U.S.A. — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issued a stern warning last week after Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana.
The author, apparently Jeff Reed, ATF’s Acting Special Agent in Charge of the St. Paul Field Division, sought to provide “clarification for gun owners and potential gun owners who may be considering using marijuana given Minnesota’s recent ease on marijuana restrictions.”
“Regardless of the recent changes in Minnesota law related to the legalization of marijuana, an individual who is a current user of marijuana is still federally defined as an ‘unlawful user’ of a controlled substance and therefore is prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition,” Reed said in the letter. “Until marijuana is legalized federally, firearms owners and possessors should be mindful that it remains federally illegal to mix marijuana with firearms and ammunition. As regulators of the firearms industry and enforcers of firearms laws, we felt it was important to remind Minnesotans of this distinction as the marijuana laws adjust here in the State of Minnesota.”
The letter shows once again how the ATF will threaten and bully law-abiding Americans while ignoring high-profile Democrats who are committing the very same offenses. No one – other than perhaps Hunter Biden – personifies ATF’s dual standard of justice better than former marijuana lobbyist, Florida’s former Agriculture Commissioner, failed gubernatorial candidate, and the current chair of Florida’s Democratic Party, Nikki Fried.
In 2019, just days before she was sworn in as Agriculture Commissioner – who oversees Florida’s Concealed Weapon or Firearm License (CWFL) program – Fried appeared on “The Marijuana Solution’s” podcast. She told listeners that according to state law, Floridians could possess both a CWFL and a state-issued medical marijuana card, despite federal prohibitions.
“I have both,” Fried said on the podcast, which was sponsored by a marijuana vendor. “So, I want to make that very clear, that I will not be taking anybody’s concealed weapons permit or not renewing them. I see no conflict between the two.”
The podcast’s website has since been taken down, but other evidence still exists.
While running for governor in 2021, Fried posted a picture on her campaign’s Facebook page of her medical marijuana card. The photo was captioned: “I’m a proud medical marijuana card-holder and I’ll fight like hell to stop Republicans in the Florida Legislature from restricting patient access.”
In a 2018 Tweet, Fried admitted she owned at least one firearm.
“The NRA says I’ll take your guns—that’s a lie. I own a gun, I’m not anti-gun, I’m pro-public safety. The gun lobby feels threatened, they just spent $1 million on ads to maintain control of our government. I’m running to restore accountability and ensure full background checks,” she said in the Tweet.
While overseeing Florida’s CWFL program, Fried closed the online application portal during the height of the pandemic, suspended the CWFLs of dozens of Floridians who attended the Jan. 6 protest before they were convicted of any crime, and bragged that she had “kicked the NRA out of Florida’s gun licensing office.”
Fried did not respond to requests seeking her comments for this story.
Dual Standard of Justice
It’s not as though ATF is unaware Fried is flaunting the law. In 2019, a daily newspaper in Florida even published a story titled: “Will the feds bust Nikki Fried?” But so far, the ATF has given Fried a complete pass, even though she admitted she possesses firearms, has a valid CWFL, and is what ATF’s acting-SAC in St. Paul called an “unlawful user of a controlled substance.”
To date, there have been no late-night “knock-and-talks” at the front door of Fried’s home, even though ATF agents across the country are unconstitutionally intruding on law-abiding gun owners who may have purchased after-market triggers, solvent traps or other firearm accessories.
And don’t forget Hunter. The ATF and federal prosecutors have been investigating the false statements he made when he purchased a handgun in Delaware for more than five years, while others who are not the president’s son have been sentenced to federal prison for the same offenses.
Perhaps the ATF is ignoring the crimes of high-profile Democrats because they are too busy trying to turn 40 million law-abiding Americans into felons after they purchased a plastic firearm accessory that the agency twice said was perfectly legal.
This obvious dual standard of justice is just one of a long list of atrocities the ATF has been allowed to commit for decades, completely unhindered. Now, the question we should be asking is not what they are going to do about Nikki or Hunter, but how long can we as a free society allow such a corrupt and politically biased federal law enforcement agency to even exist.
This story is presented by the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and wouldn’t be possible without you. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support more pro-gun stories like this.
About Lee Williams
Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
If you’re a democrat the laws are (D)ifferent.
So… register as a democrat. Problem solved.
Gets in the way of voting in primary, but does not impact your vote in general election.
So glad we don’t register with a party in my state. Just walk in and pick which primary you are voting in. As a one-party state, that means vote in that primary since it is really the general election.
Uh, the electoral system is completely broken now, and it’s a Uni-party political system anyway, so your “vote” is a complete waste of your time, except that it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside while you delude yourself into thinking that you might make a difference in life by voting.
Too many unelected agencies with way too much power.
But as soon as you expose their crimes, they lose ALL of their pretended power and authority over us!! Criminals don’t have any Rights or power or authority, they lose ALL of that when they go and commit crimes!! Why is that concept so damn hard for people to see??
it is not that really. it is, if you are of a particular political persuasion those things will be overlooked.
look at the chas/chaz a couple years ago. were any of those illegally armed people charged and tried. how many of the rioters were charged with felonies for burning down and looting cities across America. look at the parents that were investigated for not wanting their children groomed for pedophiles in schools. look at the pro-life centers that were firebombed. crickets.
if you support big government you get a pass. if you support freedom, out comes the microscope.
government does not give up their own , it is out of control
Typical democrat ‘laws for thee and not for me’ mentality. They love to use the legal system as they see fit while using their elite status to skirt them.
Time to abolish the ATF completely!
No, I’ll go you at least one better!! It’s time to abolish the 100% corrupted legal system!! THAT is the source of most of our problems in the world!! Get rid of the criminal elites in the legal system, and just watch at least 90% of our societal problems disappear at the same time!!
We could just bribe Biden to get what we want. Everybody else does.
We all think we know what the problem in America is; and I am no exception. However, some of the dimmest people think they know everything, and the brightest are very aware of the limitations of their own knowledge, and how much there is still left unknown. What is happening to our society is that there are too many opinions, uninformed opinions; and too many ways for nitwits to make themselves heard. Couple that with a propensity for naivete and gulliblity; and you have what we are all experiencing now. The source of the matter runs deep in the hearts… Read more »
You’re right on the fact that leftists will use their constitutional rights to destroy the constitution.
Yes, like the Muslim protester who was exercising his right to free speech, to hold up a sign that said “Free speech can go to Hell!” on it!! Oh, the irony is just so lost on the idiots!!
The problem goes deeper than with just firearms ownership. Federal employees and contractors who use “controlled substances” will have their security clearances either denied or withdrawn. In many cases this means losing their jobs. Uncle Sam’s position is, “I don’t give a damn what the states do about marijuana legalization, its a federal prohibition and we’re going to (selectively, ha!) come after you. We can eliminate this problem by resolving it at the federal level, which will automatically ripple down to the states.
Having a MJ card does not prove MJ use….merely the ability to acquire MJ.
“It’s not as though ATF is unaware Fried is flaunting the law.”
Note to Mr. Williams: The correct word is flouting. The definition of flout is to treat with contemptuous disregard (Merriam-Webster).
I like the article, and my wife is caught in the same catch-22. She uses medical marijuana, and we both support carry.
Ms Fried is obviously an ignorant, disingenuous, arrogant, condescending far Left Nazi.
The KEY to all of this crap, is the completely corrupted legal system that applies the bogus laws based upon the whim or caprice of the day! Why is it, that nobody but me seems to see this?? Is it because I was run over in a stampede of rainbow colored Unicorns? Is that what gives me so much insight into this? Or is it really because no one else wants to break free of their life time of mental abuse and brainwashing and indoctrinations about the legal system from years of societal training? Perhaps it’s due to watching too… Read more »
You misspelled Trump you know Don Jr the cocaine addict
Stop the bashing it makes you look foolish!P.S. you voted for these policies, ideologies and infringements try again!