The US Supreme Court in Washington DC on 18 June 2026. Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
The US Supreme Court sided Thursday with a Texas marijuana user who wants to legally own a gun, marking the latest in a series of firearm cases from a court that has expanded gun rights.
The justices ruled in favor of Ali Danial Hemani, who argued that a federal law prohibiting gun ownership for anyone who uses drugs illegally violates the Second Amendment. Hemani was not charged with any other crimes nor accused of using the weapon while under the influence.
Impact on Trump Administration and Hunter Biden Case
The decision is a blow to Donald Trump's Republican administration, which had defended the 1968 law despite opposing other gun restrictions. The same measure was used in the case against Hunter Biden, who was convicted in Wilmington, Delaware, for buying a gun while addicted to cocaine in 2018. He was later pardoned by his father, then-President Joe Biden.
Broader Context of Gun Rights Rulings
This opinion is the latest in a string of firearm cases reaching the Supreme Court since a landmark 2022 ruling that expanded gun rights, triggering a wave of legal challenges nationwide. Since then, the high court has upheld a law protecting domestic violence victims and strict regulations on ghost gun kits, but struck down a ban on bump stocks. The justices considered two firearm cases this term alone.
Shifting Landscape of Cannabis Laws
The legality and use of cannabis have also changed significantly in recent years. More than half of US states have legalized it broadly, and it is widely used for health purposes. However, recreational use remains illegal at the federal level, even after the Trump administration reclassified medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug in April.
Standalone criminal charges for gun possession by drug users are rare; such charges are typically filed alongside other crimes.
Unusual Political Alliances
The case created unusual political alliances. The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Rifle Association both supported Hemani, along with cannabis legalization groups like NORML. Opposing them were gun safety groups like Everytown, which usually oppose the Trump administration on Second Amendment issues.
