Orlando's first medical marijuana drive-thru dispensary now open

Curaleaf offers drive-thru, delivery

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando now has its first medical marijuana drive-thru. 

Curaleaf opened its doors Friday at its location along Semoran Boulevard in Orlando. 

The concept behind the dispensary is the same as others that are already based in Orlando. But what makes this one different is how patients can pick up their products. 

Curaleaf will offer customers a drive-thru option, as well as delivery. 

Anne Burlingame is new to the medical marijuana dispensary scene.

"I just got the card. It took me a long time to commit to it," Burlingame said. 

She voted in favor of medical marijuana, but she said she didn't think she would be the one who would use it. That was until surgeries and ailments led her down a road of pain and pills. 

"I tried acupuncture. I have tried laser. I have tried zen floats -- everything short of voodoo," Burlingame said. "I was put on a long list of pharmaceuticals. I had a horrible reaction to one that led me to be suicidal, and this is where the road led me."

Through research, she found Curaleaf. 

Curaleaf General Manager Lydea Strickland said pickup isn't as simple as driving up to a window. A customer has to have an issued medical marijuana card and make a stop inside before they can utilize the drive-thru or delivery option. 

"If they're uncomfortable standing for long periods of time, or even getting out of the car, we deal with a lot of patients that definitely need the help, so making it accessible for them is the best thing that we can do for them," Strickland said. 

Curaleaf will hold its official grand opening Thursday. 

The business does not accept debit or credit cards as payment. A representative with the company said the reasoning is due to legalities. The dispensary accepts cash and Cannpay, which is similar to PayPal. ​

Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level and banks are run at the national level. Medical marijuana remains at the state approved level.


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