Just about anyone can sell CBD products! Unlike alcohol or cannabis, CBD does not have any intoxicating effects. So it requires no special licenses to sell at your store, office, or business beyond those required for any retail operation. As long as the CBD products in question adhere to the restrictions and regulations laid out in the 2018 Farm Bill, which state that all CBD products must use hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.3% THC, it is legal for just about anyone to sell.
But just because anyone can sell CBD products doesn’t mean that it’s a one-size-fits-all solution. Depending on your profession, you’ll want to tailor your product lineup, sales pitch, customer interactions, and marketing initiatives to serve your unique target audience. Doing this shows a level of care and expertise that your customer is sure to appreciate, and the custom recommendations are sure to result in a better experience for your customer.
In this article, we’ll go over six different types of businesses and professionals who can sell CBD, learn how they should market their products, and identify some of the best products for their customer base.
Choose the section that best applies to your situation to get started!
- Standard Retail
- Alternative Health Specialists
- Medical Professionals
- Personal Trainers and Gym Owners
- Salon and Spa Owners
- Pharmacies
1. Standard Retail Operations
Just about any retail store can sell CBD products. In fact, adding CBD to your product lineup is a great way to expand your customer base and to encourage greater customer loyalty through exclusive product offerings. Because general retail operations like a general store or a local grocer tend to attract a very wide range of customers, there is little need to aim for a specific demographic.
Recommended Product Types: In a non-targeted retail operation, we recommend taking a generalist approach to stocking CBD products. We suggest steering away from vapes and smoking products, as those can intimidate first time users, especially those who have not used smoking products. Edibles, ointments and other products that consumers would be familiar with in their non-CBD versions have the highest potential of capturing your customer’s attention.
2. Alternative Health Specialists
CBD has long been embraced by the alternative health community. If you work in this industry, there’s a strong chance that your customers and clients may already have experience with CBD, or are at least aware of it and its potential benefits. This helps lower the barrier to entry that your customers experience, making it more likely that they will be receptive to trying the CBD products that you stock.
Recommended Product Types: The type of product we recommend depends on which profession in this category you practice. If you teach a yoga class, you may want to recommend topical balms, CBD massage oils, or skincare products. If you are an acupuncturist, you should consider carrying CBD skincare products and ingestibles that are designed to help with pain management. For a more complete breakdown of the products we recommend for acupuncturists, check out following article:
3. Medical Professionals
Depending on your medical practice, CBD products can be a wonderful aid to patients who are already undergoing more traditional treatments. The most important thing to keep in mind when recommending CBD products to your patients is that the FDA prohibits claiming that CBD products “treat, cure or diagnose any disease or ailment.” In order to remain compliant with federal laws, ensure that you only recommend CBD products alongside proven, traditional treatment methods for whatever malady your patient is experiencing.
Recommended Product Types: The medical professions that most readily lend themselves to a CBD retail program are doctors that specialize in treating chronic pain issues. Chiropractors and physical therapists can both recommend CBD massage oils and topical ointments. Massage oils in particular are easy to recommend as they are virtually identical to their non-CBD equivalent, but simply add CBD for additional potency. You can also recommend edibles, tinctures, and concentrates as an alternative to over-the-counter pain medications, but be extremely cautious to not claim that they are a replacement for these FDA-approved medications. To read more about the products that we recommend chiropractors and physical therapists stock at their private practice, head to one of the following articles:
- Physical Therapists: What CBD Products are Best for Your Patients?
- Chiropractors: What CBD Products are Best for Your Patients?
4. Personal Trainers and Gym Owners
Anyone who is into physical fitness knows that the burn of a good workout is thrilling, but the day after isn’t always so exciting. Personal trainers and gym owners can aid their customers and clients with CBD products designed to help manage pain and alleviate inflammation. For example, a personal trainer could carry a small inventory with them to in-person training sessions, or even bring some free samples with the intent of directing clients to an online store. Gym owners and personal trainers with their own gym space should consider adding CBD products to a retail area near the check-in area at your gym.
Recommended Product Types: We highly recommend carrying topical ointments and CBD muscle rubs if you own a gym or are a personal trainer. You may also consider adding some edibles, tinctures and concentrates to your lineup, but topically applied products are most likely to capture the attention of your customers. To learn more about the products we recommend for personal trainer clients, head to the article below:
5. Salon and Spa Owners
Not so long ago, there was little reason for either of these businesses to stock CBD products. But recent innovations in CBD manufacturing have allowed for the addition of CBD to products one would typically find at a spa or salon. There is some evidence that CBD provides positive benefits to the hair and skin. These products also tend to be environmentally sustainable as they can use other parts of the hemp plant in their formulation.
Recommended Product Types: Hair and beauty salons should consider adding CBD lotions, skincare, and hair products to the retail areas in their stores. We also suggest providing your employees with a free bottle of the product you most wish to sell. After using the products, your employees can give first-hand recommendations to their clients, who are likely to trust their hairdresser or esthetician over the salon owner.
Spa owners should also look into adding CBD skincare products and lotions to their retail lineup. This can be further expanded to include massage oils and topical balms, which clients can use to replicate a portion of the spa experience at home. This can be taken a step further by adding a “CBD spa experience” to your list of offerings. This would be nearly identical to a traditional spa experience but would substitute CBD products for their traditional equivalents. It’s the perfect way for clients to try out CBD products before they take them home!
6. Pharmacies
Much like general stores, pharmacies can and should stock a wide range of CBD product types. Unlike a general store, customers who come into a pharmacy are almost always looking for relief of some sort. Knowing this, you can target customers more specifically with your product offerings than you would be able to at a grocery store or general store.
Recommended Product Types: We suggest adding a CBD alternative to each product type you already carry. For instance, if you stock homeopathic lotions, edibles, and skincare products, add a CBD equivalent to a nearby display. To more accurately target customers, see if they would be willing to fill out an optional survey where they can anonymously indicate the primary reason
Add CBD to Your Product Lineup Today!
There’s almost no limit to the uses of CBD products, and we’re confident that there is a product out there that can help increase your sales by directly addressing the needs of your customers, patients, or clients. If you’d like to add CBD to your retail offerings, fill out our vendor form and check out the amazing products we offer at wholesale prices! Should you have any questions about how to get started selling CBD, contact us to speak to one of our helpful representatives!