Does Walmart Sell CBD Capsules? Should You Buy From Them?

different types of capsules on blue background
Written by Nina Julia | Last updated: June 21, 2023

CBD capsules can be found virtually everywhere, similar to other health supplements that are sold over the counter. The therapeutic potential of CBD has coined it a stellar reputation among health-conscious users.

With such a long list of science-backed health benefits, it’s no wonder that even pharmaceutical giants like Walgreens and CVS have started making CBD creams and other topical formulations.

However, some key players are still hesitating on the idea of adding CBD products, such as capsules, to their line-up.

Walmart is one such company.

Wondering what stops the retail chain store from putting CBD on the shelves? Why does Walmart take this ultra-safe approach to CBD products?

We’ll explain everything in this article.

Can You Buy CBD Capsules at Walmart?

No, Walmart doesn’t sell real CBD capsules. You won’t find them in your local Walmart or online, even though the company stocks a wide range of hemp products. However, these products aren’t made from the plant’s flowers. They’re made from cold-pressed seeds that don’t contain any cannabinoids at all despite their high nutritional value.

What Are CBD Capsules and Why Doesn’t Walmart Sell Them?

Almost every health supplement has a capsule form — CBD goes by the same token.

Short for cannabidiol, CBD is one of the two major cannabinoids found in cannabis plants (hemp and marijuana).

While marijuana contains significant amounts of THC, hemp is naturally low in this intoxicating compound (0.3% or less per dry mass). Instead, hemp boasts higher concentrations of CBD.

CBD is not intoxicating, so it won’t get you high. As a matter of fact, CBD can even mitigate the psychotropic effects of THC.

In addition, CBD comes with a wide range of potential health benefits such as stress reduction, pain relief, focus support, sleep aid, anxiety reduction, immune support, and more. CBD also keeps our internal regulatory network — the endocannabinoid system (ECS) — in a state of balance.

People have fallen head over heels for CBD, creating a large demand for CBD products.

So, why is a giant like Walmart still refusing to add CBD capsules to its collection?

In 2018, President Trump signed the amended Agricultural Act (the Farm Bill) into law. The new bill legalized hemp across the board by removing it from the list of controlled substances.

This amendment also legalized hemp-derived CBD products for commercial use provided that they contain 0.3% of THC or less.

That being said, the safety and efficacy of hemp-derived CBD are yet to be evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of today, hemp extracts fluctuate between the legal market and a gray area between medicinal drugs and health supplements.

Companies that sell CBD supplements must comply with the FDA’s guidelines regarding health claims.

With so many inconsistencies in CBD regulation on the road, Walmart has taken the same safe approach as other large retailers like Amazon.

The company has yet to decide whether or not it will start selling CBD capsules and other formats.

Rumor has it that Walmart executives had a meeting with different CBD brands and sampled products in preparation for the day when they will be able to offer such goods without having to worry about the legal landscape.

CBD Capsules vs. Hemp Capsules: What You Can and Can’t Buy At Walmart

Okay, now that you know that Walmart doesn’t sell CBD capsules, you may be wondering what all those hemp products that you’ve seen in the store are.

Do they really not sell any CBD capsules in Walmart?

Unfortunately, no.

The next time you head to Walmart with a goal to find CBD products, pay attention to the labels.

Take any given hemp product from the shelves and carefully read the label.

What’s written there?

Can you find CBD?

No?

So what is the main ingredient?

It’s hemp seed oil.

The only hemp products that can be legally sold at Walmart are made from hemp seed oil, not CBD oil. As the name suggests, hemp seed oil comes from the plant’s seeds, while CBD oil is extracted from its flowers.

Hemp seeds are known for their dense nutritional content. They contain high levels of essential omega fatty acids, vitamins, and trace minerals.

They’re a great addition to a healthy diet, but they don’t contain any CBD.

If you’re looking for real CBD capsules, they must be sourced from hemp flowers, not seeds.

Where to Buy High-Quality CBD Capsules

Although you won’t find CBD capsules at your local Walmart store, there are many retailers in the market who sell CBD products. Typing “CBD capsules near me” should already spit out a lot of results with suggested locations.

Nevertheless, stationery shops may not be the best choice for getting high-quality CBD capsules. There’s a reason why so many consumers are transitioning to online shops rather than locally.

Buying CBD Online vs Near Me

Buying CBD capsules online has a few advantages over traditional shopping.

Prices are the driving factor behind the aforementioned transitions. Online stores don’t need to deal with the middleman, so they can offer lower prices on their products on top of seasonal discounts, coupon codes, gift cards, and reward programs. There are plenty of ways to save money on premium CBD products online.

Online retailers also have more different formats in stock. When you shop for CBD locally, your choice is usually limited to 2-3 types of CBD products, while online stores are home to a wide range of formats, potencies, sizes, flavors, and whatnot.

Last but not least, shopping for CBD online is more convenient. All you need to do is open a few tabs in your browser and compare different brands and their collections. There’s no need to drive from one store to another just to find out they don’t have the potency or formulation you’re looking for.

Best CBD Capsules

    1. Royal CBD – Best CBD Capsules Overall
    2. Gold Bee – Best Organic CBD Capsules
    3. CBD Pure – Runner Up

1. Royal CBD

Get 15% off all Royal CBD products.  Use code “CFAH” at checkout.

For potent, full-spectrum CBD capsules from organic hemp, Royal CBD is one of the best online vendors to purchase from. The Royal CBD capsules pack a healthy dose of 25 mg of CBD supported by other adjunctive ingredients, such as minor cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and traces of THC.

The capsules are covered in a softgel shell that’s made from gelatin and vegetable glycerin. They’re convenient, easy to swallow and offer a precise dose in each serving.

All of Royal CBD products are double-tested in a third-party laboratory for quality and safety.

Pros:

  • Organic hemp
  • Softgel exterior
  • MCT oil for better absorption
  • 25 mg of CBD per capsule
  • Full-spectrum
  • All-organic formula

Cons:

  • Non-vegan

2. Gold Bee

Gold Bee is a Nevada-based company whose founders transitioned from organic superfoods to making CBD extracts after witnessing their health benefits first-hand.

This brand offers full-spectrum CBD capsules in one strength. These are high-potency capsules that contain 40 mg of CBD. Cannabidiol is supported by other cannabinoids and terpenes to increase the product’s efficacy by leveraging the entourage effect. Few products would dare to offer 40 mg of CBD per capsule at such a reasonable price.

The capsules are non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan, so you can take them even if you have food allergies or diet restrictions that are dictated by your ethical choices.

Pros:

  • 40 mg of CBD
  • Full-spectrum hemp extract
  • US-grown organic hemp
  • Vegan

Cons:

  • No low-strength capsules

3. CBDPure

CBDPure has been around in the CBD space for quite some time now. But despite its long presence on the market, the company only offers a single jar of soft gels infused with 25 mg of pure CBD.

The reason why we place this product on our list of the best CBD capsules is the high quality of ingredients and simple formula that makes using CBD easy for beginners.

In addition, CBDPure doesn’t include any synthetic or animal-derived products. The capsules are all-organic, using hemp from small Colorado farms. Our only concern is the cannabinoid spectrum in these capsules. They’re made with CBD isolate, so you might not be reaping as many benefits as you would from a full-spectrum product.

Pros:

  • 100% natural ingredients
  • CO2 extraction
  • Vegan
  • Homegrown hemp from Colorado
  • THC-free

Cons:

  • Available in just one strength
  • No entourage effect from other cannabinoids and terpenes

How to Buy CBD Online

The CBD market is unregulated by the FDA, meaning that CBD products lack standardization in terms of quality and purity. You need to do serious research before buying a bottle of CBD capsules because many products out there are mislabeled, and some of them can be downright dangerous due to the presence of toxic contaminants.

Below you’ll find some useful tips for making a well-informed decision.

Check the Hemp Source

Hemp plants are effective bioaccumulators, which means they absorb every substance from their environment. If the soil is clean and rich in nutrients, so will be the plant’s flowers. On the other hand, mass-produced hemp grown in contaminated soil and sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers is likely to contain these pollutants — negatively affecting the quality of the final product. The best CBD capsules are made from non-GMO, organic, US-grown hemp.

Ask for Certificates of Analysis

Every hemp company has an option to send a sample of its products to a third-party laboratory for content analysis. A laboratory is considered third-party if it has no affiliation with the manufacturer. Such labs will test the product for its phytochemical profile, but they’ll also look for common contaminants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, mold, fungi, residual solvents, and more. A product that has passed third-party testing receives the certificate of analysis, which is a form of a lab report with the said details.

Opt for CO2-extracted Capsules

CO2 extraction is the preferred method of extraction in the CBD space. That’s because it only uses atmospheric carbon dioxide to pull the beneficial compounds from the plant matter. The process doesn’t require adding more heat or harsh solvents to maximize the efficacy, unlike some older methods. CO2-extracted products are more expensive than the competition because this method calls for high-tech lab equipment and qualified workers that will know how to run such extraction.

Read User Reviews

Gone are the times when CBD companies could write hundreds of fake user reviews on the weekend over a joint. Today, manufacturers are required to use a certified third-party review system that weeds out fake reviews and only leaves honest opinions that are written by real people instead of bots. If a company has little to no reviews on the web, or they have a lot of negative ones, you may want to reconsider your choice.

Key Takeaways on Buying CBD Capsules at Walmart

Buying CBD capsules at Walmart isn’t an option — at least not for now. The retail giant has taken the ultra-safe approach to sell hemp-derived products, allowing only the ones that are made with hemp seeds.

You won’t find anything derived from hemp flowers at Walmart. Those ‘hemp capsules’ that you’ve once stumbled upon during your regular shopping don’t contain any CBD; they’re made with hemp seed oil. Although valuable from the nutritional standpoint, hemp seed oil doesn’t contain CBD or other cannabinoids and terpenes.

It may take some time before Walmart decides to unchain the shackles and introduce CBD products to its shelves. For now, the best way to find high-quality CBD capsules is to look for a reputable online vendor.

Buying CBD capsules online is easy, convenient, and gives you access to a broad range of different strengths, sizes, and formulas — and better yet, you can do it in the comfort of your home, even when you’re sitting in pajamas at 2 am.

Do you think Walmart should add CBD products to their stores and provide a good example for other companies to follow through? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below!

Nina created CFAH.org following the birth of her second child. She was a science and math teacher for 6 years prior to becoming a parent — teaching in schools in White Plains, New York and later in Paterson, New Jersey.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *