{"slug": "supreme-court-sides-with-a-texas-man-who-says-its-not-a-crime-for-marijuana-to", "title": "Supreme Court sides with a Texas man who says it’s not a crime for marijuana users to have guns", "summary": "The Supreme Court unanimously sided with Texas marijuana user Ali Danial Hemani, ruling that a federal law barring drug users from owning guns violates the Second Amendment. The decision strikes down a 1968 law and marks a loss for the Trump administration, which had defended the measure. The case is the latest in a series of firearm rulings since the Court expanded gun rights in 2022.", "body_md": "**Getting your**\n\n[Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...By LINDSAY WHITEHURST\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — [The Supreme Court](https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court) sided Thursday with a Texas marijuana user who wants to legally own a gun, the latest in a line of firearm cases from a court that has expanded gun rights.\n\nThe justices, in a unanimous decision, sided with [Ali Danial Hemani](https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-marijuana-gun-control-drug-users-8d764ddacc9d753314910b99ebc7e6a4), who argued that a law barring guns from anyone who uses drugs illegally violates the Second Amendment. Hemani wasn’t charged with any other crimes or accused of using the weapon under the influence.\n\nThe decision is a loss for President Donald Trump’s Republican administration, which had defended the 1968 law despite arguing against other gun restrictions. The measure was also used in [a case against Hunter Biden](https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06), who was convicted in Wilmington, Delaware, of buying a gun while addicted to cocaine in 2018. He was later [pardoned by his father](https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525), then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat.\n\nThe opinion is the latest in a series of firearm cases to reach the Supreme Court since [a landmark ruling expanding gun rights](https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8) in 2022 led to a wave of challenges around the country.\n\nSince then, the high court has upheld a law aimed at protecting victims of [domestic violence](https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-domestic-violence-d63ee828e51911cc5e5a01780820f224) and strict regulations on [ghost gun](https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ghost-guns-bf404db1d4ece56203c8748b2544dc02) kits but has struck down a ban on [bump stocks](https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-bump-stocks-b3bd1b4163d78514a6d5acc5b44c8b3d), an accessory that enables rapid fire. The justices considered two firearm cases this term alone.\n\nThe legality and use of cannabis, meanwhile, has also shifted significantly in recent years. More than half of U.S. states have now legalized it broadly, and it’s gained widespread use for health purposes.\n\nRecreational use remains illegal on a federal level, however, even after the Trump administration [reclassified medical marijuana](https://apnews.com/article/medical-marijuana-rescheduling-justice-department-trump-cannabis-1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268) as a less-dangerous drug in April.\n\nIt’s rare to see standalone criminal charges filed against people accused of owning guns and using drugs. The charge is more often filed against people also accused of other crimes.\n\nThe case made for some unusual political alliances. The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Rifle Association both supported Hemani’s case, as did cannabis legalization groups like NORML. On the other side were gun safety groups like Everytown that usually oppose the Trump administration on Second Amendment issues.\n\n___\n\nFollow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at [https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court](https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/supreme-court-sides-with-a-texas-man-who-says-its-not-a-crime-for-marijuana-to", "canonical_source": "https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/18/supreme-court-sides-with-a-texas-man-who-says-its-not-a-crime-for-marijuana-users-to-have-guns-2/", "published_at": "2026-06-18 14:08:02+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-18 14:25:40.585969+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy"], "entities": ["Supreme Court", "Ali Danial Hemani", "Trump administration", "Hunter Biden", "Joe Biden", "American Civil Liberties Union", "National Rifle Association", "Everytown"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/supreme-court-sides-with-a-texas-man-who-says-its-not-a-crime-for-marijuana-to", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/supreme-court-sides-with-a-texas-man-who-says-its-not-a-crime-for-marijuana-to.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/supreme-court-sides-with-a-texas-man-who-says-its-not-a-crime-for-marijuana-to.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/supreme-court-sides-with-a-texas-man-who-says-its-not-a-crime-for-marijuana-to.jsonld"}}