Legalizing Cannabis Leads to More Pet Owners Giving it to Their Cats and Dogs
Cannabis is almost legal even when it isn’t legal because law enforcement ignore its use. In America a number of states have legalized it. It is legal for recreational and medical use in Washington, Washington D.C., Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine.

New Zealand cat steals bag of weed
One dog owner used cannabis to treat his dog’s arthritis. There is a specially produced version for pets. You add it to food.
She said that her dog was livelier and happier after eating the cannabis. Her dog appears to be in less pain. It sounds very promising.
However, it also sounds potentially dangerous. Do we know what the effects are on cats and dogs? Veterinarians say that there is not enough data on cannabis treatment of pets to tell us that it is safe and effective.
And, in the USA, vets are not allowed to prescribe it because it is illegal under federal law.
It seems that pet owners are doing their own informal studies when scientists should be doing them. And as more states legalize the drug it is likely that more pet owners will try it out on their pets when conventional pain killers prove to be unsatisfactory partly because of the side effects.
Lynne Fasman runs a pet adoption and animal shelter. She recommends cannabis as a treatment for older dogs with behavior and health issues. She plans to try it out on cats. She is clearly a concerned cat rescuer but I am not sure it is wise to “try it out” on cats. It sounds experimental.
A business called Treatwell Health sell cannabis tinctures to treat a wide range of ailments. They say the pet does not get high. How do they know for sure?
“What we find is a lot of the animals are coming to us when there are no other options and pharmaceuticals haven’t worked for that animal,” said Allison Ettel, Treatwell Health co-founder. “And so they’re at that last resort, and cannabis is really good for those types of situations.”
But I can see the appeal of using cannabis as a last resort treatment. There is nothing to lose under these circumstances.
A retailer of the product believes it has a tremendous potential but would like to see more research on their efficacy and whether there are side effects.
It is time for the scientists to step up to the mark and do some research.
Source: Pet owners treat sick animals with cannabis – KPTV – FOX 12