Opinion
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- Marijuana use, gun purchases, and BATF.
US Attorneys are currently prosecuting five men in ME for falsely claiming on Federal Form 4473 that they were not users of marijuana. Form 4473 must be filled-out for every retail gun purchase.
Marijuana use, medical or “recreational,” is a violation of federal law, even though some states, like ME, have “legalized” it, at least within state boundaries.
How a state can “overrule” federal law has yet to be explained to me in a way that makes any kind of sense. I am confused with regard to what the term “law” even means any more.
However, current implications for potential gun-owners are far easier to understand.
When you use marijuana, in any state and for any reason, forget about owning guns.
For sure, don’t attempt to purchase guns.
BATF doesn’t care what state you live in!
And since after exposure, traces of marijuana remain in your system essentially forever, any use of marijuana at any time in your life probably represents a “deal-buster” with regard to gun ownership.
The five men mentioned above are in for the “hassle of their lives.” Whatever the outcome, this “adventure” will be impoverishing, morbidly frightening, and essentially never-ending.
Another administration might look at this issue differently, but the current one is putting out the clear signal that they are coming after marijuana-users who attempt to buy guns- big time.
Don’t be “that guy!”
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
Injustice anywhere is injustice anywhere
justice delayed is justice denied
Most of the drugs prescribed by doctors for pain or sleep have side effects much more serious than that of marijuana. Before I receive anymore emails about this I already know the laws and do not use marijuana. I just feel the government should really take another look at marijuana and it’s side effects compared to the so called legal medications.
Some drugs are so pervasive that every paper dollar has traces of cocaine, every cop or firemen or EMT that has been in a drug den, warehouse or perhaps arrested / treated a heavy user may have ingested/ absorbed some about of drug. Fifty years ago drug testing could find parts per million. Today they can fin find parts per trillion. We bought a used car over ten years ago, I know we haven’t put any illegal drugs in the car. What might be behind the dash, under the carpet or what a car mechanic might has left in the… Read more »
Why aren’t alcohol and prescription pills on the no gun list. Because government makes way more $ off those and weed is harder to controll. It’s all about $, controll and another excuse to take your rights away. Most government officials do drink and take pills so why would they ban themselves from having guns. I’ve said on this forum before, a drunk, a pill popper and a pot head, the pot head is by far the lesser of the evel’s. How many people are killed by drunk driver’s compared to stoned driver’s every year?
There is a little niggly detail that is critical, and germane, in this issue. It is clearly stated that the US Constitition and all laws passed IN ACCORDANCE WITH that document are the supreme law of the land. Note carefully the all caps part of that statement. The Controlled SUbstances Act (CSA) passed back in I thin it was the mid 1930’s is NOT “innaccordance with” the superior document. NOWHERE in that document are FedGov granted ANY authority over what we do/do not put into our bodies. ALL laws, acts, etc, enacted that are NOT “in accord with” the Cosntitutoin… Read more »
Actually, THC is not completely harmless and IS addictive. Among other things, chronic, long term usage can induce Caanabis Hyperemesis Syndrome. It can cause various cardiac problems, and it lowers the threshold for psychotic break, especially in males age 18-24. Inhaled “medical marijuana” is also a misnomer of sorts. Being that no two people inhale exactly alike, it is impossible to come up with a standard dosing this way. That is why Marinol tabs are used instead.
Anything can be abused, and no drug is completely harmless. Even water can kill you if you drink too much at once. The question we should be asking is, have prohibition laws been effective at stopping such abuse, or have they simply given already powerful special interests even greater power to abuse we, the people, while transferring our wealth into their pockets? The answer should be obvious by now.
But Marinol tabs are deadly. Cannabis has never killed anyone. Excuse me if I ignore your ignorance.
Pardon MY ignorance on the matter, but before you claim intellectual superiority, perhaps you should educate yourself. Overdose is not the only way in which a substance can make one very ill or even kill. Google; Cannabis induced A-fib, Cannabis induced stroke, Cannabis Hyperemesis, and Cannabis induced psychotic break, not to mention the many traffic deaths attributed to Cannabis use. When I mentioned Marinol, it was to illustrate the fact that there is no MDI for inhaled THC and that the only way to achieve a measured dose currently, is with something like a tablet form.
The fact remains, Tionico is correct. We can live in a free country, in which the individual is free to make his or her own decisions while being accountable for the results, or we can live as chattel in a nanny state, in which a ruling class controls every aspect of our lives. There is no middle ground. Which would you prefer?
another fool that has been brainwashed, i have been smoking CANNABIS for 35 years i am in perfect health as so are all my friends that have smoked that long , you are just regurgitating bullshit fed to you by people who fear losing money to a practicality harmless plant, The same boldfaced lying scum doctors that got paid a shit ton of money to lie to congress in the 30’s that got it banned are the same lying sacks of shit doctors feeding dumb sheep like you the info you are regurgitating right now, i could list the damage… Read more »
As a corrections officer of 23 years, I have SEEN many cannabis caused deaths, and I have SEEN many people get violent on cannabis.
“How a state can “overrule” federal law has yet to be explained to me in a way that makes any kind of sense.”
Try this; the federal government lacks the constitutional authority to outlaw or regulate a substance. Prohibition was legal as it took a constitutional amendment to enact it. It is that simple. Now, we all recognize that the federal government is essentially above the law when it wants to be. So the gist of the article is correct, but it pertains to a rogue government which needs to be clearly understood.
You ask: “How a state can “overrule” federal law has yet to be explained to me in a way that makes any kind of sense. I am confused with regard to what the term “law” even means any more.” It is called nullification of unconstitutional laws and was fully supported by the founding fathers. You know that pesky Amendment X? Yes, when States stand up and are the States they should be, that is how it works. The sheriffs and that State AG should be fighting FOR their Citizens and telling the feds to get lost. The general government was… Read more »
The 10th amendment allows for marijuana to be legal in your state but it’s still illegal by the federal government.
My wife was taking three 30 milligram oxcycooten and up to 4 15 milligram codean a day this was prescribed by a doctor she now uses medical marijuana and she now uses only one codean a day and that is just to keep her from getting the jitters from withdrawl symtems,so do not tell me that medical marijuana does not work. So the sooner that the feds decriminalize this the sooner we will be off!!!
He never said it doesn’t work. He just said that legally marijuana use prevents you from being allowed to own/buy a gun. I agree with both you and him. I agree that the state attempts to legalize marijuana aren’t legal, but I do think that the federal congress should pass a law reclassifying marijuana.
Vote these people out . Whats the % of them coming to work after drinking with there lunch .
The ugly truth about marijuana is that it is not all that good!
I work in Oncology as a healthcare provider and I beg to differ.
@ Herb I don’t understand the correlation between MJ and the fact that you work in some cancer center. I have been living with cancer for eight years and no one has ever prescribed MJ for my conditions and I have been treated by Oncology groups since it started. One thing they do not recommend is smoking and the most general use of MJ is smoking it.
@Tcat, Sorry to read about that, brother. Herb that is a clever pun. Herb’s sentence implies a lot that demands explanation. Maybe … he forgot what he was going to type.
WB – OMG! I did not mean it to come out that way! Guess I do have some explaining to do! Ha!
Tomcat – I admit my post was a bit vague, an understatement I know. First sorry to hear about your cancer, you are obviously a strong person to have been battling it for so long. The “correlation” is that unlike your case, I’ve seen thousands of patients and some of them have some pretty serious side effects (from chemo and radiation treatments) and choose (not you I understand and that’s your choice, but then one data point does not show a trend agree?) to use it. You don’t have to have a Rx in WA or OR where I work,… Read more »
@Herb your explanation is appreciated. The state I live in does not allow medical MJ or recreational MJ. I have bladder cancer and had a bout with colon cancer last summer. It was recommended that I do chemo because the tumor was a stage 3. I did four sessions of oxyplaten and F5U and they burned the lining up in my bladder. I am still in the process of getting healing of the cystitis of the bladder. So, I am off chemo and because I had radiation on the bladder about six years ago they do not want to attempt… Read more »
If anyone were to write a book detailing all of the “Sheriff of Nottingham” style scams being run out of our public sector at all levels, it would be longer than the entire U.S. tax code. The Drug War is one of them. It has absolutely nothing to do with curtailing drug smuggling and abuse, and everything to do with being the gatekeepers, deciding who gets to peddle their wares and who doesn’t, skimming huge profits in the process, not to mention keeping our privatized prisons profitable for the shareholders. Whether or not states can nullify Federal law is still… Read more »
Trump appointed Sessions, Wray, and others on bad advice. Trump is running out of time.
Never used marijuana, not inclined to.
100% agree…
It’s not just guns the Marijuana use will cause trouble with. In theory you could lose a pilots license, sea captains license. You could lose a job if the employer holds or even bids on government jobs. You will definitely lose you security clearance and with it the associated job. Technically you could have your passport revoked and you could find it impossible to get visas to non visa waiver countries and possibly even be denied entry to visa waiver countries. John Lennon was denied entry to the US because of a publicly photo of him with a joint. You… Read more »
Yes, the situation is ironic. You can be openly alcoholic, or taking prescription narcotics, or even taking SSRI’s for any number of mental health issues, without impacting any of those things, even purchasing a firearm (unless your psychiatrist reports you as a danger to self or others in the case of psychotropics), but using marijuana to treat medical conditions it’s proven to work for turns you into public enemy number one. Of the drugs I mentioned, only cannabis is not known to make its users more likely to engage in violence. It makes the official position that marijuana prohibition is… Read more »
I’ve seen non drinkers that smoke weed do some really weird things involving firearms.
More so than the reverse situation. That’s been my experience over the last 50 + years.
I’d sooner be around a drinker than a smoker handling guns any day.
Your experience runs counter to the prevailing literature. That doesn’t invalidate your experience, as it may simply be atypical, similar to John Farnam’s experience with 10mm pistols. There are many studies which found no link between Marijuana use and any form of violent behavior. You can, of course, find papers which did find such a link – most of which have been funded by either the government or the pharmaceuticals industry. It’s also worth considering exactly who you’ve observed behaving badly. Cannabis has been illegal for a long time, so until very recently, the kind of person who’d be using… Read more »
So, Obama can still travel?
@Farmer the same thing I was wondering. There are pictures of him smoking joints. Another question of how did he get installed as President.
I warned about this in a column back in 2014.
If the Feds want you they will find a way.
http://www.ammoland.com/2014/07/gun-buying-alleged-legal-marijuana-usage-do-you-feel-lucky/#axzz5ESTDg3dy
“And since after exposure, traces of marijuana remain in your system essentially forever, any use of marijuana at any time in your life probably represents a “deal-buster” with regard to gun ownership” This is not true, cannabinoids are not toxic and not so removed by the liver/kidneys but do have a half life and will be reduced to a non detect in short order… From DP, “…Police departments in the state are changing their attitudes. Last year, the Aurora Civil Service Commission adopted a policy that requires applicants to its police and fire departments to be marijuana-free for one year… Read more »
This statement was made in this article . . .made me sick to my stomach!
How a state can “overrule” federal law has yet to be explained to me in a way that makes any kind of sense. I am confused with regard to what the term “law” even means any more.
When the true statement should be. . . . How THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT can “overrule” STATE law has yet to be explained to me in a way that makes any kind of sense