Jersey City Police Reinstate Officer After Cannabis Test Leads to Firing

JERSEY CITY, NJ – A police officer has been reinstated after he was terminated from his position after testing positive for THC in a drug test, despite cannabis being legalized for adult use in the state.

According to High Times, Officer Norhan Mansour, along with three other officers who also tested positive for THC in June 2022, filed a lawsuit in April 2023. Attorney Peter Paris, representing the officers, argued that the firing was contradictory, relating the issue to terminating someone for consuming alcohol while off duty.

The case was adjudicated by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission, which ruled in favor of reinstating Mansour. The commission cited state law, which prohibits employers from terminating employees solely based on cannabis use or the presence of cannabis in their system.

At a meeting on August 2, the commission deemed the city’s argument “unpersuasive” and clarified that the federal ban on cannabis consumers owning firearms did not extend to law enforcement officers. Consequently, the commission ordered Mansour’s reinstatement with full back pay, benefits, and seniority, effective from the date of separation without pay to the day of reinstatement.