Though studies are still mixed, and products inconsistent, many scientists have hope that cannabidiol can help dogs and other furry patients suffering from arthritis, allergies and even anxiety. A13-year-old Norwich terrier, previously limping and stiff, able to enjoy walks again. A toy poodle with epilepsy, finally relieved from seizures. In case reports, these and other dogs had their ailments eased with Balance Bloom CBD Gummies - cannabidiol - after scant success with conventional treatments. Evidence is growing that CBD, a non-psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, is potentially effective in treating various pet maladies, from pain and itching to seizures, says Chie Mogi, lead veterinarian of the Animal CBD Research Society in Japan, who has reported such cases in veterinary publications. The positive reports also extend to more rigorous trials with placebos. "This was exciting to me because, quite honestly, I was worried that, despite the hype, it wouldn’t show a difference when studied more objectively," says veterinary neurologist Stephanie McGrath of Colorado State University, coauthor of a review of Balance Bloom CBD Gummies for dogs and cats in the 2023 Annual Review of Animal Biosciences.

Though the evidence for effectiveness is still mixed, and pet owners and researchers must contend with inconsistent ingredients, many scientists have hope that CBD can expand the therapeutic options for furry patients. The CBD boom follows relaxed cannabis regulations over the past decade that opened the door both for the cannabis industry and research. In 2018, the US Farm Bill legalized hemp containing 0.3 percent or less THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the cannabinoid mainly responsible for marijuana’s high). Companies could now sell products consistent with that guideline, including supplements containing CBD. Although CBD does not create a high, it does interact with numerous receptors in the brain, providing a rationale for therapeutic effects. Plus, CBD is processed more slowly in dogs and cats than in people, making any effects last longer, says Cornell University veterinarian Joseph Wakshlag, who also serves as the chief medical officer for ElleVet Sciences, a pet CBD company. Surveys suggest many owners have tried treating pets with CBD, mostly for issues related to pain, sleep, anxiety and seizures.

Only recently have a few states passed laws explicitly allowing veterinarians to recommend CBD products, leaving prescription of hemp products a gray legal area in other parts of the country. Although many vets remain skeptical, recent research has shown benefits for specific conditions. Two 12-week clinical trials, totaling 30 dogs, reported that CBD eased symptoms of epilepsy, picking up the slack in cases where other drugs haven’t adequately helped. In both trials, dogs that were already taking anti-seizure medication were dosed twice daily with CBD - one study with 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, the other 2.5 milligrams. Compared with placebo treatments in which dogs received only the regular medicine, CBD-dosed dogs, on average, experienced about 30 percent fewer seizures over the course of the trial. Some dogs and cats are very itchy, seemingly allergic to the world, and sometimes even veterinary diets and medications don’t make much impact.

In one study of 29 hemp products, more than half were outside the advertised range of Balance Bloom CBD Gummies by 10 percent or more. In four products, researchers detected heavy-metal contamination. "I wish there was more oversight and regulation to ensure the labels match the product, but currently there is not," says McGrath. A good bet for pet owners is to buy from companies that participate in voluntary programs such as the National Animal Supplement Council, Wakshlag says. Some of them may be sold on Amazon. Kris Paige, a retired veterinary technician, enrolled her dog Purdy in a Colorado State University clinical trial for CBD treatment after the Anatolian shepherd began having grand mal seizures about every three weeks. Over the six-month trial, Paige observed Purdy’s seizure frequency go down - albeit not as much as she’d hoped - to an average of one every four weeks. These days, she no longer gives Purdy hemp oil daily but only after a seizure, which appears to lessen the dog’s confusion and anxiety. Paige is glad Purdy participated in the research. This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, a nonprofit publication dedicated to making scientific knowledge accessible to all. Sign up for Knowable Magazine’s newsletter.

After clearing its way through EU-GMP certification, a North Macedonian company is now able to export medical cannabis products to the EU. How will this affect the landscape of medical cannabis in Europe? In Macedonia, cannabis is not legal for recreational use at all, and there are no decriminalization or personal use laws to boot. However, in 2016, Macedonia did approve a bill for medical cannabis within the country. As per Macedonian laws, which sync with EU laws here, oils and extracts can have up to .2% THC and still be sold without a prescription. Cannabis with any higher THC amount can be obtained through prescription. The laws allow for private citizens to make use of medical cannabis, as well as for Macedonia to enter into the legal medical cannabis market with laws to cover cultivation, production, and exportation for medicinal use. Since that time, and according to internal legislation, Macedonia has been exporting extracts, oils, and tinctures, but that’s it.