Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. 2023-0102-3434: Evaluation of Potential Exposure to Cannabis Dust at a Cannabis Processing and Retail Facility

Details

• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Personal Author:
  Echt, Hannah ; Chiu, Sophia K. ; Barger, Alexandra ; Li, Jessica F.
• Description:
  Management at a cannabis processing and retail facility requested a health hazard evaluation because of concerns about employee exposure to cannabis dust during grinding and processing activities. The request also mentioned concerns about reports of cannabis workers developing work-related asthma and allergic sensitization. During our evaluation, we observed work processes and workplace conditions, measured airborne endotoxin and particulate exposures, collected surface wipe samples for cannabinoids, conducted confidential employee interviews, and administered employee questionnaires about work practices, symptoms, and health concerns. We found that employees were exposed to particulates and endotoxins in the air and cannabinoids on workplace surfaces. Airborne particulate concentrations were highest during cannabis grinding and pre-roll production activities. Cannabinoids, including Δ9-THC and Δ9-THCA, were detected on surfaces in both production and nonproduction areas, indicating contamination spread beyond processing areas. An employee's full-shift endotoxin exposure was below the applicable occupational exposure limit; however, no occupational exposure limits exist for cannabis dust or cannabinoids. Some employees reported work-related symptoms, including scratchy throat, cough, hives, rash, and nasal irritation, which they associated with tasks that generate cannabis dust, such as grinding and dry sifting/kiefing. These symptoms are consistent with those reported in previous evaluations of cannabis industry workers. Although the frequency and severity of symptoms reported at this facility were lower than those observed in some previous cannabis industry investigations, our findings indicate opportunities to further reduce employee exposures. We recommended using wet cleaning methods or HEPA-filtered vacuums instead of dry sweeping and brushing and strengthening hand hygiene and contamination control practices. We also recommended evaluating the need for respiratory protection during dust-generating tasks, encouraging employees to report work-related symptoms and discuss workplace exposures with healthcare providers. Finally, we recommended the company should address fire hazards associated with heating alcohol used for cleaning equipment. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Cannabis
  • Dust
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Region 1
  • Cannabis
  • Dust exposure
  • Work-related asthma
  • WRA
  • Allergic reactions
  • Sensitization
  • Endotoxins
  • Grinding equipment
  • Control methods
  More +
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  10.26616/NIOSHHHE202301023434
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Boston Region OSHA ; Chicago Region OSHA ; Massachusetts ; Ohio
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  38 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071846
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2023-0102-3434, 2026 Jun; :1-37
• CAS Registry Number:
  • Cannabis (CAS RN 8063-14-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  111419 - Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover - (NAICS 2022)
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/260068/cdc_260068_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 749.02 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:31ab491609103f670bd6ee0deb2b96c3183ab0e30899179272daf0f2f3c15f2ee6731d6297d7575e4040801cbe4170ced94be336d482e3283eac1b4ee21e31e0