Marijuana users looking for work can now make use of a new search engine that only features job opportunities that don’t require tests for cannabis.
The new platform is called Phynally and it’s been developed by Damian Jorden, a Philadelphia entrepreneur who got tired of sifting through employers who insist that new recruits are tested for the presence of cannabis in their system.
“We are the LinkedIn for cannabis users,” said Jorden to Philadelphia magazine. “We want to match people with transparent employers who have transitioned out of those old policies that date back to the War on Drugs — employers who know that the future is legalization.”
Phynally features jobs in retail, finance, healthcare and banking, among other sectors, with companies like US Bank, Maine Health and Amazon. The tech giant – America’s second-largest employer – recently announced it would no longer mandate screenings for marijuana use among employees, including its fleet of delivery drivers. The site also includes a job posting with the City of Atlanta.
Employers seeking workers can post some jobs for free or they have the option of buying an annual package of unlimited postings for $150.
Since launching, more than 7,000 job seekers have uploaded their résumés to Phynally. Like many other job search engines, employers can search through these résumés and job seekers can search for employment opportunities using keyword filters, as well as setting location and sector preferences.
Jorden said more and more companies are aware of the trend toward marijuana legalization in the US now, and are relaxing their drug screening requirements accordingly.
“The main reason behind it is that 47% of college graduates consume cannabis,” Jorden said. “This is today’s working class.”
But progress is still slow, and Jorden hopes Phynally will help remove barriers between employers and employees over out-of-work cannabis use.
To do this, Phynally is in the process of raising $2 million to help expand the reach of the platform. The company is also rolling out a paid service that connects prospective medical marijuana patients with doctors that can provide them with a recommendation.
The overarching goal of Phynally, according to Jorden, is to connect talented employees who use cannabis with progressive companies that aren’t hung up on prevailing social stigmas surrounding marijuana use.
“Just because someone consumes cannabis on their time does not mean they are not qualified for a position,” Jorden said. “That’s why we are here to give employers access to a completely new pool of job seekers.”
