Yo, check it out! There was this police officer in Jersey City, New Jersey who got straight-up fired for testing positive for THC in a drug test. But guess what? Last week, they actually brought his ass back and gave him all his missed pay. Can you believe that?
So here’s the deal, this dude named Norhan Mansour got the boot way after Gov. Phil Murphy signed some bill to make weed legal for adults in New Jersey. That happened back in 2021, and then they started selling that good stuff in April 2022. But get this, even though weed was legal, the Jersey City Police Department was like, “Nah fam, y’all can’t be smoking that Mary Jane when you off the clock.” And that’s why poor Mansour got canned along with three other officers in June 2022.
But yo, they weren’t about to let that slide. In April 2023, all four of those officers sued their asses off. And you know what? They actually won! Mansour’s lawyer, Peter Paris, called out the hypocrisy of the whole situation. He said it was like firing someone for having a beer off duty, except it’s even worse ’cause drinking beer ain’t no constitutional right like smoking weed is in New Jersey.
The case went to the New Jersey Civil Service Commission, and they were like, “Yo, this ain’t right.” The judge in charge, Kimberly Moss, said that state law don’t allow employers to fire someone just because they use cannabis or have traces of it in their system. So she ruled in favor of Mansour and the other officers.
And get this, at a meeting on August 2, the commission straight-up clowned on the city’s argument. They said it was “unpersuasive” and made it clear that the federal ban on weed consumers owning guns don’t apply to law enforcement officers. So they told the city, “You messed up, bro,” and ordered them to bring Mansour back with all his money, benefits, and seniority.
But this ain’t the end of the story. See, back in October 2022, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission came through with some new rules for drug testing law enforcement peeps. Then in February 2023, Attorney General Matthew Platkin was like, “Yo, we need to revise our policy on drug testing ’cause it’s mad confusing.” And I guess he’s right ’cause this whole situation with Mansour seems pretty messed up.
Now, let’s talk about firearms. This has been a big issue lately, especially when it comes to both law enforcement and regular folks owning guns under federal law. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried was so pissed off last year that she sued the Biden administration to stop them from blocking medical marijuana users from buying guns and having concealed carry permits.
But you know what? A federal judge in Florida shut that down in November. They said medical cannabis consumers should be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights just like everyone else. And it don’t end there, my friends. In February, a federal court case in Oklahoma ruled that banning weed smokers from owning guns is straight-up unconstitutional! Finally, someone realized that your love for Mary Jane shouldn’t stop you from exercising your right to bear arms.
So yeah, things are changing, my dudes. States like Alabama and Mississippi are getting with the program and setting up medical cannabis programs. And even conservative states like Oklahoma are about to legalize weed. It’s about time people started realizing that smoking a little herb don’t make you any less deserving of your rights as an American citizen.
So there you have it, fam. Norhan Mansour got fired for smoking some dank bud, but now he back on the force with all his money and respect. And the whole debate about weed and guns? Well, it looks like the tide is turning in favor of the people. Let’s keep fighting for our rights and blazing up that good stuff. Peace!