Standard Dose, a pioneering CBD retailer, ultimately closed down its online operations due to a combination of regulatory challenges and financial pressures. The company, which had already closed its physical store in New York City during the pandemic in 2020, shifted to an exclusively online model. Despite this pivot, Standard Dose faced difficulties with state-by-state regulatory variations on CBD-centric e-commerce and online advertising, as well as the high costs and challenges associated with payment processors.
The closure was preceded by reports during the summer that vendors were experiencing issues receiving payments for invoices from Standard Dose. Eventually, the website went down, and Anthony Saniger, the founder of Standard Dose, updated his LinkedIn profile to indicate that the business had ceased operations. The company's shutdown was also evidenced by the lack of response to emails and the cessation of activity on their social media platforms.
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Standard Dose had made a notable impact in the CBD retail space since its inception in 2019, shortly after the Farm Bill federally legalized the trade of hemp. It was known for its highly curated offerings of topical and ingestible CBD brands, which underwent rigorous testing to ensure quality and compliance with stated CBD contents. Despite these efforts and a significant minority investment from LB Equity's $50 million CBD-focused fund, the retailer could not overcome the cumulative hurdles it faced.
