CVS and Walgreens Jump on the CBD Bandwagon

Mainstream retailers CVS and Walgreens have both recently announced that they will begin to sell CBD products in select stores. Not only is it big news for accessibility, but it’s also a step towards destigmatizing CBD as a useful wellness and health management tool. It will hopefully give the industry more traction and open the door for hesitant consumers to try it.

The passage of the Farm Bill of 2018 has made hemp legal on the federal level, which has allowed for stores to put CBD on shelves. CBD, or cannabidiol, has gained popularity as an alternative to anti-inflammatory and pain medications such as Advil and Tylenol, partially because it doesn’t have the same potentially negative side effects associated with liver and stomach upset. CBD has also been touted as helpful for treating anxiety and acne.

CBD is made from the hemp plant, the sister plant to the marijuana leaf. But, since there is no THC in pure CBD, the ingredient in marijuana that produces the “high” effect, CBD has become more mainstream as of late.

The CVS team said in its official statement, “CBD is gaining popularity among consumers, particularly those looking for alternative care products.” The pharmaceutical tycoon plans on selling over the counter salves, creams, sprays, lotions and roll-ons in California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and Tennessee.

Walgreens, another drugstore juggernaut, plans on starting its sales in Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vermont, South Carolina, Illinois and Indiana.

One question that comes with more mainstream access to CBS is quality of the products. Consumers will still have to be vigilant about doing their research on inactive ingredients and CBD sourcing to ensure that the product they’re purchasing is of good quality and worth the money. But, decreasing the stigma around CBD use is a great step forward for accessibility to alternative wellness products.

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