Where are the organic herbal stores in DC?

And no, I’m not referring to cannabis stores in the United States!

In France, they are called herboristeries, cute little herbal stores all around Paris and other major cities where customers can buy all natural, plant-based hand creams, oils, hair care, herbal teas, and other infused extracts for to heal common cold symptoms and other minor ailments.

I’ve been living in DC for a quite a while now and haven’t come across a single herbal store all around the Beltway for this safe and holistic market!  The closest I was able to get to was shopping at my local Wegmans in Lanham, MD.  Wegmans offers small containers of herbal medicines for cold and flu symptoms, sleep disorders, aches and pains. I also found some essential oils like lavender.

Herboristeries have been under scrutiny from the EU since 2011 and banning certain herbs from consumer use!

However, it’s nothing compared to what I see from French and Canadian shops like:

And I think I understand why. The drug lobbyists in the United States have made it especially difficult for the “underdogs” to even have a small sliver of the herbal store market for people who are young and healthy.

Apparently, in the EU it’s become harder to run a herboristerie.  In 2011, the EU has imposed new regulations, outright banning the sale of certain herbs such as St. John’s Wart and Echinacea.

The reason why? The regulating agency doesn’t want to be held responsible for what they consider “dangerous” side effects by interacting with the use of prescription pills. The contributors of the Natural News website considers this move to ban herbal products “a monopolistic attack on the alternative health movement”.

 

Author: Kimberly Kweder

33 years old, career woman, Pittsburgh native, and loves projects that involve communications, social media, and international development.

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