You may not live in Idaho, and you may think things are fine with the availability of hemp and CBD for your animals in your state, but as with all things involving legislation, which can change. As of November 1, 2022, Idaho’s State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has stated that anything with hemp or its derivatives (CBD, etc.) cannot be sold to animals in any form. A law passed in 2021 allowed the sale of hemp products, but it was clearly defined as to what was legalized.
Not only is this an economic issue for stores in Idaho that sell hemp products, but it also opens the door for a black market. Animal owners know and have seen the positive results of feeding hemp products to their animals. If they can no longer obtain them legally, many people will seek out products anyway. Black Market products are not tested or regulated in any way, may contain THC, or may contain no CBD at all. They may also be processed with chemicals and heavy metals and likely not grown using organic methods.
Quoted from an article in https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/27328-idaho-to-enforce-ban-on-hemp-based-ingredients: “There have been no significant issues in which negative effects for animal health have been reported for hemp products,” Bookout said. “Data from post-market monitoring along with safety studies show that hemp and cannabinoids, including CBD, do not pose undue risk to companion animals.”
According to data collected by NASC on Aug. 11, there are 1,124 individual SKUs of products containing hemp and hemp-derived ingredients. Since 2010, there have been about 800 million administrations of hemp and hemp-based ingredients to dogs, cats, and horses, according to the data, with only 1,595 non-serious adverse events and 10 serious adverse events reported.”
Hemp and CBD are very safe and hugely beneficial to our animals in many ways. Hemp for feeding purposes or the manufacturing of CBD-related products should be grown organically, and 3rd party tested for cleanliness and potency.
Here is a petition to sign to help the folks in Idaho, and a tip to keep your eyes open as to the legislation in your state.