Cannabis company pays out $3 million as research highlights asthma risksCannabis company pays out $3 million as research highlights asthma risks

OG article by MJBizDaily Staff

November 26, 2025

 A Missouri cannabis company, Blue Arrow in St. Louis, has been ordered to pay $3 million to former consultant Mark Avent following a jury verdict holding the firm liable for his severe asthma attack and subsequent heart attack. The health crisis stemmed from a lab technician's mishandling of a vacuum, which released fine marijuana dust particles into the air, triggering Avent's respiratory distress.

This incident underscores growing occupational hazards in the cannabis sector, as highlighted by recent research in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The study reveals that workers in indoor cultivation and production facilities face elevated risks of cannabis-related asthma due to exposure to plant materials. Reports indicate at least 30 cases across four legal states, though under-reporting suggests the true figure is higher. Tragically, two workers have died from related complications: a 27-year-old at Trulieve Cannabis Corp. in Massachusetts in 2022, where ground dust caused fatal cardiac arrest, and another in California.

In the Massachusetts case, OSHA fined Trulieve $350,000 for safety violations, prompting the company to exit the state in 2023 amid an ongoing lawsuit. Fellow employees there also exhibited asthma symptoms linked to workplace exposure. Experts emphasize that these preventable incidents demand improved ventilation, protective gear, and medical screening to safeguard the expanding workforce in legal cannabis operations.