Advocates, entrepreneurs and even scientists are all behind CBD, an extract from cannabis plants, being used as a way to help a wide range of canine and feline maladies, from allergies to anxiety. The industry claims that the pet market for CBD doubled between 2008 and 2014, according to The Guardian, and projects that there will be another 3-5% annual growth in the market. CBD is not psychoactive in humans, unlike THC, the compound that gets both humans and animals high.
CBD interacts with the human, and maybe dog or cat, endocannabinoid system, writes The Guardian. The precise effects are still undergoing research, but advocates say CBD can treat can treat epilepsy, chronic pain, anxiety and other maladies in people.
So why not animals? Research led by Dr Stephanie McGrath found an 89 percent reduction in epileptic seizures for dogs treated with CBD. The team is now going to study CBD as a treatment for osteoarthritis in dogs, as well as hoping to do a larger epilepsy study.
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