Legal Weed in Florida Coming Soon—to Circle K Gas Stations

• Cannabis company Green Thumb Industries has partnered with Circle K to test out marijuana pop-up shops in a small number of gas stations in Florida next year.
• Only medical marijuana users will be able to purchase the weed, given the state’s current rules. More than 700,000 people in Florida have a medical marijuana license.
• The benefit of buying your medicine at the gas station is the same as why you might buy snacks there: convenience, said Green Thumb’s CEO.

Legalization things are afoot at the Circle K. Starting sometime in 2023, a small number of Circle K gas stations in Florida—around 10 of them, to be precise—will partner with legal cannabis retailer Green Thumb Industries on in-store weed products. No need to meet a guy around back after the store is closed.

In states where cannabis sales are legal, sales often have to be conducted in standalone, regulated shops. The new Rise Express stores that Green Thumb will open in some gas stations will be like a smaller version of these storefronts, offering flower, pre-rolls, edibles, and vapes. Only customers with a medical card will be able to buy marijuana at these Circle Ks because Florida currently only allows medical marijuana, not recreational. that some local jurisdictions in Florida have decriminalized weed and reduced the penalties for people found to have small amounts of the drug, under 20 grams. More than 700,000 people in Florida are active medical marijuana cardholders.

“The new Rise Express model [makes] 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,” he said.

High Times notes
Green Thumb currently operates a small number of retail stores and said that it could expand the number of its Rise Express dispensaries since Circle K runs around 600 stores in Florida. The weed will be grown at Green Thumb’s cultivation facility in Ocala, which will be operational by the end of this year. Green Thumb has been selling weed in Florida since 2018 and has an existing cultivation and processing facility in Homestead. Green Thumb CEO Ben Kovler said in a statement that the main benefit of selling weed at Circle K gas stations is simply convenience.

Circle K has more than 7000 stores in 47 states in the U.S., including many in places where marijuana is legal.

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