Martha Stewart lends expertise to animal cannabis

"Without an open mind, you can never be a great success”. So says Martha Stewart, businesswomen extraordinaire.

And they’re words she’s putting in action, expanding her reach and stepping into the rapidly expanding cannabis arena.

Martha this week signed on as an advisor with North America’s first listed cannabis company, the US$16.3 billion capped Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED | NYSE:CGC).

And she’s not the first high profile celeb to partner with company.

Snoop Dogg, who joins Martha in co-hosting the cooking show, ‘Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party’ (yeah, WTF?), linked up with Canopy Growth’s subsidiary, Tweed, in 2016 to put his name behind a line of recreational weed, “Leafs by Snoop”.

Yet Martha isn’t entering the recreational cannabis space, rather she’s getting behind CBD (cannabidiol) products — which boasts vast medicinal benefits.

Specifically, Martha will help the group develop a line of CBD products for animals.

And while Stewart articulates that she doesn’t smoke the green stuff herself, she explains she is looking forward to the collaboration, “which will offer sensible products for people’s beloved pets”.

Here are a few of her very chill beloved pets...

‘Sensible’ is the key word here.

What’s not sensible is blazing up with your pets.

Just a small amount of cannabis can be toxic to pets and often present as neurological signs. They can be appear depressed, or may become wobbly and uncoordinated, suffer seizures, tremors and behavioural changes. They could go into a stupor, or alternatively become hyperactive.

All up, it’s certainly not a fun experience for pets. In fact, the serious risk of doing so is increasingly making headlines in the cannabis world...

And then there’s this one...

Not sure why your dog is chowing down on human faeces, but OK.

The point is, cannabis can have some real beneficial outcomes for pets — if administered via the appropriate methods. And that does not include sharing your pot brownies (or weed-laced faeces).

When it comes to pets and cannabis, it’s important to make the distinction between CBH and THC.

Unfortunately, there’s still the general assumption that medical marijuana is still just about “getting high”. Further still, there remain some common misunderstandings around how various cannabinoids operate, specifically, between THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).

Both have a variety of uses for medicinal purposes, but only THC produces the feeling of being “stoned” commonly associated with cannabis.

CBD and THC are two of more than 60 compounds found in cannabis that belong to a class of molecules called cannabinoids – they are usually present in the highest concentrations, and are therefore the most widely studied.

CBD, the non-psychoactive substance can have positive health effects on pets, with the ability to create a calming effect, dull chronic pain, and significantly improve quality of life. It promotes animal wellbeing by supporting immunity and moderating the pet’s behaviour.

It’s used to treat cancer, seizures, or anxiety, and can serve as an alternative medication to help treat symptoms.

These benefits are not going unnoticed — the global companion animal drug market is a sizeable, recession-resistant market worth US$30 billion and growing.

For those of you who see a future in animal CBD treatments, there are a number of exchange-listed companies that you can get behind.

CannPal Animal Therapeutics Limited (ASX: CP1)

CannPal is developing its pre-validated lead drug candidate, CPAT-01, an innovative cannabis-derived pain control for dogs. The drug is an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), is about to enter the clinical phase of the development program.

CannPal is also collaborating with the University of Melbourne to research epilepsy treatment for dogs.

Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX:CPH)

Creso is a cannabis innovator that’s tapping into the sweeping legislative changes across the world to improve the lives of both humans and animals alike.

Bringing pharmaceutical expertise and methodological rigor to the industry, Creso develops cannabis and hemp derived therapeutic, nutraceutical, and lifestyle products with wide patient and consumer reach. Its products span edibles and craft beer, as well as pet health.

Creso’s Swiss-approved hemp product, anibidiol®, is a natural complementary feed for companion animals, containing a standardised amount of hemp extract with CBD.

Outside the ASX there are multiple opportunities to invest in businesses that provide cannabinoid products for animals. These include Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA), whose subsidiary, Phyto Animal Health, has an animal health line of CBD supplements and hemp products, offering pet owners an all-natural alternative to harsh chemical-based products.

Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED | NYSE:CGC), the group partnering with Martha Stewart, is one of the globe's largest marijuana producers, and is currently developing a new line of CBD and other cannabinoid products for both human and pet consumption.