Benzinga - by Maureen Meehan, Benzinga Editor.
Following Hunter Biden’s Tuesday conviction on three felony gun charges related to buying a firearm while using crack cocaine, two Republican congressmen are challenging the conviction, one for reasons having to do with cannabis.
"Hunter might deserve to be in jail for something, but purchasing a gun is not it," wrote Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on his X platform. "There are millions of marijuana users who own guns in this country, and none of them should be in jail for purchasing or possessing a firearm against current laws."
Hunter might deserve to be in jail for something, but purchasing a gun is not it.There are millions of marijuana users who own guns in this country, and none of them should be in jail for purchasing or possessing a firearm against current laws.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 11, 2024
A long-time advocate for gun rights for cannabis consumers, Massie made it clear he was not defending President Biden‘s son generally, only his ability to buy firearms, noted The Hill.
Massie, who has criticized his party for not addressing marijuana reform, co-sponsored a cannabis reform bill in January 2023 that would have allowed medical marijuana patients to buy and possess firearms.
Second Amendment Challenges
Hunter Biden’s attorneys sought to dismiss the case last December, claiming that the statute used against him was unconstitutional and could criminalize millions of lawful marijuana users. The federal law banning cannabis users from buying or possessing firearms has faced multiple challenges, including a pending Supreme Court case. Although Biden’s case involved crack cocaine, Massie also criticized the question on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) form that deprives people of their Second Amendment right if they admit to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.Related: Can Marijuana Use Cost You Your Right To Bear Arms? Supreme Court Poised To Weigh On Cannabis, Second Amendment
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) also questioned the conviction’s validity though he did not directly link it to marijuana reform. "The Hunter Biden gun conviction is kinda dumb tbh," wrote Gaetz after the verdict.
The trial is the first ever involving the offspring of a sitting president. The charges could lead to maximum prison sentences of 10 and 5 years, respectively, with each count also carrying a maximum fine of $250,000.
Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Pixabay, Alesia Kozik, EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA via Pexels
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