A Colorado voter initiative is seeking to let voters decide whether or not cannabis consumers should be allowed to qualify for concealed carry firearm permits under state law, according to a Denver7 report.
Currently, state sheriffs are prohibited from issuing the permits to anyone who would be disqualified under federal law, which still recognizes cannabis as a prohibited, Schedule I substance. The initiative seeks to update state laws so that the lawful use of cannabis does not stymie one’s application for a concealed carry permit.
Guns for Everyone co-founder Edgar Antillon said he considers the proposal a “freedom issue.”
“It’s one of those silly things that has been going on for a while. We’ve legalized marijuana, but we don’t give [users] the ability to defend themselves. Alcohol users get to defend themselves. Why not marijuana users?” – Antillon, via Denver7
The initiative, which is being championed by a pro-gun advocacy group called Guns for Everyone, appeared before the Colorado Legislative Council Staff on Tuesday to determine whether the proposal satisfies the single-issue requirement for Colorado voter ballot initiatives.
The initiative’s next hurdle will be whether it is accepted and titled by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, at which point