Cannabis cultivators in the Pacific Northwest are adopting new work restrictions to protect employees during this summer’s record-breaking heat.
State restrictions –-which take effect for outdoor growers Tuesday in Washington and began July 8 in Oregon – were adopted after temperatures reached “catastrophic levels,” according to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
A 38-year-old Oregon farmworker collapsed and died in 115-degree heat in June while working on a crew moving irrigation lines in the Willamette Valley. The Oregon medical examiner attributed the death to excessive heat.
The new rules include expanded access to shade, cool water and breaks during periods of heat.
Outdoor growers in the region told MJBizDaily that the precautions are overdue and that responsible farmers have already made changes to account for the heat.
The emergency heat precautions in both states last 180 days.
– Kristen Nichols
