On Monday the U. S. Supreme court refused to hear a case filed by San Bernardino and San Diego counties that argued they were being forced to condone violations of federal drug laws.

The two counties challenged Proposition 215, an initiative approved by state voters in 1996 that became a model for laws in 12 other states. The proposition allows patients to use marijuana for medical conditions with their doctor's approval.

The counties especially objected the legislation which requires them to issue identification cards that protect holders from arrest by state or local police for possessing small amounts of marijuana for medical purpose.

Thomas Bunton, a lawyer in the San Diego County counsel's office, said that the cards are objectionable because "the state law authorizes individuals to engage in conduct that the federal law prohibits".

"We are disappointed that the court did not take the case to resolve what we believe was a conflict between federal and state law," he said.

However, the Medical marijuana advocates were quite relieved at the court's refusal.

"This was the most threatening case to state medical marijuana laws, the only one that tried to invalidate state laws," said attorney Graham Boyd of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented patients and advocacy groups in the case.