Image Credits: Barron’s

The Vitamin Shoppe will start selling CBD infused edible products on the front shelves in 14 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to CNBC. The retailer will first launch oral CBD soft gels followed by CBD drops later this month.

Introducing CBD infused edible supplements puts The Vitamin Shoppe one step ahead of its competitors, Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid, which have been selling only topical products in their stores. The Vitamin Shoppe started selling hemp extract essential oils in March itself.

Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe said in a statement to CNBC that their foremost importance and focus is given on the customer relationship, which indicates towards rising demands of CBD which is simply why they are selling CBD products in their stores.

Despite of the federal law allowing and legalizing CBD for medicinal and recreational purposes, the Food and Drug Administration still prohibits the addition of cannabis compound in dietary supplements and edibles until new regulatory policies can be created for it.

When prompted about the concerns with FDA, the Vitamin Shoppe seemed to hold back and decline making any comments on whether it contemplates about violating the FDA rules. The agency is yet to set a regulatory framework which would clearly mention how CBD can be used in consumer goods, especially in dietary supplements.

The public hearing will take place on May 31, it will be attended by various businessmen, consumers and subject experts who will discuss about the real-life experience cases and studies about the effects of the drug. Though there are no recognized international study or research which claims CBD is effective in medicinal treatments, studies on patients suggest that it is as effective as any other drug, in fact, much better.

Till then, the confusion with respect to the compound will stay afloat. Companies and retailers have already started breaking the rules set by the FDA and stocking CBD food and drinks to serve to the consumers and get traction from the market.

The Vitamin Shoppe has a history of taking risks with products from unknown brands with small consumer base. In July 2018, the retailer started the Launchpad vendor incubation program to help new natural health, nutritional supplement and organic beauty vendors to get their business off the ground.

However, The Vitamin Shoppe isn’t the first to join the CBD space offering ingestible CBD products. Recess, an online store which sells CBD infused beverages online, opened up their first brick and mortar store in New York City in February. Other brands like Sprig, a CBD soda producer have also introduced CBD infused drinks.

Another restaurant, Carl’s Jr. tested out CBD infused burgers on the 420, special occasion for the marijuana community at their single restaurant. While they are looking for just a temporary item in their menu, it is quite evident that the company is inclined towards producing and selling CBD infused products.

CBD is considered as one of the hottest ingredients in the United States currently, there’s no reason why companies and vendors should not sell it. From CBD infused edibles to beauty products to lifestyle goods, the market is flourishing with cannabis products.

Though cannabinoid is legal in several states, lawmakers in other places are sceptic about how it will affect consumers and ask for proper, recognized, research that proves the gamut of health benefits CBD oil claims to possess.

Consumers remain dubious about whether the products are legal or not, and are still understanding the impact of it on their health. It is advised that people take CBD based products only after consulting their medical examiner or a physician, especially if they are following a medical prescription for other drugs.