Supreme Court Turns to Obama on Colorado Marijuana Lawsuit

In an indication that the country’s highest court may actually take up an inter-state lawsuit over Colorado’s recreational marijuana law, the U.S. Supreme Court justices have asked the Obama administration for a brief on the matter.

The attorneys general of Oklahoma and Nebraska sued Colorado in December, claiming that the federal government is neglecting its duty in allowing Colorado to run a legal recreational marijuana industry. Many legal experts don’t expect the Supreme Court to take up the case, but it has the discretion to do so.

The request for a brief from the justices may not mean anything substantial, just that the judges are interested in hearing the administration’s point of view. In an order on Monday, the court wrote simply, “The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.”

The move is suggestive, however, and if the court does decide to take the issue up, it could have far-reaching consequences for both the recreational and medical marijuana industries across the country.

To date, there are four lawsuits aimed at overturning Colorado’s recreational marijuana law. The attorneys general of Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State have all filed briefs with the court defending the rec law.