Los Angeles, California – A recent report from the UCLA Labor Center has cast a revealing light on the conditions facing cannabis workers in California’s sprawling, rapidly growing industry. Titled High Stakes – The State of the California Cannabis Workforce, the May 2025 publication outlines a sector marked by low pay, high turnover, and frequent violations of labor law—particularly in wage and hour protections.
The legal cannabis industry in California accounted for 78,618 shift workers in 2024. But that figure represents only a fraction of the total workforce. Factoring in unlicensed operations, the report estimates there may be as many as 235,854 cannabis workers statewide—leaving more than 150,000 employed in what amounts to a legal gray area, with even fewer protections and limited recourse.
Even among workers within the licensed market, the report paints a sobering picture. Nearly half reported experiencing wage theft, with complaints ranging from bounced checks and late payments to being asked to work off the clock. Twenty-nine percent said they had been paid late by an employer, while 14 percent reported receiving no pay record at all…