The unanimous ruling narrowly loosened restrictions on gun rights for habitual marijuana users.
The Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision on Thursday that loosens the ban on gun ownership for habitual users of marijuana. The defendant had been charged with a felony after admitting to regular marijuana use while possessing firearms in his home. A lower court had determined that banning gun owners from the use of illegal drugs was unconstitutional.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion, “Affording the government ‘broad power to designate any group as dangerous and thereby disqualify its members from having a gun’ would risk allowing it to ‘quickly swallow’ the Second Amendment.”
Justice Gorsuch noted that the ruling neither overturns the ban nor ends the authority of the government to seize guns from drug users. It addresses casual drug use and Second Amendment rights. The decision stated that “marijuana use today is like alcohol use at the founding” of the United States.
While a 1968 federal law prohibits “an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance,” and marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, many states have legalized the use of the drug. Justice Samuel Alito stated in a concurrent opinion, “It is widespread and increasingly considered socially acceptable in many quarters. And from a practical standpoint, law enforcement widely tolerates the use of marijuana.”
President Trump’s administration reclassified marijuana last year from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. This acknowledged the potential medical benefit and permits additional research into the effects of marijuana.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the justices of the Supreme Court as they deliberate on the remaining decisions to be issued this term.
- For members of President Trump’s administration as they seek to balance research into health benefits against the drug enforcement policies.
- For wisdom for Acting Attorney General Blanche as he oversees the DOJ’s cases.
Sources: Fox News, Roll Call, Deseret News, PBS
