State officials have issued new guidelines saying California drivers cannot lose their licenses just because they have a medical marijuana prescription.

A revised Department of Motor Vehicles’ training memo instructs agency staff to treat medical marijuana like any other prescription drug when considering whether to renew a driver’s license.

Medical marijuana advocates released the memo this week and credited the changes to lawsuits filed by medical marijuana patients whose licenses were revoked.

A DMV spokesman said the revisions do not represent a new policy but merely spell out guidelines already in practice.

Medical marijuana is legal in California under a voter-approved ballot measure passed in 1996.