'Gas & Grass' Concept Will Debut in Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A new business venture is set to open its doors in Colorado: Gas and Grass.

According to KOAA, Denver-based Native Roots will open its first two Gas and Grass locations in Colorado Springs next month. The new retail model combines a traditional gas station with a marijuana dispensary. 
 
"It's really just kind of pairing the convenience in one specific stop," said company spokesperson Tia Mattson.

The dispensary will have a separate entrance and must follow all the same rules and restrictions that apply to all other medical marijuana stores in Colorado. The gas station, like all gas stations, will be open to the public, she explained.

"I believe we'll have lottery tickets, beverages, cigarettes and similar things that you would pick up in a convenience store," Mattson said.

Native Roots has 11 dispensaries and retail marijuana stores statewide. The stores have a uniform look with common merchandise and pricing structures. In addition to marijuana products, the stores also sell marijuana-themed shirts, hats and souvenirs, according to the report.

Mattson said the gas station concept simply expands an other-than-cannabis business idea.

"We definitely are leaders and we're visionaries," Mattson said. "It's just one more thing for us to pair up the shopping and convenience of gas with a stop for somebody who is a patient, to knock off both errands at one time."

Native Roots will offer loyalty discounts to their marijuana patients. Mattson said she envisions a process similar those used by grocery stores and warehouse retailers that have their own gas stations, the news outlet added.