Amazon released a new statement elaborating on its decision to remove drug testing as a condition of pre-employment, as well as its support of certain cannabis-related legislation.
In a blog post on September 21, Amazon Senior Vice President of Human Resources Beth Galetti wrote about the company’s ongoing plan to support legaliation. In the update, Galetti revealed Amazon’s dedication to cannabis, including reinstating “employment eligibility for former employees and applicants who were previously terminated or deferred during random or pre-employment marijuana screenings.”
Furthermore, Galetti elaborates on this decision with three realizations. First, in the wake of rapid legalization sweeping the country, it has become “difficult to implement an equitable, consistent and national pre-employment marijuana testing program.” Second, she stated that the cannabis testing during pre-employment severely affects people of color. And finally, she admitted that due to Amazon’s constant growth in seeking out new employees, “eliminating pre-employment testing for cannabis allows us to expand our applicant pool.”
Galletti’s statement includes significant clarification on the topic of cannabis at Amazon compared to its previous announcements. On June 1, the company released a blog post based on its goal to become both “Earth’s Best Employer” and “Earth’s Safest Place to Work.” In that announcement ,it confirmed that it would be adjusting its drug testing policy. “We will no longer include marijuana in our comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation, and will instead treat it the same as alcohol use,” the company wrote.
In June, the company also announced it would be “actively supporting” the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021, also referred to as the MORE Act. Now, Galetti also mentioned the company’s more recent endorsement of the