Calming canines with cannabis.

• Author: Caley, Nora
• Position: STATE OF THE STATE

Business is booming for companies that use cannabidiol from hemp--the part of the cannabis plant that won't get you high--for pet products. And that's good news for Colorado hemp growers.

According to the hemp advocacy organization Vote Hemp's crop report, there are 25,713 acres of hemp grown in 19 states. Colorado accounts for 9,700 of those acres.

Pet products manufacturers say they chose Colorado-grown hemp for several reasons.

"A lot of stuff I was researching was coming from China, and it had heavy metals and pesticides," says Dave Merrell, founder of Salt Lake City-based Healthy Hemp Pet Co. Then a veterinarian told him about a hemp farm near La Junta. "I walked their fields, watched them process the hemp, saw their lab. I was very impressed."

Merrell has since switched to a USDA-certified organic farm in Fort Collins.

Christy Love, co-founder of Reno, Nevada-based Super Snouts Hemp Co., says most of her products use Colorado-grown hemp.

"Hemp is normally grown outdoors, and Colorado has an excellent climate for growing hemp," she says. She adds that the segment is growing because pet owners are learning about the benefits of hemp/CBD. "Every day there is more research going into the products."

Some of that research is coming from Colorado State University's James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Neurologist Stephanie McGrath is overseeing clinical trials, including one recent study to assess the use of CBD for dogs...