A lot of times at the Water Board meeting, different topics of discussion will arise after the meeting has adjourned. In our little hamlet of 200 households, there is a Marijuana store opening in a few weeks.
One of the conditions of a WA State sale is that you must present your state ID card (usually a drivers license) and it will be scanned into a database.
The problem arises if the customer is also a Hoplophile.
When buying a gun, the prospective purchaser must complete BATF Form 4473 before the sale and transfer is approved. Question 11.e. states:
Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance? Yes No
If you answer Yes, the sale and transfer is declined. If you lie and answer No, this is a Federal beef with as much as five years in Jail as well as Felony status which means never being able to purchase or own a gun however it was acquired, ever again in your lifetime.
Remember that the sale of Marijuana has been recorded by the vendor and your ID card was scanned into their database. This will probably not catch up with you right away but it will eventually and the more guns and ammo you buy, the worse the book will be tossed at you.
Relevant data:
Form 4473 can be found here.
This Sept 2011 letter from Arthur Herbert, Assistant Director of Enforcement Programs BATF&E -- read paragraphs #2 (A number of States...) and #4 (Therefore, any person...)
I certainly hope that some compromise happens in the near future - this is setting a lot of unthinking people up for a very serious fall and being given Felony status is not anything I would wish on my worst enemy...
