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Kroger’s Houston-area stores start selling CBD products

Overall, 1,300 Kroger Co. locations in 22 states to carry hemp-derived topicals

Russell Redman

August 22, 2019

3 Min Read
Kroger Houston division_CBD products.jpg
The Kroger Co.

As part of a broader company rollout, supermarkets in The Kroger Co.’s Houston division have begun the sale of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) topical products.

Kroger said yesterday that CBD lotions, balms, oils and creams are now on shelves at 88 stores in Houston and the surrounding area, as well as online via the Ship.Kroger.com direct-to-customer service and the retailer’s Vitacost.com e-commerce unit.

Stores in Texas got the green light to start carrying CBD items after a bill authorizing the regulated production and sale of hemp and hemp-derived products was passed by state lawmakers and enacted in early June, Kroger reported.

“Like many retailers, we are now offering our customers a highly curated selection of topical products that are infused with hemp-derived CBD,” Sparkle Anderson, corporate affairs manager for Kroger’s Houston division, said in a statement. “Our selection of CBD topical products are from suppliers that have been reviewed for quality and safety.”

Overall, the Kroger Houston division operates 110 retail food stores, 106 pharmacies and 81 fuel centers in greater Houston, southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana.

Texas is one of 22 states where Kroger Co. stores will sell CBD products. In June, the Cincinnati-based grocer confirmed plans to roll out CBD offerings to 945 stores in 17 states. Then in late July, vendors Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. and Veritas Farms Inc. announced plans to launch topical CBD products at 1,350 Kroger Co. stores in 22 states, including the Kroger, Dillons, Fry's, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Mariano's, Pick 'n Save, QFC and Smith's banners.

Related:More Kroger Co. stores to carry CBD products

Besides in Texas, Kroger said it most recently added CBD topicals at stores in Georgia, Montana, Utah and Virginia. The company noted that CBD products containing the legal limit of 0.3% or less of THC — the psychoactive ingredient in hemp and cannabis derivatives — will be clearly labeled, and before using any of these items consumers are advised to review the information on packaging.

CBD in recent years has become a popular remedy for a range of common ailments. A naturally occurring and non-intoxicating compound in hemp plants, CBD is permitted within federal and state regulations.

Late last year, the federal government changed its classification of cannabis with the enactment of the Farm Bill. The legislation removed hemp from the Federal Controlled Substances Act’s definition of marijuana. That meant hemp was no longer a controlled substance under federal law, even though marijuana remains a Schedule I drug.

Related:FMI nudges FDA to clarify CBD product regulation

Under current federal law, CBD and THC can’t be added to a food or marketed as a dietary supplement. The Food and Drug Administration maintains regulatory oversight of food, cosmetics, drugs and other products within its jurisdiction that have CBD, THC or the cannabis plant as an additive.

Many retailers remain uncertain about the regulatory framework regarding the sale and labeling of hemp-containing products, even as various CBD offerings continue to make their way into stores. Scientific research on CBD’s potential health benefits also is still in its early stages.

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) last month submitted comment to FDA on the commercialization of food, beverage and other products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds, including CBD. FMI said the move came in response to requests from the FDA for scientific data and information about such products and from retailers seeking more guidance.

“The current lack of FDA regulation is creating significant confusion in the marketplace,” FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in a July 16 letter to the agency. “FMI respectfully urges FDA to move expeditiously to provide additional clarity and establish a pathway forward for the use of hemp-derived ingredients, including CBD, in FDA-regulated products.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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