Study: Cattle Fed CBDA-Rich Hemp Have Reduced Stress

A study by researchers at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine suggests that feeding cattle hemp with high cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) content led to reduced stress and increased the times the cattle lie down, according to a Beef Central report.

The study found cannabinoids in industrial hemp decreased the stress hormone cortisol and the inflammatory biomarker prostaglandin E2 in cattle that consumed the hemp feed.

Michael Kleinhenz, assistant professor of beef production medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the researchers found that “repeated daily doses of CBDA via feeding hemp does not result in accumulation of cannabinoids in the blood [and] it solidified previous research and shows that each cannabinoid has its own absorption and elimination profile.”

“The initial data we have collected is essential should industrial hemp and its by-products are to be considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Further work is needed to determine if cannabinoids can alter the stress response in cattle during stressful times such as transportation and weaning, but we hope this research is a step forward in the right direction.” – Kleinhenz to Beef Central

The study found that the cows that consumed the industrial hemp feed spent 14.1 hours per day lying down compared to the 13.4 hours per day spent lying down by the control cattle. Cattle in the hemp group also demonstrated an 8.8% decrease in prostaglandin E2 concentrations from baseline compared to a 10.2% increase from baseline observed in the control group.

“If hemp is to be utilized as an ingredient in the ration of cattle, it is prudent to know and understand the pharmacokinetics and potential biological effects of cattle exposed to repeated doses of cannabinoids present in industrial hemp,” Kleinhenz said.

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