TOMS RIVER — Ocean County sheriff’s officers are prohibited from using marijuana when off duty, despite a memo from acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asserting that they can.
Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy has informed his police unions that there will be “ramifications” if an officer is discovered to have violated the county policy, said Jack Kelly, director of the county Board of Commissioners. However, the sheriff has stopped short of threatening to terminate any employee who does so.
The policy was affirmed at a meeting of the commission last Wednesday, when Kelly read a statement from Mastronardy at the start of its public meeting.
“Marijuana, when consumed, stays in your system for 30 days and there are field tests to determine the level of marijuana intoxication,” Kelly said. “Additionally, federal law still classifies marijuana as an illegal ‘schedule 1’ drug.”
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Controversially, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has included marijuana on its list of schedule 1 drugs since 1970. These are defined as substances or chemicals “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” The drugs on that list also include heroin, LSD, ecstasy and peyote.
Fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamines all have a lower risk classification on the federal government’s list — as schedule 2 drugs.
“As such, a law enforcement agency that allows its...
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