OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) is stepping in to help small and midsize cannabis businesses in Colorado, offering free safety consultations as part of a federal program aimed at identifying workplace hazards in the legal cannabis industry.
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This new initiative is part of OSHA’s Local Emphasis Program for Cannabis Industries, which launched earlier this month. The goal? To ensure cannabis facilities comply with safety regulations and help them address any issues before they cause harm to workers.
In a letter to Colorado cannabis businesses, OSHA offered to conduct free, on-site safety and health evaluations. Employers who take up this offer will need to address any serious hazards identified during the consultation and provide proof that those hazards have been resolved.
OSHA’s push for safety comes in response to the unique risks present in the cannabis industry, such as exposure to fire, electrical hazards, volatile chemicals, heavy machinery, and even airborne irritants like dust and mold. These dangers are very real, as the Denver and Englewood OSHA offices have already conducted several inspections of cannabis facilities, discovering numerous safety violations and issuing citations. Over the last seven years, they’ve looked into 44 complaints, fatalities, and accidents within the industry, including investigations into three worker deaths.
One tragic case that highlighted the need for greater safety measures in cannabis workplaces was the death of a worker at Trulieve, a multi-state cannabis operator. The worker collapsed and died from occupational asthma, marking what OSHA officials have called the first known cannabis industry fatality of this kind in the U.S. In response, Trulieve paid OSHA a fine and agreed to study whether ground cannabis dust should be classified as a hazardous chemical.
Despite cannabis remaining illegal under federal law, OSHA's health and safety standards still apply to employers in the industry. The agency's goal is to reduce the number of workplace accidents and fatalities in cannabis growing, cultivation, processing, and product manufacturing. As part of their outreach, OSHA plans to conduct training sessions and share information with stakeholders, while their enforcement activities will include inspecting cannabis businesses and reviewing working conditions to identify potential hazards.
OSHA’s initiative follows concerns raised by labor unions and worker safety advocates, who have called on President Biden to end federal marijuana prohibition and push for a national workplace safety standard for the cannabis industry. The program will be in effect until 2029, with a progress report expected in early 2027. The agency's work aims to create safer working environments in an industry that's still relatively new and, in many ways, uncharted when it comes to occupational safety.
While navigating the complexities of federal and state law, OSHA remains committed to protecting workers in Colorado’s booming cannabis sector, making sure they have safe and healthy workplaces as the industry continues to grow.
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