Many cannabis companies have channeled their production efforts to the production of pet-related cannabis products. In 2016, pet owners in the United States spent at least $30 billion on their pets. The expenses involved pet supplies, veterinary care, and treatments. This is according to a report that was released by the American Pet Products Association. Cannabis products have been used in treating pets for quite some time since the CBD products have a therapeutic value that doesn’t have intoxicating effects.
The marijuana industry plans to expand its production of pet-related products to meet the growing demand of pet owners who spent a lot of money on pet-related care and maintenance practices. However, this might not be an easy task. Cannabis production companies will have to come up with high-quality products targeted for the pet industry and combine that with a strategic sales and marketing approach.
Implication 1: CBD in pets isn’t yet supported by sufficient scientific evidence, so look out for more research
There is enough anecdotal evidence supporting the use of CBD on pets. Still, there is a dearth on the subject with regards to scientific research and study. The pet owners and cannabis aficionados seem to have sufficient similarities. The main being that they both can come up networks made up of passionate advocates, who can share trade tips and advice.
The CBD producers who are successful in the pet market noted that they targeted the pet owners’ shows, then utilized online message boards as a brand awareness initiative. They also depended on customer recommendations from current customers.
The recommendations proved to be the best strategy in fact, when they used pet lover message platform/ boards. The CBD producers also targeted veterinarians since they are the trusted source of any pet medical advice by pet owners.
Even though the veterinarians cannot supply the CBD pet products, some of them are selling it. Nevertheless, the veterinarian’s advice that the CBD companies when making their product pitches should start by focusing on the safety of the product and then the potential benefits of the product to the pets.
Many vets are skeptical about touching a product they don’t know about, they worry more about the health and safety of the animals.
Our GreatDog philosophy is to be extra careful and extra safe, so we do not recommend the use of these products until there is sufficient scientific basis to justify their use.
Implication 2: Dogs are extra sensitive to cannabis so be extra conservative and extra careful if you decide to try new products
The other important factor that the pet marijuana market should know is that the products are not to be sued by human beings. If you plan to sell cannabis products meant for animals, but then fail to give pets the primary consideration, you will end up failing. For instance, dogs are ten times more reactive and sensitive to THC compared to humans. Small traces of THC, which a human patient cannot notice might end up sending your canine friend over the edge.
This means the pet products will have to be of high quality: this is very important, especially when considering the other ingredients to be used in the final product. The components (chemicals and dyes) used must be appropriate for animals. A pet owner should make sure the product doesn’t have any sweeteners or grain-based fillers.
The health and safety of the animals are what matters the most, and that’s what should be given the first priority.
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