Medical Marijuana Could Soon Be Availble for Pets in Nevada

A bill introduced in the Nevada legislature on Tuesday might soon allow pets to use medical marijuana.

The bill sponsored by Senator Tick Segerblom aims to enable pet owners to get medical marijuana for their pets, provided a veterinarian confirms that the animal has a debilitating medical condition, which can be alleviated with the use of the drug.

The bill also factors in several provisions related to human use of medical marijuana. It seeks to bring in new regulations for dispensaries and also aims to drop penalties for motorists who were found to be driving with the drug in their system.

In an interview to Associated Press, Los Angeles veterinarian Doug Kramer was spoke about how medical marijuana helped his dg Nikita post-surgery. She underwent surgery to remove tumors and the use of cannabis helped her increase weight and live for another 6 weeks before being euthanized.

"I grew tired of euthanizing pets when I wasn't doing everything I could to make their lives better," Kramer told the AP. "I felt like I was letting them down."

Interestingly, the move to legalize medical marijuana for pets has not found complete acceptance from all quarters. The proposal is in its early stages and is expected to face many hurdles before it could become law.

 Animal rights advocate and fellow Democrat Senator Mark Manendo said he has never heard about animals being given marijuana for medical reasons and felt that this could turn into a safety issue.

He said, "That gives me pause. Alcohol is bad, chocolate is bad for dogs."

He also narrated a personal incident where his 15 year old dog died in arms and spoke of how the experience was a difficult and emotional one for him. Manendo goes on to add, "I don't know if I would've given him marijuana."