Obama Administration Says No Guns For Potheads

By Nick Schou Fri., Sep. 30 2011 at 11:21 AM

If you're a medical marijuana smoker who happens to be in the market for a firearm, you might want to keep your state-issued cannabis card in your wallet once you reach the cash register. According to an Associated Press report, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) has just issued a letter to gun dealers throughout the country warning them that they are prohibited from selling weapons to potheads.

The letter apparently cites a 2009 memo stating that it's against federal law for anyone who is an "unlawful user of, or addicted to" any controlled substance to possess a gun, telling dealers that this prohibition also applies to weed smokers. The ATF sent out the letter because it has been contacted by numerous dealerships in states where it is legal to smoke marijuana for medical purposes who want to know if the federal law applied to these customers as well.

For the time being, it's unclear how this ban is going to be enforced. Assuming that you don't walk into The Grant Boys wearing an OCNORML t-shirt or otherwise give away the fact that you're 420-friendly, the gun dealer will have no way of knowing whether or not you smoke weed. That said, if you hold a state-issued medical marijuana ID card, perhaps your name may someday make its way onto some list that the feds force gun dealers to check before selling you that sporty looking Glock.

In any case, the no-guns-for-potheads letter is being decried by both gun advocates and medical marijuana folks as a violation of the 2nd Amendment, but leaving that debate aside, doesn't the ATF have anything better to do? Like maybe allowing informants to smuggle AK47s into Mexico and into the hands of crazed cartel killers who have reportedly used them to murder their rivals, including police officials, south of the border?

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reni

"unlawful user of, or addicted to"I'm sorry, but in what way is someone with a Cannabis Card an UNLAWFUL user of pot? They have a license. And addict?! So are all the people popping their diabetes medications also addicted to that?

FishWithoutBicycle

Excellent points. And funny how there is no direct mention of people who abuse LEGAL pain medications. I'm more afraid of some guy who is out of his pain pills holding up a pharmacy (this has actually happened!) than a pothead harming anyone with a firearm.

Manish Patel

That's cool

Harthj

Hitler believed in gun control; look what happened.

Susie Lemus

stupid

Sheldon McCormick

Under the provisions of the 1968 federal Gun Control act, in the category that prohibits certain individuals from buying or possessing firearms included those who use drugs,including marijuana. Today, this law as well as state law even applies to those who use "medicinal" weed for serious medical problems, like relieving cancer-related pain. Legally and for reasons of safety, this makes sense. Gun use requires one's full, uninhibited faculties, not to mention legal and moral responsibilities. These lack of this can lead to death and disaster. Gun rights require responsibility. Without it the results are irreversable and tragic.

Handl Marie

Well said sheldon!

Renee Moore Castro

TELL ME A PERSON WITH CANCER OR OTHER diseases that need the MEDICAL WEED, is called an addict......wow........then what do you call 90 percent of federal officers are alcoholics!!!!!!!!!!!!! and they get to carry guns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!peace and love to all............

Bob

Calm down, Renee. The form says, "unlawful user of, OR addicted to". They are acknowledged as separate categories. It's still a constitutional violation that we actually have a national bureau for things like alcohol, tobacco, or firearms.

Soho_d J

But it's ok to sell guns to Mexican scum along the border en mass eh Mr. Government? I mean they are responsible right? You sorry fucking assholes! What nickname have you got for this op? Operation Half Baked? YOU ASSHOLES SOLD GUNS to drug dealers at the borders then lost track of em, WHAT THE FUCK sense does this move make? And how many herb tokers EVER shot people up while medicated?

Anon

How about just checking against a list of PEOPLE WHO ARE ASSHOLES before selling them a gun?

Sean

AHmm...excuse me...Federal Gov....ahmm yea. You are starting to really piss the people of this good country off. No not everyone wants cannabis freedom but several million do...so would you do us all a favor and allow the states to handle their own issues concerning this plant? In other words...Piss off!

20ftJesus

Wait until the Fed cross checks their assault weapons registration with the state's MMP card database.

Ali

That is so f-ing dumb. How many potheads go shoot up places versus drunks? Maybe they shouldn’t allow potheads to call for pizza delivery...but guns?? Wow.

FishWithoutBicycle

I wholeheartedly agree. They should make all drunks register themselves as alcoholics and be on a "list" so they can't buy guns either.

909Jeff

Well fish I couldn't agree more... You see I'm a drunk, Alcoholics go to meetings.

Dweezle.Di

Alcoholics go to meetings us drunks just send in the empties...

LOL I just had to add that for levity.

FishWithoutBicycle

That is often true...but I do have a relative, very active in AA, who still jokes about how he used to be a member of "Club NED (Never Ending Drunk)". :-)