Florida folks will soon be able to buy Cannabis products along with cigarettes and snacks at Circle K gas stations, according to Green Thumb Industries, one of the biggest American pot producers, reports CBS News. Marijuana is legal for medical use in Florida.
Under a new partnership, starting next year, 10 attached “RISE Express” dispensaries will sell weed at Circle K stations. RISE envisions the new shops as convenience versions of their regular RISE stores, reports WFLA.
RISE currently operates a cultivation facility in Homestead and medical marijuana shops in Pinellas Park, Bonita Springs, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, Kendall, Oviedo and West Palm Beach.
The pot shops will maintain separate entrances from the gas stations, Chicago-based Green Thumb announced Wednesday. Circle K has more than 600 filling stations in Florida, reports The Hill. Only qualified Florida medical marijuana patients can shop in RISE shops.
“Game-Changer”
“The opening of RISE Express stores at Circle K locations is a game-changer,” said Green Thumb chairman and CEO Ben Kovler. “Convenience is a strong channel in retail, and people want more access to cannabis.”
The deal with Circle K will make it “easier and more efficient for patients to purchase high-quality cannabis as part of their everyday routine when stopping by their local convenience store,” said Ben Kovler, Green Thumb founder and CEO.
Among the products for sale will be Cannabis flower, pre-rolls, gummies and vapes. Green Thumb will supply these from a 28-acre facility the company is building in Ocala, Florida. The new facility should be up and running by the end of this year.
An adult-use marijuana legalization initiative launched in Florida this year.
