In an Industry First, Circle K to Sell Cannabis at Its Gas Stations

It’s not just microwaved burritos, anymore: Cannabis is coming to Circle K’s in Florida.

Recording a major move in the corporate embrace of marijuana, Green Thumb, a leading cannabis CPG company, announced an exclusive leasing agreement that will allow it to operate marijuana dispensaries at gas stations owned by  Circle K.

The deal is a powerful statement on the perceived commericality of cannabis being edged to by corporations. Circle K, owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard of Laval, Quebec., is a major U.S. retailing force. Tempe, AZ-based Circle K was ranked 37th this year among the National Retail Federation’s Top 50 Global Retailers.

By greenlighted the opening of Green Thumb’s “RISE Express” dispensaries adjacent to their locations, Circle K has fully thrown it hat into the cannabis arena.  But while the two companies will share turf, the dispensaries will be physically separated from Circle K convenience stores with their own entrances.

The trial rollout of the new Rise Express stores will begin at ten of the 600 locations Circle K operates in Florida, with the companies planning rollouts statewide.

“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,” said Green Thumb Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ben Kovler.

Giving rise to convenience cannabis

Green Thumb, headquartered in Chicago and Vancouver, B.C., currently operates 17 manufacturing facilities and 77 dispensaries nationwide, with seven RISE Dispensaries in Florida.

Green Thumb will supply products for RISE Express from a 28-acre cultivation cannabis production facility it is constructing in Ocala, FL . The stores will offer its branded cannabis products, including RYTHM premium flower, Dogwalkers pre-rolls, gummies and &Shine vapes.

Green Thumb entered the Florida market in 2018 and currently owns and operates medical cannabis retail stores in Bonita Springs, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, Kendall, Oviedo, Pinellas Park and West Palm Beach. The company also has an existing cultivation and processing facility in Homestead, FL.