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In IL It's Either Your Pot Or Your Guns...

ChezC3

ChezC3

Relentless Thinking Fury
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From the Land of Lincoln (and Obama!) comes the latest variation of stupid policy as Illinois grapples with implementing medical marijuana laws. As the Chicago Tribune reports:

Patients who want to qualify for medical marijuana in Illinois would have to be fingerprinted for a background check and pay $150 a year — and give up their right to own a gun, state officials proposed Tuesday.
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WTF: Your Pot or Your Guns?!?! Illinois, BATF Say It's One or the Other! - Hit & Run : Reason.com


The asininity just keeps rolling out of Springfield, I tell ya...

Actually it seems to be a Federal epidemic...

Get a Medical Marijuana Card, Lose Your Second Amendment Rights - Reason.com
 
Lachean said:
But have all the booze and pharma pills you can grab and we're not concerned about your gun ownership. Its that devil weed that makes you less aggressive that concerns us!
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their logic baffles the mind...
 
and next theyll be requiring a urinalysis to get or renew a damn foid card..
 
As much of a 2nd Amendment supporter as I am, I fully, 100% agree with this proposal. Individuals who are medical marijuana users should not have access to firearms.
 
Tigger said:
As much of a 2nd Amendment supporter as I am, I fully, 100% agree with this proposal. Individuals who are medical marijuana users should not have access to firearms.
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You know I am going to help you out a bit (not that you want it I know), because I know what you are typing right now is hypocritical considering alcohol is legal atm but you haven't had a chance to comment on it yet so I'm going to set you up so you can.

I assume you would also make it illegal to own a firearm for anyone using a mind-altering chemical such as alcohol as well correct?
 
TheNextEra said:
You know I am going to help you out a bit (not that you want it I know), because I know what you are typing right now is hypocritical considering alcohol is legal atm but you haven't had a chance to comment on it yet so I'm going to set you up so you can.

I assume you would also make it illegal to own a firearm for anyone using a mind-altering chemical such as alcohol as well correct?
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Yes I would. I do not believe that firearms mix with alcohol, marijuana, or any other mind-altering drug in any appropriate way. That's one of the reasons I don't drink - because I'm normally carrying a loaded firearm.
 
Lachean said:
But have all the booze and pharma pills you can grab and we're not concerned about your gun ownership. Its that devil weed that makes you less aggressive that concerns us!
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Exactly. Companies will throw together some of the most dangerous, experimental chemicals known to man in a complicated elixir that nobody truly knows the effects of, and that's completely legal, but using a plant we've been using as a medicine for 10,000+ years revokes your constitutional rights.

I've been on SSRIs (anti-depressants) before, and some of them made me absolutely bat **** crazy. I mean totally about to lose it. Owning a gun in that mental state? No problem. With weed? I just hang out and play computer games. I'm obviously a danger to society.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
I've been on SSRIs (anti-depressants) before, and some of them made me absolutely bat **** crazy. I mean totally about to lose it. Owning a gun in that mental state? No problem. With weed? I just hang out and play computer games. I'm obviously a danger to society.
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Please realize this is not a commentary on your decision to use such medications, but as a gun owner there is no way you could ever get me to take such medications.
 
Tigger said:
Please realize this is not a commentary on your decision to use such medications, but as a gun owner there is no way you could ever get me to take such medications.
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I stopped taking those medications because it altered my mental state to the point where I couldn't control my actions. With cannabis I never at any point lose control of myself. That is the difference. It's absurd to revoke constitutional rights based on cannabis use, especially when far, far, far more dangerous drugs are not covered by the law.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
I stopped taking those medications because it altered my mental state to the point where I couldn't control my actions. With cannabis I never at any point lose control of myself. That is the difference. It's absurd to revoke constitutional rights based on cannabis use, especially when far, far, far more dangerous drugs are not covered by the law.
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Whereas my suggestion would be to ban firearms ownership while one is on ANY mild-altering substance. That's a part of why I don't drink, smoke, use mj or any other illicit drug, and rarele take any form of pain medication. There is no way you'd get me to take a mental health drug under any circumstances.
 
Tigger said:
Whereas my suggestion would be to ban firearms ownership while one is on ANY mild-altering substance. That's a part of why I don't drink, smoke, use mj or any other illicit drug, and rarele take any form of pain medication. There is no way you'd get me to take a mental health drug under any circumstances.
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100% disagree with you, however, thank you for remaining consistant even though I disagree. Not that you need thanks, but it's given anyway.
 
Whether or not you agree with the decision it is still a violation of basic rights here in the USA according to the Constitution. What the BATF is doing here is kiting a way to get people to voluntarily give up a right in order to get a benefit that is not Constitutionally guaranteed. While they lack the authority to take away this right by force (see the recent ruling on Chicago CCW permit bans) it does not mean that people can not voluntarily give it up. This is an end run around the Constitution by a government entity counting on the willingness of people who do not understand the consequences of their decision. It's sneaky, dirty and underhanded, but not at all surprising given the context of the BATFE and the Justice department as it stands. Personally I think that the very suggestion of this ruling should be grounds for dismissal of the agents involved as high as they may go.

However....

There is the consequence of someone who is under the influence of drugs committing a crime and posing the defense that they did nothing wrong because they were legally allowed to own the weapon and to consume the drug. In other words, "Yeah I did it, but it's not my fault because the government said so". In order to not violate the Constitution or deny the benefits of medical marijuana, there needs to be a clarification that provides for stricter consequences for someone who commits a crime involving a firearm while under the influence of a controlled substance, much as there is for alcohol. And since THC is tracable in the blood or saliva for a longer period of time than alcohol is, people who receive medical marijuana need to be informed in writing and sign off that if they are convicted of a crime involving a firearm and test positive for pot (even if they are not high at the time) that they will be subject to this more stringent standard.

Now just to be clear, I am a firearms instructor. I shoot a lot. I have never committed a crime with a firearm, and I fully support the use of marijuana for medical purposes. And yes, I still consider myself a conservative. If that doesn't fit your mold of what a conservative is supposed to be, well, I don't care. But my opinion on issues of infringement of rights does not end at the tip of my nose. I disagree with infringement of 2nd Amendment right no matter how it is proposed, and I did even before I became interested in shooting sports and research. I also support the ability of states to put limitations on certain firearm related issues. Not ownership, that is an implicit right, but extensions of such as training for carry permits. Just so we know where we stand...
 
Tigger said:
Whereas my suggestion would be to ban firearms ownership while one is on ANY mild-altering substance. That's a part of why I don't drink, smoke, use mj or any other illicit drug, and rarele take any form of pain medication. There is no way you'd get me to take a mental health drug under any circumstances.
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Yeah, but see, it is keeping you from your right to bear arms because you partake. It doesn't mean that you're partaking while using your gun. Same with booze. You can have a fridge fill of beer, a cupboard full of hootch, and a cellar full of wine and be able to buy and own as many guns as you want. There's no difference between having the one on hand and having the other.

It's ridiculous. Like the rest of the US drug policy.

*actually there is a difference, at least for me, I find my concentration improves in performing dedicated tasks when partaking. With liquor you only become lethargic.
 
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