The Cannabis Place has become one of the first dispensaries in the region to sign a voluntary union recognition agreement.

Now, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 and the Jersey City storefront expect to move forward with creating new unionized cannabis careers.

Osbert Orduña, founder and CEO of The Cannabis Place, said, “Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries in the nation and we are committed to ensuring the benefits of its growth accrue equitably, this includes building pathways to family-sustaining careers with a special focus on our veterans and communities that were disproportionately impacted during prohibition.”

“We are proud to be the first unionized dispensary and of our diverse team and the fact that 99% of our team are Jersey City residents,” said Orduña, a retired U.S. Marine and first-generation Latino American of Colombian descent.

After launching The Cannabis Place as New York’s first licensed home delivery cannabis service, Orduña’s venture made its New Jersey debut in November 2023. 

In starting The Cannabis Place, Orduña has said he looked to his military background and life experiences as inspiration to create a model that demonstrates cannabis companies can bring economic empowerment and equity back into local communities.

He’s also said his brand will focus on creating union careers with true living wages, no-cost health benefits and retirement plans. The Cannabis Place has a special focus on marginalized communities, veterans and those impacted by the failed war on drugs.

‘A continuum of labor-supported workers’

The Kennedy Boulevard business was New Jersey’s first service-disabled veteran and Latino-owned dispensary. The shop offers adult-use sales of flower, prerolls, vapes, concentrates, topicals and edibles. It also provides free daily delivery to Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, North Bergen, West New York, Weehawken and Union City.

Several officials – including former Senate president and current Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Sweeney and Bill O’Dea, a Jersey City mayoral candidate – joined The Cannabis Place during a July 25 press conference.

Sweeney told Hudson County View, “Moments like this are exactly why I pushed for strong labor standards throughout this industry. Today, as The Cannabis Place workers begin to realize the promise of union membership, they become part of a continuum of labor-supported workers stretching from construction and manufacturing, to cultivation, retail and delivery. I’m looking forward to many more occasions like this one.”

O’Dea wrote in a social media post, “I am always a huge supporter of our unions and it was an honor to take part in this wonderful moment.”

Negotiations on an employment agreement will reportedly begin soon.

Unique training

The voluntary recognition agreement marks the culmination of a first-of-its-kind cannabis retail pre-apprenticeship training program.

Held by the union at The Cannabis Place’s community impact room, adjacent to its Jersey City shop, the two-week course showed 22 local participants the basics of working in a cannabis retail environment. Students concluded the program with 80 hours of classroom instruction followed by 2,000 hours on the job.

Orduña said, “We want our business to serve the local community. That means running an ethical, unionized company and boosting the prospects and prosperity of our neighbors. We are proof that workforce investment equals immediate positive community impact. People can start careers here, whatever their background and skill level, and regardless of their history.”

Hugh Giordano is director of organizing at UFCW Local 360. The union represents hundreds of thousands of cannabis employees across the U.S. He described Orduña as a “visionary employer” who is “harnessing our unmatched cannabis industry expertise to train ambitious, local, but often overlooked talent.”

“It’s a scalable and repeatable model that delivers great value for employees, owners and consumers,” he said. “The best employers recognize the enormous untapped pool of amazing talent out there. Programs like this help attract that talent and release its potential.”