Tag Archives: industry

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, spoke to a crowd of a few thousand Thursday at the University of Florida's University Village South Field in Gainesville.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly forecast predicted that this year's Florida orange harvest will be enough to fill an estimated 71 million boxes, an increase of 2 million boxes from February. But, even with the revised forecast, the season remains on pace to be the worst for the citrus industry in five decades.

Florida’s contentious medical marijuana legislation is headed to Gov. Rick Scott. The Florida Senate approved a House version of a bill (HB 307) that expands the use of the Right to Try Act, allowing medical marijuana use for patients with terminal conditions. A similar measure, which allows all strengths and …

The Senate and House have taken different positions on the issue.

A bill was approved by the House panel that gives judges discretion in deciding whether to award attorney fees in public-records lawsuits. The bill was created to stop people who flood governments with public records requests just so they can file lawsuits, but may decrease the state's level of government transparency.

During the final meeting of Gov. Rick Scott's Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding on Tuesday, Sen. Don Gaetz said proposals about expanding health care coverage for uninsured Floridians could be dead for years. Gaetz added that lawmakers are now focused on "second tier" health issues.

TALLAHASSEE — Five dispensing organizations selected by state officials, including one from Alachua County, promised lawmakers Wednesday they would meet a deadline next month to get medical-marijuana production off the ground, despite legal challenges that could threaten their licenses. The Senate Regulated Industries Committee received updates from the state Office of Compassionate …

Perkins, TropiFlora and Gainesville-based San Felasco Nurseries, which were rejected by health officials for medical-marijuana licenses, are challenging the licenses granted to Florida's first "dispensing organizations." The deadline for appeals is Monday.

The outlook for production of Florida oranges, the state's signature crop, continues to drop. For the second consecutive month, the Florida orange-harvest forecast for the 2015-2016 growing season was adjusted down Wednesday by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A Quinnipiac University poll last month found that nearly 90 percent of Florida voters support allowing adults to use medical marijuana. Numerous other surveys in Florida and across the country consistently show that a majority of voters endorse medical marijuana for sick and dying patients. Voters next November will almost certainly have the chance to decide whether Florida should legalize medical marijuana.