Q: Many people declare they want to start giving cannabis or CBD medication to their pet, but they’re not entirely certain about the proper dose. Is there a good way to determine the ideal quantity for your animal?
A: There’s a dosing scale that you could start with. It’s best to start at the low end. Every few days, gradually raise the dose. If you’ve achieved the desired result for whatever ailment, then you’re presumably done. Just like humans, animals will develop a threshold for the psychoactive effects of THC. Over time they will be able to take more medicine without any ascertainable side effects. Medical cannabis is not the solution for all pets. Some animals do better on it than others, just like humans.
Q: Overall, how aware are veterinarians about cannabis therapeutics?
A: This is an enormous problem—the lack of knowledge. The California Veterinary Medical Board is very much against the value of medical cannabis for pets. They don’t want veterinarians talking with pet owners about it, except to say that it is not helpful.
Q: What is the legal standing of CBD as medicine for pets?
A: Cannabis is federally forbidden across the board, including CBD from hemp. Even in California, a trailblazing medical marijuana region, I cannot accommodate people with medical marijuana advice for their pet as a veterinarian. Nor am I able to present them with cannabis products. But I can talk with owners about how medical cannabis might benefit their pets. Unless something dramatic develops on the legal front, there’s still going to be access obstacles for people looking to get medicinal cannabis for their animals.
Q: Any words of recommendation for someone who wants to treat their pet with cannabis or CBD?
A: If at all likely, speak to a veterinarian. Cannabis is medicine, and you should thoroughly assess its dosing. It’s essential to know the strength of THC and CBD in milligrams for one’s pet. Once you have that knowledge, you can search for a product that suits your pet’s needs. When in doubt, err on the side of under-dosing because you can continually increase the dose and watch the effect. And make sure the medicine is without mold, pesticides, and additional contaminants.
Q: There are various hemp-based CBD goods on the market for pets. How do you think about the quality of these goods in general? What are your feelings about hemp-derived CBD?
A: I don’t want to criticize hemp-based CBD products because I think they have a natural medical effect. Many people start with hemp products because of their comparative ease of accessibility. But in many cases, we don’t know the origin of the CBD in these products. I suggest that people do their due diligence as they should with any vitamin or supplement. Call the business and ask where the product is coming from and how to use it. There is no administrative oversight to make sure that these businesses are selling genuine and safe products. A pet owner’s only other alternative is getting a card and going to a medical marijuana dispensary if they want something that may be more effective than hemp-derived CBD. Ideally, you would look for an organic product and manufacture it locally. You want to know how the CBD came to be and the full spectrum of cannabinoids that are inside.
Q: Are there any guidelines or suggestions you have for people who want to make their cannabis products for their pets?
A: That isn’t easy. You won’t know the strength of cannabinoids in what you make at home unless you have it examined. If you use your product, start with exact dosing and slowly work your way upward. You’d much prefer under-dose than overdose.
Q: Occasionally, people who don’t have medical illnesses like to take cannabis as preventative medicine to sustain good health and well-being. Would you suggest something like that for an animal?
A: That’s an outstanding question I have often asked myself. The goal of the endocannabinoid system is to sustain homeostasis within the body. It’s reasonable to consider using cannabis as preventative medication much in the same way that a human would take a multivitamin. If that’s the reason, I will contemplate keeping the dosage toward the very low end. We need to see more analysis on the use of cannabis as preventative medicine for animals and people.
Q: Are there any sources for people to teach themselves about cannabis medicine for pets or find a cannabis-friendly veterinarian in their city?
A: Firstly, I would say talk to your usual veterinarian about cannabis. Even if they can’t give you the data, they may know someone in the area that can. Additionally, there is a national group called the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA). It isn’t a given that a member of the AHVMA includes medical cannabis into their practice, but most people who are open to it are also holistically minded. That would be a great place to find a veterinarian and to begin a discussion. For resources, a co-worker of mine and I taught an online class for Greenflower Media. The course provides a complete description of how medical cannabis works in pets, ways to dose, and how to find a good product.
Q: Thank you for your experience and knowledge.