ATF: Minnesota Marijuana Users Still Barred From Owning Firearms

Just one day after Minnesota legalized recreational marijuana use, an organization that monitors weapons use warned that any current marijuana user is forbidden from having firearms or ammunition.

The explanation was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) field office in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, just after Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed a law legalizing recreational marijuana. Present marijuana users are forbidden by federal law from possessing, receiving, transporting, or shipping weapons or ammunition.

“Until marijuana is legalized federally, firearms owners and possessors should be aware that mixing marijuana with firearms and ammunition remains federally illegal,” Jeff Reed, ATF’s acting special agent in charge of the St. Paul Field Division, said in a statement.

ATF: Minnesota Marijuana Users Still Barred From Owning Firearms

“As regulators of the firearms industry and enforcers of firearms laws, we felt it was important to remind Minnesotans of this distinction as marijuana laws adjust here in Minnesota.”

According to a RAND Corporation study, approximately 40% of Minnesota residents reported possessing a gun between 2007 and 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 18% of Americans used marijuana in 2019.

Applicants for weapons must state whether they consume marijuana on their applications. The agency also said that persons who use marijuana for medical grounds are not exempt.

Here’s a tweet from one of the most popular websites, Tom Angell, about ATF: Minnesota Marijuana Users Still Barred From Owning Firearms:-

Minnesota became the 23rd state in the country to completely legalize marijuana on Tuesday, allowing persons 21 and older to carry up to 2 ounces of the material and possess up to 2 pounds at home beginning Aug. 1.

“We’ve known for far too long that prohibiting cannabis hasn’t worked,” Walz said in a statement. “By legalizing ad*lt-use cannabis, we’re expanding our economy, creating jobs, and regulating the industry to keep Minnesotans safe.”

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