After massive federal raids last week at two Southern California cannabis farms, the United Farm Workers posted an urgent message to its social media accounts. Because weed remains illegal under federal law, the union advised workers who are not U.S. citizens to avoid jobs in the cannabis industry, even at state-licensed facilities.
"We know this is unfair," the United Farm Workers wrote Monday, "but we encourage you to protect yourself and your family."
The immigration enforcement operations at the Camarillo and Carpinteria facilities of Glass House Farms, one of the state's largest licensed cannabis companies, have unsettled California's legal industry, which feels more vulnerable than it has since voters approved recreational weed in 2016.
The chaotic scene has brought to the forefront simmering concerns that weed farms could become an easy target as President Donald Trump ramps up deportations, because simply working in the industry could provide the criminal pretext to arrest even a legal immigrant.
It has also resurfaced for many industry veterans traumatic memories of raids during the "war on drugs," raising alarms that the Trump administration may be hardening its stance against what remains a federally illegal substance.
"There is a sense that the community has gotten a little complacent in our legalization bubbles," said Caren Woodson, senior director of compliance and licensing for Kiva Brands and the board president of the California Cannabis Industry Association. "We're definitely in a moment of uncertainty."
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