Let Marijuana Travel Between States If Guns Can, Dem Congressmen Says

Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing legislation this week that would allow people permitted to carry concealed guns in one state to bring their weapons with them when they travel, even if their destination state has more stringent requirements to qualify for concealed carry.

But if the GOP wants to do that, a Democratic congressman argues in a new video, they should also be in favor of forcing states to recognize protections granted under each another's marijuana laws.

"Let's think of this logically: If one state allows the legalization of marijuana, does that mean every state needs to allow the legalization of marijuana?" Congressman Ro Khanna of California said in the clip, posted to Twitter on Wednesday. "I have always thought that the Republicans are the ones who defend federalism, defend states' abilities to make laws that they think are going to be best for their people."

Applying the principle of the gun bill, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, to marijuana would result in a situation where someone with a medical cannabis recommendation for anxiety from a California doctor would be allowed to legally use the drug in Pennsylvania, which has a more stringent list of qualifying medical conditions that doesn't include anxiety.

Khanna, who represents the Silicon Valley area, said that the legislation would "federalize concealed carry permit."

"This issue really is less about what one thinks about the Second Amendment and far more about what one thinks about federalism," he said.

The Republican gun bill would also allow concealed carrying of firearms on federal lands.