Depending on what state you’re shopping in, you can pretty easily find CBD oil in a store near you. And while many of the big-box retailers such as Target and Walmart haven’t put CBD products on their shelves quite yet, they are well on their way to exploring the space. Because not all stores have adopted the widespread sales of CBD and can’t guarantee to have your favorite products each and every time, we recommend shopping for CBD online. Additionally, selling CBD in big box stores is a great way to normalize the product. But, if you are looking for broad- or full-spectrum CBD, online is still the better bet – but, more on that later on!

If you’re looking to shop for CBD in person, the following are the best stores for CBD shopping:

1. Walgreens

The pharmacy is one of the national chains where you can find CBD products. Today, they reportedly sell CBD at over 2,600 locations across the country, and you can call your local Walgreens in advance to make sure they have your favorite ones in stock.

2. Sephora

This well-known beauty supplier now carries a few different CBD-infused beauty brands at a few of their locations. However, they do tend to be on the pricier side so be prepared to shell out a little more to truly get the most bang for your buck.

3. Whole Foods

If you’re a grocery store aficionado, you can stop by your local Whole Foods and browse their CBD oil selection. Because of their influence on the wellness space, they carry a few different options designed to help you target specific pain points with CBD oil. However, currently, only about 350 Whole Foods across 30 states carry CBD so it’s not guaranteed they will be in stock each time.

4. CVS

If Walgreens isn’t your go-to pharmacy spot, or you’ve got one of these closer to you, you can check out CVS for a wide variety of CBD products. Their selection is a bit wider than that of Walgreens, but they note on their website that their CBD product options will vary by state.

Why Buying CBD Online Is Best

You might have noticed that CBD products are expensive – and that’s actually kind of a good thing! When produced ethically and correctly, CBD oil has a lot of costs and steps that knowledgeable manufacturers have to make sure they take, which takes significant money and time. Buying CBD online can help off-set some of those costs: since there’s no physical buildings or overhead costs for the store to be considering, staying profitable while maintaining lower prices for goods is still possible.

But even once you’ve decided that you’re ready to buy CBD, finding a product that works best for your lifestyle and routine can be a bit overwhelming when you’re doing it in person – which is why we strongly recommend you shop for CBD online. The biggest benefit that comes when you buy CBD online is your ability to view an extensive selection of options that can be grouped in a variety of different ways. When you’re shopping for CBD through a reputable website, you are able to view CBD products by type: for example, you can easily browse based on whether you prefer tinctures, edibles, or a topical cream. 

Furthermore, you can narrow your search even more by shopping by your desired outcome from using the CBD product. If you’re trying to shop for something that will help you sleep, it’ll be much easier to make a specific search for a CBD product that’s been formulated with other natural sleep-aid solutions as opposed to buying something that is designed to increase focus and alertness, for example. When you buy CBD online you can also get access to a plethora of real user stories: reading customer reviews are an excellent way of getting a sense of other people’s experiences using a product. So you’ll have a pretty good idea about what to expect.

How to Know CBD is High Quality

We’ll note that when it comes to finding the best CBD oil, it’s important to keep in mind a few best practices about what to look for. Make sure to only purchase CBD products that are…

1. Derived from Premium Organic Hemp – the highest quality varietals with superior phytocannabinoid and terpene profiles.
2. Made with clean, chemical-free and solvent-free extraction methods.
3. Grown, harvested, extracted, and manufactured in the USA.
4. Third-party lab tested and certified.
5. Made in FDA compliant facilities

Finally, any product you use should have an up-to-date, accurate COA (Certificate of Analysis) that includes all of the information above.

Where to Avoid Buying CBD

If you’re having trouble easily accessing a COA of a CBD product, that’s usually a surefire sign that the quality of what you’re getting is not high. Any stores that are on the smaller side and aren’t obviously monitored for FDA compliance are usually not the best place to shop for CBD oil. So, just because your favorite local gas station or bodega has CBD oil right next to your usual snack, that doesn’t mean it will be as safe and effective as getting it from a more reputable location.