The Obama administration says the 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.
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.
