California grew to become the primary state to enact medical marijuana laws in 1996 with the Compassionate Use Act, adopted within the subsequent 4 years by Oregon, Alaska, Washington, Maine, Hawaii, Nevada and Colorado. In the end, this led to Colorado being the primary state to legalize marijuana for leisure use in 2014. Since then, many states have shifted their standing to completely legalized, medical use and decriminalized, medical use solely, decriminalized, and some states the place the principle psychoactive part of hashish, THC, is allowed to be current solely in hint quantities along side CBD merchandise. As of 2024, solely 4 states stay that fully outlaw marijuana use: Wyoming, Idaho, South Carolina and Kansas. Starting on January 1, 2025, Kentucky would be the subsequent state to legalize marijuana for medical use, nevertheless, all through the years the federal authorities, regardless of its observe of selective prosecution, has remained firmly on the aspect of the hashish remaining a managed substance.
The disparity between state and federal stances on the topic creates a battle, however solely actually the place it’s handy for the federal government. Let me clarify. Regardless of brick-and-mortar hashish dispensaries having opened up throughout many states, we don’t see the DEA going by means of the phonebook raiding these companies one after one other. The reality is that the federal government doesn’t care in the event you get stoned and wipe out the native Pizza Hut stock, as individuals who use hashish merchandise are usually fairly “chill,” which the feds see as compliant and comparatively innocent. The truth is, there’s speak concerning the federal authorities finally transferring to legalize marijuana as an entire, however maintain on to your hats on that one, my buddies, as a result of we’re about to speak concerning the selective nature of the federal government and acquire some understanding on why they haven’t pursued federal prices in opposition to marijuana companies all through the nation.
Buying a firearm usually requires an ATF Type 4473 to be crammed out, a course of that Kentuckians are about to find comes with some issues. Make no mistake, that is by design. Now that marijuana use has change into so widespread within the U.S., the feds are doing an amazing job reminding states and gun house owners that residents should select one or one other, with a qualifying query on Type 4473 particularly addressing the matter.
“Are you an illegal person of, or hooked on, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or some other managed substance? Warning: The use or possession of marijuana stays illegal below Federal regulation no matter whether or not it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or leisure functions within the state the place you reside.”
In case you examine sure within the field subsequent to this query, a licensed vendor is prohibited from promoting you a firearm below federal regulation. However that isn’t the place the agenda ends, as federal regulation additionally prohibits present gun house owners from sustaining their firearms in the event that they possess a medical marijuana card or use the substance recreationally.
“You can not possess firearms and ammunition and in addition be a person of marijuana…They’re not anticipated to, but when they want to observe federal regulation and never be in violation of it, then they should make the choice to divest themselves of these firearms,” says ATF Particular Agent AJ Gibes.
Violation of this federal regulation might topic American gun house owners to jail time and a effective of as much as $250,000, nevertheless, Gibes states that such prices are solely more likely to be pursued in reference to one other felony being dedicated.
“We aren’t actively looking for and dealing solely on investigations involving simply the possession of firearms and marijuana due to our finite assets,” says Gibes.
Maybe that’s true for now, however you higher guess that lists are being made as I kind this. Do you actually belief something .gov tells you after studying the plain textual content of the Second Modification and seeing how they’ve trampled that with brazen disregard?
Kentuckians, like every People residing in states with marijuana legalized in some kind, should face a call between marijuana use and their proper to bear arms in the event that they want to observe the regulation, in contrast to some criminals in our legislative, judicial and enforcement communities who violate their oath to the Structure with impunity each day.
“I believe the federal authorities, within the close to future, wants to determine how the Second Modification and marijuana are going to coexist…As a result of it already is coexisting and it’s simply going to be extra prevalent within the close to future” based on Ryan Crider, proprietor of Axolotl Arms in Louisville.
