The School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California, Davis recently launched a research project to learn more about the use of CBD oil for pets. This project is the first of its kind when it comes to animals. Researchers with the university hope to find out more about the medical uses of CBD for pets and want to inspire future research into its health benefits.
Why’s everyone talking about CBD?
Just last month, the World Health Organization reported their own research, finding that Cannabidiol (CBD) had no adverse side effects when administered medically. In human and animal studies, CBD posed no health risks or potential for abuse, leading many scientists and health care professionals to question the drug’s Schedule I classification.
Illegal drugs are scheduled based on their addictive and psychoactive capacities. Since CBD is neither, medical doctors and researchers are asking the federal government to reconsider the classification. CBD oil is used to effectively treat a range of medical conditions, including anxiety and epilepsy, but with its current scheduling, patients do not have access to the medical care they need.
This complicated matter got even more problematic at the first of the year when California officially legalized recreational marijuana use. The veterinary school at UC Davis is just one of the many institutions in the state determined to catch their research up with the law. Because of the federal scheduling around hemp, marijuana, and CBD, there is little to no research into the health benefits of the drug. The research underway at UC Davis is one of the first attempts to start a conversation around the medical use of CBD oil in animals as well as humans.
Why invest in this kind of CBD research?
The cannabis industry sees an average of 55% growth annually. With this kind of projection, marijuana and CBD will see themselves as a $1 billion industry in the next five years. Those kinds of numbers need the medical research behind them to protect consumers (and their pets) from improper and out-of-date regulations.
The Schedule I regulations surrounding CBD make it hard for institutions to get the funding and licensing they need to complete their research. The FDA did ease back on these regulations in 2015 in order to streamline more research, but the process is slow. Without proper research, there is no way to control the dosages patients take for themselves or give to their pets. Because human dosages of CBD is toxic to animals, more research is necessary in order to provide accurate prescriptions and dosages for anyone using CBD oil.
Should animals use CBD?
Veterinarians do not have a hard yes or no answer for this question. CBD oil has many long-term benefits for pets, but only when administered correctly. The research at UC Davis is starting at the most basic level in order to uncover what that correct dosage is by asking pet owners what cannabis products they use on their animals and the effects they have seen.
