The federal battle over weed and guns is heating up as the Department of Justice (DOJ) says pot users probably won’t store their weapons correctly.
According to federal law, cannabis users are not allowed to own firearms, whether they live in a state that has legalized the drug or not.
But that law has been challenged on a number of occasions over the recent years as lawmakers and cannabis advocates have argued that it turns marijuana users into second-class citizens.
In this recent case, which involves the arrest of a cannabis user who possessed a firearm, the DOJ defended the rule by claiming that cannabis users are more likely to be involved in crime to support their drug habits and engage in violence as part of their criminal career. It claimed that regular weed use could lead to schizophrenia. It also claimed that pot users may forget to safely put away their guns.
“Users are unlikely to put their guns away before using drugs and retrieve them only after regaining lucidity,” claimed the department.
Weed Worker Suffers Fatal Asthma Attack
A new federal report is highlighting a lesser known danger associated with working in the cannabis industry.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Massachusetts marijuana worker died from a weed-related asthma attack in 2022. The worker experienced progressively worsening respiratory symptoms in the months that she was employed at a cannabis processing plant before succumbing to the deadly asthma attack while on the job that ended her life. Her medical history showed no sign of allergies or asthma.
The employee worked throughout the facility as a cycle counter—or inventory checker. Four of the ten other employees with the same job reported respiratory or skin symptoms.
The CDC says the case was the first of its kind in the U.S. but warned that multiple respiratory hazards have been identified in the marijuana cultivation and production industry. It recommends evaluating workers for signs of new-onset or worsening asthma recognizing “work in cannabis production as potentially causative.”
The agency is also calling for research into prevalence and risk factors for cannabis-related occupational allergies.
Zoning Changes Proposed
An Albuquerque city councilor is looking to change the zoning rules for weed shops.
City Councilor Renee Grout is proposing changes to the city’s Integrated Development Ordinance that would increase the space between dispensaries.
According to the city’s current zoning rules, pot shops can’t open within 600 feet of each other. Grout wants to extend that buffer to 660 feet. She also wants to make the buffer apply to microbusinesses, and remove the Conditional Use exemption.
Grout told reporters that the proposed change could help with market oversaturation. A number of New Mexico marijuana companies have called for a statewide moratorium on new cannabis licenses, citing an overabundance of operators.
Comments are closed.