Guns and Drugs: Supreme Court Narrows Federal Drug-User Gun Ban

The Supreme Court narrowed the federal government’s power to disarm people who regularly use drugs, ruling that a broad reading of the 1960s-era law banning firearm possession by drug users isn’t warranted in this case. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion, with no dissent, describing the decision as a narrow one that does not address addicts in general or other prophylactic laws. The ruling centers on Ali Danial Hemani, whose 2023 indictment followed an FBI search that found a Glock and marijuana; the government says roughly 300 people are charged annually under the law, which carries up to 15 years in prison. The decision comes as marijuana legalization expands in states and signals a more limited application of gun-rights restrictions tied to drug use.