Cows are getting high feeding on Hemp: Cannabinoids are also transferred to their milk

 

Cows are getting HIGH off industrial hemp: Animals given feed containing cannabinoids show increased yawning, salivation and unsteady movements, study finds

• Cows show signs of intoxication after eating feed with industrial hemp
• This includes an increase in yawning, salivation and unsteady movements
• A significant concentration of cannabinoids is also transferred to their milk
• Some samples showed levels that could impact human health 

Our cows could be enjoying more than one type of grass, as a new study has found that they are getting high from cannabinoids in their feed.

Industrial hemp silage is a common ingredient in animal feed, and can contain a high concentration of psychoactive compounds.

Cattle that enjoy just 1.85 lbs (0.84 kg) of cannabinoid-rich hemp show increased yawning, salivation and unsteady movements - all potential indicators of intoxication.

The compounds could also be transferred into the milk they produce, with some samples showing levels that could impact human health.

The researchers, from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, wrote: 'Our study shows that feeding cannabinoid-rich industrial hemp silage made from leaves, flowers and seeds leads to a decrease in feed intake and milk yield in dairy cows.

'A transfer of cannabinoids into foods of animal origin is conceivable when by-products of hemp production and the whole plant are used as feedstuffs.' 

The researchers initially adapted their ten lactating Holstein Friesian dairy cows to new food by replacing up to 0.92 kg of their corn silage with low-THC industrial hemp silage.

The compounds could also be transferred into the milk they produce, as some samples taken showed levels that could impact human health. 

Hemp (pictured) contains cannabinoids, some of which, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its derivatives, can induce a psychoactive effect on animals and humans alike

Hemp contains cannabinoids, some of which, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its derivatives, can induce a psychoactive effect on animals and humans alike.

For the study, published today in Nature Food, the researchers aimed to determine if industrial hemp silage had an effect on dairy cows.

They also wanted to quantify how much, if any, was being transferred into the milk and whether it would pose a risk to consumer health.