Opinion | New Jersey’s Fight for Police Potheads

Callers to 911 hope they’re in good hands, but in New Jersey they might get dispatched the stoner squad. The state says local police departments may not prohibit even armed officers from using marijuana on their personal time. One city’s lawsuit could restore the public’s right to set a higher standard for its cops.

Jersey City last week filed a federal case against the state, claiming the right and duty to fire officers who use marijuana. The lawsuit wasn’t the city’s first resort. Since 2022 it has let go at least four officers who tested positive for the drug. All four have fought to get their jobs back, and as of August state regulators had ordered the city to reinstate two of them, with back pay.