It seems the world revolves around tech – but does a green plant make it easier for developers?

In the high-stakes, high-concentration world of software development, focus is currency.  So is a dab for developers still a thing? A growing subset of programmers, cannabis has become an unlikely coding companion. A recent study posted to arXiv.org reveals that 18% of surveyed software developers use cannabis at least once a month to help them “get into a programming zone,” while 35% have tried it at some point while coding.

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“It’s not about getting high—it’s about getting aligned,” says Mike, a full-stack engineer at a startup in Boulder, Colorado. He microdoses THC edibles during evening coding sessions. “I find that I’m better at thinking laterally. If I’m stuck on a function, cannabis sometimes helps me approach it differently, like a soft mental rotation.”

The arXiv study suggests this is not uncommon. Developers cited reasons ranging from enhanced concentration and creativity to reduced coding anxiety. Others described a more “immersive” experience—tuning out distractions and hyper-focusing on logic puzzles and algorithmic flow.

But not all agree. “Cannabis makes me too foggy for real problem-solving,” says Janelle, a senior developer at a cybersecurity firm. “It’s a myth that weed makes you a better programmer. It might feel good, but you’re probably introducing bugs.” She’s also concerned about how normalization could muddy professional expectations in already remote-friendly tech workplaces.

Workplace policies, meanwhile, are still catching up. While cannabis is legal in many states, most companies—especially those dealing with sensitive data or government contracts—maintain strict no-use policies. Random drug testing still exists, and while off-hours use might be tolerated, developers tread a fine line.

“There’s no real protocol,” says Arun, a DevOps engineer and manager. “Is it the same as a glass of wine after work, or is it a performance risk? Legally and culturally, we’re still in limbo.”

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That limbo hasn’t stopped some communities from embracing the trend. Online forums and subreddits like r/trees and r/ProgrammerHumor regularly share weed-and-code memes and productivity tips, even jokingly referring to sessions as “THCoding.”

Ultimately, the intersection of cannabis and code reflects tech culture’s evolving views on productivity, wellness, and neurodiversity. For some developers, decoding with a dab isn’t rebellion—it’s a workflow.

As one Redditor quipped: “Sober, I fix bugs. High, I find the ones I didn’t know existed.“

New research on cannabis genetics suggests that incentives in the legal marijuana market—such as the desire for plants to mature faster and produce more cannabinoids for extraction—may be leading to a decline in biodiversity of the plant worldwide.

A graduate thesis published this month combines observations about genetic trends in cannabis with interviews with dozens of plant breeders to explain the factors behind what author Caleb Y. Chen, at California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) Humboldt, describes as “the bottlenecking of Cannabis genetics.”

The review notes that while humans have been selectively breeding the cannabis plant for thousands of years, breeders in what it refers to as the “post-prohibition” era have optimized for a handful of traits, such as a high proportion of flowers as opposed to stalks or leaves, maximum cannabinoid content, a “desirable suite” of aromatic terpenes and a reproducible chemical profile.

That hasn’t always aligned with connoisseur preferences, but it’s made economic and regulatory sense sense. Citing interviews with growers in a 2021 paper, Chen writes that “their preference for High THC content in cultivars ‘was due to state testing regulations and a misinformed consumer base, rather than grower partialities.’”

So-called genetic bottlenecking isn’t unique to cannabis, the paper acknowledges, but is a common occurrence among agricultural crops. Nevertheless, research indicates that wild cannabis varieties are effectively a thing of the past.

“Recent genetics studies of Cannabis collections continue to suggest that wild specimens of Cannabis have gone extinct and existing ‘wild’ cannabis plants are feral escapees of domesticates,” the paper says, noting that wind pollination and other factors have “eliminated wild specimens from the genepool.”

Wind pollination also threatens to “wipe out landrace populations with ‘contamination’ from pollen via modern hybrids, therefore further bottlenecking Cannabis genetic diversity on a global scale,” the research found. “This has been reported from Morocco but also in Jamaica, Mexico, Thailand…and even parts of India.”

“Even without the human aspect of added Prohibition, more so than other crops, genetic bottlenecking is a real and present problem for Cannabis,” it adds.

“In 2025,” Chen writes, “just a handful of Cannabis cultivars are grown at all levels of the Post-Prohibition landscape. Most products are produced from just a handful of Cannabis cultivars which the large part of the market now considers to be generic agricultural commodities, perfectly suitable with each other.”

“Craft Cannabis,” the thesis continues, “besides being a marketing term,” is now “a counterculture within the industry.”

“These results may be meaningful in highlighting the role of government action on declining genetic diversity in the worldwide Cannabis market—and its impacts on the medicinal potential and therapeutic index of available Cannabis products.”

The paper calls the future for cannabis genetics “an open question,” noting that modern cannabis genetic bottlenecking is still “little explored.”

Based on interviews with growers, it reports that some feel popular metrics for cannabis fail to capture everything about what’s responsible for a marijuana high.

“As an example,” writes Chen, “Dr. Grinspoon is a particular cultivar that multiple breeders felt was special and not properly studied due to its long flowering time of up to 24 weeks.”

“It’s a perfect example of a plant that like…there’s something else in there that we’re not testing for,” one grower said. “And there has to be…because it’s just so incredibly different and pungent in that different way that there must be something in there that is not being described in the lab results at this point.”

To be sure, amid an upswing in marijuana research in the post-prohibition era, researchers are still unlocking new secrets about the cannabis plant. Researchers earlier this year, for example, announced that they successfully identified a new cannabinoid—cannabielsoxa—produced by the marijuana plant as well as a number of other compounds “reported for the first time from the flowers of C. sativa.”

Other research in 2023, published by the American Chemical Society, identified “previously undiscovered cannabis compounds” that challenged conventional wisdom of what really gives cannabis varieties their unique olfactory profiles.

The new paper notes that many breeders, in contrast to “ideotype breeding, which focuses on lab-measured physiological traits,” also consume the cannabis they grow to make final decisions on what’s best. “This evaluation step is arguably unique to the Cannabis breeding process and cannot be easily mechanized or automated,” it contends.

Other factors, like the rise of commercial marketing of cannabis strains, further complicate efforts to correctly identify genetics by creating “an incentive…for cultivators to misrepresent the linguistic labels used to describe their Cannabis genetics especially at the stage after it has been cultivated and as now being sold,” the thesis says.

“In my analysis,” Chen writes, “I’ve found that one of the effects of the Post-Prohibition landscape is a link between Cannabis regulation, falling Cannabis price, and falling Cannabis genetic diversity. As the Post-Prohibition landscape develops, the risk premium drops as does Cannabis‘s market value. All else equal, this leads Cannabis cultivators to prefer plants which yield more – which provide more saleable output.”

The 142-page master’s thesis concludes with some thoughts about the future of cannabis genetics, including how policymakers might adopt regulations “that understand the need of Cannabis breeding and consider the effects of regulations on Cannabis genetic diversity.”

It also calls on academic researchers “to consider Cannabis breeder insights into beneficial changes to Cannabis regulations.”

As for other recent cannabis research, scientists reported last month that they’ve identified 33 “significant markers” in the cannabis genome that “significantly influence cannabinoid production”—a finding they say promises to drive the development of new plant varieties with specific cannabinoid profiles.

The article says the results “offer valuable guidance for Cannabis breeding programs, enabling the use of precise genetic markers to select and refine promising Cannabis varieties.”

Among the findings were what the paper called a “massive” set of genes on one plant chromosome that involved about 60 megabases (Mb) and was associated specifically with THC-dominant cannabis strains.

Authors—from Université Laval in Québec, Canada—said the research represented a shift away from years of cannabis prohibition that “have impeded the establishment of genetic resource collections and the development of advanced breeding practices, thus limiting both the genetic improvement and the understanding of Cannabis traits.”

While research into marijuana has exploded in recent years as the result of more jurisdictions legalizing the drug for medical and adult use, it’s unclear how the Trump administration’s priorities will impact that trend.

For example, under the new administration, “marijuana” is also now one of nearly two dozen “controversial or high-profile topics” that staff and researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are required to clear with higher-ups before writing about.

A recently leaked agency memo put marijuana and opioids on a list along with vaccines, COVID-19, fluoride, measles, abortion, autism, diversity and gender ideology and other issues that are believed to be personal priorities of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Trump.

NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which itself is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Prior to publishing anything on the specified topics, NCI staff are required to send the materials to an agency clearance team, the memo said..

“Depending on the nature of the information, additional review and clearance by the NCI director, deputy directors, NIH, and HHS may be required,” it advised staff. “In some cases, the material will not need further review, but the NCI Clearance Team will share it with NCI leadership, NIH, and/or HHS for their awareness.”

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Bipartisan Pennsylvania lawmakers are circulating a memo seeking support for a forthcoming bill that would revise the state’s medical cannabis law to clarify employment rules and protections for patients.

Amid heightened debates around enacting adult-use legalization in the Keystone State, Reps. Tim Twardzik (R) and Napoleon Nelson (D) sent out a cosponsorship memo to colleagues on Tuesday detailing their intent to introduce legislation they said will provide “much-needed clarity for both employers and employees regarding medical marijuana use in the workplace.”

“While medical marijuana was legalized in Pennsylvania through Act 16 in 2016, it remains illegal under federal law, creating ongoing uncertainty for employers navigating workplace policies,” they said. “Federal guidelines for managing an employee’s use of legal prescription medications do not extend to medical marijuana, leaving employers without clear direction.”

“Although Act 16 includes workplace-related provisions designed to protect employees in employment decisions, many employers continue to experience confusion in interpreting their obligations under the law,” they said, adding that their proposal will “directly address that ambiguity.”

Under the proposal, the existing medical cannabis law would be amended to define terminology to “ensure consistency in interpretation,” provide guidance for “drug testing procedures applicable to employees and job applicants,” detail which circumstances “requiring disclosure of medical marijuana use for safety-sensitive positions” and clarify the rules around medical marijuana treatment as part of unemployment and workers’ compensation.

“Importantly, this bill will not alter the existing provision in Act 16 that prohibits employers from firing, refusing to hire, or discriminating against an individual solely due to their status as a medical marijuana patient,” the memo says. “Instead, it aims to ensure fair and transparent workplace practices, benefiting both employers and employees alike.”

The text of the legislation isn’t available yet, but it expected to reflect a Senate version filed last month by Sen. Patrick Stefano (R). The senator circulated a similar cosponsorship memo in January ahead of its introduction.

The latest version is set to be introduced at a time of increased attention to broader cannabis reform in the state. The governor recently said he remains “hopeful” that lawmakers can deliver an adult-use marijuana legalization bill to his desk by a budget deadline at the end of this month—and he’s urged the GOP-controlled Senate to “put their ideas on the table” after the defeat of a House-passed cannabis reform measure in that chamber.

“We’ve had really good, honest dialogue about it,” Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who recently criticized the Senate for abruptly derailing the House marijuana legalization bill, said.

Whether Pennsylvania legislators will advance legalization this session remains to be seen following the defeat of the House bill, which called for a novel system of state-run dispensaries. But two Democratic lawmakers—Sen. Sharif Street (D) and Rep. Rick Krajewski (D)—recently said they’re aiming to reach a compromise and pass reform legislation before the budget deadline.

Also, last month Sen. Marty Flynn (D) announced his intent to file a new bill to legalize marijuana in the state, calling on colleagues to join him on the measure.

While the House legislation Krajewski sponsored alongside Rep. Dan Frankel (D) was rejected in a Senate committee following its expedited passage through the House along party lines, Street said he’s “cautiously optimistic we’re going to be able to revive the bill and amend it and move forward with a work product that allows us to get a bill on the governor’s desk and realize revenue.”

That said, Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), who has sponsored legalization legislation with Street, recently seemed to suggest that lawmakers should pump the brakes on the push to enact the policy change amid resistance to reform within his caucus and instead pass a bill to create a new regulatory body that can begin overseeing medical cannabis and hemp while preparing to eventually handle the adult-use market as well.

“I remain committed to crafting a cannabis bill that can pass the Senate and be signed into law to benefit all Pennsylvanians,” Laughlin said. “That starts with honest dialogue from everyone involved, including House leadership and the governor, to develop a realistic approach–not political theater.”

Following the Senate committee vote, lawmakers from both chambers who support legalization have been trading criticisms about each other’s roles in the stalled push to end prohibition.

Krajewski, for example, recently wrote in a Marijuana Moment op-ed that Senate Republicans who killed his House-passed cannabis legalization bill are “stuck in their prohibitionist views of the past” and are “out of touch with the will of our Commonwealth.”

Prior to that vote, Pennsylvania’s Republican attorney general said that while he doesn’t currently support the House-passed marijuana legalization bill, he’s open to changing his mind about the policy change after continuing to review the details.

For what it’s worth, a recent poll found that Pennsylvania voters say they favor a model where cannabis is sold by licensed private businesses, rather than through a system of state-run stores.

The governor has repeatedly called for adult-use marijuana legalization. However, he hasn’t endorsed the specific idea of having a state-controlled model.

Rep. Abby Major (R)—who is sponsoring another forthcoming legalization bill that envisions a traditional private sales model alongside Rep. Emily Kinkead (D)—said during the House floor debate on HB 1200 that she stands opposed to the competing bill, emphasizing that she disagrees with the state-run stores proposal.

While Democrats control the House and governor’s office, they will still need to reach a deal with the GOP-controlled Senate to effectuate change. And in addition to the conflicting perspectives among pro-legalization legislators, another potential barrier to reform is exactly that political dynamic.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R) said that while he sees a “path forward” for enacting regulations for separate gaming-related reform, “I’m not seeing consensus between the four caucuses and the governor collectively that [marijuana legalization] should be a priority.”

Regardless of which direction Pennsylvania lawmakers do—or don’t—go on marijuana legalization this session, a survey released in April shows a majority of adults in the state support the reform—and opposition to the policy change has fallen by nearly 50 percent over the last decade.

Kinkead has made the case in another recent interview that legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania will help the state mitigate public health and safety concerns associated with the illicit market, including the fact that unregulated products can be laced with fentanyl.

The lawmaker previously introduced a separate bipartisan marijuana legalization bill, alongside 15 other cosponsors, last September. It did not advance, however.

Meanwhile, Laughlin recently called for the creation of a state “legacy” fund, using tax revenue from adult-use marijuana sales and gaming to make long-term investments in the Commonwealth’s economy.

The senator argued that, beyond using any resulting tax revenue to fund day-to-day projects and public services, the state should earmark a portion of those tax dollars for a fund to “provide a sustainable source of prosperity that lasts for generations.”

Another GOP Pennsylvania senator, Sen. Gene Yaw (R), is backing the push to legalize marijuana in the commonwealth, pointing out that, historically, prohibition “has not turned out well,” noting the country’s experience with alcohol criminalization.

Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) recently said that Democrats are ready to pass a marijuana legalization bill this session, but that the party “will need Republican support” to get the job done—adding that it will be a “heavy lift.”

Polls have shown bipartisan support for legalization among voters, but the reform has consistently stalled in the legislature, owing in large part to GOP opposition. But not all Republican members are against the policy change—and one recently said she felt her party should seize the “opportunity to snatch” the issue from Democrats.

Separately in March, the Pennsylvania House approved a bill sponsored by Frankel that’s meant to strengthen safety standards and oversight of the state’s medical marijuana program as lawmakers work to advance adult-use legalization.

While Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis program was enacted nearly a decade ago, lawmakers say the measure, which now heads to the Senate, is necessary to improve testing compliance, product audits and lab inspections, among other aspects of the industry.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Democratic lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would allow farmers and other small agriculture operators to sell marijuana they cultivate to existing growers and and processors if the state moves to legalize adult-use cannabis.

Separately, an independent Pennsylvania agency is projecting more tax dollars to be generated from adult-use marijuana sales compared to what the governor’s office has estimated, although it expects significantly less overall revenue from cannabis legalization due to differing views on licensing fees.

Pennsylvania officials have also launched a new survey that invites legal marijuana businesses across the country to provide information about their operations to help the state better understand the cannabis industry as lawmakers consider enacting adult-use legalization this session.

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Also, in a video interview released in March, the governor emphasized that the state is “losing out” to others that have already enacted adult-use legalization, while maintaining a policy that’s enriched the illicit market.

“I think it’s an issue of freedom and liberty. I mean, if folks want to smoke, they should be able to do so in a safe and legal way,” he said. “We should shut down the black market—and, by the way, every state around us is doing it. Pennsylvanians are driving to those other states and paying taxes in those other states.”

The state’s agriculture secretary separately told lawmakers that he’s fully confident that his department is in a “really good” position to oversee an adult-use marijuana program if lawmakers act.

Meanwhile, in February, top Pennsylvania police and health officials told lawmakers they are prepared to implement marijuana legalization if the legislature moves forward with the reform—and that they stand ready to work together as the details of legislation to achieve it are crafted.

Amid the growing calls for marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania, a GOP state senator said prohibition has been a “disaster,” and a regulated sales model for cannabis—similar to how alcohol and tobacco are handled—could serve as an effective alternative.

A Republican Pennsylvania senator also recently defended the push to legalize and regulate marijuana, calling it “the most conservative stance” on the issue.

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