CVS to sell CBD products in 800 stores in 8 states
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By Shamard Charles, MD
CVS Pharmacy announced Wednesday that it will begin selling hemp-derived CBD products in eight states. The national drug trade chain will market the relevant cannabidiol products, such as creams, sprays and roll-ons, as "an alternative source of relief," CVS said in a statement to NBC News. CVS will also work with a company to test and verify the quality of the CBD negotiations sold in their pharmacies.
"We carry hemp-derived CBD products in selected states to meet consumer demand for alternative treatment options"
Goods will be sold in Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and Tennessee.
CBD, or cannabidiol, comes from the hemp factory, a close relative of another member of the cannabis family, marijuana. Both plants contain many types of cannabinoids, but marijuana is high in the psychoactive chemical THC, while hemp is rich in CBD, the non-psychoactive component of cannabis that has generated quite a lot for the possible medical benefits.
CBD has been touted as a treatment for a variety of conditions – including anxiety, pain, inflammation and even cancer – but little reliable research has been done on CBD's effects on humans, experts say. The only FDA-approved CBD oil is Epidiolex, an oral solution prescribed for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare, serious forms of epilepsy.
"Communities have jumped far ahead of science," said Dr. Margaret Haney, a professor of neurobiology at Columbia University Medical Center and director of Columbia's Marijuana Research Laboratory. "So it appears in lotions and basically any kind of product one can use. There are many different ways one can use CBD, but the ways we have studied CBD are much more limited."
CVS has at least 9,800 stores nationwide and will soon the CBD products roll out into over 800 stores in the eight states. The healthcare sector says the efficacy requirements will vary from product to product, but the company does not intend to market any of the products as a "cure" product.
"We're going to slow down, but this is something we think our customers will be looking for," said CVS Health CEO Larry Merlo in an interview Wednesday with CNBC's Jim Cramer.
The company noted that they would not sell any CBD -based dietary supplements or additives According to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, it is illegal to introduce substance ingredients such as CBD into the food supply or market them as dietary supplements. on law, but can also put patients at risk, as these products have not proven to be safe or effective, said FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a statement in December.
Therefore, CVS will market creams and ointments such as
There have been more dangerous situations where people knock down effective drugs to use unproven products, such as the CBD.
To ensure accurate labeling and security for customers, CVS collaborated with Eurofins, a third-party laboratory, to test all CBD topicals for THC, CBD content, and other contaminants, DeAngelis said in the statement to NBC News.
"We only work with CBD on manufacturers that comply with current laws that meet CVS's high quality standards. Only products that pass these independent tests are offered for sale in our stores," the statement said.
Some experts believe that CVSs The move to sell the CBD over-the-counter can provide more questions than answers, at least first. [19659007] "There is a way to reduce stigma for a product that doesn't really deserve to be stigmatized," said nutritionist and cannabis practitioner Brooke. Alpert. "On the other hand, due to lack of regulation, it raises questions like: do people really know what they are getting; other brands can get away with selling inferior products; And where can people find more information about these products? "
Another major concern for experts is that patients will avoid proven drugs for the benefit of CBD." "There have been more dangerous situations where people knock down effective medications to use unproven products, such as the CBD," Haney said. 19659023] Shamard Charles, MD
