Hemp Might Be Getting Cows Stoned But Are They Passing The Buzz On To Us? Study Seeks Answers

Scientists are reporting that hemp-consuming cattle seem to be getting stoned. How do they know this? Apparently, the cows are displaying similar signs of being high as their human counterparts, like red eyes and sluggishness though there are no reports as yet of munchies or uncontrolled giggling.

The National Industrial Hemp Council of America, recently sent a letter to the FDA urging approval of hemp seed as an animal feed ingredient. The letter included reference to numerous clinical trials on hemp seed ingredients in animal feed that conclude there is no transference of cannabinoids into the nation's food supply chain.

Nevertheless, a recent report is causing concern among regulators about the wisdom of using hemp to feed livestock.

The behavioral effects documented in the report are noteworthy, says Serkan Ates, an agronomist at Oregon State University, Corvallis, who studies hemp consumption in cows, lambs and chickens. “They found a much more profound effect on the animal’s behavior than what we’ve seen in any of our dairy-feeding studies.”

The Study

Scientists at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment fed 10 lactating dairy cows differing amounts of hemp feed containing a range of cannabinoid concentrations. Over the course of the weekslong experiment, the researchers collected milk, blood and fecal samples and paid close attention to the cattle’s behavior.

Dosage was key. The cattle that ate fermented feed formulated from whole hemp plants with relatively low concentrations of cannabinoids exhibited few noticeable changes from the cows that were fed a normal corn-based diet. It was a different story for cows that consumed feed made from cannabinoid-rich hemp leaves, flowers and seeds.

By the scientists’ calculations, these cows consumed up to 86 times the amount of THC required to get humans high. Unsurprisingly, the animals’ breathing and heart rates slowed and they ate less and produced less milk. They also yawned more, produced less saliva and exhibited overactive tongues, researchers reported in Nature Food.

It remains unclear whether such milk would get human consumers high.

"The study does not allow any conclusions to be drawn as to whether there is a health risk from consuming milk on the market,” says animal nutritionist and study co-author Robert Pieper.

Photo: Clara Bastian by Shutterstock and Kindel Media by Pixabay