The Supreme Court recently announced that it will reconsider whether marijuana users can legally own a gun. Currently, under the Federal Gun Control Act, it is illegal nationwide for a marijuana user to purchase, possess, or receive firearms or ammunition. Even in states like New Jersey, where recreational marijuana use is legal, anyone seeking a gun permit must affirm in their application that they are not a regular user of marijuana, medical or recreational.
This issue sits at the intersection of two hot-button topics — gun rights and marijuana use. For Republicans, the debate centers on whether extending rights to marijuana users could expand Second Amendment protections. For Democrats, the concern is the inverse. But beyond politics, the core question remains: is there a causal link between marijuana use and violent crime?
Meta-analyses on this subject find no clear evidence that marijuana makes people violent. Any relationship between marijuana use and violent crime is strictly correlational and highly variable depending on the population studied. Despite this, federal law still bars marijuana users from owning a gun, creating a significant legal inconsistency compared to alcohol, a substance with a documented link to aggression, whose users face no such restrictions.
Historically, the misconception about marijuana and violence traces back to the War on Drugs. Roger Stone, a former Nixon administration member, stated, “In criminalizing cannabis, Nixon believed he had devised a seemingly neutral basis upon which to target protestors and persons of color — his perceived enemies — without raising constitutional concerns.” This historical bias continues to impact modern law, keeping marijuana users unfairly restricted from exercising their gun rights.
Legally, the United States enshrines gun ownership in the Constitution. If the nation values this right, it must apply fairly to all adults. A misconception about marijuana should not dictate whether responsible marijuana users can legally possess a gun, especially in states where the drug is fully legalized.
The ruling could finally resolve a long-standing conflict in federal law regarding marijuana users and gun ownership, potentially restoring constitutional rights that have been unjustly restricted.
Advocates hope that the Court recognizes the inconsistency: while alcohol users face no limits, millions of responsible marijuana users remain unable to exercise their right to buy a gun. A fair decision would affirm that legal cannabis consumption should not prevent law-abiding citizens from owning a gun, closing a decades-long legal and social gap affecting marijuana users nationwide.
The upcoming Supreme Court decision promises to set an important precedent, ensuring that the right to bear arms is applied equally and that marijuana users are no longer treated differently under the law when it comes to purchasing a gun.