Arkansas legislators have approved a bill that clarifies that patients who use medical marijuana can get concealed carry licenses to purchase firearms.
The legislation was passed by the House Judiciary Committee (R) in voice vote on Thursday. It will now be sent to the floor.
This measure says that the status of a patient who is qualified to use medical cannabis in the state can’t be used to determine if an applicant is eligible for a concealed gun license.
A state statute would be amended to clarify that participation is not a condition for obtaining a concealed carry permit.
The state Department of Health (DOH), would be prohibited from disclosing the patient status of a person to the state police in any investigation into concealed carry eligibility.
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Although some states have taken steps to preserve firearm rights for cannabis consumers and patients, this legislation focuses more on concealed carry.
Although the voter-approved constitutional amendment to legalize medical cannabis in Arkansas provides that patients will not be discriminated against, a witness at Thursday’s hearing stated that some state forms still ask about medical cannabis. The bill would clarify this issue.
Although concealed carry permits are not required by Arkansas, many Arkansas gun owners prefer them. This is because they have the ability to travel in other states with protections and it gives police more clarity.
Arkansas voters rejected a ballot initiative to expand legalization of marijuana for adults in November.
The new Arkansas patient-focused bill is being debated in the midst of the ongoing federal court battle over gun rights for cannabis users.
In a continuing lawsuit regarding the ban by government preventing medical marijuana patients from owning firearms, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief at a federal appels court.
Many of the arguments DOJ made in the brief file echo points the agency made in previous filings in this case, including in a Federal District Court that dismissed the lawsuit which is now being appealed. The latest document emphasizes the “wide-ranging implications” of a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs.
In February, another federal court ruled that the ban on marijuana users possessing guns was unconstitutional in an appeal that is also underway.
Advocates argue that ending the federal ban on cannabis consumption is not about expanding gun rights. It’s a matter of constitutionality and safety .
Florida supporters argue that the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bureau’s (ATF) requirement creates an incentive for marijuana consumers to lie on the forms, buy guns on the illegal market, or forgo their right of bear arms.
ATF issued a 2020 advisory that specifically targeted Michigan. It required gun sellers to perform federal background checks on all unlicensed gun buyers. The advisory stated that the state’s cannabis laws had allowed “habitual marijuana users” and other disqualified people to illegally obtain firearms.
A GOP Pennsylvania senator encouraged law enforcement to remove state gun ownership restrictions for cannabis consumers in light of the February federal court ruling that declared the ban unconstitutional.
A key House committee held a hearing on February 1st regarding a bill that would protect gun rights for Maryland’s medical cannabis patients.
, a Republican congressman, filed a January bill that would allow medical cannabis patients to buy and possess firearms. This legislation was also introduced in Congress 116th, but it was not enacted.
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The post Arkansas Lawmakers Aprove Bill To Protect Medical Marijuana Patient’s Rights To Carry Concealed Weapons was first published on Marijuana Moment.
