Mary J and the Working Day (Post-Pandemic)
It’s midmorning, and you’re already starting to feel the day.
You punched the clock bright and early, bounding downstairs with a cup of black tea in hand; your desk is prepared for success and your affairs are in order. Life as a remote employee makes it easy enough to surround yourself with comforts – an aromatic candle burning, a favorite television show in the background, and did I mention those cozy sweats? As the clock creeps closer to your lunch break, though, you notice your inbox is overflowing with unread memos and calendar invites, and tasks are severely stunted by your inability to get a moment alone with the workload. Stress sets in and the flicker flame of the “daily calm” candle you lit mere hours ago seems to mock you. You consider it, your secret weapon and confidante, sitting there on the coffee table. Should I smoke up?
Let’s consider the pros…
The pros: no matter the flack you get from Pam in Accounting in the weekly Zoom meeting, you will remain cool and collected. Your fingers will practically dance across the keyboard writing up those reports. Lunch will be tastier, your back won’t hurt quite so badly, and it could be quitting time before you know it. The cons: one too many dabs and time could instead move so slowly you feel you’ve experienced two workdays in one, your boss could notice the sudden spacey air about you, and when the shift is finally done, you may want to crawl into bed and do little else. Weighing the two, these days you tend to opt for lighting up on the clock only when absolutely necessary.
Maybe it wasn’t always that way.
My own experience with working while under the influence of cannabis started long before the great migration to remote labor. Sneaking a few hits in my car on break to get through the day and boost my productivity gave way to a seemingly unlimited supply of opportunities to get high when I transitioned to my remote position in mid-2020. A study by American Marijuana found that 47.3% of participants reported the first time they worked from home under the influence was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, as opposed to the majority 52.7% whose first experience was during – most of those who partake during work hours started doing so after they adjusted to a remote schedule, and it’s not hard to see why. Factoring in availability, lower supervision, and flexibility in scheduling, working from home as a result of the pandemic served to increase 30.4% of regular users’ recreational drug intake. But where does that leave things in 2022, with many positions returning to the office?
U.S. News & World Report tabulates seven states have approved recreational cannabis legalization measures over the past year alone.
Another factor for considering the progression of cannabis use during work hours post-pandemic is the broadening of forms in which it is now available with recreational legalization. While classic smokers may defer to dry flower and a spoon pipe, cannabis can now be easily purchased in the form of concentrates, which are typically more discreet with less odor, edibles, which generally produce no odor, tinctures, which can be mixed into any liquid substance, and ointments or creams. So what will the future look like for tokers who return to a physical workspace? 38.4% of remote employees’ companies which operated physically pre-pandemic altered their cannabis policy during the quarantine period, imposing stricter guidelines, but only 46.4% required drug tests – 23% regularly and 23.4% occasionally or randomly. There are a number of unanswered questions, including whether these guidelines will continue to be enforced in-office, and how recreational cannabis will influence employee policy.
How Linger can fit into this picture for your business
Regardless of what the future holds, Linger is here to chart these changes and support your business or organization in reassessing and developing intuitive guidelines for responsible cannabis use. We can help you understand what legalization means for your initiatives, and how to progress in the most effective manner for your goals. Our staff is knowledgeable in the latest cannabis trends and research and advocates for a healthy work-life balance and conscious consumption. We strive to eliminate the stigma attached to cannabis consumption in the professional space while promoting education. If you’re wondering how your business or organization can adapt to the rapid changes within the cannabis industry, or want to learn more about implementing a cannabis-positive approach to deconstruct barriers and increase marketing potential, tolerance, and revenue, follow these steps:
3. Find the best practice for your business.
Blake, Dwight K. “Getting High at Work from Home - American Marijuana.” American Marijuana, https://americanmarijuana.org/high-at-work-from-home/.
Hansen, Claire, et al. Where Is Marijuana Legal? A Guide to Marijuana Legalization. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/where-is-marijuana-legal-a-guide-to-marijuana-legalization.