Connor Storrie welcomes Olympic hockey players on ‘SNL’ – from both the US men’s and women’s teams

US women's hockey team gold medalists Megan Keller and Hilary Knight skated by some ongoing drama related to the US men's hockey team when they appeared on the latest episode of "Saturday Night Live."

The episode, hosted by "Heated Rivalry" star Connor Storrie, took place days after theUS men's hockey team won goldat the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, going on to draw ire for partying with FBI director Kash Patel and subsequently facing backlash for laughing during a call with President Trump after hejokedhe would be "impeached" for not inviting the US women's hockey team,who also won gold, to the White House.

The women's team later declined Trump's invitation to attend the State of the Union, citing scheduling conflicts, while the men's team did show up.

Storrie welcomed brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes on the stage first during hisopening monologueon Saturday, with the pair donning their gold medals and some missing teeth.

"We've been so busy playing, we haven't had time to see your show yet," Jack Hughes said, before his brother chimed in to joke, "It's about hockey, right?"

Keller and Knight, also donning their gold medals, then walked out on stage after Storrie said he hoped "somehockey players" watched "Rivalry," winking at the fact that much of the show'saudiencehas been women drawn to the gay romance aspect.

"Don't worry," said Keller. "We saw your show."

Keller and Knight went on to poke fun at the Hughes about how the women were originally supposed to appear on "SNL" alone, but "we thought we'd invite the guys too," and reminded the audience that the women's hockey team won gold just "two whole Olympics ago," after the men mentioned their team last won gold over 40 years ago.

The appearance by the athletes all appeared to be in good fun, with no mention of the controversy surrounding the men's team's reaction to Trump's remarks.

"My show speaks to people who are not always represented in hockey," Storrie said at the end of his monologue. "So this is really great to have actual hockey legends here tonight."

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Reaching a 'goal'

Storrie's debut appearance on "SNL" was akin to a decisive slap shot on the ice, a milestone he celebrated alongside his "Rivalry" costar Hudson Williams, who made a surprise appearance during a sketch that took place… at the Rockefeller Center ice rink.

The episode featured moments where Storrie exercised his considerate foreign accent skills, which fans of "Rivalry" — theromantic hockey-set seriesthat has turned Storrie and Williams into the hottest male screen sirens of the moment — already knew quite well. The actor, who portrays surly Russian hockey captain Ilya Rozanov in the show, is in no way, shape or form Russian, and learned to speak the language rather flawlessly in justthree weeks before filming.(This tweetsums up just how much of a quick study he is.)

"Selfishly, I just love Russian language. I love any opportunity to do an accent, learn a new skill, and this had all of it," he toldOutin November of the role.

Amere nine months ago, Storrie was working as a server at aCulver City, Los Angeles restaurant, and almost got fired the day he found out he landed one of the leads in "Heated Rivalry."

It's a part of Storrie's story that he touched on during his opening monologue on Saturday, saying that since he was plucked from that restaurant to star on "Rivalry," his life has "totally changed."

"I've only technically been a professional actor for like, six months now, but on the other hand, I've been preparing for this my entire life," he said. "On one hand, I'm totally surprised and humbled that this is happening to me, and on the other hand, this was my destiny," he added dramatically.

Aside from blowing the lid off of what was previously thought of as permissible with what can be shown onscreen when it comes to gay sex, "Rivalry" has changed the cultural conversation in relation to portrayals of masculinity, consent and the potential for the romance genre in the streaming age.

Before "Heated Rivalry," which (of course) has been renewed for a second season, Storrie was probably best known for a small but pivotal role in 2024's "Joker: Folie a Deux."

Along with Williams and their "Heated" costar François Arnaud, he has been just about everywhere recently, from theGrammystoannouncing the Actor Award nominationstoParis Fashion Weektohobnobbing with acclaimed Hollywood directors. And no one is tired yet.

Mumford & Sons served as the musical guest during Storrie's episode of "Saturday Night Live," with a special appearance by Hozier.

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March 01, 2026

Connor Storrie welcomes Olympic hockey players on ‘SNL’ – from both the US men’s and women’s teams

US women's hockey team gold medalists Megan Keller and Hilary Knight skated by some ongoing drama related to the US ...

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Shia LaBeouf says 'gay people are scary to me' while claiming homophobia led to arrest

Shia LaBeouf is attributing his arrest in New Orleans last week to his fear of "big gay people."

In aninterview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghanreleased on Saturday, the 39-year-old actor shared what he said led to hisarrest amid the city's Mardi Gras celebrations.

"When I'm standing by myself and three gays are next to me touching my leg, I get scared," he said. "I'm sorry. If that's homophobic, then I'm that. Yeah."

"I'll be honest with you, big gay people are scary to me," LaBeouf added.

A representative for LaBeouf did not immediately return a request for comment.

The actor, best known for his starring role in "Transformers" and the Disney Channel's "Even Stevens," was arrested in New Orleans last week and accused of hitting two people outside of a Royal Street business amid the celebrations, according to police.

"LaBeouf then reportedly assaulted another person — punching him in the nose," police said in a statement last week. "LaBeouf was again held down until police arrived."

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It is unclear what exactly led to the incident.

But in the interview with Callaghan, the actor appeared to suggest he had an altercation with a gay person or was annoyed by gay people's presence near him.

"I'm good with gay — be gay over there, though," he said. "Don't be gay in my lap."

"That's why. I was drunk and it's Mardi Gras. So everything I'm saying is nonsense," he added.

LaBeouf was arrested upon his release from the hospital that day for treatment "of unknown injuries." He was charged with two counts of simple battery, according authorities.

Last week's was not his first run-in with the law, nor were his latest comments his first bigoted remarks.

LaBeouf was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of public drunkenness,The Associated Press reported. LaBeouf made racist remarks to police upon his arrest, the AP reported. The actor later apologized, citing his addiction as a struggle, and the public drunkenness allegations were dropped.

He was sued in 2020 by his ex-partner, British singer FKA Twigs, who accused him choking her and knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease. The case was settled out of court last year.

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Shia LaBeouf says 'gay people are scary to me' while claiming homophobia led to arrest

Shia LaBeouf is attributing his arrest in New Orleans last week to his fear of "big gay people." I...

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'Scream 7' star Isabel May reveals Neve Campbell's touching 'maternal act'

Taking on Ghostface is one thing, but with "Scream 7,"Isabel Maywas confronted by an even greater fear.

May, the 25-year-old "1883" breakout who plays the daughter ofNeve Campbell's Sidney Prescottin the slasher franchise's latest outing (now in theaters), tells USA TODAY she was "barely getting by" after coming down with a "horrible stomach flu and a sinus infection" during the shoot. She "panicked" over the notion that she might disrupt filming by being unable to work.

"The most horrifying thing to me is the prospect of slowing down a production in any capacity," she says.

One morning, it got so bad that she "literally couldn't get out of bed," she recalls. "I called our second [assistant director] and I told her, and I was kind of devastated." Her onscreen mother, though, stepped in to save the day. Campbell, who is also a producer on "Scream 7," immediately called May and told her, "Don't worry about it. I've got you." The schedule was quickly rearranged so Campbell would shoot some of her own coverage that day, and May wouldn't be needed.

"I always want to be an absolute professional and make sure everyone's happy with the work that I'm contributing," May says. "It's my greatest fear to be a problem. That she made me not feel like I was, and recognized that I was a human — it was very much a maternal act from Neve."

"Scream 7" is filled with such acts, as the meta horror franchise turns focus to the strained relationship between legendary "final girl" Sidney Prescott and her 17-year-old daughter, Tatum (May). After Sidney went into hiding and started a quiet life with her husband Mark (Joel McHale) and kids, her peace is disrupted when yet another killer donning the Ghostface mask arrives.

May, who was born four years after the first "Scream" came out, had never seen any of the films when director Kevin Williamson reached out to set up a Zoom meeting. Quickly, she "panicked" and binged the entire franchise. "I thought I'd be quizzed or something by him," she says.

She later did get a quiz in a sense: After May read a "Scream 7" script where the end was redacted, Williamson asked her to guess Ghostface's identity. "I guessed accurately," she notes.

Who is Isabel May? Meet the '1883' breakout going toe to toe with Ghostface

May traces her acting journey back to age 4, when she told adults that she wanted "to make movies" when she grew up. But her passion for storytelling initially manifested itself as a love for reading.

"It was my way of getting out of conversation because I didn't really like conversing with people too much," she says. When a teacher advised her parents to get her involved in something more social, it led her to acting.

The "Scream 7" cast showed out for the global premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios on Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles.

See the stars on the black carpet, beginning here, from left, with Joel McHale, Skeet Ulrich, Celeste O'Connor, Ethan Embry, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Scott Foley, Anna Camp, Matthew Lillard, Sam Rechner, Timothy Simons, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Isabel May, Victor Turpin, Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Courteney Cox

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Neve Campbell

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Timothy Simons

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> David Arquette

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Scott Foley

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Celeste O'Connor

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Joel McHale

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Anna Camp

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jasmin Savoy Brown

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Skeet Ulrich

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, Isabel May, and Anna Camp

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, David Arquette at 'Scream 7' premiere

The "Scream 7" cast showed out for the global premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios on Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles.See the stars on the black carpet, beginning here, from left, with Joel McHale, Skeet Ulrich, Celeste O'Connor, Ethan Embry, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Scott Foley, Anna Camp, Matthew Lillard, Sam Rechner, Timothy Simons, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Isabel May, Victor Turpin, Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.

After three years of auditions, at age 15, May told her parents she wanted to "commit to this thing that I love to do permanently," and they allowed her to leave school and transition to an online education. What followed was a "nerve-racking six months of complete and utter isolation," during which May had "no friends" and was singularly focused on getting her first job.

"My mother had all the faith in the world," May remembers. "My father was nervous for me, but didn't want to be. And I think I straddled between both of those feelings."

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'Scream 7'Matthew Lillard's shock return, Mark Consuelos, and everything else we know

But May "just kept working and had faith in myself," and it paid off when she booked that first gig: a starring role on the Netflix sitcom "Alexa & Katie," which ran from 2018 to 2020. Later, her performance as Elsa Dutton on the "Yellowstone" prequel "1883" put her on the map. But May says coming off the show, she went through a period where she "very much doubted" herself.

"After ['1883'], I thought the world was my oyster, and it wasn't. I didn't know how to navigate at all," she says, noting she got caught up in letting "other people tell me what was the right thing to do, rather than trust my intuition." Now, though, "All the decisions I'm making are very much my own."

Isabel May reveals best advice she got from Neve Campbell

It was "1883" that landed May on "Scream" creator Williamson's radar and made him think of her for Sidney's daughter. Before filming, May met Campbell for dinner, and as someone who knows well what May was about to go through, the "Party of Five" star had some helpful advice. First, she urged May to appreciate that horror fans are a uniquely devoted group.

"It wasn't a warning so much as just, 'Be prepared for that. It's a huge privilege,'" May says.

What was even more helpful, though, was Campbell's insight into why fans love horror so much.

Neve Campbellreflects on 'Scream' pay dispute, 'Scream 7' return

"A lot of folks that are in communities where they feel like they're disenfranchised or separate from society and are not embraced by the rest of the world, they found comfort in these films," May says.

"That's why Kevin Williamson wrote this as a young queer man. He wrote Sidney as a reflection of how he felt, being chased by something and trying to escape it. That's such a beautiful concept and idea, and I suddenly had a totally different approach to why I was doing it and who I was connecting with."

But the "Scream 7" shoot was no walk in the park. A creepy scene where Tatum hides from Ghostface in a cramped space behind a wall required May to get over some deep-seated claustrophobia. "I got stuck in an elevator one time. I've never been the same since," she says. May also still wound up working while ill; a chase sequence where Ghostface comes after Tatum was shot while May was feeling unwell, but she could at least manage to stand up.

"This is my positive spin: It helped me get into character," she says, laughing. "I felt terrible. I needed to feel terrible. It was great! It was very useful."

Next up from May are a series of movies featuring stars includingCynthia Erivo,David CorenswetandJennifer Lopez. After that, coming off a slate of roles in genres from Westerns to horror, May is "itching" to star in a good old-fashioned drama.

"Anything I haven't done, I want to do," she says. "Anything I haven't done in a while, I want to revisit, and just continue to seek out things that I'm definitely not the prototype for."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Scream 7' cast — Meet Isabel May, star behind Sidney's daughter Tatum

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'Scream 7' star Isabel May reveals Neve Campbell's touching 'maternal act'

Taking on Ghostface is one thing, but with "Scream 7,"Isabel Maywas confronted by an even greater fear. ...

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Delroy Lindo Addresses BAFTA Racial Slur Incident During NAACP Awards, Gets Standing Ovation

Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were on stage at the BAFTAs on Feb. 22, when Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson yelled a racial slur

NEED TO KNOW

• Lindo addressed the incident as he appeared onstage with Sinners director Ryan Coogler at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, Feb. 28

• During the event, Regina Hall voiced her support for Lindo and Jordan

Delroy Lindoaddressed the racial slur incident at theBAFTAsinvolving Tourette syndrome advocateJohn Davidsonduring the 2026 NAACP Image Awards.

The Oscar nominee, 73, andMichael B. Jordanwere presenting an award on stage on Feb. 22, when Davidson, 54,yelled the n-word. While appearing on stage withSinnersdirector Ryan Coogler at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, Feb. 28, Lindo took a moment to acknowledge the public's support following the incident.

"I'd just like to officially say, I appreciate, we appreciate all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend. It means a lot to us," Lindo said onstage at the ceremony in avideoposted byRevolton TikTok, after receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

"It is an honor to be here amongst our people this evening, among so many people who have shown us such incredible support," the actor continued.

Referring to the BAFTA controversy, he added that, "It's a classic case of something that could have been very negative becoming very positive. Thank you so much for the support."

Elsewhere during the 2026 NAACP Image Awards, actressRegina Hallshared her support for Lindo and Jordan, 39, following the racial slur incident.

"I would like also to just take a moment to the two kings who are in this audience and just send you so much love for your class and that is Michael B. Jordan and Delory Lindo," Hall, 55, said in a video reposted onTikTok. The audience then gave another standing ovation in support of the actors.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

At the2026 BAFTA Awardsin London on Feb. 22, Tourette's syndrome advocate Davidson, who attended the ceremony as a guest, yelled the n-word at Lindo and Jordan as the pair appeared onstage together to present an award.

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Davidson started experiencing symptoms ofTourette syndrome, which causes involuntary verbal and physical tics, at the age of 12. He was invited to the awards show to represent the BAFTA-nominated filmI Swear,which is based on his life and experiences with the condition.

While attending a Warner Brothers' afterparty, Lindo said in an interview withVanity Fair, that he wished "someone from BAFTA spoke to [Jordan and I] afterwards."

Davidson indicated in an interview withVarietyon Feb. 24, he reached out to theSinnersteam to directly apologize to Jordan, Lindo and the movie's production designer, Hannah Beachler, following the racial slur incident.

"StudioCanal were working closely with BAFTA, and BAFTA had made us all aware that any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast," Davidson told the outlet. "I have made four documentaries with the BBC in the past, and feel that they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette's and worked harder to prevent anything that I said — which, after all, was some 40 rows back from the stage — from being included in the broadcast."

He continued, "I remember there was a microphone just in front of me, and with hindsight I have to question whether this was wise, so close to where I was seated, knowing I would tic."

"When socially unacceptable words come out, the guilt and shame on the part of the person with the condition is often unbearable and causes enormous distress," Davidson added of the highly misunderstood neurological disorder. "I can't begin to explain how upset and distraught I have been as the impact from Sunday sinks in."

TheBBCapologized for the offensive moment not being edited out of the BBC One broadcast, which had a two-hour delay, telling PEOPLE in a statement, "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony, it was not intentional."

"We [apologize] that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer," the BBC concluded.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts also apologized for the incidentin a statementreleased on Feb. 23. "We apologize unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism."

Read the original article onPeople

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Delroy Lindo Addresses BAFTA Racial Slur Incident During NAACP Awards, Gets Standing Ovation

Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were on stage at the BAFTAs on Feb. 22, when Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson...

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Can you have a gun if you smoke a lot of pot? Supreme Court to decide

WASHINGTON − The Trump administration, which has ardently backed gun rights, will nonetheless try to convince theSupreme Courton March 2 that frequent pot smokerscan be imprisonedfor having a gun.

The Justice Department will make that argument even as the administration ismoving to reclassifymarijuana to a less dangerous category of drugs – and as cannabis is legal in some form in the majority of states.

That's just one of the noteworthy aspects of thecase, the second involving the constitutional right to bear arms that the justices are deciding this year.

Their rulings could clarify the legal test for gun regulations the court created in recent years that has led to a spike in challenges to gun rules. It's also caused much confusion in lower courts as they try to apply the test.

But the justices could sidestep the Second Amendment aspect and decide that the federal law prohibiting an "unlawful user" of a controlled substance from having a firearm is problematic for other reasons. That might limit the reach of the ban to anyone "addicted" to marijuana or any other drug considered dangerous enough to be regulated by the government, rather than also covering the estimated tens of millions of Americans who recreationally use pot and other drugs.

Here's what you need to know.

What is the case about?

The government is defending its prosecution of Ali Danial Hemani, a dual citizen of the United States and Pakistan whom the FBI had been monitoring because of his alleged connection to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The government has designated the guard a global terrorist group.

During a 2022 search of his Texas home, Hemani told the agents he had a Glock 9mm pistol and also said he used marijuana "about every other day."

Although the government tried to detain Hemani on more serious allegations of criminal activity, he was charged only with having a gun while being an unlawful user of marijuana. That's a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

How did the lower court rule?

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the gun ban can't be applied to Hemani under theSupreme Court's landmark 2022 ruling that gunprohibitions must be grounded in history that is"consistent with our tradition of gun regulation."

While history and tradition support "some limits on apresentlyintoxicated person's right to carry a weapon," the appeals courtsaid, "they do not support disarming a sober person based solely on past substance usage."

Why is the Trump administration defending the law?

In theother gun rights casethe Supreme Court is considering this term, the Justice Department opposes Hawaii's restrictive rules for guns in public places.

"As I said soon after taking office, the Second Amendment is not a second-class right," Attorney GeneralPam Bondiwrote on Xafter filing a Supreme Court brief challenging Hawaii's law. "My Justice Department will continue to be the most pro-Second Amendment Justice Department in history."

More:Supreme Court skeptical of Hawaii gun law, nicknamed 'Vampire Rule'

But Hemani's case, the government argues, "presents narrow circumstances" where the government can meet the "rigorous burden" imposed when limiting gun rights.

"A person regains his ability to possess arms as soon as he stops habitually using drugs," lawyers for the Justice Department wrote in a filing.

The Brady gun control advocacy group was on the opposite side of the Hawaii case but backs the Justice Department's defense of the federal ban on drug users having guns.

"We have major disagreements with the Trump administration on gun violence prevention," said Douglas Letter, the group's chief legal officer. "That doesn't mean they're always wrong."

Is Trump trying to declassify marijuana?

PresidentDonald Trumphasdirected the Justice Departmentto work on reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous substance.

"The policy of the United States, it appears, is that cannabis may be useful medicine for some patriotic Americans − while also being the spark that twists ordinary people into maniacs who are primed to attack the police," the libertarian Cato Institute and the Rason Foundation wrote in afilingsupporting Hemani.

The Justice Departmenttoldthe Supreme Court that the purpose of the reclassification is to "facilitate medical marijuana and CBD research" while also continuing to restrict the sale of products that pose serious health risks.

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Still, Heather Trela at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a public policy think tank, said the pending rescheduling "does potentially weaken the federal government's argument of the inherent dangers of cannabis use."

If there are medical uses for a controlled substance, the justices might question whether there's a difference between prohibiting gun ownership for those who smoke pot recreationally versus those who use it medicinally, Trelawrote in a previewof the oral arguments.

How often is the law used?

The goverment says it regularly charges more than 300 people each year with having a gun while being either an unlawful user of a controlled substance or a drug addict. The Justice Department said that provision "plays an integral role" in a set of rules designed to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous or irresponsible people. The Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed in response to the assassinations of President Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

But the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers says the provision of the act at issue is being used less for public safety reasons and primarily as a tool for selective prosecutions, leverage in plea bargains or "as a means of incarcerating otherwise law-abiding citizens when the government's primary theory falls short."

Hemani's case, the association said in a afiling, makes their point. The government couldn't make its preferred charges stick, so the law at issue provided an easy fallback "because both drug use and firearm ownership are ubiquitous features of American life."

How might the case affect gun rules generally?

In its landmark 2022 decisionstriking down New York's lawrequiring residents to have a good reason to obtain a license to carry a handgun, the Supreme Court created a new "historical tradition" test for firearm rules.

That forced a reassessment of perhaps thousands of Second Amendment rights cases around the country, said Eric Ruben, a law professor at Southern Methodist University.

In a 2024 decision upholding a lawbanning domestic abusers from owning guns, the court tried to clarify how close a modern law has to be with a historical one for it to be constitutional.

But the lower courts are still "all over the place in terms of what you're supposed to be analogizing to," Ruben said.

Adam Winkler, a UCLA School of Law professor, said the confusion has opened the door for judges to impose their own preferences. Judges appointed by Democrat presidents are upholding gun laws even when there's weak historical evidence while Republican-appointed judges are striking down laws for lack of a historical "twin" – even though the Supreme Court has said that's not the standard, Winkler said.

"What we've seen is a lot of judicial activism in this space," he said. "The Supreme Court has not provided much helpful guidance."

Could the court avoid ruling on the Second Amendment?

It's possible, however, that the justices could decide Hemani's case without clarifying their constitutionality test for gun rules.

"This case has been billed as the Court's next big Second Amendment battle," Joel Johnson, a former Justice Department attorney who teaches at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, wrote in afilingsupporting Hemani. "But it need not be."

Both Johnson and Hemani's lawyers argue that the "unlawful user" provision of the statute should fall because it's impermissibly vague. The law doesn't say, for example, how much pot you have to smoke, how often and how recently to be barred from having a gun.

"It's simply impossible for an ordinary person to understand what is prohibited," said Brandon Buskey, director of the ACLU's Criminal Law Reform Project. The ACLU is one of the legal groups representing Hemani.

"I think the government position is really confusing the idea of drug use with drug abuse," Buskey said.

The Justice Department says someone has to be an "habitual" user to be banned from having a gun. But that's different from what the government has said in the past and is still undefined, Hemani's lawyers argue.

While the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives long interpreted the law to be triggered by a single drug-possession conviction or failed drug test within the past year, it now wants the test to be a "pattern of ongoing use."

That issue makes it hard to predict how consequential the case could be for further refining when gun regulations can pass constitutional muster, said Winkler, author of "Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America."

"I don't know if the court will find the vagueness off-ramp attractive," Winkler said. "It's possible that the court could rule on vagueness and thus not have any impact on the Second Amendment doctrine whatsoever."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Can you have a gun if you smoke a lot of pot? Supreme Court to decide

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March 01, 2026

Can you have a gun if you smoke a lot of pot? Supreme Court to decide

WASHINGTON − The Trump administration, which has ardently backed gun rights, will nonetheless try to convince theSupreme...

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