Colorado gaming employees thrown out of a job by the coronavirus pandemic are finding interim employment in the marijuana-growing industry. Both industries share the same background checks, allowing hiring of furloughed workers to be fast-tracked.
Colorado’s casinos in the three gaming towns of Cripple Creek, Central City and Black Hawk were closed March 17 by order of Governor Jared Polis. The closures were compounded by a “stay-at-home” order that put some 9,000 casino employees out of work, temporarily or for good.
Due to emergency rules adopted by the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), casino employees holding a license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Commission can use it to seek employment with cannabis dispensaries, facilities that process and manufacture cannabis products and at pot farms.
Such facilities don’t require as much close interaction as casinos do. Pot businesses haven’t closed down as a result, and in fact are considered to provide “critical” services by the state government.
MED spokeswoman Shannon Gray told the Denver Post, “Discussions about this option were prompted by suggestions from members of both the marijuana industry and gaming industry, with a focus on ensuring the Marijuana Enforcement Division is considering all viable options for businesses to maintain continuity of operations that are consistent with social distancing requirements.”
Dean Heizer, executive director of LivWell Enlightened Health, which operates dispensaries and marijuana farms in the state, told the Post: “We want to make sure the cannabis businesses continue to be healthy and keep our employees healthy, but we’re going to have turnover.”
He added, “We’re going look at casino workers aggressively because we don’t have to wait 30 days or 15 days to get them badged. They can come to work right away and start training.”
In a related development, the city government of Cripple Creek voted to waive device fees for the city’s casinos for April because of the mandatory closures. This amounts to about $300,000 for the casinos. Officials felt it was unfair to charge the casinos for devices if they can’t operate.
