A federal judge has declared that prohibiting cannabis users from purchasing firearms is unconstitutional.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has dismissed a case against a man who was charged with possessing a firearm with knowledge that he was an unlawful user of cannabis. Last year police pulled the man over for a traffic stop and found cannabis products and a handgun in his car.
According to federal law, cannabis users are not allowed to purchase firearms, regardless of local marijuana laws. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has said that the rule is in place because cannabis users are “dangerous.”
“Marijuana users pose a danger comparable to, if not greater than, other groups that have historically been disarmed,” wrote DOJ lawyers in a related lawsuit against the department over the same law.
Judge Patrick Wyrick dismissed the indictment, ruling that the statute banning cannabis users from possessing firearms violates the Second Amendment of the Constitution.
Wyrick also said that the DOJ’s characterization of cannabis users is incorrect, “because the mere use of marijuana does not involve violent, forceful, or threatening conduct, a user of marijuana does not automatically fall within that group.”
The DOJ is expected to appeal the decision.
NM College Trains Healthcare Workers
Northern New Mexico College is adding an eight-week introductory course for health care professionals looking to learn about cannabis.
According to Roswell Daily Record, Introduction to Medical Cannabis for Health Care Professionals will help educate health care workers about the medical effects of cannabis. “People are using it to treat health care conditions, yet we don’t have any formal experience with it or formal medical education because it’s been illegal and a Schedule 1 drug,” said the college’s chair of the Nursing and Health Sciences and the course instructor. “The purpose of teaching this course is to provide education so that healthcare professionals have a knowledge base to coach patients on how they could use cannabis.”
The course will cover lesson topics including the human endocannabinoid system, cannabis pharmacology, safety considerations, special populations and legal and ethical considerations.
The course is open to all health-care professionals with proof of licensure or credentials.
Ag Department Celebrates Hemp
Earlier this month, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture tweeted in celebration of National Hemp Day.
“Happy National Hemp Day!” tweeted the department. “The New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s hemp licensing program has led to a revitalized greenhouse industry in the state. NMDA licensed over 10 million square feet of greenhouse space for hemp during the 2022 growing season.”
According to the department, the value of outdoor hemp production in New Mexico in 2021 was $4.28 million, and the indoor nursery industry produced 46,939 square feet of hemp across the state.