CBD pet products are on the rise. Products produced for cats, dogs, and even horses are on thousands of store shelves across America. But what about CBD products directed towards less common animal companions, like snakes?
Living beings have what is called an endocannabinoid system. According to Healthline, "The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex cell-signaling system identified in the early 1990s by researchers exploring THC, a well-known cannabinoid." Since understanding how the endocannabinoid system works is tied to understanding cannabinoids themselves, research was very limited in the past. However, current research has expanded our knowledge on cannabinoids and our own endocannabinoid systems. Everything from humans to hummingbirds has an endocannabinoid system that impacts their sleep, metabolism, memory, and more. And yes, this includes snakes.
While that may be enough to convince someone that CBD may be a great option to calm down their overactive scaly friend, the reality is much more complicated. According to an article published by the US National Library of Medicine, "Differences in the protein sequences of the CB2 receptor have been identified in the human, rat, and canine receptors." And while the article did mention research has been done to identify the endocannabinoid system in reptiles, little has been done beyond that. Research has focused more on the endocannabinoid system of cats and dogs because of the popularity of CBD products for our furry four legged friends.
Our legless, noodle shaped companions could have CBD in theory. However, the lack of knowledge on how CBD would interact with snakes should give reptile owners pause. Right now there is just not enough information to determine how to dose CBD for snakes or even how they could react to different individual cannabinoids.
As pet owners, we want the best for our companions, no matter if they have fur, scales, or feathers. Science has come a long way in determining how cannabinoids interact with our bodies, however, it still has further to go. With time, we could change the question of CBD for snakes from a 'no' to a 'yes'. But for now, you may want to advert from giving your danger noodle CBD.