The story they’ve been dreaming about !
- Cows show signs of intoxication after eating feed with industrial hemp
- This includes an increase in yawning, salivation and unsteady movements
- A significant concentration of cannabinoids is also transferred to their milk
- Some samples showed levels that could impact human health
Our cows could be enjoying more than one type of grass, as a new study has found that they are getting high from cannabinoids in their feed.
Industrial hemp silage is a common ingredient in animal feed, and can contain a high concentration of psychoactive compounds.
Cattle that enjoy just 1.85 lbs (0.84 kg) of cannabinoid-rich hemp show increased yawning, salivation and unsteady movements – all potential indicators of intoxication.
The compounds could also be transferred into the milk they produce, with some samples showing levels that could impact human health.
The researchers, from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, wrote: ‘Our study shows that feeding cannabinoid-rich industrial hemp silage made from leaves, flowers and seeds leads to a decrease in feed intake and milk yield in dairy cows.
‘A transfer of cannabinoids into foods of animal origin is conceivable when by-products of hemp production and the whole plant are used as feedstuffs.’
