HEALTH: CBD
Got CBD? Get Gummies The popular form factor offers a consumer-pleasing opportunity By Taffel Sturgeon
When the hemp CBD craze stormed the country about five years ago, manufacturers delivered consumer products via tincture bottles. The delivery format of CBD oil was a little messy, and shoppers did not always get the dosage exactly right when they squirted a little oil under their tongues. But if there’s one thing that can be said about the CBD business, it’s innovative. Oils are so 2019. Just like regular supplements, CBD can now be found in the most popular way shoppers enjoy taking any supplement — gummies. Gummies are easy to take, they allow for more accurate dosing compared to liquid oils, plus they can have attractive flavors and can often accommodate co-ingredients within the soft and sweet morsels. “These were significant considerations in our decision to launch our Sleep and Calm products as gummies,” said Tim Hitchman, vice president of operations for pioneering hemp CBD brand CV Sciences, makers of +PlusCBD. “That’s why gummies
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“If it is necessary to mask unpalatable flavors or adjust pH, it can take numerous iterations to get the formulation right.” — Tim Hitchman, vice president of operations, CV Sciences
are a very popular form factor amongst consumers.” Another possible consideration to think about is the target consumer as well as the downstream health concern. This is important for both brands and retailers keen on maintaining a diverse set of brands, applications and product formats. So while gummies might make more sense for a daily sleep gummy, a hemp CBD product aimed at relieving muscle aches and pains might be better suited as a topical cream or balm. Gummies, it bears mentioning, can be trickier to formulate than one might imagine. It is not always possible to formulate ingredients — especially ones with bitter notes — into gummies due to challenging flavor profiles. Other ingredients can affect the stability or consistency of the gummy matrix. “Taste and texture are critical,” said Ola Lessard, chief marketing officer at pioneering brand HempFusion, which specializes in blending hemp CBD with other herbs and nutrients to address
March 2022 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
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2/25/22 10:43 PM
