Illinois medical pot users erroneously told to give up guns

CHICAGO (AP) — Nearly two years after Illinois decided medical marijuana users shouldn't be prohibited from owning guns, several patients received letters from state police telling them their firearms cards were being revoked.

[...] a checklist for firearm owners on the Illinois State Police website includes this requirement: "I am not a medical marijuana patient registry card holder."

Guns and marijuana caused a stir two years ago when Illinois started its medical cannabis pilot program and, in draft rules, told future patients they couldn't keep their firearms.

Joshua Gillan said it came as quite a shock when he received a letter last week from state police ordering him to surrender his firearm owner's ID card because he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

On the federal side, in 2011, an open letter from the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives spelled out to firearms dealers that medical marijuana users are prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.