Of the dozens of CBD product categories, the FDA seems to have the most issues with CBD edibles. Considering the FDA is concerned with the quality of the US food supply, it’s no surprise this organization is most concerned with using CBD as a food additive. Technically, other CBD products like oils and tinctures fall in the “nutritional supplement” category, which isn’t the FDA’s primary concern.

However, it’s not just human-approved CBD edibles that have the FDA worried. According to recent letters sent to various hemp businesses, the FDA wants to put a halt to feeding farm animals CBD-enriched foods. Not only is the FDA afraid of how hemp will affect animals, it suggests “CBD feed” could affect many grocery items.

FDA Sounds The Warning Alarms On “Hemp CBD Feed”

Early this May, the FDA sent letters to four CBD-related businesses in the USA. Each of these hemp companies — which included the Hendersonville-based Kingdom Harvest — offer CBD or hemp products explicitly made for farm animals. CBD proponents often argue hemp has the same anti-stress effects on animals (e.g., cattle, pigs, and horses) as humans.

However, since the FDA has little data on the safety profile of CBD in animal feed, it wants businesses in this sector to halt operations. The FDA suggested it was afraid of the long-term consequences of feeding hemp-derived cannabinoids to these animals. In addition to changing the animals’ health, these hemp compounds could wind up in food like ground beef, eggs, and dairy products.

The FDA also seemed to be primarily concerned with delta-8 THC leaking into these hemp feed products. Unlike CBD, delta-8 is a rare psychoactive cannabinoid that typically makes up about one percent of a hemp strain’s chemical makeup.

However, in recent years, hemp-derived delta-8 THC products have become exceptionally popular due to their “high” inducing effects and less-restrictive legal status. Chemists often manipulate cannabinoids like CBD to make affordable delta-8 extracts in the form of gummies, capsules, or vape carts.

The FDA has frequently made public statements against delta-8 THC, but there’s technically no federal ban on hemp-derived delta-8 products. However, a few states have created laws banning the sale of delta-8.

Do Farmers Seriously Use Hemp In Livestock Feed?

It may come as a surprise that farmers would want to include hemp in their livestock feed. Is there a benefit to adding these flowers to an animal’s daily diet?

There’s still a lot of debate over the pros & cons of using CBD-rich hemp for animal feed. On the one hand, a federally-backed K-State study suggested CBD may have some benefits for animals like cows. CBD might exert anti-anxiety effects on animals. There’s also hope that using hemp for livestock could prevent farmers from throwing away viable hemp biomass.

However, there are some issues related to using hemp to feed livestock. Most significantly, hemp is known to absorb heavy metals from the soil. If hemp flowers aren’t properly screened, these harmful secondary compounds will likely cause health problems in various animals. These toxins may also find their way into everyday food items like milk.

As the FDA suggested, there’s the possibility that psychoactive cannabinoids like delta-8 THC may enter an animal’s system. Although delta-8 doesn’t appear to be as psychoactive as delta-9, it is a psychoactive compound, and it has a long half-life. There’s little evidence that delta-8 affects animals, and people with specific conditions or THC sensitivities could react poorly to this cannabinoid.

Although some farms want to use high-quality CBD to improve their animals’ quality of life, there are too many questions surrounding quality control for the FDA to get on board.

Feeding CBD To Your Pets? Check Real Tested CBD!

It’s no longer “weird” for pet owners to feed their cats and dogs CBD treats. In fact, pet CBD oil is one of the fastest-growing segments in the global hemp industry. While it appears hemp-derived CBD is OK for most healthy animals, you should always speak with a vet before using a pet-approved CBD oil.

Also, pet owners must ensure whatever CBD oil they buy has a high track record for safety and purity. The best way to review a CBD oil’s reputation is to take a peek at its third-party lab results. Luckily for you, Real Tested CBD has dozens of pet CBD oil reviews on our website. Please take your time reading all of the unbiased ratings on our website to choose the best CBD for your furry friends.

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