Harnessing the Power of Cannabinoids to Reverse Cannabis-induced Toxicosis in Pets.

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The legalization of cannabis in Canada, combined with the changing attitudes towards cannabis, have resulted in increases in both intentional and unintentional exposures to cannabis in pets. Signs that an animal has been exposed to cannabis generally include depression, ataxia, mydriasis, abnormal startle, acoustic hypersensitivity, bradycardia, hypothermia, urinary incontinence, and although rare, even death.This proposal aims to tackle the issue of cannabis-associated toxicity (usually due to the presence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) in pets and to test novel therapeutic avenues toward reducing toxicosis-related harms, from both intentional and accidental exposure. Current treatment options include monitoring and decontamination, therefore underscoring the need for novel pharmacological treatments. The industry sponsor/partner for this collaboration is Avicanna Inc., a biopharmaceutical company solely devoted to the development of cannabinoid-based medicinal products since its inception. In partnership with Dr. Khokhar, with his extensive track-record in behavioural pharmacology, this collaboration aims to provide a deeper understanding of the neural basis of cannabis-induced toxicosis in pets as well as the potential utility of cannabis-derived compounds and formulations for aiding the treatment of cannabis-induced toxicosis in pets. The goal of this series of experiments is to first establish the behavioural and neural correlates of cannabis-toxicosis in a rat model, and then test the effects of cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabivarin (both agents can counteract the effect of THC), both alone and in combination on THC-induced toxicosis. The specific aims for this study are as follows: Aim 1: To determine the behavioural and neural correlates of acute high-dose THC exposure via edible and vapour routes of administration. Aim 2: To determine whether cannabidiol or THCV treatment, either alone or in combination, reduce the magnitude of the behavioural and neural correlates of acute high-dose THC toxicosis. The findings from these studies will be impactful since they will identify a potentially novel therapeutic avenue for reducing THC-induced toxicosis in pets, as well as establishing the neural correlates of THC-induced toxicosis.