A top California marijuana official says that the U.S. already has an established interstate cannabis market but it has just been unregulated, reports Marijuana Moment.

The California Department of Cannabis Control’s General Counsel, Matt Lee, said that cultivators have been forced to make the choice between staying legal but isolating products from each operation to one state, or engaging in illicit activity by selling across state lines.

However, the publication notes that with three states having recently enacted legislation that will enable imports and exports of cannabis products, the conversation around interstate commerce is beginning to evolve.

Rafi Crockett, member of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC) and former commissioner on the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board, stated: “We have a cannabis industry—a flourishing thriving cannabis industry that has operated wonderfully for generations. We produce it in the Northwest, then we consume it in other parts of the country. It works. We know it works. We’ve all used it throughout our lifetime. And so the imposition of this new and completely artificial industry is the real problem here.”

Cultivation employees form first cannabis union in Connecticut

Nearly 50 employees from Advance Grow Labs have formed the first cannabis union in Connecticut, reports MJ Biz Daily.

UFCW Local 919 President Mark Espinosa said: “We are excited to bargain a contract and set the standard for all cannabis workers in this state. We know there is strength in numbers, and now many workers to come will benefit from the hard work done by these workers at Advanced Grow Labs.”

The publication suggests that more operators will likely unionize in the state due to stipulations in the law that ushered in adult-use retail in 2021, which requires all cannabis licensees to enter into a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization as a condition of final approval.