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Oklahoma Senate Wants to Protect Cannabis Patients’ Gun Rights

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Feb. 28, the Oklahoma Senate voted to protect the Second Amendment rights of anyone who also has a medical cannabis card in the state.

According to a press release from the state’s government website, Senate Bill 959, written by Sen. Nathan Dahm, lays out the law that anyone with a medical cannabis card could still get a concealed carry permit.

This has been a concern for residents in numerous states, causing people to wonder whether or not they will lose their gun rights if they also want to consume recreational or medical cannabis. Although Oklahoma is medical only, they still want to make sure gun rights are protected.

“Current Oklahoma law precludes citizens from being eligible for a handgun license if they have any violation relating to illegal drug use or possession,” the press release explains. “SB-959 would clarify that this prohibition does not apply for applicants or licensees in possession of a medical marijuana card. The measure would make it illegal for a person to carry or use a gun while under the influence of medical marijuana.”

“Our Second Amendment rights outlined in the United States Constitution are very clear – the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed,” Dahm said. “We cannot discriminate against medical marijuana cardholders because of their personal medicinal decisions. All Oklahomans should have their Second Amendment rights protected, and I’m glad my colleagues agree that we must uphold the Constitution.”

The next step is for the measure to enter the House of Representatives for a vote. Rep. Jon Echols is the author of the House bill. Oklahoma officials recently leaned into the medical industry to start testing cannabis products and recent data reports that Oklahoma experienced a record number of cannabis license applications in 2019.

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