With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Feds: Gun Ownership and Medical Pot Don't Go Together
Prop 19 failed, and CA goes another election cycle without legalizing marijuana (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
If you have a medical marijuana card, the feds don't want you to have a gun.
The revelation comes not from a new law but from a letter put out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives last week, the Associated Press reports. The letter states: "There are no exceptions in federal law for marijuana purportedly used for medicinal purposes, even if such use is sanctioned by state law."
This latest move is making strange bedfellows of Second Amendment enthusiasts and medical pot advocates. Both groups are complaining that thousands of people in the 16 states that have legalized medical pot could have their gun rights taken away from them. This move also seems to contradict the Obama administration's earlier stance on medical pot laws: a DOJ memo from 2009 said the administration wouldn't go after users.
Federal firearm licensees aren't allowed to sell guns to people who used controlled substances. Gun dealers are required to ask buyers if they're using drugs. If a buyer answers 'yes' and flashes a pot card to prove that it's totally legal, dude, the seller now has to turn the customer away.
Sponsor
But gun dealers said don't think this will be a big problem for them, since buyers aren't required to tell gun sellers that they have a card. "Who's going to say yes to that?" asked Damon Peters, a sales associate for Montana Outdoor Sports in Helena. (This response might also be an inadvertent argument against the usefulness of certain gun control measures or an argument for stricter measures, depending on your stance.)
The second reason gun dealers aren't too worried is that they don't believe that there is a whole lot of overlap between medical pot users and hunters.
"A lot of users of medical marijuana aren't really shooting sports enthusiasts, anyway," said Peters, a licensed hunting guide. "I think we may see a sale or two lost, but I don't see anything dramatic that's going to affect us."
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
