Will a Part-Time Marijuana Job Impact Federal Applications? – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

Dear Stoner: I need extra cash, and a dispensary by me is always hiring. But I’m also trying to get my commercial driver’s license and might want to buy a gun soon. Would a part-time gig at a dispensary jeopardize this?
Justin Time

Dear Justin: Working at a dispensary requires you to register with the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, but that doesn’t necessarily pin you down as a user. Still, putting your name on a cannabis-related list is shaky when dealing with the federal government. Commercial driver’s license applications are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, so cannabis use is obviously banned, but that’s more of a cat-and-mouse enforcement via drug testing.

Concealed-carry permit applications will ask if you’ve used a federally prohibited drug, but Colorado doesn’t require a concealed-carry or any other permit for adults to own a firearm — and, if a recently proposed ballot initiative succeeds in 2024, Colorado marijuana users might get the right to carry a concealed weapon, too. Don’t hold your breath, though, because they types of ballot initiatives rarely succeed.

Although you might run into a hangup or follow-up questions for having been a registered cannabis employee, it shouldn’t get in the way. The major point to consider: Some (not all, but…