But gun dealers aren’t required to ask specifically about medical marijuana and, unless misused, it’s not something that would come up on the criminal background check.
Bullock suspects some medical marijuana users lie and are able to buy guns.
But unless they smell like pot or a medical marijuana card falls out of the customer’s wallet, what’s a dealer to do?
“I’m not going to sit here and interrogate them,” he said.
Both medical marijuana and firearms have widespread popularity in Genesee County. As of August, the state had approved 6,800 medical marijuana applications from residents here. And there were 15,000 people registered to carry a concealed weapon, which doesn’t even account for all gun owners.
The issue of medical marijuana and guns has come up at the Genesee County gun board, a collection of local law and government officials charged with deciding who can carry a concealed weapon.
This year, the board decided — by a 2-1 vote — to allow a 36-year-old medical marijuana user to keep his concealed weapon privileges. Those voting to allow the license did so based on assurance from the U.S. attorney’s office that it had no intention of prosecuting CCW holders violating federal law.
The Sept. 21 letter from the ATF was “really just a clarification” of the agency’s stance on the issue, said ATF spokesman Drew Wade.
The department had received several inquiries from licensed firearms dealers claiming customers were using medical marijuana cards as forms of identification.
