The
Pot
ISSUE
Pot for Pets?
PET OWNERS ARE FINDING CBD
HELPS THEIR ANIMALS COPE
BY CAMILLA MORTENSEN
M
y dog Rhoda turned 13 this year, and it
became more and more apparent that
her arthritic hocks (her hind knees)
were slowing her down. I didn’t
like the idea of starting my
frosted-face pup on Rimadyl or some other
anti-inflammatory drug that could hurt
her liver, but neither did I want my aging
boxer/pitbull/who-knows-what rescue dog
to be uncomfortable.
“Try weed,” someone with a similarly
aging mutt told me. “It made a huge
difference for my dog.”
When I contemplate weed and pets,
I think of the time my friend’s neighbors
threw a bad batch of pot-infused butter
in her trash. Her dogs got hold of it and
became very, very sick.
Dr. Doreen Hock, of Pacifica Veterinary Services and
The Healthy Pet, says that’s not an unusual association.
In her seven years working at the local emergency vet
hospital, she saw dogs that had gotten into pot brownies
come in sick and vomiting, having to be put on IV fluids.
The difference, she says, is that cannabis for pets is
made from hemp and only has CBD (cannabidiol) in it, not
the THC that caused the adverse symptoms in the animals
she treated. And unlike weed, if any of the animals taking
CBD have gotten sick or experienced an overdose, Hock, a
holistic veterinarian, says she hasn’t seen it.
I purchased a bag of Canna-Biscuits for Rhoda and
started her on the treats. As a bonus, the CBD treats are
said to be good for anxiety — Rho has always been a
worrier. Hock says she’s seen the demeanor of older pets
change. Her own dog, having grown anxious due to age-
related changes like hearing loss, became less stressed.
And her 20-year-old cat — “we thought she was dying”
— improved after starting on CBD.
Seattle-based Canna-Pets, the maker of Canna-Biscuits,
says on its website that its products “are not ‘pot for pets’ since
it is not ‘medical marijuana,’ or ‘medical cannabis.’” And also
the FDA prohibits the company “from discussing any diseases
or medical conditions in conjunction with our products.”
CANNA-BISCUITS
Here in Oregon, CBD pet supplements are taking off.
FlowerChild in Southwest Oregon makes CBD oil for pets,
Gemm Farms near Portland sells Zoe’s Be Calm Hardtack
Biscuits for dogs, and Moe’s Meats, which sells Columbia
River Natural Pet Food, has branched out into CBD pet
products.
It is not legal in Oregon to put marijuana in cat or dog
food, according to Stephanie Page, director of the Oregon
Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Animal
Health program. But if we are specifically talking about
CBD derived from hemp, it is legal in vegetarian food or
treats.
Page says wholesale pet food containing meat can’t use
hemp because it needs to be continuously inspected by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. And “as far as they are
concerned, CBD is an adulterant.”
CBD is legal in Oregon, and hemp is grown legally in
the state under a provision in the 2014 Farm Bill allowing
state departments of agriculture and universities to conduct
research on the crop; additionally, the crop was made legal
in 2009 by the Oregon Legislature.
There is talk that national legislation to remove hemp
from the Controlled Substances Act will appear in this
year’s Farm Bill.
Page says ODA recently discussed hemp
in pet products and has now started to register
manufacturers that make health claims or products
likely to be sold in the remedies section. ODA
would not go out and inspect the production,
but “we expect them to register,” she says.
Glenn Kolb, executive director of the Oregon
Veterinary Medical Association, says that when it
comes to marijuana, practitioners who are interested
in the drug as a potential adjunct treatment for their
patients “would welcome the federal government to
ease their restriction on research on this issue.”
He adds that while marijuana is illegal for vets to
prescribe, “laws on making hemp recommendations for
veterinarians are unclear.” And, Kolb notes, “In a recent
statement, the Food and Drug Administration noted that that
CBD products for pets are considered an unapproved drug.”
In late July, delegates of the American Veterinary
Medical Association asked the group’s board “to consider
pushing the federal government to reclassify cannabis as
a way to facilitate research to understand its medical and
therapeutic uses,” according to the Veterinary Information
News Service.
“The pharmacology and physiology of marijuana
products is evolving when it comes to animals,” Kolb tells
EW in an email, “but the science behind it is lacking and
incomplete. We are unaware of any known scientifically
proven therapeutic uses for cannabinoids in pets.”
Meanwhile Hock has seen CBD products work for
seizures and help animals live with cancer.
The Healthy Pet in Eugene carries biscuits, tinctures, an
oil spray, capsules and a flavored powder. “This stuff flies
off our shelves,” she says. “We can’t keep it in stock, people
are catching on. It’s an incredible untapped resource.”
While Rhoda isn't sure about the science either, my
finicky pup does think her Canna-Biscuits are a tasty
snack, and we will see how they work on her knees.
eugeneweekly.com • A ugust 17, 2017
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