Supreme Court sides with Texas man who challenged law barring drug users from having guns

Updated on: June 18, 2026 / 12:35 PM EDT / CBS News

Supreme Court sides with Texas man who challenged law barring drug users from having guns

TL;DR

  • The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ali Hemani, challenging a federal law that prohibits certain drug users from possessing firearms.
  • The court found that prosecuting Hemani for possessing a handgun while being an occasional marijuana user is inconsistent with the Second Amendment.
  • The ruling is narrow, not striking down the law entirely, but preventing automatic disarming of individuals for occasional marijuana use.
  • Justice Neil Gorsuch argued that the government cannot categorically deem all regular marijuana users as dangerous without further evidence.
  • The decision does not affect restrictions for drug addicts, those intoxicated, convicted felons, or cases where drug use is proven to cause dangerousness.
  • The law at issue carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, with approximately 300 people charged annually.
  • The ruling follows the Supreme Court's 2022 decision requiring gun law restrictions to be consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearms regulation.
  • The shifting federal and state policies on marijuana, including rescheduling efforts, influenced the court's decision.
  • Gun rights groups like the ACLU and NRA supported Hemani, while gun violence prevention groups like the Brady Center and Giffords Law Center supported the government's position.