Focus On CBD: 13 August

By Jimmy Nicholls Jimmy.Nicholls@thegrocer.co.uk 

Publishing: 13 August 2022
Advertising deadline: 29 July 2022
Submissions deadline: 22 July 2022

Few food categories have attracted the controversy that CBD has endured in the last year. While the FSA has sought to bring the grey sector under proper regulation, the result has frequently been confusion and mishap for brands and trading authorities alike. So what does the UK market for CBD look like now that the agency’s regime is in place? Can suppliers and retailers cater to the needs of the 16% of Brits who have used CBD or cannabis oil? And what is the future of innovation and experimentation in this now tightly-regulated category?

Regulation: The FSA’s public list of tradeable CBD products caused consternation after major brands were left off in error. With the list being finalised at the end of June, who are the casualties of this process? And will it succeed in legitimising the market?

Benefits and risks: Polling from the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry lately revealed that most Brits believe in the health benefits of CBD, which is hawked as a relief from physical and medical pain. What does the evidence say?

Channels: Online retailers and high street health chains are crowding out supermarkets’ share of the CBD market. What can grocers do to stake a bigger claim?

Formats: As well as being available in the classic oil format, CBD has been put into everything from beer to gummies. Which are proving most popular?

Cosmetics: CBD has been put into plenty of skincare ranges, which are not subject to the FSA’s regime. How is this market evolving?