State agriculture officials in Idaho have banned hemp and hemp-derived ingredients including
in food and supplements intended for animals, saying that products for pets and livestock that include hemp as an ingredient violate state and federal regulations. In a memo, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture said that sales of feed and health remedies for animals with hemp and CBD would be prohibited as of November 1.“Hemp or hemp-derived products, including CBD, are not recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) as legal feed ingredients,” the
. “Similarly, Idaho law does not recognize hemp as a feed or remedy ingredient.”“Safe levels of hemp and hemp-derived products in animal feed have not yet been established under federal or state law,” the agency continued. “As such, these products are not approved feed ingredients and cannot lawfully be added to or incorporated into commercial feed. This includes feeds, treats and remedies intended for pets, livestock, or any other animal.”
The agriculture department emphasized that in addition to foods designed for pets and livestock, the ban on CBD also includes products marketed as supplements or health remedies.
“Animal remedies in Idaho are exempted from feed requirements except when these products are misbranded with nutritive claims or are considered adulterated,” the memorandum states. “Animal remedies containing hemp are adulterated and are being unlawfully marketed and distributed in Idaho.”
Hemp and CBD for Pets Ban Begins November 1
After October, the ISDA will begin inspecting retailers for animal feed and supplements with hemp or hemp-derived ingredients. The department wrote that it is delaying action until then to give businesses “time to comply with the law.”
“These products are not legal in Idaho, and if found on or after November 1, 2022, will be subject to a stop sale and further action from the department,” the agriculture department wrote in its memo.
The ISDA noted that while Idaho state lawmakers legalized hemp agriculture last year, not all uses of the crops have been approved. When asked why the agency decided to take action now, ISDA deputy director Chanel Tewalt said that hemp and CBD products for animals are the victim of their own success.
“These have been growing in popularity,”
. “There are more and more of them, and I think it’s very easy to see in the same way you’ve seen the growth of the CBD industry in general. In Idaho, it looks very different than it did just a couple of years ago.”Bill Bookout, the president of the National Animal Supplement Council, said that banning hemp-derived CBD products for pets and livestock is not the solution and doing so, “paves the way for a black-market industry populated by unscrupulous suppliers hawking questionable products that could actually end up harming the animals pet owners are trying to help.”
“Or, pet owners may turn to human products that aren’t formulated for pets, or that contain THC and are not safe for animals,”
. “There is simply no basis for taking away pet owners’ access to quality products supplied by responsible companies.”Idaho’s ban on hemp and CBD for animals was issued as lawmakers in California were considering a bill to legalize cannabis products for animals, even those with THC. The legislation, which was
by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was supported by veterinarians including Dr. Tim Shu, president of the Cannabis Pet Coalition.“It’s an unfortunate position the Idaho regulators have taken,” Shu wrote in an email about the ban. “Pet owners and veterinarians around the country have seen the life-changing, and oftentimes life-saving, benefits that CBD can provide animals. Banning access to these products will result in decreased quality of life for the animals that rely on them. It’s morally and ethically wrong.”