According to a Milford Daily News report, the legislation of marijuana in the state of Massachusetts has led to more pets consuming the drug and ending up in the emergency room.
“We started seeing it a lot when it was first legalized and even more now,” said Dr. Kiko Bracker, a veterinarian at MSPCA-Angell, a humane organization with medical offices in Boston, Waltham and Westford. “Now, several cases a week will come in,” added Bracker.
According to Bracker, before the drug was legalized recreationally in 2016, there was stigma around it and some pet owners were unwilling to admit their pet had consumed it.
“Before it was legal it was almost this weird dance around the issue,” Bracker said. “Nobody would really cop to it. Now, people cut to the chase.”
Massachusetts isn’t the only state to see this jump in consumption of marijuana by pets. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently reported marijuana-related emergency calls in 2018 grew to 1,800 compared to 208 a decade earlier. The Pet Poison Helpline based in Minnesota also said that marijuana cases increased 448 percent over the last six years.
“With its legalization in various states across the United States, marijuana is becoming very common in households,” according to the group.
