Is California closer to officially legalizing cannabis for pets?
The bill has already been passed in the Assembly. If the Senate gives the green light, California could become the first US state to formally allow veterinarians to prescribe CBD to pet parents.
AB 1885, sponsored by assemblymember Ash Kalra, would allow veterinarians to recommend the use of cannabis on an animal patient for “potential therapeutic effect or health supplementation purposes”.
It would also permit cannabis products intended for use on an animal to be accessed in licensed dispensaries if they adhere to cannabis regulations and relevant manufacturing, packaging, and labeling standards.
“While the experience of many veterinarians and anecdotal reports from pet owners support a variety of therapeutic applications of cannabis for animal use, because of the lack of clear authorization under existing law, many pet owners are currently engaging without clear recommendations or guidance from their veterinarians,” notes the text.
The legislation would also require the Veterinary Medical Board to adopt guidelines for veterinarians to follow in recommending the use of cannabis-derived products on an animal within the veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
Endorsement
“Pets and their owners deserve to have access to products that can improve their lives, and veterinarians should be allowed to provide guidance on such products,” stated Tim Shu, president of the Pet Cannabis Coalition and CEO of VetCBD, a cannabis-based therapy company.
The Pet Cannabis Coalition is an advocacy group that has recently been established to create a legal framework which will allow veterinarians to recommend cannabis products.
“We need to shed the shroud of prohibition and embrace science if we’re to embark on a path of progress,” he added.
The bill is now being discussed in the Senate’s Committee on Business, Professions, & Consumer Protection, which will host a first hearing on June 20.
From discussion to recommendation
Earlier in 2018, Californian lawmakers amended Bill AB 2215 allowing veterinarians to “discuss” the use of cannabis on an animal for medicinal purposes. However, the act prohibits “prescribing, administering, dispensing, or furnishing a controlled substance to or for any animal”.
Due to this legal gray area, veterinarians can currently face disciplinary proceedings for making any recommendations to pet parents, seeing their license to practice revoked or suspended.
There are currently no CBD products approved by the FDA for use on animals. While a few research studies suggest that it may be helpful in treating conditions such as anxiety, pain, cancer, and arthritis, there’s still a lack of medical consensus on the efficiency of CBD for dogs and cats.
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