ROCKVILLE, Md. (March 8, 2024) – Today, the staff of Potomac Holistics cannabis dispensary in Rockville, Md. announced they have voted unanimously to ratify their first-ever union contract with United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 Union.
Mia Rubin, a Potomac Holistics Worker who was part of the organizing and bargaining process, said the following:
“This victory couldn’t have happened without the support and trust of my co-workers, including those who are no longer part of the Potomac Holistics team, and our amazing customers and patients. This is a testament to the fact that as workers, our voices matter and deserve to be heard. We hope to continue to see adult wages for adult employees throughout the cannabis industry.”
The collective bargaining agreement guarantees regular wage increases that are not tied to performance evaluations, improved paid time off, increased anti-discrimination protections, including a comprehensive policy against gender-based harassment and discrimination, and protection from unfair discipline.
Bill Askinazi, Potomac Holistics’ Founder and Owner said:
“Potomac Holistics was the very first dispensary to open in Maryland in 2017, having served over 500,000 customers. This historic embrace of our Local 400 Union staff extends gratitude to the hard-working agents and managers that make personalized customer experiences daily. Potomac Holistics strives to deliver an even better service with our Local 400 partnership. Potomac Holistics is proud to be the first dispensary, possibly in the country, to offer our Union friends a Union discount.”
To celebrate the union agreement, Potomac Holistics is offering any union member a 10% discount and $1 pre-roll, becoming the independently owned shop of choice for union members throughout the state.
Potomac Holistics workers unionized in January of last year and negotiations on their first union contract began shortly after.
As America’s largest cannabis union, the UFCW has spent over a decade in this emerging industry, advocating for workers and fighting to establish critical labor protections to ensure that, as the industry grows, cannabis industry jobs are safe, equitable, and family sustaining.
For more information on UFCW’s work across the cannabis industry, visit ufcw.org/cannabis.
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United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 is led by President Mark Federici and represents 35,000 members working in the grocery, retail, health care, food processing, service and other industries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. www.ufcw400.org
