Marijuana MSO Curaleaf sues New Jersey to avoid ‘death penalty’

OG article by Chris Roberts

October 22, 2025

Curaleaf Holdings sued the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission on October 9, alleging that the state's requirement for labor peace agreements (LPAs) violates the federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and seeking to prevent enforcement and punishment.

The lawsuit claims Curaleaf's expired LPA with UFCW Local 360 led to a $610,000 fine in August, ongoing daily fines of $5,000, and threats of license revocation, described as the "commercial equivalent of the death penalty."

This challenge follows a federal judge's ruling striking down Oregon's LPA requirement for violating First Amendment free speech protections and the NLRA, amid a perceived pro-business shift under the Trump administration.

Curaleaf has a history of resisting unionization, including an NLRB finding of unlawful firing of a pro-union employee in Arizona and difficulties in negotiating contracts with unionized workers.

LPAs, mandated in states like New Jersey, California, and New York, require businesses to remain neutral during union organizing in exchange for unions forgoing strikes and boycotts, though they have yielded mixed results for workers.