September 22,2021
Dr. Yolanda Henderson ND, MCHC, LHMP, CESA
Amazon is calling on the U.S. government to legalize marijuana, saying it is urging Congress to pass federal legislation and catch up with the growing number of states that have decriminalized cannabis use. The commerce giant also said that screening job applicants for cannabis makes it hard for the company, the nation's second-biggest private employer, to expand its workforce.
"We strongly believe the time has come to reform the nation's cannabis policy, and we are committed to helping lead the effort," Beth Galetti, Amazon's senior vice president of human resources, wrote Tuesday in a post on the company's blog. "Today's status quo is unfair and untenable," added Galetti, who noted the difficulty for companies in creating cannabis rules for workers given the discrepancy between federal law and local statutes.
Connecticut in June became the 19th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Most Americans support a similar policy in their state, a CBS News poll found earlier this year.
Amazon is lobbying for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021, a House bill that would end the federal ban on marijuana. The company also supports the recently introduced Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, a similar bill proposed in the Senate.
"Pre-employment marijuana testing disproportionately impacts people of color and acts as a barrier to employment," Galetti wrote. "We've found that eliminating pre-employment testing for cannabis allows us to expand our applicant pool," she added of the company's June decision to scrap marijuana testing in hiring and firing.
Amazon earlier this month said it was hiking its average starting wage to $18 for 125,000 new hires in transportation and warehouse positions. The wage hike came as many employers struggle to hire new workers amid a pandemic-induced labor shortage.
Amazon has opened more than 250 warehouses, sorting centers, regional air hubs and delivery stations in the U.S. so far this year, and will open more than 100 buildings in September alone, according to the company. It's hired more than 450,000 people in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, and currently employs 750,000 hourly workers across the U.S.
Atlanta Georgia Academy of Cannabis Science and partner of the Gift of Life Community Home, a non profit that teaches about nutrition and herbal alternatives, are finding out how legalization will help those who really need cannabis for medical purposes. Athletic Physiotherapist, Rosemary Stribling Brown, MS, CMT, states, "we need to help society move to a more holistic pain relief for everyone but specifically athletes." "Everyone now has a qualifying condition if you see it from a medical stand point. COVID 19 has everyone with some form of PTSD. Additionally, there are even strains of cannabis that help with inflammation and bronchodilation of the lungs in various forms besides smoking." says Dr. Yolanda Henderson, director, educator, and franchise owner of Atlanta Georgia Academy of Cannabis Science. She encourages education in cannabis and has even started a new curriculum Medical Cannabis Health Coach. A coaching technique to work along side of Primary Care doctors to get patients immediate education and relief that not even doctors quite yet understand. Telehealth Medical Cannabis Health Coaching, is a new career in the industry that will bring over 10,000 new professionals in the growing industry. Some already healthcare workers in various fields. To learn more on how to enroll in courses of by The Gift of life community home and Atlanta Academy of Cannabis Science come out to the Doctors and Health professions Seminar Saturday September 25,2021. Located at 820 Hwy 138 Riverdale GA 30296 or call 404-631-6360 or visit www.atlantaacademyofcannabisscience.com to enroll.
