Walgreens is one of the largest drugstore chains in the U.S., with pharmacies found on the site, and an informational blog addressing common health concerns such as nutrition, diabetes, fitness, and vaccines. Recently, they posted an article titled Clarifying Clinical Cannabis – and it caused quite a stir.
Because the sale of marijuana in legal states topped 5.4 billion last year, this post made some wonder if it was a precursor to Walgreens announcing their intent to carry marijuana in-store.
Since most big companies haven’t addressed medical marijuana, much less posted about its use as a medical therapy, this post could be seen as a bold move. However, as marijuana is currently legal in 24 states and Washington D.C., this article was seen as a no-risk move that aligns with the company’s view of themselves as a “neighborhood retailer that makes health and happiness simpler, easier and within reach for everyone on a daily basis.”
The article was written by a resident pharmacist in order to address questions that Walgreens had received from patients and customers alike. In it, basic queries about what medical marijuana is, and what health issues it can help treat, are answered in a straightforward, factual manner.
A spokesperson for Walgreens clarified, “The content is strictly informative, and nowhere do we take any stance on the issue,” which ends speculation that Walgreens would be offering medical marijuana at their stores located in states where marijuana is legal, or that this post was a signal that Walgreens was either for, or against, marijuana in any form.
Christina Molcillo
Christina is a blogger and freelance writer who contributes lifestyle and feature content to EmeraldReport.com.
