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ICE BREAKS GLASS HOUSE Raid tops 360 arrests, one farmwork- er dies amid federal crackdown I n one of the largest immigration enforcement actions in years, fed‑ eral agents ransacked two major cannabis farms operated by Glass House Brands in Carpinteria and Camarillo, California. Au‑ thorities arrested more than 360 individu‑ als, among them 14 migrant children—and tragically, one farmworker fell from a green‑ house roof and died while fleeing the scene. Glass House insists only nine direct employ‑ ees were detained and none were minors. The company says its farms complied with DHS search warrants and claims the opera‑ tion focused on suspected immigration vio‑ lations rather than cannabis cultivation itself. Protesters and civil rights advocates have slammed the force used at the scene—in‑ cluding tear gas against demonstrators—and questioned why federal officials targeted one of California’s largest licensed growers. Glass House has severed ties with two labor contractors and tightened age and immigration verification protocols, while also signing a labor‑peace agreement with the Teamsters to avoid future fallout. Critics argue the raid was a political maneuver to undercut the state’s cannabis industry amid rising tension with federal immigration policy. Crackdown on Pot
TOKE, TEST OR WALK! I n a series of recent rulings, federal courts have doubled down on drug testing in the workplace—especially for jobs tied to public safety. One fed- eral judge in Minnesota ruled that pipe- line and transportation employers can override state privacy laws to enforce random drug tests, even if cannabis is legal in that state. The ruling affirms that federal regu- lations trump state protections, meaning workers can still be fired for failing a THC test—even if they lit up legally over the weekend. Courts in Canada have also upheld the same logic, declaring that “safe- ty-sensitive” jobs come with reduced expectations of privacy, paving the way for broader drug screening across multiple industries. Legal experts say these cases set a clear tone: When it comes to weed in the workplace, legalization doesn’t mean protection. If your job is danger- ous, you may have to pee clean or pack up—because in the eyes of the law, your bong hit is still their business.
Massive ICE raids on legal cannabis farms blur the line between immigration enforce‑ ment and drug policy. With one death, hun‑ dreds arrested, and no cannabis seized, the operation raises serious alarms about federal overreach and threats to legitimate cannabis businesses. The action has sparked
backlash from in‑ dustry leaders, labor organizers, and civil rights groups alike, who argue the crack‑ down weaponizes immigration laws to undermine state-legal operations. As fears ripple through the cannabis world, many now wonder: is fed‑ eral prohibition back with a new disguise?
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