Walgreens plans to sell CBD products in 1,500 stores

US pharmacy chain Walgreens will begin selling a range of cannabidiol (CBD) products in nearly 1,500 of its stores.

According to a spokesperson for the company, the range will include everything from CBD-infused creams to patches and sprays.

Walgreens will sell the products in select states, including Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vermont, South Carolina, Illinois and Indiana.

“This product offering is in line with our efforts to provide a wider range of accessible health and wellbeing products and services to best meet the needs and preferences of our customers,” Brian Faith, a spokesperson for the company, told CNBC on Wednesday.

A non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the marijuana plant, CBD doesn't contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the main psychoactive perception and mood-altering component of cannabis.

This means that products containing CBD won’t lead to hallucinogenic effects like recreational use of marijuana is known to.

Instead, the ingredient is becoming increasingly mainstream in health and beauty products that advertise benefits such as pain relief and reducing anxiety.

As CBD continues to surge in popularity, more and more retailers are beginning to evaluate the market and produce their own cannabis-derived products.

In 2018, it was reported that the number of CBD consumers doubled following a rise in readily-available products around the world.

Earlier this month, David Klein, who invented the original Jelly Belly bean in 1976, revealed that he has created a new line of “gourmet” CBD-infused jelly beans, which are being sold through his company Spectrum Confections.

Similarly, luxury department store Barneys announced plans to open a cannabis lifestyle and wellness section inside its Beverly Hills store.

The new section is expected sell a number of lifestyle products including vaporiser pens and pastilles, as well as CBD-infused beauty products from brands such as, Foria, Boysmells, Malin + Goetz and Body Vibes.

Perhaps the most surprising addition to the CBD world comes from culinary expert Martha Stewart who announced she is launching her own range of products designed for humans and their pets.

In March, the 77-year-old has announced that she will be teaming up with Canopy Growth– one of the world’s largest marijuana producers – to develop a line of CBD health products.