A U.S. appeals court on Friday declared unconstitutional a nearly 158-year-old federal ban on home distilling, calling it an unnecessary and improper means for ​Congress to exercise its power to tax.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of ‌Appeals in New Orleans ruled in favor of the nonprofit Hobby Distillers Association and four of its 1,300 members.

They argued that people should be free to distill spirits at home, whether as ​a hobby or for personal consumption including, in one instance, to create ​an apple-pie-vodka recipe.

The ban was part of a law passed during ⁠Reconstruction in July 1868, in part to thwart liquor tax evasion, and subjected violators ​to up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

  • No_Eponym@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    Ahh, you can just go buy a gun and use it in your own home with no license or background check eh? Rah rah America I guess.

    As for the rest, there are layers upon layers of consumer protection regulations that go into limiting what parts you can buy, what can be imported, what quality it is, how it should work. I guess if you’re gonna be real intense you can go buy some lithium cells, motors, 3d print parts etc, but outside of that there is a vast framework of overlapping regulations trying to keep stupid people from hurting themselves or others. Your ignorance of the systems protecting you doesn’t mean they aren’t there or that they aren’t important, and they probably contribute to the illusion of competence and divine support so many have. It’s not Good keeping you safe, it’s actually the government.

    • doodoo_wizard@lemmy.ml
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      22 hours ago

      Hello Canadian!

      Yes, assuming you are buying a non nfa gun you’re allowed to have from a person instead of a ffl holder you can completely legally buy a gun with no license or background check.

      There are many additional jurisdictions that place restrictions on that practice though.

      You’re wildly overestimating the volume and enforcement of what can be called consumer protection regulations.

      Take canning, for example: there’s no law against advertising some device that can’t reach 15lbs of pressure, the requirement set forth by the fda to prevent botulism, as appropriate for canning even for low acid foods like green beans that are the exact target for botulism.

      There’s no law against selling a lithium battery powered device that relies on the controller built into its specific power brick and it’s specifically wired usbc terminated cable for overcharge or overheat safety and reliably catches fire when it’s plugged up to any other power brick/usbc cable combination.

      Idk about Canadian canning laws, but I know for a fact that there are no protections about the other example in the great white north because the same design has been all over insurance claims for house fires there too.

    • CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      To answer your gun “question” the answer is generally no, it’s DEFINITELY no where I live but gun laws vary. I own guns, they required licensing and background checks and waiting periods. My drone had to be registered with the FAA to fly legally and even then many places are completely off limits to me.

      Americans tend to be obsessed with convenience and will sacrifice almost anything or anyone to increase their convenience in even the smallest way, including rejecting the concepts of public and personal health and safety.