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Researchers analyzed nationally projected retail scanner sales data over a two-year period
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — A new study from researchers at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, shows that products containing cannabidiol (CBD) and mimicking tobacco use — including e-liquids, smokeless oral pouches and hemp cigar wraps —experienced an uptick in availability and sales at popular convenience stores from 2017 to 2019.
The increase in availability and sales lined up with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed hemp from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substance Act, effectively legalizing cannabis-derived products with THC concentrations of no more than 0.3%.
“Our research points to the increasing availability and popularity of CBD-containing products that can be consumed with vaping devices,” said Youn Ok Lee, PhD, a research public health analyst at RTI. “These products often come in a variety of flavors that young people might find appealing. From a public health and policy perspective, it is a trend worth monitoring, especially because we know so little about the effects of CBD.”
The research team analyzed nationally projected retail scanner sales data from The Nielsen Company for convenience stores, including 7-Eleven, Hess and Sheetz.
The data showed that CBD FX disposable vape pens were sold in flavors of “Fresh Menthol and Mint,” “Strawberry Lemonade,” and “Tropic Breeze,” all with 30mg of CBD oil. The CBD FX pens saw a 235% increase in CBD FX vape pen sales, from $1,912 to $6,410, during the two-year period.
Over the same timeframe, sales of hemp cigar wraps sold in “Maui Mango” flavor increased by 1,837%, from $2,750 to $53,274.
More recently on the market, sales of Cannadips CBD pouches containing 10mg of CBD oil increased by 1111% from over a one-year period from 2018 to 2019. The pouches were sold in flavors of “Natural Mint,” “Full American Spice” and “Tangy Citrus.”
The study was published in Tobacco Control.
To learn more about RTI’s e-cigarette research, visit: www.rti.org/emerging-issue/e-cigarette-research.
