Thrive Market Ends CBD, Hemp Product Sales
Online grocer says its payment processor demanded a halt to selling the products.
Jun 25, 2019
LOS ANGELES—Thrive Market, the California-based online grocer that sells organic and non-GMO brands, has stopped selling all hemp and CBD items at the request of the company that processes its customer payments, according to Progressive Grocer. Thrive began removing those products from its website last week.
“In early June, we received a notice from our merchant processor demanding that we cease the sale of all hemp and CBD products on Thrive Market,” Nick Green, CEO, Thrive Market, wrote in a blog. “We unfortunately have no choice but to comply.”
Eighteen months ago, Thrive Market became the first national e-commerce retailer to offer a full assortment of hemp-based supplements and topical products.
“Our decision was based on our review of the health research on CBD, the input of hundreds of our members, and the changing legal landscape that was finally recognizing what hemp farmers, scientists and informed citizens have long known, that hemp is not the same thing as marijuana and that CBD is neither psychoactive nor harmful,” said Green in the blog post. He vowed that his company would find a way to make the items available again.
“We believe that ethical and sustainable hemp is another cause worth fighting for, so rest assured that we will be working behind the scenes in the coming weeks to get hemp products back on Thrive Market,” he wrote. “In fact, we’re already in conversations with a new processing partner to try to make that happen.”
The situation demonstrates the widespread lack of clarity that comes when trying to sell these products, as well as the confusion it causes for consumers, retailers and suppliers, state regulators and law enforcement.
