US Supreme Court eases restrictions on drug users owning firearms

The US Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of a marijuana user, Ali Danial Hemani, who argued that a federal law prohibiting drug users from owning firearms violated the Second Amendment. All nine justices supported Hemani's position, narrowing but not eliminating the government's ability to restrict gun access for drug users. This decision upholds a lower court's dismissal of an illegal gun possession charge against Hemani. The ruling was supported by a coalition of pro-gun and civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, who argued the law risked arbitrary enforcement. The Trump administration had defended the 1968 federal law, comparing it to historical regulations disarming "habitual drunkards."

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Ali Danial Hemani, a Texas man who challenged a federal law prohibiting gun ownership by unlawful drug users. The justices found that the law, as applied to marijuana users who are not otherwise dangerous, violates the Second Amendment. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the government's power to disarm drug users is limited, particularly given the widespread legality of marijuana in many states. The decision is a setback for the Trump administration, which defended the 1968 law. The ruling does not address prohibitions for those addicted to drugs or currently intoxicated. The case saw support from unusual allies, including the ACLU and the NRA.