Providence, R.I. (AP) — House Speaker Gordon D. Fox says he will petition the U.S. Department of Justice to find a way for Rhode Island to open medical marijuana dispensaries that advocates are seeking.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee has halted the process of issuing the state's first dispensary operating licenses, following a warning from the Justice Department that the facilities might violate federal law.

The Providence Journal reports that Fox said the Chafee administration can potentially address the federal government's concerns by establishing rules and bypassing the legislature.

Chafee and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire have filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration asking the agency to reclassify marijuana so doctors can prescribe it and pharmacists can fill the prescription.