In 2024 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the federal prohibition on firearm possession by unlawful drug users is unconstitutional in most cases, stating that historical tradition does not support disarming a sober person based solely on past substance use but may support limits on a presently intoxicated person's right to carry.
January 01, 2024
high
judicial
Appellate-court interpretation of the Gun Control Act provision in light of the 2022 Supreme Court framework.
A provision of the federal Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits any person who "is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" from possessing firearms.
January 01, 1968
high
statutory
Text of a longstanding federal firearms disqualification in the Gun Control Act of 1968.