The US government cannot prohibit a man in Texas from owning firearms solely on the grounds of his cannabis use, the US Supreme Court has ruled.
On Thursday, the judges unanimously ruled in the man's favour, upholding an earlier decision. The man has said he uses cannabis roughly every other day.
The man had invoked the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which grants every US citizen the right to bear arms for self-defence.
The US government argued that he violating a federal law that prohibits "unlawful users" of controlled substances from possessing firearms, on the grounds of his drug use. The man faced up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the judgment that the government had not sufficiently demonstrated that such a blanket ban on firearms was compatible with the historical tradition of American gun legislation.
The court emphasized that the decision was narrowly drawn and did not apply to drug addicts or to individuals who were under the influence of drugs at the time of possessing a firearm.
Marijuana socially accepted
"Marijuana consumption is increasingly common in this country," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a separate opinion.
"It is widespread and increasingly considered socially acceptable in many quarters. And from a practical standpoint, law enforcement widely tolerates the use of marijuana," Alito added.
