According to Green Thumb Industries, one of the largest cannabis producers in the United States, Floridians will soon be able to purchase marijuana products alongside cigarettes and snacks at Circle K gas stations.
Starting next year, weed will be sold at 10 "RISE Express" dispensaries with separate entrances from the gas stations, according to a new partnership announced by Chicago-based Green Thumb on Wednesday.
Depending on how customers react, the cannabis retailer "could expand to more Circle K locations," according to Ben Kovler, the company's CEO, in an email to CBS MoneyWatch on Friday.
According to its website, Alimentation Couche-Tard owns more than 7,000 Circle K locations in 47 states, including 642 in Florida.
The Quebec, Canada-based company confirmed the agreement for Green Thumb to lease adjacent space to its stores in Florida.
"To be clear, Circle K does not sell cannabis in its U.S. stores," a spokesperson for the company told CBS MoneyWatch via email.
According to Kovler, the agreement with Circle K is "the first example of premium cannabis retail being offered in one of the largest convenience store chains in the country."
"One of the fastest growing shopping verticals is convenience stores, and we're excited to meet cannabis consumers where they are."
Marijuana flowers, pre-rolls, gummies, and vapes will be available for purchase, with Green Thumb supplying them from a 28-acre facility built in Ocala, Florida, and set to open by the end of 2022.
According to Kovler, the partnership 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."
Although marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, it is legally sold in Florida for medical purposes, with nearly 560,000 Floridians holding a medical marijuana card, according to the Florida Department of Health.
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