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GO EASY ON THE HEALTH CLAIMS . In the spa setting , topical CBD is touted as a pain reliever , anti-anxiety treatment , anti-inflammatory , sleep aid , wrinkle fighter , and aid to relaxation , among other qualities . It ’ s not currently regulated , but many observers say it ’ s just a matter of time before the U . S . Food and Drug Administration clamps down on hemp derivatives . “ We treat products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds as we do any other FDA-regulated products , meaning they ’ re subject to the same authorities and requirements ,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said shortly after the farm bill passed . The agency will target any products that make a health claim without its approval , he added .
KNOW YOUR SOURCE . Given the market potential , it ’ s no surprise that CBD has attracted interest from potential suppliers . But quality and strength are not yet regulated , so buyers should beware . “ Just putting CBD into a product doesn ’ t mean the product actually works ,” says Mark Grenoble , HOTELS blogger and president and CEO of 360 AMI , a Scottsdale , Arizonabased real estate and infrastructure asset management company . Everyone is so keen on jumping into the market that they fail to look closely at the supplier , but any wellness program that presents itself as organic and sustainable should be scrutinizing suppliers especially carefully , he argues .
Andrew Kerklaan , a Berkeley , California-based chiropractor who developed the Dr . Kerklaan Therapeutic line of CBD products , suggests that U . S . operators look for CBD made from domestically sourced hemp and inspect the certificate of analysis . “ Sometimes a product creeps in from Canada ,” he explains , and may contain an illegally high amount of THC . “ If you don ’ t have lab testing to show where it ’ s from or the concentration , you might be at some risk ,” he adds . Kerklaan also recommends ensuring products have a sufficiently high concentration of active ingredient to be effective — 50 to 100 milligrams per ounce . “ A lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon , and their products have a minuscule amount of CBD ,” he explains .
PACKAGING MATTERS . A design that matches the spa ’ s image is important to retail sales . Marissa Krems , director of spa for The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs , Missouri , found a compound she loved but dismissed it because the packaging wasn ’ t up to retail snuff . Those retail sales of treatment products are a big moneymaker for spas . “ If I go into a spa and have this beautiful treatment , I want to know that I can take something home with me to continue that experience ,” she observes .
PREPARE FOR STICKER SHOCK . Buyers pay dearly for CBD compounds versus standard spa oils and lotions . Krems says a gallon of CBD product sets the spa back around US $ 800 , versus US $ 34 for a traditional massage lotion . So a price premium or supplement is essential . Fortunately , the cachet around CBD means spa visitors are willing to pay . A 50-minute CBD massage at the Elms runs US $ 30 above a standard massage ; despite that , “ It ’ s by far our most popular service now ,” Krems says . Agave , the spa at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale , Arizona , tacks US $ 19 on to the price of massages , facials and nail services that incorporate CBD .
BE READY TO EDUCATE . Consumers are curious about CBD but not confident about what it is or how it works , so spa managers and staff need to be equipped to answer questions . As companies like makeup retailer Sephora and Martha Stewart ’ s empire enter the market and products become more widely available , the questions are likely to subside , but it ’ s still a new frontier .
“ It ’ s definitely on people ’ s radar ,” Kerklaan says . “ But with the complexity of the topic , what CBD stands for and the relationship between hemp and THC , there ’ s a lot of misunderstanding .”
Even before The Westin Kierland ’ s Agave spa introduced CBD therapies , clients were asking the staff about it . Rachel Rock , Agave ’ s spa director , says “ those questions told me there was a market for it .”
It was important to get the property ’ s management on board with the decision to bring CBD products in , too . They met with representatives from the firm supplying the balm and muscle treatment and were able to learn what CBD does — and doesn ’ t — do .
CBD has definitely opened up new market potential for the wellness field , but embracing it is not a simple matter . “ Some spas are trying to do it right , while others are just trying to cash in ,” Grenoble observes . “ I think both are probably going to make money in the short run , but the ones doing it right are going to be doing it for the long run .”
“ IT ’ S DEFINITELY ON PEOPLE ’ S RADAR . BUT WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF THE TOPIC ... THERE ’ S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING .”
ANDREW KERKLAAN
May 2019 hotelsmag . com 11