Marijuana Ingredient Being Advocated To Help Dogs Deal With Anxiety During Fireworks

The Fourth of July can be a stressful time for pets; the sound of fireworks exploding at night can raise the anxiety levels in dogs and other household pets. According to a recent report by KTLA news, CBD, an ingredient found in marijuana, is being used in dog treats and oils to help alleviate the anxiety that dogs often experience during fireworks..

The sudden sounds and bright lights from the fireworks often cause already skittish animals to run off, and the SPCA reports an uptick of stray animals who’ve tried to escape the noise.

CBD is not the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, rather, it’s commonly used in

tinctures and edibles to ease anxiety and promote relaxation, without causing the ‘high’ that’s usually associated with marijuana.

Matthew J. Cote, the brand manager at Auntie Dolores, a San Francisco Bay Area-based edibles manufacturer which launched its pet line Treatibles last year, told ABC News;

“The cannabis plant has many compounds in it…people grow cannabis for the euphoric experience of THC. But they’ve been overlooking cannabidiol—commonly known as CBD—which is non-psychoactive,” he said, adding, “What we’ve seen is that some of these dogs respond very rapidly…one woman from Fort Bragg was ready to put down her dog due to how sick and in pain he was, but the day before he was scheduled to go under, she administered our treats and just like that the dog was up, walking around, and acting normally again.”

However, the American Veterinary Medical Association hasn’t taken an official stance. Even in states where marijuana is legal, veterinarians are not allowed to prescribe cannabis products to their patients.

PETA suggests other ways to calm animals down during a fireworks show, such as: staying close to them so they know they’re safe, shutting curtains and keeping lights on in the house, and keeping them indoors so they don’t run off.

CNBC News talks more about how pot is used for pets, here: