To the editor:

The RI House has re-introduced a bill this year that would allow medical marijuana for pets. The bill, H5504, was staunchly opposed by veterinarians in 2022 and would allow a commission to examine whether medical marijuana should be allowed for pets.

To be clear, CBD, which has been available for pets in unregulated over the counter products for years, is not the issue at hand.  While these over the counter products can be a waste of money for pet owners, they are not toxic. Currently, there is a single prescription CBD product that has been studied in a clinical trial at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine that veterinarians routinely recommend. THC, the regulated and previously  illegal component in marijuana, the substance that this bill is seeking to make available to the pet population of RI, has been known to be toxic to dogs and cats for decades.  It is unclear why anyone would seek to make this legal for pets, and the repercussions it could have on the pets in our state would be disastrous. 

THC toxicity in dogs has become commonplace over the last few years, with veterinary ERs seeing many cases a week, mostly when dogs ingest discarded portions of smoked marijuana (“roaches”) or edibles.  THC causes neurologic signs, which when mild can include incoordination, sleepiness, twitching, and dribbling urine, and when more severe can include a coma-like state.  Ingestion of large doses of THC often requires hospitalization for close monitoring and an intravenous infusion of a solution which binds THC.  

For the past few years, there has been a critical shortage of veterinarians and veterinary technicians.  This has led to long wait times for vet visits for stable pets, and veterinary ERs that are regularly overwhelmed with critically ill patients and have to defer more stable sick pets so that they can adequately help those under their care. Legalization of THC for pets would have ripple effects far beyond those pets that are actually intoxicated by it.  As veterinarians, we ask that the citizens of Rhode Island do what they can to help keep this bill from being passed into law. 

Shelly Pancoast, DVM

President of the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association (RIVMA)

Barrington

Honorata Lenk, DVM

Barrington

Jennifer Trachtman, DVM  (Veterinarian/Owner) and Caroline Nelson, DVM (Veterinarian)

Bayside Veterinary Care, Barrington

Megan Waterman Salgueiro, DVM

East Providence