Green Thumb Industries (GTI) is appealing a ruling by a Florida administrative law judge who rejected the multistate operator’s plan to open medical marijuana dispensaries near or adjacent to Circle K gas stations in the state.
According to the News Service of Florida, Chicago-based GTI filed a notice Jan. 16 requesting the 1st District Court of Appeal to review Judge Joshua Pratt’s Jan. 7 decision.
Pratt’s order affirmed previous rulings by Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use denying GTI’s requests to establish Rise-branded dispensaries near Circle Ks in Ocala, Orlando and St. Petersburg.
The judge’s rejection cited a law restricting amended license applications as well as safety and security concerns.
Under its October 2022 agreement with Circle K – which attracted national attention and temporarily boosted GTI’s stock price – the Laval, Quebec-headquartered retailer planned to roll out a “test and learn” concept with about 10 stores across Florida.
However, a week after GTI disclosed the arrangement, Florida regulators confirmed to MJBizDaily that they had not approved the cannabis operator’s plan to lease space and open MMJ dispensaries near or adjacent to Circle K gas stations.
Then, in April 2023, MJBizDaily reported that the GTI-Circle K deal was in litigation.
GTI operates 21 Rise stores in Florida and 101 locations nationwide, according to recent news releases.
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