CBD (cannabidiol) oil is all the rage these days. CBD is one of the naturally occurring active compounds found in cannabis. Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the other major active compound in cannabis, CBD does not cause users to feel the high that cannabis (or marijuana) is famous for. 

Because of that, CBD oil is being marketed for several health benefits, including providing relief from chronic pain, anxiety, inflammation, and depression. 

While it’s becoming commonplace, CBD oil products are still not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Also unregulated are a number of CBD oil product lines geared towards pets. Popular uses for pets are to relieve anxiety for stressful situations like car rides or fireworks on holidays, to reduce pain from osteoarthritis, and to help prevent or reduce the number of seizures in epileptic dogs.

A report from Cornell University, however, shows that many CBD products for pets contain little or no amount of the product.

“You’d be astounded by the analysis we’ve seen of products on the shelf with virtually no CBD in them,” Cornell University veterinary researcher Joseph Wakshlag told the Associated Press. “[Some] products had 2 milligrams per milliliter, when an effective concentration would be between 25 and 75 milligrams per milliliter. There are plenty of folks looking to make a dollar rather than produce anything that’s really beneficial.”

The report says the FDA is developing regulations for marketing CBD products, and the agency sent warning letters to over 20 companies making false claims about therapeutic uses for people or pets. 

As for veterinarians’ stance on CBD, the American Veterinary Medical Association is telling vets they can tell clients about their knowledge of CBD, but they shouldn’t prescribe or recommend it until the FDA begins approving supplements. 

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