CVS Is Now Selling Over-The-Counter CBD
The United States’ biggest drug store chain, CVS, has just started selling CBD products in branches located in 8 states.
Curaleaf Holdings made the announcement earlier this week. Curaleaf is a cannabis retailer that has a line of cannabis-based topicals, lozenges, and edibles currently being sold in CVS. Curaleaf also has THC cannabis dispensaries operating in 11 states. he good news is that you don’t need a prescription to buy these products, since they are readily available over-the-counter.
“We have partnered with CBD product manufacturers that are complying with applicable laws and that meet CVS’ high standards for quality,” said a CVS rep to Marketwatch via email. The states selling CBD products in CVS include California, Colorado, Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
According to Curaleaf executives, CVS will eventually be carrying their products in 800 shops across 10 states. “We’re going to walk slowly, but this will be something we think our customers will be looking for,” Larry Merlo, CVS Health CEO, told CNBC.
“We are carrying hemp-derived CBD products in select states to help meet consumer demands for alternative care options,” adds Mike DeAngelis, CVS Health Spokesperson.
Although smaller, independent health shops have been offering hemp-based CBD products for some time now, CVS is the first drug-store chain to place CBD products on their shelves. The news comes despite the fact that the DEA still considers cannabis and CBD a Schedule 1 drug, which makes it illegal in their eyes.
Effectiveness claims will be different in each product, although CVS has no intentions of marketing any of them as a “cure all”. However, they made it clear that they wouldn’t be selling CBD-based supplements nor will they be offering food additives. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act says that it’s still illegal to add CBD into food and drink items, or make them into dietary supplements. “Selling unapproved products with unsubstantiated therapeutic claims is not only a violation of the law, but also can put patients at risk, as these products have not been proven to be safe or effective,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said last December.
This is why CVS will be marketing the CBD products as over-the-counter medications with a dedicated display.
California-based Medterra, a CBD brand, is also going to be selling their products in Curaleaf. Medterra is among the first CBD company to sell in CVS; they will be selling a topical cooling balm that is made from CBD as well as other ingredients. Medterra’s hemp-based CBD products come from hemp cultivated in Kentucky. They also make gel caps, isolates, and tinctures.
“This is a decision that CVS has taken seriously,” said Medterra CEO, Jay Hartenbach to Adweek. ”They really looked for industry leaders to be on the front lines with their rollout and I think for them, it really mattered that they not carry the wrong CBD.” Medterra products will be located on the store’s end caps for better visibility.
CBD Becoming A Household Name
CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, is one of the major constituents in the cannabis plant. Enthusiasts have been raving about its healing properties for a long time now, though these claims are not unfounded. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of studies that back up CBD’s therapeutic benefits for a wide range of ailments including anxiety, epilepsy, cancer, pain, insomnia, and much more.
There are many people who are still doubtful of CBD, calling it the modern day snake oil. Although CBD is not a cure-all, it has helped save lives while improving quality of life for people who live with debilitating conditions. CBD works in the body by acting on several receptors, including serotonin 5-HTIA; this receptor is responsible for regulating many functions including pain, moods, sleep, and anxiety. Even without an underlying ailment, people can benefit from taking CBD on a daily basis because it helps keep the endocannabinoid system healthy and promote homeostasis.
More people are taking CBD on a daily basis, some even using it as a supplement in the way you would do with vitamins or fish oil. It doesn’t get you high, unlike the other compound in cannabis, THC.
Regardless of this, the federal government has not rescheduled CBD and still says that it is illegal.
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