The question I hear most at my job is something along the lines of, “I mean, do you really like your job?”

And, it usually comes from a woman between 60 and 80 years old who is wearing bedazzled jeans and refuses to even smell the flower we have on display.

After I was asked this several times, I took a moment to really think about my truthful answer. I work over 40 hours a week, with little to no breaks throughout my day. I deal with complaints about ridiculous things and at least once a weeks someone calls me a b*%$# for not accepting their drivers license with void punched into it. The laws change so frequently that we are rarely on the same page as our vendors.

So, in all honestly, hell yeah! I love my job. I am so lucky to be part of an industry that isn’t stagnant. I work for entrepreneurs, share conversations with chemists, and see state of the art and exploratory science every day. I would never trade what I do for a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. desk job.

Celeb Stoner

Not to mention, I have patients who bring me gluten-free vegan Christmas cookies as well as fresh duck eggs. Why? Because they are invested in me just as much as I am invested in them. I have assisted people in getting off opiates prescribed by physicians who haven’t taken a brush-up medical course–ever. Some patients have completely removed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications from their routine because of recommendations I have made.

When I tell people that I am a manager at a dispensary, they usually say something along the lines of, “Wow, you must be so high all the time,” and then try to high five me. And, to be honest, since I started working in the industry, I’ve smoked and ingested less cannabis. I now look at marijuana as medicine. And, when I don’t need it, I don’t use it.

So, the next time someone asks you how much you like your job, stop to think about why you’re really there.

For me, it’s all of you.

Emma Devine