New cannabis dispensary opens in Gastonia

Apotheca, a Charlotte-based cannabis dispensary, has opened a storefront in Gastonia, the chain's first location in Gaston County.

The new store is located at 2001 N. Chester St.

"I almost ended up on a little spot in a downtown area but didn't come to terms there, and sometimes things happen for a reason," Apotheca owner and CEO Lee VanTine II said. "And the day I didn't come to terms there, I drove by here looking around and this building had a 'for auction' sign on it, and so I bought it. And here we are, and it turns out to be a much better location."

Apotheca has 39 stores in North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, and VanTine's goal is to have 50 by the end of 2024.

People use cannabis products for sleep troubles, pain and other ailments, VanTine said.

"The big two are pain and sleep," VanTine said. "Those are the big two by far. If you have any sort of ailment at all and your ailment is causing you not to get good sleep, your body can't repair itself."

"We have people coming to us left and right that either drink too much to go to sleep, or they're taking melatonin, which if you take too much melatonin, you stop your body from producing it on its own. They're taking decongestants, they're taking heavy narcotic sleeping pills," he said. "They're all coming in and dropping whatever their old method was, and now they're using a THC edible to get their sleep."

Marijuana remains illegal in North Carolina and on the federal level, but hemp products were legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill. When that bill was passed, Congress focused primarily on Delta-9 THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that remains illegal.

But there are other forms of THC, like Delta-8 THC, that were accidentally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, and cannabis stores carry products that contain Delta-8 and similar forms of THC. These products have the same effects as marijuana.

"We sell hemp-derived cannabinoids. So we have edibles, topicals, smokeables, all with varying degrees of THC," VanTine said.

VanTine is keeping a careful eye on recent legislation that would regulate the sale of hemp products in North Carolina.

H.B. 563 would legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina for people with cancer and other illnesses, add kratom, xylazine and tianeptine to the state's list of controlled substances, and regulate hemp sales. People under the age of 21 would not be able to legally purchase hemp, sellers must be licensed, and products would need to be tested before distribution, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.

House Bill 563 passed a final vote in the state Senate, but it now goes back to the House for consideration.

"We're working on passing regulations for these products that will be good for the consumer. We want to make sure that these products are tested, and tested for, you know, residual solvents, pesticides, all kinds of things. We want to make sure the products are safe for humans," VanTine said. "That's the big thing with the bill was to make sure that we put regulations in place to keep products safe for the consumer."

VanTine also is watching federal legislation that has the potential to decimate the hemp industry. A draft of the 2024 Farm Bill includes an amendment that would make hemp products containing intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids, like Delta-8 THC, illegal.

"That's a big deal for us," VanTine said. "If that were to pass, it could essentially put us all out of business."

"I'm stepping on big alcohol toes, I'm stepping on big tobacco toes, and I'm stepping on big marijuana toes. I'm taking business from all of them. We have a big target on our backs," he added.

Regardless, VanTine's own business is booming. Last year, Apotheca made $27 million in revenue. This year, the company is on track to make $45 million, he said.

"Everybody that comes here is smiling. Everybody is smiling when they walk out of the door," VanTine said.