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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2020)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020 THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — 3B BUSINESS & AG LIFE Some pet products touted as CBD don’t have any By Mary Esch The Associated Press Companies have unleashed hun- dreds of CBD pet health products accompanied by glowing customer testimonials claiming the cannabis derivative produced calmer, quieter and pain-free dogs and cats. But some of these products are all bark and no bite. “You’d be astounded by the analysis we’ve seen of products on the shelf with virtually no CBD in them,” said Cornell University vet- erinary researcher Joseph Waksh- lag, who studies therapeutic uses for the compound. “Or products with 2 milligrams per milliliter, when an effective concentration would be between 25 and 75 mil- ligrams per milliliter. There are plenty of folks looking to make a dollar rather than produce any- thing that’s really benefi cial.” Such products can make it to the shelves because the federal govern- ment has yet to establish standards for CBD that will help people know whether it works for their pets and how much to give. Still, there’s lots of individual success stories that help fuel a $400 million market that grew more than tenfold since last year and is expected to reach $1.7 billion by 2023, according to the cannabis research fi rm Brightfi eld Group. Amy Carter of St. Francis, Wis- consin, decided to go against her veterinarian’s advice and try CBD oil recommended by a friend to treat Bentley, her epileptic York- shire terrier-Chihuahua mix. The little dog’s cluster seizures had be- come more frequent and frighten- ing despite expensive medications. “It’s amazing” Carter said. “Bentley was having multiple seizures a week. To have only six in the past seven months is abso- lutely incredible.” But some pet owners have found CBD didn’t work. Dawn Thiele, an accountant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, said she bought a $53 bottle of CBD oil from a local shop in hopes of calming her 2-year-old Yorkshire terrier during long car trips. “I didn’t see a change in his be- Photo by Carrie Antlfi nger/The Associated Press In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, in St. Francis, Wisconsin, Amy Carter looks at her Yorkshire terrier-Chihuahua mix Bentley, who has epilepsy. Carter gives him CBD, which she says has reduced his seizures. The federal government has yet to establish standards for CBD that will help pet owners know whether it works and how much to give. But the lack of regulation has not stopped some from buying it, fueling a $400 million CBD market for pets that grew more than tenfold since last year and is expected to reach $1.7 billion by 2023, according to the cannabis research fi rm Brightfi eld Group. havior,” said Thiele, who nonethe- less remains a believer. “The product is good, it just didn’t work for my dog,” she said. Short for cannabidiol, CBD is a non-intoxicating molecule found in hemp and marijuana. Both are can- nabis plants, but only marijuana has enough of the compound THC to get users high. The vast majority of CBD products come from hemp, which has less than 0.3% THC. CBD has garnered a devoted following among people who swear by it for everything from stress reduction to better sleep. Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which eased federal legal restrictions on hemp cultivation and transport, un- leashed a stampede of companies rushing products to the market in an absence of regulations ensuring safety, quality and effectiveness. Products for people were swiftly followed by CBD chewies, oils and sprays for pets. Ranchers fined $17K for burn pile that included carcasses By Sierra Dawn McClain Capital Press LEBANON — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued a fi ne of $17,869 against a Willamette Valley ranch for a burn pile that included 40 dead animals, furniture and other garbage. “I think that’s probably the second time I can recall any- thing like this in our district,” said John Tacy, division chief of operations for Lebanon Fire District. “It’s outside the scope of agricultural burn- ing.” The incident occurred May 13, when the Lebanon Fire Department responded to a complaint about a fi re that smelled like “roasting tires.” The incident was included in a year-end report from DEQ. Fire Marshal Jason Bolen and Lt. Michael Maynard ar- rived seven minutes later at property owned by ranchers Mark and Bethany Wahl of Wahl Livestock LLC. According to the district’s records, Bolen asked Mark Wahl if it was OK to look at the burn pile. Wahl said yes, inviting Bolen and Maynard onto his property in a man- ner that was, according to the department, “cordial.” The burn heap, records indicate, was piled 6 feet tall with 35 dead cattle, fi ve dead sheep, decomposable garbage, plastics, asphaltic materi- als, furniture and petroleum products. Open burning of those materials is prohibited in Oregon, according to DEQ. According to the report, the pile was also burning unattended. Wahl disputes this, telling the Capital Press he was about 400 feet away. Bolen told Wahl his activ- ity was illegal, and the crew got to work. Two hours and 2,500 gallons of water later, the fi re was extinguished. But for the Wahls, the trouble was just beginning. The fi re department is required to report burning of illegal substances to DEQ, according to Tacy. DEQ of- fi cers then contacted Wahl to investigate. “The DEQ called,” said Wahl. “They wanted to look at the burn pile, but I did not give them permission to come on the premises.” Instead, Wahl sent DEQ a receipt showing that he had properly disposed of the carcasses after the fi re was put out. Wahl said they are appealing the fi ne. “The growth is more rapid than I’ve seen for any product in 20 years in this business,” said Bill Bookout, president of the National Animal Supplement Council, an industry group whose member companies agree to testing and data-gathering requirements. “There’s a gold rush going on now. Probably 95 percent of the industry participants are responsible, but what’s dangerous is the fl y-by-night operative that wants to cash in.” The U.S. Food and Drug Admin- istration is developing regulations for marketing CBD products, for pets or people. This year, it has sent warning letters to 22 companies citing violations such as making claims about therapeutic uses and treatment of disease in humans or animals or marketing CBD as a dietary supplement or food ingredi- ent. “It’s really the Wild West out there,” said S. David Moche, founder of Applied Basic Science, a company formed to support Colo- rado State University’s veterinary CBD research and now selling CBD online. He advises consumers to look for a certifi cate of analysis from a third-party testing labora- tory to ensure they’re getting what they pay for. “Testing and labeling is going to be a critical part of the future of this industry,” Moche said. Wakshlag said products must be tested not only for CBD level, but also to ensure they’re free of toxic contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides and have only trace amounts of THC, which in higher levels is toxic to dogs. Bookout said his organization has recorded very few health incidents involving CBD and no deaths. Still, scientifi c documentation of CBD’s safety and effi cacy is nearly nonexistent. That’s starting to change, howev- er. A small clinical trial at Colorado State University published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in June found CBD oil reduced seizure frequency in 89 percent of the epileptic dogs that received it. A clinical study headed by Wakshlag at Cornell, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science in July 2018, found CBD oil helped increase comfort and activity in dogs with osteoarthritis. Stephanie McGrath, a Colorado State University researcher, is now doing a larger clinical trial funded by the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation. “The results of our fi rst epilepsy study were promising, but there was certainly not enough data to say CBD is the new miracle anti- convulsive drug in dogs,” McGrath said. Seizures are a natural focus for research on veterinary CBD products, since Epidiolex, the only FDA-approved drug containing cannabidiol, was approved last year for treatment of two severe forms of epilepsy in children. Veterinarians are allowed to prescribe Epidiolex for pets, but it’s prohibitively expen- sive — upwards of $30,000 a year for an average-size dog, McGrath said. The Kennel Club’s chief veteri- nary offi cer, Jerry Klein, said CBD is “over-hyped” but promising for treatments like pain relief. He’s hopeful that the growing market will result in more money being invested in research to prove uses. Meantime, the American Veteri- nary Medical Association is telling veterinarians they can share what they know about CBD with clients but shouldn’t prescribe or recom- mend it until the FDA gives its blessing. “There’s no question there’s vet- erinary interest in these products as therapies, but we really want to see the manufacturers demonstrate that they’re effective and safe and get FDA approval so we can have confi dence in the products,” said Gail Golab, chief veterinary offi cer for the association. HORNETS Continued from Page 1B clump together around the invader in tens or hundreds, creating a giant ball and suffocating their attacker. North American honey- bees, said Salp, appear not to have this instinct. “I think there’s a need for panic,” said Lavine. “I’ve heard anecdotes of beekeep- ers in Asia standing around with badminton rackets, smacking the hornets to the ground and stomping them. I know that sounds totally insane, but that’s what it can come to.” Hobby beekeepers, said Hiatt, should consider putting a so-called robbing screen, which hornets can’t enter but bees learn to navigate through, in front of beehives. Robbing screens, however, aren’t feasible for commer- cial-size operations. Hiatt suggests all beekeepers restrict the entrance size of hives, making it harder for hornets to enter. IF YOU’RE A FARMER Farmers, Hiatt said, should watch for the hornets, which nest in the ground. However, he warned against fl ushing out any Photo by Karla Salp/WSDA Asian giant hornets have a wingspan of 3 inches and can be up to fi ve times the size of a honeybee. The hornet above is shown about 67% larger than it is in real life. ground nest indiscriminate- ly. He said some native bees nest in the ground — many of which pollinate crops, especially alfalfa. possible. Put safety fi rst. In Asia, according to Salp, dozens of people die annually from stumbling into hornet nests. If you get stung and have an allergic reaction, call 911 and get medical help. BE ALERT Experts say everyone should be alert — especially in port cities, where there is ongoing trade with Asia. If you think you’ve found an Asian giant hornet, report it immediately to WSDA’s pest program via email at pestprogram@ agr.wa.gov. Send a photo if Happy New Year to our loyal customers! Thank you for a great year! 3815 Pocahontas Road, Baker City 541-523-6404 3109 May Lane, La Grande 541-963-3113 Cabinet Shop: 217 Greenwood Street, La Grande 541-963-2613
