It’s a new era for cannabis. As public opinion and legal restrictions around marijuana continue to change dramatically, users of the plant will have to continue to navigate the fluctuating social norms around weed and other cannabis derivatives.
Even in states where recreational marijuana is legal, smoking a joint isn’t the same as having a cup of coffee. Cannabis is extremely regulated, and things like public consumption or operating a motor vehicle while under its effects could still have legal ramifications. But where does getting high at work fit in? Can you get fired for being high at work even if weed is legal?
Can CBD Be Used At Work?
Not all cannabis products get you high. CBD, the non-intoxicating cousin to THC, is now becoming the new social norm as it is found in wellness clinics, pharmacies, and even beauty aisles. Since the 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized hemp, and therefore CBD, more and more people have been using the compound to relax, manage anxiety, or treat chronic pain.
Since its effects are non-intoxicating, users shouldn’t feel any sort of moral obligation to abstain from the compound during business hours. In fact, it may actually make workers more productive if it helps mitigate intrusive pain that can prevent employees from focusing on work tasks.
However, there is still the issue of drug screenings. While there is no formal drug test for CBD, CBD products labeled full-spectrum will still contain trace amounts of THC in order to encourage what’s called the entourage effect—a scientific theory that suggests cannabinoids and terpenes are more therapeutic when used together as opposed to separately.
If you use CBD at work and worry about a drug test, look for a product made from CBD isolate, and make sure that CBD isolate has been adequately lab tested by a third party to ensure there is no THC present.
Smoking Weed At Work
Generally speaking, taking a toke on the clock is still going to be a big no-no for most employers. Some job boards when job searching may even post that they require a drug screen for THC as a condition to land a job—even in some states where the plant is completely legal. If you work in a medical field, have to operate large machinery such as forklifts, or drive commercially, you can go ahead and forget about getting stoned on company time due to the fact that you can get heavily reprimanded if you are caught testing positive for thc during a drug test.
That being said, there is one field in particular where smoking on the job is a-ok. That’s right, the cannabis business itself!
The Industry
The legal cannabis market is a booming industry. Last year alone, there were nearly $18billion in legal cannabis sales across the United States. That’s a lot of taxable cash flow for a country that hasn’t even federally legalized the product.
More and more cannabis companies are opening their doors, and weed stocks are rising alongside other alternative assets such as cryptocurrency. The green rush is still going on, and there’s still time to enter this burgeoning industry before it becomes homogenized. But how do you start?
How To Get A Job In The Cannabis Industry
Upon purchasing their first jar of legal weed, many people walk through the rows of artisanal cannabis flowers, CBD oils, tasty edibles, and gooey concentrates and wonder how to work at a dispensary themselves.
If you want to be a budtender, it helps to have prior sales experience and a set of skill sets. Some of those skill sets are a near-encyclopedic knowledge of marijuana’s various cannabis plants, levels of thc within those plants, a friendly disposition, and some good luck. Jobs at dispensaries can be highly competitive, and they tend to have low turnover rates. After all, who wouldn’t want to work alongside weed all day.
If you have trouble finding a job at your local dispensary, there are other ways to enter the industry in entry-level positions. Cannabis farms almost always can use more trimmers around harvest season. While this work can be laborious and boring, it’s a great way to get a foot in the door and make connections in the industry. After all, it’s all about who you know.
If you have a valid driver’s license, courier positions can be a great way to land your first cannabis job. Some weed legal states make allowances for cannabis delivery services. Even in states where that’s not the case, someone has to drive the product from the farm to the dispensaries. It could be you! However, keep in mind driving a car while high could result in a DUI.
Another place a particularly brave applicant seeking cannabis employment could look into is security positions. Thanks to marijuana’s federally illegal status, banks are hesitant to conduct business with anyone working in cannabis. As a result, dispensaries and grow ops deal mostly in cash, making them targets for criminals. Most of your time as a dispensary security guard would be spent checking IDs; however, you will have to be ready for anything that may come your way.
