Missouri’s cannabis industry workers are building on a string of recent union victories as workers at dispensaries and manufacturing facilities push to organize across the state. Independent Missouri reports.

Workers at High Profile Cannabis in Columbia last week unanimously ratified what union officials said was Missouri’s first collective bargaining agreement for cannabis workers. According to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Local 655, the contract provided for higher wages and paid vacation time for employees.

The victory comes as other Missouri cannabis workers are advancing union campaigns. Proper Brands workers post-harvest in St.

According to the report, Sean Shannon, director of organizing for UFCW Local 655, told the outlet that production and distribution workers from across the state are trying to organize their workplaces.

Some of the campaigns follow years of legal wrangling and pushback from employers. In May, workers at BeLeaf Medical’s Sinse cultivation facility won a National Labor Relations Board ruling that claimed post-harvest cannabis workers are covered under federal labor law and have the right to unionize. The ruling rejected the company’s argument that the workers should be classified as agricultural workers, who are exempt from certain federal labor protections.

Proper Brands founder and CEO John Pennington told the Independent that the company respects the workers’ decision and looks forward to working with the union.

At Vibe, workers cited concerns about favoritism, wages, working conditions, safety equipment and retirement benefits. Organizers said recent wins in High Profile, Proper and Sinse have helped build momentum among cannabis workers, who had previously questioned whether unionization was possible in the state.

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