Animals and Cannabis: Which Animals Are Drawn to Weed?

Plenty of animals are drawn to cannabis: cats and dogs chew on it, cows and pigs will happily eat it, and rodents and birds go for its seeds. If you thought insects were the only critters after your plants, think again. An often-repeated story credits Darwin with noticing a group of monkeys that kept coming back to one spot to eat the flowers of a certain plant, not for the nutrition but because the flowers had psychoactive effects the primates loved. Animals have memory, after all, and they return to their favorite plants the same way we return to places that make us feel good.

Cannabis for Dogs and Cats? First, Why They Go After Your Plants

If you have cats or dogs, you've probably woken up at least once to a wrecked plant. Pets often nibble on all kinds of plants to purge their stomachs, but sometimes it really seems like they do it on purpose, or like they've picked that one plant out of your whole garden as their favorite.

Which Animals Are Drawn to Cannabis?

In Washington State, where cannabis use is legal, some farmers started feeding their pigs cannabis leftovers because, they said, the animals got fatter and tastier. In studies where rats and hamsters could choose between seeds from other plants and cannabis seeds, they reportedly went for the cannabis every time, and birds have been fed hemp seed because it was believed to boost breeding. And here's a wild one: mother rabbits are said to pass cannabinoids to their young through their milk. More broadly, mammal milk naturally contains endocannabinoids, compounds the body makes on its own, and research suggests they help newborns feel hungry, nurse more and grow big and healthy.