Amazon Lobbies for Cannabis Legalization
Amazon, which earlier this year said it would eliminate pre-employment screens for cannabis, is upping its support for legalizing cannabis at the federal level. Amazon, which has spent at least $5 million on lobbying efforts this year alone, noted that part of the reason it is pushing for legalization is to expand its applicant pool.
Warehouse employees, the majority of Amazon’s workforce, have a notoriously high turnover rate at the online retailer: Around 150 percent, according to a New York Times report.
Speaking of Jobs . . .
An estimated 321,000 Americans now work in the cannabis industry, a 32 percent increase from last year, making legal marijuana one of the nation’s fastest-growing sectors. In other words: the U.S. now has more cannabis workers than dentists, paramedics or electrical engineers.
Most entry-level jobs in the cannabis industry are minimum wage, but there are more opportunities to move up quickly. The Washington Post reported that managerial and executive jobs in the industry can net those employees six-figure salaries.
Aid Available for Businesses Hurt by Pandemic
If the pandemic has negatively affected your business, the federal government can help with a tax credit that rewards businesses which have less than 100 employees, were closed during 2020, or saw significant revenue drop.
The Employee Retention Credit allows small businesses to claim a refundable credit of up to $5,000 for each full-time equivalent employee retained from March 13, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020, and up to $14,000 for each employee retained from Jan. 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/erctaxcreditnews for more information.
More Flavored Vape Products Receive Approval
The FDA announced in September that 228 additional companies have been added to its list of manufacturers that have received marketing denials. All the products receiving Marketing Denial Orders (MDOs) were flavored vaping products.
The total number of companies receiving MDOs for flavored product Premarket Tobacco Applications (PMTAs) is now 323. The FDA says the denials cover nearly 1.2 million flavored products. Since the FDA began issuing MDOs on Aug. 26, the vast majority have gone to small companies.
The FDA said it plans to issue a warning letter to companies still marketing product without premarket authorization before initiating enforcement action, such as civil money penalties, seizure or injunction, and give recipients an opportunity to respond.
Warning Issued of Potentially Hazardous Delta-8 Side Effects
According to federal health regulators, the consumption of Delta-8 THC products has resulted in the hospitalization of more than 100 people in the US and more than 600 phone calls to local poison control centers as of September 2021.
The FDA has not yet evaluated or approved delta-8 THC products for safe use. Some of the FDA’s concerns include variability in product formulations and product labeling, other cannabinoid and terpene content, and variable delta-8 THC concentrations. Additionally, some of these products may be labeled simply as “hemp products,” which may mislead consumers who associate “hemp” with “non-psychoactive.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added some delta-8 products may also be contaminated with “heavy metals, solvents, or pesticides that may have adverse health effects,” because of some companies utilizing unsafe household chemicals in the manufacturing process.
GoDaddy Program Helps with Holiday Marketing
While there’s rarely a bad time to connect with customers online, GoDaddy’s Marketing Planner is based on the idea that certain dates are more special than others. Businesses using the free planner are able to connect social media posts to specific holidays, changes of season, or other special days to make their brands more relevant and more engaging to followers online.
Marketing Planner also offers creative suggestions and built-in templates. Once their timed posts are published, business owners can track engagement using GoDaddy’s metrics dashboard to see the impact that well-timed promotions have on engagement and conversions.
“Holidays are an extremely busy time for small businesses owners, online and offline. Nearly a third of sales in 2020 happened around the holidays, with online sales growing more than 25%,” said Geoff Clawson, Vice President of Product, Websites, and Marketing at GoDaddy.
“We know that on average it is six times more expensive to gain a new customer than to retain an existing one,” Clawson added. “It’s crucial to be able to measure the impact of all marketing activities. . . the Marketing Planner helps create informed business plans, allowing businesses to prepare inventory and adjust operations ahead of potential sales.”
