May is Asthma Awareness Month: The cannabis industry emerges as a cause of Work-Related Asthma

Cannabis dust and other substances found or used in the cannabis industry are known asthmagens, meaning they can cause asthma in individuals who don't currently have it. Other substances used in this industry can exacerbate asthma, meaning they can make existing asthma worse. So far, nine cases of work-related asthma in the cannabis industry have been identified in California.

Asthma is a very serious lung disease. To date, two workers in the cannabis industry are known to have died due to new onset work-related asthma. They both worked around dried cannabis and did not have asthma before they started working in this industry. One death occurred in Massachusetts and the other in California. The California fatality is currently being investigated.

Other than cannabis dust, examples of substances that can cause asthma in the cannabis industry are mold, some pesticides, and disinfectants such as bleach, peroxyacetic acid mixed with hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonium compounds. Once someone has developed asthma, many substances can exacerbate it, so it's best to prevent it in the first place.

How can asthma be prevented?​

Employers should:

• Train workers about workplace hazards, including the possibility of developing asthma.
• Control dust at the source – install dust capturing equipment on grinders and other equipment that create cannabis dust
• Carefully control moisture and humidity to prevent mold growth
• Use safer disinfectants
• Practice good housekeeping – do not allow dry sweeping, instead use HEPA vacuums
• Implement a medical surveillance program so respiratory health issues can be detected early
• When exposures cannot be controlled in any other way, implement a full Respiratory Protection Program, including medical clearance, worker training, and respirator fit-testing​
  

Resources

• Cannabis Flower Technician Experiences Fatal Asthma Exacerbation (PDF)​ — Massachusetts Department of Public Health,  
  
• Fatal Occupational Asthma in Cannabis Production — Massachusetts, 2022, MMWR, 
  
• Guide to Worker Safety and Health in the Marijuana Industry — Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment 
  
• Respiratory Protection Program —​ Cal/OSHA