Court Overturns Ban on Drug Users Owning Guns

A federal appeals court has ruled that a ban on gun possession for users of illegal drugs is unconstitutional, as applied to a man who used marijuana. The court found that the man's Second Amendment rights were violated and reversed his conviction. The ruling adds to the increasing constitutional scrutiny on the provision in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision. The court's conservative majority ruled that individuals have a right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense, leading to a flurry of cases attempting to apply the new historical test to various federal gun laws. The Supreme Court is set to hear a case about the constitutionality of a similar provision next term.