for them, and for NJ Leaf.”

Giordano also noted that employees “in the cannabis industry understand that sustainable success for businesses, employees, and communities starts with fair treatment for all parties involved. That idea is what union membership is all about and what has convinced so many industry workers to join Local 360.”

UFCW Local 360 President Sam Ferraino, Jr. emphasized that the vote comes during a noteworthy year of worker-led progress across the legal marijuana industry.

“We’re ending the year on a remarkably strong note, welcoming another NJ Leaf site into the Local 360 family,” Ferraino said. “Despite the challenges facing Cannabis workers, the North Brunswick team’s decision reinforces what we’ve said all along: stronger unions mean stronger industries and stronger communities.”

For more than a decade, UFCW Local 360 has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that New Jersey’s cannabis industry delivers fair wages, strong labor protections, and real opportunities for advancement. Thousands of cannabis workers, from cultivation to retail, have joined the union since the launch of its Cannabis Workers Rising campaign.

From seed to sale, UFCW is a recognized national leader in organizing cannabis industry employees and is the official AFL-CIO designated cannabis labor union. Across the U.S., UFCW works with employees and business owners to achieve the shared goal of a regulated cannabis industry that delivers family-sustaining jobs and promotes social equity.

About United Food and Commercial Workers: The UFCW International Union represents over 1.3 million hardworking families across the U.S. and Canada. These members work in essential industries such as Retail, Warehousing, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Transportation, the Public Sector and Cannabis. More at https://www.ufcw360.org/