NJ's Labor Peace Rule Goes to Federal Court: What the Cannabis Place Case Means
A federal judge has kept a Jersey City dispensary open while it challenges New Jersey’s labor peace rule in court. U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi granted The Cannabis Place 420 Corp. an order to show cause with temporary restraints late Friday, Oct. 9, according to Hudson County View and a company announcement published by Business Insight News. The order stays the expiration of the shop’s Jersey City cannabis license for 14 days.
The shop, known as TCP, sued the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 360 on Oct. 5, the federal court docket shows. MJBizDaily reports that TCP is the third New Jersey cannabis operator to sue to overturn the state’s labor peace requirement.
The Stoner Review sells shirts and hoodies only. We do not sell or ship cannabis. Every U.S. order ships free with no minimum. This story reports court steps as the cited outlets describe them. It is not legal advice.
What a Labor Peace Agreement Is
New Jersey’s cannabis law, the CREAMM Act, requires most cannabis businesses to sign a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor union. In plain terms, the union agrees not to picket, strike or boycott the business. The business agrees not to interfere when the union tries to talk with and organize its workers.
The agreement is not a one-time form. TCP’s complaint, as quoted in court filings posted by Hudson County View, says keeping the agreement is an “ongoing and material condition of the license.” The complaint says a business that lets the agreement lapse can face suspension, non-renewal or revocation. That is why the fight matters to every licensed shop in the state, not just one store in Hudson County.
How the Jersey City Case Started
TCP signed a labor peace agreement with UFCW Local 360 in July 2024, according to MJBizDaily and Hudson County View. TCP says it ended that agreement in June 2026 after disputes with the union. The suit claims the union tried to use interest arbitration early in contract talks to force terms the company called unworkable. MJBizDaily reports TCP then sought an agreement with other unions and alleges they refused in a coordinated way.
According to the filings, as reported by Heady NJ, the CRC has indicated it will issue a notice of violation with TCP’s upcoming license renewal because the shop has no active agreement. TCP alleges a formal notice could lead its bank to file a report, put its lease in default and end wholesale supply contracts.
TCP argues the state rule is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act and conflicts with the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Heady NJ reports the company wants a court declaration striking the CREAMM Act’s labor peace mandates, plus damages from UFCW Local 360.
Why the Shop Went to Federal Court Last Week
Hudson County View reports the Jersey City Cannabis Control Board approved TCP’s renewal in August and recommended the City Council do the same. The council then delayed its vote. Explore New Jersey reported the council cited the labor dispute.
With the license about to lapse, TCP asked the federal court for emergency relief. The company’s lawyer, Keya C. Denner, said in the announcement: “If TCP was required to close its doors on October 11, 2026, it would result in laying off approximately twenty (20) employees, many of whom are City residents.”
The announcement says the court found TCP made a clear showing of irreparable harm if the license expired. It says the order also set a case management teleconference for Oct. 13. Explore New Jersey noted the order is temporary and is not a decision on the underlying claims.
What Each Side Says
TCP CEO Osbert Orduna, a Marine Corps veteran, said in a statement quoted by Heady NJ that the state is “handing private union bosses absolute veto power over a Service-Disabled Veteran’s right to earn a living.”
Hugh Giordano, organizing director for UFCW Local 360, told Heady NJ the company “didn’t negotiate in good faith.” He also said, “It’s the workers who are being hurt.” The coverage TSR reviewed did not include a court filing from the CRC in response to the suit.
The Curaleaf Ruling in the Background
TCP’s filings cite an August 2026 federal ruling in Curaleaf’s case against the CRC, according to Heady NJ. MJBizDaily reports a judge ruled for Curaleaf in its claim that the labor peace requirement violates federal labor law, and that the CRC has filed a notice of appeal to the Third Circuit. MJBizDaily says that ruling applies only to Curaleaf and only in New Jersey. For other court fights over NJ cannabis licensing, see our report on the Atlantic City cannabis bribery case and our look at how multistate operators are buying NJ storefronts.
What’s Next
The 14-day stay keeps TCP open while the case moves forward. The next steps are the court’s case management call and the Jersey City Council’s renewal vote. TSR will post updates on The Wire. State sales and license figures are on the NJ Cannabis Data Hub.
TSR Dispensary Report: Design 710 — Atlantic City
Today’s shelf check is Design 710 at 112 Park Place in Atlantic City. TSR pulled the shop’s public adult-use menu from design710.com/shop at 12:25 a.m. ET on Oct. 13, 2026. Prices below are shown as the menu displayed them. Taxes and checkout terms may differ. One shop, one night. This is not a statewide average.
| Product | Brand | Size | Price shown | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon Delight #4 (Premium Flower) | RYTHM | 3.5g (1/8 oz) | $27.50 sale ($60.00 list) | Flower |
| Ice Wookie | Garden Greens | 1/8 oz | $34.99 sale ($55.00 list) | Flower |
| Garden City | Fresh | 1/8 oz | $22.99 sale ($50.00 list) | Flower |
| Peanut Butter Breath #240 | Breakwater | 1/8 oz | $47.99 sale ($60.00 list) | Flower |
| GMO Rootbeer | Hillview Farms | 1/8 oz | $32.99 sale ($60.00 list) | Flower |
| Guava Casquitos | (the) Essence | 1/8 oz | $19.89 sale ($40.00 list) | Flower |
| Galactic Warheadz 5-pack | Grown Rogue Reserve | 2.5g | $40.00 | Pre-Rolls |
| Cookies N’ Chem | Pork Rollz | 1g | $15.00 | Pre-Rolls |
| Afternoon Delight #4 Mini Dogs 5-pack | Dogwalkers | 1.75g | $23.99 sale ($39.00 list) | Pre-Rolls |
| Diamond Bar Disposable | Clade9 | 1g | $40.00 sale ($50.00 list) | Vapes |
| Wave Runners Hash Rosin Cart | Breakwater | 0.5g | $64.99 sale ($80.00 list) | Vapes |
| Garden State Toffee Bar | Incredibles | 10-pack, 100mg THC | $9.99 sale ($20.00 list) | Edibles |
| Ghost OG Live Badder | ILLICIT | 1g | $31.99 sale ($50.00 list) | Concentrates |
The menu listed 493 active adult-use items. Of those, 423 showed a sale price. TSR counted 103 eighth-ounce flower listings. Their list prices ran from $31.50 to $65.00, with a median of $60.00. With the menu’s sale prices applied, eighths ran from $19.89 to $55.00, with a median of $34.99.
Source: Design 710 adult-use menu, fetched Oct. 13, 2026. Our earlier shelf checks, including the CRC Oct. 29 countdown report, use the same method.
Both hoodies in this story are part of the Bundle Up deal: any two hoodies for $100. Browse the full cannabis hoodie collection for more. Returns run 30 days by mail; the customer pays return shipping unless the item arrived defective, damaged or wrong.
Keep Reading on The Stoner Review
More field notes from the same smoke-stained notebook:
