Edible Marijuana Products Being Marketed for Pet Ailments

Edible marijuana products are now being marketed for sick pets, ABC News reports. The products are being sold as natural pain relievers and anti-inflammatory supplements.

The edible products, some shaped as biscuits, contain cannabidiol (CBD). Unlike THC, the psychoactive substance in marijuana, CBD is a marijuana compound that does not get animals high, the manufacturers say. One product, Treatibles, contains 1 miligram of CBD per treat. The recommended dose is 1 milligram per 20-pound animal. Treatibles are sold online for $22 per bag of 40 treats.

Veterinarians are not allowed to prescribe marijuana products to pets, even in states where medical marijuana is legal.

Dr. Tina Wismer, medical director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, has seen many cases of animals consuming too much of their owners’ marijuana. “We get quite a few marijuana calls at Poison Control,” she said. “Cats like the plant material better, whereas dogs like to get into the edibles. Depending on how much they get into will determine how aggressive we need to be. Most of the time they’re wobbly like they’re drunk, they dribble urine. But 25 percent of them become extremely agitated, which certainly is not something I would want to put my elderly pet through.”

Wismer said pet edibles might have potential uses in the future. “Most of these treats have very low levels of CBD, so they are much safer [than when a cat or dog accidentally eats something of the human’s]. It looks like these certainly could be helpful products in some cases, but right now we don’t have enough information,” she said. “Whether it’s THC or other cannabinoids, the problem is we have no therapeutic dose. We don’t know, ‘are you underdosing your animal or overdosing your animal?’ These are the things we need to determine.”