Keith McCarty surveyed the sharing economy before he conceived his mobile-app startup last year. Uber and Lyft covered rides. GrubHub, GRUB 3.01 % Munchery, and other apps handled food, and Postmates delivered everything else. So Mr. McCarty looked for something just as consumable, deliverable, and profitable but not already taken.

He settled on pot.

Technology in the trade generally stops at Microsoft MSFT -0.81 % Excel for planning and record-keeping. Now it is joining the data revolution.

A TABLELANDS pharmacy is preparing to become one of the first medical marijuana ­dispensaries in Queensland should the drug be legalised in Australia.

Yungaburra Pharmacy co-owner Mark Hope has spent thousands of dollars on buying online domain names such as medicalweed.com.au and meed.com.au to start selling the herb should it be decriminalised for use by the terminally ill, chronic pain sufferers and those with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Queensland is partnering with New South Wales to start trials with the drug next year, with Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley suggesting a medical marijuana industry could flourish in Australia.

TALLAHASSEE — Patients who have been given a year to live could soon be allowed to use marijuana to ease their pain.

A Florida House panel on Tuesday okayed legislation that would expand an existing, small medical marijuana program and a law allowing terminal patients to try experimental drugs. Now, with two doctors' approval, a patient can buy marijuana from a licensed grower in the state.

"Cannabis should be the first option for patients, rather than the last resort," said Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, speaking on behalf of Cathy Jordan, a Parrish resident who has suffered from ALS for 29 years. "No one should have to go through what I did to get their medication."

As you already know, marijuana is primarily a cash business. With large sums of cash comes the potential for internal theft, or worse yet, violent crime.  If you don’t think criminals are watching you, think again! A little common sense goes a long way. Here are some simple steps to staying safe and avoiding theft:

There’s more evidence that corporate America is becoming ever more monopolistic and that’s not good for small businesses or consumers. This year is on track to see the most corporate mergers and takeovers since the Great Recession of 2008, according to many business page reports that said October was the fifth biggest month ever for mergers.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has named Cathy Ritter, former director of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, as the new director of the Colorado Tourism Office.

In a move away from the policies of the previous Colorado tourism officials, Ritter says she wants to open a discussion on the role of marijuana in the state’s tourism. Previously, tourism officials have made a point to avoid crediting cannabis for the recent surge in visitors to Colorado. Ritter, in contrast, wants to research what part marijuana plays in the state’s tourism:

Industrial hemp is dramatically different than what most people think about when marijuana is mentioned. This crop has thousands of uses in fields as diverse as textiles, transportation, and beauty products. But because of its confusion with the legalizing weed movement, the cultivation of industrial hemp is still illegal in the U.S. However, because of the economic possibilities it represents, the plant has some unlikely champions. 

Former CIA Director James Woolsey is one of industrial hemp’s biggest proponents. Woolsey sees the crop as a potential energy source that could end the dependence of the U.S. on oil and other nonrenewable resources. 

CHEHALIS 

DANVILLE -- Marijuana has long been banned in many workplaces, but with medical marijuana now being legally dispensed in the state, many employers have questions. Tuesday, they got some answers.

There is still a lot of gray area and employers actually have a lot of flexibility in how they handle the law. A conference at Danville Area Community College was aimed at helping bosses figure out what's okay and what's not okay with marijuana use.

Medical marijuana use is not protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, even by card-carrying patients since it's federally banned.

We have new numbers on the growth of Michigan’s medical marijuana patient population- sort of.

According to Crain’s Detroit Business, a respected local magazine, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs reports an increase in the number of medical marijuana patients registered with the state.