SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's largest organization of practicing physicians, the California Medical Association, announced Monday that it is backing a proposed 2016 ballot initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

A coalition of entrepreneurs, activists, environmentalists and state politicians are backing the initiative, led by billionaire technology investor Sean Parker.

CMA said in a statement that its members believe controlling, tracking and studying pot will better protect public health than "ineffective prohibition."

Spokeswoman Molly Weedn said the medical association is most interested in provisions of the proposal that would expand marijuana research.

TALLAHASSEE — In the latest twist in a nearly two-year struggle to offer limited types of medical-marijuana in Florida, three nurseries filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to at least temporarily block competitors from starting to produce the cannabis.

The lawsuit filed in Leon Circuit Court, stems from a November decision by the Florida Department of Health to award highly prized licenses to five dispensing organizations in different regions of the state. They would grow, process and distribute non-euphoric types of marijuana approved in 2014.

But the selection drew a series of legal challenges. Amid them, the Department of Health and the chosen dispensing organizations told lawmakers last month they planned to move forward with starting production.

The founders of Kush Bottles Inc. developed packaging specifically for legal marijuana sales.

Plastic marijuana packaging has become, ah-hem, a growth industry.

With more than 40 percent of all states already allowing medical marijuana, and four of those also permitting recreational use, the packaging for Panama Red, Acapulco Gold and all those other colorfully named strains is heavily dependent on plastics.

Both flexible and rigid packaging helps keep the nation’s stash fresh for both the casual smoker in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska and medicinal users in 23 states.

And those packages aren’t just holding marijuana plants, as there are a whole host of edibles and concentrates for folks who don’t always, or ever, want to light up.

The battle for marijuana legalization has been long-standing and slow-burning. In 1970 during the presidency of Richard Nixon, marijuana was labeled a Schedule I drug, a classification that includes heroin and LSD, the International Business Times reported.

Everything you need to know about fake weed.

How does GOP front-runner Ted Cruz feel about marijuana reform?

Monday was a good day for Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz. The Texas Senator came away from the Iowa caucuses in top place among GOP primary candidates, thanks in large part to his strong support among evangelical Christians.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Cruz had nearly 28 percent of the vote, while Donald Trump had 24 percent and Marco Rubio had 23 percent, according to The New York Times.

Marijuana reform is shaping up to be a major issue this election cycle, so where does the GOP front-runner stand on marijuana policy?

Task force to study legal use of marijuana outside homes

Lawmakers in the nation's capital opened the door to allowing people to smoke marijuana in clubs that charge a membership fee.

The D.C. Council voted unanimously Tuesday to establish a task force to study how the city could allow pot smoking in places other than people's homes.

Possession of up to 2 ounces of pot for personal use has been legal in the District of Columbia since early last year. Congress has blocked local officials from any further liberalization of the city's pot laws.

A majority of the Council appears ready to broaden the law, but wants to avoid interference by Congress.

Americans spent $5.4 billion on legal medical and recreational marijuana last year, according to new estimates from ArcView Market Research and New Frontier Data, two marijuana industry market research groups.

The total includes over $1 billion in medical marijuana sales in California, nearly $1 billion in legal marijuana sales in Colorado, and more than a half-billion dollars in sales in Washington state.

In a surprising turnaround, the D.C. Council is rethinking a ban on private marijuana-smoking clubs, as pot advocates press for places for residents to light up outside of their homes.

The council on Tuesday approved the formation of a task force to examine the feasibility of clubs for marijuana smokers, and postponed action on a bill that would permanently ban such establishments.

“Democracy and common sense prevailed in the District today,” said Kaitlyn Boecker, a policy analyst for the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA). “Today’s withdrawal of the permanent ban shows that elected officials have finally begun to heed their constituents’ wishes, but the fight for the creation of regulated places where adults can legally consume marijuana is far from over.”