Dogs are the most popular pet across the globe. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide have one or more pet dogs, and in the United States alone, more than 42.5 million households have at least one dog.

As with every living creature, dogs age, and as they age, they experience health issues. A common health issue for aging dogs is osteoarthritis, which can cause significant pain. A team of researchers affiliated with various health and academic institutions based in Chile recently conducted an evaluation focusing on the efficacy of a full-spectrum cannabis oil in canines with chronic osteoarthritis (COA). The researchers’ findings were published in the academic journal Animals.

Over the course of six weeks, participating dogs were randomly assigned to cannabis, placebo, or control groups. For the dogs that received cannabis treatments, the full-spectrum cannabis oil that they received contained cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). The cannabis oil was administered orally “in a dose escalation protocol up to 2 mg/kg.”

“Results showed an important reduction in CBPI scores in the Cannabis group, compared to the Placebo group, and a slight increase in the Control group.” the researchers found. “Additionally, more than 50% of dogs in the Cannabis group improved one stage on the COAST scale, with no changes in the other groups, with no adverse effects observed.”

“These findings support the use of oral full-spectrum Cannabis oil as a safe and effective complementary therapy for improving pain and quality of life in dogs with COA.” the researchers concluded.

The results of this study in Chile build on previous research, which also found that cannabinoids can be effective at treating dogs experiencing health issues. A team of scientific investigators affiliated with the University of Antioquia in Colombia previously conducted a study examining the effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) for cats and dogs. The study’s findings were published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice.

“Cannabis-based products for medicinal use with cannabidiol as the primary active constituent demonstrated improvements in pain, behaviour, and seizures, with no serious adverse events.” the researchers found.

The global cannabidiol pet market was worth an estimated $693.4 million in 2023, according to a market analysis by Global Market Insights. The CBD pet product market is projected to grow at an estimated 18.2% CAGR from 2024 to 2032.