The Top Dangers Cannabis Cultivation and Manufacturing Workers Face

For the past few weeks, the eyes of much of the cannabis industry have been affixed on the tragic death of an employee at a cannabis cultivation and processing facility in Holyoke, Massachusetts. 

The incident occurred at a Trulieve facility in January, but only in October did the state’s Cannabis Control Commission released a statement to the media. In the statement, the CCC vowed to continue to work with public health officials to understand what led to the death of 27-year-old Lorna McMurrey.  

McMurrey reportedly collapsed while filling pre-rolls with finely-ground cannabis dust. In early October, Trulieve issued a statement in which it said that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration tested the air quality in the facility and ruled that they were “well below acceptable ranges.”

Cannabis cultivation and manufacturing workers face serious challenges ranging from increasing yields to finding ways to optimize the cannabinoid and terpene profile of flowers. And while the Trulieve investigation is still ongoing, it may serve as a reminder that working in plant-touching jobs in cannabis can also pose serious risks. 

• Biological hazards 

Working directly with plants can expose workers to biological hazards such as bacteria and fungi like mold and mildew. The increased humidity in indoor grows can spur the growth of mold, which can lead to various health concerns such as wheezing,  coughing, eye, and skin irritation, throat irritation, and nasal congestion. Exposure to such biological hazards can be hazardous for workers with respiratory conditions or a compromised immune system.

A 2020 study published in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health found that among 31 employees of an indoor grow facility in Seattle, 65% reported respiratory issues, 32% said nasal symptoms and 39% reported work-related ocular symptoms. The researchers concluded that “a high proportion of employees with work-aggravated symptoms had findings consistent with probably work-related asthma.”

• Chemical hazards

The cultivation and processing of cannabis can produce many risks of injury from chemicals. 

These include the increased CO2 used to boost plant yields (and the CO2 given off by plants), pesticides, cleaning products, volatile organic compounds, nutrients, corrosive materials, volatile organic compounds, and butane used in extraction.

Chemical exposure in the cannabis workforce can potentially lead to various ailments, including respiratory, skin, or eye irritation, burns, and lung damage. 

• Ergonomic injuries 

Like countless other industries, cannabis manufacturing presents a wide range of tasks that require repetitive motion.  

Trimming is a repetitive, lengthy, and painstaking process that entails removing the leaves and stems from cannabis flowers to create buds that are more enjoyable to smoke and produce a better “bag appeal.”

Trimming is often performed with small scissors or trimmers, and over hours, days, and weeks, it can lead to health issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome or chronic hand soreness. 

• Security risks 

Over four days in March 2022, there were three fatalities related to cannabis dispensary robberies in Washington. And according to the state’s Craft Cannabis Coalition, there were 67 armed robberies of dispensaries just in the first three months of 2022. 

And in 2020, LivWell - the largest dispensary chain in Colorado - was targeted in 15 burglary attempts. 

Cannabis businesses can be an attractive and lucrative target. Because they operate largely in cash, there is a large amount of money on-site, not to mention valuable cannabis products that can easily be sold on the black market. 

• Slips and falls and heavy machinery

Cannabis is a unique industry with a culture all its own. But working in the industry still entails many physical risks common to countless industries. 

In marijuana production and cultivation facilities, the use of heavy machinery can lead to injuries, exposure to ultraviolet light and other electrical equipment can cause burns and possibly electrocution, and noise levels can cause lasting or temporary hearing loss.

And to maximize space and efficiency in indoor grows, many companies grow vertically. The danger of potentially devastating falls can be quite high in such operations.

Many of these risks - such as those posed by chemicals or biological contaminants, can be mitigated by limiting exposure. This can be through various measures, including personal protective equipment, proper ventilation, sensors to detect dangerous levels of CO2, and rigorous cleaning, hygiene, and moisture control to limit the presence of mold and mildew. 

But the most important step is for companies to develop a workplace culture of safety and compliance. This means putting safety front and center and taking all steps necessary to ensure that safety and compliance-related tasks are an intrinsic part of daily operations. 

It entails knowing exactly what the compliance guidelines in your jurisdiction are and ensuring those and all OSHA guidelines are met.

Cannabis compliance regulations are designed to ensure the safety of cannabis workers, cannabis consumers, and cannabis products.

And while compliance management can be a high cost, as David Kessler, the Chief Science Officer at Agrify, said in a Rootwurks webinar this week, “the costs of adhering to compliance are usually much lower than the costs of compliance failure.”

Such costs can affect a company’s bottom line, reputation, and, worst of all - the safety and health of its employees and customers.

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