John Stewart
Fri, 03/29/2024
A former dispensary employee has filed a class action lawsuit against “Yuma Way LLC,” a company that owns and operates nine marijuana dispensaries in the state of Colorado. The lawsuit, filed March 20, 2024, in the Colorado District Court for Denver County, alleges that Yuma Way LLC failed to provide the rest breaks and meal breaks required by Colorado wage and hour laws. The lawsuit also alleges that the dispensary operator not only required employees to unlawfully work through those mandatory breaks, but also failed to pay employees for their time working through those break periods. According to the complaint, these facts add up to more than just violations of the state’s wage and hour laws, and in fact amount to civil theft by the employer.
The lawsuit is pleaded on behalf of all similarly situated Yuma Way LLC employees who work (or worked) in the state of Colorado, a class which constitutes hundreds of dispensary workers, per the allegations in the complaint. Importantly, Yuma Way LLC operates dispensaries in other states as well—some of which have wage and hour laws at least as protective of employee rights as the Colorado laws. Outside Colorado, Yuma Way LLC employs dispensary workers in New York, West Virginia, Michigan, and California. As the Colorado lawsuit progresses, it is possible that Yuma Way LLC employees not subject to Colorado law may raise similar claims in their own states.
If you have questions about your rights as a dispensary employee—or otherwise—or believe you have been denied any other protected rights or employment benefits, please reach out to MSE at info@mselaborlaw.com.
