Trial opens in consultant’s $5 million injury lawsuit against St. Louis marijuana company

OG article by Rebecca Rivas

November 20, 2025

A St. Louis jury began hearing opening statements on November 18, 2025, in a lawsuit filed by California cannabis consultant Mark Avent and his wife, Lisa, seeking $5 million in damages from Blue Arrow Missouri LLC. The suit alleges that a 2022 laboratory accident at the company's facility at 5401 Bulwer Ave., where marijuana is cultivated and manufactured, caused permanent heart damage and ended Avent's career in the cannabis industry. During the incident, a lab technician mishandled a commercial vacuum used for cleaning equipment, dispersing fine marijuana dust particles into the air. Avent suffered a severe asthma attack, lost consciousness in an ambulance, and required emergency insertion of a heart stent. Four years later, he has not fully recovered, experiencing ongoing heart damage and memory loss, with annual income loss estimated at $130,000. Avent's attorney, William Meehan, described the accident as preventable and criticized the company for not taking responsibility. In contrast, John Wilbers, founder and chairman of Blue Arrow, testified that the company acknowledged the incident via an OSHA report, which noted the technician's failure to immediately shut down equipment and the requirement to close doors during processing activities. Wilbers, a personal injury attorney, stated the company is not avoiding accountability but disputed the extent of Avent's prior asthmatic condition and the causation of his medical issues and inability to work, arguing the claimed damages are unsupported. The trial centers on the preventability of the accident, liability, and the appropriate compensation amount, highlighting safety protocols in marijuana processing facilities.