Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor

CVS is about to start selling CBD products in eight states with CBD that is derived from hemp. The states include Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and Tennessee. This will impact around 800 CVS stores, and the products are made by Curaleaf Holdings Inc.

This move from a major company has many wondering how ubiquitous CBD will soon become, now that hemp has been legalized, and it also has some wondering when cannabis-derived products might start showing up at your local pharmacy.

“It signals that there is a huge potential market for these products and that companies that would have never considered getting into this space a short time ago are confident enough in the trajectory of the work being done by NCIA and other advocates to change federal law that they feel safer making forays into cannabinoids,” Morgan Fox, media relations director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, told Cannabis News Box.

Fox believes that this will not only be a big boost for the hemp industry, but it could do a lot to help get rid of some of the stigma that surrounds cannabis products.

“A household name like CVS getting into this market will certainly help to remove some of the stigma still surrounding cannabinoid products, and hopefully will lead to a lot more people getting educated about the products and the issue,” Fox said.

It’s unclear if the average consumer understands the difference between CBD derived from hemp and CBD derived from cannabis, or even the differences between hemp and cannabis, but it’s safe to say that these differences will become better known as these kinds of products become more common.

“I think it is possible that we will start seeing more cannabis sales options outside of the traditional cannabis retail licensee setting soon, but not on a large scale in the near future, at least not for products containing THC,” Fox said. “Until federal prohibition ends, and until state licensing requirements are relaxed, serious interest from other types of retailers will likely be limited.”

No state currently allows cannabis products to be sold outside of the dispensary setting, but more and more lawmakers are starting to consider this option. Federal legalization would obviously make that happen much more easily, but it’s quite possible states might start relaxing the rules surrounding where cannabis can be sold in the not-too-distant future.