Can using marijuana cost you your gun rights, even if you’ve never hurt anyone?
The Big Story
Federal agents searched Ali Hemani’s home in 2022 as part of a terrorism-related investigation.
During the search, Hemani cooperated, turned over a gun, and told agents he used marijuana almost every day. No terrorism charges were filed. Instead, the government charged him under a federal law that says people who regularly use drugs like marijuana cannot legally possess guns.
The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled that using marijuana alone wasn’t enough to automatically take away someone’s gun rights.
The Two Spins
From the Left
- Marijuana use is increasingly accepted, and federal laws should better align with state laws.
- Focus restrictions on dangerous behavior, not marijuana use alone.
From the Right
- Gun ownership is a constitutional right that should not be lost automatically because someone uses marijuana.
- Focus restrictions on people who have proven to be dangerous, not broad categories of people.
What This Means for Us
Marijuana is legal for medical use in 40 states and recreational use in 24 states, but it remains illegal under federal law.
According to the federal government, more than 64 million Americans used marijuana in 2024. That means millions of people are living under two different sets of law.
The Hemani case shows how these inconsistent laws affect everyday things in our lives like gun ownership, federal employment, military service, security clearances, and other federal benefits and programs.
How They Make Money
Curaleaf
- Founded in 2010, Curaleaf grew from a startup into one of the largest cannabis companies in America while marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
- Curaleaf is publicly traded and generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue.
Takeaway
As marijuana use grows, the gap between state and federal law keeps getting harder to ignore.
The Number That Stuck With Me
15
15 years was the maximum prison sentence Hemani faced.