AVMA publishes cannabis resource for membersJanuary 12, 2018A new document available exclusively to American Veterinary Medical Association members provides comprehensive background information to help veterinary professionals understand the legal aspects of cannabis use in animals; field questions and advise clients who are interested in marijuana therapies for their pets; and identify toxic exposures. Cannabis: What Veterinarians Need to Know addresses such topics as the legal status of medicinal marijuana in veterinary medicine, how cannabinoids function, marijuana risks to pets, clinical signs and treatment of acute marijuana toxicosis, and effects of chronic marijuana exposure. Available on the Cannabis Use and Pets page of the AVMA's website, the document is the first in a series of related materials the association is developing as a resource for its members. Future tools will include information on medicinal marijuana in pets, and educational materials clinicians can share directly with clients.
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AKC Canine Health Foundation funds clinical trial to study cannabidiol in treating drug-resistant epilepsy in dogsSeptember 14, 2017By Veterinary Practice News Editors The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), which has funded more than $2 million for canine epilepsy research, launched an initiative in 2017 to further understand the most common neurological disorder that affects pure- and mixed-breed dogs. Improved treatments are urgently needed, especially for dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy or where side effects of currently available drugs are not tolerated, according to the organization. To that, the CHF has announced the beginning a major clinical trial to study the use of cannabidiol to treat drug resistant epilepsy in dogs. Stephanie McGrath, MS, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology), at Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will lead "Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD) for the Treatment of Canine Epilepsy." According to Dr. McGrath, up to 30 percent of dogs receiving standard anti-epileptic therapy remain uncontrolled for their seizures, and the side effects of the antiepileptic drugs are often unacceptable. CBD, a nonpsychotropic component of the Cannabis sativa plant, has been shown to have anticonvulsant properties; this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial study will be utilized to prove its effectiveness, she stated. "The timeliness and importance of research into the role of cannabis in …
