The Current State of Cannabis Research in Veterinary Medicine

1. All medical cannabis is derived from Cannabis sativa L. Legally speaking, cannabis plants that naturally produce greater than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are considered to be “marijuana” and are federally illegal.

2. Medicinal hemp plants contain relatively large amounts of CBD, which, while legal, is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

3. As with any other nutritional supplement, the FDA is watchful to ensure products do not make “drug claims” or are otherwise suggesting their product is a pharmaceutical. This landscape is responsible for the unusual terms sometimes seen on products, such as “phytocannabinoid rich (PCR) oil,” “hemp extract,” and “full extract cannabis oil (FECO).”

4. One constant in botanical medicine is that medicinal plants rarely, if ever, contain only one biologically active compound. Cannabis plants produce a wide range of phytochemicals including phytocannabinoids and terpenes. Phytocannabinoids are plant-based compounds that act on endocannabinoid receptors throughout the body.

5. To demonstrate safety, the CSU study administered oral CBD to dogs at 10 mg/kg/day or 20 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks and found it to be well tolerated in the study population. More than one-third (36%) of animals in the study showed elevations of serum ALP (alkaline phosphatase level) while all other blood parameters remained normal. The elevation in ALP could indicate CBD has the potential to interfere with the metabolism of other hepatically metabolized pharmaceuticals.

Bonus: The first data for veterinary-specific use of CBD for seizures were evaluated and published in 2019. Seizure frequency of dogs was evaluated with and without the use of cannabidiol in conjunction with other drugs. The study showed a statistically significant 89% reduction in seizure frequency in dogs receiving CBD at 2.5 mg/kg q12h compared to a 43% reduction in the control group. Both study groups were concurrently receiving conventional anti-epileptic drug therapy.No severe adverse effects were noted in the study, and blood levels of anti-epileptic drugs in participants were not affected by the addition of CBD.

Reference: https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/the-current-state-of-cannabis-research-in-veterinary-medicine/

Hemp CBD: Legal without approval

1. Many products (suggested by Veterinarians) are legal without FDA approval. Such products include animal supplements, medical feed, and compounded drugs.

2. If a product does not require FDA approval, like a hemp CBD animal supplement, then no FDA approval is needed for the product to be legal. The reason you (Veterinarians) can use, recommend, and sell such products is that the FDA does not regulate animal supplements as drugs.

3. The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act has a broad definition of what an animal drug is. While the definition says that products intended to treat a disease or affect the structure of an animal’s body are considered a drug, the definition is not literal. If the definition were literal, then you (Veterinarians) could not use, recommend, or sell animal supplements like Denamarin, fish oil, or glucosamine.

4. The FDA long ago concluded that the federal Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act does not apply to products marketed as dietary supplements for animals, stating, “There is no ‘dietary supplement’ regulatory classification for animal food substances and products” and, “They are considered either ‘foods’ or ‘new animal drugs’ depending on the intended use.”

5. The hemp CBD manufacturers that received FDA warning letters for selling unapproved animal drugs, explicitly claimed that their products treated or cured cancer and other diseases. While those particular products from the manufacturers are drugs, hemp CBD animal products that manufacturers do not intend to be used to treat a disease are not drugs. Telling Veterinarians that hemp CBD products are illegal unless they are FDA approved, harms animals and veterinary businesses.

Reference: https://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/hemp-cbd-legal-evans-golab/