Missouri lawmakers include union protections in ICCA, redefining cannabis work as non-agricultural
Missouri lawmakers have successfully moved to regulate intoxicating hemp products through the passage of House Bill 2641, the Intoxicating Cannabinoid Control Act, with the bill now passing through the legislature and awaiting a signature at the Governor’s desk.
A separate provision included in the final version of the bill is drawing attention for its potential impact on both the state’s cannabis workforce and what it means for the cannabis industry as a whole.
Tucked into the final text is a standalone section addressing labor rights, stating that all individuals employed in cannabis-related businesses in Missouri have the right to organize, form, join, and assist labor organizations, as well as bargain collectively with their employers.
The provision applies broadly across the industry, specifically including: cultivation, processing, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and support operations.
It states that cannabis industry work, including activities in climate-controlled indoor cultivation and processing facilities, is not considered “agricultural labor” for the purposes of exemptions from collective bargaining protections.
Instead, the bill directs that such work be treated as covered employment under Missouri’s collective bargaining framework.
That distinction could carry implications for how cannabis operators classify employees and how labor protections are applied, particularly in cultivation environments that have often been viewed as agricultural settings in other states and previously in Missouri.
The final version of the bill states:
“All persons employed in cannabis-related businesses in this state, including cultivation, processing, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and support operations, shall have the right to organize, form, join, and assist labor organizations and to bargain collectively with their employers through representatives of their own choosing. Cannabis industry employment, including work in climate-controlled indoor cultivation and processing facilities, is not ‘agricultural labor’ as used for purposes of exemptions from collective bargaining and shall be treated as covered employment under Missouri’s collective bargaining protections.”
Read the full text of the final version of the ICCA here.
