14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, on Tuesday, politician and Nevada senator Tick Segerblom introduced a bill proposing that marijuana be made legal for pets. Specifically, the bill makes a case in favor of allowing people to offer their life companions cannabis.
The issue of legalizing marijuana is in itself a touchy subject, what with some arguing that this weed is nothing but a gateway drug sure to lead guys and gals down the path of a life of risks and crime, and others supporting its use either for recreational or for medical purposes.
Seeing how we’re still debating whether or not we like marijuana for people, it should come as no surprise that Nevada senator Tick Segerblom’s bill proposing that this drug be made legal for pets grabbed headlines just minutes after having been introduced.
What exactly does the senator’s bill say?
If eventually signed into law, the bill that senator Tick Segerblom forwarded this past Tuesday would not legalize marijuana for all pets, be they mammals, reptiles, birds or arachnids. Instead, it would only make the drug legal for sick pets.
The idea is that, since marijuana is known to benefit cancer patients and folks diagnosed with other serious conditions, it makes sense to also make it available for pets that are sick and in pain and that have failed to respond to whatever treatments their vet prescribed them.
Mind you, senator Tick Segerblom’s bill would not make vets obsolete. Owners would only be able to get marijuana for their pets after obtaining a note signed from an animal doctor saying that the drug could make their sick life companion feel better.
Why this controversial bill makes some sense
Studies carried out over the years have found evidence that marijuana can treat glaucoma, prevent epileptic seizures, decrease anxiety, reduce pain associated with cancer and halt the spread of this disease, increase appetite and fight inflammation in the body.
Supposing that somebody has a pet that is in pain and refusing to eat, the drug might just do the trick and reduce their discomfort. This is precisely what the Nevada senator had in mind when he put together and introduced his bill.
At this point, some might argue that there are no studies indicating that cannabis could prove as beneficial to animals as it is to humans. This is perfectly true. Still, the fact of the matter is that there are no studies to indicate otherwise either.
We humans have been testing all sorts of drugs and treatments on animals before daring to use them on us for centuries now. The idea behind all such experiments is that, if proven safe in animal models, chances are one drug or another will also help people.
The same principles apply when it comes to legalizing marijuana for pets, albeit the other way around. We know that marijuana benefits guys and gals diagnosed with various health issues, and consequently, we can assume it might also help pets.
So, do we want marijuana made legal for pets?
True, marijuana is steadily gaining ground these days. It’s legal in as many as 20 US states, be it for medical or for recreational purposes, and there are thousands of people saying that, rather than be a gateway drug, it’s more of a miracle plant.
Even so, I for one don’t think legalizing marijuana for pets diagnosed with a chronic, debilitating medical condition is a good idea. True, the weed could help some animals, seeing how it already benefits humans, but it could also harm others.
Since there are no studies documenting the effect marijuana can have on sick animals, making it legal for people’s pets for medical reasons would essentially be a guessing game, and since animals don’t speak, it might take us a long time to figure out if we got it right.
It might be that compounds in this plant can relieve pain and improve other crippling symptoms, but the fact remains that, when it comes to marijuana, bad trips can happen. We humans can deal with them, but I’m not so sure about animals.