The Emerging Spectrum of Respiratory Diseases in the U.S. Cannabis Industry

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pacheco, Karin ; Sack C ; Simpson C
• Description:
  While the cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing job markets in the United States and globally, relatively little is known about the occupational hazards that cannabis production workers face. Based on the closely related hemp industry and preliminary studies from recreational cannabis grow facilities, there is concern for significant respiratory exposures to bioaerosols containing microbial and plant allergens, chemicals such as pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and other irritant gases. Components of the cannabis plant have also recently been identified as allergenic and capable of inducing an immunoglobulin E-mediated response. Accumulating evidence indicates a spectrum of work-related respiratory diseases, particularly asthma and other allergic diseases. Disentangling causal relationships is difficult given the heterogeneity of mixed exposures, diagnostic challenges, and confounding by personal cannabis use. Despite and because of these uncertainties, better regulatory guidance and exposure controls need to be defined in order to reduce the risk of work-related disease. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cannabis Hypersensitivity Lung Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Allergens Author Keywords: Cannabis Bioaerosols Lung Irritants Occupational Exposure Occupational Lung Disease Occupational Respiratory Disease Plants Work-related Asthma WRA
• ISSN:
  1069-3424
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  405-414
• Volume:
  44
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070158
• Citation:
  Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2023 Jun; 44(3):405-414
• Contact Point Address:
  Coralynn Sack, MD, MPH, Departments of Medicine, and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Suite 303, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
• Email:
  cssack@uw.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c941eb3d2c6d89d49d4f93b69f263148052b78bee00e5581f695063f99d51e21fd3ecf356734a5530b846b09ab3f08172a1ef77d2dcebacf62cb48d83b262f68
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208433/cdc_208433_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 295.98 KB ]