Obama admin. urges high court to reject marijuana lawsuit

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration says the US Supreme Court should reject a lawsuit from Nebraska and Oklahoma that seeks to declare Colorado’s legalization of marijuana unconstitutional.

The Justice Department’s top courtroom lawyer said in a brief filed Wednesday that the interstate dispute over a measure approved by Colorado voters in 2012 does not belong at the high court.

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Nebraska and Oklahoma filed their lawsuit directly with the Supreme Court last year, arguing that Colorado’s law allowing recreational marijuana use by adults runs afoul of federal anti-drug laws.

The two states have complained that Colorado’s action has hindered efforts to enforce anti-marijuana laws in their states. They say combatting marijuana that’s coming across the border is a drain on their resources.

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