There are multiple reasons why I don’t have a medical marijuana card. One reason is that I don’t consider myself to have a valid medical condition, like chronic pain, glaucoma, fear of ghosts, or whatever else qualifies an Oklahoman for a medical marijuana card. Two, I grew up with a narcotics detective as a parent who basically made the D.A.R.E. lion the patron saint of our family and no amount of therapy has allowed me to overcome the anxiety of letting Daren the Lion or Hank the Cop down by smoking weed.
Three is that as the law currently stands, if I want to keep my handgun license I can’t get a medical marijuana card. Because logically speaking if you carry a gun with you at all times, you don’t need treatment for chronic anxiety or anything like that. But a new bill heading to the Senate may soon allow Oklahomans to have their weed and shoot stuff too.
Senate Bill 959, authored by Sen. Nathan Dahm, would change the laws regarding firearms and marijuana.
Under the bill, it would still be illegal for anyone who is under the influence of marijuana to use or carry a gun.
"We currently have prohibitions. You can’t carry a firearm if you’re under the influence of alcohol or hallucinogens, non prescription drugs or even prescription drugs if they could have any sort effect or impair to your judgment or anything like that," Dahm said. "So, this would include a provision in that to say you can’t carry if you’re under the influence of marijuana as well."
Yes, because the first thing medical marijuana users want to do 5-7 minutes after lighting up is put away their Doritos, turn down Adventure Time, and go outside to practice putting rounds in an old milk jug tied to a fence post.
Here's more...
However, the bill also changes the clause regarding illegal drug possession.
In the new bill, it would allow medical marijuana license holders to legally get a concealed carry license.
"Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to deny an otherwise qualified applicant from obtaining a handgun license pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act solely on the basis of the applicant being a lawful holder of a medical marijuana license," the bill reads.
As my four-hour handgun license class informed me (you can read about it here), even with a license to carry you still can’t be under the influence of cognition altering substances while in possession of your weapon. Being that medical marijuana is legal now and does alter your state of mind, man, it makes sense for it to be illegal to use while carrying a weapon. But having a medical marijuana card shouldn’t keep people from being able to own guns. Being that a third of gun related deaths over the last 40 years also involved alcohol, if anything it’s the booze that should be more regulated.
Don't you D.A.R.E. not follow Hayley on Twitter @squirrellygeek
