Indoor Air Quality in Buildings and Facilities Utilized for the Cultivation, Production and Processing of Cannabis

Note: The scope for this NOI (originally published May 29, 2018) was updated by the responsible SDO on April 27, 2021 and again on January 18, 2022.

1.1 This Standard provides minimum indoor air quality (IAQ) requirements and guidelines for a building or portions of a building utilized for cannabis cultivation, post-harvest processing as well as ancillary spaces.

Note: For the purposes of this Standard, ancillary spaces include areas that support the general operations required to run a cannabis facility.  Examples include but are not limited to: Corridors, HVAC/Mechanical Rooms and Electrical Rooms.

1.2 This Standard recognizes the issues surrounding lead paint and asbestos in the built environment. Due to differing legal restrictions and licensure requirements, these materials are beyond the scope of this standard. It is the responsibility of the building owner and/or operator to assure compliance with all regulations applicable within the jurisdiction.

1.3 This Standard does not address: fumigation and insecticidal fogging, ozone generating air cleaning devices, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) exposure from air cleaning devices, nor exposure limits for hydrofluoroalkane (HFA-134a).

1.4 This Standard does not address cannabis related biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). These BVOCs include thiols (also called volatile sulphur compounds, or VSCs) as part of their natural biological cycles. The prominent VOCs emitted by cannabis include terpenes with main constituents as isoprene, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. These terpenes are odorants with extremely low odor thresholds. At the time of this publication, the STP is not aware of any evidence that suggests health hazards are related to cannabis BVOC emissions at the typically observed concentrations.

1.5 This Standard does not include provisions for greenhouses.