What Is CBD Oil?
As societal views of cannabis have shifted in recent decades and scientists have been more free to conduct research using the cannabis plant, several different compounds have gained prominence for their potential health benefits. Chief among them is CBD.
CBD occurs naturally in the cannabis plant, with certain varieties of cannabis having more CBD than others. Just as marijuana growers have become highly adept at cultivating strains with greater potency due to their elevated levels of THC, hemp farmers have long been breeding varieties with increasingly large percentages of CBD as well.
CBD oil is made by extracting the cannabidiol from the cannabis plant using one of two methods: solvents or CO2. When using solvents, CBD is extracted by dissolving the dried cannabis plant in a solvent such as propane or butane, which then allows the CBD to be separated in high concentrations. The CO2 extraction used by PetVetsRX is, by far the cleaner and healthier (though more expensive) method which involves breaking down the cannabis plant with carbon dioxide (CO2) in a high-pressure chamber. When it comes to choosing the right CBD for you and your cat, look for CBD extracted using CO2, as it won’t have any potentially harmful solvent residue.
Is CBD Oil Safe For Cats?
In a word yes, as the research has shown no indication of harmful effects. However, if you choose to give your cat CBD oil, it is important to begin with small doses and to pay close attention to your cat’s behavior. If your cat appears sluggish or you notice any other changes in behavior, try cutting back on the dosage.
Perhaps the most significant health risk that comes with giving your cat CBD oil or another CBD product is posed not by the CBD itself but by the chemical additives found in so many products on the market today. For this reason, it is important to do your homework to find a brand of CBD that you trust, hopefully one that utilizes CO2 extraction and other safe practices. While these products might cost more due to the greater expense involved in their production, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. And when it comes to our purring pals, we want to make sure that we give them the best so that they can lead as happy, healthy, and long of lives as possible.
Health Benefits
The excitement that has been generated around CBD oil as a safe, effective treatment in humans and animals is not without merit. Early research has shown tremendous promise on a number of fronts, from anxiety to arthritis to cancer. However, the fact that industrial hemp was only legalized in the United States at the federal level in 2018 shows just how new this area of research is, particularly in the US, where it previously was extremely difficult for researchers to obtain the necessary approvals to study cannabis.
There is evidence that CBD can be a safe, effective treatment for:
Chronic pain due to inflammation of the joints, Arthritis, Anxiety, Depression, Swelling and discomfort related to Inflammatory Bowel Disease, as well as inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer cells.
CBD’s pain-reducing qualities are thought to be the result of the compound’s powerful anti-inflammatory effects, while its mental-health benefits are believed to be related to CBD’s stimulation of adenosine and serotonin receptors in the brain. In addition to reducing anxiety and depression, CBD also can make cats less fearful and timid, helping “scaredy cats” to become more social.
Is It Legal?
In Short…Yes! Despite being a cannabis-derived product, cannabidiol (CBD) is illegal in most places, even in locales where marijuana is not. CBD is legal in all 50 states of the United States, Canada, the European Union, and China. The reason for this is the legal distinction between “hemp” and “marijuana,” even though both are forms of the cannabis plant.
CBD can be derived from hemp, which is defined as cannabis that contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound responsible for the “high” often associated with marijuana use. In the United States, agricultural hemp was legalized at the federal level in the 2018 farm bill, which created the legal distinction between marijuana with greater than 0.3% THC and industrial hemp. Since that time, the United States has become the third-largest producer of hemp in the world. In Canada, industrial hemp has been legal since the late 1990s.
