Should Cannabis Be Treated Like Wheat Or Hops? Washington Bill Could Reshape Industry

The Washington State House passed a bill Wednesday, aimed at extending collective bargaining rights to agricultural workers in the cannabis industry despite the industry saying it will adversely impact an industry that’s competing with the black market.

House Bill 1141 passed along party lines 55-40, with one Democrat voting with all Republicans against the bill. It seeks to address the inequities faced by cannabis workers, who have been allowed to unionize but have been excluded from collective bargaining protections.

The democratically sponsored bill will place agricultural workers involved in cultivating, harvesting and processing cannabis under the jurisdiction of the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) for purposes of collective bargaining. The bill will allow workers growing cannabis to negotiate for better wages, job security and improved working conditions — rights they currently do not have.

Jess Combs, a worker at Phat Panda, expressed her frustrations during the bill’s public hearing.

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