Products derived from cannabis are being marketed and sold to animal owners as remedies for everything from anxiety to allergies to atopic dermatitis. These products come in many formulations, such as tinctures or oils, treats and chews, pellets for large animals, capsules, and sometimes as food toppers or infused in foods such as peanut butter.
Limited research on the use of cannabis-derived products (CDPs) to treat various conditions in animals has been published, leaving data gaps.
On January 15, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a request for information (RFI) soliciting comments from practicing veterinarians related to the use of CDPs in animals. The focus of the RFI is on cannabidiol products and other products derived from hemp. The docket number is FDA-2024-N-5976.
The FDA regulates products containing cannabis or CDPs marketed as food or drugs. In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, the nation’s first drug derived from cannabis, for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy in humans. Since then, the agency has approved three synthetic cannabis-related drug products: Marinol (dronabinol), Syndros (dronabinol), and Cesamet (nabilone) for humans.
The FDA is trying to better understand veterinarians’ experience related to the use of CDPs in their patients, such as:
- General patterns of use (i.e., animal species, brands, formulations, doses, indications for use)
- Quality standards
- Benefits of use
- Potential drug interactions
- Adverse events and safety problems
- Toxicological concerns
The Federal Register notice sharing the RFI includes specific questions for veterinarians, among them are the following:
- Have clients asked you about using products derived from cannabis in their animals?
- What brands (if known) and formulations or types of products do clients ask about?
- Have you prescribed or dispensed Epidiolex, Marinol, Syndros, or Cesamet for use in any of your patients?
- Do you use or recommend hemp-derived cannabis products for your animal patients?
- Have clients reported to you, or have you observed, adverse effects following an animal being administered a hemp-derived cannabis product (i.e., after a client intentionally administered a hemp-derived cannabis product, not accidental ingestion of adult recreational use products)?
- Do you have questions or concerns about drug interactions between hemp-derived cannabis products and other medications?
The FDA will fully consider all comments, including comments submitted anonymously. The comment period ends April 16.
https://www.avma.org/news/fda-asks-veterinarians-comments-cannabis
