The 9th Circuit has put the kibosh on shield laws for marijuana dispensaries. (Flickr/Chuck Coker)

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld three lower court rulings on Wednesday, declaring that neither medical marijuana dispensaries nor customers are protected from federal prosecution or government lawsuits under California legislation.

SEE ALSO: The Never-Ending California Marijuana Debate

Medical marijuana dispensaries had hoped to put an end to persistent federal raids that have hampered business in recent years despite California's Compassionate Use Act, which legalized marijuana use for medicinal purposes statewide in 1996.

But the appellate court ruled that any decision that allows state law to supersede federal law "would compromise a governmental interest in enforcing the law and would therefore be inappropiate."

Marijuana is still illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, which was passed in 1970 and is considered the cornerstone of federal domestic drug policy.

SEE ALSO: What's The Point In Legalizing Weed?

The 9th Circuit Court cited a 2007 decision, also by the same court, as precedent.

You can read more at the San Diego Union Tribune.