NewsNational

Actions

My guns or my ganja? Firearm-owning pot fans face a choice

Posted at 12:07 PM, Jan 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-14 12:07:56-05

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The federal government says grass and guns don't mix, and that is putting gun owners who use marijuana in a potentially uncomfortable position.

Federal law prohibits marijuana users from owning or even possessing guns or ammunition. The government has traditionally taken a hands-off approach.

But the picture has become murkier under Republican President Donald Trump. His attorney general recently put the decision on whether to crack down on marijuana in the hands of federal prosecutors.

It's unclear whether anyone using state-legalized medical marijuana has been prosecuted for owning a gun. The existence of medical marijuana registries in some states, including Pennsylvania, has some patients concerned.

Marijuana activists predict a backlash if federal prosecutors begin going after gun owners who use the drug to treat medical conditions.