breaking news healthcare Harris Teeter gets into cannabis

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This article appeared in the August 19, 2019, edition of the Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter about local business news. Sign up for free here.

Remember back in June when we told you that before long, local grocery stores would be carrying CBD products, which are made from hemp? (“Big Retail is preparing to crush local CBD stores, dude”)

Well, now it is happening.

In the last week, some Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte have started stocking a small selection of creams, lotions and oils made from hemp, the strain of the cannabis plant that won’t get you high.

Hemp at Harris Teeter: Harry the Dragon now has topical cannabis lotions to help treat his joint pain.

A spot check over the weekend showed:

Harris Teeter stores in Blakeney and Stonecrest had a couple shelves in their pharmacies with lip balms, lotions, creams, scrub bars and even bath bombs made from hemp (bath bomb directions: “Drop in bath and relax.”) A pharmacist said the new products arrived last week.

The HT at the Arboretum didn’t have that selection, but it had hemp oil in its herbal medicines, between ginkgo biloba and horny goat weed.

At the Cotswold Harris Teeter, hemp-seekers are out of luck entirely.

Trend: Mainstream retailers are feeling more comfortable carrying CBD products. Specialty retailers will emphasize their better selection and service.