Pubdate: Tue, 02 Feb 2016 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2016 Associated Press Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Melanie Mason, Associated Press MEDICAL GROUP BACKS POT PROPOSAL (AP) - The California Medical Assn., the influential trade group for the state's doctors, announced its support Monday for a high-profile initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. Dr. Steven Larson, the group's president, said in a statement that the group believes the proposed initiative is a "thoughtfully constructed measure that will allow state officials to better protect public health by ... regulating marijuana use by responsible adults." The ballot measure is backed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and financed in part by former Facebook executive Sean Parker. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom