Amazon announced it will stop screening job candidates for marijuana use and is throwing its support behind decriminalizing the drug nationwide.
"We will no longer include marijuana in our comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation," said CEO Dave Clark in a blog post Tuesday. "We will continue to do impairment checks on the job and will test for all drugs and alcohol after any incident."
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The hiring policy change comes after a New York man sued Amazon in March for rescinding a job offer after he tested positive for cannabis use.
Going a step further, the second-largest private employer in the country is voicing its support for the federal legalization of marijuana. The federal government still labels marijuana a Schedule 1 drug like heroin and LSD.
Clark acknowledged the changing political landscape as more states move to legalize the drug. Now, the company will lobby in support of The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act), intended to remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, expunge prior criminal records, and invest in negatively impacted communities.
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The bill was introduced by congressional leaders in the House last week.
"Drug testing has never provided an accurate indication of a person’s ability to perform their job," said Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), in a statement. The non-profit called Amazon's support of the legislation an important step in repairing the harm caused by the so-called drug war.
Amazon described this change as being in line with its vision to be the best employer and safest place to work on the planet.
The company still faces challenges to a failed vote by employees attempting to unionize.
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