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Yes, you can own a gun and have a medical marijuana card in California, but precautions and legal compliance are necessary.
In the year 1996, the Compassionate Use Act was approved by state voters making California the first-ever US state to legalize medical cannabis. Moving a couple of decades ahead, both recreational and medical marijuana are legal in California. Over the years, the state has improved its cannabis distribution and sales market to the extent that it has become a profitable and clean business.
But still, there’s one question that is often asked by marijuana users in California. ‘Can I own a gun if I have a California medical marijuana card?’
Well, the answer will be, yes. There are no state regulations that limit a person to having either a medical marijuana card or a firearm license.
The state only requires you to follow certain precautionary steps such as not storing both marijuana products and your firearm at the same place or keeping them both away from the reach of children. Apart from that, you’re eligible to have an MMJ card and a firearm license at the same time in California.
Even with the state’s leniency towards the matter, if you’re found in possession or cultivating marijuana with the intention of sales or distribution, things may become difficult for you.
Also, the state doesn’t require you to submit the doctor’s medical marijuana recommendation in order to register with the state for a medical marijuana card. Your medical data is also protected as per the HIPAA regulations.
Taking My Gun To a Dispensary in California: Is It a Good Idea?
As per the state law, there are six restricted places in total where you can’t carry a firearm. These six places include,
- School Zones
- Public Buildings (including any state or local public building)
- Public transit facilities
- State Capitol or on the Capitol Grounds
- Airports and passenger vessel terminals
- Federal facilities (federal building or courthouse, post office, VA hospital, veteran’s home, or cemetery)
As a medical marijuana dispensary is not included in this list, you’re eligible to carry a licensed firearm in there.
More importantly, if you’re planning to purchase a firearm, the California state law requires you to have a Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) and must show it to a licensed firearms dealer when requested.
Consuming CBD Products and Owning a Gun in California
If we consider CBD oils first, there’s no restriction on sales or possession of such products within the state. But CBD derived from marijuana is treated as other marijuana products. This means that similar possession and sales restrictions are imposed on the product as that of marijuana. As a firearm owner, you need to take extra care of the possession limits.
Our expert opinion
California has one of the most progressive medical marijuana programs in the United States. The state not only provides legal protection to qualifying patients but also ensures that these individuals get their rights as any other US citizen. Perhaps that’s the reason why medical marijuana patients within the state are allowed to carry a licensed firearm as long as they take precautionary measures.
