California regulators are planning to ban animal cannabis products from having more than 1 milligram of THC, a proposal that veterinarians say would make the state’s market more dangerous for dogs and cats.
Dr. Gary Richter, an Oakland veterinarian, called the proposed policy a “step backwards” because the strict rules would effectively eliminate most animal-focused products from dispensaries.
“I think what’s going to happen is you’re going to see very few products specifically for pets in a dispensary,” Richter said. That may prompt pet owners to use products designed for humans instead, which can be “dangerous” if animals are given more cannabis than a veterinarian would’ve recommended, he explained.
There’s increasing evidence that medical cannabis can offer “significant therapeutic potential” to treat a wide range of animal health problems, from seizures to pain and anxiety, according to a 2024 article in the Canadian Veterinary Journal. Cannabis products for animals often contain only CBD, a nonintoxicating cannabis compound, but Richter said some pets can benefit from having THC, an intoxicant found in cannabis, to treat more serious problems.
The Department of Cannabis Control presented the proposed regulations in a rulemaking announcement on May 9. The agency justified the near-ban on THC in animal products by saying that while THC “appears to be well-tolerated in healthy dogs,” there is still a risk that animal consumption of THC “may result in acute toxic harm, adverse effects, and death.”
Richter said the agency’s statement is a misunderstanding of the current science.
“The truth is that in appropriate doses, THC is not toxic for pets and can be very, very beneficial from a medical standpoint. And an ever-growing body of research bears this out,” Richter said. “Like many other drugs and pharmaceuticals, when used appropriately, these things can be incredibly helpful from a medical perspective, and when used inappropriately, they can be dangerous.”
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