Pot Businesses Defeat Oregon Mandate for Labor Contracts (1)

An Oregon law requiring cannabis businesses to sign agreements with labor unions to be able to obtain licenses is unconstitutional, a federal district judge ruled.

Oregon’s United for Cannabis Workers Act is preempted by federal labor law “in violation of the Supremacy Clause,” and violates two companies’ First Amendment rights, said Judge Michael H. Simon, of the US District Court for the District of Oregon, in a Tuesday opinion. Simon granted the businesses a permanent injunction.

The National Labor Relations Act “likely” applies to cannabis business, Simon said. “The NLRA does not limit its jurisdiction to ‘lawful commerce’ or ‘legal ...