Circle K, Leading Cannabis Brand Announce Partnership

Circle K, a Canada-based convenience store and gas station operator, announced it was partnering with Green Thumb, a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company, to sell its products at a handful of Circle K locations next year. About 10 "RISE Express"-branded dispensaries will open adjacent to Circle K stores in various Florida locations, Green Thumb said in a press release Wednesday. It didn't identify the store locations, but said the dispensaries will offer "a selection of branded cannabis products, including RYTHM premium flower, Dogwalkers pre-rolls, incredibles gummies and &Shine vapes."

“The opening of RISE Express stores at Circle K locations is a game-changer," said Ben Kovler, Green Thumb founder, chairman and CEO. "Convenience is a strong channel in retail, and people want more access to cannabis. The new RISE Express model is a huge step forward in making 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.”

Total Retail's Take: Green Thumb, which already had a physical presence in Florida through its "RISE" dispensaries, is slowly normalizing cannabis as a product category in the retail space. While only Florida's medical marijuana card holders will be able to purchase from the Circle K/RISE Express stores (cannabis can only be legally sold for medical use in Florida), the Sunshine State is still the largest medical cannabis market in the U.S. Many gas stations also have CBD products on their shelves, and the convenience store sector seems a natural fit for the country's cannabis producers to sell their products among other age-restricted products such as tobacco and alcohol.