WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that the federal government cannot broadly prohibit firearm ownership by marijuana users without showing that an individual poses a danger, limiting the application of a long-standing federal gun restriction and handing a victory to a Texas man who challenged the law.
The 9-0 decision in United States v. Hemani upheld a lower court ruling that dismissed a federal gun-possession charge against Ali Danial Hemani, a Texas resident who acknowledged using marijuana several times a week. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the court, said the government had failed to demonstrate that prosecuting Hemani under the federal statute was consistent with the Second Amendment.
The case centered on a provision of the 1968 Gun Control Act that bars “unlawful users” of controlled substances from possessing firearms. Federal prosecutors argued that the restriction was consistent with a historical tradition of disarming individuals considered dangerous. Hemani’s attorneys countered that the law imposed a broad prohibition without sufficient evidence that marijuana users as a class present a threat to public safety.
“Ali Hemani uses marijuana a few times a week,” Gorsuch wrote in the opinion. “That fact alone, the government says, means he is automatically banned from possessing a firearm under federal law.” The court concluded that the government had not met its burden of showing that such a prosecution was justified under the Constitution.
The ruling was narrow in scope. Gorsuch wrote that the decision does not address restrictions on firearm possession by individuals who are addicted to drugs, presently intoxicated, or otherwise shown to be dangerous. The opinion also left open the possibility that Congress could enact more targeted measures if supported by sufficient evidence and constitutional justification.
The Trump administration defended the law during the litigation, although government lawyers later argued for a more limited interpretation regarding marijuana users. Several organizations from across the political spectrum, including gun-rights and civil-liberties groups, supported Hemani’s challenge.
The decision follows a series of Supreme Court rulings that have expanded protections for firearm ownership under the Second Amendment and applied the court’s 2022 framework requiring gun regulations to be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms laws.
As of Friday, federal officials had not announced any immediate changes to enforcement policies stemming from the ruling. Legal experts said lower courts are likely to examine future challenges involving firearm restrictions and controlled-substance users in light of the Supreme Court’s decision, though details remain unclear.
