Cannabis Workers Face Increased Risk of Work-Related Asthma

Research Shows Cannabis Workers Develop Asthma, advising Industry to Adopt Healthier Work Conditions and Safety Measures.

Certain cannabis workers are at risk for work-related asthma (WRA) according to a US study which needs the industry to take preventative measures. Centers for Disease Control report released last year 13 million of the 170 million US people who were working the year before had asthma. An estimated 896,000 people with asthma over 6.9% have WRA.

According to Kenneth Rosenman co-author of a new study analyzing the issue the cannabis industry is one of the numerous industries where WRA poses a serious concern. According to the study workers who pick grind and package cannabis may be developing asthma at work and two fatalities from related effects have been reported.

Thirty cases of work-related asthma were identified by the study which analyzed data from Michigan California Massachusetts and Washington. Thirteen of them were workers who had never had asthma before entering field work. Although workers may be hesitant to report such issues the number of WRA cases may be far greater.

Rosenman states that a variety of chemicals and allergens may cause allergic reactions. Also the two main ones were either the plant dust or the cannabis dust itself and the disinfectants they work. The majority of instances 69% involved indoor processing or cultivation. The fatalities occurred as a result of the victim's healthcare provider failing to impose medical restrictions. In addition he added that the industry should take steps to improve the working environment such as using disinfectants that don't cause allergies and making sure the workspace has enough ventilation.

The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has published the report. Exposure to bacteria mold and other fungi due to high humidity wet conditions and poor ventilation endotoxins organic particulate matter and dust from the plants and sensitization to cannabis plant proteins that cause allergic reactions were listed by the CDC as potential workplace hazards.