Thursday, 01 December 2022 13:30

High Cows?

Written by  Milking It

Dairy cows that chomped on industrial hemp produced milk that contained the psychoactive compound THC, as well as CBD and other cannabinoids, according to new research published Monday in the journal Nature Food.

The animals’ behaviour changed too: They yawned, salivated, appeared unsteady on their feet and even had red eyes, the researchers observed.

The findings raise further questions about the future viability of feeding industrial hemp to livestock, a practice that is currently outlawed in the US because of concerns about cannabinoids making their way into the nation’s food supply chain. But hemp is nutritious, cheap and widely available, which is why farmers and ranchers are curious about any potential effects of feeding it to their animals.

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