Green Thumb Industries (GTI), one of the largest multi-state operators in the cannabis industry, has built its brand on promises of expansion, accessibility, and corporate responsibility. However, a closer look at the company’s actions reveals a pattern of behavior that undermines workers, medical patients, and industry equity. From anti-union practices and unsafe working conditions to lobbying against patient rights and questionable corporate ethics, GTI has repeatedly put profits over people.
Targeting Medical Cannabis Patients in Illinois
In May 2024, GTI played a key role in blocking House Bill 2911, a reform package designed to improve medical cannabis access in Illinois. The bill aimed to allow all dispensaries to serve medical patients tax-free, introduce curbside and drive-thru services, and expand industry access for individuals with criminal records. While the bill had broad support from advocates, GTI’s lobbyists stepped in at the last minute to oppose provisions that would have made medical cannabis more accessible.
This intervention directly harmed Illinois’ medical patients, many of whom rely on cannabis as an essential treatment. GTI claimed the bill’s language was “not operationally viable,” but many saw it as a move to protect the company’s financial interests at the expense of patients. This blatant prioritization of corporate control over patient care led to widespread backlash, with calls to boycott GTI’s products and RISE dispensaries.
Anti-Worker Practices and Unsafe Conditions
GTI’s disregard for its workforce has been another major point of contention. In 2023, the company faced ten federal labor complaints from the Teamsters union, alleging bad-faith bargaining, illegal surveillance, and retaliation against pro-union employees. These complaints followed a two-week-long strike at multiple GTI facilities, where workers protested unfair labor practices.
Additionally, GTI has been accused of failing to ensure worker safety in its cultivation and production facilities. In July 2023, after a tragic worker death at GTI’s Rock Island, Illinois facility, the Teamsters called out the company for poor air filtration, inadequate ventilation, and insufficient safety equipment. Reports also emerged that GTI threatened an employee who spoke out about the incident on social media.
Corporate Misconduct and Ethics Violations
Beyond its treatment of workers and medical patients, GTI’s internal governance has raised serious concerns. The company has faced:
• Mass resignations from its board and secretive severance payments to high-ranking executives.
• A federal investigation into license acquisition practices (which GTI denied).
• Legal disputes with competitors, including a lawsuit from Cresco Labs over employee poaching and non-compete violations.
These controversies reflect a pattern of unethical decision-making, calling into question GTI’s integrity as a major cannabis operator.
Why GTI Doesn’t Deserve Your Support
GTI’s track record shows a company more focused on protecting its market share than supporting the people who rely on cannabis, patients, workers, and small businesses. By actively lobbying against medical access, suppressing labor rights, and engaging in questionable corporate tactics, GTI has positioned itself as an opponent to the very values the cannabis industry should stand for: community, accessibility, and fairness.
If you care about workers’ rights, patient access, and ethical business practices, it’s time to boycott GTI and its RISE dispensaries and instead support small, independent cannabis businesses that prioritize people over profits.
Written by Midwest Dazed
Sources
1. South Side Weekly – “Last-Minute Lobbying Blocks Progressive Cannabis Reform in Illinois”
2. Benzinga – “Illinois Lawmakers Fail To Update Cannabis Laws, Non-Profit Argues Corporate Greed Played A Role”
3. Green Market Report – “Green Thumb Industries Facing 10 Federal Complaints From Teamsters”
4. Teamsters – “Teamsters Demand Action After Worker Death at Green Thumb Industries”
5. Glass Lewis – “Controversy Alert Roundup: Green Thumb”
6. Chicago Tribune – “Federal Investigation into Green Thumb Industries’ License Acquisition Practices”
7. Business Insider – “Employee Poaching Controversy Heats Up Among Top US Cannabis Companies”
COUCH LOCK’D 
One thought on “OPINION: Why You Shouldn’t Support Green Thumb Industries (GTI) in Cannabis”