OCEAN COUNTY – County leaders are urging the state to continue a ban on police officers using cannabis products.
While the ban has been lifted on recreational, adult use marijuana as of April 21, County Commissioner Jack Kelly and Sheriff Michael Mastronardy are asking the governor to ban recreational use by police and other law enforcement officers.
New Jersey State Attorney General Matthew Plotkin issued a directive that said police officers can use the drug if they are off duty. However, they must not use it while on duty.
Local officials feel it should be banned for all officers.
“The directive further emphasized that being under the influence of legal cannabis or any other intoxicating substance while on duty was a violation and should be addressed in severe terms,” Kelly said. “Marijuana when consumed stays in your system for 30 days and there are no field tests to determine the level of marijuana intoxication.”
Marijuana is still illegal under federal classification, so it was questioned whether any agency that allows its officers to use the drug could be ineligible to receive federal grants, he said.
“The Ocean County Sheriff will continue to follow federal law,” Kelly said.
He noted that the Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ocean County Police Chiefs Association are against their officers using cannabis even if they are off duty. These groups have been telling Trenton that the police need to continue to stay drug-free.
Marijuana is still a Schedule I drug on a federal chart that compares it to other chemicals. However, it has been argued that it doesn’t belong in the same category as heroin and LSD.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Schedule I is for drugs “with no current accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse” such as ecstasy and peyote.
Schedule II is for drugs with a “high potential for abuse” which includes drugs as varied as Ritalin and cocaine.
Schedule III is for drugs with “low to moderate potential for abuse” such as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and some steroids.
Schedule IV is for drugs with “low risk” of abuse or addiction, such as Xanax and Valium.
Schedule V is for drugs with an even lower risk, but they still contain small quantities of certain narcotics, like cough medicines with codeine (Robitussin).
