10 curious facts about animals that ‘love’ cannabis

There is an unusual phenomenon which involves certain animals being attracted to cannabis. But these creatures don’t enjoy the plant voluntarily, as a person would. They may actually interact with marijuana, or show curiosity towards it, because they feel a certain natural attraction for it. Get ready to enter a world where nature never stops surprising us!

A flock of sheep behaves ‘strangely’ after eating 100 kg of cannabis plants

On 20 September 2023, near the town of Almyros, in the Greek region of Magnesia, a flock of hungry sheep got the jackpot for ganja-loving animals after sneaking into a medical marijuana greenhouse and eating around 100 kg of cannabis plants. The sheep were seeking shelter and fresh grass after storm Daniel brought heavy rain and flooding to the region. After the ‘party’, the owner of the farm said that the sheep were jumping higher than the goats! He explained: “I don’t know if I should be laughing or crying. We had the heatwave, and we lost a lot of production. We had the floods, we lost almost everything. And now this… The herd entered the greenhouse and ate what was left. I honestly don’t know what to say”.

Scandal in Argentina caused by rats which ate half a ton of marijuana

This incident occurred in April 2018. In a police warehouse in Pilar (northwest of Buenos Aires), officers couldn’t get their heads round the fact that over 540 kg of marijuana had disappeared from their facilities. Until some of them found an explanation that completely baffled the judge in charge of the investigation: they alleged that the cannabis had been eaten by the many rats that live in the warehouse. The eight officers involved were dismissed from their posts on the grounds that they had lied, as it was deemed impossible that rodents could have gobbled up that much marijuana. According to experts from the University of Buenos Aires, “rats wouldn’t mistake weed for food”; but, had they done so, “many rats would have been found dead in the warehouse”.

Dinosaurs could have also ingested cannabis

The discovery of fossilised cannabis pollen dating from the late Cretaceous period (about 70 million years ago) has raised intriguing questions about the historical relationship between cannabis and dinosaurs. While it is impossible to determine the exact nature of such interaction, scientists speculate that some herbivorous dinosaurs may have consumed the cannabis plant as part of their diet for its potential therapeutic or nutritional benefits. In addition, some recent scientific studies have discovered fossilised dinosaur faeces, known as coprolites, containing traces of cannabinoids, which indicates that these ancient creatures may have had a taste for cannabis or for other plants that produced the same type of compounds.

There are more fish… in the fish farm

Several studies have shown that the nutritional profile of locally grown hemp is comparable to that of soy beans and fishmeal, so it could potentially be introduced as a staple ingredient in the feed in aquaculture. But this goes way beyond. Fish get all their omega-3 fatty acids from algae through the food chain, so it would be ideal to include hemp seeds with a high omega-3 content in aquafeed to obtain better quality fish. In fact, a UK company is taking the next steps towards the use of hemp seeds as a sustainable source of protein for Scottish salmon feed, following the success of the first ’in vivo’ tests.

Cannabis seeds to help increase libido in birds…

Some bird feed sellers claim that hemp seeds may increase copulation or reproductive activity in birds. These claims are based on the belief that the nutrients and compounds found in hemp seeds can have a positive impact on their health and reproductive system. Hemp seeds are believed to boost energy and improve the skin and plumage of birds; and, in some cases, they can also have a stimulating effect on their reproductive activity. In fact, birds may show a preference for certain types of seeds in a grain mix – and, in some cases, hemp seeds are among the first seeds that they eat due to their great flavour and texture, and high nutritional value.

…and hemp nº5 to prepare the bed

So not only does hemp get birds in the mood, but it also helps them build their love nest. In some parts of the world, it’s been observed that birds (particularly songbirds) use hemp fibres to build their nests, because they’re strong and durable, which makes them an attractive material to assemble their cubicles. However, the birds haven’t actually been observed to exhibit behaviours related to cannabis use, but simply use it for building purposes. And, as it showcases antibacterial properties, hemp is also good for the treatment of some of the most common diseases in birds, including Salmonella, Avian mycobacteriosis, and Chlamydiosis.

Cannabis could save bees from extinction

Years ago, it was believed that bees weren’t attracted to cannabis because of its lack of brightly-coloured flowers and, therefore, lack of nectar for them to collect. But recent research by both Cornell University and the University of Colorado has shown that bees are actually specifically attracted to male cannabis plants because of their large production of pollen. In fact, these studies have found that the taller the plants, the higher the number of bee visits. What’s more, industrial hemp, which can grow rather tall, could be highly beneficial for a population of bees in distress, as its late flowering season makes it an ideal food source for bees in areas where other food sources are scarce. If one of the major causes of the reduction of bee populations is the reduction of habitats in which they can survive, let’s plant hemp to save bees (and humanity) from extinction!

And why not talk about cannabis honey?

But although bees seem to love the cannabis plant, they can’t use it to get high, because insects aren’t known to have cannabinoid receptors. Having said that, everything that passes through the body of a bee improves, as they can transform nutrients and even create cannabis honey from resin. And that brings with it immense industrial potential. The Israeli firm PhytoPharma International developed a natural honey with doses of cannabinoids that allows bees to fuse THC and CBD in their honey through a pollination process protected by intellectual property. Hence, the honey effectively serves as a platform that can ‘house’ different cannabinoids with different ratios and concentrations; and can be offered to a large patient population as a much safer method of consumption than vaping or smoking.

Don’t throw your joint on the floor. Your best friend would never do it!

If you smoke, vape, or eat marijuana, the high you get can fade away in a couple of hours. But if your dog is exposed to cannabis, the story is quite different. Just like humans, dogs have cannabinoid receptors in the brain which process chemical substances like THC. But even the slightest exposure is toxic to them, causing them to lose balance and have difficulty walking. It can also lead to nausea, drowsiness, or even hallucinations. This is because your dog’s body breaks down THC differently from yours. And this is why your dog’s symptoms are much worse. And get this: in the last six years, with the legalisation of cannabis in the US, there has been an increase of more than 400% in cases of dog marijuana poisoning. Vets claim they have seen cases of pets eating marijuana flowers, discarded joints, edibles, and even vaporiser cartridges.

Catnip instead of cannabis: your plants will thank you for it

But you shouldn’t be afraid if you see your dog or cat eating marijuana leaves, as the live plant will not affect them. At that point, the cannabinoids are not yet decarboxylated – this means that THC is still in its acidic form (THCA) and is therefore non-psychoactive. Nonetheless, it is best not to leave your cat near your plants because they love to nibble on them. There are better options to satiate the green desire of your furry friends, for instance catnip (Nepeta cataria). This is a herbaceous plant similar to mint which produces a really odd effect in cats: they absolutely love it; and when they smell a slight hint of it, their pupils dilate and they can act in all sorts of crazy ways, much like you would from the effects of a cannabis sativa strain. After eating a bit of this herb, cats may even feel sedated and fall asleep; just as if they’d smoked an indica spliff, for instance. Catnip contains a compound called nepetalactone which causes an attraction and arousal response in many cats. So, if you don’t want your cats to fixate on your cannabis, put some catnip in their lives!