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The state’s largest cannabis operator, Curaleaf, announced it is eliminating 49 positions at its cultivation production facility in Winslow — the second time this year the company eliminated jobs in Camden County, the company confirmed Tuesday night.
In March, Curaleaf, one of the biggest growers and sellers of legal weed in the nation, laid off 40 employees from its Bellmawr grow facility, before shutting it down.
“Curaleaf remains the market leader in New Jersey; however, we are scaling back production because we have ample supply to meet the market’s current needs,” the statement to NJ Advance Media said.
The multi-state operator listed several reasons why it was downsizing in New Jersey, saying it had voiced those concerns to the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
“Throughout the past year we have voiced our concerns to the CRC about the difficult market conditions created in part by licensing approval delays, alongside lacking enforcement of the illicit market, and we have now proactively engaged them and organized labor in a dialogue about the changes we are making today,” another part of the statement read.
Enforcement of unlicensed cannabis operations falls under local law enforcement jurisdiction and the state Attorney General’s Office.
Late last month, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 announced all of Curaleaf’s New Jersey retail locations had been organized as members of UFCW.
The company’s retail locations, in Edgewater, Bellmawr and Bordentown, serve both recreational and medical patients.
“From small micro-license holders to large multi-state operators, there’s growing recognition that unions create a better balance between the needs of employees, communities, and employers – and people want in,” said Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360 director of organizing in a June 29 statement. “The best employers also understand that a collaborative relationship with labor unions strengthens their business and boosts opportunities for sustainable success.
The company recently had a standoff with cannabis regulators over accusations of not negotiating with labor unions in good faith, something that is required by New Jersey’s cannabis legislation.
Curaleaf has repeatedly denied those accusations.
The commission came close to shutting down the company’s adult-use operations over those concerns before reversing that decision after being advised by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Law Office.
At the CRC’s July 18 meeting, Chairwoman Dianna Houenou, noted that real estate, company funding and municipal approval remained among the largest reasons the market has struggled to expand quickly.
“All three of these are outside of the commission’s control,” she said.
The majority of the state’s municipalities has still opted out of allowing cannabis sales. Those that welcome it can set up their own municipal approval process.
Curaleaf, which is headquartered in New York City, operates in 19 states. In recent months, it has scaled back operations in several states, including California, Colorado, Oregon and Massachusetts.
Jelani Gibson is content lead for NJ Cannabis Insider. He may be reached at jgibson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jelanigibson1 and on LinkedIn.