By Brian Petrucci, RPh.

On December 20, 2018, federal lawmakers passed the Farm bill which separated hemp from the legal definition of marijuana, making hemp legal to manufacture and buy anywhere in the United States. In 2018, CBD was a $600 million industry nationwide. By the end of 2019, it’s expected to hit almost $6 BILLION according to researchers with Brightfield Group, a CBD marketing research firm. With the expansion of the CBD marketplace growing exponentially due to it’s widespread benefits, it is more important than ever to make sure that you are receiving a reputable CBD product. As a Pharmacist and Pharmacy owner, I personally have vendors contacting me on a daily basis in an effort to get me to create my own ‘Professional Label’ brand of CBD. When I ask them where they are sourcing their Hemp from and if it is subject to an independent 3rd party analysis, they often respond with “I’ll have to get back with you”- and of course I never hear from them again. The plain truth is that the CBD marketplace has grown quite lucrative and it has attracted many unsavory players who are sourcing product from unregulated sources and overseas locations such as China & India. An NBC 7 Miami (‘Patients Are Being Duped’: NBC 6 Tests CBD Products) report from February, 2019 entitled “Patient’s are being duped” tested 35 CBD products and sent them to Evio Labs for an independent anaylsis. Of the 35 samples they tested, 20 of them had less than half the amount of CBD advertised on the label. Some samples had no CBD at all. “Patients are being duped,” said Chris Martinez, President of Evio Labs said. “They’re buying products that really aren’t going to benefit them.”

Finding a reputable professional grade is not as simple as it seems. At SoWal Health & Drug I will never stock a product that does not have an independent 3rd party analysis available. Never. Ever.

I proudly offer the following products: 1) Ananda Professional based in Cynthiana, Kentucky, and sold only in Pharmacies. 2) Charlotte’s Web: The forebearer of the CBD movement 3) Greenroads CBD: A company started by a compounding Pharmacist 4) Original Hemp based in BEND, OREGON. They own the entire process from the seed in the ground to the product on our shelves and finally 5) HEMP LUCID: their water soluble CBD formulation readily mixes with the drink of your choice for a fast onset and quick relief of symptoms.

I’m confident that I have a CBD product that you will find beneficial and I am always available, in person- at my Pharmacy from 10am to 5pm  Monday thru Friday to answer any questions that you may have concerning CBD. For your convenience, I also have a dedicated CBD webstore (see the link beneath the article) available 24/7 where you can shop &  place your order. I truly appreciate your time in reading this article and I look forward to helping you improve your quality of life with one of my store’s CBD products.

Brian J. Petrucci, RPh, is a registered Pharmacist and owner of SoWal Health & Drug in Miramar Beach. For more information call (850) 424-7438 or visit www.southwaltoncbd.com.

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