Cannabis sativa has been used for years in therapeutic processes in humans, but a study conducted by Juan Esteban Samaca Roberto, who holds a Master’s degree in pharmacological sciences from the National University of Colombia (UNAL), opens the door for derivatives of this herbaceous species — also known as hemp or simply marijuana — to be used in recovery treatments for sick cats and dogs with certain types of conditions.
The active compounds in this plant, known as cannabinoids — including Cannabidiol (CBD) — interact with receptors in the body called CB1 and CB2, according to a report from Unimedios, the news agency of Colombia’s leading public university. “These are part of the endocannabinoid system, a biological network involved in regulating functions such as pain perception, appetite, mood, and the body’s inflammatory response to injury or disease,” the report adds.
Animals showed greater clinical stability
The report further notes that these receptors are also present in the nervous systems of dogs and cats, as well as in different tissues throughout their bodies. For that reason, cannabinoids can influence physiological processes associated with chronic pain, inflammation, and certain neurological disorders, the statement continues, citing an article published in the Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Químico-Farmacéuticas.
Samaca Roberto’s study found that incorporating Cannabis sativa derivatives as a complement to conventional treatment — rather than a replacement (adjunct therapy) — helped improve control of various clinical signs in veterinary patients. Among the symptoms that showed the most improvement were pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, anxiety, and other signs associated with chronic illnesses or inflammatory processes.
By reducing these symptoms, the animals showed greater clinical stability and an overall better response to treatment. As an example cited in the Unimedios report, Samaca Roberto pointed to oncology patients, “who tend to experience loss of appetite, significant pain, and sometimes nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. In these cases, cannabis helps control these symptoms without replacing conventional medication.”
To conduct the study, Samaca Roberto carried out a retrospective review of medical records from 144 dogs and 36 cats treated at eight veterinary clinics in Bogota, where Cannabis sativa derivatives were prescribed as a complement to conventional treatment.
Among the dogs treated, 81% showed favorable clinical progress, particularly in conditions related to fractures, joint disorders, inflammatory diseases, and other clinical diagnoses.
Cannabis derivatives were generally administered orally in the form of drops in an oil-based solution, alongside conventional medications such as antibiotics or anti-inflammatories. A smaller group — 22 patients (15.4%) — showed moderate progress, meaning partial improvement in some clinical signs, while only 5 patients (4%) experienced unfavorable outcomes.
In cats, the reviewed medical records indicated that 35 of the treated patients (97.2%) showed favorable clinical progress, while only one case (2.8%), diagnosed with a neurological condition, showed moderate progress with partial improvement.
Based on these findings, the researcher suggests that the use of Cannabis sativa derivatives can contribute to symptom management within conventional therapeutic schemes, especially in patients requiring long-term control of pain or inflammatory processes.
More research on these treatments is needed
Although scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabinoids in small animals has grown in recent years, Colombia still lacks official clinical guidelines to guide veterinary prescriptions. According to Samaca Roberto, veterinarians who use this alternative often rely on international guidelines or their own clinical experience to determine aspects such as dosage, frequency, and duration of treatment.
In this regard, organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association have acknowledged the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in managing pain and inflammation in Colombia’s sick cats and dogs. However, they also warn that the available scientific evidence remains limited in terms of safety, efficacy, and standardization.