Supreme Court Refuses to Review Felon Marijuana Grower's Gun Possession Conviction

The Supreme Court refused to take up the case of Joseph Frederick Johnson, who was convicted for possessing firearms while serving a sentence for growing marijuana. Johnson filed his appeal roughly two months after the Court’s Hemani decision, which limited gun charges for regular marijuana users. By declining review, the justices allowed the Tenth Circuit’s judgment to stand, even though five other circuits share that view and three have ruled otherwise.

Bill Sack of the Second Amendment Foundation criticized the practice of disarming all felons, saying it lacks historical support and should require proof of dangerousness. The outcome keeps the existing legal framework that bars felons from gun ownership in place.