The issue focused on law enforcement's ability to enforce federal laws. Law enforcement officials said that legal technicalities were important.

"We would like to see criminal penalties for illegal marijuana activity not go up. We want to make sure it is lawful and legal," Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr told reporters. "But we also want to see civil penalties on the books as well."

In court documents, lawyers for medical marijuana patients noted that federal law already allows federal prosecution of medical marijuana activities. In fact,