(The Center Square) – Legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania has held legislative attention in recent years, but some problems still pester users in the medical marijuana program.
Some clarity may soon come for the legal tensions between Second Amendment rights and state-approved marijuana use.
Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, is proposing Senate Bill 1146 to clarify that Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearm Act does not consider a medical marijuana cardholder as an unlawful user. Current law does not exempt medical users, which puts them in potential legal jeopardy.
Though police don’t vigorously enforce that law, it does pop up. When Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene announced he has a medical marijuana card, the county sheriff requested he forfeit his license to carry a firearm.
“I can’t change federal law, but this is an attempt partly to raise awareness of the issue,” Laughlin said. “A lot of medical marijuana card folks aren’t even aware of the infringement on their Second Amendment rights.”
Federal law still prohibits marijuana use, creating a legal ambiguity when states legalize it for medical or recreational use.
“We’re in this gray area right now,” Laughlin said. “It’s almost like we’re in this ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ period of time.”
Laughlin has previously discussed how concerns over that…
