Medical marijuana dispensary opens in Old Seminole Heights, Tampa

Medical marijuana retailer Curaleaf has opened its 17th medical marijuana dispensary in Florida. The new location is at 6241 North Florida Ave in the Old Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa.

Cannabis retailers are limited to the number of stores they are allowed to open within Florida’s five designated regions. The Old Seminole Heights location marks the first of two stores the Wakefield, Massachusetts-based company plans to open in the Tampa Bay area in the coming months.

Curaleaf targeted Tampa as the biggest city in the Tampa Bay area. As for the Old Seminole Heights neighborhood, Vinit Patel, Curaleaf's regional dispensary operations manager, says, “That location specifically was chosen because of its proximity of downtown. Plus, the old Seminole Heights area is a burgeoning neighborhood. There are trendy restaurants and high-rises are moving in there and a lot of park space and communal space.”

In Florida, medical marijuana use is legal for patients suffering from approved conditions, such as PTSD, Crohn’s, Parkinson’s, and cancer.

Medical cannabis cardholders can choose from an assortment of products at Curaleaf, including vaporizer cartridges, disposable devices, tinctures, oils, capsules, and topical creams. Entry level products start at $18, top-shelf products cost around $90, and the average product falls within the $30-40 range.

Curaleaf plans to continue opening stores across Florida, says Patel. “We're continuously looking for new locations. We're growing quickly and aggressively and continuing to further develop our footprint in the state of Florida. We have at least one more store on the immediate horizon in Tampa Bay.” A Lutz location is slated to open in coming weeks.

The Curaleaf locations join a handful of other dispensaries that have opened in the region since Florida voters approved Amendment 2 in 2016 and qualifying medical conditions were expanded in 2017. Trulieve opened a store in New Port Richey in June.

Read more on medical marijuana from 83 Degrees: Managing symptoms: Medical marijuana emerges as growth industry in Florida.
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Read more articles by Dyllan Furness.

Dyllan Furness is a freelance writer and born-again Floridian based in Tampa. He covers the Tampa Bay Area’s development boom for 83 Degrees, with an eye out for sustainable and community-driven initiatives.