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Gun Ownership and Marijuana Don't Mix, Say Delaware Police Chiefs

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - As lawmakers consider whether to legalize recreational marijuana use, some law enforcement officials are suggesting new steps to ensure that marijuana users in Delaware don't have guns.

William Bryson, chairman of the Delaware Police Chiefs Council, told a state panel Wednesday that marijuana users should be required to have a driver's license endorsement indicating that they use pot.

Bryson says the proposal would help ensure that users of marijuana, whether for medical or recreational purposes, are in compliance with federal law, which prohibits marijuana users from owning guns.

Bryson noted that the federal background check form requires gun purchasers to state whether they unlawfully use marijuana. It also warns them that marijuana use remains unlawful under federal law, regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized by a state.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.