Notes From the Field: Occupational Hazards Associated with Harvesting and Processing Cannabis — Washington, 2015–2016

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Personal Author:
  Victory, Kerton R. ; Couch, James R. ; Lowe, Brian D. ; Green, Brett J.
• Description:
  Although the possession, use, and sale of all forms of cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law, since 2012, multiple states have legalized the retail sale of cannabis for medical and recreational use. Previous research studies have indicated that delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, can cause acute and chronic health effects. However, health effects from long-term occupational exposures to cannabis during harvesting and processing are unknown, in part because most studies have focused primarily on nonoccupational settings. In June 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request for a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) from a representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union to evaluate potential health and safety hazards associated with harvesting and processing cannabis at an outdoor farm. In response to the request, NIOSH visited the farm in August and October 2015. The farm was located in Washington; the state had legalized cannabis for medicinal use in 1998 and recreational use in 2012. At the time of the HHE, the farm was operated by the owner and three employees... The findings of this HHE indicated that the employees have exposures to highly repetitive work, most notably during hand trimming activities, which increase workers' risk for musculoskeletal disorders. Worker exposure to aerosolized Actinobacteria and fungi such as B. cinerea, might also result from processing and hand trimming activities, which can increase the risk for allergic and respiratory symptoms, as has previously been observed in the cannabis processing industry. Delta 9-THC surface wipe concentrations indicated the potential for dermal and ingestion exposures. However, the health implications from long-term occupational exposure to delta 9-THC are unknown. Detailed information is available in the final HHE report https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2015-0111-3271.pdf. The NIOSH HHE program https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/ continues to evaluate potential hazards associated with the harvesting and processing of cannabis and will provide updated recommendations to educate employers and employees on the occupational hazards associated with the harvesting and processing of cannabis plants. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Agriculture Cannabis Farmers Hypersensitivity Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Cannabis; Farm workers; Agricultural processes; Musculoskeletal disorders; MSD; Repetitive work; Hand tools; Allergic reactions; Aerosol particles
• Source:
  MMWR 2018 Mar; 67(8):259-260
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6708a7
• ISSN:
  0149-2195
• Pubmed ID:
  29494573
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5861698
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EPRO - Emergency Preparedness and Response Office ; DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology ; HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  2 pdf pages
• Volume:
  67
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051107
• Contact Point Address:
  James Couch, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC
• Email:
  jcouch@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Cannabis (CAS RN 8063-14-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance ; Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4235bae7806fb228bc16e73d36e9c2fe066bf5d7de050238860bd91f07e73e74bfef72386c7eb4420db856b245ae166dffd532a7c492f84c05e1c7c22d100f0c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/55461/cdc_55461_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 162.52 KB ]