If you’re thinking about switching things up and pursuing a career in the cannabis industry, it’s important to know what you’re getting into. Working in a weed dispensary has many perks and can be a perfect fit for a specific type of person, but it isn’t always what it’s hyped up to be. Most of the articles you’ll find online love to talk about how smoking is a part of the job and that you get to talk about the things you love all day— and while that’s true, there’s still a lot to consider before you take the plunge.
Working in a weed dispensary comes with a couple of hidden costs on your physical and mental health, along with a lot of unique challenges you should be aware of before you quit your day job. Speaking from personal and second-hand experience, here’s a glimpse into the day-to-day antics involved when you work at a dispensary.
Table of Contents
- Dispensaries Have a Lot of Working Parts
- The Honeymoon Phase Ends Pretty Quickly
- Half-Baked Coworkers Can Complicate The Narrative
- Management Can Make or Break Your Working Environment
- Dispensaries Are Often Targeted for Robberies and Theft
- The Hidden Costs of Working in a Weed Dispensary
- Conclusion
Dispensaries Have a Lot of Working Parts
Before we jump into what the day-to-day is like at a dispensary, it’s essential to look at some of the unique challenges dispensaries face and some of the different roles you might end up in at a dispensary.
A Few Dispensary Jobs
First and foremost, there are a couple of different jobs. The front of the house usually includes budtenders and managers, while the back of the house includes growers, trimmers, lab technicians, and grammers if the dispensary is vertically integrated rather than just a reseller.
Managers are usually responsible for both the front and back of the house, but in the case of larger operations, there may be separate managers for each department. Their job involves keeping everything on track and compliant, wherever they may be.
Budtenders are responsible for customer service, cash handling, keeping the dispensary clean, accepting and organising new inventory, and keeping the POS and compliance management software up to date.
Growers work directly with the plants and don’t interact with customers. They focus mostly on monitoring the plants in accordance with compliance measures but also look out for pests and mould. Their job is to keep the dispensary stocked with fresh flower at all times.
Trimmers: When plants are grown, they get passed to trimmers, who sit for 8 hours a day making sure the flower can be dried and trimmed correctly and get them ready for sale. Many trimmers are also responsible for packaging flower under compliance regulations.
Lab Technicians and Grammers: On the other hand, some plants may be sent straight to the lab to be made into concentrates by the lab technicians. Grammers, like trimmers, will take the finished product from the lab techs and get it packaged into compliant containers for sale.
Before they can hit the shelves, the products must be tested in a third-party lab to ensure they’re safe and compliant. Only when the certificate of analysis comes back clean can the products actually be sold by the budtenders in front of the house.
How Dispensary Jobs Intersect
It’s simple on paper. But when you think about it, there are a lot of cooks in the proverbial kitchen. Since each step in this process is interconnected, any errors, no matter how small, can have a ripple effect throughout the entire operation. And it can often be a nightmare to work through.
For example, if a grower fails to identify a pest issue, it can lead to contaminated products that the trimmers, lab techs, and packagers must handle. Similarly, if a lab tech makes a mistake in testing, non-compliant products can reach the sales floor, potentially leading to legal issues and customer complaints.
Sometimes, it becomes sort of a blame game. If so-and-so in the trimming department had noticed this, we wouldn’t be selling weed that’s mostly fan leaf. If so-and-so in the grow had noticed this crop was mouldy, we wouldn’t have had to destroy the entire batch.
Managers, growers, budtenders, and lab techs often squabble among themselves and with other departments. For that reason, it can sometimes feel like a really toxic working environment. The intersection of various roles means that mistakes can have far-reaching consequences, making attention to detail and adherence to compliance standards paramount.
The Looming Threat of Compliance Issues
Compliance is always in the back of your mind when working in a dispensary. Any deviation from the regulations can result in hefty fines, product recalls, or even the shutdown of the dispensary—meaning everyone in it has to pursue different careers. Therefore, every single person in the building must adhere to strict protocols to ensure the product’s safety and legality.
Mistakes at any step can be incredibly frustrating for the next group in the process. For instance, if trimmers receive poorly grown or pest-ridden plants, their job becomes more difficult, and the final product’s quality may suffer. In extreme cases, it may have to be destroyed. That boils down to the dispensary losing money, being unable to make payroll, or having industry regulators keeping a closer eye on the business. Any slip-up could mean the end of the line for everyone involved.
However, not everything can fall on raw products in terms of compliance. For example, if packagers receive improperly tested or mislabeled products, they’re looking at a lot of delays and compliance headaches. Everything needs to be labelled, packaged, and sold by the book in the cannabis industry, so even if you’re a front-of-the-house worker, you have to be on high alert for product tags and be careful not to overserve customers.
The Importance of Coordination
Given the interconnected nature of these roles, effective communication and coordination are essential. Regular team meetings, clear protocols, and thorough training can help mitigate the risks of mistakes and ensure a smoother operation.
All of these working parts can sometimes be a real hassle. A workplace is only as strong as its weakest link, so it helps to go in with your eyes open and acknowledge the complexities and challenges that come with the job.
The Honeymoon Phase Ends Pretty Quickly
Working in a dispensary is a dream job at first. You’re surrounded by cannabis, helping customers find the right products and maybe even getting some perks, like free stuff and discounted products. At the dispensary I worked at, we were allowed to purchase cannabis at cost plus tax, so I could buy a top-shelf half-ounce of weed sold to customers for 200 USD for about 80 USD out of my pocket.
You might also really like how laid back everyone seems and how easy it is for you to chat with your coworkers. You may even make a few friends since you already have common ground with all of them—namely, enjoying weed and some of the other things that go along with it, like food, movies, or video games.
It’s also exciting to be part of a growing industry, and there’s a certain cool factor associated with telling people you work at a weed shop. Everybody who doesn’t work at a dispensary thinks, “Man, that’s gotta be the best job ever!”
Like All Jobs, Illusions Fade
But after a while, you get comfortable. You integrate yourself into that family-like unit and start uncovering a few skeletons in the closet. Once the novelty wears off, reality sets in, and you might find yourself frustrated with the people you work with, the customers you serve, and your day-to-day tasks. You might find yourself getting into petty squabbles with your coworkers, or you might find that there are many inefficiencies in management styles that affect the chill factor of your workflow.
Working in a dispensary is like working in any other retail store. Whether you’re selling t-shirts or slinging hash, you’ll deal with long hours, demanding customers, and repetitive tasks. The excitement of being around cannabis all day quickly fades when you’re constantly on your feet, ringing up sales and handling the same questions over and over and over again. The daily grind can become monotonous and exhausting, and the everyday challenges often overshadow the job’s perceived glamour.
The initial thrill of being part of the cannabis industry gives way to the realisation that it’s still a job with all the mundane aspects that come with it. The perception that working in a dispensary is all fun and games is far from the truth. Instead, it requires dedication, patience, and a strong work ethic to manage the responsibilities and expectations that come with the role. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t exactly have that, which brings us to our next point.
Half-Baked Coworkers Can Complicate The Narrative
Your coworkers can make or break your entire cannabis industry experience. Sometimes, you get lucky and work with people who are passionate about their jobs and working hard in every area. Most of the time, people are there to work, earn their money, and have casual conversations with coworkers.
Other times, you might end up with that part-time worker who slacks off all the time and feels more like a prop in the building than an actual coworker. They might cause problems in a lot of different areas, taking a peaceful work environment to one filled with petty drama and an unequal division of work. The dispensary environment can sometimes feel like you’re back in high school, complete with cliques, gossip, and drama.
And frankly, as much as I love weed, I feel like weed has a lot to do with it. The relaxed attitude towards cannabis can lead to a stoner culture among employees, which isn’t always conducive to a professional workplace. While it’s great to have a laid-back atmosphere, it can also result in a lack of seriousness and responsibility.
Cliques and the High School Mentality
I’ve worked in dispensaries where there were almost always two cliques: Team A and Team B. Those cliques were counterproductive in a lot of ways, as there was a clear division between them. People would get excluded, gossip was always flying around, and some of my colleagues would immediately be on edge when realising they were scheduled at the same time as someone they deemed problematic. Team A might leave tasks they don’t want to do to Team B, even if they’re scheduled to do it themselves—and vice versa.
I’ve always referred to it as the high school mentality. I’ve worked in many different industries and done a lot of similar jobs, but something about the types of people who end up in dispensary jobs is just different. And that’s not to make blanket statements— not everything is a stereotype. But from personal experience, it seems like someone is always mad about something minor someone else said or did or didn’t do. Mistakes are often demonised, and it can honestly feel a little toxic at times.
There also tends to be a lot of coworker fraternising. People date and break up and end up switching shifts to avoid the other person. Sometimes, people will quit after dating a coworker with no notice, which can be a hassle for management and the team as a whole. But more than just romantic relationships, sometimes people who become friends at work end up becoming enemies down the line.
Again, that might not be your experience, and it shouldn’t discourage you from pursuing a career in cannabis. Some people really enjoy it. The info I’m providing here is designed to help you balance the good, the bad, and the ugly. What bothers me may not even cross your mind as bothersome, but it helps to be aware of the different perspectives out there so you can figure out where you might fit in.
Getting High on the Job is a Real Problem
To take it a step further, there’s so much access and encouragement to regularly use weed that you’re probably going to deal with some unprofessional behaviour at times. People show up to work high all the time and tend to maintain that high throughout the day. Once that honeymoon phase is over and people get comfortable with what they can get away with, it’s not uncommon for people to take their breaks to get stoned in their cars before returning to work. Some people get so disillusioned with the job that they may drink on the job. Whether it’s a cannabis-infused syrup added to sparkling water or bonafide alcohol, it seems to be a pretty regular theme.
A few years back, I worked with a dispensary that had a dab rig set up in the break room. At first, I thought that was pretty cool. The problem is that there’s a time and a place for everything; unfortunately, work isn’t the place for getting stoned. It directly correlates with mistakes, safety concerns, and major inefficiencies.
A friend of mine was given a sample of a cannabis-infused peanut butter at work one morning. They had just started their shift, and on their break, they decided to try it. Since it was a medical dispensary, the peanut butter had about 1000mg of THC in it. As they absentmindedly ate the peanut butter by the spoonful, they ended up ingesting about 500mg of THC and had to be picked up from work by their partner, as they were too incapacitated to do the job.
It didn’t cost them their job, but it definitely made work a lot harder for the other employees who needed their help. Ultimately, it might not seem like a big deal and may not even be something that would bother you. However, the point is to acknowledge that these things happen and can be detrimental to the work environment as a whole. Some people lack the “I’m at work” mentality.
Working in a dispensary is a lot of fun sometimes, but dealing with mistakes and catty conversations as a result of being allowed to get high at work is definitely problematic and can make the job feel that much harder. Another friend of mine said that working in a dispensary “turned me evil,”— so approach it with caution. If you need a laid-back environment, research and ensure you’ll fit in with potential coworkers before taking the plunge. If you can handle social stresses at work, you’ll be just fine.
Management Can Make or Break Your Working Environment
Just like coworkers, the people who run the dispensary can be the difference between showing up to work and handling business and going home and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. There are some really kickass managers out there who care deeply about their jobs. But just like employees, some can become quite disillusioned when that honeymoon phase wears off.
With pushback from the dispensary owners and other factors at play, including investors, marketing teams, and more, managers have a lot on their plates. Some can handle the heat, but others might become jaded and pessimistic. Some may spend years there doing the bare minimum. A good manager can create a positive, efficient, and supportive working environment, while a bad manager can turn a dispensary into a toxic workplace.
The Challenges of Management
Managers have a lot to keep an eye on already, and yet something new tends to show up. When stoned coworkers forget to do something important, or there’s a compliance problem in the grow, it falls on the managers to solve the problem and keep things running smoothly.
Keeping track of cannabis products is a meticulous and demanding task. Managers need to ensure that inventory is accurately recorded, stored, and rotated to comply with regulations and maintain product quality.
They also monitor everyone’s shift, so they spend a lot of time balancing the business’s needs with the employees’ availability and preferences. A well-managed schedule ensures that the dispensary is adequately staffed at all times, reducing stress and preventing burnout among employees.
In the same vein, dispensaries can be hotbeds of internal conflict, with cliques, gossip, and personal dramas often affecting the workplace. Effective managers must be skilled at conflict resolution and maintain a professional and harmonious work environment.
And that’s just the bare minimum. They’re usually also in charge of ordering products, making sure they have the supply to meet customer demands. They’re also the ones who deal with angry customers, employees, and the business owners and partners’ every whim. They have a very busy day-to-day schedule, which can sometimes be disheartening for certain people who find themselves in the role.
The Impact of Poor Management
Like in other industries, poor management can quickly turn a positive working environment into a toxic one. Inconsistent policies, lack of support, and favouritism are common issues that can demoralise employees and disrupt operations.
When rules and procedures are not consistently applied, employees are confused and frustrated. This inconsistency can lead to mistakes, non-compliance, and a general sense of instability. To take it a step further, employees need to feel supported by their managers. A lack of support can lead to increased stress and decreased productivity as employees struggle to handle issues on their own.
Favouritism among employees can create a toxic atmosphere, leading to resentment and divisions within the team. It’s important for managers to treat all employees fairly and avoid picking sides in conflicts.
In one dispensary where I worked, we had a closing shift manager who usually opened the next day and had to be at work around 9 AM. The shop was usually closed to customers around 9 PM, but we were scheduled to stay an hour or so after the doors were locked to clean, restock products, and prep for the opening shift. Normally, all of the tasks would be completed in an hour or two, allowing us to fully shut down by 10:30 or 11 PM. In some cases, though, we may have had to stay until midnight to complete our tasks.
This particular manager was always in a rush to get home at the end of the night, and they would often rush the closing process. As a result, several night shift employees didn’t hit their full 8 hours, and a lot of work went unfinished, leaving more work for the opening shift to handle on top of their own responsibilities. That last hour or so of the night shift was crucial for making sure the openers were able to open the store and start serving customers immediately without having to worry about restocking inventory, cleaning the place up, and spending part of their shift trying to juggle customers and the leftover work the closing shift was supposed to do.
Lots of mistakes stemmed from this one manager, including miscounted drawers at the end of the night, disorganised displays, lack of stock, and unpaid invoices. It was a clear example of how poor management can create chaos and dissatisfaction.
Good dispensary managers work hard, keep a level head, and care deeply about their work. They don’t pick sides or engage in employee drama. Instead, they focus on fostering smooth and efficient policies and always follow the rules. They support their employees, providing clear guidance and assistance when needed. They also ensure that the dispensary operates efficiently and compliantly, creating a positive environment for both staff and customers.
On the other hand, bad managers often lack the necessary skills and dedication. They may be inconsistent, unsupportive, and engage in favouritism, leading to a toxic work environment. Their inability to effectively manage the dispensary can result in frequent mistakes, compliance issues, and high employee turnover.
Like all jobs, the management in a dispensary plays a pivotal role in shaping the work environment. Good management can lead to a well-functioning, positive, and compliant dispensary, while poor management can create a toxic and chaotic workplace. By recognising the signs of good and bad management, potential employees can better assess whether a particular dispensary fits them.
Dispensaries Are Often Targeted for Robberies and Theft
People stuff aside, working with weed can sometimes be downright scary. The cannabis industry is still largely cash-only, making dispensaries prime targets for theft and robbery. Dispensaries sometimes have tens of thousands of dollars in cash sitting in a safe, in the registers, and in cash bags set aside for invoices that need to be paid.
Unfortunately, due to some of the legal facets around the world, many dispensaries can’t use traditional banking services. This forces them to handle large amounts of cash, making them attractive targets for criminals.
According to reports, cannabis dispensaries are significantly more likely to be robbed than other retail businesses. The National Cannabis Industry Association found that dispensaries in some states are over four times more likely to be targeted by robbers compared to other types of businesses.
I worked with a client who dealt with a pretty bad robbery after hours. Someone drove their car into the front of the dispensary, which destroyed many of the safety measures the store already had in place. The thieves ran off with a ton of cash, which hurt the dispensary badly.
Not only did they have to get their storefront fixed as soon as possible, but the amount of stolen cash prevented the business from making payroll, which caused several employees to stop coming to work. The company suffered for a while but did recover in the end.
Not Just Cash
A different company I worked with experienced a heist. The company had a greenhouse with several hundred live plants inside, and someone with insider knowledge knew when the plants would be ripe for the taking. They knew how to get in, what security measures were in place, and how to get around them. They stole a large portion of the crop as well as a few pounds of dried weed.
Which brings us to the next point. While external theft is a significant concern, internal theft can be just as damaging. The easy access to cannabis products and cash can tempt even the most trustworthy employees to make poor decisions, especially when faced with personal financial difficulties.
And internal theft happens a lot more often and a lot more casually than you might think. Sometimes it’s a simple case of mismanagement— ie, not closing the drawers at shift changes, which would help managers identify which drawer was short. Without this little precaution, theft isn’t something that can be pinpointed, so nobody can be held responsible.
Further, employees and managers often have direct access to cannabis products, which can lead to situations where products aren’t just taken but profited from. When a batch fails a lab test, it’s supposed to be destroyed. In some cases, employees may mark the batch destroyed and sell it out the back door for a profit on the black market. It violates regulations and puts the dispensary at risk of severe penalties if discovered.
The Impact of Theft
The consequences of theft, whether external or internal, can be far-reaching. Financial losses from theft can prevent a dispensary from making payroll, leading to employee dissatisfaction and turnover. Moreover, repeated incidents of theft can damage the dispensary’s reputation, making it harder to attract and retain customers and employees.
The reality of working in a dispensary includes dealing with the constant threat of theft. You might even catch a coworker turned friend in the act, which can put you in a sticky moral situation where you have to choose between a friend or your job. Understanding these risks and the steps needed to mitigate them is crucial for anyone considering a career in the cannabis industry.
The Hidden Costs of Working in a Weed Dispensary
Sure, a lot of these issues definitely vary from workplace to workplace. A lot of the time, it’s a company culture type of deal. One chain restaurant can be a tire fire, and the one a mile up the street can be a well-oiled machine. The same is true for dispensaries. But I think the biggest and most important thing to consider when you’re thinking about joining the cannabis industry is where you stand as a person.
For starters, working around cannabis all day can lead to increased personal use. A lot of the time, it’s encouraged to make you better at selling customers on your products. With accessibility and encouragement, it sometimes becomes a coping mechanism for the stress of the job. It also means spending more of your paycheck on weed than you would if you didn’t work at a dispensary.
It’s one thing to like weed, and it’s another thing entirely to be clouded by using it constantly. I’ve had coworkers who enjoyed a bong hit every now and then turn into people who can’t face a customer unless they’ve had a dab or two. They thought cannabis was making them better at work when it instead affected their performance for the worse.
Emotional and Mental Stress and Your Morality
The job can also take a significant emotional and mental toll, especially during busy times or when dealing with demanding customers and compliance issues. This stress can lead to burnout and impact overall mental health. That’s common in most jobs, but with weed, it can be a little bit more load-bearing.
Sometimes, it’s hard to leave the drama at work. In other cases, you may be the person they call in when everyone else calls out. With long shifts and irregular work schedules, it can be tough to maintain a healthy work-life balance when you’re working with weed.
Since compliance is also a constant issue in the workplace, you may face challenges that question your morality. In the case of smaller dispensaries, losing a crop to a failed lab test can be the difference between continuing operations and shutting down.
A friend was working in a failing business that knew the weed they were growing was mouldy. When the crop was pulled, they figured drying the weed would kill off the majority of the mould. The problem is that it didn’t, and they knew they would fail a lab test and have to destroy the crop, forcing the business to close its doors and putting everyone in the building out of work.
It landed on my friend to either fake the test by microwaving a nug of weed to kill off the mould and send it in as a sample for the test, knowing that the rest of the batch would then be sold to customers, or let the business fail. My friend had to outright refuse, quit, and pursue other work.
Knowing that my friend’s morals were called into question in such a legally messed-up way makes me wonder how many other people have been faced with similar situations. In the cannabis industry, there may be times when your morals (as well as your livelihood and stability) conflict with the business practices you encounter. Whether it’s dealing with unethical behaviours or facing pressures to cut corners, staying true to your principles can be challenging.
Limited Career Growth and Financial Instability
More than that is the career path. The cannabis industry is still relatively new and evolving, which can limit opportunities for career growth and advancement. If you’re starting out, dispensaries are excellent for entry-level work, but keep in mind that there are limited prospects for moving up the ladder.
Sure, you can go from trimmer or grammer to budtender or even manager, but that’s about as high as it goes without a specialised degree that would allow you to work in the lab or the grow. Those jobs are in high demand even with a degree, and openings don’t appear as often as you might think.
The wages could be better too. Cannabis is a service industry, and you’re looking at minimum wage for the most part. Managerial roles tend to be salaried but on the lower to average end of the spectrum.
To take it a step further, leaving the cannabis industry comes with its own set of challenges. I myself have experienced the social stigma associated with working in the cannabis industry. Throughout my career at various points, I’ve attempted to transition into other sectors, and while I’ve been successful in some cases, every once in a while, I can be off my A-game at work a little bit and get asked outright if I smoked in the parking lot before coming into work.
It’s subtle, and it’s more funny to me than bothersome, but it makes me wonder how many people have seen my resume covered in weed and chosen to move forward with other candidates. I’ve also faced judgement from friends and family who don’t understand or approve of my job.
Finally, the industry is subject to fluctuations in regulations, market demand, and legal issues, leading to financial instability for both dispensaries and their employees. You might be working fine one week and shutting down the other, which can be stressful to keep in the back of your mind 24/7.
Physical Strain and Work-Life Balance
In the meantime, you’ll work long hours and deal with irregular schedules, including nights, weekends, and holidays. As a non-unionised industry, workers may be subject to working conditions that put them at risk. One particular horror story comes to mind of the woman who developed asthma while processing flower and died on the job. But it can definitely take a physical toll on your body, as it usually requires long hours on your feet, lifting heavy objects, and performing labour-intensive and repetitive tasks.
Trimmers, for example, spend a lot of time sitting hunched over with a pair of shears, meticulously pruning plants for hours on end. Grammars get the luxury of a table and chairs, but it can still cause problems on the lower back when sitting for extended periods. My sciatic nerve is still iffy from my time in the dispensaries.
Pain slows you down too. That can affect your life outside of work, preventing you from doing what you want to because you need to rest your body. The demanding nature of the job can spill over into your personal life, affecting relationships and personal time. Long hours, irregular schedules, and the stress of the job can make maintaining a healthy work-life balance difficult.
Conclusion
Working in a weed dispensary can seem like a dream job, with its laid-back atmosphere, the opportunity to be around cannabis all day, and the chance to interact with like-minded people. But being aware of everything you might be getting into is vital before quitting your career to pursue the cannabis industry.
From dealing with the complexities of compliance, theft, and security concerns to managing the emotional and physical toll of the job, working in a dispensary is far from a simple or easy role. The high school mentality, internal conflicts, and the stress of handling cash and cannabis products add layers of difficulty that aren’t immediately apparent. Additionally, the increased personal cannabis use, limited career growth, social stigma, and impact on personal life can make this job particularly challenging.
And remember, every experience is different. The experiences I’ve had and those close to me have had aren’t necessarily things you will, without a doubt, face. They’re more like examples of what can go wrong. If any of these things bother you, cannabis may not be suitable for you. On the other hand, none of this could bother you at all. In which case, go for it! You could make a very fulfilling and rewarding career out of dispensary work.
If you want to get started in a dispensary, research. Speak with current dispensary employees, visit dispensaries, and get a real sense of what the job entails. Understanding both the positives and the negatives will help you make a more informed decision about whether this industry is the right fit for you.
The cannabis industry is not for everyone, but it can be a rewarding and fulfilling career for those passionate about the plant and prepared for the unique challenges it brings. Just be sure to go in with your eyes wide open and be ready for the realities of working in a weed dispensary.
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