The cannabis industry is one of expected growth in some states, and imminent contraction in others. People who sign on to work in the space experience the excitement of a new industry while riding a rollercoaster of unknowns. The federal illegality of the plant leaves space for nerves. A recently released University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Labor Center report indicates more to be concerned about.
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“I’ve had coworkers who’ve had guns pulled on them or been robbed,” Lay Lay Lee, a cannabis delivery driver in the San Francisco Bay Area, said in a press release. “Because of how the system is set up under legalization, we often carry thousands of dollars in cannabis products and cash, and we’re constantly rushing to and from depots to meet order demands.”
Robberies are only a small piece of the “alarming workplace conditions” revealed in High Stakes: The State of the California Cannabis Workforce. The report compiled data from more than 1,111 surveys, over 50 interviews, and seven interactive data sessions.
A vast majority called for better health and safety protections (85 percent). Implications are already being felt. Nearly half of cultivation workers have back and neck pain. A third reported blisters, skin infections, eye pain, and strain.
The issues are not only physical. 60 percent of delivery workers felt pressure to conduct more deliveries than they believed safe in an allotted period. Women, people of color, and LGBTQ+-identifying people felt persecuted. 27 percent of women reported sexual harassment, mostly from managers, bosses, and customers. Over one-third of workers experienced racial slurs or intimidation, and 28 percent were subject to homophobic or transphobic comments from upper management, coworkers, and customers.
“This industry attracts workers with a deep passion for people and the plant and a vision for meaningful careers in patient and customer care and cultivation,” Robert Chlala, co-author and research lead at the UCLA Labor Center, said in the release. “But right now, workers aren’t getting the safety, stability, or opportunity that will allow them to build long-term careers that contribute to their communities.”
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Despite a passion for the plant and highly specialized skills, the report states that workers typically earn $19.50 per hour, which translates to $40,500 per year. The average cost of living required to maintain housing and food in California is $65,000.
The report points to unionization as a solution to these mounting issues in the cannabis space, explaining that it has shown a way to employ cannabis workers in a stable and equitable manner. Among those surveyed, 69 percent of those with union jobs received raises compared to only 50 percent of non-union workers. 65 percent of union workers had employer-provided health insurance, while only 41 percent of non-union workers did.
“These workers are demanding a voice in shaping the future of the cannabis industry, and they deserve it,” Mskindness Batchelor-Ramirez, report co-author and founder of Club Kindness, concluded in the release.
