A first-term state lawmaker has given up in his bid to restrict what kind of doctors can recommend medical marijuana to their patients.

Rep. Jay Lawrence, R-Scottsdale, said he had introduced the measure after seeing that the vast majority of the recommendations were being issued by naturopaths.  He said they were engaged in a “money-making scheme.”

His legislation would have limited the right to make recommendations to MDs and DOs.

But Lawrence told Capitol Media Services today he has since learned that there are protections in place to ensure that all kinds of doctors — including naturopaths — cannot recommend marijuana without first checking a patient’s medical records.

“It’s not just handed out,” he said.

That still leaves a separate measure by Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, to prohibit doctors of any kind from recommending marijuana to women who are pregnant.

But that measure, too, is running into opposition. And Townsend said she is looking at altering it to allow pregnant women to continue getting the drug — but only if that recommendation is made by an obstetrician.