A Canadian-based medical marijuana producer is rolling out a plan to create “weed treats” for man’s best friend.
True Leaf Medicine International, a company fully licensed to manufacture medicinal marijuana is looking to provide “a better quality of life” for dogs through the treats.
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According to the International Business Times, True Leaf already makes hemp-based products to treat joint pain, anxiety and inflammation in dogs, but now wants to move forward utilizing cannabis extracts in dog chews.
The company is using crowd-funding resources to pull together more than $7 million in order to reach their goal and open a manufacturing plant in British Columbia.
True Leaf’s ultimate goal is to be able to treat both pets and people by using one marijuana component, cannabidio, CBD.
Cannabidiol reportedly does not have any intoxicating properties, unlike THC which is the main psychoactive component of cannabis.
Additionally, cannabidiol is capable of being used to regulate anxiety and jumbled thinking. Also THC is toxic for pets, but cannabidiol is not.
“People are spending more money to look after their pets, specifically as they get older,” True Leaf CEO Darcy Bomford told reporters. “A lot of the drugs that are available in the veterinary market are effective and they work but they also have a lot of side-effects. There’s a big market there for natural products.”
Currently, True Leaf sells chews and oils in over 1,500 stores in the United States, as well as at over 300 locations across Europe.
The trend of using medical marijuana for dogs has been on the rise lately, and even PETA has come out in support of it.
Mimi Bekhechi, the director of international programmes for the organization told journalists, “Peta supports the administration of responsibly prescribed medical marijuana to companion animals when it’s used in order to relieve pain and suffering.”
“Dogs in pain should be given the same consideration that humans in pain are, and if cannabis treats can truly help alleviate their discomfort, regular doses would be appropriate,” she concluded.
