Medical-marijuana delivery service Curaleaf wants to call Fort Pierce home

FORT PIERCE— A Miami company plans to open a medical-marijuana delivery service here, the first of its kind on the Treasure Coast.

Curaleaf officials wants to operate a fulfillment center — a warehouse where medical-marijuana products are sorted, packaged and delivered to clients — in a shopping center at 3218 S. U.S. 1., across from the Sears store.

No retail transactions would occur at the center.

Fort Pierce approved Curaleaf's business license on March 9, and it needs no other approvals from the city beyond routine permits, City Clerk Linda Cox said.

Curaleaf could open as soon as 30 days, said Michael Costa, its director of associate training and dispensary support. The company already has hired 10 employees.

"The public won't even know we're there," Costa said. "As a fulfillment center, we are prohibited from putting up signs or anything to draw attention to the location."

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The company was attracted to Fort Pierce because of its location, which would help it expand its delivery service in Central Florida, said Curaleaf CEO Lindsay Jones.

"Being based in Fort Pierce would allow us to deliver more frequently and give us the ability to reach more patients," Jones said.

The company already is delivering in Fort Pierce and throughout the Treasure Coast, officials said. However, Jones declined to say how many delivery customers Curaleaf has in Fort Pierce, Indian River and Martin counties.

Curaleaf, the medical-marijuana division of Costa Nursery, operates a retail dispensary in Lake Worth and one in Dadeland Mall in Miami.

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For some patients, delivery is their only way to obtain doctor-recommended medical-marijuana products. Some cities and counties have banned dispensaries as permitted by state law.

The state has placed a 25-store statewide cap for each company approved to distribute medical marijuana. Dispensary locations are determined by region and population.

There are no dispensaries currently operating on the Treasure Coast, yet two companies have shown interest in the region.

More: Port St. Lucie medical-marijuana dispensary opening could be about month away

Alachua-based Liberty Health Services applied Feb. 14 to open a dispensary in Port St. Lucie, at 10941 U.S. 1, city officials said.

Tallahassee-based Trulieve, which has 13 dispensaries in the state, is renovating a building on Commerce Avenue in Vero Beach and working through required permitting, officials have said.

Trulieve officials in December told St. Lucie County officials it would "hold off" on opening a dispensary at 8613 U.S. 1, in the Crowne Plaza shopping center. They gave no reason for the delay.