Slow Your Roll: Even Chatting About CBD May Get Vets In Trouble

Products that contain CBD seem to be everywhere, from human goods that do everything from relieve pain to promote quality sleep to horse feed additives promoting calmness, relaxation and good digestion—and everything in between. Dr. Charlotte Lacroix, a veterinarian who is now a practicing lawyer, spoke at the 2020 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Convention about the potential pitfalls of dealing with CBD as a veterinarian, reports The Horse.

Lacroix recommended vets talk with their insurance provider and the licensing board in their state before ever chatting with clients about CBD. She reported some shocking statistics: in six states, a veterinarian can lose their license if they even discuss CBD with a client; in two state the conversation must be initiated by the client or the vet can lose his or her license. In 18 states, the vet can discuss CBD products, but cannot prescribe or dispense them.

Why is there such an uproar about hemp, which is legal for human use in multiple states? Lacroix says there are a few reasons:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t approve the use of hemp in any form for animals
CBD is still illegal at the federal level
A “nutritional supplement” must contain one or more ingredients that occur naturally in a horse’s body; CBD is not naturally found in animals, so it cannot be a nutritional supplement
Nutritional supplements cannot claim to treat, mitigate or prevent a disease or a condition; if that claim was made, the supplement would be a drug that would require USDA approval
Limited research has been done on CBD use in horses; much of the data comes from small animal research

It is not illegal for a horse owner to give CBD to his or her horse, since they are not a licensed veterinarian. It is also not illegal for companies to make products that contain CBD as long as they do not claim the product helps with a condition or disease.