Curaleaf opens largest medical marijuana dispensary in Tallahassee

Tallahassee's newest, largest medical marijuana dispensary sits in a three-story building at one of Midtown's busiest intersections. 

Curaleaf Holdings, the parent of Curaleaf Inc., now occupies what used to be Badass Fitness on Thomasville Road. The medical marijuana franchise operates more than 30 dispensaries nationwide and 17 in Florida. It chose Tallahassee as an ideal location in North Florida to maximize free next-day delivery services, said Vinit Patel, the company's regional dispensary operations manager. 

"This will allow for improved access for all of our Panhandle clients,” he said of the operation that opened Tuesday.

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Headquartered in Miami, Curaleaf is the fourth medical marijuana dispensary to open in Tallahassee. It joins Trulieve, the first to open in the state, Surterra Wellness and Knox Medical. Its product line includes oil cartridges, pods and vaporizers. Patel said the company's ethos centers around quality, education and compassion. 

According to a September report from the state's Office of Medical Marijuana Use, there are 55 dispensaries statewide. Curaleaf has locations in Deerfield Beach, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Kendall, Lakeland, Lake Worth, Miami, Orlando, Palm Bay, Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg. 

Florida's medical marijuana industry is expected to have a $1.6 billion economic impact by 2020, according to a 2016 report by Arcview Market Research, a cannabis market research firm. 

The highly regulated industry complements local efforts to diversify Tallahassee's government-centric economy. However, the capital city also is home to more than 500 life science-based businesses, said Cristina Parades, director of the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality. 

"The (medical marijuana) industry as a whole is a growing one," she said. "Any time we can add jobs and diversity to the services that are here, that’s a great thing for our local economy."

Sue Dick, president and CEO of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, said companies like Curaleaf are an example of how new rules and regulations around medical treatments are creating jobs and careers. 

"Tallahassee is open for business, and as a Chamber of Commerce, we are proud to cut the ribbon and help a new company enter our market," Dick said. "Florida is on the cutting edge of medical cannabis treatments and Tallahassee has proven to be a key market for the delivery of those treatments. We look forward to seeing Curaleaf grow here as the industry expands."

Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter.