Marijuana industry booming as state nears 2-year mark

More than 100,000 Floridians now can legally take marijuana for medicinal purposes. This milestone, reached in April, is one of many signs that Florida’s young marijuana industry is booming as the state approaches the two-year anniversary of voters legalizing medical pot. But issues remain. Many patients still want to smoke or grow their own. Other patients complain about the approval process and the cost of medication. [Source: Villages Daily Sun]

See also:
» Florida’s medical marijuana director abruptly resigns

Column: What's the value of a clean beach? Here's how economists do the numbers

Millions of Americans head outdoors in the summer, whether for a day at a nearby lake or a month-long road trip. For environmental economists like me, decisions by vacationers and outdoor recreators offer clues to a challenging puzzle: estimating what environmental resources are worth. Read the full column from The Conversation.

See also:
» Florida’s cool springs an economic, recreational blessing

Rick Scott reveals highest-ever family assets

Gov. Rick Scott on Friday released a detailed financial statement as a U.S. Senate candidate, disclosing for the first time that he's worth at least $255 million with more than $173 million in his wife's name outside a blind trust intended to prevent conflicts of interest. See Scott's full financial disclosure form here, and read more at the Tampa Bay Times and the AP.

Despite talk, Canadians still visiting Florida

For April, May and June of this year Visit Florida reported a 4 percent increase in Canadian visitors, following 12 straight quarters of declines. Part of the reason for the statewide increase is that Visit Florida started marketing more aggressively in Canada last year in an effort to reach out to an increasingly diverse Canadian population, said Stephen Lawson, the group’s vice president of communications. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Today is deadline to register to vote in Florida primary

Today, Monday, July 30, is the last day to register to vote before Florida's Aug. 28 primary election. Floridians who want to switch their party affiliation for the primary also must act by this deadline - and either register online, or in-person, or have your form postmarked by today. There are contested primary races for governor on both the Republican and Democratic sides. [Source: AP]

Your turn:
» For the upcoming primary, who is your pick for Florida's Governor? (quick poll)

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Tulip-shaped tower proposed for Miami would be state's tallest skyscraper [Orlando Sentinel]
In downtown Miami, where commuters dash to make trains, college students study for degrees and accused criminals are brought to justice, a developer from Istanbul is gearing up to break ground on a 70-story, 890-foot tower that will stake a claim as the state’s highest skyscraper.

› $4 billion American Dream mall rolls along road to OK [Miami Today]
The $4 billion American Dream Miami mall mega-project is one step closer to fruition. The vast mall and entertainment complex planned for Northwest Miami-Dade has been approved by the reviewing agencies in Miami-Dade County and now the next step, administrative site approval, is under way, said Nathan Kogon, assistant director of development services for Miami-Dade County.

› Researchers help rare butterfly take flight in Florida Keys [AP]
For the first time in almost a decade, a rare and endangered butterfly is flying in the main stretch of the Florida Keys, once again defying the hurricanes and habitat loss that had brought it to the brink of extinction.

› Tom DeWolf, Orlando attorney who helped create Walt Disney World, dies at 91 [Orlando Sentinel]
An Orlando attorney who helped Walt Disney Co. buy land for its top-secret plans to build a theme park in Florida, then later drafted the state legislation to set up Disney’s unconventional government has, died.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Gainesville-born horses dodge fire in Greece [Gainesville Sun]
Some miniature therapy horses can use some loving themselves right now. The horses are in Greece at a facility that is part of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses of Gainesville and were caught in the hellish wildfires that killed more than 80 people in the area of the coastal resort towns of Mati and Rafina, about 18 miles from Athens.

› Publix adds new warnings about service animals [Orlando Sentinel]
Publix has added new warning signs in its stores about service animals. Publix has posted new signs at the entrance and exits to stores telling customers which service animals are permitted in the store and where they can be.

› Incoa wants Port of Pensacola lease approved in 2 weeks; IHMC, UWF say hold on [Pensacola News Journal]
Incoa Performance Minerals, the company that wants to lease space at the Port of Pensacola to import and mill calcium carbonate, wants final approval of a 10-year lease to occur at the next City Council meeting Aug. 9.

› Food truck operated by adults with autism is ready to roll in Tampa [Tampa Bay Times]
After spending seven years inside the Mercedes Benz dealership on North Dale Mabry Highway, the coffeehouse that employs only autistic adults has hit the road and moved out of its static locale and into a food truck named the "Bean Mobile."