NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 53

COVER STORY MARIJUANA INDUSTRY SAFETY we can't sign off on that. The equipment manufacturer says it's fine, then we come in and say no, it's not fine. We need consistency. We need something to point to that applies to everybody across the U.S." Manufacturer Matthew Ellis, the president and founder of ExtractionTek Solutions, agrees. Since 2012, he has POINT OF SALE Competition in the burgeoning pot industry means businesses are increasingly sold about 400 of his marijuana extracwilling to devote resources to protecting their infrastructure, employees, and products. tion machines, mostly in California, fire department has decided not to enter marijuana facilities Colorado, and Washington. But he told me he is frustrated located in the county during a fire. "My preplans are defensive with the patchwork regulations. He wants all jurisdictions because I don't know what's in there," he said. "It's all about to enact and enforce rules to ensure certified people install extreme caution." his machines, employees are properly trained, and equipConsistency of rules and enforcement remain big conment is properly maintained. Ellis offers a daylong training to cerns in extraction facilities, according to fire officials and customers on the machine, and shares documents on basic industry people. Unlike equipment used in other industries, requirements for extraction room setups, but he has no legal none of the cannabis extraction machines on the market authority to ensure his equipment is being used properly, have been extensively tested or listed by Underwriters Labowhich makes him nervous. "No matter what we do, if there is ratories or similar organizations. While the solution in many no enforcement or rules then it doesn't really matter," he said. jurisdictions has been to require third-party engineers to "But if there is an accident it's going to really matter because review and approve extractors, it's hardly a perfect system. it might cost all of us our jobs. If they shut down extraction, I For one, the codes and standards the engineers rely on to don't have a viable company anymore." conduct their assessments were written for other processes Potential new problems are emerging, too. As in craft and industries. Secondly, which codes apply hasn't been brewing or wine making, growing and extraction has beagreed on, meaning some engineers are following a different come an art form, with myriad variables that can be tweaked playbook. In other communities, rules don't exist at all and to create different products for discerning palates. There are the whole extraction process is still more or less unregulatemerging techniques to extract purer forms of THC, included. "In a lot of outlying areas in Colorado, fire departments ing high-pressure CO2 extraction, and methods of further have no idea what they're even looking at, and don't underrefining concentrate using alcohol distillation. In an effort to stand the requirements in the existing code," said Witherell, maximize space, some grows are building up, stacking plants the owner of Pressure Safety Inspectors. in racks 30 feet high. Others have begun burning sulfur Witherell is one of the first engineers to work exclusively dioxide inside grow rooms to kill mildew, which could create in the marijuana industry reviewing extraction installations a health hazard for employees and first responders. for public safety agencies. He has clients in several states, As manufacturers continue to innovate, fire officials and said there is a startling variety of rules, equipment, and struggle to keep up. "Like any industry, we need to be adapknowledge, a condition that also applies to public officials, tive," Nelson said. "If we start to think we know everything business owners, and even other engineers. It points to the and have it all under control, that's when you can end up with need for NFPA to develop a separate code on marijuana facili- a false sense of security." ties, extraction processes, and equipment, he said. NFPA 58, When I asked Lukus to reflect on the current state of the which provides the code base for much of his review process marijuana industry in Denver, he allowed himself and his dewith the extraction equipment, is insufficient. partment only a fleeting victory. "I'm comfortable with where "NFPA 58 was written with a totally different industry in we're at," he said, then paused. "But if you asked me six years mind, so it is all open for interpretation, which causes probago if I was comfortable, I might have said yes then, too. The lems," he said. "We have a couple of engineers that compete reality is that every few months there is something new." against us who interpret the code differently. Somebody does a peer review of a system, and then we go to a facility and say JESSE ROMAN is associate editor of NFPA Journal. Photograph: Kim Cook SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 NFPA JOURNAL 53

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2016