Court narrows reach of federal gun ban for casual drug users
The Supreme Court, in a 9-0 ruling authored by Justice Gorsuch, held that the federal law prohibiting firearm possession by an “unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” cannot be broadly applied to bar casual marijuana users from owning guns. The decision is described as narrow and does not strike down the law entirely, instead making it harder for prosecutors to invoke it against casual users, as in the case of Ali Danial Hemani. The ruling rejects sweeping claims that all marijuana users pose a danger, and it comes amid a national conversation about gun rights and evolving marijuana laws.