In the wake of OCVID-19, a new epidemic has emerged to plague corporations across the US. Mass vacancies at US manufacturers and corporations have led many of these companies to consider loosening hiring regulations to attract talent. One of the most notable efforts comes as leniency towards recreational cannabis use.
Amazon, the online retailer and fulfillment company until recently headed by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has made it known that the company will no longer test new applicants for cannabis use. The company has gone so far as to publicly support the legalization of cannabis, too. A recent blog post from the company’s spokesperson detailed, “In the past, like many employers, we’ve disqualified people from working at Amazon if they tested positive for marijuana use. However, given where state laws are moving across the U.S., we’ve changed course.”
On its change of course on cannabis, Amazon released a statement encouraging other corporations to embrace the changes sweeping the nation, asserting, “We hope that other employers will join us, and that policymakers will act swiftly to pass this law.”
The policy shift was applauded by the Drug Policy Alliance, an organization in support of the decriminalization of Cannabis, which released their own statement affirming the negative effects of cannabis prohibition in the workplace, “Drug testing has never provided an accurate indication of a person’s ability to perform their job and yet this incredibly invasive practice has locked out millions of people who use drugs — both licit and illicit — from the workplace.”
For Amazon, the policy change comes as the company continues to expand into regions where recreational cannabis legislation is being codified into law. Washington is where Amazon got its start, and the state was among the first in the US to give its official OK to legal weed. Today, Amazon plans to erect an East Coast headquarters in Virginia, with additional operational centers opening in New York. Both states passed cannabis reform laws in the last year, which would put Amazon in a precarious position if it were to maintain a strict no smoking policy when it comes to cannabis. Ultimately, Amazon’s decision-makers opted to remove the cannabis testing policy for all job applicants, save for those positions regulated by the Department of Transportation. These include forklift drivers, truck drivers, and other employees operating heavy machinery or find themselves behind the wheel during their course of work.
On the subject of changing gears, General Motors is another corporation that recently announced its revised policy on cannabis testing for employees.
As the search for new talent has left GM and other major corporations hurting, an about-face on cannabis prohibition may be the change to bring in more applicants.
GM, a Detroit-based automotive manufacturer, needs more than 700 part-time employees to staff its Flint and Fort Wayne facilities. With a standard recruitment pipeline supplying a fraction of those labor needs for GM, union bosses have suggested that dropping a strict no-cannabis policy may change their labor supply for the better. Additionally, GM is considering raising starting wages to $17 from the current $16.67.
While the hiring deficit and global semi-conductor shortages have plagued automakers across the country, GM is making every attempt to sweeten the deal for temp employees they just can’t seem to find. In addition to the current starting pay of $16.67, temp employee positions include provisions like:
UAW Local 598 Shop Chairman Eric Welter acknowledges that GM’s no-cannabis policy is scaring away potentially good hires, stating, “When you have a line of people waiting for a job, then it’s OK to test for it, but if you don’t have enough candidates, testing for marijuana might turn people off from applying. You’ve got this candidate pool that know they can smoke marijuana in the evening rather than having a drink. It’s kind of silly to lose good workers. Marijuana doesn’t create the problems that opioids, cocaine and other drugs do.”
While Welter’s stance on cannabis may seem sensible given the current climate, GM remains reluctant to go all-in on allowing cannabis users to man the production floors of its facilities.
