Fatal Asthma Attack Linked to Cannabis Cultivation Facility

According to a federal report, a 27-year-old woman tragically passed away in January 2022 after experiencing worsening work-related respiratory symptoms at a cannabis cultivation and processing facility.

The woman's condition deteriorated, leading to a fatal asthma attack, as stated in the report.

For more information, you can read the full report here.

Trulieve Settles with OSHA After Worker's Death

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Trulieve, a cannabis company, has reached a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following the death of one of its workers. The incident occurred at a Trulieve facility in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

According to a report by Boston.com, Trulieve has paid over $14,000 as part of the settlement. The company has agreed to implement a temporary information and training program to educate employees about potential allergic reactions associated with working with ground cannabis dust in an occupational setting.

The Associated Press reached out to Trulieve for comment, but representatives from the company did not respond.

"A big red flag"

The finding comes as legalization of recreational marijuana, and the resultant growth of the cannabis industry, is spreading. Almost half the states allow adult recreational use of marijuana. Legalizations began in 2012 with Washington and Colorado and have only accelerated.

Advocates for safety in the marijuana industry have called for more safeguards to make sure the cannabis business doesn't put workers or the public at risk.

The death of the Massachusetts worker "should be a big red flag to lawmakers that we need to put way more guardrails around that industry," said Scott Gagnon, a cannabis industry watchdog who advocates for the prevention of substance abuse in Maine, where marijuana has been legal for several years.

The industry wants to be as safe as possible, said Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, the marijuana law reform group, adding that "likelihood of such incidences is greatly reduced in environments where cannabis businesses are licensed, regulated, and required to adhere to the same sort of workplace safety regulations and standards as others."

"Furthermore, when such incidences do occur, the regulated marketplace ensures that they are properly investigated and that corrective actions are taken to prevent future incidents," Armentano said.

As the number of cannabis-friendly states across the U.S. has grown, so, too, has the drug's usage among American workers.