In the last few newsletters, I’ve talked a lot about why convenience retailers should be fighting for the right to sell cannabis.
Today, let’s flip the script: Why should cannabis be excited about convenience? Hint: They already are.
I’ve spent years talking to convenience retailers about cannabis, but earlier this year, I got my first real shot at speaking to cannabis brands about convenience. In February, I joined a panel at CannaDataCon (now CannaBevSummit) alongside two liquor retailers.
The audience? Folks selling into stores like Specs and Total Wine. I braced myself to defend convenience—to convince brands it was a channel worth their attention.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
These brands were already excited about convenience—or at least curious. And that enthusiasm has only grown at every cannabis event I’ve attended since.
Why? Because for cannabis brands, convenience represents the normalization they’ve been waiting for. It’s a channel that offers:
- Three times more locations than liquor or grocery
- 1,100 daily visitors per store—the highest foot traffic of any channel
- Top national sales in tobacco and beer
- A proven track record of launching categories like energy drinks, vapes, hard seltzers, and modern oral nicotine
One of the reasons I’m so excited about the CSP C-Store Cannabis Board is that it’s helping build bridges between convenience and cannabis. To spark friendships—and unlock the true potential of this category.
Let’s build those bridges, people!
Melissa Vonder Haar
Chair, CSP C-Store Cannabis Board
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