Arkansas Senate approved a bill clarifying that patients with medical marijuana can get concealed carry licenses for firearms. It was sent to the governor.
Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R), has quickly moved through the legislature clearing the House on Tuesday , and then moving through one Senate committee . The bill was passed by the full chamber in 26-3 votes on Friday.
“No prescription medication, even opioids, can disqualify anyone from having [concealed carry] licence. “Medical marijuana patients shouldn’t be an exception,” Sen. Clint Penzo, R stated on floor. “This bill guarantees that Arkansans who are otherwise qualified can obtain concealed carry licenses, regardless of whether they have medical marijuana status.
It remains to see what Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R., will decide what to do with the proposal. However, the measure passed with enough support to override any potential veto.
The bill states 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 license to carry concealed handguns.
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.
Although some states have taken steps to preserve firearm rights for cannabis consumers and patients, this legislation focuses more on concealed carry.
Although Arkansas doesn’t require concealed carry permits, some Arkansas gun owners want one. This is because it offers protection from other states and provides clarity during encounters with police.
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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.
Maryland Lawmakers Send Marijuana Regulation Bill to Governor, Setting the Stage for Legalization To Take Place
The post Arkansas Lawmakers Pass Bill Protectionizing Medical Marijuana Patient’s Gun Rights, Sending it To Governor’s Desk appeared originally on Marijuana Moment.
