Trulieve Employee Died From Inhaling Cannabis Dust, Report Says

An employee at a cannabis cultivation facility in Holyoke, Massachusetts, died in January after inhaling “ground cannabis dust”, according to an Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) inspection.

OSHA have since fined the operator of the facility, Trulieve Cannabis, $35,219.

According to CommonWealth Magazine, the worker was 27-year-old Lorna McMurrey. McMurrey’s mother, Laura Bruneau, told the publication she is considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Trulieve.

Further details

In the summary section of OSHA’s report, the employee (Lorna McMurrey) was said to be “filling pre-rolls” at 11:00 pm on January 7, 2022, when she said “she couldn’t breathe.”

“The employee could not breathe and was killed, due to the hazards of ground cannabis dust,” the summary states.

In a statement to Marijuana Business Daily, Trulieve declined to elaborate on McMurrey’s death.

“Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we are not going to provide any details as to the specifics of that day,” the company said.

“PPE (personal protection equipment) was available onsite. They (OSHA) tested the air quality throughout the facility and the samples were all well below acceptable ranges.”

“We cherish and value all of the 9,000 employees who make Trulieve a family and the safety of our team members is paramount to our core values.”

According to CommonWealth Magazine, Lorna McMurrey started working at Trulieve in May 2021 after previously working in retail and grocery orders. Her family is now considered a lawsuit against Trulieve.

“Things have to change for the protection of the employees,” Laura Bruneau, McMurrey’s mother, told the magazine. “I don’t want to see this happen to anyone else.”  

The circumstances of McMurrey’s death were first reported publicly by cannabis activist Mike Crawford on the podcast The Young Jurks.