Charlotte's Web

Product brand

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A Colorado-origin hemp brand known for low-THC, high-CBD oils, supplements, topical products, and other consumer goods.

Last updated August 31, 2026

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Overview

Charlotte's Web is a United States hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) brand produced by Charlotte's Web, Inc. in Colorado. Its products are made from industrial hemp bred to contain relatively high levels of CBD and less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive cannabinoid associated with high-THC cannabis. The brand operates at the intersection of consumer wellness, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and the broader cannabis industry. The name refers to Charlotte Figi, a Colorado child diagnosed with Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. According to her parents and physicians, Charlotte experienced a substantial reduction in seizure frequency after using a high-CBD, low-THC cannabis extract. Her story became widely known through CNN's 2013 documentary Weed and subsequent television coverage. The publicity helped make CBD oil familiar to a national audience and contributed to a wave of interest in cannabinoid products for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy. It also influenced public debate and state-level legislative efforts concerning low-THC, high-CBD cannabis. The underlying variety was developed by the Stanley brothers through crossbreeding cannabis with industrial hemp. Because the resulting plant had much more CBD and much less THC than varieties sought by recreational cannabis consumers, it was initially called “Hippie's Disappointment.” The brothers cultivated the plants in Colorado and extracted CBD-rich oil from harvested material. The variety was later renamed Charlotte's Web in recognition of Charlotte Figi. Charlotte's Web became associated with claims concerning epilepsy and other health conditions, but the strength of the evidence has always been an important qualification. Early publicity rested largely on personal accounts and observational experience rather than robust clinical evidence. Medical organizations cautioned that available research was insufficient to establish the safety or efficacy of cannabis-derived products for seizure disorders, particularly in young children. In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, a purified cannabidiol medicine, for certain forms of epilepsy; that prescription medicine is distinct from Charlotte's Web consumer products. The brand's commercial range has included CBD oils and extracts, capsules and other ingestible supplements, gummies, topical creams and balms, and pet-oriented products. Products have generally been marketed as hemp-derived wellness goods, subject to the regulatory limits applicable to their formulation and claims. The 2018 United States Agriculture Improvement Act removed hemp and hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% THC from the federal definition of marijuana, although the legal treatment of CBD products, supplements, cosmetics, interstate commerce, and health claims remains complex and varies by jurisdiction. Charlotte's Web has also pursued mainstream sports and cultural visibility. In October 2022, it became Major League Baseball's official CBD supplier under a multi-year agreement. The brand's history therefore combines a distinctive medical-access narrative, the rapid commercialization of CBD, continuing scientific and regulatory scrutiny, and expansion into consumer wellness categories.

History

Charlotte's Web originated in Colorado through the work of the Stanley brothers, who developed a cannabis variety with unusually high CBD content and comparatively low THC content. The variety was produced through crossbreeding cannabis with industrial hemp. Its low intoxicating potential made it unattractive to many traditional recreational cannabis consumers, leading to the early informal name “Hippie's Disappointment.” The brothers cultivated the plants on farms and in greenhouses and processed harvested material into a concentrated CBD-rich oil. The variety's later name came from Charlotte Figi, a Colorado child with Dravet syndrome. Her family reported that conventional treatment had not adequately controlled her seizures and that a high-CBD, low-THC cannabis preparation was followed by a dramatic reduction in seizure frequency. The preparation initially used by Charlotte was not the variety eventually named for her; after the family's earlier supply became unavailable, they connected with the Stanley brothers and began using their CBD-rich variety. The product was administered as an oil, including under the tongue or mixed with food, according to accounts from her family. Charlotte's story became nationally prominent after appearing in CNN's 2013 documentary Weed, presented by Sanjay Gupta. Further coverage included Weed 2: Cannabis Madness, The Doctors, The View, Dateline NBC, and other programs. The publicity helped popularize CBD as a possible treatment for epilepsy and generated strong demand for the Stanley brothers' products. Families from states with restrictive cannabis laws moved to Colorado or sought access there, creating what some media reports called a community of “medical marijuana refugees.” Demand reportedly exceeded available supply, while clinicians and epilepsy organizations urged caution and called for controlled research. During the early period of attention, the medical evidence for cannabis-derived products in epilepsy was limited. Reviews published around 2014 concluded that available studies were too small or methodologically weak to determine whether cannabinoids were safe and effective for seizure control. The American Epilepsy Society acknowledged that anecdotal reports were encouraging but emphasized uncertainty about long-term effects, particularly for children. In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, a purified cannabidiol oral solution, for specific epilepsy syndromes. That approval represented clinical validation for a particular pharmaceutical product and should not be treated as proof that all over-the-counter CBD products have equivalent composition, quality, or efficacy. The brand's legal and political significance developed alongside its commercial growth. Low-THC, high-CBD products became central to state-level debates about access to cannabis-derived treatments for children with epilepsy. Florida's 2014 Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, commonly associated with the “Charlotte's Web” measure, created a state framework for low-THC cannabis and CBD-rich products. A proposed federal Charlotte's Web medical-access bill in the 113th Congress did not advance, and H.R. 1635, introduced in the 114th Congress, likewise did not reach a vote. The 2018 federal hemp legislation changed the commercial environment by distinguishing industrial hemp and hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% THC from marijuana under federal law. This did not eliminate regulatory issues: CBD products remained subject to restrictions concerning labeling, dietary-supplement status, cosmetics, health claims, state rules, and interstate distribution. In 2017, the FDA warned the brand's producer over disease-related claims and supplement marketing, illustrating the continuing tension between the product's medical reputation and the limits placed on consumer-product advertising. Charlotte's Web subsequently broadened its presence across ingestible supplements, oils, topicals, and other hemp-derived wellness categories. The brand also sought mainstream legitimacy through partnerships and sponsorships. In October 2022, it became Major League Baseball's official CBD supplier under a multi-year contract. Charlotte Figi died on April 7, 2020, but her story remains central to the brand's name, public identity, and association with the early CBD movement.

2022
Major League Baseball partnership
[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
Charlotte's Web becomes Major League Baseball's official CBD supplier under a multi-year agreement.
2020
Charlotte Figi dies
[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
Charlotte Figi, whose story gave the brand its name, dies on April 7.
2018
Federal hemp policy changes the CBD market
[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
The Agriculture Improvement Act removes qualifying hemp and hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% THC from the federal definition of marijuana.
2017
FDA issues a warning concerning CBD marketing
[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
The FDA warns the producer over medical claims and the marketing of CBD products as dietary supplements.
2014
Florida passes a law associated with Charlotte's Web
[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
Florida adopts the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, creating a framework for low-THC cannabis and CBD-rich products for qualifying patients.
2013
Charlotte Figi's story reaches a national television audience
[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
CNN's Weed features Charlotte Figi and her family's account of using a CBD-rich, low-THC extract for Dravet syndrome, generating broad public interest.
The Stanley brothers develop a high-CBD, low-THC variety
[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
The Stanley brothers create the cannabis variety that later becomes known as Charlotte's Web through crossbreeding involving industrial hemp.

Products and positioning

A hemp-derived CBD wellness brand positioned around a high-CBD, low-THC formulation and the story of its namesake, while operating within the dietary supplement, cosmetics, and consumer health categories.

CBD oil and liquid extract
Charlotte's Web CBD oil
CBD-rich oil extracted from hemp cultivated to contain low levels of THC. It is the product category most closely associated with the brand's origin story and has been marketed as a hemp-derived wellness product rather than as an intoxicating cannabis product.
Dietary supplements
Charlotte's Web ingestible supplements
The brand's ingestible range has included capsules, gummies, and other formats designed to deliver hemp extract or CBD through conventional supplement forms. Their marketing and regulatory treatment depend on formulation, labeling, jurisdiction, and the claims made about intended use.
Cosmetics and topical wellness
Charlotte's Web topicals
Topical products such as creams, balms, and lotions extend the brand into personal-care and cosmetic applications. These products are applied to the skin and are distinct from ingestible CBD products in both use and regulatory positioning.
Pet wellness
Charlotte's Web pet products
The brand has also offered hemp-derived products intended for pets, broadening its consumer wellness platform beyond human supplements. Product claims and permissible uses remain subject to applicable animal-health and consumer-product regulations.

Controversies

2017
FDA warning over CBD health claims and supplement marketing
The FDA sent a warning letter to Stanley Brothers Social Enterprises, doing business as CW Hemp, concerning medical claims made for cannabidiol products and the marketing of CBD products as dietary supplements.
Source

2022Major League Baseball official CBD supplier partnership
United States
Charlotte's Web entered a multi-year partnership making it Major League Baseball's official CBD supplier.
Outcome. The agreement gave the brand a prominent mainstream sports platform and expanded its visibility beyond cannabis and wellness audiences.
Source
2014Television and advocacy appearances
United States
Further appearances on The Doctors, The View, and related media featured Charlotte Figi's family and Joel Stanley while discussing CBD, epilepsy, and cannabis-law reform.
Outcome. The appearances reinforced the brand's public association with pediatric epilepsy advocacy and helped sustain demand.
Source
2013CNN Weed documentary exposure
United States
Charlotte Figi's story and the Stanley brothers' CBD-rich extract were presented in CNN's Weed documentary, bringing the brand's underlying variety and CBD epilepsy narrative to a large national audience.
Outcome. The coverage contributed to substantially increased public awareness and demand for CBD-rich products.
Source

Brand decisions

2022
Enter a major-league sports partnershipStrategy
Background
As CBD moved into mainstream consumer and wellness categories, the brand pursued broader public visibility.
Action taken
Charlotte's Web became Major League Baseball's official CBD supplier under a multi-year agreement.
Aftermath
The partnership positioned the brand within a major United States sports property and supported normalization of CBD as a consumer category.
Source
Develop a high-CBD, low-THC hemp varietyStrategy
Background
The Stanley brothers sought a variety with high CBD content and little intoxicating effect, even though its low THC made it less attractive to traditional recreational cannabis consumers.
Action taken
They crossbred cannabis with industrial hemp, cultivated the resulting plants, and extracted CBD-rich oil.
Aftermath
The variety became the foundation of Charlotte's Web and a prominent symbol of the early CBD market.
Source
Rename the variety Charlotte's WebOther
Background
Charlotte Figi's reported experience with the CBD-rich preparation brought national attention to the variety previously known as “Hippie's Disappointment.”
Action taken
The variety was renamed in honor of Charlotte Figi.
Aftermath
Her name became central to the product identity and the brand's medical-access and advocacy narrative.
Source

Recent events

2022
Charlotte's Web becomes Major League Baseball's official CBD supplier[1]Charlotte's Web (cannabis)en.wikipedia.org
Campaign · Other
Charlotte's Web entered a multi-year agreement to serve as Major League Baseball's official CBD supplier, increasing the brand's visibility in mainstream sports.

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