Although federal law explicitly prohibits all Americans who consume or possess marijuana from purchasing or possessing a firearm, a judge in Oklahoma late last week declared that ban unconstitutional.
On February 3, U.S. District Judge Patrick Wyrick—an appointee of former President Trump—dismissed an indictment against a man named Jared Michael Harrison.
Last May, police in Lawton, Oklahoma, pulled over Harrison’s car after he allegedly failed to stop at a red light. They found a loaded revolver and marijuana inside. Police officers also observed that Harrison wore an ankle monitor; he had been placed on probation for aggravated assault. Harrison further told the police officer that he works at a medical marijuana dispensary, but did not possess a medical card.
In his written decision, Wyrick agreed with Harrison’s lawyers that the statute in question was “unconstitutionally vague, in violation of the Due Process Clause, and unconstitutionally infringes upon his fundamental right to possess a firearm, in violation of the Second Amendment.”
The Second Amendment reads, in part, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
“It bears repeating that all the United States would have to prove at trial to justify depriving Harrison of his right to possess a firearm is that he is a user of marijuana. But the mere use of marijuana carries none of the characteristics that the Nation’s history and tradition of firearms regulation supports,” Judge Wyrick wrote.
Why does the firearms ban even exist?
The debate in Harrison’s case stems from the Gun Control Act of 1968, which prohibits any “unlawful user” of a controlled substance from purchasing or possessing a firearm or ammunition. Since marijuana remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance at the federal level, no Americans—even those in legal states—are immune from the policy.
Anyone purchasing a firearm must complete a registration form from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that asks if they are an “unlawful” user of marijuana. If they check “yes,” the ATF will deny their firearms application. Furthermore, applicants can face federal charges for lying on the form.
Bipartisan attempts to change the policy have failed
Other lawmakers and state officials have contested the Gun Control Act, but none have succeeded.
In April 2022, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) sued the Biden Administration to allow medical patients’ access to firearms. “Medical marijuana is legal. Guns are legal. This is about people’s rights and their freedoms to responsibly have both,” Fried stated at the time.
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U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed her suit last November; Fried has since appealed the decision.
Furthermore, the late Representative Don Young (R-AK) introduced the GRAM Act in 2021. It would have ended the gun ban in legal marijuana states.
Rep. Mooney pushes to end the prohibition for medical patients
Last month, US Representative Alex Mooney (R-WV) re-introduced his Second Amendment Protection Act to allow medical marijuana patients to purchase and possess firearms. The bill failed to gain momentum in past sessions, but could fare differently in a GOP-led House.
“The beauty of [Mooney’s bill is], it’s not a marijuana bill, it’s a gun bill, if you’re a Republican,” the conservative cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy recently told Leafly.
The fate of Mooney’s bill remains to be seen. In the meantime, as Reuters reports, the US Department of Justice will likely appeal Wyrick’s decision to dismiss Harrison’s case in Oklahoma.
What makes a great restaurant experience? The food, obviously. Service is also paramount. And the space itself can’t be overlooked.
Astoria, Queens, is full of top-notch eateries, from Greek to Vietnamese to Venezuelan. Earlier this year, they added cannabis to the menu with the opening of a handful of legal dispensaries. One of the best is Cannavita Dispensary, located at 30-30 Steinway Street.
Cannavita general manager Allie Carney and owner Marko Popovic met years ago while working in New York City’s restaurant industry. They learned the ins and outs of how to provide guests with an unforgettable dining experience. Now, they have a fleet of native Queens budtenders working with them to apply the same hospitality principals to shopping for cannabis.
“Every brand has some story behind it. We want to provide Astoria the best possible products from the cannabis market.”
Marko Popovic, co-owner of Cannavita
Cannavita is located on a street full of restaurants and stores. For commuters and munchers on the go, they provide quick work during a busy day. Cannavita’s menu offers hundreds of choices for consumers across flower and prerolls, edibles, vaporizers, and concentrates, with brands like Electraleaf, Chef For Higher, KIVA, Aeterna, and Blotter on deck. Their team largely hails from Queens as well, giving a local texture to patrons seeking recommendations.
(Christian Brown / Leafly)
“Marko and I have known each other for so many years; we come from restaurants, so now to finally have something [where] we can take that customer service and put it into reality—none of this is lost on us.”
Allie Carney, manager at Cannavita
Popovic received his CAURD license along with a silent partner who had a previous cannabis charge. Both he and Carney emphasize that equity and social justice are a huge part of Cananvita’s model. Cannavita collaborates with justice-focused organizations like the Last Prisoner Project and hosts regular social events to elevate locals’ experiences with cannabis.
“Prioritizing people, justice-involved individuals, who’ve had their lives burned by the War on Drugs. We want to make sure that we contribute to those efforts.”
Allie Carney, manager at Cannavita
Beyond Cannavita, Carney and Popovic encourage locals and visitors to indulge in the full Astoria experience when they visit. There’s an endless list of restaurants, riverside parks, and the museums (we love Museum of the Moving Image, an interactive museum that celebrates cinema, television and visual media) nearby.
As Cannavita’s one-year anniversary approaches in spring 2025, Carney says that the dispensary’s ethos is to be the best in the business, and to foster a sense of “peace and community and comfort,” for everyone who walks in the door.
(Christian Brown / Leafly)
Cannavita’s team delivers on that mission with a rich events schedule including yoga seshes in the morning and art gallery parties at night. Follow Cannavita on Leafly for updates on deals, events, and new product drops. And next time you’re in Astoria, stop by the posh storefront, which looks and feels like a luxurious tropical getaway from the concrete jungle.
I’ve been on the gummy beat a long time, Leafly Nation, and I’ve had my fair share of flops and fabulous treats—from cup winners that send me to the moon to oily, gelatin-based trips that barely registered. I’ve found that no matter the consistency, the nano-techonology, or the flavor, the single greatest indicator of your gummy experience is how they get the weed in it. And the best extraction process, by far, is rosin.
In dab communities, rosin (call it hash, call it hash rosin, call it whatever—you know what I’m talking about.) Solventless cannabis extraction isn’t the most efficient, but it keeps all the terps, ‘noids, and entourage compounds intact to elevate you well beyond distillate oil. I’ve scoured coast to coast for the best iterations of rosin and hash-based gummies for you all to make the most of these last weeks of summer.
California
Lost Farm THCv Mango Amerelo rosin gummies
(Courtesy Kiva)
How to make a product stand out amongst crowded dispensary shelves has long plagued cannabis brands. How to make a new product stand out when nearly all your bags are bangers appears to be no issue for Kiva. They have awards, word of mouth, and sales in multiple states to prove that people will pick up what they put down, from espresso beans to mints to their ever-growing line of gummies and chews. I have tried dozens of Kiva products at this point, and I always come back to these, particularly with the high-THCv strain here that will keep you uplifted and away from too many munchies.
You think Simone Biles won Olympic Gold in Paris by coasting on her laurels? No, she worked even harder to be better than before. Edible brand Camp have done the same, working on their popular resin-based gummies to make them more potent, more flavorful, and with a more multifaceted experience. So now, they’re made with rosin! Consumers get three flavors to choose from—orange, blackberry, and peach—to enhance the mirages they may see in the Nevada desert.
Massachussetts
Suncrafted live rosin gummies
(Courtesy Suncrafted)
Even across multiple states, the Massachusetts-based Suncrafted Cannabis Co beat out all licensed gummy manufacturers and took gold with their Blue Raspberry rosin gummies at the 2024 NECANN cannabis awards in Boston earlier this year. They also took multiple awards for their solventless concentrates, proving that the proof really is in the solventless pudding.
Maine
Landrace Hash Co rosin jewels
(Courtesy Landrace Hash Co)
Maine admittedly isn’t the most conveniently located hash Mecca, but it’s worth the trip. The Pine Tree State has an abundance of trees, and they know how to press them. Landrace Hash Co makes strain-specific rosin “jewels” because the edible experience is so valuable. And the strains they choose are elite, including Pineapple GMO and Waterlemon Road Dawg.
Michigan
Bursts rosin gummies by Sauce
(Courtesy Sauce)
Michigan has led the Midwest in product innovation and, Sauce’s rosin gummies are a testament to continuing to push the envelope. Think of it as pulling a piece off the ol’ slab, as these come packaged as one giant, 200 mg THC gummy ready to be divided into as much or as little as you can handle.
Maryland
SunMed + Airo Oria live rosin gummies
(Courtesy Oria)
SunMed is one of the biggest cultivators in Maryland, and one of the few committed to exclusively sungrown cannabis. Their relatively “crunchy” approach translates to flavorful flower that doesn’t sacrifice potency—and by extension, edibles that take consumers above and beyond. This collaboration with the vaporizer brand Airo brings consumers a citrus and blackberry gummy dubbed “Black Mamba” for an edible experience that stuns on impact.
Oregon
Happy Cabbage BLOX rosin gummies
(Courtesy Happy Cabbage)
Sometimes a single gummy is all you need—one enormous, potent gummy. Happy Cabbage make regular-dosed gummies, but they are known for their BLOX, 100mg of rosin-based THC in tasty, fruity flavors like Passion Orange Guava (sativa) and Midnight Melon (indica). Plus they’re vegan, gluten-free, and low-sugar to accomodate different dietary needs.
When Washingtonians want to shoot for the moon and land among the stars, they find a constellation. Constellation’s Gravity gummies use solventless hash oil in a broad range of flavors and formulas, including high-CBG and CBD options for those who’d rather stay below under cruising altitude.
Colorado
Canyon Cultivation rosin gummies
(Courtesy Canyon)
It’s hard to stand out in one of the country’s oldest cannabis markets, but Canyon Cultivation has done it. Their expanded roster of “chew-its” include three new flavors, Paradise Punch, Blueberry Pomegranate, and Blue Raspberry, all with a live rosin formulation. Each gummy clocks in at 5 mg THC, and contain no gluten and minimal amounts of sugar.
See also: Northern Standard live rosin gummies
Arizona
Baked Bros hash rosin gummies
(Courtesy Baked Bros)
Get in the ‘zona with Baked Bros’ growing line of rosin-based gummies. Each flavor is meant to pair with the single-strain extraction, i.e., Frozen Guava rosin goes with the blood orange gummies. They’re also adding an Arizona punch flavor with Prickly Pear OG flower later this year, so stay tuned.
See also: Copperstate rosin gummies
New Mexico
Verdes live rosin gummies
(Courtesy Verdes)
New Mexico has proven its cannabis industry is all about the new. Verdes brand gummies pair their rosin formula with contemporary, cutting-edge flavor combinations, like blackberry gummies with a lavender-infused sugar coating, or watermelon gummies with a dusting of Tajin chile.
Missouri
Honeybee solventless gumdrops
(Courtesy Honeybee)
The Show Me State continues to show out in the infancy of its adult-use cannabis industry. The edible brand Honeybee makes many succulent flavors of their vegan gumdrops, and now add two solventless SKUs to the roster. Available in Tangerine Dream and Strawberry Basil Mojito, these rosin-fueled drops have just 5 mg of THC each, allowing you to munch on as many or as few of them as you can handle.
New York/New Jersey
MFNY rosin gummies
(Courtesy MFNY)
The more cannabis knowledge crosses state lines, the better all cannabis lovers and medical patients will be. Marijuana Farms of New York, or MFNY, have taken some cues from California for their artisanal, small-batch approach to flower, prerolls, concentrates, and edibles. Their line of vegan gummies pair strains to the flavanoids in their fruit-based flavors—i.e., the cherry gummies pair best with Poddy Mouth’s savory terps.
See also: Rezinators by Jaunty
Oklahoma
Mindful Indulgence Lodoz rosin gummies
(Courtesy Lodoz)
Don’t let the name fool you—these rosin gummies feel anything but “low dose.” Mindful Indulgence partnered with local cultivator Tribe to concoct these rosin-based, nano-powered gummies in flavors like Peach Hibiscus and Strawberry Rhubarb to deliver a more vibrant experience without the dreaded edible wait time. They also produce a higher, 25 mg THC per gummy dose for those needing more efficient medicine.
Montana
Cannabis Counter rosin gummies
(Courtesy Cannabis Counter)
The Big Sky State wants to be known as the Big High State. Their adult-use industry rolls out more and more beguiling products and formulas. Cannabis Counter have amped up their gummy line to a two-pronged approach, both made with live rosin and enhanced absorption. Consumers can choose between strain specific gummies like Papaya Bars, or a more effect-based approach with options like sleep and focus.
Illinois
On the Rocks rosin gummies
(Courtesy Verano)
Verano gets my nod for their new brand of solventless products including vapes, concentrated, and gummies, dubbed On the Rocks for its straight-up approach. Their rosin gummies deliver full-spectrum effects in tasteful flavors like Peach Mango and Sour Apricot Apple, the latter of which won third place at the 2023 Illinois High Times Cup.
This story must end, but your gummy journey is just beginning, Leafly.
Hit the Gummies Near You page on Leafly to see what’s chewy, gooey, and lit near you. (Just be sure to select your location in the top right corner.)
Missouri hit the ground running when the state legalized adult-use cannabis is TK, building off their medical marijuana program. Kansas City is home to over 40 dispensary options for consumers, highlighting the Show Me State’s penchant for craft and pizzazz.
Whether you’re new to cannabis, or an experienced connoisseur looking for a new dispensary experience, Leafly did the math to find out what reviewers say are the very best dispensaries in Kansas City. Our newly updated Leafly List features the top dispensaries in Connecticut for 2024 based on dispensary reviews and ratings on Leafly.com.
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Highest-rated adult use and medical dispensaries in Kansas City
Locals in Kansas City value dispensaries that put an emphasis on customer education, comfortable environments, and friendly staff.
13531 Madison Ave, Kansas City, MO — undefined
4.7(51)
“The best spot around if you’re out south. You’ll see a wide range of folks in there, customers and staff. The staff knows the products and can steer you to your needs. Do you need something a little lighter than “stuck on stupid” during the day? They got exactly what you need. However, on the other hand, if it’s a holiday or whatever the occasion, Tuesday, you are ready to get blazed. They got what you’re looking for. Whatever budder, badder, rosin, resin, live, greatful dead, flower, edibles, carts, pre rolls and on and on….they got it…”
706 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO — recreational/medical
4.7(69)
“Best local shop in town!”
1222 McGee St, Kansas City, MO — recreational/medical
4.9(612)
“It was great customer service and easy to locate.”
4900 East Bannister Rd., Kansas City, MO — undefined
4.9(8)
“It was great . I got in and out even though they were busy ,busy! Ordered on line and was there with it ready in 5min. Couldn’t ask for better service.”
2918 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO — recreational/medical
4.9(565)
“A very chill spot with great customer service. Celeste D was awesome and her recommendation was fire. Definitely will be returning.”
6200 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO — recreational/medical
4.9(456)
“Knowledgable staff; very friendly. Nice selection and great location.”
1421 Wabash Ave , Kansas City, MO — recreational/medical
4.3(34)
“This place is to be loved all over the world.”
7130 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, MO — undefined
4.8(22)
“Love coming here always had good deals and rewards. Kierra always has a smile and willing to help. Every one there is great. Awesome products and good service.”
4716 NE Vivion Rd Kansas City, MO 64119, Kansas City, MO — undefined
4.9(13)
“I have never had a bad experience here. Everyone is always knowledgeable, friendly and willing to help.”
10420 Blue Ridge BLVD, Kansas City, MO — undefined
4.4(21)
“I’m new to the area, and this store has been so amazing! Such a friendly group of employees who are extremely helpful and very informational. I love this store!”
9010 E State Rte 350, Raytown, MO — recreational/medical
4.9(270)
“Bruce Banner was exactly what I needed. online order ready in and out!!”
5408 Prospect , Kansas City, MO — undefined
4.7(9)
“I love it here. Everyone has always been so friendly and helpful, from the minute you walk in, even the security guards are delightful. I can ask a million questions, they do their best to answer all of them and I never feel weird or bad about asking. This is my favorite spot.”
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Missouri marijuana laws
Selection criteria for Leafly List Kansas City
To calculate the highest-rated dispensaries in Kansas City, our Leafly List team uses a methodology based on quantitative and qualitative review data of dispensaries listed on Leafly in Kansas City. This list also uses quality indicators, like customer reorder rates and deals availability (in markets where discounts are legal). Our teams are dedicated to showcasing a wide variety of highly-rated medical and recreational dispensaries.
Remember, if you don’t see your favorite dispensary on the list, make sure you follow, rate, and review your favorite cannabis locations to let the world know where you find your favorite cannabis.
