As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana use for humans, many pet owners are treating their companions with cannabis extracts for a range of ailments, from anxiety to cancer.
Many owners turn to cannabis because pharmaceuticals don’t work for their pets. “We don’t want to give her painkillers because they just knock her out,” says Michael Fasman, who has been treating his arthritic dog, Hudson, with a high-CBD cannabis tincture made specifically for pets.
Cannabis products high on CBD and low on the psychoactive molecule, THC, allow animals to benefit from the pain-relieving effects of cannabinoids without becoming a stoner.
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Veterinarians can’t prescribe or recommend cannabis to pet owners since the drug is still illegal under federal law. “Science is not leading the discussion on this... We need to have the studies; we need to have the science, so we have the background information to make informed decisions,” says Ken Pawlowski of the California Veterinary Medical Association.
Without the assistance of veterinarians, it is up to the owners to decide whether cannabis is suitable for their pet, based on their own observations.
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