CBD Could Improve the Lives of Thousands of Pets
Humans aren’t the only ones that benefit from a more open CBD market. As the legalization around cannabis-derived products continues to lax, cannabidiol (CBD) could see a dramatic rise in popularity as veterinary medicine. Many health professionals have long considered the benefits of introducing CBD as a therapeutic supplement for animals due to its lack of known side effects. For pet owners will dogs or cats that are susceptible to seizures, this could be a life-changing opportunity.
What is CBD Exactly?
Before you go down a Google rabbit hole of ‘What is CBN? Is it different from CBD? How do I use it?’, take a moment to learn what CBD really is. While CBD is derived from cannabis, it is only one of a hundred different chemical compounds found in the tall, green plant. These compounds, known as cannabinoids, have a variety of different effects on the human body when they are ingested or absorbed. But since there are so many different cannabinoids, it is also important to mention that not all of them offer the same interactions that people generally associate with cannabis. Many people try CBD for best and you can buy here.
Based on a 2018 health report conducted by the United Nations, there is very little evidence to suggest that CBD produces the same physiological effects as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another cannabinoid. This means that CBD, as presented in the aforementioned report, does not tend to produce a ‘high’ in healthy individuals. Moreover, it doesn’t seem to provide many side effects either. The researchers of the report claimed that CBD acted like a ‘placebo’ in that it played no role in creating or facilitating psychoactive or cardiovascular effects. It was essentially unnoticeable amongst the study’s healthy test subjects. So, if CBD doesn’t facilitate a high, what does it do?
Besides being a popular wellness product, CBD has garnered serious medication consideration in light of recent studies and applications. Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, popularly known as the father of cannabinoid research, discussed the potential of CBD as a type of therapeutic treatment during the 2019 International Cannabis Business Conference. In his keynote presentation, he highlighted CBD’s use as a suppressor of anxiety and depression symptoms. He also noted CBD’s recent entrance into the American pharmaceuticals industry with Epidiolex, an FDA-approved drug that aims to treat the symptoms of those living with epilepsy, mainly seizures. The incredible part is that these medical and therapeutic applications may not be limited to humans either. They could be used to treat animal conditions as well.
How Can Cannabidiol Help Your Pets?
As a growing list of supporting studies continues to mount, CBD’s future in healthcare has begun to materialize in a significant way. One such future is CBD’s applications with pets. Like humans, pets suffer from anxiety, depression, epilepsy, and other difficult-to-treat ailments. Previous forms of treatment have often included drugs with potentially debilitating side effects. Hard drugs are always particularly difficult on animals because they cannot interpret or understand the reason for their existence. Similarly, their small weight and size can sometimes heighten the intensity of effects. This is one of the many reasons why CBD has started to gain traction as a form of child- and animal-safe medication.
A young American woman who lives with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome had participated in the Epidiolex clinical trials back in 2018 and saw great results. Prior to the CBD-based medication, she experienced epilepsy-triggered seizures at a frequency of about 50 to 100 per day. An extremely taxing and unsustainable figure. But once she started receiving the CBD-based medication, her number of daily seizures dropped to about 2 to 5 times a week. Results may not be this staggering for all users, but the difference is undeniable, especially with regard to quality of life. While a human being is not the same as a dog or a cat, they also have a difficult time self-managing more serious conditions, particularly because of its ease of ingestion.
Most CBD medication is in the form of an ingestible oil or liquid. These liquids are typically administered under the tongue to maximize the quality of absorption. This is an easy form of medical administration for both parents and pet owners alike. Being able to squeeze a few drops into your pet’s mouth is much easier than trying to get them to eat harder types of medication like pills or capsules. With all this in mind, CBD products have already begun to enter the pet industry.
Growing CBD Market for Pets
As CBD’s popularity as a wellness tool and therapeutic supplement continues to rise, pets have been the latest segment to be flooded with cannabidiol products. After joining the board of a cannabis company back in 2019, Martha Stewart has since announced that she will be launching a brand of CBD dog chews to help dogs with their mobility and wellness.
Recognizing Martha’s wide-reaching audience, this could market the beginning of a giant new segment in pet products. Despite the potential growth of the market, CBD could be a safe and easy way for a pet owner to improve their animal’s quality of life.