First it was the pharmacies, now The Vitamin Shoppe started stocking their shelves with CBD supplements.
Last week, the Vitamin Shoppe began selling CBD softgels and they also plan to sell oral CBD drops by the end of the month. With this move, the Vitamin Shoppe is essentially thumbing their nose at the Food and Drug Administration, which announced on multiple occasions that companies are prohibited from adding CBD to dietary supplements until they can establish some guidelines to regulate sales.
They’re not the only large corporation who seem to be flying in the face of the FDA, however. Major pharmacies like Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens will soon be selling CBD topicals and Carl’s Jr sold a burger with CBD-infused sauce on 4/20. Presumably, if they include some kind of disclaimer mentioning that the product is not FDA approved and cannot treat any health conditions – or something else to that extent – perhaps that is the loophole needed to be able to sell these products.
The Vitamin Shoppe is now stocking Irwin Naturals softgels filled with full-spectrum CBD extract. At the end of the month, they will also be selling broad spectrum liquid drops from Garden of Life. These products will be available in 14 different states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
“The customer relationship is the cornerstone of The Vitamin Shoppe’s reinvention, and our customers have told us loud and clear they want CBD,” said Vitamin Shoppe CEO Sharon Leite. “Our goal at The Vitamin Shoppe is to be first to market with innovative, high-quality products, as well as provide our customers the education, guidance, and services essential to helping them live their best life, however they define it. These new product offerings are another example towards us fulfilling that promise.”
The Vitamin Shoppe hopes that selling CBD products will serve to separate them from online retailers such as Amazon who have proven to be competition by making it easier for consumers to order vitamins, supplements, and protein powders.
