DOJ Signals Shift On Cannabis & Firearms | TDR Cannabis in 5

追加: 2026-05-08

[00:00:00]Hey everyone, what's going on? Welcome into our latest TDR Cannabis in Five presented by FlowHub. I am your host Shad Dales. Before we get into today's update, a quick reminder, this episode is brought to you by Indeed Flowhub, the retail platform behind some of the top dispensaries in North America. [music] If you're an operator looking to simplify your operations, stay compliant, and grow your business, then book a demo right now at flowhub.com.

[00:00:25]All right, let's get into today's episode because this is an update on a topic that yes, we've covered multiple times here on the show before and [music] that's the conflict between cannabis use and gun ownership in America. And if you've been watching us here at TDR for quite some time, then you know where we stand on this. The laws, everyone, they're completely outdated and they haven't kept up with what cannabis is today. So, here's the latest from Marijuana Moment. According to new comments from the attorney general, the Trump administration is now signaling it may stop pursuing prosecutions against marijuana users who are found to be in possession of firearms. Well, hallelujah. Some common sense starting to set in. So again, this is not a change in the law itself, but it is a potential shift in how the law is enforced. And we're seeing a lot of shifting towards cannabis under this Trump administration. And that is important because just to recap the issue, under federal law, cannabis users are still considered unlawful users of controlled substance. And because of that, they are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. So it does not make sense at all, especially here in 2026.

[00:01:29]And it doesn't matter if cannabis is legal in your state. And it doesn't matter if it's for medical use either.

[00:01:35]At the federal level, that restriction, it still applies. And that's the disconnect we've talked about again and again in the past. You've got millions of Americans using cannabis legally under state law while at the same time being exposed to federal penalties tied to firearm ownership. So that's where things stop making sense. So now let's fast forward and now what's changed here is the tone is coming from the DOJ. And what is that? Well, instead of continuing to push these cases aggressively, they're now suggesting that they may step back from prosecuting them altogether. This is a big step if it actually comes to fruition. And that's not happening right now in a vacuum. No, this comes as the courts across the US have started questioning whether this law even holds up constitutionally. We've seen multiple cases now where judges are looking at this and they're simply asking, is it justified to take away someone's Second Amendment rights solely based on cannabis use? And the answer is, well, they haven't been as clear-cut as they once were. So what we're seeing now is pressure building from the courts. And further to that, the DOJ appears to be adjusting accordingly. So now let's connect to the broader picture in this because this update [music] also comes right after the Trump administration officially moved forward with cannabis rescheduling, shifting state licensed medical marijuana from schedule one to now schedule 3. So on one side you have the federal government is acknowledging medical use, but on the other side it's still enforcing questions that treat cannabis users like they're engaging in illegal activity. Come on, man. Really?

[00:03:07]So that contradiction is exactly why this issue, it keeps coming up again and again. And why? Let's face it, it's not going away right now. From an industry standpoint, this indeed matters. And let me explain why. The reasons why is because it's another example of how federal policy is slowly starting to catch up at all this. Not all at once, but step by step. And we've indeed said this before. Sometimes enforcement changes come before actual legislative changes. And that appears to be what's happening here. Now, does this fix the problem? The short answer is no.

[00:03:38]However, the law is still on the books.

[00:03:40]And until Congress addresses it directly, there's still going to be uncertainty. But if the DOJ does pull back on prosecutions, it changes the realworld impact for a lot of people. It lowers the risks and it signals that even at the federal level, there's recognition that this policy doesn't line up anymore. Of course, it doesn't.

[00:03:59]Now, one thing to keep an eye on here as well, if enforcement does ease, it could influence how ongoing court cases are indeed decided and potentially speed up future legal challenges as well. So, while this may feel like a small update in all this, it's actually part of a much bigger shift we've been tracking here. One, we're outdated cannabis laws are starting to face real pressure both in the courts and within the federal government itself. And you have to ask yourself the timing of all this. Why is this happening now? Well, we've said once we get rescheduling and some reform announced, which we now officially have, there's a lot of things they're going to start to change where people and more importantly lawmakers and the courts start to look at this more and more differently because really, it's time to update some of these laws. Are you kidding me? Firearms, cannabis, really?

[00:04:45]Yeah. 2026 is going to be the year where a lot of things start to change. And hopefully, this is indeed the case and people have their Second Amendment rights [music] protected when it comes to cannabis use. So that's it for our latest TDR Cannabis and 5. Let's get those comments coming in. Let us know your feedback below. You all for the Supreme Court. Are we going to gain some momentum here? Is it time to change these laws? Of course it is. [music] Give me reasons why. So get those comments coming in. As usual, make sure to like, subscribe, [music] smash on that bell for all notifications, and stay connected with us here at TDR. All right, everyone. That's it for now.

[00:05:16]Enjoy the rest of your day. I'm your host, Shad Dales. Thanks for checking in, and I'll see you in the next one.

[00:05:20]Take care, everyone.