US Supreme Court blocks federal gun ban for marijuana users

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous 9‑0 decision, ruling that the federal government cannot automatically prohibit gun ownership solely because an individual uses marijuana. The judgment upheld the dismissal of a federal gun‑possession charge against Texas resident Ali Hemani, who admitted occasional cannabis use, and affirmed the lower‑court finding that the statute banning “unlawful users of any controlled substance” does not apply to such cases.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the law’s historical basis for “habitual drunkards” differs markedly from the modern regulation of cannabis users. While the Court left open the possibility of future prosecutions when a drug user presents a demonstrable danger, it rejected the broader claim that marijuana consumption alone justifies stripping Second Amendment rights. The ruling counters the Trump administration’s attempt to reinstate the charge and reflects a rare bipartisan coalition of gun‑rights, drug‑policy, and civil‑liberties groups that opposed the prosecution.

The decision affects an estimated 20 million American cannabis consumers who own firearms and marks a significant shift in the legal intersection of gun control and drug policy.