Yes, you read the headline right, the day you can buy legal weed at Circle K Gas Stations is almost here. Medical cannabis is going to be sold in Circle K stores across Florida soon. Green Thumb Industries (GTI) announced Wednesday that it will be launching a pilot program with its RISE Express dispensaries at 10 Circle K Locations across Florida.
UPDATE: State Of Florida announces that Circle K and GTI will NOT be allowed to follow through with this business move.
While Green Thumb Industries has said they hope for this pilot program to expand to more of their 600 locations across the state of Florida, we’ll have to watch how this unfolds. Currently, there are only 700,000 authorized medical cannabis patients in the state and the Florida medical marijuana program only allows cardholders to shop at dispensaries.
Customers can expect a number of cannabis products available inside the RISE Express dispensaries, including flower, pre-rolls, gummies, and vapes. Based on the news, we can assume that these Express locations will sit adjacent to Circle K and be their own standalone shops and not 100% “inside” of existing Circle K stores.
Green Thumb CEO Ben Kovler said in a statement, “The opening of RISE Express stores at Circle K locations is a game-changer. Convenience is a strong channel in retail, and people want more access to cannabis.”
While some have claimed this step will help provide access and further break down the stigma, the news has also been met with some negative reactions inside the industry. I’ve seen individuals say this type of move is exactly the corporate expansion that will continue to hurt the maturation of the industry and the support of craft and legacy operators. Many have also questioned if the quality of products sold in these stores will match that of their other gas station counterparts (Circle K pizza for reference).
We all knew weed would eventually be sold out of gas stations, like it or not that day is almost here. Will you buy weed at Circle K? Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts.
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