Cows fed hemp produced milk with THC, researchers say

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Cows fed hemp produced milk with THC, researchers say

One of the first major investigations of hemp in animal feed also showed behavioral changes in some cows

By Joel Achenbach
November 14, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. EST

Dairy cows fed industrial hemp produced milk with detectable levels of the buzz-inducing molecular compound THC, according to a new study from Germany that could influence the potential uses of hemp as an ingredient in animal feed.

The dairy cows also showed behavioral changes — yawning and salivating a lot, moving a little unsteadily on their hoofs, standing in one place for a protracted period, and having a “somnolent appearance.”

The peer-reviewed study, conducted on Holstein cows in Berlin and published Monday in the journal Nature Food, is one of the first major investigations of the use of industrial hemp as a potential supplement in animal feed.

For now such use is illegal under United States law, which does not allow THC in the food chain. But the new research comes as hemp, which has many industrial uses, continues to emerge from an agricultural exile that dates to the “reefer madness” hysteria of the 1930s.

{snip}

By Joel Achenbach
Joel Achenbach covers science and politics for the National desk. He has been a staff writer for The Post since 1990. Twitter https://twitter.com/JoelAchenbach