What is ‘green lung’? Is cultivating marijuana to blame, or
something else?
In case you didn’t catch the Colorado Senate Finance Committee hearing
on April 18th regarding Publicly Traded Marijuana Companies HB19-1090, the term ‘green
lung’ was introduced by Randy Tiffey, of the United Food and Commercial
Workers Local 7, as a hazard of working in the marijuana industry caused
by improper ventilation, akin to the respiratory issues of black lung
coal miners face. The term ‘green lung’ had no prior widespread
medical use, nor is it medically defined. There is no data showing that
there are pervasive health or safety issues in the cannabis industry.
In fact, an industry veteran, Andy Williams of MedicineMan, speculated
during the hearing that the term could be made up.
In Colorado, forced unionization is not allowed. Currently, state and local
employees, teachers, and food and commercial workers, among others, are
unionized industries in Colorado. While unions may provide valuable benefits
in these industries, the cannabis industry drastically differs from them.
The cannabis industry is heavily regulated and the testing programs are
unlike the public safety regulations for any commodity in the world. Cannabis
businesses are already taking proactive steps to ensure that their employees
are protected, such as voluntary OSHA inspections as well as Good Manufacturing
Practice certifications.
In a study published in 2017 by Colorado State University and the Center
for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health, titled
Work and Well-Being in the Colorado Cannabis Industry, “cannabis industry workers generally felt like their businesses
have strong safety policies, procedures and practices; and felt strongly
that management values their safety.” Additionally, the study found
that roughly 75% of the workers in the industry had some type of health
insurance or coverage. With regards to the respiratory issues raised by
the union, the report found that roughly 18% of workers reported that
they had coughed on most days. However, this data is qualified by the
fact that all but 1 of those workers admitted to smoking cigarettes or
cannabis daily.
The union is using the term ‘green lung’ to scare and intimidate
the public and politicians into adding their desired amendments to the
bill. In 2016, there was an effort in Colorado at a facility in Pueblo
to unionize the workers; one of the workers contacted UFCW Local 7 for
help in this effort. The effort failed and the employee faulted the union
organizers who’d promised to help him.
The importance of the Publicly Traded Marijuana Companies bill (House Bill
10-90) cannot be understated and is demonstrated by the Marijuana Enforcement
Division’s support of the bill. The bill allows for additional capital
investment, provides for more marijuana research to further ensure public
safety, and will allow employees to receive better benefits such as stock
option plans; all without the additional burden of unions. Jim Burack,
Director of the Marijuana Enforcement Division, testified in support of
the bill based on the fact that the bill will lead to more transparency
and public safety in the industry.