Cannabis for cops in New Jersey

The new law in the Garden State means anyone over 21 can buy weed, including off-duty police officers… for now.   

Because I got high 

It seems like a weird juxtaposition, right? Cops. Weed. Those two together aren’t exactly peas in a pod. But with cannabis finally legalized in New Jersey, recreational marijuana is available for anyone 21 or older. And ‘anyone’, according to the law, includes the police.  

Of course, this news is not without widespread outcry – and from the very top, no less. Jersey City Mayor, Steven Fulop, has said he plans to fire any cop with positive traces of weed in their blood. “Every other state in the country that legalized cannabis had a carve-out that did not allow off-duty police officers to smoke”, he said. But here’s the thing, Stevie – New Jersey doesn’t have any such carve-out.  

Pot, Kettle… 

This new law creates a real gray area for cops that want to blaze up – and not just because of all the smoke, either. Fulop is of the mind that the state’s law clashes with federal laws requiring every cop in New Jersey to promise in writing that they won’t use any federally prohibited drug — including marijuana.  

To make things that little bit more confusing, the US Justice Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms prohibits gun owners from using marijuana. And well, cops use guns, right? So while many will have been celebrating the new law in style, the green of the Garden State is still causing problems for lawmakers.