June 2, 2021
In a recent Amazon blog post Amazon stated they will no longer include marijuana in their comprehensive drug screening program for positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation, and will instead treat marijuana use the same as alcohol use. The post stated Amazon will continue to do impairment checks on the job and will test for all drugs and alcohol after any incident.
The blog post reads:
“In addition to changing our Time off Task policy, we’re adjusting our drug testing policy. 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. 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. We will continue to do impairment checks on the job and will test for all drugs and alcohol after any incident.
And because we know that this issue is bigger than Amazon, our public policy team will be actively supporting The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act)—federal legislation that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, expunge criminal records, and invest in impacted communities. We hope that other employers will join us, and that policymakers will act swiftly to pass this law.
Thank you for everything you do each day to help on our journey to be Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. It will take time, investment, invention, and determination, and we’ll continue to share updates with you as we go. We’re so proud of all of our teams who are helping us get better every day.” — A message to U.S. Operations employees from Dave Clark, CEO, Worldwide Consumer.
To read the full Amazon blog post click here
File photos of local Amazon facilities in Mercer County and Middlesex County