A recent report by Bloomberg Businessweek points to a nearly epidemic drug subculture in Silicon Valley, home to the development of most all of the software and computer systems we use today.
Silicon Valley is the name for the U.S. tech center of San Jose, a city of 967,000 people that has a whopping 106 medicinal marijuana dispensaries. It has been the center for computer development for decades, and for quite some time now has been a haven for drug-induced programming as well.
Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs of choice in Silicon Valley, mainly for its benefits as a muscle relaxant and stress reliever. Also in high use are narcotics that help with sleep regulation, most notably Provigil (Modafinil) and Nuvigil, as well as amphetamines such as Ritalin and Adderall.
"People just don't care. If you do, you don't need to hide it; and if you don't, you accept that there are people around you that do," says Mark Johnson, CEO of Zite, a company owned by Time Warner.
This comes as no surprise to those working in the medical marijuana industry in San Jose, whose business derives roughly 15% of its income from tech workers. One product that seems to be especially popular among this demographic is a chocolate toffee called Veda Chews which are infused with THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
"It does not give the high or intoxicated feeling that you would typically get from a lot of medical cannabis," notes Doug Chloupek, co-founder of Veda Chews. "Those who are coding for 15 hours a day with cramping hands, that is the product that allows them to have mental clarity and still get pain relief."
Companies such as Adobe and Cisco do have policies against the use or possession of such drugs on the job, though it appears little is done to prevent it either. Neither of these companies require drug testing and seem content to turn a blind eye to drug use so long as the company's bottom line stays healthy.
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