| CANNABIS | Pot Pupdate CBD sales for pets are climbing. BY CYRUS GUCCIONE O ur furry friends have been sleeping better, relaxing more, and are slightly less anxious about our arrival home from work — at least that’s the promise from skyrocketing sales for cannabidiol (CBD) pet products. As the cannabis industry flourishes in Arizona, pet owners are turning to CBD as a viable alternative medicine for their pet’s ailments. And with the uptick in pet owner- ship during the COVID-19 pandemic and the normalization of CBD usage across the nation, CBD sales are only expected to grow. There’s a big difference between hemp- derived CBD and cannabis products which include high levels of THC, the psychoac- tive ingredient that makes mammals feel stoned. In short, CBD for pets is generally considered safe though not regulated while THC is toxic to animals and owners should understand the difference. In 2020, U.S. consumer spending on pet CBD reached $426 million, according to Brightfield Group, a cannabis consumer data and market research company based in Chicago. Since humans aren’t the only ones stressing out during the pandemic, pet CBD sales are expected to double in the coming year. Researchers predicted sales to balloon to a whopping $910 million in 2026. Felicia Castro is the owner of AZ Hemp Health in Mesa. Her CBD shop sells a variety of pet products, including soft and hard chews, tincture oils, and topicals. She estimates about 25 to 30 percent of her sales come from her CBD pet products. Hempful Farms in Phoenix also has a range of pet CBD products designed to reduce inflammation, anxiety, pain, and increase mobility. “With return to work and school outside of the home for the first time in two years, people are going back to work, or they are getting busier, so these pets are having bad separation anxiety when their owners are leaving the house,” says Selena Moore, the vice president of IncrediPets Market, in an interview with Pet Product News. “People are researching [and finding] that CBD really helps with that problem.” Also, more pets are finding homes where they can pine for their owners these days. Between March and September of 2020, when the pandemic was in its early stages, the number of foster pets in U.S. homes soared by 8 percent, according to PetPoint, which collects industry data on pet adoption. Doga, AZ Hemp Health’s favorite mascot. Felicia Castro The American Pet Products Association (APPA) estimated that 70 percent of U.S. households, or roughly 90.5 million fami- lies owned a pet in 2021. Of those families, 69 million own a dog and 45.3 million own a cat. The number of U.S. households with a pet is dramatically higher than any number recorded since the APPA survey was first conducted in 1988. Total U.S. pet industry expenditure also reached its highest numbers in a decade. In 2010, total pet expenditure (including food, pet supplies, medicine, and veteri- nary care) was $48.4 billion. In 2020, that figure ballooned to $103.6 billion. With more pets at home than ever, owners are looking to the CBD industry for their pet ailments that include joint pain, inflammation, and anxiety. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the effec- tiveness of CBD in pets because they can’t tell us, the “owners see a difference in their pet’s demeanor,” says Teddy Christensen, sales director at Conklin and Chemist Fine Oil Makers, a wholesale manufacturer of CBD and natural oils in Mesa. Andrew Conklin, owner of Conklin and Chemist, has been making fine oils for more than 10 years and finds their usage most helpful in pets experiencing anxiety and pain, especially for older pets. “All mammals have cannabinoid recep- tors in their body, so it works exactly for pets as it works for us; stress, pain relief, and anti-inflammatory properties,” says Christensen. Conklin and Chemist is unique in its oil production of hemp, which is heated and hand-pressed rather than distilled. This allows the body to digest it slower and draw out more nutrients from the hemp plant. Jean Weldon of Fountain Hills began using hemp chews for her dog Skye, a 13-year-old hound who suffers from joint pain, and says, “I saw a difference in her with a week. She’s always had energy, but she’s been climbing stairs her >> p 65 63 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES MARCH 17TH– MARCH 23RD, 2022
