New Study Investigates Health Hazards for Cannabis Workers

Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) Department of
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences are investigating potential
health hazards faced by workers in cannabis production, Cascadia Daily
reports.

The study is federally funded and supported by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health. The study was prompted in part by multiple
cannabis industry fatalities caused by work-related asthma.

“The cannabis industry is pretty understudied historically because it is a
Schedule I drug. To our knowledge, we’re the first study that’s looking
into these things. It’s a pretty ground-breaking study.” — UW PhD student
Callan Krevanko, lead field researcher for the study, via Cascadia Daily

Researchers have partnered for the study with Subdued Excitement, or SubX,
a Ferndale-based cannabis producer and processor. The research team spent a
week in the lab in November, monitoring air quality and performing health
tests on the workers.

In addition to their work with SubX, the researchers hope to partner with
about 10 other cannabis facilities in Washington and get over 100 cannabis
production workers tested to get an ideal sample size for the study.

Meanwhile, last year in Missouri, a jury awarded $3 million in damages to a
cannabis consultant who experienced a career-ending asthma attack while
helping build out a cannabis laboratory in 2022. During the incident, a lab
technician accidentally mishandled a commercial vacuum and blew fine
cannabis particles into the air.