Cannabis firm Parallel closes 2 Florida facilities, cuts 211 jobs

By Aparajita Chatterjee Tue, July 28, 2026 at 11:03 AM PDT | 4 min read

Over the years, legal cannabis companies expanded rapidly across the U.S. as more states opened their markets to medical and recreational marijuana. That growth created sprawling businesses that extend far beyond dispensary storefronts.

Behind many cannabis retailers are cultivation centers where marijuana plants are grown and harvested. Additionally, there are facilities that process flower into products ranging from pre-rolls and vapes to edibles and other cannabis products.

Now, one major cannabis operator is significantly reducing that infrastructure in one of its biggest markets.

Parallel Cuts Cultivation and Cannabis Production Jobs

Parallel, the cannabis company behind the Surterra Wellness dispensary chain, is permanently closing its two Florida facilities, eliminating 211 jobs.

The closures affect operations at:

• 2324 W. Lake Drive, Wimauma
• 3516 Hamilton Road, Lakeland

According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) reviewed by TheStreet, Parallel said the layoffs began on July 6 or during the 14-day period that followed.

Employee Status

Employees were placed on paid administrative leave beginning July 6 and were expected to continue receiving their regular compensation and benefits through their respective termination dates without being required to report to work.

Affected Positions by Facility

Wimauma Facility:

• Cultivation technicians
• Production technicians
• Processing technicians
• Laboratory workers
• Packaging employees
• Supervisors overseeing extraction and refinement

Largest groups affected:

• 43 Production Technician I employees
• 27 cultivation technicians
• 12 production team leads
• 11 Processing Technician II workers

Lakeland Facility:

• 22 cultivation technicians
• 5 cultivation team leads
• Employees in harvesting, pest management, environmental services, research and development, and facility operations

About Parallel

Parallel is a multi-state cannabis business with operations spanning cultivation, manufacturing, and retail. The company currently lists:

• Surterra Wellness — Florida retail brand, operating 45 stores in the state
• NETA — Massachusetts brand
• Goodblend — Texas brand

Surterra offers medical marijuana products including cannabis flower, pre-rolls, vaporizers, edibles, and other cannabinoid products.

Parallel Is Nearing a Possible Change in Control

The facility closures come as Parallel approaches the possible conclusion of a financial restructuring that could transfer control of certain company assets to its creditors.

Creditors affiliated with SunStream Bancorp — a cannabis-investment joint venture in which Canadian cannabis company SNDL holds an interest — previously provided financing to Parallel.

After Parallel encountered financial difficulties, those creditors entered into a strict foreclosure agreement covering certain assets that had been pledged as security for the debt.

Note: A strict foreclosure differs from a conventional acquisition. Instead of one company buying another, secured creditors can take control of pledged assets to satisfy outstanding debt, subject to regulatory approvals and the terms of the agreement.

The proposed transaction would place certain Parallel operations under the control of an entity formed for the benefit of its creditors.

Timeline

• 2023 — The process began
• February 2025 — The Florida Department of Health approved the transfer of Parallel's cannabis license, according to SNDL's first-quarter 2026 earnings report

More Layoffs:

• Meta layoffs take disturbing turn in new lawsuit
• Major snack brand closes plant, cuts 345 jobs
• JPMorgan Chase pushes fraud division layoffs, despite rising revenues

Image: Parallel, company behind Surterra Wellness, closes 2 facilities in Florida. (Scott Shymko / Getty Images)