Trulieve opens medical marijuana dispensary in Tampa

(TampaBay) Trulieve, one of seven companies in Florida authorized to grow marijuana and produce and sell cannabis pills and oil, opened in a former fitness gym at 8701 N Dale Mabry Highway. It's Trulieve's third location in Florida — the others are in Clearwater and Tallahassee — and the latest in a plan to expand to all of the state's major markets, said chief executive officer Kim Rivers. A St. Petersburg location is expected to open later this year. The goal is to improve access for patients, Rivers said. Trulieve, which has a growing and production facility near Tallahassee, already delivers anywhere in the state, but patients can avoid a delivery fee by picking up their medication in person. Meanwhile, Trulieve and others continue to open new dispensaries. Last fall, a company called Surterra opened Hillsborough's first on Fowler Avenue in Tampa. That and Trulieve's dispensary were permitted before the Hills­borough County Commission approved a six-month moratorium on new locations. Trulieve's product line includes capsules, tinctures, liquids that can be swallowed and oils that are heated and inhaled through a vaporizer pen. Some have no THC, the chemical that causes a euphoric high, and others have enough to provide some effects.