WASHINGTON, D.C.—Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) today condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Hemani, which weakens 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), the federal law that has long prohibited unlawful drug users from possessing firearms. The ruling comes as marijuana commercialization spreads across the country and high-potency products fuel rising rates of addiction and serious mental-health harms.
“While the Justices in this case appear to be most concerned with historical battles over Second Amendment rights, public health and safety are the collateral damage in this decision,” said SAM CEO Dr. Kevin A. Sabet. “By reducing the effects of § 922(g)(3), the simplified message to the public from our nation’s highest court is: today’s highly potent marijuana and guns go together just fine. They do not. The research could not be more glaring: combining supercharged marijuana with firearms endangers families, law enforcement, and communities. The recent Minnesota mass shooter personally attributed the violence and disturbance to marijuana. We are working now with our allies in Congress to strengthen protections against more marijuana-induced violence, consistent with today’s narrow ruling.”
###