Has CBD Gone Mainstream?

While the latest news sweeps the country, and large box stores start to crank out CBD in the form of essential oils, 'not designed for human consumption', the small CBD brand could be in jeopardy. ​

This is the headline we've all been seeing over the last few weeks. Local news stations have formulated a thread of hit pieces designed to stir up some controversy over cannabidiol, without really explaining what is happening. 

The Issues

CBD oil once carried a negative stigma because it's an extract from the cannabis plant. Now the industry is expecting sales to top a billion dollars by 2020. With storefronts popping up across the country it seems CBD has gone mainstream. 

This means that corporate entities want to get involved to get a piece of the pie. And they will. 

While many investors might be worried that the larger box stores carrying these kinds of products will diminish return, we will argue that simply isn't the case. 

While a large scale retailer isn't going to offer these products for 'human consumption' they also won't deliver a third party lab result. 

The Small Brand Difference

Just because corporate entities are able to get a piece of the sales revenue in this niche, doesn't mean it will affect small business. In fact, this just makes small brands look even better. 

Products labeled as CBD oil and/or other CBD-related products might contain any number of substances, and there is no assurance they are safe to consume as they have not been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Instead of helping relieve symptoms, using CBD products that aren't developed for human consumption, leaves a large question mark at the end.

If these substances don't have third-party lab results it would be difficult to know what is in them. That means they could possibly cause side effects that include harmful interactions with other medications. If you suspect a tainted CBD product has caused you to be ill, contact a poison control center and seek medical attention.

Unfortunately, because regulation is so thin at this point, only time will tell what products will survive in the marketplace. 

Mislabeled or poorly synthesized CBD can cause:

• Altered mental status
• Seizures
• Confusion

Among other cases, the most frequent symptoms experienced were altered mental status, nausea or vomiting, and seizures or shaking.

This exponential increase in the demand for CBD is likely to pass anytime soon. However, the people purchasing CBD from say, Bed Bath and Beyond are unlikely to be in the demographic for craft CBD with third party testing results. Until they understand the difference.

Small brands also have the ability to be experts on the subject matter. They know how to develop materials for your pets and guide users with the proper and safe dosages. 

Just like the recent spike in craft beer, the domestic beer demographic had no interest until they tried a craft beer or became partial to it. 

The same will likely happen over the course of the next few years in this market. 

Maybe this was more of an Opinion Friday, but hopefully, you learned something as well. Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think will happen to cannabidiol in the next few years. 

Thanks for reading!