Our Work

Through education, advocacy and creating product standards, the Veterinary Cannabis Society provides resources, information, and support to the veterinary cannabis industry

EDUCATION

VCS is committed to ensuring that veterinary professionals, pet parents, and cannabis producers have a platform for the most up-to-date, unbiased, and accurate information needed to appropriately treat animals with cannabis. As cannabis is a new field in veterinary medicine, it is critical that the information provided be precise, pertinent for the particular audience, and always come from a non-judgmental place.

There are many people who are skeptical of cannabis. However, based on studies and real-world evidence, our founding members strongly believe that there is a place for the medicinal use of cannabis in pets.

We intend to provide a safe space for information, education, and discussion to anyone interested in veterinary cannabis for pets.

ADVOCACY

VCS is committed to advocating for legislative and regulatory changes to allow veterinarians to recommend medicinal cannabis for their patients. The ability of a veterinarian to consult and guide a pet owner with regards to cannabis is critical to ensure the health and safety of animals.

The legal and regulatory landscape surrounding veterinary cannabis use varies from state to state and ranges from vague to outright hostile. Consistent and appropriate legislation is needed to alleviate the confusing and conflicting information provided to veterinary professionals and pet parents.

VCS is currently actively working in several states and with other interested parties and organizations to promote sensible legislation for medical cannabis in the veterinary profession. We welcome veterinary professionals, concerned pet parents, and industry professionals to join our efforts by collaborating with the VCS Advocacy Committee to affect positive change in their state.

PROMOTING PRODUCT STANDARDS

VCS is committed to creating a system of product quality standards, so that veterinary professionals and pet parents can have confidence in the products they use in their patients and pets. We will focus on the science, and partner with industry experts to develop an unbiased, stringent set of quality control standards that we believe product manufacturers should adhere to.

Currently, there is much confusion about what is necessary for safety and efficacy in cannabis products, and many people don’t know where to start. The amount of misleading information, combined with the lack of federal regulations for over-the-counter hemp-derived products, has led to numerous poor quality (and in some cases, dangerous) products that have been unleashed on an unsuspecting public.