TRENTON, NJ – With legalized marijuana finally arriving this Thursday in New Jersey, it has been announced that cops will be able to smoke weed as long as they’re off duty. That’s right, the same police officers that have spent their careers locking New Jerseyans up for pot can smoke it when they’re not working.
That comes after a memo by New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin gave the green light for law enforcement officers to toke up. Platkin’s memo to police chiefs reminded them that departments may not take action against officers who choose to smoke marijuana on their own time.
The position has some in the legislation worried about police officers showing up to work high, but Governor Phil Murphy said his administration would deal with that swiftly.
“There’s no allowing anybody to show up impaired, whether you’re drinking or whether you’ve smoked weed,” Murphy said during a visit to Ewing. “Anybody who shows up impaired would be dealt with aggressively.”
Gloucester County Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer says cops should be held to higher standards.
“Anyone who wants to work in public safety must be held to higher standards. Our men and women in law enforcement have the responsibility to make life-altering decisions on a daily basis, for themselves, their partners, for the public. I want to trust that they are at their best when doing so,” she said in a statement.
If Sawyer has her way, prohibitions against cops smoking weed could be in New Jersey’s future. The governor himself said he would be open to legislatively turn off the marijuana smoking lamp for cops.
“Would I be opened minded to a legislative fix that would address this? The answer is yes,” Murphy said.
