25 May Paving the way for safe, effective CBD treatments for pets
Since its launch in September 2022, PetCann has rapidly gained recognition as a trusted provider of safe, high-quality CBD treatments for pets in the veterinary industry.
As a subsidiary of established Australian medicinal cannabis company, Cannatrek, PetCann leverages its parent company’s expertise, reputation and infrastructure to lead the way in the field of medicinal cannabis for pets.
PetCann offers clear, trustworthy guidance in this emergent area for practitioners and pet parents alike. You only have to search ‘CBD for pets’ online or chat to a few dog walkers in a park, to discover a lot of misinformation circulating regarding CBD treatments for pets.
Navigating the complex regulations around CBD for animals can be confusing. PetCann is dedicated to supporting veterinarians to confidently meet their legal and safety obligations when prescribing CBD.
PetCann works closely with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and guidelines.
APVMA guidelines can be challenging to access and dissect. Here is a key summary of their guidelines around veterinary use of compounded CBD:
- Cannabidiol (CBD) is a Schedule 4 substance in the Poisons Standard where CBD constitutes 98% or more of the total cannabinoid content.
- CBD can be lawfully prescribed for human and animal therapeutic use.
- Veterinarians may only prescribe imported CBD products. Locally cultivated cannabis products cannot be used as the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 only covers the cultivation, production, and manufacture of medicinal cannabis for human use.
- Veterinary practitioners are authorised under all State-based drugs and poisons legislation to obtain, possess, use or supply scheduled substances for the lawful practice of their profession, i.e. for the treatment of animals under their care.
- A veterinarian may compound a medication in the course of their practice and supply that medication to the owner of an animal, for use on that animal under the veterinarian’s care.
- A compounded preparation should only be used in circumstances where a registered product is unavailable or unsuitable. As no CBD products are currently registered, there are no restrictions on veterinary compounding of CBD.
Since it was established in 2016, Cannatrek has made significant strides in the human medicinal cannabis sector, securing licenses, partnering with leading universities for research, building state-of-the-art facilities, and partnering with more than 800 doctors and 1500 pharmacies to support them in prescribing and dispensing medication to more than 30,000 patients across Australia.
Cannatrek is a market leader in the medicinal cannabis space. The company achieved recognition in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia Awards and The Australian Financial Review’s Fast Starters 100 List in 2022 and has been shortlisted for four prestigious Cannabiz awards in 2023. Cannatrek cares about providing patients with affordable care, they provided over $2 million in subsidies for disadvantaged and low-income patients over the past two years.
As PetCann evolves, we hope to achieve in similar ways to Cannatrek in the veterinary industry. Our Veterinary Science Liaisons are available to provide lunch and learn sessions to educate your team, and they can help you with orders and prescriptions on PetCann’s Vet portal.
Join us on our journey towards best practice access to CBD therapies for pets. Your involvement can help shift perceptions in veterinary medicine.
Let’s make a difference together.