Florida, Get Ready for Pot at Your Local Gas Station

By: Buz Deliere | October 20, 2022

The company Green Thumb Industries has announced that they will begin selling licensed marijuana at gas stations in Florida next year. This is a global first, as legal pot cannot yet be sold outside of dispensaries and pharmacies around the world, like Uruguay's government run market place system which opened last month and Germany, which allowed vending machine operators to include cannabis products among their offerings starting this past October.

A deal was recently signed between Circle K - one major US convenience store chain with 600 locations across America-and GTI Incorporated. The partnership of weed and gas stations may be a global first, but it’s an exciting development nonetheless. As licensed marijuana producers continue their push into mainstream markets while still remaining illegal at the federal level in America--partnership between Circle K convenience stores with one such producer will allow consumers access to cannabis products through 10 Florida locations starting next year!

The “RISE Express” stores will be known as Green Thumb Outposts and have a separate entrance from the gas station because Florida is one of several states where cannabis is legal only for medical use. However, purchases are restricted to Floridians with medical cannabis cards who qualified under state law and so far that number is around 700k people and growing!

As gas stations continue to explore new ways of conducting their business, some are starting to offer pot. This is because they were early adopters in the age restricted drug space such as tobacco and alcohol sales which have been growing recently with an increase consumer demand for CBD products that don't contain THC or for Delta-8 items that make people high but fall through legal loopholes since these get derived from hemp. Green Thumb’s Kovler said “there’s appetite” for such products among Circle K stores across America

With this partnership, Green Thumb could have an opportunity to become a major player in this new industry. The Florida market alone is worth $6 billion and growing quickly with medical marijuana sales and it’s only second behind California which allows recreational use as well. Green Thumb's arrangement could help the company compete with other large multi-state operators to build a national brand.