Is Jersey City Mayor Using Cannabis Crackdown as a Gubernatorial Power Play?

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop's decision to fire police officers for using legal marijuana off duty has ignited a fierce legal battle and a storm of political controversy. As Fulop eyes a gubernatorial run in 2025, critics are accusing him of leveraging the city's weed policy as a political stunt to boost his campaign at the expense of his own police force.

Attorney Michael Rubas, representing several of the fired officers, claims that Mayor Fulop's crackdown on marijuana use among Jersey City police officers is a thinly veiled attempt to gain political attention. Rubas has filed a lawsuit, arguing that Fulop’s actions are more about positioning himself for the 2025 New Jersey governor’s race than about enforcing the law.

Despite New Jersey’s state law, which allows off-duty police officers to use legal marijuana, Jersey City officials have continued to fire or suspend officers who test positive for cannabis. Rubas argues that these firings not only violate state law but also come with significant costs to the city’s taxpayers, including hefty back-pay awards and legal fees.

At the heart of this controversy is a clash between state and federal law. New Jersey, under Governor Phil Murphy, legalized recreational marijuana in 2021, explicitly allowing off-duty police officers to partake. In 2022, Attorney General Matt Platkin further clarified that officers should not be disciplined for using legal marijuana while off duty.

However, Jersey City's public safety director, James Shea, supported by Mayor Fulop, has taken a hardline stance, arguing that federal law—which still classifies marijuana as illegal—prohibits marijuana users from owning firearms or ammunition. This interpretation has led to the firing of multiple officers, including Mackenzie Reilly, Norhan Mansour, and Omar Polanco, after they tested positive for marijuana.

Despite losing several legal battles, including orders from the state Civil Service Commission to reinstate the officers, Jersey City has remained defiant. The state has since imposed daily fines on the city for not rehiring the officers, further escalating the financial and legal stakes.

The ongoing legal conflict is becoming increasingly costly for Jersey City. The state Civil Service Commission has started fining the city $100 per day for each officer it hasn’t reinstated, with fines potentially reaching $20,000. These penalties add to the already substantial costs of legal fees and back pay, which could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Rubas’s lawsuit also claims that Jersey City officials knowingly violated the law. According to the lawsuit, during a call with the Attorney General’s Office, city officials were explicitly informed that they could not discipline officers for legal marijuana use. Nevertheless, the city pushed forward with what Rubas calls an “unlawful policy,” leading to the current legal quagmire.

In a particularly revealing moment, an email exchange included in the lawsuit shows Mayor Fulop seemingly acknowledging the political motivations behind the policy. Shortly after announcing the city’s stance on marijuana use, Fulop responded to a political operative’s email with the comment, “Little revolt we started,” a remark that has been criticized as a flippant admission of political maneuvering.

The situation in Jersey City is more than a local dispute—it’s part of a broader conversation about the intersection of state and federal laws, shifting public attitudes toward cannabis, and the role of politics in law enforcement. As Mayor Fulop continues his campaign for governor, these legal battles are likely to remain in the public eye, potentially affecting not only the officers involved but also the political landscape of New Jersey.

The outcomes of these cases could set significant precedents for how cannabis use is treated within police departments, not just in New Jersey but across the country. As the debate over marijuana legalization continues, Jersey City's struggle may offer crucial lessons on the complex interplay between politics, law, and public policy.

Is Mayor Fulop's strict cannabis policy a genuine effort to uphold the law, or just a political stunt to boost his gubernatorial campaign?