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 At least 30 U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana, but none
of them make provisions for ailing animals.
As a result, veterinarians are reluctant to even discuss marijuana,
which remains illegal under federal law, over concerns of putting
their professional licenses at risk, said Dr. Jeffrey Powers, chair
of the American Veterinary Medical Association's subcommittee on
cannabinoids. That leaves it to pet owners themselves to make
life-altering decisions about dosing and duration of the treatment.
Change could come soon to California, which appears ready to pass
the nation’s first law giving veterinarians the legal cover they
need to answer questions about using cannabis for pets.
"A human can get their doctor's advice but a dog can't, legally.
It's bizarre," said Judy Boyle, 62, of Beaver Island, Michigan,
whose dog Mac had for years been taking traditional prescription
medicines for arthritis and anxiety. The cumulative effect of those
drugs was causing Mac's liver to fail.
Research on her home computer convinced Boyle in March to instead
regularly give her 40-pound (18 kg) Australian Cattle Dog
cannabinoid dog chews. Five months later, he's a much calmer yet
more energetic dog, and his liver function has returned to normal
for the first time in years, Boyle said.
Cannabidiol – a cannabis plant extract also known as CBD - is the
featured ingredient in hemp oils, chews and other pet products that
are more popular than ever. CBD is associated with pain relief, as
opposed to THC, the ingredient in marijuana which at higher
concentrations is associated with euphoric "high" feelings.
Since the federal government still bans cannabis as a controlled
substance - and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has vowed to get
tough on marijuana - many veterinarians have been warned by their
state professional licensing boards not to mention it as a treatment
option.
At present, "veterinarians are in violation of California law if
they are incorporating cannabis into their practices," the state
Veterinary Medical Board said in a statement. The same is true in
most states.
SALES SOAR IN SUMMER
Pet lovers, taking matters into their own hands, are snapping up CBD
products, according to a 2018 nationwide survey of 1,068 dog owners
by Colorado State University veterinary medicine researchers. Nearly
80 percent of respondents said they bought hemp or marijuana
products for their dogs.
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In the non-scientific online survey, pet owners reported that pot
products were nearly 44 percent more effective for a dog's pain
relief and 41 percent more effective for anxiety than conventional
medicines.
Clinical research into CBD also is beginning to produce results.
Cornell University researchers found CBD increases comfort and
activity in dogs with arthritis, according to a study published in
July in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. CBD led to a reduction in
frequency of seizures in 89 percent of dogs with epilepsy, according
to preliminary results of a Colorado State University study released
last month.
Interest in CBD products has surged this summer, as July Fourth
holiday fireworks and thunderstorms trigger severe anxiety for many
pets. In second quarter of 2018, Google searches for CBD products
for humans and animals was 12 times higher than a year earlier. The
biggest jump was in searches for "CBD for pets" and "hemp for pets,"
GlobalCannabinoids.io, a distributor of hemp-derived cannabinoids,
reported this week.
Demand for information is so strong that a panel discussion was
packed at CatCon, the world’s biggest cat-centric event held in
Pasadena, California, last weekend. It was titled, “Cannabis and
Cats: What You Need to Know Meow”
“I went to my vet and she goes, ‘I can't talk about it,’” said
CatCon founder Susan Michals.
“It's an important conversation that needs to be had," Michals said.
"It's scary for people to go on and talk to Dr. Google and try and
figure (dosage) if your cat weighs eight pounds or your other cat 16
pounds, will you OD (overdose) them?”
Julienne Brown, 26, and Jacob Kish, 25, who live in Los Angeles with
an overweight Savannah cat named Dude who suffers from arthritis
pain, attended the panel discussion. Kish said they will now look
into treating Dude with CBD.
"This is the first I've heard that this is an option," Kish said.
"So we're really excited."
(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York, additional reporting by
Jane Ross in Pasadena; editing by Bill Berkrot)
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