Report: CBD leaps over turmeric to be top-selling herbal supplement in natural food stores

The majority of consumers seeking natural health remedies are now turning to CBD.

Sales of cannabidiol (CBD) products skyrocketed to become the best-selling dietary supplement in natural and health sales last year, replacing turmeric as the top seller, the American Botanical Council reports.

CBD purchases, including CBD gummies, CBD topicals, and CBD tinctures grew 333% in 2018 throughout natural and health-foods sales channels, adding to a total of $52.7 million in U.S. sales.

In 2017, only $7.6 million worth of CBD was generated from natural sales channels.

The rise in hemp CBD occurred at the same time hemp-derived dietary supplements fell by 9.9% in 2018. Although some hemp strains have earned patents for their high-CBD concentration, most consumers use products such as hempseed oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids as nutritional alternatives.

“The reason for the sales decline is unclear, but it may be due to increased availability of and consumer preference for other plant-based sources of protein and fiber,” the American Botanical Council said.

Despite the CBD rush in natural foods and health stores, the group observes that hemp CBD products have yet to crack the top 40 dietary supplements sold in mass-market channels, such as mainstream grocery and drug stores, although some big chains such as CVS and Vitamin Shoppe are rolling CBD products out regionally so many expect overall sales numbers to continue to rise as larger retailers broaden their availability and product offerings in this category going forward.

“CBD products have flooded the U.S. marketplace, and sales show no signs of slowing,” the American Botanical Council added.