retail sales associate

associate

technician

production technician

pharmacist

Curaleaf

Typical day as a dispensary agent would vary depending on station. 

Working the register was a simple, but very cutthroat environment. Coworkers felt as if they were working against you thanks to the "friendly competition" standards set by management via "we will give you a free sample if you score highest in sales or donations" tactics. This would encourage some employees to manipulate customers into things like donating more than intended. One cashier would ask the customer if they wanted to round up and they would round them up in $5 increments - they bragged about it, "well, I wasn't specific about the round up value so I'm technically not lying!!!" and management did nothing to protect the customers from this. Customers were rightfully difficult to work with as the prices there were much more expensive than nearby dispensaries.

Working the lobby to assist customers on selection was ok except for the fact that our education was very minimal and we were never given time at work to take our online classes (which meant working from home, unpaid, if you wanted to actually be helpful.) Attempting to educate clientele was impossible due to the oversimplification of their product database not providing information on things like terpenes and other cannibinoid's values. Medical patients got to cut the line, which is fine and fair, but ultimately frustrated other customers who had been waiting a while if it was a busy day, so you'd have to work around that. No communication on if a medical patient was coming up in line from most receptionists and when you'd ask customers if they were medical so you can let them in the dispensing area next, they'd get frustrated at you for not knowing automatically. Location had a very tiny lobby and made it difficult to separate the recreational users and medical patients waiting to head to the service area.

Working reception meant doing literally nothing until clients wanted to come in. Simple ID checks and other small clerical duties such as providing information was performed here. This was when you were expected to do your online classes, however, you'd be getting interrupted near constantly so retaining information and actually getting through courses was hard to do here. 

My favorite station to work was back of house packing orders. This section is pretty self explanatory on duties, but in this area you were free to work at your own (resonable) pace.

Lunch breaks were half hour, unpaid, which is usual in my state and you'd get two 10 minute breaks which is below standard in my state as most of my previous customer service jobs were two 15's. 

Management doesn't recognize your work unless you are in the top % of sales so that means to be recognized you have to be stationed at the register. Duties were mostly rotated but certain people got more time at the register than others. I would regularly help out other stations when my station was slow or if I was an extra, I was the only one who did this other than management... teamwork is not a virtue here despite it being at the customer's benefit.

Management played favorites and it didn't seem to depend on work ethic. At the end of my time here, hours were cut so severely that I would sometimes be scheduled for 1 day a week. Don't expect to make a living wage here unless you're full time. I was eventually laid off during a mass culling. Don't expect a future here, they see their employees, even the good ones, as disposable. 

Curaleaf has been my favorite place to work as far as the co-workers go.  You're in the trenches providing customer service, medical help, learning about different products, trying some of them.  This location is union.  There are good and bad aspects of that, which I won't review here.  Some days are fast-paced and busy.  Other days it's slow as snails.  Slow days you can clean, learn about new brands and products through SeedTalent, and twiddle your thumbs waiting for customers.  The management here has mixed reviews when it comes to listening to the employees.  You get $17+tips here..  It's a decent check for a cashier/greeter/CSR type of job.  You have the opportunity to move up to become a lead, later an asst. store manager, maybe later become a SM at your own place.  The path is available, but long and poorly paid.  If you like working with chill folks, trying the latest strains, and having good co-workers, this is a great place.  If you're looking for big bucks, profit-sharing, bonuses...not so great. Oh-and for those looking to become budtenders, you don't need a cannabis degree or anything to get in the door.  They'll train you on brands, strains, and everything else you want training on.  It's a decent job-with super cool co-workers that know their stuff, and are always willing to help you learn.  Hardest part of the job is that it's still retail at the end of the day with retail hours and a corporate upper-management that kills a bit of the fun every now and then.  They fought the union getting in for years, and since this location voted in favor of the union there have def. been some negative aspects-no more samples as contest bonuses, less of a grace period for being late to work.  4/20 still isn't paid as a holiday here.  The upside of the union has been actually getting well-deserved raises and backpay they weren't interested in ever providing, and representation.  The employee discount here is 30% off cannabis.    Occasionally, you get 50% off-usually vertical items.  Overall, I'd give the co-workers an A- here.  The environment a B+.  Management gets a B-.  The path to fast cash and easy living a definite F.  You'll want a sales gig if you're looking  for good money.  This job is excellent for cannabis users that are knowledgeable, customer-service oriented, driven to deliver fast, friendly-and especially accurate service to a lot of elderly people, as well as regular stoners, medical patients with cancer, epilepsy, emotional or physical pain, etc.  Most customers are friendly and happy to get their cannabis, but there are some nasty ones out there that will never be pleased, and this is a business of no refunds/no returns, so it's important that customers get the right product the 1st time around.  There are also a lot of rules and regulations in this business, and it's important to be on top of them and start learning them right away.  You can't over-serve people.  You have to be ever-vigilant about IDs-age, state of origin, exp. date, etc.  It's a lot for mediocre pay, but it's a great starter job for the cannabis industry.  And it's refreshing to have cool co-workers you want to hang out with instead of backstabbers and uptight corporate ladder climbers.  If cannabis is your friend, you're smart, personable, and you'd like a discount, a ticket inside a vertically-integrated corp. cannabis environment, and a chance to help people with cannabis, I'd encourage you to apply at Curaleaf.

I've had the opportunity to grow within my role as a quality control technician and overall, my experience has been both rewarding and eye-opening. A typical day for me centers on ensuring that both our team and our products are safe and held to the highest industry standards. This includes carefully reviewing and recording data from our manufacturing batch records, maintaining compliance and using my 10 years of cannabis industry experience to assist in upholding product quality and consistency. 
One of the most valuable things I've learned is just how much effort goes into safety and quality behind the scenes. I've gained a deeper appreciation for the additional steps the company takes such as environmental testing to ensure products are not contaminated or compromised. During my time in the labeling department, I also had the opportunity to contribute to process improvements by helping develop a program that pulls information directly from our COAs. This significantly streamlined label printing and improved overall accuracy, which was a very rewarding accomplishment. 
Management has been a positive turning point for me. I truly appreciate my current supervisor and feel grateful to be part of their team, especially after experiencing high turnover in my pervious roles. Having consistent and supportive leadership has made a noticeable difference in my day-to-day work and overall job satisfaction. 
The workplace culture is another highlight. As a member of the culture committee, I've been able to collaborate with others to help plan events, suggests improvements and contribute to a more inclusive environment. It's empowering to have a voice and to see employee feedback taken into consideration. 
That said one of the more challenging aspects of working in a large company is that recognition and advancement can sometimes feel difficult to achieve. In some cases, it can seem like favoritism plays a role in promotions rather than qualifications. Personally, it took over three years of hard work and persistence for me to reach my current position; that I am very happy in. The job is also very fast paced and constantly evolving, which can be demanding. 
However, that same fast paced every changing environment is also what I find most enjoyable. I thrive on challenges and appreciate the opportunity to continuously learn and grow. With my strong background in cannabis production, I feel confident in the value I bring and look forward to continuing to develop within the company. 
Overall, while there are some areas that could improve my experience has been extremely positive. I'm proud of the work that I do, grateful for the opportunities I've been given, and excited for what's ahead. 

The location I worked has gone through 3 different CEO's and waiting on #4 to show up. This location has a high turnover rate. Lots of people just flat out leaving because of the conditions. All the managers watch their people through cameras rather than being out on the floor with you either learning or training their people. Which in most cases they're clueless because not many people have a background in Medical Marijuana. Unless you were flown in from a location where Medical Marijuana is legal and you've been with it from the time it was legalized then you don't know whats going on. The only people who have a good idea are the people that have been at this location since it opened. Everyone else is seeing it for the first time. With so much turnover though you lose those people that know.  MOST of the managers don't care to learn the in and outs and processes of what goes on in these processing facilities. Very little do make the effort. It's just about the numbers. Calling shots from desks in other buildings in completely other locations and supervising through the cameras. I would go weeks without seeing my boss. Months without speaking to them.  No training or passing of knowledge was ever done except amongst your coworkers just so you could get through the day. Once a blue moon a high ranking corporate person would show up and criticize how bad our processes are and report back to their corporate buddies talking in a sarcastic manner as to how we had been doing it wrong all this time. But where were they all this time? Why isn't anyone trained from the beginning to do it right from the beginning? Things just aren't run correctly there and the employees are the ones that suffer.   A feeling that was shared throughout this location was anxiety on a daily basis. You go home it's gone. You come into work and there it was again. Not healthy at all. Thats where you know something must be wrong. It's about the money and not about the people at Curaleaf. Reduction in force is happening as we speak to save costs. They expanded so fast opening over 22 facilities and needed more people as they went all just to start firing them because they're running out of product and they now want to save on costs. Is that the employees fault or up above?

Pay is decent depending who you know or what degrees you have. They love degrees here. Medical is offered but expensive if you don't make much. 12+hour days, 30 minute lunches, Two 15 minute breaks

There is a persistent and widespread lack of communication — both within teams and across departments. Minor issues are frequently treated with extreme urgency while genuinely important matters are ignored or deprioritized. Major changes are announced to IT staff only weeks before implementation, with little to no advance planning or input from the people most affected.

I took on the responsibilities of an additional role for nearly a year with no title change or compensation adjustment. When raise time came, I received less than 1.5%. Annual raises have consistently been around 2%, framed as company-wide policy — yet the company has spent significantly on a new corporate office and brought in outside IT consulting firms. Mileage reimbursement was also cut from $0.70 to $0.50 per mile, well below the current IRS rate of $0.725. A cell phone stipend was reduced as well, meaning that combined with the minimal raise, total compensation barely moved year over year.

Performance reviews are structured so that "exceeds expectations" ratings are effectively off the table regardless of actual performance — a policy that kills motivation. New systems have been rolled out without proper planning or staff involvement. In one instance, a major project was expected to be completed over a weekend with almost no prior notice and minimal involvement from the team that would actually be doing the work — and then wasn't actually implemented for another two months.

Time tracking was implemented despite our region being the highest-performing field team by a significant margin. Our team is held to strict standards that don't appear to apply equally to other IT-based teams. Key employees have been let go or have left, and entire teams have been terminated without warning. There are no real opportunities to learn new skills or grow within the role, leading to significant stagnation.

The incentive program — a prize for the most positive customer surveys — is underwhelming given that survey volume is largely outside our control, and gift cards must be purchased out of pocket and later reimbursed.

Most recently, our entire department was announced as being sold off to another company. Following the announcement, no questions were answered, and staff were told to wait over a week for any additional information.

My experience working at Curaleaf has been challenging and, at times, disheartening. While the company operates in a growing and important industry, there are significant concerns around leadership, communication, and overall employee support.

Leadership at the store level and above often lacks clarity and consistency. Training and onboarding felt rushed and lacked transparency, leaving employees to figure out expectations on their own rather than being set up for success from the beginning. There is also little guidance on how to maximize compensation, which creates confusion and frustration for those trying to grow within the company.

From an ethical standpoint, there appears to be a gap between the company’s messaging and its day to day practices. Inclusivity does not always feel genuine, and accommodations for individuals with disabilities are not consistently handled with the care and attention they deserve. This can make employees feel undervalued and unsupported.

The overall culture leans heavily toward retail metrics without a balanced or holistic approach to people. Employees are often spoken to in a way that feels dismissive rather than empowering, while customers are sometimes treated more like transactions than individuals seeking care and guidance. Empathy, both for employees and patients, seems to be lacking.

Upper management, particularly at the district level, does not always appear fully connected to the realities of daily store operations. This disconnect can lead to expectations that are difficult to meet and decisions that do not reflect what is actually happening on the ground.

Turnover is noticeably high, which contributes to an unstable work environment and ongoing staffing challenges. Many employees, myself included, find themselves exploring other opportunities due to these conditions.

I am continuing in this role for the time being, but I am actively seeking a more supportive and balanced work environment where leadership, communication, and employee well being are treated as priorities.

Pros:

A typical day is a healthy mix of cross-functional meetings and focused independent work time. I feel there’s a strong balance most days between collaboration and execution, which makes the work both productive and engaging.

I started my career in cannabis with Curaleaf, and it has grown far more than just top-tier cannabis—it has grown me. Over the years, I’ve gained deep knowledge across operations, sales, marketing, commercialization, and purchasing throughout the eastern network. There is no shortage of learning opportunities here if you are curious, motivated, and committed to the culture.

Management has been one of the strongest parts of my experience. I’ve been fortunate to work with supportive, kind, and highly knowledgeable leaders who have consistently pushed me to grow beyond what I thought was possible in this field.

The workplace culture, like any large and fast-growing company, can be stressful during periods of change—but even during those times, I’ve felt genuinely supported and not left to navigate challenges alone.
Cons:

The hardest part of the job is the constant shifts and pivots that come with rapid growth. That said, this environment has also taught me how to adapt quickly and thrive in a fast-moving industry.
Overall:

The most enjoyable part of the job is everything—the people, the plant, the culture, and the growth. I truly love it all.

I began my journey at Curaleaf as an administrative assistant at an operations site and, over five years, have been promoted four times into my current role in product management. During that same time, I also grew my family and welcomed two babies. Curaleaf has supported me as a woman and a mother in ways I am deeply grateful for—encouraging maternity leave, prioritizing health, and reminding me to take care of myself when needed. I feel incredibly blessed to work for a company that supports both professional and personal growth so fully.
 

Curaleaf's dispensary management's ideal employee is someone who is young and inexperienced so they'll do what they're told with little to no explanation or guidance, fall in line with no push-back when met with injustices, and be eager to do extra work for no additional pay to "prove they're capable of more responsibilities." Management is by far the worst part of Curaleaf because it is a revolving door of incompetencies. Most do not have a cannabis background at all and lack any effective leadership abilities, leaving the staff susceptible to each new manager's interpretation of the handbook. With every new manager comes new rules, new guidelines, new infractions, and an even more tense atmosphere. Leaning on your peers for support isn't even allowed - venting while on the job is considered a violation of the code of conduct because it's seen as "bringing down and creating a burden on the team." Management has even taken multiple measures to cause a divide in the team (any leadership from mingling with standard employees.) They're more concerned with the team banding together and addressing the toxic culture driven by upper management than other, more pressing issues like correcting cash mishandling or product discrepancy issues. There is absolutely no importance placed on onboarding or retaining real cannabis knowledge, as the main goal that management drives home is to upsell in-house cultivators and promotions and complete monotonous, menial tasks. That being said, there is no true knowledge gained from this experience and absolutely zero growth offered regardless of what management may say otherwise. If you're in it for the discount and samples alone, I'll tell you now that it is absolutely not worth your mental health or dignity. Being overlooked and under appreciated day in and day out by underqualified nobodies ain't it. 

Do not work for this company. 

They will tell you it’s “Curaleaf one,” and that they’re “here to support you,” but the revolving door of employees say otherwise. 

The managers play favourites, and upper management has sometimes been up to an hour late showing up for work, but has written employees up for being less than ten minutes late, sometimes even less than seven. 

They promote their favourites with little to no qualifications, over employees that do have those qualifications. And their favourites are just allowed to get away with forgetting to close out registers, incorrectly moving product to and from the sales floor, and even forgetting to lock the dispensary when closing for the night, with little to no repercussions. 

This same company gaslit me when I used my sick time when I was sick, and that if I “run out of sick time” I could be let go for calling out sick. I worked in a medical dispensary. We have patients with cancer, and other immunocompromising illnesses and diseases, and basically told me my options were “get fired” or “potentially kill someone.”

Upper management does nothing to boost team morale, and actively tries to dismantle any of it to make “good little worker bees.” If coworkers are talking and laughing during downtime, even after they have taken care of any other responsibility, management will break it up for each employee to do a “project” to keep them away from each other. 

There’s so much other shadier stuff behind the scenes, like the managers knowingly being out of compliance with local laws, and doing nothing to change it, it’s not even worth it to list everything here. 

Don’t work for Curaleaf. It chews people up and destroys their souls. You are worth so much more than what they make you feel like. 

The people who worked here when I was hired were generally amazing. In the 7 months I've been here however, I've witnessed the negative impact following the company's acquisition by Curaleaf. 

Tips were disallowed, and no pay increases have replaced them. Turnover is high, and we are chronically understaffed, because the pay is below industry standards and the workplace environment is stressful and challenging much of the time as a result. Our business and sales are steadily increasing in spite of this, so the workload each employee is expected to carry has become significantly greater, while pay has decreased, due to the lost tips. Before he took a better paying job and fled, the store manager was frequently known to dismiss any concerns with "Better get used to it, it's just gonna get busier," instead of offering any meaningful assistance. 

A portion of the employees and leadership are still good people doing their best, but corporate does not provide adequate support. Our tablets and computers are old and don't function well, and the software we use is full of problems and lacks streamlining, so every transaction is an exercise in tolerating frustration, with more than half of all transactions requiring leadership involvement because of sales and a point-of-sale system that is poorly integrated and not well-understood by most of the staff. 

Some of these issues are being addressed, but the progress is quite slow. If you apply here, know it will not likely be a solid place to work as a regular employee, and is barely better as a lead. Management may be a sustainable position here, but the other roles are largely untenable. 

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