Maryland Gun Laws and Cannabis: What Patients and Adult Users Should Know

If you hold a Maryland medical cannabis card, or you buy cannabis as an adult 21+, you may wonder whether you can also legally buy or own a gun. The short answer in 2026: it’s still complicated, and federal law is the main obstacle. Here’s where things stand, including a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling from June 2026.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Gun and cannabis laws change, so talk with a Maryland firearms attorney about your situation.

The Short Answer

• Federal law still bars “unlawful users” of controlled substances from buying or possessing firearms, and cannabis is still treated as federally unlawful for this purpose.
• Maryland State Police follow that federal rule: they ask gun buyers about medical cannabis status and cannabis use, and they deny purchases to people who say yes.
• A June 2026 Supreme Court decision limited how the federal government can prosecute cannabis users for having guns, but it didn’t create a blanket right for cannabis users to own firearms or change the purchase forms.
• Maryland has not passed a state law protecting medical cannabis patients’ gun rights, despite several attempts.

What Federal Law Says

The federal Gun Control Act, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), makes it a crime for anyone who is an “unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” to possess firearms or ammunition. Because cannabis remains federally illegal (even after the 2026 federal rescheduling of some medical cannabis), the federal government has long treated state-legal cannabis users, including medical cardholders, as “unlawful users.”

When you buy a gun from a licensed dealer, you fill out federal ATF Form 4473, which asks whether you’re an unlawful user of marijuana. Answering falsely is a separate federal crime.

How Maryland Applies It

The Maryland State Police oversee gun purchases and handgun permits in the state. According to their guidance, they ask applicants about their status as a medical cannabis patient or a personal cannabis user, and they bar those who disclose it from completing the purchase. People who give false information by not disclosing their cannabis use can face federal penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Maryland’s medical cannabis patient registry is confidential, but that doesn’t change what you’re required to disclose on firearms forms.

The 2026 Supreme Court Ruling: United States v. Hemani

On June 18, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in United States v. Hemani that the federal government’s prosecution of a Texas man under § 922(g)(3), based on his regular marijuana use alone, violated the Second Amendment. The Court found the government hadn’t shown that his marijuana use made him dangerous.

What the ruling means, and doesn’t:

• It narrows enforcement. Prosecutors generally can’t rely on cannabis use alone to bring a § 922(g)(3) case in situations like Hemani’s.
• It doesn’t erase the law. § 922(g)(3) is still on the books and can still apply, for example to someone who is intoxicated while armed or otherwise shown to be dangerous.
• It doesn’t change purchase procedures overnight. Federal forms and state police background-check practices may lag behind the ruling, so the disclosure question remains a practical barrier.

Maryland Bills to Protect Patients’ Gun Rights

Maryland lawmakers have tried several times to protect medical patients’ gun rights. In 2019, the State Senate passed SB 97 unanimously, which would have barred the state from denying a firearm solely because someone is authorized to use medical cannabis, but it didn’t become law. Similar bills have been introduced in later sessions, most recently HB 365 in 2026, which received a committee hearing but did not advance. As of this writing, Maryland law doesn’t include that protection.

Practical Tips

• Don’t lie on firearms forms. False statements are a federal felony, whatever the outcome of your cannabis use.
• Talk to a firearms attorney before buying a gun if you’re a medical patient or use cannabis. Some people consider whether to keep their medical registration; get legal advice before making that decision.
• Never handle a firearm while impaired, and store guns locked and separate from cannabis, out of reach of children.
• Keep cannabis use legal under Maryland law: buy from licensed dispensaries and follow the Maryland cannabis laws on possession and public use.

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Sources

• Maryland State Police, Firearms FAQs
• Maryland General Assembly, HB 365 (2026) fiscal and policy note
• United States v. Hemani, U.S. Supreme Court, June 18, 2026