Cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp are significantly growing trends in the pet space; consumers spent US$426 million on pet CBD in 2020 and the segment is expected to reach US$629 million in sales by the end of 2021, according to a Brightfield Group report, “Pet CBD Pupdate: Consumer & Channel Opportunities in 2021.” The most common uses for these ingredients are functional, with calming, stress/anxiety and hip/joint relief at the top of the list. The ingredients are usually touted in soft chews or bites, though oil is another popular vehicle.
The continued gray area of CBD and hemp in pet products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to legalize either ingredient in animal food or feed. In fact, in the agency’s extensive “FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD)” section, the blunt answer to the question, “Is it legal, in interstate commerce, to sell a food (including animal food or feed) to which THC or CBD has been added?” is “No.”
A later question asks, “Can hemp be added to animal food?”
“All ingredients in animal food must be the subject of an approved food additive petition or generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for their intended use in the intended species. If an animal food contains an ingredient that is not the subject of an approved food additive petition or GRAS for its intended use in the intended species, that animal food would be adulterated under section 402(a)(2)(C)(i) of the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(2)(C)(i)]. In coordination with state feed control officials, CVM also recognizes ingredients listed in the Official Publication (OP) of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) as being acceptable for use in animal food. At this time, there are no approved food additive petitions or ingredient definitions listed in the AAFCO OP for any substances derived from hemp, and we are unaware of any GRAS conclusions regarding the use of any substances derived from hemp in animal food.”
But while the FDA has sent out cease and desist letters to some companies in noncompliance, they clearly have not been able to keep up, because the CBD market is booming in pet and it’s difficult to imagine the industry walking back an entire growth segment.
