HR Asked About Weed on a Job App Even Though It's Legal. What Now?

We've all seen our fair share of unhinged HR questions during the job hunt, but occasionally you get hit with a "vibe check" that straight-up asks about your recreational habits and leaves you staring blankly at your monitor.

The Resume Vibe Check Gone Wrong

Over on r/recruitinghell, a job seeker posted a screenshot of a job application dropping a surprisingly blunt question about marijuana usage.

The kicker? The OP lives in a state where it's 100% legal. Like, walking-into-a-store-and-buying-it legal. OP posted the screenshot with a vibe of: "What the hell type question is this? I mean fair enough but damn lol." The post instantly farmed over 2.3k upvotes because the modern job hunt is a circus, and everyone has a front-row seat.

The Reddit Hivemind Chimes In

Down in the comments, the community was totally split, offering everything from grammar trolls to harsh reality checks:

• The Syntax Checkers: Mocking the phrasing of the HR form. One user quipped, "No, I do not smoke weeds." Another replied, "I do however smoke pot." Spotting bugs in HR's English, classic dev move.
• The Satirists: Pointing out the wild double standards in corporate culture. One guy noted, "It's a blue-collar trade so only raging alcoholics are allowed." It's wild how drinking a 12-pack on a Sunday is perfectly fine, but taking a gummy to sleep means you're unemployable.
• The Harsh Reality Checkers: Dropping legal truth bombs. As one user pointed out, "It being legal in your state has no bearing on whether the company can fire you for it." State laws don't automatically override the corporate overlords' internal policies.
• The Pragmatists: Pointing to the real culprit: Money. A user explained that insurance companies still hike up premiums for marijuana users. Plus, if a workplace injury happens, workers' comp becomes a massive headache (a true PITA). It's never about morals; it's always about the bottom line.

The Coding4Food Takeaway: Play Stupid Games...

Look, as devs, we get it. Crunch time hits, servers crash at 2 AM, and you need a way to unwind. But when you're navigating the hiring pipeline, you gotta play the corporate game.

Companies don't necessarily care about your personal life; they care about liability, insurance premiums, and risk mitigation. If an application throws a trap question at you, use your brain. If the industry is known for drug tests, maybe pause the recreational activities before jumping ship. Don't let an easily avoidable HR filter crash your career server. Be smart about your tech stack and your background checks!

Source: Reddit