SACRAMENTO, CA–California Governor Brown last Thursday signed Assembly Bill 2215, which will allow veterinarians to discuss cannabis-based medicines with pet owners, as of January 1, 2019. Veterinarians will not be allowed to dispense cannabis medications to furry or feathered patients, however.
“AB 2215, by [Assemblymember] Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) prohibits veterinarians from giving medical cannabis products to pets. But it allows them to discuss it with the pets’ owners, and requires the state to issue guidelines on how to do so by January 2020,” described Capitol Public Radio.
Veterinary cannabis-based tincture company VetCBD tweeted their support for the governor’s action.
“As of January 1, 2019, California veterinarians will be able to discuss the use of medical cannabis for pets. This law is the first of its kind and will set a precedent for the rest of the world to follow. This is history in the making,” VetCBD said.
Dr. Tim Shu, founder of VetCBD, exhibited products at September’s CBD Expo West held in Anaheim, alongside many other CBD-infused lines that featured pet products, from tinctures to treats.
Education, Dr. Shu said at the Expo, is key for better understanding of how cannabinoids can benefit serious medical conditions in pets including pain and inflammation, anxiety, and nausea. VetCBD’s original formulation is infused with oil from cannabis and includes a CBD to THC ratio of 20: 1; because of this, it can only be sold in licensed dispensaries in California.
But like many health and even lifestyle products manufacturers, VetCBD is launching a CBD-only, hemp-infused pet tincture that will be available online. Other CBD-infused pet product lines include Phyto Animal Health, Right Ratio, Innovet Pet, Holistapet, Pet Releaf, among several others.
Fueling the largely recession-proof U.S. pet industry are pet owners who are expected to spend more than $72 billion on their fur children in 2018, according to the American Pet Product Association. Mirroring trends in human health & wellness markets, pet owners are increasingly seeking alternative, natural, and holistic health choices for themselves and their pets. CBD (cannabidiol) has exploded in popularity across many product categories, but especially for pets.
The same day Gov. Brown signed AB 2215, he signed another cannabis-related piece of legislation into law–AB 2914, authored by Assemblymember Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), which prohibits the combined use of cannabis and alcohol in food and beverage products.
