You’ve probably heard of cannabidiol, or CBD as it is often referred to. It became a hot topic because despite being an illegal treatment it was being used to ease the suffering of people battling cancer, inhibit seizures in epileptics, and provide relief for those with a range of crippling ailments. While being much more effective and with fewer side effects than traditional prescription drugs. The legalisation of cannabis by several countries has finally allowed scientists to uncover how CBD works and provide evidence of the health benefits claimed, which has lead the World Health Organisation to declare that CBD be removed as a scheduled controlled drug and that it is safe to use medicinally ^[1].

Should you be carrying a preconceived notion about cannabis, rest assured the ‘high’ associated with it comes from the compound Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. CBD does not possess any of the mind-altering, mood-changing properties that THC does. And a CBD supplement won’t have your pet chasing imaginary tennis balls, just real ones.

In New Zealand, Helius Therapeutics is leading the charge on medicinal cannabis. That’s why we’re working with them to create a range of Sassy Animals CBD products. If you’d like to be notified of the launch date sign up to our mailing list.

To put it simply CBD helps the body maintain its balance. Quite literally by improving motor coordination, but also by helping achieve what Scientists call homeostasis, a stable equilibrium between all the independent elements in the body.

It does this by activating the Endocannabinoid System. A network of thousands of cannabinoid receptors, of which there are two types - CB1 receptors which are found in the area of the brain responsible for mental and physiological processes - and CB2 receptors that are found in the central nervous and immune systems.

When CBD is introduced into the body the Endocannabinoid System opens the metabolic pathways between these CB1 and CB2 receptors. It’s like giving the brain and body an ultra-fast fibre broadband connection. By allowing them to share more information it enables them to deal with mental and physical ailments more efficiently and effectively.

The great thing is that scientists have found many species have an Endocannabinoid System, including you and your pet! And now the human benefits have been well documented, the benefits for animals are now being investigated, and research trials conducted by the likes of Cornell and Colorado State University have shown very promising results for treating arthritis and other ailments in pets ^[2]. Safety trials have also been conducted which show no negative side effects, even at very high doses ^[3].

It is a truly fascinating subject, if you are interested to know more sign up to our mailing list.