Since the mid 1970s, American culture has become more and more open about their preference for puffing marijuana. You can bet that while people were getting high, many of them had pets there along side them that would be as well. Whether through intentionally blowing of smoke, either in the animals face or down their snout, or simply from being hotboxxed, pets of all variety have been smoking right alongside with their owners for ages.
What Does Weed Mean for Your Pet?
Animals have sensitive systems and their bodies are not designed to inhale in the same way a human body is. Their respiratory system can easily be triggered by smoke of any kind, so smoking around your pet is not always the safest option. Lung irritation can lead to conditions that are similar to asthma making it hard for your pet to breathe.
That being said, there have been some recent scientific studies that show that marijuana has beneficial effects on animal bodies, quite similar to the positive effects that it has on humans. Furthermore, dogs and cats both have been shown to have cannabinoid receptors, indicating that their bodies can process the drug.
These receptors are what can cause your pet to crave marijuana once it is out of their system. As more pets are being exposed to pot, veterinary hospitals across the US have noticed an increase in animals being brought in after accidental consumption of medical grade marijuana. Most of them are fine, but that isn’t always the case. For example, two pups died from eating butter that was made with medical grade marijuana back in 2012.
Should You Get Stoned With Your Pets?
Animal owners with pets that are under the care of a professional veterinarian may be directed to give their pet marijuana for certain illnesses. This is not the standard practice as required by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), mainly because while some states allow for medical use of marijuana it is still listed as a controlled substance. This creates a scheduling conflict, so some vets may not prescribe openly.
It is always suggested to use care and caution when allowing your pet to take marijuana and if you do, be advised that most scheduled dosing for animals is administered as an oil since smoking is not optimal.
