Trulieve, one of the largest cannabis operators in the country, has announced it will close all three of its dispensaries in Massachusetts and its manufacturing plant leading to the layoff of over 120 employees in the state.
The company operates dispensaries in Framingham, Northampton and Worcester, and a manufacturing plant in Holyoke. The three dispensaries are set to close June 30 and the company plans to cease all operations in the state by the end of the year. In addition to closing business in Massachusetts, Trulieve also announced plans to close its retail location in Grover Beach, California, continuing the closure of businesses in other California cities after retail locations were closed in Palm Springs and Venice. The company also announced plans to scale back business in Nevada by exiting the wholesale market.
“Over the past year, Trulieve has worked to streamline and optimize operations across the organization focusing on markets with long-term growth potential,” the company said. “Some of this work includes closing select retail locations in California, exiting Nevada and reducing production to match consumer demand across multiple markets. Today we announced that Trulieve will close the Grover Beach, California location and wind down operations in Massachusetts which will affect 128 employees as part of our ongoing efforts to focus on our strategy while bolstering our business for long-term success.”
“These difficult but necessary measures are part of ongoing efforts to bolster business resilience and our commitment to cash preservation as we continue to focus on our business strategy of going deep in our core markets and jettisoning non-contributive assets,” said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. “We remain fully confident in our strategic position and the long term prospects for the industry.”
In December 2022, Trulieve paid $14,502 to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in a settlement of a case involving the death of Lorna McMurrey, an employee at Trulieve’s Holyoke production facility who died in January 2022 after suffering cardiac arrest due to being unable to breathe after inhaling cannabis dust. An OSHA report found McMurrey found she died of occupational asthma due to exposure to ground cannabis.
As part of the settlement, Trulieve was required conduct a study on whether ground cannabis dust needed to be categorized as a “hazardous chemical” in a work setting according to regulations set by OSHA. The company also agreed to developing a “temporary information and training program that alerts employees to potential allergic reactions they might experience working with ground cannabis dust in an occupational setting.” The program will contain information about what workers should do if they feel like they are having an allergic reaction.
Florida-based Trulieve has also worked at bringing legalized cannabis to their home state by sponsoring and financially backing the Smart & Safe Florida campaign. The measure would change the state Constitution to allow existing medical cannabis operators to sell recreational cannabis to residents aged 21 and over. A provision would allow, but not require, lawmakers to take steps towards to approval of additional cannabis businesses. Home cultivation would also not be allowed under the proposal. Trulieve recently announced the proposal had received over 965,000 petition signatures, well over the 891,523 signatures required to make the ballot during the 2024 elections.
“Our investment demonstrates our firm belief that Floridians are ready to experience the freedom to use cannabis for personal consumption; a freedom which is currently enjoyed by more than half of America’s adults,” said Rivers. “With over 965,000 validated signatures from nearly every part of our state, it is clear these voters share that belief. We are thrilled the campaign has made this milestone and look forward to seeing this initiative on the ballot next November.”
