They’ve appeared in Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid. They’ve come into vogue with convenience stores and airport kiosks. Now, Kroger is looking to supply CBD products.
The grocery chain, like many of the other retailers that make up the rest of the sweeping trend, is looking to roll out the hemp-extract products on a preliminary, pilot basis. According to reports, 945 Kroger locations will see CBD on their shelves.
“Like many retailers, we are starting to offer our customers a highly curated selection of topical products like lotions, balms, oils and creams that are infused with hemp-derived CBD,” Kroger spokesperson Kristal Howard said in a statement. [2]
Still, Kroger hasn’t revealed which CBD brands would make the cut for their inventories.
Even Target and Walmart have put out feelers to decide whether to pick up CBD products along with their other inventory. [3]
Atlanta, Cincinnatti and Nashville are some of the major sites of Krogers that will soon carry hemp and CBD lotions, balms and creams.
Specifics are sparse on how fast the rollout of these new CBD pickings will happen at Kroger, or when stores beyond the initial 17 locations may see the same changes.
In April, Walgreens announced it would start its foray into CBD with 15,000 stores in nine states stocking the cannabis products. Meanwhile, CVS launched a campaign of 800 stores in eight states carrying similar merchandise. RiteAid pharmacies followed suit weeks later, despite a much smaller reach. [4]
Many stores and retailers are cautious as they await clearer rules from the Food and Drug Administration on CBD’s use in food, drink and other consumables, but the lotions and creams are far safer legally.
The March 31 meeting of the FDA to hear testimony from 140 industry experts, business-owners, and interest groups is only a first step, but in coming months and years could lead to more transparent regulations on CBD in food.
Still, the Kroger announcement reminds CBD customers of just how popular cannabis has become with Americans.
People love to use the cannabis products for a long list of issues, including anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia, arthritis and others. But the wider CBD proliferates, the harder it can be for consumers to know where to turn for reliability and performance.
That’s why customers have grown to rely on Nothing But Hemp, a chain with retail and hemp industry expertise, which carries award-winning and industry-leading products and brands that have been tested for purity and performance by third-party labs.
With locations in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood, in St. Paul on Grand Avenue, Maplewood and Forest Lake, plus a new location in Tampa, Florida, there are plenty of ways to reach hemp experts near you.
Sources
[1] https://www.wthr.com/article/kroger-begin-selling-cbd-products-indiana
[2] https://www.supermarketnews.com/organic-natural/kroger-carry-cbd-products-945-stores
