A brand new research exhibits that cows can safely eat the plant waste left over from CBD extraction with out THC exhibiting up in milk or edible tissue, offered the animals are weaned off the feed for not less than two weeks earlier than milking or processing.
The findings are important for U.S. CBD hemp farmers, who generate massive volumes of low-value biomass. Researchers say the outcomes pave the best way towards FDA approval for utilizing the fabric as livestock feed and will unlock new markets for struggling producers.
The peer-reviewed research, carried out by Oregon State College and printed within the Journal of Agricultural and Meals Chemistry, adopted 18 dairy cows fed a weight loss program that substituted alfalfa pellets with 13% spent hemp biomass over 28 days. After a subsequent four-week withdrawal interval, all milk and tissue samples examined beneath detectable ranges for THC and different cannabinoids.
‘One step ahead’
“Two weeks of spent hemp biomass withdrawal from the weight loss program of the cows eliminates any danger of ingesting THC by consuming the milk from these cows,” mentioned lead researcher Massimo Bionaz. “This research is one step ahead in offering the information wanted for FDA approval of spent hemp biomass as a feed complement for livestock.”
The work builds on earlier findings that spent biomass, hemp seed, and hempseed meal are all viable and secure as feed elements for livestock. The restricted approval of hempseed meal and new findings on spent CBD biomass reinforce the trade’s push to combine hemp into full-plant utilization fashions, creating new income streams and decreasing waste.
Gaining floor
Whereas spent biomass stays beneath FDA assessment, different hemp-based feed elements are advancing by regulatory channels. Hemp growers and advocates have lengthy promoted the dietary worth of hemp seed, seed cake, and oil for livestock and pets, citing excessive ranges of protein, fiber, and important fatty acids.
In 2024, the Affiliation of American Feed Management Officers (AAFCO) accepted a last definition for hempseed meal — also called seed cake — to be used in laying-hen rations, overcoming opposition from European and Canadian commerce teams over THC and CBD limits. The transfer permits U.S. states to start industrial adoption of hempseed meal as an accepted feed part.
Path ahead
Regardless of rising scientific assist, hemp-derived feed supplies face ongoing regulatory boundaries within the U.S., the place the FDA and AAFCO have been gradual to approve many cannabis-related inputs for industrial livestock. Proponents argue that the delay is out of step with sustainable agriculture developments and ignores mounting proof of hemp’s security in animal diets.
Restricted state-level approvals and pilot packages have already demonstrated optimistic ends in poultry, cattle, and aquaculture settings. Advocates say that feed functions characterize one of the promising market extensions for hemp, notably in gentle of oversupply and stagnation within the CBD sector. With security research now filling important knowledge gaps, trade teams are renewing their requires swift federal motion.
