Missouri Cannabis Firm Ordered to Pay $3 Million After Consultant Suffers Severe Asthma Attack and Heart Failure
A Missouri cannabis company has been ordered to pay $3 million to a former consultant who says a severe asthmatic reaction to airborne cannabis dust triggered a debilitating heart attack.
The penalty against St. Louis-based Blue Arrow comes as new research highlights growing concerns about asthma among cannabis cultivation and manufacturing employees — including two workers who have died from work-related asthma complications.
New Research Shows Cannabis Workers Face Elevated Risk of Workplace-Related Asthma
Workers in the cannabis industry face a heightened and underrecognized risk of developing asthma due to exposure to airborne plant particles, according to research published last month in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The study found at least 30 cannabis workers across four legal states who developed asthma after exposure to respiratory irritants — most commonly fine cannabis dust — in indoor cultivation and processing facilities. But researchers warn that the true number is likely higher due to widespread under-reporting.
In the most severe outcomes, workplace-related asthma has resulted in two fatalities: one in Massachusetts in 2022 and another more recently in California.
Missouri Jury Awards $3 Million After Cannabis Dust Incident Leads to Cardiac Arrest
The risks outlined in the research mirror what happened to former consultant Mark Avent. A St. Louis jury last week awarded Avent $3 million after finding Blue Arrow at fault in a 2021 incident involving a mishandled vacuum in the company’s facility.
A lab technician reportedly misused the vacuum, sending clouds of finely ground marijuana dust into the air. Avent inhaled the particles, triggering a severe asthma attack that was followed by cardiac arrest.
According to The Missouri Independent, Blue Arrow did not comment on the verdict.
Missouri Case Echoes Known Cannabis Worker Death Linked to Airborne Dust
Avent’s experience closely resembles a high-profile fatality at a Trulieve Cannabis Corp. facility in Massachusetts.
In January 2022, 27-year-old cultivation worker Lorna McMurrey reported difficulty breathing after exposure to ground cannabis material. She later collapsed on the job and went into cardiac arrest. She died shortly afterward.
An OSHA investigation identified “the hazards of ground cannabis dust” as the primary cause. Regulators fined Trulieve $350,000, and the company ultimately ceased operations in Massachusetts in 2023. A related lawsuit is still ongoing.
OSHA later found that several of McMurrey’s coworkers also showed signs of work-related asthma.
Few details are available regarding the second confirmed death in California.
Experts Say Cannabis Worker Asthma and Fatalities Are Preventable
Researchers say that asthma cases and worker deaths in the cannabis industry are largely preventable with proper workplace protections.
Michigan State University professor and study co-author Kenneth Rosenman emphasized that warning signs were present in McMurrey’s case.
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