A Quick Start Guide to Making Cannabis Tinctures
by Lo Oliver
Cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant react with the cannabinoid receptors in our body’s endocannabinoid system. Cannabis has long been used by humans for medicinal, recreational, and functional purposes for thousands of years but has gained legalization and decriminalization all over the work in the last few years. Along with this gain, there has also been an increase in accidental consumption of cannabis by pets. Do the cannabinoids from cannabis react with the bodies of animals/pets? Is there any danger?
Animals that can respond to cannabinoids from cannabis can do so through similar exposure to the plant as humans get. This includes any consumable and smoke/vapor although edibles are more likely to attract an animal. Unless you decided to play a cruel prank on your animal, situations where animals are exposed to cannabis happen by accident.
All animals, just like humans, have an endocannabinoid system. They have two receptors in their bodies, CB1 and CB2, which is what the cannabinoids bind with in order to put out the infamous cannabis effects. CB1 is the receptor responsible for the effects experienced in the central nervous system and the CB2 receptor is responsible for the peripheral tissue affects. Cannabis has proven itself safe to humans, but for animals, it can end in death. However, factors affect the extent of the implications of animals from being exposed to cannabis. There is no official safe level of cannabis exposure to animals but there have been more cases of death linked to edibles than to smoke/vapor inhalation. Death of animals exposed to cannabis has actually been really low until the development of medical-grade products and gradual widespread acceptance of cannabis use. Medical-grade products tend to have a higher level of cannabinoids (such as THC and CBD) which can increase an animals’ chance of death once exposed.
Factors that can affect the extent of implications in animals:
Can the cannabinoids in cannabis impact your cats and dogs? Yes, it can. It only takes a small amount of cannabis, whether received first-hand or second-hand, to intoxicate your cats and dogs. Dogs have more cannabinoid receptors in their brains which could mean that the experience will be more dramatic and potentially more toxic, depending on what the dog consumed. If you want to help your cat or dog, it is important that you provide accurate and complete information. This is due to the fact that eating a cannabis-infused chocolate bar would require different treatment than situations where your pet inhaled second-hand smoke. Eating a chocolate edible would require treatment for the cannabis and the chocolate whereas the smoke inhalation may require additional treatment for the respiratory irritation that may occur.
The short answer is that all animals classified as ‘vertebrate’ can be intoxicated by cannabis. Vertebrate animals are all animals that have a backbone (the vertebrae) which also means they have cannabinoid receptors in their bodies, just like us humans. Animals that fall under this category include mammals like horses, fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Although this is quite a large number of animals that can potentially get intoxicated through cannabis exposure, those factors mentioned above will definitely influence how the cannabis is received and dealt with in the bodies of those animals.
Many pet owners have turned to cannabis products to help with their animals with conditions such as seizures. Although medical cannabis research is still a bit behind on this, like with many other areas in medical marijuana, cannabis can still be effective in treating/alleviating those conditions. It is very IMPORTANT that you only treat your animals’ condition with CBD products, preferably ones that have been cleared by vets. San Francisco Bay’s Auntie Dolores has a range called ‘Treatibles’. They are CBD and non-psychoactive cannabinoid-based pet treats. Treating your animals with animal/pet approved products is important to avoid adverse/accidental exposure to human cannabis and medical-grade cannabis.
Although your animal is likely to be okay, it is not worth taking the risk that they won’t be. The best thing you can do is take proactive preventative measures to ensure that your animals do not accidentally, or purposefully, get exposed to cannabis. Make sure to store your cannabis in a secure and hidden location. It is also important to keep in mind that smoking in the same room as your animals can also expose them to cannabis, especially if there is insufficient ventilation.
Whatever your reasons for consuming cannabis during the day, it’s important to know how your cannabis will affect you to avoid becoming couch-locked when you should be working on something. Most of society needs to get things done throughout the day, meaning that the cannabis consumed should assist, not prevent, progress. How to Pick a…
New cannabis research found that a cannabis-based drug was able to kill pancreatic cancer cells. This cannabis-based drug, or rather miraculous medication, is a botanical combination of extracts from the Cyathus striatus fungus and cannabis. This powerful combo was even able to destroy all of the cancer cells without damaging any healthy cells, unlike conventional…
If you search the term “cannabis and heart health” on Google, you’ll notice that the results are flooded with pages upon pages of claims about the plant’s allegedly negative impacts on cardiovascular health. But just how true are these claims? Is the cannabis plant a true culprit for poor heart health? Well, according to a…
Ever woken up with beads of sweat rolling down your forehead, the bed sheets tangled around you in a desperately protective clutch, and the imprint in your memory of a scary dream? If so, you can consider yourself among the 50%-85% of adults who battle the occasional nightmare during REM sleep. For many people, the severity…
Choosing the proper pot for cultivating cannabis is important. Cannabis will grow in virtually any size pot or container. Cannabis plants can be grown to maturity in a Solo cup or pots ranging from 1 gallon up to 100 gallons. There are plastic pots, and there are fabric pots. So, how do you choose which…
A recent study suggests that secondhand cannabis smoke has “several hundred toxic chemicals, carcinogens and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), many at higher…
Researchers working at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson have refined a method of ketamine use in the treatment…
Austin decriminalized cannabis possession, Vancouver is now home to some not-so-legal magic mushroom shops, and a British woman shared her life-changing medical…