Federal Judge Rules Against Oregon’s Voter-Backed Cannabis Labor Protections

In November, Oregon voters passed Measure 119, which required that “businesses licensed to sell or process cannabis enter into an agreement that allows their employees to organize and speak out without fear of retaliation.”

Two state-licensed cannabis entities sued in February, and, on Tuesday, a federal judge agreed that Measure 119 is “preempted by the [National Labor Relations Act] in violation of the Supremacy Clause and violates Plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights, and that all requirements for permanent injunctive relief have been satisfied.”