When contamination controls fail, workers are often the first people exposed and the first people harmed
It is difficult to overstate how massively the Massachusetts marijuana industry was overhauled by recent legislation. From the much ballyhooed sale and possession limit increase to more obscure but nevertheless consequential changes, the landscape looks much different than it did even a month ago.
One of the most noticeable tweaks is at the Cannabis Control Commission, where all four board members were shown the door. Their replacements held their first public meeting last week, and are in the process of getting caught up to speed.
That won’t be an easy task with everything that’s going on, but luckily there’s plenty of expert advice around from stakeholders who have watched the agency closely for years. The following open letter to the new commissioners is by Danny Carson Stair, founder of the Coalition for Cannabis Worker Safety. -TJM Editors
Dear Chair and Commissioners,
My name is Danny Carson Stair, and I write to you today as a cannabis worker safety advocate, industry stakeholder, and founder of the Coalition for Cannabis Worker Health and Safety.
For years, I have dedicated my time to investigating, documenting, and advocating for improved health and safety standards throughout the Massachusetts cannabis industry. During that time, workers, patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, scientists, laboratory experts, and industry participants have repeatedly brought concerns to me regarding contamination, testing integrity, workplace exposures, and the overall effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s regulatory framework.
The message I continue to hear is clear: contamination within Massachusetts cannabis products and workplaces remains one of the most significant and under-addressed public health threats facing this industry.
I write to you not as an opponent of regulated cannabis, but as someone who believes deeply in its future and in the Commission’s responsibility to protect the people who depend on it.
Recently, much of the Commission’s public discussion has focused on THC potency inflation and potency-related testing fraud. While potency manipulation deserves scrutiny, I urge the Commission to recognize that contamination—including excessive yeast and mold, microbial contamination, remediation practices, and other product safety failures—poses a far greater and more immediate risk to public health.
Unlike potency inflation, contaminated products have the potential to cause direct physical harm.
This risk is especially significant for medical cannabis patients, immunocompromised individuals, cancer patients, transplant recipients, people living with HIV/AIDS, and individuals with chronic respiratory conditions who may rely on cannabis as part of their treatment plans.
However, consumers and patients are only part of this conversation.
The Commission must recognize that workers are not separate from the public.
Workers are the public.
Every day, thousands of Massachusetts cannabis workers spend their careers cultivating, harvesting, trimming, processing, packaging, manufacturing, transporting, and selling cannabis products. These workers experience the highest levels of exposure to mold, microbial contaminants, organic dust, aerosols, and other workplace hazards associated with cannabis production.
When contamination controls fail, workers are often the first people exposed and the first people harmed.
Massachusetts has already experienced the tragic death of Lorna McMurrey. Her death brought national attention to occupational hazards within the cannabis industry and highlighted the need for stronger protections, greater oversight, and a more proactive approach to worker health and safety.
Workers are parents, veterans, caregivers, taxpayers, and members of our communities. Protecting workers from harmful exposures is not separate from protecting public health—it is public health.
I respectfully urge the Commission to prioritize the following actions:
• Establish and actively promote a dedicated public complaint hotline and reporting system for cannabis health and safety concerns.
• Develop clear investigation protocols and timelines.
• Expand and strengthen the Secret Shopper Program.
• Implement a standardized and transparent recall process.
• Fund independent scientific research.
• Conduct a comprehensive review of total yeast and mold regulations.
The public deserves a regulatory system that acts before harm occurs—not after.
Respectfully,
Danny Carson Stair
Founder
Coalition for Cannabis Worker Health and Safety
Petersham, Massachusetts
