Rhode Island could become the first state where pets qualify for medical cannabis. The proposed invoice would give veterinarians legal authority to prescribe medicinal cannabis to pets for “any condition in a pet that would be a” debilitating medical condition “if suffered by a person.”
“Some people may poke fun at this bill, but those of us who have or have had pets know that many of us consider them to be members of our extended family.” said West Warwick Democratic MP Patricia Serpa, who sponsored the bill, and William O’Brien and Stephen Casey, also Democratic representatives: “And we will go to great lengths to provide them with comfort and wellbeing, either with chronic illness or with chronic illnesses a condition at the end of life. “
The idea of medical cannabis for pets has been around for some time. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Allow veterinarians to discuss Cannabis / hemp as a pet remedy with owners (rather than recommending and prescribing it).
In 2019 in California seemed ready became the first state to allow medical cannabis for pets, but that didn’t come to fruition, and medical cannabis for pets stayed at what it is now in Michigan.
In 2018 a invoice New York tried to do what this current Rhode Island hopes to do, but nothing came of it.
The Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association has made its position clear on the matter – stern disapproval and opposition over the toxicity of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to dogs.
“Emergency hospitals report up to 10 cases of [cannabis] Daily pet poisoning, ”read a letter to the Rhode Island House Committee on State Government and Elections. There are no FDA approved cannabis products for pets.
Dr. Ralph Pratt, a veterinarian at West Greenwich Animal Hospital and a member of the board of directors of the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association, notes that their stance on THC for pets doesn’t close the door on CBD. Benefits of CBD for dogs include conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders, anxiety, inflammation, and epilepsy.
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