Martha Stewart Talks CBD, Stress and Her Deal With The Vitamin Shoppe

Martha Stewart has Snoop Dogg to thank for her latest business venture.

She’s chosen The Vitamin Shoppe for the national retail launch of her CBD line. And being the animal lover she is, Stewart will soon launch CBD biscuits for dogs and cats.

“Snoop got me interested in Canopy in Canada,” said Stewart, referring to Canopy Growth Corporation, a cannabis, hemp, and vaporization device company that manufactures her CBD products in collaboration with Marquee Brands, which owns the Martha Stewart brand.

“I joined Canopy’s advisory board so they could get the modern housewives’ view of CBD,” said Stewart.

Beginning this week, her line of CBD gummies, oil tinctures and pills will be sold in 580 of the 720 The Vitamin Shoppe stores, including Super Supplement stores operated by The Vitamin Shoppe in the Pacific Northwest. The line is also on vitaminshoppe.com, marthastewartcbd.com and shopcanopy.com. Marquee acquired the Martha Stewart brand in 2019, and the doyenne of homemaking introduced her CBD line in September.

“I really love the gummie,” said Stewart. “We developed them to taste like pate de fruit,” in such flavors as black raspberry, kumquat, Persian lime and pink grapefruit. “I like them after a meal. They’re relaxing. They calm you down. I am so hyper and active all day long. They lower the altitude.…I like the oil drops at bedtime. They really do help me go to sleep.” The oil drops are flavored in blood orange, Meyer lemon, or flavorless.

With the stress of COVID-19, many people could turn to her products, though she says she’s handling the pandemic lifestyle. “I can take a lot of that kind of stress. I am pretty even-tempered. I can put up with five Zoom calls a day.” She said she’s lucky being able to work from her farm in Bedford, N.Y., rather than commuting into Manhattan. And riding her horse helps. “Don’t take the gummies if you get on a horse or drive somewhere,” she advised. “With any CBD or cannabis product, you have to know yourself.”

Asked if she smokes marijuana, Stewart replied, “Only once or twice many years ago. Some people enjoy it so much, I don’t like smoke at all. I don’t like fires, or smoky meat, and I hate fireplaces.” She’s converting all her fireplaces to gas.

Aside from the Stewart launch, The Vitamin Shoppe offers CBD products under its proprietary Plnt and Vthrive brands. The Vitamin Shoppe, a subsidiary of Franchise Group Inc., is considered “essential” and has remained open all through the pandemic. It sells vitamins, minerals, specialty supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathic remedies, green living products and natural beauty aids.

Stewart’s CBD line is likely to bring a higher level of credibility and acceptance to the emerging CBD trade and its healing power assertions, while fortifying The Vitamin Shoppe as a destination for CBD hemp extract products. CBD product providers such as Charlotte’s Web and Garden of Life are less widely known than Martha Stewart.

The Vitamin Shoppe’s official language on CBD products is that they provide “a sense of balance and general well-being.” Others have said that CBD can relieve stress, body aches and promote sleep.

Stewart’s CBD product line includes a 15-flavor gummy sampler box; 10-mg. wellness gummies in citrus medley or berry medley; 750-mg. oil drops in blood orange, Meyer lemon or unflavored, and 25-mg. unflavored soft gels.

“I have CBD products coming for dogs and cats and other animals, soon, with dog biscuits maybe in a month or so,” said Stewart. “That’s going to be a very big deal, too. They’ll help aggressive dogs relax or pets who get frightened by thunder or lightning. Imagine how stressed some pets get being stuck in their apartments all day.…I have four dogs, two very special French bulldogs and two beautiful Chow Chows. They love them.”

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