Medicinal CBD update

CBD is regarded generally as non-psychoactive. However, CBD has anti-anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. It modulates both CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors, and CBD can reduce adverse THC effects.

CBD has many possible therapeutic benefits, including antioxidant effects and relief of pain. It is a potent anti-inflammatory. It has anti-nausea, anti-diabetic and anticancer effects. It also reduces anxiety.

THC

THC binds both CB1 and CB2 receptors. Possible therapeutic benefits include pain relief, reducing muscle spasms and antiemetic, immunomodulatory and anti- inflammatory effects. It may stimulate appetite. It is TCH that causes the recreational “high”.

Low-THC CBD oil is the product vets can prescribe in Australia. This comes from hemp plants, which were previously only for industrial use, but are now bred to produce high amounts of non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Hemp that is grown for medical use is checked for heavy metal and pesticide contamination.

Any plant that contains more than 0.3 per cent THC is referred to as high-THC cannabis — or marijuana if used recreationally. THC does have psychoactive effects and may be toxic to dogs if not used carefully. Current legislation in Australia limits veterinary use to less than 2 per cent of cannabinoids other than CBD.

Regulatory issues in Australia

As registered veterinarians in Australia, we can prescribe medical-grade CBD oil as a Schedule 4 prescription. We must write an individual prescription, for a veterinary patient under our care, and have the product compounded by an accredited veterinary compounding pharmacist. The compounded product must be 98 per cent CBD, and less than 2 per cent other cannabinoids.

One problem with many products available online is a lack of standardisation and lack of transparency. Some products only contain hemp seed oil and are more of a food supplement than a medicinal CBD. They may only contain traces of cannabinoids.

Safety

Side effects are generally mild in my experience. Some pets may seem drowsy, have softer stools or seem slightly uncoordinated. There may also be herb–drug interactions to consider. Vets may need to reduce or increase the dose of other medications that have been prescribed. We routinely monitor liver enzymes in pets on long-term CBD.

We can use full-spectrum CBD oil as part of a multimodal treatment approach for pain in dogs and cats with chronic degenerative joint disease or back pain, skin allergies, IBD, anxiety, diabetes mellitus, palliative care and epilepsy.

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