Study Finds that Fish Do Not Experience Benefits From Cannabis
The cannabis industry has made great strides in discovering how to help domestic pets benefit from cannabis oil. While cats and dogs have been known to see positive results from cannabis treatments, fish apparently do not. A new study has found that fish don’t benefit from its therapeutic effects—but are down for some snacks afterwards.
A Lebanese study published in the journal Aquaculture Research found that cannabis did not have any beneficial effects on Nile tilapia when they were fed a supplement for eight weeks. The fish were split into three groups and fed either a cannabis oil containing THC, soy oil or industrial hemp oil. Researchers found no change in the fish’s behavior, feeding habits, growth or general health.
Tilapia are extensively farmed in an increasingly industrial system, and Americans eat almost half a billion pounds a year. However, the modern industrial style of farming fish in close quarters is causing stress and health problems in fish.
The researchers hoped that cannabis oil would benefit the fish, help them grow faster and alleviate the aggressive behavior found in stressed fish in close quarters. They also hoped it would provide an immune boost to fish who are increasingly sick from poor water conditions and cheap but nutrient-poor feed.
“Until further research yields different results, we do not believe fish should be given reefer,” said Patrick Saoud, an aquatic scientist at the American University of Beirut and lead author of the study.
However, researchers did see an increase in their metabolic rate after taking the cannabis oil, but farmers did not feed the fish more to accommodate. Potentially, giving fish cannabis oil will grow their appetites, potentially growing faster.
“ . . . They were not given extra food to make up for this metabolic increase,” said Saoud, “So they used what food they got for energy rather than building blocks for growth.” Researchers gained the cannabis from the Lebanese attorney general, who provided the cannabis from their evidence locker.
