Amazon Backs Bill To Legalize Marijuana In US

Amazon is backing a US bill that would legalize marijuana nationwide and will drop a requirement that recruits undergo testing for the drug, the e-commerce giant said.

A growing number of US states have moved to legalize the drug, although it remains prohibited at the federal level.

"We hope other employers will join us and that politicians move quickly to pass this law," Dave Clark, head of global operations, said in a blog post Tuesday.

"In the past, like many employers, we have disqualified people from positions at Amazon if they tested positive for marijuana use," he added.

"But given the evolution of laws in different states of the country, we will no longer include marijuana in our extensive drug testing programs."

Instead, as with alcohol, workers will only be made to undergo testing in the event of an incident.

Civil groups and elected officials have said that bans on cannabis disproportionately affect Black and Latino communities.

New York's state governor signed a law in March allowing for recreational marijuana, joining 14 other American states in the move to legalization.

Copyright AFP. All rights reserved.

RECENT NEWS

Hybrid Workforces: AI Transforms Business Now

Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, has set the stage for a major change in how companies work. At the 2025 World Econo... Read more

Wildfires Spark Radical Rebuild And Reform

Southern California faces a long road ahead after the devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires of January 2025. These wildf... Read more

UK Fuels Bold Nuclear Future Growth

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled a bold plan to boost the United Kingdom’s nuclear power. This strategy aims t... Read more

Crypto Gains Ground For Daily Use

Cryptocurrency is shifting from niche technology to practical payment option, grabbing headlines in both corporate and c... Read more

DOGE Overhaul: Gains, Cuts Or Illusion

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is shaking up public administration in the United States. Announced in Ja... Read more

Will The Chinese Win The AI Race?

Chinese startup DeepSeek has taken the tech world by surprise with its new R1 artificial intelligence model. Traders, an... Read more