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NEWS AND VIEWS THAT IMPACT LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with
power to endanger the public liberty." - - - - John Adams

Friday, July 28, 2017

Pot for Dogs in California?



Just Drug Everyone on 
Two or Four Feet


(Sacramento Bee)  -  Legalization of weed in California is leading to an increase in veterinarians seeking expertise about whether marijuana can safely treat pet conditions and illnesses. Veterinary practice regulators say to steer clear, but some in the industry want state lawmakers to step in.

The state’s Veterinary Medical Board, a regulatory agency overseeing state animal hospitals and veterinary practices, has received “a number of questions about the use of marijuana for pets,” according to a 2016 email from a state veterinary board enforcement officer. That prompted agency officials to issue a directive earlier this year to veterinarians across the state that they should not offer medical advice or prescribe marijuana products to animals. Doctors risk losing their licenses if they weigh in on the use of marijuana when treating pets, state officials say.

“You are in a bit of a pickle in terms of how you advise your clients,” Annemarie Del Mugnaio, the agency’s executive officer, told the board Wednesday. “Be very cautious...you’re not in a position to treat or recommend alternative treatments. If it places their animal in harm, there’s a criminal element to that...I can imagine at some point, if we see animals coming in in extreme despair, there may be charges filed.”

Marijuana products for pets are already available at dispensaries and over-the-counter in pet stores. And weed will be legally available for commercial purchase for anyone 21 years or older, come Jan. 1, 2018. Richter said he and other industry advocates are lobbying state lawmakers to consider legislation next year allowing veterinarians to prescribe medical marijuana to pets such as dogs and cats.
“We hope to get some legislation passed next year that will remedy this so veterinarians will have legal protections,” Richter said. “We’ve got a medicine that No. 1, has been proven to be very effective in people and also very effective in animals, and No. 2, is readily available to just about anybody in California. So the concept that the Veterinary Medical Board should be excluded from that conversation and barred from giving pet owners advice on how to do this safely and effectively makes no sense.”
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

pretty wild ... those police sniffer K9 units are now happy about it