Law360 (April 10, 2023, 8:19 PM EDT) --
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A Texas federal judge ruled that an El Paso woman's cannabis habit did not mean she could
not own or sell guns, throwing out a two-count criminal indictment that violated her Second
Amendment rights.
Federal prosecutors could not show through historical gun regulations why Paola Connelly
should be prevented from having or transferring a firearm after telling local police she used
cannabis, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone ruled Thursday. U.S. laws that prevent
"unlawful" drug users or addicts from gun ownership and sales were unconstitutional, the
judge added.
Even if history broadly supports disarming dangerous individuals, Connelly is not one of them,
the judge said. The government never alleged Connelly committed violent or threatening acts,
only that she consumed cannabis, a drug legalized for recreation in more than 20 states and
used by millions of Americans, Judge Cardone added.
"It strains credulity to believe that taking part in such a widespread practice can render an
individual so dangerous or untrustworthy that they must be stripped of their Second
Amendment rights," the judge said.
