Cannabis For Canines. Yes It's A Real Thing

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

CHERRY HILL, NJ (CBSMiami) -- More and more people are turning to marijuana for medical treatment and now some pet owners are purchasing a legal version of cannabis to give their canines some medical relief.

Laura Kruse calls these supplements, made with cannabis, her 'miracle capsules' but they're not for her.

Instead, she mixes it into food for her aging, 14-year-old Yorkie mix named Tacy. Kruse says, for years, Tacy suffered severe anxiety and constant itching and scratching.

"At the height of it, is was heartbreaking," explained Kruse.

After trying various medications, even a dog whisperer, her vet had a surprising recommendation.

"You can go online, and I think you should try cannabis," Kruse recalled."

She turned to Canna Companion, a Washington state-based company co-founded by veterinarian Sarah Brandon

"We moved in here about a year and a half ago from our kitchen," explained Brandon.

The pills share some of the benefits of medical marijuana but they're not marijuana and don't get you high.

They're made with hemp and legal to sell across the U.S.

"Especially anxiety it really helps a lot there, joint discomfort, neurological conditions and things like that," explained Brandon.

Pet owners are buying it. Brandon's sales jumped from 100-thousand dollars in 2014 to 1.1 million last year.

But Dr. Mark Helfat of the American Veterinary Medical Association cautions more study is needed.

"Right now I would not promote these products nor would I recommend them," said Dr. Helfat.

But Kruse says she has all the evidence she needs.

"If your pet is so uncomfortable in their own skin and so anxious that they can't live a restful life, then you need help. I think it helps."

Analysts predict the holistic hemp industry will grow to more than 150-million dollars in the next four years.