Trulieve is a prominent player in the cannabis industry, known for its focus on producing and distributing high-quality medical cannabis products. Established in 2014, Trulieve has rapidly expanded its operations, becoming one of the largest and most successful cannabis companies in the United States.
Overall, Trulieve is recognized for its innovation, integrity, and commitment to excellence in the cannabis marketplace, making it a trusted choice for individuals seeking safe and reliable cannabis products.
HISTORY
Three Florida Plant Nursery operators - George Hackney, Sr., Thad Beashers, and Richard May - joined with business leaders Jason Pernell and Kim Rivers to found Trulieve shortly after the passage of Florida’s medical cannabis law. With Kim Rivers’ leadership as Chairman and CEO, the group put their talents and passion into cultivating high-quality cannabis products and received the first medical marijuana license issued by Florida as well as opening and completing Florida’s first medical cannabis sale in 2016. When Governor Ron DeSantis signed off on a bill to allow the sale of smokable cannabis, Trulieve was the first to market and remains the top producer and provider of medical cannabis in Florida.
Trulieve now operates multiple facilities spread across Florida and cultivation operations in several states. Whether grown indoors or in greenhouses, Trulieve cannabis is cultivated by expert growers who employ proprietary, hands-on growing techniques to ensure each plant produces the best possible flower.
By establishing some of the most advanced cultivation facilities in the country, Trulieve can give each plant the hands-on care needed to ensure superior quality while also being able to scale to meet the demands of patients who rely on them for their medicine.
LOCATION
Headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, Trulieve operates more than 190 dispensaries nationwide, with more than 130 located in Florida.
PRODUCTS
Trulieve boasts one of the largest and most varied product catalogs of any cannabis provider in Florida. From flowers, concentrates, vape carts/pods, edibles, capsules, tinctures, beverages, drink mixes, and topicals, they offer expertly crafted products to suit the widest range of patient needs.
Trulieve is constantly adding to their existing product mix to help patients address their specific treatment needs. They have received positive feedback on many products including their in-house brands like Cultivar, Modern Flower, Momenta, Roll One, and Sweet Talk, but patients have also shown an enthusiastic response about new products from their partner brands as well, which include popular cannabis producers like Alien Labs/Connected, Bellamy Brothers (Old Hippie Stash), Binske, Black Tuna, DeLisioso, Khalifa Kush, Love’s Oven, and Sunshine Cannabis among many others.
Trulieve strives to keep a consistently wide variety of strains in stock at all locations to serve the wide array of patient needs. As they continue to add cultivation capacity, they are better able to keep popular strains available while also adding new cultivars to the mix to give patients options as they search for the strains and genetics that offer the relief they need.
Trulieve’s CEO, Kim Rivers, is a big fan of the sativa-leaning strain Pineapple Upside Down Cake, so that is one that their cultivators try to keep in the mix!
PATIENT CARE
Trulieve’s retail staff are trained to listen closely to patients and answer questions to the best of their ability. While they make it a practice not to recommend specific routes, which should be a discussion between patients and their certifying physician, their staff helps to educate patients on the wide variety of product types available and provide clarity regarding any of the product information on their menus or found in each product’s Certificate of Analysis.
Behind the scenes, Trulieve has an entire team dedicated to gathering patient feedback and addressing any issues patients have when visiting their stores. This team surveys patients and visits individual Trulieve locations to identify pain points and determine how to make accessing their medicine easier for all patients.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH/SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The majority of Trulieve’s social responsibility and community outreach efforts are related to their “Pillars of Purpose,” which include:
- Supporting Veterans: Trulieve partners with Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to support veterans and their families through charitable donations, discounts, and community initiatives as well as advocating for veterans’ access to medical cannabis.
- Cancer Research and Awareness: Trulieve partners with local cancer awareness advocates like Libby’s Legacy to provide financial support, run donation drives, and host mobile mammogram events to promote cancer screening and awareness.
- Childhood Illnesses: Through community partnerships and working with non-profits, Trulieve works to support Florida families with children suffering from debilitating medical conditions, including epilepsy, autism, and cancer by participating in charity events and fundraising initiatives.
- Disaster Relief: Because Florida is frequently affected by hurricanes, Trulieve has also worked to provide disaster relief assistance to those impacted by hurricanes Ian and Idalia in each of the last two years.
- Education and Awareness: Trulieve also seeks to expand awareness and educate the public about the potential of cannabis to improve lives and serve as a wellness resource through community-based educational events. Their “Elevate Your Knowledge” series features both virtual and in-person events focused on expanding on topics as broad as explaining different product types and as specific as exploring lesser-known cannabis constituents like minor cannabinoids or terpenes.
SUSTAINABILITY/FUTURE PLANS
In September 2021, Trulieve instituted a voluntary recycling program allowing customers to return select container types to Trulieve dispensaries which have recycled more than 48,000 pounds of packaging waste since its inception.
To ensure sustainability in their cultivation processes, Trulieve has incorporated system and design elements to reduce overall waste on both the front and back ends of their production processes.
Trulieve’s 750,000-square-foot cultivation facility in Florida features an advanced water reclamation system that retrieves runoff and reintroduces it to their holding tanks after being filtered and treated, accounting for a nearly 70 percent reduction in water usage.
Trulieve’s two main composting facilities in Florida allow them to dispose of more than 27,400 cubic feet of plant waste per month that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.
The focus for everyone at Trulieve now and in the future is on their core mission to form authentic and reciprocal relationships that not only improve their ability to supply patients with the highest level of cannabis products but also to expand awareness of the plant’s potential and its role in their wellness journey. Trulieve’s vision for the future is a landscape free from the lingering stigmas around cannabis use.
For more information, visit their website at www.trulieve.com.
