Pot for Your Pup? Medical Marijuana for Pets Could Be On the Way

Medical Marijuana for Dogs

Photo: Pixabay.

Marijuana will be legalized in Canada on Oct. 17, but people aren’t the only ones being considered by federal policymakers and cannabis companies.

Our pets present a whole other revenue stream that medical marijuana providers are working to fill.

And why not? Pot has been shown to effectively treat chronic pain, arthritis, cancer and even anxiety, which could make visits to the vet less traumatic.

Research into cannabis-related pet health is growing, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Dr. Shane Renwick told the CBC.

“We hope that there will be the research required to allow safe registered products on the market in the not-too-distant future … It will offer alternatives in a lot of cases to medications we’re currently using for a variety of conditions,” Renwick says.

There also appears to be demand from pet owners.  Renwick, the association’s national issues and animal welfare manager, confirmed that its members have been  getting inquiries  from clients about treating their pets ailments — such as pain — with cannabis.

Approvals will ultimately come from Health Canada, as they do for any prescription medical treatment. Earlier this week, its Veterinary Drug Directorate gave the go ahead to research into cannabidiol-enriched oil to treat anxiety in certain animals. Incidentally, cannabidiol (CBD) — a chemical compound in cannabis — is already used in treating forms of childhood epilepsy.

If reports on what Canadians spend on their other children are any indication — a whopping $4.1 billion in 2015 — pet pot’s potential for revenue, including taxes, is worth shaking — or, more aptly — throwing a stick at.