Apothecarium Dispensary Workers File to Unionize in Maryland

TOWSON, Md., Aug. 30, 2024 – PRESS RELEASE – Cannabis workers at The Apothecarium Dispensary of Salisbury, Md., filed to form a union with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Local 27. A vast majority of workers in the bargaining unit have signed union cards to show their support for unionizing their workplace.

Apothecarium dispensaries throughout Maryland are seeing a wave of union organizing and workers taking back their power. Workers at The Apothecarium Dispensary of Cumberland, Md., unanimously voted, 25-0, to form a union with Local 27 on Aug. 9. Not to be left out, workers at The Apothecarium Dispensary of Burtonsville, Md., have filed to form a union with UFCW Local 400 and are conducting their union election in the coming weeks.

“Local 27 is on the front lines everyday fighting for respect, dignity and fairness for our workers. Local 27 is the cannabis workers’ union and we've had great success this year helping dispensary workers to improve their lives,” Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning said. “These dispensary workers all across the state of Maryland and Delaware generate millions of dollars for these wealthy corporations. They are not asking for an equal share of the profits. They are demanding to make a living wage, have good benefits and to be able to take care of their families.”

Parent company, TerrAscend Corp., posted a net revenue of $77.5 million and grew its Maryland wholesale by 117% year-over-year for the second quarter of 2024. TerrAscend continuing to pad its corporate coffers while workers were struggling with a variety of issues at their store in Salisbury gave them needed urgency to form a union.

The workers formed a union to address issues including better pay, job security, safety concerns, customer care and schedules being released with little prior notice. Workers reported they are now being paid less than they were before TerrAscend acquired their store in June 2023.

“To see this movement bloom is just so thrilling now that we know our strength and collective voice,” Wellness Associate Kate Sweitzer said. “We have a chance to make a real difference in the way corporations treat their most important asset—their employees.”

This union drive, like the one for the Cumberland location, took the workplace by storm. The Cannabis Workers’ Rising Program, one of UFCW International Union’s department’s, started this campaign and built strong relationships with workers at the Salisbury location. After Local 27 became involved and started collaborating with the Cannabis Workers’ Rising Program, the two entities were able to secure a supermajority of union card signatures from workers in a week.

“After 14 months of trying to work with TerrAscend, we realized the only way we could be fairly treated for what we were being expected to do was to exercise our rights under collective bargaining,” Wellness Associate Brian Guldan said.

Local 27 represents cannabis workers in 11 other dispensaries across Maryland and Delaware. The local is looking forward to victory and bargaining a strong contract.