Cannabis Dispensary Roundup: Item 9's Unity Rd. Franchise Expands, Curaleaf, Planet 13 & Verano Bolster Florida Retail Footprint

Curaleaf To Open 3 New Stores In Florida In May

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. CURA CURLF plans to open three new dispensaries in Florida over the coming weeks.

The announced expansion bolsters the company's retail footprint to 50 dispensaries in the Sunshine State and 133 locations nationwide.

Curaleaf Bradenton East, located at 4227 E SR 64, is an expansive, 5,000-square-foot retail facility that joins Curaleaf Bradenton as the second dispensary in Central Florida town. Curaleaf will celebrate the location's soft opening on May 6, followed by a grand opening on Friday, May 13.

Curaleaf Tampa Midtown, located at 612 Dale Mabry, will become the company's sixth location in Hillsborough County. The 5,821-square-foot dispensary's soft opening will take place on Thursday, May 12, pending regulatory approvals, with a grand opening ceremony to follow on May 20.

Curaleaf Orlando University, located at 11311 University Blvd near the University of Central Florida, will open by the end of May, pending regulatory approvals. The 3,156 square-foot storefront joins Curaleaf Orlando East and Curaleaf Orlando South as the company's third location in Orange County, Florida.

"We are pleased to provide more convenient experiences for patients across the Sunshine State through our ongoing expansion initiatives and our diverse selection of high-quality cannabis products," Matt Darin, the newly appointed CEO of the company said.

Planet 13 Expands In Florida, Opens New Store In Port Richey

Vertically-integrated multi-state cannabis company Planet 13 Holdings Inc. PLTH PLNHF announced the second location of its planned Florida dispensary network located in the city of Port Richey, a suburb in the rapid-growth Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater region.

The location in Port Richey is on a busy retail corridor near a Home Depot and on the way to the popular waterfront destinations from downtown.

"We are continuing to execute on our Florida expansion in line with our budget and timeline," said Larry Scheffler, co-CEO of Planet 13. "This is the second dispensary location of our initial six neighborhood dispensaries targeted towards major Florida population centers with underserved local residents."

Item 9 Bolsters U.S. Footprint Via Growth Of Unity Rd. Dispensary Franchise

Item 9 Labs Corp. INLB recently reported that it has announced the accelerated growth of its dispensary franchise model, Unity Rd. within the U.S., with successful expansion into several new markets over the past two months.

The company has two dispensaries open in Colorado and Oklahoma, developing across another ten states, driven by more than 20 entrepreneurial groups.

The Phoenix-based company anticipates that this positive momentum will continue throughout 2022, focusing on fast-tracking franchise development by supporting Unity Rd. franchise partners in acquiring existing dispensaries in Colorado, among other target markets.

The company's team recently assisted two of the brand's first partners in South Dakota and New Mexico in securing state and local approval to operate in their markets' cannabis programs.

"The relationship between our local partners and us is mutually beneficial, as we together leverage a proven and highly scalable business," Andrew Bowden, the company's CEO said. "We have worked hard to create a repeatable road map that allows eager cannabis entrepreneurs a direct and de-risked route into the complex U.S. cannabis market."

Item 9 is in the midst of rebranding the Unity Rd. shop in Oklahoma City and expects a grand opening celebration this summer.

Verano Opens MÜV Fort Myers Beach, 46th Florida Store

Cannabis company Verano Holdings Corp. VRNO VRNOF opened MÜV Fort Myers Beach, its 46th Florida location and 97th nationwide on Friday, May 6.

The new store, located at 11340 Summerlin Square Drive. is the first medical cannabis dispensary located in the Fort Myers Beach community within greater Fort Myers.

MÜV's product selection includes edibles, chocolates and lozenges, flower, pre-rolls, an array of vaporizer pens, concentrates, metered-dose inhalers, topicals, and oral sprays as well as patented encapsulation formulations in its EnCaps capsules, tinctures, 72-hour transdermal patches and transdermal gels.

"Opening MÜV Fort Myers Beach adds another convenient location for our southwest Florida patients, complementing our existing area dispensaries in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, and Marco Island," John Tipton, president of Verano said. "We look forward to continue serving our valued patients as the wonderful Fort Myers community and surrounding area continues to grow and prosper in the years ahead."

Photo: Courtesy of Mike Petrucci on Unsplash