Legalising weed: Here's why Amazon is lobbying the US government
Malta legalises cannabis at home and for personal use
In June, Amazon declared that it will no longer test employees for cannabis use in the majority of positions.
The corporation announced today that it is taking a step further and has begun lobbying the US government to make marijuana legal across the country.
Amazon also announced that it will reinstate the eligibility of terminated employees and candidates who failed drug tests throughout the employment process.
Beth Galetti, Amazon's head of human resources, outlined three reasons for the changes in a blog post.
To begin with, First, the jumble of conflicting city and state marijuana regulations makes it impossible for huge corporations to develop a sensible policy.
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Second, the corporation is aware that persons of colour have been disproportionately harmed by drug testing.
But it's the last and third reason she gives that may be the most explaining: "Amazon's rapid expansion means we're always seeking for talented new team members, and we've found that removing pre-employment cannabis testing allows us to increase our application pool," Galetti wrote.
Also read | Musk smokes weed during podcast; Tesla accountant resigns as stocks crash
According to Business Insider, Amazon senior VP of human resources Beth Galetti remarked, "We've discovered that eliminating pre-employment cannabis testing allows us to widen our application pool."
According to records obtained by Insider in July, Amazon spent $5 million on lobbying in the second quarter.
Also read | World Anti-Doping Agency to review cannabis ban for athletes
Amazon just joined a different hiring campaign earlier this month, revealing that it would begin subsidising college tuition for the majority of its 750,00 employees in January, with support commencing 90 days after hire at authorised colleges.
GED and ESL competence certifications will also be covered under the Career Choice programme.
(With inputs from agencies)