The Supreme Court has limited the reach of a federal law that prohibits drug users from owning firearms.
In a recent decision, the justices sided with a Texas man who faced criminal charges for possessing guns while using marijuana.
The man argued that the federal statute violated his Second Amendment rights.
The court agreed, narrowing the scope of the law to apply only to individuals actively under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of gun possession.
The ruling does not apply to those who are simply past users or who have a medical prescription for cannabis.
This decision marks another significant expansion of gun rights by the conservative-leaning court.
The case centered on a federal law passed in 1968 that bans anyone who is an “unlawful user” of a controlled substance from owning firearms.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion, stating that the law was too broad and infringed on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
The ruling sets a new precedent that could affect similar regulations in states with legalized marijuana.
Federal prosecutors can still charge individuals who are intoxicated or impaired while handling a gun.
