Researchers at the University of Washington are taking a close look at the potential health risks for marijuana production workers. A new study from the university’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences is examining whether people employed in cannabis cultivation and processing face health risks on the job, particularly those affecting the lungs.
Since recreational and medical marijuana laws began to change across the U.S., cannabis businesses have hired thousands of workers. However, scientists say there is still limited information about the hazards these employees may encounter.
Since cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, formal research into working conditions has lagged behind the industry’s growth. Early warning signs now suggest that airborne particles and other exposures could pose respiratory dangers for some workers.
The study was partly motivated by two deaths in the cannabis sector that investigators linked to job-related asthma. One case occurred in Massachusetts and the other in California.
According to Callan Krevanko, a doctoral student at UW who is coordinating on-site research, cannabis workplaces have not received the same level of scientific scrutiny as more established industries. He noted that the legal status of marijuana discouraged earlier investigation and added that the current effort is among the first to examine these environments in detail.
The research team plans to visit at least ten marijuana operations throughout Washington State, including processing and growing sites, ranging from small businesses to large operations. In total, the researchers expect to collect data from over 100 marijuana production workers.
One of the participating companies is Ferndale-based Subdued Excitement, also known as SubX. Co-founder Nick Cihlar said his company was licensed shortly after Washington voters approved recreational cannabis in 2012, placing it among the early entrants into the legal market.
Cihlar welcomed the study, saying it is reasonable to expect that issues may surface. He suggested that some workers may not consistently use protective gear and that air filtration systems could be inadequate in certain settings. While he stressed that this view is not based on formal evidence, he said the research is necessary to move beyond speculation.
When UW researchers visited SubX in November, they spent a full week inside the facility. Their work included measuring particles in the air, collecting samples from workers’ breathing zones, and conducting health assessments to identify possible symptoms linked to workplace exposure.
Although cannabis businesses fall under oversight from state and federal safety agencies, Cihlar said existing rules are mostly general and not tailored to cannabis production. Tasks such as trimming dried plants can release fine particles into the air, something he believes could affect lung health over time.
Researchers expect to complete their fieldwork this winter. Once the results are analyzed, they plan to offer practical guidance aimed at reducing risk, including improved ventilation strategies and protective equipment that businesses can realistically afford.
The findings could offer some insights to cannabis industry participants like SNDL Inc. (NASDAQ: SNDL) that employ lots of people across their operations.
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