The death of a young woman in Massachusetts is being tied to her job at a state-licensed marijuana facility in the wake of a federal investigation, according to a report by OSHA.
According to federal and city records obtained by the NBC10 Investigators, 27-year-old Lorna McMurrey went into cardiac arrest at Trulieve’s cultivation facility in Holyoke on Jan. 4. She died at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield days later.
Lorna’s mother, Laura Bruneau, told the NBC10 Investigators she believes her daughter’s death is related to her job at Trulieve. Her stepfather, David, said Lorna had been coughing constantly in the weeks leading up to her death. We spoke with her family. No lawsuit has been filed at this point.
OSHA launched an investigation in the wake of McMurrey’s death. In their report, federal investigators found she died from occupational asthma due to exposure to ground cannabis. The report also says an inspection at the facility on Jan. 11 revealed that employees in “Flower Production,” where Lorna worked according to her family, were exposed to “occupational quantities of whole and ground cannabis,” and were not provided effective information and training on the hazards involved in the cannabis production and grinding process. Read more here.
Recreational Marijuana Legalization is on the Ballot in Several States
Marijuana legalization is on the ballot in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota next week, a reflection of the growing momentum nationwide to lift penalties once associated with the drug.
If approved, the states would join the 19 (along with Washington, DC) where recreational use is currently legal. Thirty-seven states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of marijuana products, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Medical marijuana is currently legal in each of the five states that will vote on recreational use this month. Read more here.
Cannabis Overtakes Cranberries as Top Crop in Massachusetts
For the third consecutive year, Governor Charlie Baker had declared October “Cranberry Month” as a way to celebrate and support the commonwealth’s growers. But it’s November now; and according to newly released research there’s a new top crop to talk about.
According to the state’s Agricultural Overview, the fruit brought in $66 million last year. But that’s just a berry in the bog – compared to marijuana. The Leafly Harvest Report puts Massachusetts’ adult-use cannabis crop valued around $362 million. Read more here.
