Cannabis Worker’s Death Triggers Closer OSHA Industry Scrutiny

The marijuana industry is on notice from OSHA to improve how workers are protected following the asthma-related death of a Boston woman whose job involved grinding and handling cannabis.

The worker at Trulieve Inc.'s Holyoke, Mass., processing factory died Jan. 7 following exposure to “occupational quantities of whole and ground cannabis,” according to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration hazard alert letter issued in June along with citations.

While OSHA’s immediate enforcement actions apply to just one facility where the woman worked, they signal the agency is taking a closer look at protecting workers at cannabis growers, processors, and retailers ...