We at Prevention Plus try to bring our audience the latest information regarding vapes, marijuana, alcohol, etc. The following article is purely news, we have decided not to put any of our individual opinions in it and strictly give you the facts.
Many employers worldwide are beginning to remove marijuana from their drug screening process as a way to bring in more prospective applicants. This move comes in the wake of a global labor shortage. In the midst of what is being called “The Great Resignation,” many retail, food, and other service workers are leaving their jobs in favor of higher-paying self-employment opportunities. This has created a shortage of workers in nearly every business. The staffing firm, ManpowerGroup, released a survey showing that out of more than 45,000 employers from 43 different countries, 9%, or around 4,050, have admitted to removing drug testing, and specifically testing for marijuana from their screening process.
“The global talent shortage shows no sign of slowing, with 69% of employers reporting difficulty filling roles,” the survey’s executive summary reads. “The employment outlook is optimistic, particularly for employers that are prepared to adapt to a new world of work and offer incentives to attract and retain the talent they need.”
One of the leaders of this change was Amazon. Recently, Amazon released an announcement that they will stop screening for marijuana as a way to bring in more perspective workers. Amazon made it clear that they supported legalization of marijuana by supporting the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement, or M.O.R.E., Act. Amazon is also pushing for the passing of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. They argue that these provisions “will open significant new economic opportunities for millions of capable individuals.” They are also lobbying for Congress to federally legalize cannabis.
“In the past, like many employers, we’ve disqualified people from working at Amazon if they tested positive for marijuana use,” Dave Clark, Amazon CEO of Worldwide Consumer, said. “However, given where state laws are moving across the U.S., we’ve changed course.”
Aside from stating that marijuana employment laws disproportionately impact people of color, Amazon acknowledged that its revised stance is also in response to an increasing number of states legalizing marijuana. Currently, recreational marijuana use is legal in 18 states.
The legalization of marijuana seems to be something that is moving forward, and we will have to wait and see how this will affect our ever-changing job force.
