Published by TrenBuzz.com | June 20, 2026 | BREAKING
Key Points at a Glance – Gun Ban for Casual Marijuana Users
- The Supreme Court ruled unanimously 9-0 on June 18, 2026, that the government cannot strip casual marijuana users of their gun rights.
- The case involved Ali Danial Hemani, a Texas man and American-Pakistani dual citizen who told authorities he regularly used marijuana.
- It is the same federal law Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, was convicted under in June 2024 before his father pardoned him.
- Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion, finding the 1968 Gun Control Act’s “unlawful user” provision unconstitutional as applied to casual drug users.
- Trump’s Justice Department had pushed the court to uphold the ban, arguing it was historically similar to laws disarming “habitual drunkards.”
- The ruling does not eliminate the entire law, leaving room for prosecutions involving people intoxicated while possessing a firearm or drugs proven to cause danger.
A federal law that has stripped gun rights from millions of Americans for over half a century just hit its biggest legal wall yet. And this time, all nine justices agreed.
The Supreme Court on Thursday barred the government from restricting the gun rights of casual drug users in a case involving a Texas man who occasionally consumed marijuana. On a 9-0 vote, the court concluded that the government’s invocation of the law fell afoul of the Constitution’s Second Amendment when it was used against Ali Danial Hemani.
The Hunter Biden Connection
The law makes it a crime for any person who is “an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” to possess a firearm. It is the same statute that Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden, was convicted under in June 2024 before his father pardoned him. Those prosecuted under the law can face up to 15 years in prison and a permanent ban on owning firearms.
What Gorsuch’s Opinion Actually Says
“We appreciate drugs and guns can sometimes make for a dangerous mix,” Gorsuch wrote, while still ruling the blanket ban could not survive constitutional scrutiny. Gorsuch noted the law could still apply to people intoxicated while possessing a firearm, or for drugs that “always render its users dangerous because of its potency.”
Reaction From Both Gun Rights and Drug Policy Advocates
“Today’s unanimous 9-0 decision makes it clear that the government cannot make it a crime for people to own a gun, which the Supreme Court has held is a fundamental constitutional right, simply because they use marijuana,” said Cecillia Wang, legal director at the ACLU. “No one should be deprived of their God-given right to keep and bear arms for engaging in nonviolent conduct,” added NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford.
Why This Ruling Matters for Millions of Americans
Millions of Americans regularly use marijuana, which is legally available in many states even as it remains criminalized under federal law. Because marijuana remains illegal federally, users have been subject to the federal gun ban, many unknowingly, even when their use is permitted by state law. The decision comes after Trump signed an executive order earlier this year that began loosening federal restrictions on marijuana products.
This was the rare case in 2026 where all nine justices, including the court’s most consistent lone dissenter Ketanji Brown Jackson, found themselves on the same side of the bench.
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Disclaimer: This article is for general informational and news reporting purposes only. All ruling details and quotes are sourced from NBC News, ABC News, CNBC, the Washington Post, WION, and The Trace as of June 18-19, 2026. This article is not legal advice and does not constitute guidance on firearm or drug possession laws, which vary by state. TrenBuzz.com does not represent any government or legal body. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified attorney regarding their specific circumstances.