Brazil Approves Medical Cannabis For Animals
Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency recently decided to amend Ordinance SVS/MS 344/1998 to allow the regulation of medical cannabis products for animals by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
Veterinarians who are approved by the nation’s Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine may prescribe registered cannabis-based medications to animals.
“Veterinarians may only prescribe these products through special prescriptions from pharmacies, as is already the case with other controlled medications and products, in accordance with current legislation, guaranteeing their strictly therapeutic use.” stated Feedstuffs about the policy change.
A study from December 2022 conducted by researchers in Brazil found that, at the macro level, cannabis appears to be safe for pets, especially cannabidiol, as long as it’s administered in the right dosage level.
“The review was systematically performed in Medline (via Pubmed®) and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) databases, with period restriction (between 1990 and 2021). The qualified articles (n=19), which met the previously established inclusion criteria, were critically evaluated.” stated the researchers about their study.
“Based on the literature review, it is possible to infer safety in the administration of cannabis-based products for the treatment of dogs, especially products rich in cannabidiol (CBD), free or with low concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, under the conditions evaluated. In addition, CBD products potentially promote improved quality of life and reduce pain perception in animals affected by canine osteoarthritis.” the researchers also stated.
“Finally, owing to the lack of large-scale and robust clinical research studies, the performance of clinical trials, considering the individual characteristics of each cannabis-based product (composition, concentration, nature of adjuvants, dosage form, route of administration), is strongly encouraged.” the researchers concluded.
According to a recent market analysis by Global Market Insights, the global cannabidiol (CBD) pet market was worth an estimated $693.4 million in 2023. The CBD pet product market is projected to grow at an estimated 18.2% CAGR from 2024 to 2032.
Market growth will be driven by “growing pet ownership coupled with increasing awareness and acceptance of the potential therapeutic benefits of hemp-derived CBD for pets” the researchers stated.
“The dogs segment is set to lead the market, accounting for the largest revenue of USD 416.1 million in 2023, anticipating its dominance throughout the forecast period with a significant growth rate.” Global Market Insights reported.
