The relationship between medical cannabis and gun rights is often questioned. Namely, can you own a gun with a medical cannabis card? Does being a medical cannabis patient affect the individual’s second amendment right to bear arms? And, can you own a gun after your medical card expires?
Well, these questions can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. Technically, because cannabis is still federally illegal, it is still considered a Schedule 1 drug. Therefore, those with their medical marijuana cards are thought to be using a controlled substance, and, as a result, federal law bars them from purchasing firearms. However, many states have loopholes in their laws that allow medical cannabis patients to own guns.
This article details more about being a gun owner as a medical cannabis user and how these laws may differ state by state. However, nothing in this article should stand as legal advice: for formal questions about medical cannabis and gun ownership in your state, we recommend consulting with a lawyer.
The legislation about firearm possession and medical marijuana extends back several decades. The Gun Control Act of 1968 explicitly bars “unlawful users” of controlled substances or those who are addicted to these substances from owning firearms or ammunition.
The federal government hold a distinct standpoint on the relationship between medical marijuana use and firearm ownership. According to the FDA, cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I drug or controlled substance according to the Controlled Substances Act, indicating its purported lack of medical utility, high potential for abuse, and, as per this classification, both its possession and use are deemed illegal. As a user of a controlled substance under federal law, medical cannabis patients cannot technically have a gun license.
In 2011, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) distributed an open letter to all licensed firearms vendors clarifying that individuals holding a medical cannabis card are ineligible to purchase firearms from licensed dealers. A legal challenge to this prohibition surfaced in Wilson vs. Lynch when a card-carrying patient contested the law. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that the prohibition of firearm sales to medical marijuana users did not infringe upon their Second Amendment rights.
It’s essential to note that federal law holds authority over state law, respective of any state-level legislation concerning gun ownership and medical marijuana.
Supplementing this 2011 ruling, certain states have enacted their own statutes for their marijuana laws. For instance, in Oregon, a recent verdict granted concealed carry licenses to medical marijuana firearm owners. Conversely, in Florida, it was recently determined that a medical marijuana patient cannot lawfully acquire a firearm.
Additionally, some require background checks, whereas others, like Georgia, do not require such checks.
Recently, in Oklahoma, the question of gun ownership by a medical cannabis patient came into question. The case ended up in federal court, where U.S. District Judge Patrick Wyrick sided in favor of the people calling the charges against a medical cannabis patient unconstitutional. Reuters reported that:
“U.S. District Judge Patrick Wyrick, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump in Oklahoma City, on Friday dismissed an indictment against a man charged in August with violating that ban, saying it infringed his right to bear arms under the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.” Judge Wyrick also went on to say, “That while the government can protect the public from dangerous people possessing guns, it could not argue Jared Harrison’s “mere status as a user of marijuana justifies stripping him of his fundamental right to possess a firearm.”
Giffords.org answers the question, “What disqualifies you from owning a gun in the U.S.?” Their answer is, “Under federal law, a person is generally prohibited from acquiring or possessing firearms if, among other things, they have been convicted of certain crimes or become subject to certain court orders related to domestic violence or a serious mental condition.”
Many states like Oklahoma are standing up for the rights of medical cannabis patients. In August 2023, the Journal Record cited an Oklahoma state law saying, “A medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee shall not be denied the right to own, purchase or possess a firearm, ammunition, or firearm accessories based solely on his or her status as a medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee.” We’re eager to see what the future holds for the legalization of medical cannabis at the federal level—and what that means for American gun purchasers who desire to use medicinal cannabis.
Yes, you can apply for a gun license when your medical cannabis card expires.
You just need to fill out the required forms, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Form 4473, and fulfill the additional requirements needed to purchase a gun from a federally licensed dealer according to your state.
In addition to your identification details, question 21(e) on Form 4473 asks if you are “an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.” Because it has not been legalized on the federal level, if you use medical cannabis, you are considered an unlawful user of a controlled substance, even if you have a medical card. However, if your card expires, you’re not actively using this substance.
Simply, you can buy a gun again after your medical marijuana card expires (as long as you don’t renew your card).
If you do decide to renew your card, the ATF technically allows medical cannabis users to have guns at home if their spouse doesn’t use cannabis. According to law enforcement, the spouse must keep the firearm locked away to prevent the medical marijuana cardholder from accessing it.
No, if you are registered as a medical marijuana patient in New York State, you cannot purchase or own a gun. However, you can register a firearm once your med card expires.
In New York, you are disqualified from owning a gun if you:
Additionally, you must declare any history of mental illness and present no good cause for license denial.
No, a registered medical marijuana patient cannot legally ship, transport, receive, purchase, or otherwise possess firearms or ammunition in Ohio.
No, a person with a valid medical marijuana card cannot own a gun in Pennsylvania under the state’s Uniform Firearms Act.
This article was originally published in April 2023 and most recently updated in June 2024.
To hum it ma concern
I am a 75 year old Vietnam Vet that is 100% disabled from PTSD. I KNNOW that cannabis would help me a great deal of help from stress, but I have a great deal of concern of legal problems with my 2nd amendment rights from the Federal government and/or from the state of Ga. In which I currently live. Can you share any info on my situation.
With Respect, Bill Casey
If holding a Medical Marijuana Card to legally use cannabis for use of a chronic pain debilitating condition is unlawful because it is still considered a Schedule I drug, it could have some further issues to enforce. That would render any person who for medical reasons is taking an opioid drug for pain as well. Opioids are not legal on the open market to purchase. They are also a federally illegal drug to use without a prescription and have even more devastating side effects. The biggest one is death due to overdose. Does being temporarily given an opioid drug for an injury also render that person unable to own a firearm for the duration of their prescription? The law must ne applied evenly and fairly for ALL situations.
I’m not sure being in the mere vicinity of cannabis would constitute a crime on the part of licensed, authorized security guards who are carrying firearms. Unless of course they are “users of” or “addicted to” cannabis. 🙀
The analogy I’d use is the case described in the article where a cannabis user’s partner has a legal gun and keeps it in a location where cannabis is also present. If this doesn’t confer criminal status on them, neither should that be the case for the security guard at a dispo.
What should break this law for med users is, as the judge said, automatically classifying legal users as criminals in this way is illogical and unsupportable.
When it comes down to it though, all of this information is null and void because getting busted buying a gun while you have a medical card is next to impossible. The gun seller would have to ACTUALLY do a background check to find this information. Most mass shooters obtain their guns legally. If we aren’t cracking down on background checks for that reason, why would having a medical cannabis card be a valid reason that a gun seller would deny you and turn down their profit? There’s a whole system outside of the legal aspects of the law. It’s not right or good and it needs to be controlled. Targeting those who benefit from a natural substance and also choose to protect their home and family by having a firearm is unrealistic. If a child can purchase a semi/automatic weapon easily and murder innocent people with it, I’d say the chances a cannabis user gets arrested for owning a gun are very low. The gun industry is out of control.
I am anti-gun and pro gun control, but just because I medicate with natural substances instead of man-made chemicals should not mean that any of my rights should be taken away.
Now, let’s talk about the combination of alcohol and gun ownership. If you have a card or chips that show you are in AA, why can you still buy/own a gun? (I am pro-AA. Getting help is always a good thing.) It’s common for a person to be there because there’s been a reason to seek help for your alcohol consumption. It’s already caused harm. This is a much more dangerous combination and I’m sure thousands, if not millions in this country drink and own guns and even drink alcohol WHILE operating a firearm. Our country is missing the point here. It’s far past due for cannabis’ schedule I classification to be reevaluated and natural remedies to be destigmatized.
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