Ah, CBD. You can barely browse about health online without coming across this chemical and its supposed benefits. But it’s not just people who are taking CBD to experience its benefits: some people are giving it to their pets too.

Because we’re intrepid, caring souls at TNW, we just couldn’t give a drug to our pets. No, we had to try it first. So, we, uh, did.

Before we do that though…

What the hell is CBD?

Good question. To put it simply, it’s the part of the marijuana plant that doesn’t get you high.

CBD is a shortened version of cannabidiol. Along with THC (the bit that does get you high), this is one of the main cannabinoids that appear in the weed plant.

Now, CBD has become popular because many people believe it has a host of positive properties, including relaxation, nausea control, and pain relief — despite limited medical evidence .

Okay, and what about CBD for pets?

Again, it’s important to note how little research there has been done on this. This great piece breaks down (the lack of) research that has gone into the impact of CBD on animals, but can be summed up as: it seems like it’s probably fine, but you never know — so don’t take this as gospel.

Right, got it. So, these CBD pet treats then…

Yep, you can get them for cats or dogs . We got the dog kind. Specifically, the Steak Bites. They come in a container that looks like this:

With the individual treats looking a lot, well, exactly like this:

Do I want to know what it tasted like?

Well, you’re gonna hear about it anyway.

When you open the jar, a very specific scent wafts its way up. There’s a hint of red meat, but a bitter, yeast-rich smell is the overwhelming odour. I wouldn’t say it was unpleasant, but it definitely doesn’t scream “eat me.” So far, not a strong start for humans.

Onto the treats themselves. They’re constructed out of a dense material, bread-y material. Tough to chew, but they break apart nicely after some gnashing and gnawing — although there is definitely a grainy bittiness to the way they break apart in your mouth.

Now, flavor. Honestly, these things need some salt. If it was me, I’d chuck in a whole load of herbs and spices to really give it a savory, umami-indebted taste. Unfortunately, the dog treats we’re left with are bland, tasteless, and lacking any sort of pizazz. Maybe not one to serve guests. Unless they’re dogs.

Also, I looked like this when eating them:

And the effects?

The amount of CBD is lower in the dog treats than the, uh, the people snacks, so I didn’t feel that much after eating the animal food. For smaller creatures (like dogs) though, it should make more of an impact.

Is that a good thing?

Look, I’m not here to judge or give you advice — beyond telling you what CBD pet treats taste like, of course. If you look online there’s plenty of colloquial evidence of CBD helping pets with arthritis and other ailments, but that’s all it is: colloquial.

As mentioned earlier, there’s little-to-no medical research backing CBD’s use on humans, let alone animals. Maybe it can help, maybe it can’t — I’m not a vet.

All I am is a man who was just paid to eat some dog food. So, at the end of the day, who’s really winning?

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