Legislation providing gun rights to medical marijuana patients has been approved by Maryland’s full Senate.
In an overwhelming 43 to 2 vote, the Maryland Senate voted today to pass Senate Bill 348, sending it to the House of Representatives. The measure was filed last month by Senator Mike McKay (R).
The legislation states that “a person may not be denied the right to purchase, own, possess, or carry a firearm solely on the basis that the person is authorized to use medical cannabis”.
Under current law a medical marijuana patient in Maryland could be denied the right to purchase and possess a firearm given that medical marijuana is federally illegal. SB 348 codifies into law that despite medical marijuana being illegal on the federal level, patients must still be afforded their gun rights.
The full text of this one-page bill can be found by clicking here.
Last summer Arkansas lawmakers approved a similar measure which took effect in August. The law alters Arkansas’ legal code related to concealed carry licenses to state that officials “shall not consider a person’s status as a qualifying patient or designated caregiver under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016, Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 98, § 2, in determining whether an applicant is eligible to be issued a license to carry a concealed handgun under this subchapter.”
Last Summer Maine’s Legislature passed a law that would provide the same gun rights to both medical and recreational cannabis consumers.
