The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) issued new recommendations today through a bulletin designed to improve workplace health and safety at marijuana processing facilities and broadly across the legal industry.
The announcement represents the Commission's formal recognition of ground cannabis dust as a hazardous chemical that can irritate the respiratory system and exposed skin and marks a major step towards updating Massachusetts' workplace safety expectations following the 2022 occupational asthma death of a Holyoke processing facility employee.
"Today's bulletin is intended to bring increased awareness of an identified health risk in the marijuana industry and will support Commission and industry efforts to enhance safety standards across Massachusetts," said Commission Acting Executive Director/Chief People Officer Debbie Hilton-Creek. "We will continue to partner with licensees to appropriately and effectively communicate this message and depend on them to implement protocols that will protect the overall well-being of our workforce."
Under the new bulletin, the Commission recommends that all licensees engaged in marijuana processing follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines around hazardous chemicals in the workplace. The Commission also reminds licensees of its obligation to have a hazard communication program which includes the evaluation of hazardous chemicals in its facility and develop Safety Data Sheets to inform its employees.
Going forward, the Commission is advising licensees engaged in marijuana processing to protect employees from hazards associated with cannabis dust exposure by using engineering controls like local exhaust ventilation, plus administrative controls like limiting employee exposure during the workday. The Commission recommends that licensees provide personal protective equipment, and appropriately manage medical situations when they arise.
Today's update follows a state Department of Public Health (DPH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) report and Occupational Lung Disease Bulletin that were issued following the death of a flower production technician at an indoor cannabis cultivation and processing facility. The agent fatality was considered the first in the U.S. to occur as the result of occupational asthma due to cannabis dust exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The previous DPH report also included recommendations for marijuana cannabis processors, including training all employees about how to work safely around hazardous materials, developing comprehensive health and safety programs, and monitoring employees for health symptoms.
The Commission's latest announcement relative to cannabis dust follows a February bulletin that advised licensees about new safety and sanitary standards for processing the leaves and flowers of female marijuana plants in a way that is well-cured and free from seeds and stems; free of dirt, sand, debris, and other foreign matter; free of contamination by mold, rot, other fungus, pests and bacterial diseases and satisfying the sanitation requirements in 105 CMR 500.000, and if applicable, 105 CMR 590.000: State Sanitary Code Chapter X – Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Establishments; prepared and handled on food-grade stainless steel tables with no contact with Licensees' or Marijuana Establishment Agents' bare hands; and packaged in a secure area.
Today's bulletin clarifies that all licensees engaged in the processing of marijuana have a separate obligation to ensure the safety of workers, and all Marijuana Establishments and Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers in Massachusetts are required to follow Commission regulations that require written workplace safety and health standard operating procedures.
These communications are among numerous Commission workplace safety initiatives, including announced and unannounced inspections, required testing for impurities like mold and yeast, and partnering with agencies like OSHA and DPH to identify and remedy safety issues.