Circle K’s convenience stores will sell marijuana — for once, legally

10 gas stations in Florida will offer cannabis pickup in 2023. Call it “Gas to go”.

To paraphrase Keanu Reeves, “There are strange things going on at Circle K.”

A major cannabis company is partnering with a household name in convenience stores to set a new milestone in marijuana proliferation.

Multi-state cannabis company Green Thumb Industries Inc. (GTI) will partner with Circle K filling stations for a weed pickup service through 10 medical cannabis dispensaries in Florida as early as next year. The stores are called RISE Express.

“The opening of RISE Express stores in Circle K locations is a game changer. Convenience is a strong retail channel and people want more access to cannabis.”

Ben Kovler, CEO of Green Thumb Industries

“The new RISE Express model is a major step forward in making it easier and more efficient for patients to purchase high-quality cannabis as part of their daily routine when they visit their local grocery store,” Kovler said in a statement announcing the business.

Circle K is a Canada-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations with 600 locations throughout Florida. In 2021, Circle K’s parent company, Couche-Tard, worked on a similar pilot program with Canadian retailer Fire & Flower to launch pickup centers across the country.

Read how to get an MMJ card in Florida

Marijuana Laws in Florida

Florida state law permits medicinal cannabis, but not sale or recreational use. With more than 700,000 registered and active patients across the state, Bill and Ted won’t be the only weed lovers encountering strange things at Circle K in the near future.

What should smokers expect in Florida?

The flowers, concentrates, and edibles that will hit Circle K’s stores will be grown at a brand new 28-acre facility in Ocala, FL that GTI plans to open by the end of the year. GTI already operates a cultivation and processing facility in Homestead, FL.

Since entering the Florida medical market in 2018, GTI has opened stores in Bonita Springs, Oviedo and West Palm Beach.

Bloomberg reported today that GTI “has struck a deal with the Florida government” to finalize this multinational deal. As part of the deal, Green Thumb could expand to additional locations across Florida.

Reactions to Circle K’s weed deal

The companies have not disclosed which Circle K locations will be integrated into RISE Express pharmacies. Financial terms of the deal were also not disclosed, but Bloomberg reports that RISE will lease space from Circle K to house its operations.

Is Marijuana “Medicinal” or More Like Beer or Cigarettes? Given that Florida is a medical-only state, Circle K locations that sell weed will have an interesting design…

— Tiffany Kary (@TiffanyKary) October 19, 2022

Across the internet, readers met the news with a mixture of laughter, anger and jealousy. Weed has been sold outside Circle K’s and other gas stations for years, only illegally.

Others lamented that big companies were getting the green light to expand rather than more mom and pop operations. Meanwhile, weed lovers abroad and in Prohibition states just felt burned because their own communities are so far behind.

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