Transfer of Cannabinoids into the Milk of Dairy Cows Fed with Industrial Hemp Could Lead to Δ-THC Exposure That Exceeds Acute Reference Dose

Overview

Journal Nat Food

Specialties Environmental Health
Nutritional Sciences

Date 2023 Apr 28

PMID 37118216

Authors

Bettina Wagner

Pietro Gerletti

Peter Furst

Oliver Keuth

Thorsten Bernsmann

Annett Martin

Bernd Schafer

Jorge Numata

Marc C Lorenzen

Robert Pieper

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The industrial hemp sector is growing and, in recent years, has launched many novel hemp-derived products, including animal feed. It is, however, unclear to what extent individual cannabinoids from industrial hemp transfer from the feed into products of animal origin and whether they pose a risk for the consumer. Here we present the results of a feeding experiment with industrial hemp silage in dairy cows. Hemp feeding included changes in feed intake, milk yield, respiratory and heart rates, and behaviour. We combined liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based analyses and toxicokinetic computer modelling to estimate the transfer of several cannabinoids (Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC), Δ-THC, Δ-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, Δ-tetrahydrocannabivarin, 11-OH-Δ-THC, 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ-THC, cannabidiol, cannabinol and cannabidivarin) from animal feed to milk. For Δ-THC, which has a feed-to-milk transfer rate of 0.20% ± 0.03%, the acute reference dose for humans was exceeded in several consumer groups in exposure scenarios for milk and dairy product consumption when using industrial hemp to feed dairy cows.

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