Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 15 January 2018

American Living:

My guns or my ganja? Firearm-owning pot fans face a choice

By MARK SCOLFORO “It’s a violation of my Sec- long denounced the drug. more than 10,000 people in “Any person who uses or is
Associated Press ond Amendment rights,” Sessions recently rescinded the state have signed up addicted to marijuana, re-
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gruver said. “I don’t know a Barack Obama-era poli- for medical marijuana. The gardless of whether his or
The federal government her state has passed leg-
says grass and guns don’t islation authorizing mari-
mix, and that is putting gun juana use for medical pur-
owners who use marijuana poses ... is prohibited by
— and the strongly pro- federal law from possessing
gun-rights administration of firearms or ammunition,”
President Donald Trump — ATF spokeswoman Janice
in a potentially uncomfort- L. Kemp said in an email to
able position. The Associated Press.
As gun-loving Pennsylvania A spokeswoman for the
becomes the latest state to Justice Department re-
operate a medical mari- ferred questions about
juana program, with the medical marijuana and
first dispensary on track to guns enforcement to local
begin sales next month, federal prosecutors and a
authorities are warning pa- recent memo from Sessions
tients that federal law bars that does not specifically
marijuana users from hav- address the issue.
ing guns or ammunition. In Ohio, which has autho-
“They’re going to have to rized a medical marijuana
make a choice,” said John program, the office of the
T. Adams, president of the U.S. attorney for the north-
Pennsylvania District At- ern part of the state, Justin
torneys Association. “They Herdman, has said Sessions’
can have their guns or their In this Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 photo Phil Gruver poses for a photograph in Emmaus, Pa. As gun- guidance won’t change his
marijuana, but not both.” loving Pennsylvania becomes the latest state to operate a medical marijuana program, with the case-by-case approach.
first dispensary on track to begin sales next month, authorities are warning patients that federal
That’s the official line, but law bars marijuana users from having guns or ammunition. Gruver, who received a state medical Meanwhile, some state and
the reality of how the pol- marijuana card in mid-December, is weighing what to do with his .22-caliber rifle and a handgun local officials, particularly
icy might be enforced in he keeps for home defense. in law enforcement, have
Pennsylvania and other (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) sought to crack down.
states is a little muddier. William Bryson, chairman
That includes the question of any time anyone’s been cy that was deferential to registry change on Friday of the Delaware Police
of whether people who using marijuana and going states’ permissive marijua- makes it much less likely Chiefs’ Council, told state
already own guns might out and committing acts of na laws. Now, federal pros- the state’s medical mari- lawmakers in December
have to surrender them, in- violence with a gun. Most ecutors in states that allow juana users will be flagged that people who use mari-
stead of just being prohib- of the time they just sit on drug sales must decide when going through a fed- juana for medical or rec-
ited from making new pur- their couch and eat pizza.” whether to crack down on eral gun sales background reational purposes should
chases. State laws allowing medi- the marijuana trade. check. A spokeswoman for be required to have a des-
The political sensitivity was cal or, more recently, rec- It’s not clear what impact Dave Freed, the new U.S. ignation on their driver’s li-
underscored Friday when reational use of pot have the new policy will have on attorney in Harrisburg, said censes. That would make it
Pennsylvania regulators re- long been at odds with the gun owners who use can- only that criminal investi- easier, he said, for police to
versed themselves and an- federal prohibition on gun nabis as medicine, or even gations and prosecutions enforce the ban.
nounced its registry of med- ownership by those using how many people fit the “will be based on a fair and And last month, a police
ical-pot patients will not be marijuana. But the govern- bill. Nor is it clear whether transparent fact-intensive chief in Hawaii publicized
available, as was previ- ment has traditionally tak- any people who use legally inquiry of individual cases.” and then quickly rescinded
ously planned, through the en a hands-off approach. obtained medical marijua- State police said it’s up a directive that medical
state’s law enforcement Since 2014, Congress has na have been prosecuted to prosecutors to decide marijuana patients had to
computer network. forbidden the Department for owning a gun, although when to bring a case. give up their handguns.
Phil Gruver, a professional of Justice from spending the existence of medical The Justice Department’s Two people turned in their
auto detailer from Em- money to prosecute peo- marijuana registries in some Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac- weapons.
maus who received a state ple who grow, sell and use states, including Pennsylva- co, Firearms and Explosives But marijuana activists pre-
medical marijuana card in medical pot. nia, has some patients con- has left no doubt where it dict a backlash should fed-
mid-December, is weighing The picture has become cerned. stands. Last year, the ATF eral prosecutors begin go-
what to do with his .22-cali- murkier under Trump, a Re- More than 800,000 guns spelled out the marijuana ing after gun owners who
ber rifle and a handgun he publican whose attorney are sold or transferred in prohibition in boldface type use legally obtained medi-
keeps for home defense. general, Jeff Sessions, has Pennsylvania annually, and on gun purchase forms. cal marijuana.q