Dog Tips

Loopholes Are Slowly Open for This Forbidden Treatment Option

If you have a pet you feel might benefit from this controversial treatment, try to find a vet with some experience with it, who can help you navigate within the constraints of the law. Because right now, it's still a lot like operating in the Wild West of yesteryear.

Reviewed by Dr. Becker

Jul 1, 2026 • 3 min read

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STORY AT-A-GLANCE

There is a growing demand by pet owners for access to medicinal marijuana for aging and ailing companion animals
Companies wishing to offer cannabis-based pet products are faced with a number of legal and other challenges
Companies selling hemp-based pet treats are able to operate within the law
Research is needed on cannabis for pets so that veterinarians and pet owners can understand more about its benefits and potential risks
Hemp contains the same beneficial phytochemicals as marijuana but with very low THC levels, making it a safer option that does not cause intoxication or the dangerous condition known as static ataxia in dogs

Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published September 23, 2015.

According to an article in the business news publication Quartz:

"With marijuana flourishing into a big business in the US, a new segment of the market catering to aging and ailing pets has been growing under the radar."¹

The article discusses the challenges faced by companies that want to provide marijuana for use in pets. Specifically, 1) the legality of marketing and distributing cannabis products for animals is a grey area, 2) to date there is little scientific evidence to support its use in pets, and 3) no industry guidelines exist.

However, despite these concerns there are a growing number of pet guardians actively sourcing cannabis to alleviate pain in their companion animals, and there are companies legally selling a form of cannabis called hemp.

Hemp as a Beneficial Alternative to Marijuana

Dr. Rob Silver, a holistic veterinarian and authority on the medicinal use of marijuana in pets, offers valuable insight into the benefits and applications of cannabis for companion animals.

Dr. Silver discussed the benefits of hemp, a type of cannabis plant from which cannabidiol is derived. Unlike plants grown for use as marijuana, hemp has a very low amount of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – so low, in fact, that it doesn't deliver a high. It is the cannabidiol, or CBD, in both marijuana and hemp that alleviates pain.

According to Dr. Silver, hemp contains the same level of beneficial phytochemicals as marijuana, and it actually contains larger amounts of other medicinal components. In addition, because the level of THC is so low, hemp does not cause static ataxia, a frightening condition known to occur only in dogs that have ingested too much THC.

Companies Are Legally, if Cautiously, Selling Pet Treats with Cannabidiol

The companies currently selling pet treats containing cannabidiol are doing so with caution.

Treatibles, which are pet treats made from hemp, are produced by the Auntie Dolores company. The company CEO, Julianna Carella, is reluctant to promote the effects of Treatibles or even market the product.

"Honestly, we're hands off with that because we're not doctors and it's not our place to prescribe it in that way," Carella told Quartz.²

Auntie Dolores also doesn't want to invite scrutiny by the FDA, which has sent out warning letters to other companies selling cannabis-based products for animals.

Two of those companies, Canna Companion (owned by two veterinarians) and Canna-Pet received warning letters from the FDA stating that their products are "unapproved new animal drugs" and informing them that marketing their products violates the FD&C Act.³

The owners of both companies updated the language in their marketing materials to comply with the request of the FDA.

More Research — and Continued Caution — Is Needed

The use of cannabis in pets, whether it's an extract that contains THC or the high CBD industrial hemp extract, is still emerging, which means there are very few reliable websites or sources of information to guide pet parents looking for help for their animal companions.

The three hemp-based product lines linked above are provided for informational purposes only, as there is no direct experience with them. The veterinary community generally agrees that much more cannabis research in pets is needed before practitioners can feel completely comfortable using or recommending it.

"There's a huge amount of research that needs to be done," says Narda Robinson, director of the Center for Comparative and Integrative Medicine at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

"I expect there is some effect, but we need rigorous studies. We need to know more about safety and dosing and proper applications."⁴

If you have a pet you feel might benefit from marijuana or hemp, seeking out a veterinarian with some experience in treating pets with cannabis-based products is recommended.

Alternatively, you might try to find a veterinarian with an open mind who is willing, within the constraints of the law, to help you decide if and what type of cannabis product might be beneficial for your pet's specific health problem.

If you decide to proceed without guidance from a veterinarian and have questions, talking or corresponding with a representative of the company selling the product is recommended before offering it to your pet.