With its recent legalization, many users are asking the following question: can cannabis affect work performance? While we don’t recommend using cannabis at work under any circumstance, there are many ways you can consume it after work hours without it affecting your job performance.
Picture this. You get home after a long day of work. You sit on the couch, relax, and grab a drink to help you unwind. We’ve been exposed to this scenario all our lives, to the point where it’s not only understandable, but also logical. But what happens when we switch the glass of scotch for a marijuana joint? The judgement is instantaneous. But that’s mainly because we are unfamiliar with the effects of marijuana consumption vs. alcohol consumption at the end of the day.
A recent study states that smoking weed after hours doesn’t affect work performance. In fact, there are several instances in which cannabis could even help you be more creative and focused.
“Personally, I consume cannabis post work hours twice weekly on an average. It is analogous to light drinking at the end of the day in the sense that you feel relieved and it acts as a stress buster. A drink makes you feel more energetic while cannabis tends to make me feel lethargic for an hour or so. I would usually work on creative tasks such as optimising the marketing campaign or redesigning the website to make the UI/UX experience better post consuming cannabis. My productivity with these tasks increases while I tend to procrastinate routine or monotonous tasks.“
Akram Tariq Khan, Cofounder at Your Libaas
However, timing is key. The study results “indicated that pot consumption before and during work negatively impacted an employee’s ability to complete assigned tasks and perform core duties. However, the study noted that marijuana use off the clock “was not related (positively or negatively) to any form of performance.” So just like you can’t have alcoholic drinks at work without it negatively impairing your performance, marijuana use is not recommended before or during work hours. Afterwards, though, the study shows that (just like that end-of-the-day drink) you can enjoy a dose of cannabis when you’re relaxing after work hours.
“Consuming cannabis even after work hours there is still a chance of a high following the next day. There is also a drop in energy levels due to the adrenaline during the high at the time of consumption. However, everyone is different, some may actually increase their performance levels as cannabis can help them to focus on projects they are working on.”
Dr. Giuseppe Aragona, General Practitioner & M.D. at Prescription Doctor.
Bear in mind that all of this greatly depends on each person. Everyone is different and cannabis will have unique effects on every individual. Also, there are a lot of workplaces that can legally fire employees for smoking weed after hours. If you plan on having an after work smoke, then just make sure you are legally allowed to do so before starting.
If you would like to know more about CBD and cannabis use in general, then one of our certificate programs & courses may suit your curious mind. Learn everything from cannabis horticulture, industrial hemp & CBD to even medical cannabis applications. Get more information about our courses, programs and certifications here!