Dispensary chain adds link in Charlotte

Feeling good starts with a hometown feel

Charlotte, NC - Cannabis products are nothing new, you even see CBD at the grocery store now. But, one company is making the THC shopping experience more comfortable, and is bringing that feel to its 24th storefront, on 3rd Street, in Charlotte.

“There’s a huge demand for cannabis topicals, tinctures, edibles, concentrates and flower, especially in states that haven’t legalized it yet,” said Lee VanTine, owner of the Apotheca chain. “But finding good, sustainable products was a little ‘iffy.’”

Finding quality dispensary goods gets a little easier soon, just southeast of uptown. The new store opens its doors for the first time at 8 a.m. on January 20, 2023. It is located at 1501 E 3rd Street in Charlotte.

This is the 6th store in the city, but there are Apotheca dispensaries across North Carolina and Tennessee and two coming to the Atlanta area. VanTine sees potential throughout the Southeast and growing even bigger from there, one store at a time.

With the 2018 Farm Bill signed, all cannabis plants grown as industrial hemp contain less than 0.3% Delta 9 THC, the psychoactive chemical that causes euphoria. So, its derivatives are legal. This was a huge help to Apotheca, founded just the year before.

“Cannabis is a complex plant,” says VanTine. “With prohibition just ending, we’re still learning about its amazing properties. There are hundreds of chemicals inside the plant that have been used by mankind for centuries!”

There are hundreds of products, derived legally from hemp at Apotheca. The stores are designed to be comfortable with lots of earth tones. The shelves are stocked with Earth’s best ingredients in edibles, topicals, tinctures, concentrates and the hemp flower itself. Some products get you high, some don’t. 

So, VanTine ensures that all employees are well educated on the company’s hand-selected products to help customers choose best options.

“There have been so many innovations since 2018,” said VanTine. New products include Delta-8 THC, Delta 9 THC (yes, the same one as in legal-state cannabis, but derived from hemp), Delta 10 and 11 THC too! There’s also HHC, THC-O, THC-V, THC-A, CBG, CBN and the list just grows.” 

The Apotheca brand was born in 2017 to meet the need of consistent, reputable cannabis products. The shelves have grown to include kratom goods and other supplements. Many stores even have farm-fresh items like honies, jams, cheeses and even ice cream! 

“In a true apothecary feel,” VanTine says, “Apotheca delivers a shopping experience like no other with hundreds of products and a friendly staff to help find the best fit.”