Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, revealed on the Joe Rogan podcast that his 2018 weed-smoking episode had ramifications for the company.
What Happened: "I did get a lot of backlash," Musk said on Thursday's Nelk Boys "Full Send" podcast.
“I had to have random drug tests and stuff after that to prove that I’m not a drug addict."
He said he was drug tested for “everything.”
“The consequences for me and SpaceX were actually not good,” said Musk, adding that the entire company had to undergo random drug tests afterward.
Musk stated that consuming weed was still prohibited under federal law, and that because SpaceX has federal government contracts, he was subjected to drug testing.
Though the drug is legal in California, where the event occurred, Musk's single decision has reduced Tesla's worth by billions of dollars, with shares plummeting more than 9%.
Soon after, Musk had to convince investors and the general public that he wasn't "high."
Musk stated that the tests were prompted by complaints from rivals who were alarmed by his "brazen" behavior.
When he first started smoking weed, the entrepreneur had no idea he'd face such a response.
Musk's marijuana consumption on Rogan's podcast "rankled" some at NASA's highest levels, forcing the national space agency to investigate SpaceX's "culture."
I've don't think a person should be labeled a drug addict for smoking pot once in a great while. I think that after a vacation, insurance companies should allow employees a time of 30-40 days grace before random drug testing requirements are resumed.
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