Pot for Pets: Northcenter Vet Sounds Off on Medical Marijuana

Illinois Senate may have just passed a bill approving the use of medical marijuana, but when it comes to reducing a patient’s pain, some veterinarians want the same treatment for fluffy.

That’s according to Dr. Douglas Kramer, a California-based vet and blogger on VetGuru.com. He’s fighting for the right to legally use marijuana medically for all types of animals, including birds.

But according to the experts in North Center, skepticism outweighs acceptance in regards to getting your pet high.

Dr. Derrick Landini owns both Heal Veterinary Clinic in North Center and Animal Ark Veterinary Clinic in Avondale and treats animals with cancer. He tells Medill Reports that it’s a new development, but he’s not sure if he buys it.

“I’m not really for it because we have more of a typical treatment for our patients and we don’t know [of] any long-term side effects,” said Landini. “… Although we see side effects with steroids we use with our patients, there seem to be more benefits to it.”

He added that because his patients can’t talk, recording data or administering the drug effectively is complicated. Still, Kramer says he wants to see as much support for medical marijuana for pets as he does for humans.

• Read the full story at Medill Reports Chicago.