Federal OSHA Experts Discuss Safety Strategies To Protect Cannabis Industry Workers Whose Exposure Is Greater Than In Recreational Setting

As the marijuana industry expands, it is important to develop appropriate safety procedures in the working environment. As with any new industry, those safety protocols are often established only after an unfortunate incident. 

In Jan. 2022, the first occupational-related cannabis death from asthma occurred in Holyoke, Massachusetts when Lorna L. McMurrey (27) died while working at a Trulieve TCNNF production facility.

Last week, two officials with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration held a webinar presenting the agency's latest guidance for "protecting workers within the cannabis industry," writes Marijuana Moment's Ben Adlin. 

Yasmine Daniels, an industrial hygienist talked about OSHA's federal and state regulations, and Virginia Weaver, an MD and medical officer talked about McMurrey's death and ways to prevent such incidents. 

During the online event organized by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals Weaver said, "The most important thing is involvement from the industry to train workers and managers to identify and report symptoms of occupational allergy. Workers who develop a runny nose, rhinitis, congestion, eye or throat irritation, skin rash or hives—or, even more importantly, if it's already progressed to lung symptoms, with cough, wheezing or shortness of breath—they need to know who to report that to in their workplace as soon as these develop."

Marking Hazardous Chemicals 

With cannabis being illegal at the federal level, and legal in many states, federal OSHA or State Plans don't regulate its production, sale or use in legal states. However, OSHA's or State's Plans' safety and health standards and regulations apply to employers engaged in commercial cannabis production and sales, reads Daniels' presentation. 

She also stressed that employers’ duties include marking containerizes of hazardous chemicals. "It is in fact the employer's responsibility to do a workplace hazard assessment to determine the employees' potential of being exposed to that chemical hazard," Daniels said. "And if in fact there is, then the employer should have a hazard communication program in place."

Occupational Setting Exposure Versus Recreational Use 

Weaver, who led the investigation of McMurrey’s death, said that the key point she wanted to highlight is that "the magnitude of exposures in the occupational setting is way, way more than the recreational setting. There are some who think that because a number of cannabis employees may also use the product recreationally, they couldn't possibly develop any work-related symptoms from it," she said. "That's in fact not the case. The exposures in the occupational setting are much greater."

She added that there were 10 cases of cannabis-related occupational asthma in Washington State where a 2020 survey of cannabis workers revealed that 22 of 31 respondents had one or more work-related symptoms, such as respiratory troubles and eye, nasal and skin-related issues. 

To improve health and safety standards across this booming industry it is important to establish improved detection protocols, referrals to appropriate specialists and have robust research, Weaver pointed out.

"Importantly, we need research because we need to know which exposures and job titles are the highest risk for these respiratory outcomes," she said. "Because you can't prevent what you aren't able to identify."

In November Laura Bruneau, the mother of Lorna McMurrey filed a lawsuit against Trulieve claiming wrongful death and negligence. 

Following the incident and the lawsuit, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) started to work on safety guidance for cannabis workers. Dr. Robert Goldstein of the DPH called on the state to work with healthcare providers to protect people who work in similar jobs to that of McMurrey’s.

"The legalized cannabis industry is relatively new, and the impact on the health and safety of workers demands our careful attention," Goldstein said in November. 

See Also: Family Of Late Trulieve Worker Speaks Up To Prevent Similar Tragedies As Company Contests Findings

Photo: Courtesy of Nattawit Khomsanit via Shutterstock