Can the government prohibit firearm possession based on marijuana use?
Marijuana use and firearm possession in North Carolina require a more careful legal analysis after the United States Supreme Court decided United States v. Hemani on June 18, 2026. The decision does not legalize marijuana in North Carolina. It does not allow anyone to carry a concealed handgun while impaired. It does not erase felony firearm bans. What it does is narrow the federal government’s power to treat every unlawful marijuana user as automatically too dangerous to own or possess a firearm.
Carolina Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyer Updates
concealed handgun. On July 29, 2025, the North Carolina Senate voted to override Governor Stein’s veto of Senate Bill 50, known as the “Freedom to Carry NC” act. In order for the law to go into effect, the NC House must also vote to override the veto by a three-fifths majority.