New Jersey will allow police to buy and use marijuana once it’s officially and legally for sale. Cops are treated just like any other customers, under the legalization laws passed last year.
On Thursday, acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued a memo. Platkin told police chiefs they “may not take any adverse action against any officers because they do or do not use cannabis off duty.”
That was codified in the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act.
Officers still may not possess or use Cannabis while on the clock, or performing any work while under the influence.
Adult-Use Sales To Begin April 21
Platkin’s memo came three days after the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved 13 formerly medical-only dispensaries to begin selling adult-use weed. Any adult 21 years and older can buy marijuana beginning April 21.
Until then, New Jersey remains in a gray area. Cannabis is legal to possess and consume, but it’s illegal to buy or sell. “That hasn’t stopped many marijuana consumers over the last 14 months,” drily notes the Asbury Free Press.
The marijuana legalization laws allow any employer to maintain a drug-free workplace. It also puts into place procedures for suspected marijuana use while on the job.
Platkin’s memo reminds police chiefs they have the same rights. Police chiefs can order an officer to take a drug test if they suspect he is high on the job.
