To learn more about veterinary cannabis visit their website HERE
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with the support, guidance, and oversight of the veterinary team.
The Legal Landscape
(The content of this article is not intended as, nor should be considered, legal advice.)
Occasionally, pet parents report that they do not feel supported by their veterinary health care team in their research about the use of cannabis for their pet or that the veterinary health care team does not seem interested in discussing cannabis for their pet’s condition.
Feeling unsupported by your pet’s health care team can result in frustration, confusion and worry. In addition, it has helped to create an alarming trend of pet parents seeking information elsewhere, often from unreliable sources.
To ensure positive outcomes, collaboration between the pet parent and the veterinary health care team is essential - your pet’s veterinary health care team has important knowledge of species differences, training in the interactions between medications, as well as the ability to monitor for both beneficial effects and/or toxicity in your pet.
Understanding the legal landscape around cannabis, particularly in regard to laws regulating veterinarians and veterinary technicians, can help both sides work together to maximize your pet’s well-being.
1.
As veterinarians, we are not authorized to prescribe any Schedule 1 drugs – including marijuana (products that contain more than 0.3% THC) or other types of cannabis.
2.
With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, there is a clear distinction between marijuana (containing >0.3% THC) and hemp (containing <0.3% THC) types of cannabis and veterinarians may have more flexibility when working with hemp-based products. However, there still remain state-specific and even clinic-specific restrictions that the veterinary health care team and the pet parent must navigate together.
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