Pilot study to investigate the impacts of cannabinoids from industrial hemp and repeated transportation events on cattle health and immune status

Abstract

The segmentation of the cattle industries necessitates regular transportation. Transport alters immune and stress biomark­ers in cattle. The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill excluded indus­trial hemp (IH; Cannabis sativa, ≤ 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol) from the USDA marijuana definition and DEA Schedule I sta­tus, enabling USDA-authorized IH research to determine the sustainability of IH cultivation. Data on the utility of IH for cattle transport has not been described. The object of the cur­rent study was to evaluate the effects of oral IH on immune and stress biomarkers in cattle being transported considerable distances.