The corporate Multi-State Operator (MSO) Curaleaf filed a lawsuit against the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) in federal court over state labor laws. They believe it violates federal National Labor Relations Action (NLRA) laws.
Curaleaf's lawsuit was filed last week on October 9th. It has been assigned to the federal district court for New Jersey. At the last NJ-CRC meeting this October, Chair Dianna Houenou gave a fiery speech regarding progress made by the Commission against MSOs and their lobbyists. She defended their work to ensure diversity and equity in the market.
But Curaleaf has been fined multiple times for that, including this past August 2025 by the NJ-CRC for $610,000. Their license to sell legal NJ cannabis was revoked in April 2023. However, some lobbying of senior officials in the Administration of Governor Phil Murphy (D) likely led to a reinstatement of their license a few days later.
Heady NJ has heard horror stories about the poor working conditions at Curaleaf from sources that do not want to be named for fear of retaliation. The Cannabis Regulatory Enforcement And Marijuana Modernization Act (CREAMMA) implemented the adult-use cannabis market. It requires medical dispensaries known as Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) to sign a Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) to sell adult-use cannabis.
Read more at Heady NJ
