MEDICAL CANNABINOIDS: A REVIEW STEPHEN CITAL RVT, SRA, RLAT, VCC, CVPP, VTS-LAM Director of Education and Development, ElleVet Sciences, Portland ME
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But central nervous system signs including ataxia, tremors, and hypoactivity were observed when dogs were given chronic daily oral doses of cannabis extracts containing concentrations as high as 27 mg/ kg THC combined with 25 mg/kg cannabidiol (CBD) (1.08:1 ratio of THC to CBD) for 56 weeks. Interestingly, GW also did a long-term study in dogs for 39 weeks with a CBD isolate at 100mg/mg with some minor concern of liver distress. While 100mg/kg is an unrealistic dose we’d ever give our patients, it does highlight the potential of adverse effects. More recently, we have a 12-week study published showing the safety of using a hemp CBD product from ElleVet Sciences in healthy dogs and cats. The study concluded that at a dose of 2mg/kg, PO, BID animals can safely tolerate longer term dosing with minimal to no side-effects. 2 MARIJUANA VS. HEMP PLANTS There are some fundamental distinctions one must make on the topic of medical cannabis, and even specific terminology used when approaching medical cannabis as a valid medical therapy. The first distinction is between a “marijuana” plant versus a “hemp” plant. The hemp plant has much lower levels of THC (less than 0.3% by dry weight) and has found favor among veterinary professionals since there is a reduced risk of THC toxicity. This distinction is particularly important for recommendations made by veterinary professionals. At the time this article was written there were no states that allow for medical marijuana prescriptions for veterinary use, with many states also denying
veterinarians the ability to even “recommend” an over the counter hemp-based product. California was the first state to pass legislation at the end of 2018 with AB2215 that allows veterinarians to discuss cannabis (Marijuana specifically) as a therapeutic option, but the legislation still prohibits veterinarians from prescribing, dispensing, or recommending marijuana to animals. Currently hemp remains a legal OTC product for consumers to purchase without the recommendation of a DVM in a majority of states. 3 VETERINARY CANNABIS STUDIES To date, we have an ever-growing list of relevant studies for practical use of cannabis in companion animals. Most notably, we now have the results from four studies, two conducted at Colorado State University (CSU) and two from Cornell University, to help shed light on effective and safe dosing of CBD dominant cannabis products in dogs. In the Colorado State University study, conducted by
Dr. Stephanie McGrath, we see dogs given three different dosing strategies. A group of 30 healthy beagle dogs were randomly assigned to receive a cannabidiol dominant product in the form of a capsule, oil, and CBD transdermal cream at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day or 20 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks. In the study, the dogs had complete blood counts, chemistry panels, urinalysis, and bile acids performed at 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. The most notable effect was elevations in serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) that occurred in some dogs. All of the dogs in the study also experienced diarrhea, while the dogs that received the transdermal formula had reddened skin after application that was not of clinical concern. Because the products used in the study were plant-based, the variability between batches were measured. The study concluded that this particular CBD dominant product, with limited terpenes, appeared to be well tolerated in dogs. (continued)
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