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A new Philadelphia law that forbids marijuana testing during the hiring process stands to improve job prospects for many, including people with state-sanctioned prescriptions.
Several of the city’s largest employers are likely exempt from the ban, however, and stereotypes around marijuana use endure. On the other side, as staffing crunches hit nearly all sectors, a platform that’s like LinkedIn for weed users is thriving.
Introduced by Councilmember Derek Green, the ban was passed by Council last April and went into effect Jan. 1. Some observers say it’s likely to boost the local economy.
“This is a really sensible step for the business sector of the region,” Chris Goldstein, a regional organizer with NORML, told Billy Penn. “Pre-employment screening prevented millions of people from applying for everyday jobs, and in this hiring crisis, you really can’t do any more than this to help.”
Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016, and there were over 340,000 licensed medical marijuana users in the state as of last May. Philadelphia decriminalized cannabis in 2018 and recently passed an addition to the city charter endorsing a statewide referendum on legalization.
Damian Jorden runs Phynally, a Philly-based job search engine that lists opportunities at companies that don’t pre-screen for cannabis.
The job search platform saw around 2,000 users in...
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