Study examines the calming and pain-relieving effects of CBD in animals

The hype around CBD, one of cannabis' non-intoxicating compounds, has not spared the animal world. Although animal use is not prohibited, the rules formally authorizing non-intoxicating cannabinoids in animal feed are not known. CBD food supplements are already present available from pet shops and vets for pet owners looking to relieve pain, joint inflammation and anxiety in their pets.

Researchers now want to know if CBD really works on animals. A Texas-based team is currently gathering data on how CBD affects equine physiology. In particular, their new study examines whether CBD can help reduce stress, inflammation and obsessive-compulsive behaviors in horses.

«I was interested in the emergence of CBD, and that's mainly because we have a lot of horses in our area,» said Kimberly Guay, a professor at Tarleton State University in Stephenville who specializes in how stress affects animals. «A lot of the horses I knew were already using CBD, illegally you might say, because it wasn't legal in Texas at the time.»

Guay's team experiments by giving horses various doses of CBD, usually in the form of edible oils and lozenges, and then evaluating their response. Researchers monitor the animals' heart rate, inflammation and cortisol levels, a hormone produced by animals under stress. They also observe the horses' behavior, looking at how CBD affects behavioral indications of pain, stiffness or anxiety.

Guay herself said she had no vested interest in the study's results and doesn't currently give CBD to her own horse, but she's eager to see if the data corroborates what she's heard from other owners. «The anecdotal evidence is incredibly strong,» Guay said in an interview. «And if there's a chance to calm stress, then I'm all for it.»

The team aims to publish the results of the study next year, but Guay said some initial findings could be available as early as this autumn.

«I still can't say whether CBD is effective in any way, but I do know that there are apparently no adverse effects,» she explained, after giving some animals «a significant dose».

In France, the Fédération Française d'Equitation still prohibits the use of CBD in competition.