More than 300 Ascend Wellness employees at the company’s cultivation site in Barry, Illinois, went on strike last week, alleging unfair labor practices. WGEM reports.

“We have filed charges against the company for violations of the National Labor Relations Act. They have failed to bargain in good faith with the union by refusing to bargain on key and mandatory bargaining points, they have fired one of our bargaining committee members during negotiations, we also have a ULP for this and we are determined to bring forward more ULP workers. — Kyle Bollinger, Vice President of Teamsters Local 916, in the report

Workers walked off the job last Thursday, saying the company refused to negotiate a fair contract for more than a year. According to the report, many of them went outside the building after leaving.

Due to the size of the facility and the number of workers involved, the strike could cause major disruptions to the state’s adult cannabis supply chain.

Matthew McKenna, Vice President of Public Affairs at Ascend Wellness Holdings, told WGEM in a statement:

“We can confirm that there is a work stoppage at our cultivation facility in Barry, Illinois, which remains open and continues to operate. Ascend Wellness Holdings values and respects the employees at our Barry facility and has bargained in good faith throughout this process. Our last, best and final offer includes a strong economic package and remains on the table while the union was not disappointed with the proposal to proceed with the vote. to ask the union to allow a ratification vote. We remain committed to reaching a fair settlement.

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Half of Gen Z who have been diagnosed with depression use cannabis, according to a REPORT released last week by precision psychiatry company NeuroKaire. Another 48% of Millennials, 41% of Gen X and 22% of Boomers with a depression diagnosis surveyed also indicated “regular” or “occasional” use of cannabis.

Depressed individuals also used CBD products at higher rates than their non-depressed peers, with 59% more Gen Zs with a diagnosis of depression using CBD products (70% of depressed individuals compared to 44% of Gen Gen), along with 29% more Millennials (62% depressed, 48% Gen Gen), 36% more Gen9, 36% more Gen9, 36% more. Boomers (44% depressed, 26% full generation). Seventy percent of depressed Gen Z indicated they were using CBD products specifically for mental well-being.

“Among depressed Boomers, regular marijuana use hovers around 12%, which seems low compared to Gen Z and Millennials, but that’s 71% more than their non-depressed Boomer peers (7%). That’s the highest relative gap of any generation.” – NeuroKaire, “The Generation of Self-Medication”

In the report, NeuroKaire concludes that cannabis survey data “reveals a population that is actively self-medicating with plant-based substances and is doing so with increasing intent.”

“The prevalence of marijuana use (which can serve multiple purposes) and the use of CBD specifically for mental well-being suggests that Americans with depression are not only using these substances recreationally,” the report states. “They are building treatment regimens outside of the clinical system.”

The report is based on a national survey of 18,341 US adults conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics and analyzed by NeuroKaire. Of that group, 3,737 reported being diagnosed with depression.

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