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Amazon Marijuana Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Former Amazon employee Michael Ringgold filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.
- Why: The class action lawsuit was filed because Amazon terminated Ringgold’s employment after he tested positive for marijuana use after the substance was legalized in the state.
- Where: New Jersey
In a memorandum to keep a marijuana-testing class action lawsuit in federal court, Amazon admitted that it had fired or refused to hire 196 workers in New Jersey who tested positive for marijuana use after the substance was legalized in the state.
Despite the state’s legalization, the company did not change its “unlawful policy” for three and half months, the class action lawsuit filed against the company by employee Michael Ringgold said.
Ringgold alleges the company violated the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, and committed wrongful discharge.
Ringgold says in the lawsuit that he was offered full-time employment by Amazon, but had the offer withdrawn after he tested positive for marijuana use without providing a medical explanation for his test result. He is asking for back pay, front pay, and damages, amongst other things.
Ringgold is currently batting the retail giant over what court the lawsuit should play out in. He argues it should be remanded back to state court where he filed it, however Amazon says it meets the threshold to be legislated in federal court – including that class claims could be worth $12 million.
The company also challenged the figure Ringgold said he was owed – $64,396 – saying that he had intentionally reduced the amount of damages owed to get the case remanded to state court.
Ringgold said the reduced damages were based on the fact he had been hired by the company subsequent to it changing its marijuana policy.
Amazon Facing Several Class Action Lawsuits
The class action lawsuit is far from the only legal action Amazon is facing. This month the company was hit with legal action from customers who are suing the retail giant for an alleged history of making false and misleading claims about its lithium-ion 18650 battery and knowingly selling defective and dangerous products.
And in July it was hit with a lawsuit by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) seeking to protect consumers from dangerous products sold on the online retail platform. In its lawsuit, the consumer safety agency demands that Amazon stop selling products that are identified as dangerous and implement a system that will notify consumers when they have purchased a recalled item. The CPSC also wants Amazon to offer full refunds for dangerous products sold on its platform.
Did you know Amazon didn’t update its marijuana testing policy in New Jersey for three months after marijuana was legalized? Tell us what you think in the comments section!
Ringgold is represented by Richard S. Swartz, Justin L. Swidler and Joshua S. Boyette of Swartz Swidler LLC.
The Amazon Marijuana Testing Class Action Lawsuit is Ringgold v. Amazon.com.dedc LLC, Case No. 3:21-cv-12873 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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