The release of cannabis prescription for animal use in Brazil, in October 2024, brought this chance of clinical hope and quality of life for many pet owners and their pets.

But this progress still faces regulatory barriers: one year after Anvisa's authorization, the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) has not yet presented regulations for exclusive veterinary use products. Without defined rules, veterinarians face legal uncertainty and pet owners have limited access to treatments.
 

According to experts, there is already strong evidence that cannabis can help in the treatment of refractory epilepsy, chronic pain, inflammation, anxiety, selective appetite, and even in palliative care. The use integrates with existing protocols, without replacing traditional medications, but offering synergy and reducing side effects.

This scenario reinforces themes addressed by Sechat for some time, as in “How cannabis transforms animal medicine,” which maps this movement of incorporating the plant into veterinary treatments, bringing testimonials from researchers, veterinarians, and pet owners about real transformations in animal health.

Real relief, persistent challenges

Reports from pet owners point to visible changes not as a vague promise, but as a daily effect. However, challenges persist. The high cost of regulated products, bureaucracy for importation, lack of veterinary manipulation, and prejudice still reinforced by ignorance are barriers that prevent broad access.

This discussion directly resonates with the article we published in February this year about: “Effective pain relief in animals with cannabis is possible,”, which delves into chronic pain, its manifestation in pets, and how it can be treated with safer, less aggressive alternatives, and often more aligned with well-being, as long as accompanied by guidance, research, and supported regulation.

In an interview with Sechat, veterinarian Carolina Lomovtov highlighted that expanding access to medicinal cannabis for pets depends on effective public policies and greater societal awareness. According to her, there is still a lot of prejudice and difficulties for pet owners and veterinarians to obtain clear information, reinforcing the need for joint regulation between ANVISA and MAPA, as well as programs that enable free access to animal treatments. 

Carolina also emphasizes the importance of professional training and national research, especially in public universities, to ensure that the use of cannabis is safe, personalized, and supported by solid data. “The combination of policies, education, and research would help normalize the use and expand access and prescription responsibly,” she states.

It is worth noting that animal cannabis medicine is more than a recent agenda: it is an open door to reconsider how we care for our pets and how care relationships also reverberate in the family environment.