Supreme Court Justices Seem Doubtful on Banning Firearms for Marijuana Users

The government argued that the current law is similar to older laws banning gun ownership by ‘habitual drunkards.’

Snow falls outside of the Supreme Court in Washington on March 2, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Most of the justices of the Supreme Court on March 2 seemed skeptical that the federal government can use the Gun Control Act to prohibit the ownership of firearms by those who regularly smoke marijuana, a controlled substance whose possession or use is a federal crime and that separately remains unlawful in some states.

The court heard oral arguments in United States v. Hemani, involving a challenge to federal law prohibiting unlawful drug users from owning firearms.