09
Federal appeal court rules medical marijuana card holders can be denied guns
The ruling applies only in the nine Western states that fall under the court's jurisdiction, including California, Washington and Oregon.
REDDING, Calif. - The U.S. federal appeals court upheld the federal government's ban on the sale of guns to medical marijuana card holders Wednesday. The court said that ban does not violate the Second Amendment.
It applies to states where medical marijuana cards are legal, including California. The ruling came from a lawsuit filed by a Nevada woman. She tried to buy a firearm in 2011 after getting a medical marijuana card. The gun store refused, citing the federal rule on the sale of firearms to illegal drug users. Marijuana remains under federal law.
"It's my right to bear arms," said Robert Price in Redding. "I have a medical marijuana card and if I want to bear arms I should have that right because it's in the constitution."
The ruling happened in the federal appeals court of San Francisco. It applies to nine western states, including the whole West Coast and states where recreational marijuana is legal like Oregon and Washington.
Rich Howell, general manager of Olde West Gun & Loan in Redding said his shop will be upholding the ruling.
"Once these rulings are signed into law we have to absolutely and unequivocally abide by it," said Howell.