The marijuana legalization movement gained a powerful ally as Amazon, the nation’s second-largest private employer, endorsed ending federal-level prohibition of the drug—and also announced it will stop testing jobseekers for pot. The company says it supports a House legalization bill, boosting efforts by politicians and cannabis industry lobbyists to gain federal recognition at a time when more and more states are moving in that direction on their own. As for its drug testing policy, Amazon will no longer disqualify employees for marijuana use, but will continue to screen certain employees for “impairment” as per Department of Transportation regulations.
Meanwhile, Governor Greg Gianforte has signed into law one of the country’s strictest marijuana legalization bills, banning marijuana advertising and limiting the level of intoxicating THC in pot products. In contrast to most legal states that have overly permissive rules, Montana’s law—formulated with the help of Smart Approaches to Marijuana—will also bar industry activity in the 28 counties that voted against legalization, unless voters chose to opt-in. This added measure of control is one of the most effective ways of pushing back against Big Pot, which has tremendous influence over the drafting of industry regulations.
And finally, leading behavioral health organizations across the country have urged President Biden to finally appoint a new “drug czar” to head the White House Office of National Drug Policy Control (ONDCP). The organizations say an all-hands-on-deck approach is required to confront national drug crises, and with drug overdose fatalities at a record high, the ONDCP needs a fully functioning director to guide and oversee federal drug policy.