Idaho authorities to crack down on the illegal sale of CBD for pets

It doesn’t take much to stress out local dog owner Christy Burnham’s border collie-pit bull mix. The puppy is afraid of thunderstorms, fireworks and even weekend car trips.

To help her dog’s anxiety, Burnham buys special CBD products for pets.

“He calms down immediately,” Burnham said.

As a cannabis extract, part of CBD’s popularity is that, unlike its cannabis cousin THC, it is not psychoactive, so it allows users to get the intended health benefits of the plant without getting high. Proponents of animal CBD say it can relieve anxiety, pain and seizures in animals.

But Idaho owners may soon no longer be able to afford such products for their furry friends. The Idaho Department of Agriculture has announced that it plans to stop selling CBD to pets starting next month.

Pet CBD has flown under the radar in Idaho for a while, but when the legislature passed a law legalizing industrial hemp—Idaho was the last state to do so—the Idaho Department of Agriculture started new conversations about it.

The law allowed for the “production, processing, transportation and research” of hemp with no more than 0.3% THC. A license is required for these activities, and the department soon received requests from Idahoans who wanted to, including some who wanted to produce cattle feed in that CBD. But because the new law doesn’t mention animal feed and the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t provided clarity on CBD for animals at the federal level, Idaho agriculture officials felt they couldn’t approve the hemp license application, Twalt said.

After hearing complaints from applicants that it would be unfair to reject them if pet shops were allowed to sell such products, the department decided it could not see an alternative for one group but another.

“It really boils down to the need to know what products are legal and what products are not,” said Chanelle Twalt, deputy director, in a phone interview with the Idaho Statesman.

The department said the law of 2021 CBD has not been legalized in Idaho, so the state is beginning to enforce this section of state code.

Conservationists fear the persecution will affect animals they say need it. The faces of the resistance were Mike and Jennifer Willett, their owners Bark n’ PurrBoise Pet Store, 1036 S. Vista Ave.

They themselves used CBD products to ease their dog’s arthritis pain. A 14-year-old dog who died in June of an adverse reaction to pain medication prescribed by a veterinarian, according to Willetts.

“The CBD treatment for pain was completely effective without going to any chemicals, pharmaceuticals or anything worse,” said Mike.

The couple works with the National Council on Animal Supplements to help Start an application and a phone and email campaign calling on Governor Brad Little to keep this product in Idaho. After weeks of effort, the National Board of Animal Welfare met with Little’s office, scheduled for Friday, October 14. The leaders of the Council hoped to “have a positive conversation about the consequences of removing the product” and “find a responsible way.” » They want Little to suspend enforcement of the department until the legislature can consider legalizing the product in the 2023 session.

“Hemp products that do not contain detectable levels of THC are not marijuana, and despite years of use of these products in these species, there have been no confirmed concerns about adverse health effects in dogs, cats, or horses,” Milli said. Additional animal council said about it website dedicated to Idaho’s efforts.

Barn ‘n Purr products are hemp-based, not marijuana, and contain 0.0% THC. The Willetts fear that people may turn to online products with less regulation than their store products.

“I feel terrible,” Twalt said. “I know we have a lot of people who are passionate about this product and want to provide efficacy data, safety data, and personal stories. But that’s just what the regulatory process isn’t right now. The law isn’t. Our mission in the agency is always as policy implementers, not politicians.

The agency sent a letter in July to warn retailers like Willetts that enforcement would begin Nov. 1. After that, anyone who sells CBD products will be issued a letter of approval. “stop sale” order that the seller be given 30 days to bring his product into compliance with Idaho law. The court may then decide to allow the agency to dispose of the seller’s illegal product.